Cosmetic Surgery :: Scientists discover key to manipulating fat

In what they call a “stunning research advance,” investigators at Georgetown University Medical Center have been able to use simple, nontoxic chemical injections to add and remove fat in targeted areas on the bodies of laboratory animals. They say the discovery, published online in Nature Medicine on July 1, could revolutionize human cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery and treatment of diseases associated with human obesity.

DNA :: New method for reading DNA sheds light on basis of cell identity

By using a new kind of genomic technology, a new study unveils a special code — not within DNA, but within the so-called “chromatin” proteins surrounding it — that could unlock the mysterious developmental choices made by mammalian cells, allowing them to assume roles as diverse as liver cells and neurons.

Dinner :: Dinner in 20 minutes

Working parents and their children can sit down to a nutritious dinner 20 minutes after arriving home by following three simple steps: Plan, Prepare and Participate. Marjorie Fitch-Hilgenberg, associate professor of dietetics at the University of Arkansas, offers practical advice to make meal preparation easier and more satisfying, including instructions for her proven-popular spinach quesadillas.

Autism :: Social skills programs for children with autism are largely ineffective

A meta-analysis of 55 published research studies reveals programs designed to teach social skills to children with autism are failing to meet their goals. The study, conducted at Indiana University, found that outcomes for social skills training were poor overall, but programs held in normal classroom settings were more likely to result in positive changes than programs held in other environments.