Washington, Feb 18 : Two new studies have brought scientists one step closer to the development of a pill that could stave off noise-induced and perhaps even age-related hearing loss in humans.

In the studies, scientists found that vitamin supplements prevented hearing loss in laboratory animals.

The supplements used in the studies are composed of antioxidants - beta carotene and vitamins C and E - and the mineral magnesium.

When administered prior to exposure to loud noise, the supplements prevented both temporary and permanent hearing loss in test animals.

Washington, February 18 : Scientists have identified new gene variants associated with an increased risk for heart attack.

The international team of researchers behind this work say that the identified genes and their underlying mechanisms provide new starting points for understanding genetic patterns in heart attack, and for developing new treatment options.

One of their findings is that the heart attack risk is more than twice as great in individuals who carry not only one but several of the genetic markers.

Washington, February 18 : An apple a day, along with other fruits and vegetables, may keep breast cancer at bay, according to scientists.

Rui Hai Liu, Cornell associate professor of food science and a member of Cornell''s Institute for Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, has found that fresh apple extracts significantly inhibited the size of mammary tumours in rats.

The researcher said that the more extracts the subjects were given, the greater the inhibition.

Washington, Feb 17 : Paving the way for new ways to fight viral infections and new gene therapies, Rice University scientists have unravelled the structure of a virus'' protective coat.

After three years of work, the researchers have created an image of the structure, showing five million atoms-each in precisely the right place.

The image reveals the structure of a type of protein coat shared by hundreds of known viruses containing double-stranded RNA genomes.

Manila - The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday that unprotected male-to-male sex was fuelling the spread of HIV and AIDS in Asia, where the epidemic could worsen amid a lack of services to gays.

"Men who have sex with men have been identified as one of the most at-risk populations for HIV/AIDS," the Manila-based WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific said in a statement ahead of a meeting in Hong Kong.

"Asia is believed to have the world's largest number of men having sex with men, estimated at 10 million," the office added.

London, Feb 17: Tried everything, from long walks to Atkins diet, but still not able to squeeze into your college pants? Well, take heart, for it has been claimed that eating two bowls of cereal a day could help obese people lose weight.

According to a new study carried out by experts at Oxford Brookes University, which consisted of 41 people, suggested that people who eat cereal for two out of their three daily meals could lose more than 4lb in six weeks.