Sphingolipids have been known for more than 120 years but, up to recently, they were thought to be molecules that simply complied with a structural function, acting, as it were, as the building blocks of the biological membranes. In the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the University of the Basque Country (EHU-UPV), they are trying to understand how sphingolipids operate in the cells and how they can regulate certain biological functions. [click link for full article]

Survival rates are similar among patients with hepatitis B who are listed for liver transplantation, whether or not they have hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to a new study in the March 2007 issue of Liver Transplantation. An accompanying editorial suggests that these results affirm the current policy on the allocation of donor livers. [click link for full article]

“Children’s Health Insurance: States’ SCHIP Enrollment and Spending Experiences and Considerations for Reauthorization,” Government Accountability Office: The report analyzes SCHIP spending nationwide, as well as program enrollment and beneficiary composition. [click link for full article]

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has selected Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC as a Center of Excellence for training the nation’s future leaders in pediatric research. There are only 20 such NIH-funded centers nationwide. [click link for full article]

Carnegie Mellon University researchers say government officials need to adopt new ways of measuring and regulating the fine particles of smoke and soot so endemic to serious health problems and the global warming crisis.In an article published in the journal Science, professors Allen L. Robinson and Neil M. Donahue report a new conceptual model for how microscopic particles behave in the atmosphere that raises new questions about current regulations. [click link for full article]

Erectile dysfunction drugs may be better than nitroglycerin in protecting the heart from damage before and after a severe heart attack, Virginia Commonwealth University researchers report.During a heart attack, the heart is deprived of oxygen, which can result in significant damage to heart muscle and tissue. After the attack, most patients require treatment to reduce and repair the damage and improve their chances of survival. [click link for full article]

A recent report suggests that babies with facial eczema that are kissed by a person who has recently eaten a peanut-containing food may be at risk for the development of…

Eating whole-grain breakfast cereals seven or more times per week was associated with a lower risk of heart failure, according to an analysis of the observational Physicians’ Health Study. Researchers presented findings of the study at the American Heart Association’s 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention. For the present study, breakfast cereals that contain at least 25 percent oat or bran content were classified as whole grain cereals. [click link for full article]

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, examines an emergency spending bill that is expected to address SCHIP funding shortfalls, as well as legislation that would allow FDA to regulate tobacco products and Medicare physician reimbursements in this week’s ” [click link for full article]

Hispanic women’s heart disease risk is comparable to the heart disease risk level of Caucasian women who are about a decade older. This disagrees with a long-held belief that Hispanic women have less heart disease than Caucasian women, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention. [click link for full article]