L.A. Times - Science

Papaya sex change in the works

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The effort could weed out unproductive male and female plants so that farmers could grow only the fruitful hermaphrodites.

An effort is underway to perform sex changes on papayas. That's right -- the large, yellowish fruit.

It's time juice loses its wholesome image, some experts say

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Compared with soda, the drink carries more calories and as much sugar. There's also evidence that high consumption increases the risk of obesity, especially among kids.

To many people, it's a health food. To others, it's simply soda in disguise.

New study may deal final blow to acne drug Accutane

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The study bolstered evidence of a link between the drug, pulled from the market in June, and inflammatory bowel disease. No medication is as effective in treating severe cases of acne.

Teenagers and young adults suffering from severe, scarring acne may ultimately lose the most effective treatment for the condition.

More than 38 million vaccine doses available against swine flu

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

'As supplies increase things should go better,' says a CDC official, who adds that flu activity is widespread in 48 states and 'virtually everything is H1N1.'

More than 38 million doses of vaccine against pandemic H1N1 influenza are now available, 11 million more than were available last week and double the number available two weeks ago, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

Babies are found to cry in their mother tongue

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Just days after birth, German and French infants' wails mimicked the patterns of their native languages. Researchers believe they started to pick up on the melodies in the third trimester.

They may not be old enough to talk, but babies less than a week old know how to cry in their native language.

Wildlife filmmakers focusing on endangered cats

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Dereck and Beverly Joubert, who have spent 25 years documenting Africa's most iconic animals, have teamed with National Geographic on the Big Cats Initiative in an attempt to stop their extinction.

South African wildlife photographers and authors Dereck and Beverly Joubert have worked in some of Africa's most remote areas for more than 25 years, recording the life cycles and decline of some of the continent's most iconic animals, in the process winning five Emmys, a Peabody and a Wildscreen Panda Award.

High hopes for a malaria vaccine

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 19:11:00 -0800

The makers of Mosquirix announce a trial involving thousands of children in Africa. They aim to seek marketing approval as soon as 2012 and have a vaccine that reduces infections by 80% by 2025.

Each year, malaria kills more than 1 million people -- 90% of them in sub-Saharan Africa and 80% of them younger than 5 -- and makes 300 million people seriously ill. Major progress in controlling the disease has been made by the widespread adoption of bed nets to keep mosquitoes from attacking children at night and by the use of artemisinin-based therapy, which is the most effective treatment for infections.

Obesity puts swine flu sufferers at greater risk, study suggests

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

A study in California shows that about a quarter of the people hospitalized for H1N1 complications were morbidly obese, even though less than 5% of the population falls into that category.

Obesity appears to be a risk factor on a par with pregnancy for developing complications from an infection with pandemic H1N1 influenza, according to the most comprehensive look yet at swine flu hospitalizations.

Gene therapy makes major stride in 'Lorenzo's Oil' disease

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

An experimental treatment stabilizes two boys with the rare, fatal degenerative disorder known as ALD. Researchers hail the findings, which come on the tail of other gene-therapy successes.

In the third gene-therapy success of recent weeks, French researchers have arrested the progression of the rare and fatal degenerative disorder adrenoleukodystrophy, which was at the heart of the popular movie "Lorenzo's Oil." The disease has stabilized in two boys who were 7 years old when the therapy was performed two years ago, the team reported today in the journal Science.

FDA seeks to reduce drug dosage errors

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Its program aims to curb wide-ranging problems, which take a toll on health and cost $4 billion a year.

In an attempt to reduce the deaths and serious health problems caused by misuse of medication, the Food and Drug Administration is trying to identify the most serious threats and find ways to avoid them.