Genetic analysis of the H7N9 influenza virus shows that the HA gene might have originated from avian influenza viruses of duck origin, and the NA gene might have transferred from migratory birds infected with avian influenza viruses along the east Asian flyway.
The six internal genes of the H7N9 virus probably originated from two different groups of H9N2 avian influenza viruses, which were isolated from chickens.
Diversity among isolates implies that the H7N9 virus has evolved into at least two different lineages.
Ageing is a result of gradual and overall functional deteriorations across the body; however, it is unknown whether an individual tissue primarily works to mediate the ageing progress and control lifespan.
Scientists studying mice found that the hypothalamus is important for the development of ageing.
Animals lived longer than normal when they were injected with a substance that inhibited the activity of NF-κB in immune cells called microglia in the hypothalamus. Mice that received a substance to stimulate the activity of NF-κB died earlier.
Data from the EPIC cohorts shows that an increase in consumption of one 33cl sweetened soft drink per day is associated with an 18% increase in risk of developing diabetes.
Juice and nectar consumption was not associated with type 2 diabetes incidence.
Striatal dopamine is increased by virtually all drugs of abuse, including alcohol. Scientists using positron emission tomography were able to show that, even without alcohol, the flavour of beer can induce dopamine release.
Forty-nine men – ranging from social to heavy drinkers, with a varied family history of alcoholism – underwent two PET scans: one while tasting beer, and one while tasting Gatorade. Relative to the control flavour of Gatorade, beer flavour increased self-reported desire to drink and induced dopamine release.
The results demonstrate that alcohol-conditioned flavour cues can provoke ventral striatal dopamine release, and that the response is strongest in subjects with a greater genetic risk for alcoholism.
The large-scale Collaborative Oncological Gene-environment Study (COGS) has published over a dozen coordinated papers detailing the genetic and environmental bases of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.
The papers report over 70 new susceptibility loci for these 3 hormone-related cancers, and will help clarify the underlying mechanisms of carcinogenesis and develop clinically relevant cancer prediction models.
Almost half of the 70 known loci associated with overall breast cancer risk in women of European ancestry were also associated with risk in east Asian women. In addition, certain environmental factors, specifically alcohol consumption, seem to modify the association between some common variants and breast cancer risk.
A Sweden study has found a statistically significant monotonic association between advancing grandpaternal age at the time of birth of the parent and risk of autism in grandchildren.
Men who had fathered a daughter when they were 50 or older were 1.79 times more likely to have a grandchild with autism, while men who had fathered a son when they were 50 or older were 1.67 times more likely to have a grandchild with autism, compared with men who had fathered children when they were 20 to 24 years old.
The results are consistent with mutations or epigenetic alterations associated with advancing paternal age, but the overall risk remains low.