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Genome :: A giant among minnows – Giant danio can keep growing

Two fish that share much in common genetically appear to have markedly different abilities to grow, a finding that could provide a new way to research such disparate areas as muscle wasting disease and fish farming. Because the zebrafish and giant danio are closely related and the zebrafish’s genome has already been mapped, scientists hope they can more easily identify the genetic keys to the difference in growth potential between them.

Constipation :: Suffering from chronic constipation?

New research has found that a new medication, tegaserod, is effective in treating nearly all symptoms associated with chronic constipation, a common disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that affects approximately 15 percent of the Western population at any one time. Tegaserod is currently the only drug aside from laxatives found to be effective at treating such a wide variety of symptoms. This research is published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Neurology :: Blame myelin for many neuropsychiatric disorders

Neurologist George Bartzokis argues that the brain’s miles of myelin are a key evolutionary change that may make us vulnerable to highly prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders. He argues that viewing the brain as myelin-dependent may be key to developing new and novel treatments against disease.

Neurology :: Myelin to Blame for Many Neuropsychiatric Disorders

What makes the human brain unique? Of the many explanations that can be offered, one that doesn’t come readily to mind is ? myelin.

Kansas State engineer focuses on the mechanics of better bullet proofing

Body armor with greater ballistics resistance is the aim of the research being carried out by Youqi Wang, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Kansas State University, with support from two US Department of Defense agencies.

Got cotton? Texas researchers’ discovery could yield protein to feed millions

Researchers at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station used RNAi to reduce the toxic compound gossypol from cottonseed to a level that is considered safe for consumption, but left the compound in the rest of the plant to ward off insects and disease. Once commercialized, seed from these plants could provide a new, high-protein food available to 500 million people a year.

Diabetes :: Holiday gluttony can spell disaster for undiagnosed diabetics

Hearty feasts and couch-potato marathons are holiday traditions, but UT Southwestern Medical Center experts warn that packing on pounds and not exercising could be deadly for the 6 million Americans who have diabetes and don’t even know it.

Alzheimer’s Disease :: Yeast Model Shows Promise as Alzheimer’s Test

A century ago this month, German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer formally described characteristics of the neurodegenerative disease which ultimately came to bear his name. While international efforts to learn about Alzheimer’s disease and develop treatments have progressed significantly in recent years, a cure remains an elusive goal.

Healthcare :: HHS and FDA Announce New Tools to Help Consumers Use the Nutrition Facts Label

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) in HHS’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the availability of two new learning tools to help consumers use the Nutrition Facts label to choose nutritious foods and achieve healthy weight management.

Ecology :: Cloudy day won’t rain on laser communications

Just as clouds block the sun, they interfere with laser communications systems, but Penn State researchers are using a combination of computational methods to find the silver lining and punch through the clouds.