US scientists on Wednesday reported a new advance in using gene therapy to restore eyesight in people with a rare, inherited form of blindness. The therapy, which had been previously tried in just one eye of 12 people, worked well when injected into the other eye of three of the patients, offering a sign that the treatment is safe, effective and will not be rejected by the body. "Our concern was that the first treatment might cause a vaccine-like … full story

In people with low blood levels of vitamin D, boosting them with supplements more than halved a person's risk of dying from any cause compared to someone who remained deficient, in a large new study. Analyzing data on more than 10,000 patients, University of Kansasresearchers found that 70 percent were deficient in vitamin D and they were at significantly higher risk for a variety of heart diseases. D-deficiency also nearly doubled a person's likelihood … full story

Normal weight adults, including those who had lost a lot of weight and kept it off, ate more often than overweight people in a new study looking at factors that may help in preventing weight gain. Researchers following about 250 people for a year found that overweight individuals ate fewer snacks in addition to meals than people in the normal body weight range, but the overweight still took in more calories and they were less active over the course … full story

Playing video games for hours on end may not be that bad after all. It could perhaps prepare your child to become a skilled surgeon one day. Playing video games gives one an advantage not only in the games themselves but also in performing other tasks requiring visuomotor skills – connections between visual and motor processes in the brain. Motor processes are linked with acquiring skills or skilled movements as a result of practice. Researchers … full story

Women who drank two large glasses of milk daily after their weight-lifting routine gained more muscle and lost more fat compared to women who drank sugar-based energy drinks, says a new study. “Resistance training is not a typical choice of exercise for women,” says Stu Phillips, professor in kinesiology (study of human movement) at McMaster University. “But the health benefits of resistance training are enormous: It boosts strength, bone, muscular … full story

People who have never smoked, but who live in areas with higher air pollution levels, are roughly 20 percent more likely to die from lung cancer than people who live with cleaner air, researchers conclude in a new study. "It's another argument for why the regulatory levels (for air pollutants) be as low as possible," said Francine Laden, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research. Though smoking is … full story

Walnuts, the brain shaped nuts, cut down cholesterol and may also help fight stress and reduce blood pressure. Those with high levels of bad cholesterol had lower blood pressure during stressful moments after following a diet rich in walnuts for three weeks. Study participants were told to deliver a three-minute speech or sink one foot in cold water – both of which trigger stress. Those who ate walnuts had lower blood pressure, said Professor … full story

Those who say they cannot quit smoking, no matter how hard they try, could now blame their genes. Scientists have discovered a brain pathway which, if not functioning correctly, can lead to an uncontrollable desire to smoke, reports dailymail.co.uk. The fault lies in a receptor protein that is normally activated by the nicotine in cigarettes and dampens the desire for yet more of the drug. The team found that when rats were genetically changed … full story

Like a spotlight that illuminates an otherwise dark scene, attention highlights specific details of our surroundings while shutting others out. A new study by Salk Institute for Biological Studies researchers shows that the superior colliculus, a brain structure known for its role in the control of eye and head movements, is crucial for moving the mind’s spotlight. Their findings add new insight to our understanding of how attention is controlled … full story

Proline, a simple amino acid that recurs at the centre of proteins found in tooth enamel, makes teeth stronger and more resilient, according to a new research. University of Illinois-Chicago (UI-C) researchers compared proline repeats in amphibian and animal models and discovered that when the repeats are short, such as in frogs, teeth will not have the enamel prisms that are responsible for the strength of human enamel. Conversely, when the proline … full story