Faulty genes ‘cause night munchies’
Scientists from the Salk Institute in California have found that ‘night munchies’ are linked to a faulty PER1 gene, which controls the body’s sleeping and eating patterns.
If a person’s sleeping and eating habits become desynchronised, this can lead to night-time hunger pangs which disrupt sleep and may lead to over-eating and weight gain.
Breast cancer drug thwarted by chemical found in bread
A chemical found in bread and a range of other common foods can thwart treatment for breast cancer, scientists have warned. New research suggested the benefits of the “breakthrough” new drug palbociclib, which is given to women with oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, was effectively reversed by xenoestrogens.
The compounds are present in products made from wheat, maize, barley and other staples. Scientists said women currently taking the drug should consider altering their diet. They also suggested that as well as hindering the benefit of the palbociclib, xenoestrogens may accelerate the growth of oestrogen-fuelled cancers themselves.
Manufactured by Pfizer, the medication was approved for use on the NHS in November for women with oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer – which accounts for about 70 percent of cases – in whom the disease was advanced and unlikely to be cured.
Apple apologises for slowing iPhones
Facing lawsuits and consumer outrage after it said it slowed older iPhones with flagging batteries, Apple Inc is dropping prices for battery replacements and will change its software to show users whether their phone battery is good.
In a posting on its website on December 28, Apple apologised over its handling of the battery issue and said it would make a number of changes for customers “to recognise their loyalty and to regain the trust of anyone who may have doubted Apple’s intentions.”
‘Serious security flaws’ in computer chips built by Intel and other chipmakers
Serious security flaws which could allow hackers to access sensitive information on computer systems are being investigated. Researchers at Google announced earlier this month that they found flaws affecting computer processors built by Intel and other chipmakers.The bug could allow access to passwords and other sensitive data from a system’s memory, Google’s Project Zero team said.
Google and Intel had not planned to reveal the issue until fixes were available, but were forced to do so after the fault was reported by technology news site The Register. Tech companies typically withhold details about security problems until fixes are available in order to make it harder for hackers to exploit the flaws.
