Researchers at New Mexico State University recently discovered the world's hottest chile pepper. Bhut Jolokia, a variety of chile pepper originating in Assam, India, has earned Guiness World Records'recognition as the world's hottest chile pepper by blasting past the previous champion Red Savina.
Women are still at risk of developing invasive cancer of the cervix or vagina 25 years after being treated for precancerous lesions, according to a new study. Women who have had severe cell changes in the cervix and who have been operated on for them run twice the risk of developing cancer later in life, compared with other women. Cancer experts are now calling for cytological smears to be offered at regular intervals for at least 25 years after a woman has had severe dysplasia/CIS (carcinoma in situ).
Exploding stars that light the way for research on dark energy aren't as powerful or bright, on average, as they once were, say astronomers. The study, which compared supernovae in nearby galaxies with those that exploded up to nine billion light years away in the distant universe, found the distant supernovae were an average of 12 per cent brighter. The distant supernovae were brighter because they were younger, the study found.
Scientists have identified a novel phytochemical agent that enhances and improves the process of wound healing in normal and immune compromised people. They reported a novel compound Picroliv obtained from the roots of a plant Picrorhiza kurrooa enhances the rate of wound healing by principally enhancing the restoration of the blood supply to the damaged tissue.
A new study explores the role of natural enemies, such as predators and parasites, for mixed mating, a reproductive strategy in which hermaphroditic plants and animals reproduce through both self- and cross-fertilization. The findings highlight the possible evolutionary consequences of these interactions. Mating systems are a complex set of traits that reflect interactions among genetics, population structure, demography, and numerous environmental factors that influence mating success.
Most women, and large numbers of men, expressed interest in having cosmetic surgery, university scientists report. Forty-eight percent of women surveyed said they would be interested in cosmetic surgery, liposuction or both, and another 23 percent said they would possibly be interested. Among men, 23 percent said they would be interested in surgery, with 17 percent expressing possible interest.
Changes in gene expression patterns in zebrafish embryos resulting from exposure to environmental toxins can identify the individual toxins at work, according to new research. The genetic response of zebrafish to each toxin can be read like a barcode, offering researchers a potential method for identifying the effects of the toxin on developing vertebrate embryos.
More than half of all drugs given to patients work by targeting a particular type of "docking station,"or receptor, found on body cells, to steer the cell's machinery toward healing an illness. Researchers have determined what one of those receptors looks like at the molecular level, giving them the keys to greater control of the process.
Stars in dwarf spheroidal galaxies behave in a way that suggests the galaxies are utterly dominated by dark matter, astronomers have found. Astronomers measured the velocity of 6,804 stars in seven dwarf satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. They found that, contrary to what Newton's law of gravity predicts, stars in these galaxies do not move slower the farther they are from their galaxy's core.
Children with Down syndrome are more likely than their unaffected siblings to have higher levels of a hormone associated with obesity, according to pediatric researchers. The hormone, leptin, may contribute to the known higher risk of obesity among children and adults with Down syndrome.
Microbes such as bacteria tend to live in complex colonies called biofilms, where they can resist antibiotics and cause more problems for the immune system. Biofilms comprising millions of bacteria are at the root of many serious chronic infectious diseases such as cystic fibrosis and periodontal disease, as well as industrial contamination, biofouling and biocorrosion.
Scientists have shown that birds with higher stress levels adopt bolder behavior than their normally more relaxed peers in stressful situations. The scientists studied zebra finches, which had been selectively bred to produce three distinct types -- "laid-back,""normal"and "stressed."The group was surprised to find that the "stressed"birds were bolder and took more risks in a new environment than the group that was usually more laid-back.
Diseases that cause neurons to break down, such as Alzheimer's, continue to be elusive to scientists and resistant to treatments. A new finding demonstrates an unpredicted link between a virtually unknown signaling molecule and neuron health. Scientists connect the loss of this molecule to massive neurodegeneration in the brain, which plays a key role in the survival of nervous system cells.
An abnormality of chromosomes long associated with diseases of aging has, for the first time, been linked to colon cancer in people 50 years old and younger, an age group usually considered young for this disease.
