Cutting the legs off cancer

Melanoma skin cancer tumors grow larger and are more likely to metastasize due to interactions between a pair of molecules, according to experiments in mice and human cells. The results may restore the potential for a type of cancer therapy previously abandoned in clinical trials. The results also implicate one molecule already connected to obesity and dementia as a potential cause of metastasis, or spread of cancer cells to other areas of the body. Melanoma accounts for about 1 percent of skin cancers, but causes a large majority of skin…

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Clues to brain differences between males and females

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered a mechanism for how androgens — male sex steroids — sculpt brain development. The research, conducted by Margaret M. McCarthy, Ph.D., who Chairs the Department of Pharmacology, could ultimately help researchers understand behavioral development differences between males and females. The research, published in Neuron, discovered a mechanism for how androgens, male sex steroids, sculpt the brains of male rats to produce behavioral differences, such as more aggression and rougher play behavior. “We already knew that the brains of males and…

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Jessica Simpson Claps Back After Natalie Portman Body Shames Her ‘90s Bikini Photos

Natalie Portman and Jessica Simpson may seem worlds apart, but their names recently came together in headlines unexpectedly when Portman referenced the singer in an interview … much to Simpson’s chagrin. The actress made comments in an interview with USA Today about the sexualized way Simpson was portrayed by the music industry early on in her career, and Simpson didn’t like that so much. “I remember being a teenager, and there was Jessica Simpson on the cover of a magazine saying ‘I’m a virgin,’ while wearing a bikini, and I was confused,”…

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High cadence cycling offers no benefit to amateurs, finds new study

A new study published today in the International Journal of Sports Medicine has found that exercise efficiency decreases in recreational cyclists when they pedal very hard, incorporating more revolutions per minute. Elite professional cyclists pedal at a very high cadence, often above 100 revolutions per minute, and they can sustain a very high exercise intensity for long periods of time. Recreational cyclists pedal at relatively lower exercise intensity, but often still adopt a high cadence presuming that the smoother blood flow keeps the exercising muscle well oxygenated. However, an international team of…

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