Drugs that target the mediator of nerve cell communication dopamine alleviate many of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease but not the gait disorders and falls that affect those with severe disease. New research indicates that drugs targeting nerve cells that communicate using the molecule acetylcholine in the PPN region of the brain might provide a way to alleviate these otherwise untreatable symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Puberty is triggered by pulsatile release of GnRH from specific nerve cells in the the brain. What signals tell these nerve cells to release GnRH in this manner has not been determined, although it has been suggested that hormones associated with good nutritional status (such as IGF-1) have a role. New research has now confirmed that in mice IGF-1 does indeed have a key role in coordinating the timing of puberty onset.

TIM1 has been identified as a susceptibility gene for asthma. New research in mice now suggests that targeting TIM-1 protein might have therapeutic benefit in treating this increasingly prevalent condition.

Comprehensive updated guidelines for vitamin D supplementation from Osteoporosis Canada provide physicians with the latest information, including new safe dose levels, in the latest online issue of CMAJ.

Colorectal cancer screening is cost-effective and offers the best value for provincial health ministries in Canada, states an article in CMAJ. A high sensitivity fecal test, such as the fecal immunochemical test, or colonoscopy every ten years is recommended.

Tropical Storm Conson formed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean over the weekend, and is now poised to bring rainfall and gusty winds to the northern Philippines. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Conson on July 12 at 12:14 p.m. (local Asia/Manila time) and showed a well-developed circulation.

A new study of breast cancer patients at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center and the Arizona Oncology Services shows that after almost two years, the radiation given with the Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant (SAVI™) controls the rate of cancer and may reduce the complications seen with alternate types of brachytherapy.

Researchers have identified a gene mutation that causes a rare form of hearing loss known as auditory neuropathy, according to U-M Medical School scientists.

NASA-funded researchers monitoring Greenland's Jakobshavn Isbrae glacier report that a 7 square kilometer (2.7 square mile) section of the glacier broke up on July 6 and 7, as shown in the image above.

Amid growing concerns about clinical trials for drugs that have been approved by the FDA but are later linked to serious health risks, an independent committee at the Institute of Medicine led by two professors from Johns Hopkins University has developed a conceptual framework to guide the agency through the tough decision of ordering such controversial "post-market" drug-safety trials.

By inspecting the sequence of all 3 billion "letters" that make up the genome of a single person affected with a rare, inherited disorder, a Johns Hopkins and Duke University team ferreted out the single genetic mutation that accounts for the disease.

Combining counseling, extended follow-up from a health-care provider and self-monitoring of diet and exercise is the most effective behavioral intervention to reduce risk for heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) diseases. Current health-care policies should be modified to make it easier for health-care providers to encourage these measures.

The US Department of Energy is funding several projects focused on identifying enzymes in organisms such as fungi that degrade cellulosic feedstocks. The DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) previously sequenced and published the genomes of two wood-decaying fungi. The genome of a third wood-decaying fungus was published online July 11 in Nature Biotechnology by a team of researchers led by scientists from the DOE JGI and the University of Utrecht.

A study in Nature Neuroscience demonstrates neural basis for observation that practicing several skills in single session works better than narrow drills on one skill. Study also helps define time window for brain's learning of new skills.

Facial reconstruction patients may soon have the option of custom-made bone replacements optimized for both form and function, thanks to researchers at the University of Illinois and the Ohio State University Medical Center. The team applied an engineering design technique called topology optimization to model patient-specific, case-by-case designs for tissue-engineered bone replacements.