First, he discovered a gene that controls innate fear in animals. Now Rutgers geneticist Gleb Shumyatsky has shown that the same gene promotes "helicopter mom" behavior in mice. The gene, known as stathmin or oncoprotein 18, motivates female animals to protect newborn pups and interact cautiously with unknown peers.
This "fear gene" is highly concentrated in the Click here to read more.. »
Just under a hundred NPA members are now offering the NPA and Allergy UK Allergy Screening Service. The service which has been recently remodelled to include a "pin prick" test as well as a screen was the subject of radio interviews conducted by regional and local stations across England last week. NPA members were able to give an account of Click here to read more.. »
Johns Hopkins scientists report that high levels of a noxious gas from stoves can be added to the list of indoor pollutants that aggravate asthma symptoms of inner-city children, especially preschoolers.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), an irritating and toxic form of nitrogen oxide gas, is most prevalent in industrial zones but also found at higher levels in poor homes with unvented Click here to read more.. »
A new article in the December issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology provides strong evidence that allergies are much more than just an annoying immune malfunction. They may protect against certain types of cancer.
The article, by researchers Paul Sherman, Erica Holland and Janet Shellman Sherman from Cornell University, suggests that allergy symptoms may protect against cancer by expelling foreign particles, some of which may be carcinogenic Click here to read more.. »
The Priory Group has issued a list of top ten indicators for stressed City executives which should act as warning signs that professional help should be sought. As the global economy goes into meltdown, experts at the Priory Group are coping with escalating levels of depression and related conditions amongst staff in the financial sector, also leading to a rise in people Click here to read more.. »
Can scientists predict who will develop anxiety disorders years in advance? UCLA psychology professor Michelle Craske thinks so. She is four years into an eight-year study evaluating 650 students, who were 16 when the study began, to identify risk factors for the development of anxiety and depression - the most comprehensive study of its kind.
Craske Click here to read more.. »
Allergic reactions to Merck’s human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil are uncommon, and most girls and young women can tolerate further doses in the three-dose regimen, according to a study published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal, Dow Jones/CNNMoney.com reports. Since U.S. approval of Gardasil in 2006, there have been reports of allergic reactions after vaccination, which have been Click here to read more.. »
