Year: 2014

Although Neanderthals became extinct 28,000 years ago in Europe, as much as one-fifth of their DNA has survived in human genomes due to interbreeding tens of thousands of years ago, one of the studies found, although any one individual has only about 2 percent of caveman DNA. "The 2 percent of your Neanderthal DNA might be different than my 2 percent of Neanderthal DNA, and it's found at different places in the genome," said geneticist Joshua Akey, who led one of the studies. Put it all together in a study of hundreds of people, and "you can recover a substantial proportion of the Neanderthal genome." Both studies confirmed earlier findings that the genomes of east Asians harbor more Neanderthal DNA than those of Europeans. According to the paper by geneticists at Harvard Medical School, published in Nature, about 1.4 percent of the genomes of Han Chinese in Beijing and south China, as well as Japanese in Tokyo come from Neanderthals, compared to 1.1 percent of the genomes of Europeans.

By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) – A decades-old medical mystery – why antioxidants such as vitamin E and beta carotene seemed to accelerate the growth of early lung tumors in high-risk populations such as smokers, rather than protect them from cancer, as theory suggests – may have been solved, according to research published on Wednesday. In essence, “antioxidants allow cancer cells to escape cells’ own defense system” against tumors, biologist Per Lindahl of Sweden’s University of Gothenburg and a co-author of the study told reporters. The findings imply that “taking extra antioxidants might be harmful and could speed up the growth of (any) tumors,” said biologist and co-author Martin Bergo of Gothenburg, adding, “If I had a patient with lung cancer, I would not recommend they take an antioxidant.” The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, did not examine whether antioxidants can also initiate lung cancer, rather than accelerate the growth of existing tumors.

Government flu study is seeking volunteers.        

In the quest to lose weight, is cutting out sugar or cutting out fat the solution? … like fat or sugar is not a solution to weight loss, nor are fad diets. … where you could easily eat a cheap and healthy diet and get enough exercise. … it comes to weight gain are processed foods that contained a combination of …

Biogen Idec Inc said on Wednesday its new, high-profile oral multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera had sales of $398 million in the fourth quarter, easily exceeding estimates for a third successive quarter and keeping it on track to top $1 billion in its first year on the market. Biogen said underlying patient demand for the drug represented about $348 million of the U.S. sales, still ahead of analysts' consensus expectations of about $335 million. Biogen provided forecasts for 2014 that were likely to be viewed as a mixed bag, with revenue growth projections ahead of Wall Street expectations but an earnings outlook that fell short of the current analysts' view. The company forecast revenue growth of about 22 percent to 25 percent and earnings of $11 to $11.20 per share, excluding items.

Losing weight for healthy living is difficult. … world — where the brain is hard-wired to accept food and build energy reserves when food is available, …

By Ronnie Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Almost half of older heart patients in a new study had memory loss, though their cardiologists failed to recognize the impairment most of the time. “Detection of memory impairment is very important in elderly heart failure patients,” the study’s lead author, Dr. Olivier Hanon, told Reuters Health in an email. Memory loss may affect how well people with heart failure stick to their medications, said Hanon, from Broca Hospital in Paris. Their chances of dying are known to increase with their thinking and memory problems.

By Shereen Jegtvig NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Women with diets rich in foods like berries, chocolate, red wine and tea also have reduced inflammation and insulin resistance – a diabetes precursor, according to new UK research. Flavonoids are chemical compounds found in colorful fruits and vegetables, and laboratory studies suggest they may offer a variety of health benefits. “The aim of this study was to add more weight to these findings by starting to unravel how they work in humans,” said Aedin Cassidy, a nutrition researcher at the University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School, who led the study. “Our previous studies have shown that these powerful bioactive compounds called flavonoids, present in berries and other foods like chocolate and wine, can reduce your risk of having a heart attack and of developing type 2 diabetes,” Cassidy told Reuters Health by email.

By Alastair Sharp TORONTO (Reuters) – Canadian computer services provider CGI Group Inc, the contractor behind the troubled Obamacare enrollment website, reported weaker-than-expected quarterly results on Wednesday, sending its shares to a four-month low. The Montreal-based company said revenue and bookings – an indicator of future sales – were both strong in its first quarter despite losing the contract to manage the U.S. federal healthcare enrollment website it helped build.

New York City class combines role-playing with poses.        

BAYONNE, N.J. (AP) — A cruise ship on which hundreds of passengers and crew members fell ill was returning to port Wednesday in New Jersey, with health officials recommending those still showing symptoms to check in at hotels or seek medical care before heading home.

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Dutch Foods and Wares Authority says it has “preventatively” blocked all shipments from a Dutch slaughterhouse after investigators found horse meat in four shipments labeled as beef products.