Neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and other cognitive impairments, affect millions of children worldwide, and some diagnoses seem to be increasing in frequency. Industrial chemicals that injure the developing brain are among the known causes for this rise in prevalence. In 2006, we did a systematic review and identified five industrial chemicals as developmental neurotoxicants: lead, methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, arsenic, and toluene.

A preliminary screening was carried out on five plants viz., Azadirachta indica, Citrus medica, Murraya koenigii, Ocimum tenuifloreum and Ricinus communis for their repellent activity against mosquitoes. The repellent activity was studied under natural conditions in the field making use of the traditional knowledge as background. Field observations were undertaken in houses wherein dried powdered plant leaves each (250g) burnt on glowing charcoal produced smoke act as a repellent mosquitocide.

This study was carried out to evaluate mosquito repellent and oviposition deterrent activities of Solanum nigrum against malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. Hexane extract of the seeds of Solanum nigrum was used for repellent and oviposition deterrent activity against mosquito vector Anopheles stephensi Liston (Diptera: Culicidae) in laboratory bio-assays.

Cancer is a leading cause of death accounting for 15-20% of global mortality. Although advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies have improved cancer survival statistics, 75% of the world population live in underdeveloped regions and have poor access to the advanced medical remedies. Natural therapies hence become an alternative choice of treatment. Ashwagandha, a tropical herb used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine, has a long history of its health promoting and therapeutic effects.

The US House of Representatives voted unanimously on 25 September 2013 to delay closing the world's only strategic helium reserve, averting a potential supply crisis. But the move will not make life much easier for US researchers who are already struggling to cope with rising helium costs.

We analyzed 700 million words, phrases, and topic instances collected from the Facebook messages of 75,000 volunteers, who also took standard personality tests, and found striking variations in language with personality, gender, and age. In our open-vocabulary technique, the data itself drives a comprehensive exploration of language that distinguishes people, finding connections that are not captured with traditional closed-vocabulary word-category analyses.

This is the study published in Nature Communications on the first-of-its kind 'whole genome sequencing' of the tiger completed by a team of scientists from China, the United States, India, Mongolia & South Africa for investigating the genetic diversity and conservation of big cats.

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is the most severe form of inherited retinal visual impairment in children. So far, mutations in more than 20 genes have been known to cause LCA and among them, RPE65 is a suitable candidate for gene therapy. The mutational screenings of RPE65 and other LCA genes are requisite in support of emerging gene specific therapy for LCA. Therefore, we have carried out a comprehensive LCA genes screening using a combined approach of direct sequencing and DNA microarray based Asper chip analysis.