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Fourteen percent of patients admitted to the hospital have alcohol/drug abuse and addiction disorders, costs for which have risen sharply in recent years, according to a new study.

The end of dangerous chemical compounds in our homes? Cheap and environment friendly production of biofuel? Efficient design of medicines against cancer, Alzheimer's and AIDS? The solution to these challenges has come one step closer after researchers have solved an important piece of the puzzle behind how proteins are shaped.

The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is not associated with a reduction in the risk of melanoma, according to the results of a large cohort study in the June 24 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Researchers transplanted human umbilical cord blood cells into mouse models with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to determine which of three dose strength levels -- low, moderate and high -- delayed symptom progression and increased lifespan. Moderate strength doses of HUCB cells proved most effective and may have provided a neuroprotective effect for motor neurons through active involvement of the cells in modulating the host immune inflammatory system response.

Many people use "alternative" or complementary products because they see them as a more gentle form of medicine. Not all dietary supplements and 'alternative' products are harmless though; a new report urges consumers to be more critical of health claims.

Mice immunized with an intestinal protein developed fewer lung and liver metastases following injection with colon cancer cells than unvaccinated animals, according to a study in the June 24 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Oregano doesn't only give a pizza its typical taste. Researchers have discovered that this spice also contains a substance which, amongst other qualities, appears to help cure inflammations. The researchers administered its active ingredient -- known as beta-caryophyllin (E-BCP) - to mice with inflamed paws. In seven out of ten cases there was a subsequent improvement in the symptoms. E-BCP might possibly be of use against disorders such as osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis.

New research explored whether ovarian cancer has a scent different from other cancers and whether working dogs could be taught to distinguish it in its different stages. Ovarian cancer has a high mortality rate, primarily due to late diagnosis. Researchers found that early-stage and low grade ovarian cancers emit the same scent as advanced tumors.

Research conducted by food science faculty at the University of Idaho and Washington State University indicate that a commercially available fruit and vegetable wash, when used in a food-manufacturing setting, can dramatically decrease the number of disease-causing organisms in produce-processing washwater. That could reduce by manyfold the potential for cross-contamination within the water by such "gram-negative" bacteria as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7.

Mechanical engineers have developed a laser "microscalpel" that destroys a single cell while leaving nearby cells intact, which could improve the precision of surgeries for cancer, epilepsy and other diseases.