Washington, Apr 15 : Statins, the most successful class of cholesterol-lowering medicines, have no role in preventing Alzheimer's Disease (AD), according to a new review of studies.

Statins includes medications like atorvastatin (Lipitor) and pravastatin (Pravachol), which are some of the best-selling drugs in the world.

The drugs lower cholesterol by inhibiting a key enzyme used by the body to make it, which decreases cholesterol formation and helps reduce the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad" cholesterol).

Washington/Nairobi - A US-flagged cargo ship, The Liberty Sun, was steaming to the Kenyan port of Mombasa under US Navy escort Wednesday after escaping an attempted hijacking by Somali pirates. "The pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at the vessel, which sustained damage," said a statement from New York-based Liberty Maritime Corporation, the owners of the ship.

An email message from a crewman to his mother after the incident, which happened Tuesday, said the crew of the vessel were safe and under escort.

Washington, Apr 15 : A new study has linked low aerobic capacity to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and suggested that the resulting liver problems play a crucial step developing obesity-related illnesses.

Poor aerobic fitness is already strongly associated with obesity and its consequent risks of heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

But in case of NAFLD, sufferers accumulate fat in their livers and have high levels of fat in their blood, amplifying the risk factors of obesity.

Washington, Apr 15 : By isolating the parasite behind honeybee colony depopulation syndrome, also known as colony collapse disorder in the USA, scientists have found a possible cure for the infection.

Spanish researchers isolated the parasite Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) from professional apiaries suffering from honeybee colony depopulation syndrome, and found that it could be the only cause of the disease.

Stockholm - American photographer Robert Adams, known for his black and white photographs of the American West, was Wednesday named winner of the 2009 Hasselblad Award. Adams received the award worth 500,000 kronor (60,000 dollars) along with a diploma and a gold medal on Tuesday in San Francisco, Bo Myhrman, managing director of the Hasselblad Foundation that funds the prize, said.

A five-member international panel cited Adams as "one of the most important and influential photographers of the last 40 years."

Washington, April 15 : In a new research, a team of scientists, led by Durham University, UK, have determined that bird migrations are likely to get longer, as a result of climate change.

This is the first ever study of the potential impacts of climate change on the breeding and winter ranges of migrant birds.

The scientists show that the marathon flights undertaken by birds to spring breeding grounds in Europe, are going to turn into even more epic journeys; the length of some migrations could increase by as much as 250 miles.