In a study of children with cystic fibrosis, French researchers found evidence of very early onset defective bone mineralization in the lumbar spine that was not caused by either nutritional status or lung disease. The lumbar spine is that part of the back between the ribs and the pelvis. [click link for full article]

Bananas have emerged as the best candidate to deliver a bite-sized vaccine for hepatitis B virus (HBV) to millions of people in developing countries, according to an article scheduled for the June 1 issue of ACS’ Biotechnology Progress, a bi-monthly journal co-published with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.In the article, India’s V. A. [click link for full article]

Extremely low-dose MDCT of the abdomen and pelvis is useful in providing needed diagnostic information and reducing hospital stay in patients with acute nonspecific abdominal pain, according to a new study by researchers from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. [click link for full article]

A new study, published in the Online Open Access journal Breast Cancer Research, reveals two distinct patterns in the recent breast cancer rates in U.S. women: a downturn in the incidence rates in almost all age groups above 45 years beginning in 1998/1999, consistent with a levelling off of mammography utilization, and a sharp fall in the rates between 2002 and 2003 in the age groups 50-69 years, likely reflecting the early benefit of the reduced use of HRT. [click link for full article]

A University of Nottingham academic has been elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in recognition of his work as a researcher and clinician.Neil Marlow, Professor of Neonatal Medicine in the University’s Medical School, has been honoured by his peers for excellence in medical science. Professor Marlow has carried out extensive research into the care and treatment of newborn babies, particularly those who are born extremely prematurely. [click link for full article]

New evidence shows that drug-resistant virus passed from mother-to-child can quickly establish itself in infants’ CD4+ T cells where it can hide for years, likely limiting their options for future treatment. The study is published in the May 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online. [click link for full article]

Wheel-running mice have helped scientists to identify an altered body clock gene that can make a normal day up to three hours longer. The altered gene, named ‘after hours’ or Afh, is a variant of a gene called Fbxl3 which was previously unknown to play a role in keeping mammals internal body clocks running on time. [click link for full article]

Tungsten began increasing in trees in Fallon, Nev. several years before the town’s rise in childhood leukemia cases, according to a new research report.The amount of tungsten in tree rings from Fallon quadrupled between 1990 and 2002, whereas the amount in tree rings from nearby towns remained the same, according to a research team led by Paul R. Sheppard of The University of Arizona’s Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. [click link for full article]

With 155 million overweight and obese children globally,1 studies have shown that parents can play a major role in helping children control weight and develop other healthy habits to reduce major risk factors for heart disease and stroke in later life.2 Recognizing parents’ influence not only in families but beyond into community groups, this year’s World Heart Day, 30th September 2007, is themed “Team Up for Healthy Hearts”. [click link for full article]

Women who begin their menstrual periods before they are 11 years old are more likely to have children who also start puberty early and are more overweight than the children of mums who mature later. The finding is from a study of more than 6,000 children who participated in the Bristol-based Children of the 90s ALPSAC study. [click link for full article]