A large new study found no sign that vitamin D lowers the overall risk of dying from cancer, injecting a note of caution to the latest vitamin craze. ...more

October 31, 2007

Wastewater Carries Signs Of Drug Problems A city's sewer plant doesn't just treat human waste; it also can tip off law enforcement officials about a local drug problem. Using just a teaspoon of wastewater, Oregon State University researchers recently measured levels of everything from caffeine, cotinine (a break-down product of nicotine from cigarette smoke) and prescription drugs to methamphetamines, cocaine and Ecstasy. The community urinalysis wouldn't flush out single users but could eventually help officials track the spread of drugs, the researchers said. When drugs break down in the body, their byproducts end up in excrement and urine. That waste flows from toilets to treatment plants. Caffeine is the ingredient Americans consume and excrete the most. The scientists also found higher concentrations of "recreational" drugs such as cocaine on weekends. Levels of prescription drugs and meth were constant. Chicago Tribune ...more

October 18, 2007

A pediatrics professor at the University of South Florida scored a $169 million grant to scour the globe and study the causes of Type 1 diabetes. ...more

October 4, 2007

The University of South Florida announced that it will receive $169 million in federal funds to study juvenile diabetes. USF said it is the largest grant it has ever received. ...more

October 3, 2007

In a disappointing setback, a promising experimental AIDS vaccine failed to work in a large international test, leading the developer to halt the study. ...more

September 22, 2007