Washington, Nov 6 : Pregnant women who have a smoking habit are more than twice as likely to have children with a cleft palate or lip birth defect, a new study has found.

The findings were based on the measurement of cotinine level, a metabolite of nicotine, in the blood from about 500 pregnant women.

Washington, Nov 6 : Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have identified a new therapeutic target that can be used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

The research team found that manipulating a protein involved in two molecular pathways linked to inflammation could offer new therapies for rheumatoid arthritis.

They said that manipulating a protein called RBP-J involved in two molecular pathways the Notch and Toll-like receptor can lead to new therapies.

Washington, November 6: American scientists have discovered proteins that point to “cross-talk” between the body’s immune system and the self-cleaning system, by which biological cells rid themselves of obsolete or toxic parts.

The finding by researchers from the U. S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) attain significance as it has long been though that a link between the two systems may yield new weapons in the fight against tuberculosis and other deadly infectious diseases.

According to a survey, schools would soon have to upgrade their furniture as the children have outgrown the furniture designed in 1960’s due to increase in height and weight. 

A research conducted by the Furniture Industry Research Association, compared the measurements of 1,500 children in 2001 with data from 1971. It was found that average height increase in children is at a rate of 1cm a decade, with most of the growth in the lower leg. 

Washington, Nov 5 : What was earlier considered to be "junk" DNA has now been found to be an important ingredient distinguishing humans from other species, say scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS).

Over 50 percent of human DNA is designated as "junk" as it consists of copies of nearly identical sequences, the major source of which is internal viruses that have inserted themselves throughout the genome at various times during mammalian evolution.

By using the latest sequencing technologies, scientists proved that a large number of transcription factors—master proteins that control the expression of other genes—bind specific repeat elements.

Washington, Nov 5 : In a new study on mice, researchers have found that Nicotinamide, a form of Vitamin B3, in high doses may prevent lesions and symptoms associated with Alzheimer''s disease.

UC Irvine scientists are now conducting a clinical trial to determine its effect in humans.

Nicotinamide, was found to reduce the levels of a protein called phosphorylated tau that leads to the development of tangles, one of two brain lesions linked with Alzheimer''s.

The researchers found that the vitamin also strengthened scaffolding along which information travels in brain cells.