About 3 of every 10 children and teens who are admitted to the hospital from the emergency room have asthma, pneumonia, acute bronchitis or another respiratory disorder, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Asthma alone accounted for more than one-third of respiratory admissions - 95,000 cases - through the emergency room in 2004. [click link for full article]

People who have a reduced lung capacity may have a greater risk of heart attack and stroke because they show evidence of inflammation, reveals a study published online ahead of print in Thorax. This association is not related to smoking, respiratory diseases or obesity. The New Zealand researchers took measurements of lung capacity and inflammation in 1,000 adults aged between 26 and 32 years. [click link for full article]

A synthetic version of a molecule found in the egg cells of the Northern Leopard frog (Rana pipiens) could provide the world with the first drug treatment for brain tumours. Known as Amphinase, the molecule recognises the sugary coating found on a tumour cell and binds to its surface before invading the cell and inactivating the RNA it contains, causing the tumour to die. [click link for full article]

Women suffering from recurrent ovarian cancer may have a new treatment regimen that may increase the response to treatment and prolong their lives. Doctors at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute are testing a combination of chemotherapy and the drug Avastin in these patients. Moffitt opened a clinical trial recently and is looking for new participants for the study. [click link for full article]

MUSC announced the opening of patient enrollment in a multi-center clinical trial for Cotara®, an investigational drug that acts like a biological guided missile for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), which is a particularly deadly form of brain cancer. The trials, sponsored by Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc., are also underway at other clinical sites including the University of Pennsylvania. [click link for full article]

A study in the July issue of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine indicates scientists may have discovered the perfect model for potentially developing early detection of ovarian cancer; the chicken. The study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center and the University of Illinois in Chicago and Urbana, Champaign, found that ultrasound examination can be used to detect signs of ovarian cancer in laying hens. [click link for full article]

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have determined how a substance derived from the bark of the South American lapacho tree kills certain kinds of cancer cells, findings that also suggest a novel treatment for the most common type of lung cancer.The compound, called beta-lapachone, has shown promising anti-cancer properties and is currently being used in a clinical trial to examine its effectiveness against pancreatic cancer in humans. [click link for full article]

Will mechanical stapling devices ever provide a fixation equal to or better than sutures? Will a stapler provide a completed laparoscopic anastomosis that is smooth and provides proximal fixation strength and sealing characteristics? Are the graft integrity, graft patency, and attac [click link for full article]

As the days grow longer, and the temperature increases, so do the opportunities to engage in healthy physical activity to battle the perils of child obesity and associated health threats. As the percentage of obese children continues to grow (17% of children ages 2 - 19 in the United States are considered clinically obese), it is incumbent upon responsible parents to support a healthy lifestyle based on physical activity and a well-balanced diet. [click link for full article]

If they are not in pain, 8-12 year-old children with cerebral palsy seem to feel just as happy as healthy children of the same age, say researchers in a new study. Pain is the main factor affecting happiness, said the researchers, rather than the severity or type of cerebral palsy. You can read about this study in the journal The Lancet, 30th June issue. The researchers found that 54% of children with cerebral palsy did experienced some degree of pain. [click link for full article]