Mutation in clams protects against paralytic shellfish poisoning but raises human health risk
Just like people, clams can be affected by the toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), but scientists have now identified a mutation in clams that gives some protection. PSP toxins interfere with nerve function, and the mutation, which changes a single amino acid in a sodium channel, makes nerves less sensitive to those toxins. The discovery is reported in the April 7 issue...Fluoride poisoning in China due to clay, not coal
Millions of people in southwest China suffer from potentially-crippling fluoride poisoning because they burn a mixture of clay and coal, say researchers. Because of this belief, last year, the...Poison + water = hydrogen. New microbial genome shows how
Take a pot of scalding water, remove all the oxygen, mix in a bit of poisonous carbon monoxide, and add a pinch of hydrogen gas. It sounds like a recipe for a witch's brew. It may be, but it is also the preferred environment for a microbe known as In a paper published in the November 27th issue of PLoS Genetics, a research team led by scientis...CU, USDA team to curb two invasive, poisonous vines
With no known enemies in North America, two types of invasive vines are growing rampant in forests and fields, threatening reforestation, fragile butterfly populations and bird habitats. The vines are pale and black swallow-wort, and to find a biological control to stem the growth of and their steady conquest of local ecosystems in the northern United States and Canada, Cornell University...Lactic acid not athlete's poison, but an energy source - if you know how to use it
In the lore of marathoners and extreme athletes, lactic acid is poison, a waste product that builds up in the muscles and leads to muscle fatigue, reduced performance and pain. Coaches and athletes don't realize it, says exercise physiologist George...Frozen food invite food poisoning
According to British microbiologists, in the overseas travel, pre-packed sandwiches and cold meat raise the risk of poisoning with a common bacterium. Campylobacter is a major cause of food poisoning in the UK. It causes diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain and even complications like arthritis and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a type of temporary paralysis. The Public Health Laboratory...Poisonous Parkinson's molecule discovered
Researchers in Texas have found a molecule which may harm the brain areas involved in Parkinson's disease. There is no firm diagnostic test for Parkinson's disease - the doctor has to rely on the clinical examination of the patient. But it's known that cells producing a chemical called dopamine - which controls muscle activity - in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra slowly die as th...Activated charcoal for poisoning treatment
Activated charcoal, a poison antidote used in emergency rooms for decades, can be easily used in children at home and may help prevent a trip to the hospital. The substance is a fine powder form of processed charcoal that binds to many types of poisons and can keep them from being absorbed into the bloodstream. Stocked by some pharmacies, it can be mixed at home with water, juice or soft drinks,...Arsenic poisoning reactions can be traced to genes
The reaction to a common water pollutant called arsenic may not be the same in all people. Researchers have // pointed out to a gene called CYT19 in people, particularly in children, that may be responsible for varied reactions to the metal called arsenic. Arsenic exposure had long been associated with health hazards like cancer of the skin, lungs or bladder, circulatory problems, and...Listeria Food Poisoning Can Be Dangerous In Pregnant Women And Elderly
Infection of food due to Listeria can be life-threatening unless vigilance is practiced to curb the infection // according to the report published by Food Safety Authority of Ireland.(FSAI). The mortality due to infection can be as much as 30% associated with Listeria food contamination and only miniscule amounts need to be consumed to cause serious infection. Professor Flynn said...Allergen, Occupational, Mosquito Poison
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