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Researchers discovered that the activity of a specific family of nanometer-sized molecular motors called myosin-I is regulated by force. The motor puts tension on cellular springs that allow vibrations to be detected within the body. This finely tuned regulation has important implications for understanding a wide variety of basic cellular processes.

Choosing the best replacement ligament for surgery is one key to ACL reconstruction success. A new study found that with a failure rate of almost 24 percent, the use of cadaver replacement ligaments may not be the best choice for young, athletic patients.

Brightly colored beetles or butterfly larvae nibbling on a plant may signal the presence of chemical compounds active against cancer cell lines and tropical parasitic diseases, according to researchers. Such clues could speed drug discovery and provide insight into the ecological relationships between tropical-forest plants and insects that feed on them.

Researchers have found a gene mutation linked to one family's hereditary form of atrial fibrillation. The study was based on a large family with an inherited form of atrial fibrillation in 11 relatives. Investigators discovered the defective gene by scanning the entire human genome, comprised of more than 30,000 genes.

Two researchers have developed a design for an automated, wearable artificial kidney, or AWAK, that avoids the complications patients often suffer with traditional dialysis. The peritoneal-based artificial kidney is "bloodless" and reduces or even eliminates protein loss and other dialysis-related problems.

Obesity is a risk to mother and baby, but American researchers have found a method that tackles the problem of predicting birth weights when mothers have a BMI of more than 30, making ultrasound measurements difficult at full term. They looked at 357 women with BMIs of up to 58 and compared them with 1,025 women who were not overweight. The results showed accurate and comparable results in all but the most obese mothers-to-be.

How will the epidemic of childhood obesity today affect the future health of Americans? As concern about children's health grows along with their waistlines, medical experts fear that the childhood obesity epidemic could lead to large numbers of younger adults developing type 2 diabetes, causing serious and lasting health complications for future generations of Americans.

Researchers have found clear evidence that increases in the size of the brain ventricles are directly associated with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Ventricles are fluid-filled cavities in the brain. The research shows the volume of the brain ventricles expands as surrounding tissue dies.

According to a new study, 83 percent of athletes who had "Tommy John" elbow reconstruction surgery were able to return to the same or better level of play. While reassuring to athletes, the study authors find the trend of more and more young athletes requiring the surgery, alarming.

Allergic diseases appear more often in children who grow up near busy roads according to a new study involving several thousand children. It was shown that an escalation of asthmatic bronchitis and allergic sensitization to pollen and other common allergens occurred with increasing exposure to fine dust. Increased exposure to nitric oxide was linked to increases in eczema.