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Scientists have issued a report on the mechanism of toxicity of a chemical compound called Dibutyltin (DBT). DBT is part of a class of high toxic and widely distributed chemical compounds called organotins, DBT is most commonly used as an anti-fouling agent in paint, for example in the fishing and shipbuilding industries. It is also used in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic tubes and bottles.

The discovery of the role of a microRNA called miR-138, could offer strategies for the treatment of congenital heart defects.

All individuals have a nonverbal mode of communication influenced by culture, education, age, sex. A new study has found that people who facially express pain in a more intense way are not exaggerating if their perception of a painful stimulation is controlled.

New research suggests that the use of statins may be associated with a significant reduction in the occurrence of venous thromboembolism, a condition that includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, in patients with solid organ tumors, including breast, lung and colon cancers.

A lack of specific brain receptors has been linked with schizophrenia in new research.

New research shows that people taking alendronate or zoledronic acid, two common medications to prevent or slow the occurrence of osteoporosis, were significantly more likely to experience serious atrial fibrillation, including hospitalization or death, compared with placebo.

That stress during a mother's pregnancy can cause developmental and emotional problems for offspring has long been observed by behavioral and biological researchers, but the objective measuring and timing of that stress and its results are difficult to prove objectively in humans. New experimental work has demonstrated the relationship between maternal stress and impairment of offspring in rats.

In areas of extreme poverty it is often difficult to determine the standard of living. During her doctoral research in Uganda, Nicky Pouw developed a method to analyze relatively simple material and immaterial possessions that can serve, for example, as an early warning system for food shortages.

Two new studies published in the journal PLoS Medicine show that increasing the number of people vaccinated against influenza can decrease the burden of the disease, and not just in the individuals receiving the vaccine.

In the first study to look at the effect of neighborhood greenness on inner city children's weight over time, researchers report that higher neighborhood greenness is associated with slower increases in children's body mass over a two year period, regardless of residential density.