Research News

June 17, 2013 Scientists and parents have long been baffled by the fact that children with autism often don't pay attention to human voices. Researchers say that may be because speech doesn't activate a reward system in the brain for those children the way it does for typical children.

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June 14, 2013 Though the regulation proposed by the Fish and Wildlife Service would make it more difficult to use chimpanzees for research purposes, that may not be a problem, some scientists say. Scientific advances show the animals are less medically useful than previously thought.

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June 14, 2013 An extract from raw, green coffee beans has been called a "miracle" weight-loss aid. But a study in mice casts doubt on the supplement's fat-burning effects — and even offers preliminary evidence that it could be harmful.

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June 14, 2013 Looking for clues to to modern-day leprosy, scientists dig up a 500-year-old mass grave and scan for ancient strains of bacteria in human remains. They find that the bacteria that cause leprosy haven't changed, humans have.

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June 13, 2013 The court said biotech company Myriad could not patent human genes, since they already "existed in nature." But when it comes to synthetic DNA, the court said patents may be acceptable in some cases.

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June 13, 2013 Needle sharing and drug use put an estimated 4,000 people at risk for contracting HIV every year. Now, the same medications that are used to treat HIV-positive individuals might also protect the uninfected before they engage in risky behavior.

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