Insight into natural cholesterol control suggests novel cholesterol-lowering therapy
New work reported in the March issue of Cell Metabolism has provided insight into a key mechanism by which cells limit cholesterol synthesis. The finding suggests a novel approach to the development of cholesterol-lowering drugs that may boost the effect of statins, one of the most prescribed cholesterol inhibitors, according to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.<...Divergent mating systems and parental conflict as a barrier to hybridization in flowering plants
Sexual reproduction can be thought of as a cooperative process in which two individuals come together to produce a new individual. It can also be viewed as a process in which two parties with differing interests, investment, and background interact to produce a new individual. From the former perspective, parental interests are unified (both wish to produce vigorous offspring), while the latter s...South Pacific plant may be missing link in evolution of flowering plants
Bottlenose dolphins that reside in designated Special Areas of Conservation throughout the UK, including Dorset, Anglesey and Cornwall, might be at risk from pile driving. The frequency range of pile driving noise could interfere with their ability to communicate, find food and avoid predators. This has the potential to affect their behaviour, health and their ability to breed successfully. Lacta...Massive duplication of genes may solve Darwin's 'abominable mystery' about flowering plants
Researchers from the Floral Genome Project at Penn State University, with an international team of collaborators, have proposed an answer to Charles Darwin's "abominable mystery:" the inexplicably rapid evolution of flowering plants immediately after their first appearance some 140 million years ago. By developing new statistical methods to analyze incomplete DNA sequences from thirteen strategi...Scientists discover that ancient genes dictate flowering, fall bud set
It often requires many years of growth before a tree is ready to flower -- a delay that makes tree breeders impatient. Now, scientists at universities in Sweden and the United States have discovered genes that are responsible for initiation of flowering. In the annual plant Arabidopsis, the first plant to have its genome sequenced, the genes Constans (CO) and Flowering Locus T (FT) induce...Lowering the fear factor for entrepreneurs, intra-preneurs
MILWAUKEE,WI.-Beware calling the next strange idea you hear strange: the person touting it just might be the next millionaire next door. A panel of experienced entrepreneurs speaking to attendees at the first Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Conference in Milwaukee last Wednesday have dealt with looks and whispers their entire working lives, and they encouraged their brethren in the audience to...Cholesterol lowering drugs increase neuropathy risk
According to a new study taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called 'statins' could elevate the risk of peripheral neuropathy. Previous research has shown the benefits of statins, drugs that lower cholesterol levels. However, researchers in Texas now reveal that the drugs might// increase their risk of peripheral neuropathy, a condition marked by weakness, numbness and pain in the hands and feet...Dark Chocolate Is Helpful In Lowering Blood Pressure.
A study conducted recently links dark chocolate consumption to improved insulin sensitivity //and lowered hypertension. The study reveals that three ounces of dark chocolate a day for several weeks lowers blood pressure by an average of 10 percent and improves insulin sensitivity in patients with hypertension. The team studied 20 people, 10 men and 10 women, each were assigned 3.5 ounc...Cholesterol-lowering therapy benefits older people also
According to a new study it is observed that statins reduce the risk of heart attack in older people. Long-term treatment with statins lowers cholesterol// levels and so lowers the risk of heart disease. This has been shown to be the case in middle-aged people, but the benefits for the elderly have not been so clear. Researchers at the University of Glasgow have assessed the benefit o...Cholesterol lowering drugs aid people after heart transplant
According to a new study, there is a large survival benefit in taking cholesterol-lowering drugs after a heart transplant. Researchers in Munich have studied the effect of taking simvastatin soon after a heart transplant. //They looked at a group of 72 patients who had had heart transplants from 1992. Of these, 32 took the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin four days after treatment, while the...Lowering blood pressure beneficial for PAD patients
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a risk factor for heart attacks, is characterized by atherosclerosis, a condition in which blood vessels of the legs are narrowed by fatty deposits. PAD is a risk factor for heart attacks because the atherosclerosis// probably also occurs in the coronary arteries. Researchers at the University of Colorado studied a group of 955 people with diabetes....