Red Monkeyflower Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have discovered that the future of red and yellow varieties of a San Diego wildflower may depend on the fates of two different animals. They report in the current issue of the Journal of Evolutionary Biology that monkeyflowers have two different animal pollinators. The red form, common along the coast, is strongly preferred by hummingbirds, while yellow monkeyflowers, found east of I-15, are favored by hawkmoths.

If you want to avoid cancer of the kidneys, a new major study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that eating salmon or other kinds of fatty fish a few times a month would be one good way to go about it.

An enzyme found naturally in the brain snips apart the protein that forms the sludge called amyloid plaque that is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), researchers have found. They said their findings in mice suggest that the protein, called Cathepsin B (CatB), is a key part of a protective mechanism that may fail in some forms of AD. Also, they said their findings suggest that drugs to enhance CatB activity could break down amyloid deposits, counteracting one of the central pathologies of AD.

Even the tiny, mild-mannered fruit fly can be a little mean sometimes – especially when there's a choice bit of rotten fruit to fight over. And, like people, some flies have shorter tempers than others.

Babies with very low birth weights tend to have a much lower quality of life when they are three or four years old, according to a study published in the latest issue of the UK-based Journal of Advanced Nursing.

The bacterium that causes the plague belongs to a virulent family of bacteria called Yersinia, a group that also includes a pathogen responsible for food poisoning. These bacteria insert into their host cells proteins and other virulence factors, which kill by -- among other things -- disrupting the cells' normal structure. One of these proteins, called YpkA, attacks a cell's internal skeleton. Now, a study published by Rockefeller University researchers in the most recent issue of Cell shows exactly how YpkA does this, proving the protein's mechanism from the atomic to the organismal level and providing a potential target for new antibiotic drugs.

Columbia University Medical Center researchers have identified the neurocircuit that controls the brain's response to fear. Results suggest that it may be possible to understand psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety or depression, from the underlying neurophysiology – workings of the brain.

Walking is a popular form of exercise, but may not be enough to experience significant health benefits, a University of Alberta study shows.