Children's taste sensitivity and food choices influenced by taste gene
Variation in a taste receptor gene influences taste sensitivity of children and adults, accounting for individual differences in taste preferences and food selection, report a team of researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center. In addition to genes, age and culture also contribute to taste preferences, at times overriding the influence of genetics. The findings may help to explain...Viral protein influences key cell-signaling pathway
New research shows that a protein produced by a cancer-causing virus influences a key signaling pathway in the immune cells that the virus infects. This stimulates the cells to divide, helping the virus spread through the body. T...Structure-building cell signals also may influence learning and memory
A Burnham Institute study has found that one of the cell's largest families of signaling molecules, called ephrins, which are known to regulate the development of nerve cells, also controls nerve cells' ability to engulf critical chemicals and proteins for learning and memory. These findings, the first to link these molecular semaphores to this important nerve cell function, appear in the May iss...Aircraft Cabin Ventilation Influences The Transmission Of Diseases In-flight
Increasing ventilation within aircraft cabins can reduce the spread of infectious diseases in-flight, suggests a review published in this week's issue of THE LANCET. Mark Gendreau (Lahey Clinic Medical Centre, MA, USA) and colleagues reviewed data from studies looking at the transmission of diseases during commercial air travel. They found that while commercial airlines are a suitable envi...NIH renews network focused on how genes influence drug responses
Findings will pave the way for individually tailored therapiesContinuing its strong support for studies on how genes affect responses to medications, the National Institutes of Health anticipates spending more than $150 million over five years to renew its Pharmacogenetics Research Network (PGRN). The research of this nationwide network of scientists will eventually help doctors tailor drug presc...Genetic influence in menopause
Genes generally control menopause in women. Many women will be aware that they probably started their menopause at around the same age as their mother or sister. But the link between the menopause and genetics has not been established by scientific evidence till now. Researchers in Utrecht and Wageningen in the Netherlands have collected data from 243 non-twin sisters in 118 families...Diet Can Influence Allergic Skin Reactions
People who are plagued with a skin condition called contact dermatitis may benefit from ridding their diets of foods such as citrus fruits and tomatoes, according to the results of a small study.// Individuals with contact dermatitis experience inflamed, red, itchy, scaly skin when they come in contact with substances they are allergic to. The reaction is usually associated with an allergen that...Birth weight may be influenced by genes
According to a new research in monkeys, they provide compelling evidence that DNA, particularly a type inherited only from the mother, plays an important role in determining a newborn's birth weight. Based on genetic analysis of six generations of macaque monkeys,// a team led by Dr. James C. Ha at the University of Washington in Seattle assessed that genes account for 45% of the inconsistency in...Many factors influence sexual potency
Sexual potency can be influenced by various reasons. Many advertisments with regard to potency have brought the subject of impotence to the attention of thousands of people.// Impotence was once a taboo subject, but attitudes are changing.Many men are taking help, particularly as large segments of the population age. Many men suffer from impotence. Estimates range from 12 million to 30 million me...Influence of diet on allergic Reactions
People who are plagued with a skin condition called contact dermatitis may benefit from ridding their diets of foods such as citrus fruits and tomatoes, according to the results of a small study.// Individuals with contact dermatitis experience inflamed, red, itchy, scaly skin when they come in contact with substances they are allergic to. The reaction is usually associated with an allergen that...