Chemical triggers that make plants defend themselves against insects could replace pesticides, according to a new paper in Bioorganic&Medicinal Chemistry Letters which identifies five chemicals that trigger rice plants to fend off a common pest - the white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera

Since some research suggests flame retardants could cause developmental problems - one type of organophosphate flame retardant (PFR) is listed as a probable human carcinogen by the 
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - companies have been offering to reduce their use in response to public concerns (real and manufactured.)

A new paper in Environmental Science&Technology finds that infants could potentially be affected the most and looks at potential exposure routes. 

The Ophel excavations at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount have unearthed an impression of the royal seal of King Hezekiah, around 727-698 B.C. 

Measuring 9.7 X 8.6 mm, the oval impression was imprinted on a 3 mm thick soft bulla (piece of inscribed clay) measuring 13 X 12 mm. Around the impression is the depression left by the frame of the ring in which the seal was set.

The impression bears an inscription in ancient Hebrew script: "Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz king of Judah," and a two-winged sun, with wings turned downward, flanked by two ankh symbols symbolizing life.

Certain genetic variations increase the risk of having a lower level of vitamin D. This is the finding of a PhD project from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, which has examined the effect of eating vitamin D fortified foods or receiving artificial UVB irradiation during the winter months. The fortified diet and artificial sunlight had less of an effect on vitamin D status in people with certain genetic variations. The results can be used to identify people who are genetically predisposed to having lower levels of vitamin D.

Throughout life vitamin D is essential to bone health. Some studies have also linked adequate levels of vitamin D with a lower risk of cardiovascular, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, certain cancers and death.

A study that included more than 20,000 women with stage IV breast cancer finds that survival has improved and is increasingly of prolonged duration, particularly for some women undergoing initial breast surgery, according to the report published online by JAMA Surgery.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The sweet, juicy peaches we love today might have been a popular snack long before modern humans arrived on the scene.

Scientists have found eight well-preserved fossilized peach endocarps, or pits, in southwest China dating back more than two and a half million years. Despite their age, the fossils appear nearly identical to modern peach pits.

The findings, reported last week in Scientific Reports, suggest that peaches evolved through natural selection well before humans domesticated the fruit. It's the first discovery of fossilized peaches, and it sheds new light on the evolutionary history of the fruit, which has not been well understood.