Findings published today in Scientific Reports looked at the pattern of variation of the South Asian monsoon over time and compared it with the evolution of African mole rats and bamboo rats as revealed by a full analysis of their relationships coupled with studies of their distribution in space and through time and of their evolutionary rates.

They found the first proof that weakening and strengthening monsoon rains played a key role in the evolution of these species. Over a period of 24 million years, the changes observed in the teeth and head shape of the rodents examined, matched the varying strength of the monsoon. Of the 38 species studied only six still exist today and the changing rains seem to have driven several species into extinction.

Researchers trying to understand why some people have more severe wheat-related health problems than others, and with different products, have found new clues in how the grain's proteins, including gluten, change when cooked and digested. 

Gianfranco Mamone and colleagues say that boiling pasta releases some of its potential allergens, while other proteins persist throughout cooking and digestion. Their findings lend new insights that could ultimately help celiac patients and people allergic to wheat.

A reformulation of OxyContin made it harder to abuse and that has curtailed the drug's illicit use but some 25 percent of drug abusers entering rehab still find a way - or at least said they still abused the prescription painkiller on surveys despite package labeling that emphasizes its abuse-deterrent properties.

Scholars surveying almost 11,000 drug users at 150 drug-treatment facilities in 48 states found that an abuse-deterrent formulation of the prescription drug OxyContin was successful in getting abusers and addicts to stop using the drug, but only to a point - and then others switched to something else anyway.

New research with mice undercuts widely held belief that ubiquinone protects cells against damage from free radicals.

The popular dietary supplement ubiquinone, also known as Coenzyme Q₁₀, is widely believed to function as an antioxidant, protecting cells against damage from free radicals. But a new study by scientists at McGill University finds that ubiquinone is not a crucial antioxidant -- and that consuming it is unlikely to provide any benefit.

A new study looked at the pattern of variation of the South Asian monsoon over time and compared it with the evolution of African mole rats and bamboo rats by evolutionary distribution in space and through time and found that weakening and strengthening monsoon rains played a key role in the evolution of these species.

Over a period of 24 million years, the changes observed in the teeth and head shape of the rodents examined, matched the varying strength of the monsoon.

Of the 38 species studied, six still exist today and the changing rains seem to have driven several species into extinction.

Nature is out to kill us, as always.

Obesity guidelines recommend an initial weight loss goal of 5 to 10% of start weight to improve health. A recent study found that patients who received liraglutide 3.0 mg, combined with fewer calories and more physical activity, were more than twice as likely to achieve at least that level of weight loss, compared to patients on placebo who made similar lifestyle changes. Patients who achieved that weight loss showed improvements on a number of health markers, compared to those who lost less, and the patients on liraglutide showed greater improvement on measures of blood sugar control and blood pressure. The results will be presented Saturday, March 7, at ENDO 2015, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego.