Professor David Bailey of the University of Western Ontario addressed the 236th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society with the results of a study into how fruit juices react with medicines.

"Recently, we discovered that grapefruit and these other fruit juices substantially decrease the oral absorption of certain drugs undergoing intestinal uptake transport," said Professor Bailey.

"The concern is loss of benefit of medications essential for the treatment of serious medical conditions."

The study took healthy individuals and gave them fexofenadine, an antihistamine, along with either a glass of grapefruit juice, a glass of water containing naringin (the compound that makes grapefruit juice taste bitter), or water.

Grapefruit juice drinkers only absorbed half of the amount of fexofenadine, compared to those who drank water.

The water with naringin served to block a key drug uptake transporter called OATP1A2.

"Blocking this transporter reduces drug absorption and neutralizes their potential benefits," according to the study's findings.

"By contrast, drugs whose levels are boosted in the presence of grapefruit juice appear to block an important drug metabolising enzyme, called CYP3A4, that normally breaks down drugs."

Until more is known, patients are being advised to stick to water when taking medicines and to consult with their own doctor if they want to drink juice.

But Professor Bailey believes that much more research is required -- there could be many more drugs out there that interact badly with fruit juices.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," he said.

"I'm sure we'll find more and more drugs that are affected this way."

Methylene blue was previously used as a cure for malaria, but was disliked by patients as it had the side-effect of turning urine blue.

The drug has since been used to treat other conditions, but there have been concerns over damage to brain tissue.

But a new research effort is looking at methylene blue in very small doses, which should avoid the neurotoxic effects of larger doses.

Tests in the lab show that it slows cellular ageing and enhances mitochondrial function -- spurring hopes that it could be used to treat degenerative brain conditions.

"The results are very encouraging," said Dr Hani Atamna of the Children's Hospital & Research Center in Oakland, California.

"We'd eventually like to try to prevent the physical and cognitive decline associated with ageing, with a focus on people with Alzheimer's disease."

"One of the key aspects of Alzheimer's disease is mitochondrial dysfunction, specifically complex IV dysfunction, which methylene blue improves."

"Our findings indicate that methylene blue, by enhancing mitochondrial function, expands the mitochondrial reserve of the brain."

"Adequate mitochondrial reserve is essential for preventing age-related disorders such as Alzheimer's disease."

One of Dr Atamna's colleagues is excited about the prospect of treating serious diseases with a drug that is very cheap to manufacture.

"What we potentially have is a wonder drug." said Dr Bruce Ames.

"To find that such a common and inexpensive drug can be used to increase and prolong the quality of life by treating such serious diseases is truly exciting."

"Chair time is an insidious hazard because people haven't been told it's a hazard," said Professor Marc Hamilton of the University of Missouri in Columbia.

"The existing data, by numerous studies, are starting to show that the rates of heart disease and diabetes and obesity are doubled or sometimes even tripled in people who sit a lot."

Sitting down shuts down production of lipase, an enzyme crucial to fat absorption.

"Instead, the fat will recirculate in the blood stream and go and be stored as body fat or it can clog arteries and cause diseases," said Professor Hamilton.

Standing up reduces the levels of glucose in the blood, which could reduce the likelihood of diabetes occurring.

The average person can also expect to burn up 60 calories per hour just by standing.

"When we think about the postural muscles that are mostly in the legs and back, these are big, powerful muscles," Professor Hamilton said.

"We're talking probably 20 pounds of muscle in each leg."

"That's a lot of muscle that can be engaged in routine activities."

Such is his conviction that Professor Hamilton has got rid of his desk chair -- he now has a treadmill instead.

"If you can perform a behaviour while sitting or standing, I would choose standing," he said.

"You can have just as much fun watching your kids play if you're standing by the fence, next to a friend who pulls out that aluminium lawn chair and is sitting there."

"But just avoid the chair is the simple recommendation, as much as you can."

Professor Hamilton is confident that other researchers will pursue this idea, leading to new breakthroughs in medicine.

"There is going to be a flood of research on this in the next couple of years, and not just by us," he said.

"This has raised the attention of a lot of great scientists around the world who have begun doing their own studies."

Dr Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, issued an advisory notice to his own staff and faculty that warns them to only use their phones when absolutely necessary.

"Electromagnetic fields generated by cell phones should be considered a potential human health risk," reads the report.

"Sufficient time has not elapsed in order for us to have conclusive data on the biological effects of cell phones and other cordless phones -- a technology that is now universal."

Although the link between mobile phones and cancer is still contentious, Dr Herberman is taking a precautionary approach.

"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," he said.

The advisory contains diagrams showing how electromagnetic fields penetrate the brain when a mobile phone is being used -- with penetration levels much greater for the young.

Dr Herberman's advisory was issued with the active encouragement of Dr Devra Lee Davis, director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh.

"The question is do you want to play Russian roulette with your brain," said Dr Davis.

"I don't know that cell phones are dangerous."

"But I don't know that they are safe."

Dr Herberman has issued the following advice to minimise the health effects of mobile phones:

Do not allow children to use a cell phone, except for emergencies. The developing organs of a foetus or child are the most likely to be sensitive to any possible effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields.

Choose a device with the lowest SAR possible (SAR = Specific Absorption Rate, which is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body). SAR ratings of contemporary phones by different manufacturers are available by searching for “sar ratings cell phones” on the internet.

Yerba mansa -- which means 'calming herb' in Spanish -- has been used for centuries by healers in the Southwestern US by Native Americans and Hispanics.

It is little known outside the region, but botanists hope that it could become a widely popular remedy.

"As far as I know, our centre is the only place in the US conducting production research [on yerba mansa]," said Professor Charles Martin, a researcher at New Mexico State University.

There are concerns over threats to the natural habitat of the plant -- cultivation could be the key to the continued survival of the species.

"There are a lot of plants that have almost been picked to extinction," said Michael Moore, director of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in Bisbee, Arizona.

"A hundred years ago, American ginseng could be found in 22 states and now it's only found in a few."

Professor Martin alighted upon yerba mansa after looking for potential that could survive adverse conditions.

"We targeted native herbs in an effort to find alternative crops for small farmers that are drought tolerant and have a built-in pest resistance, and yerba mansa is an ideal plant that meets that criteria," he said.

"It will grow in a wide variety of conditions and soils, including alkaline-encrusted soil and in all degrees of sunlight."

"Once established, it doesn't need any more water than a typical crop, than say alfalfa."

Some nurseries in California already grow yerba mansa for ecological restoration projects -- and there is already enthusiasm for the idea of growing it there on a larger scale.

"We could easily go into cropping," said Jeff Nighman, vice president of Santa Barbara Natives, a nursery based in Gaviota.

"It could be a branch of what we're doing already."

One member of the Yaquis tribe from Tucson, Arizona, is also experimenting with growing yerba mansa without soil -- he is using a variant of hydroponic technology called aeroponics.

Bill Quiroga, president of Native American Botanics, hopes that Native American farmers will eventually grow the herb to supply his wholesale company.

"We have to find ways to grow it so that we keep the herb for later generations," he said.

Jordanian cardiologist Dr Ziyad Hijazi takes two or three children every year to his home country for procedures requiring devices that are not approved in the US.

In a typical case, Dr Hijazi went to Jordan to implant a device called an amplatzer muscular VSD into the heart of a child from Massachusetts.

The device can be used to close up congenital 'holes' in the heart and is manufactured by Minneapolis-based AGA Medical.

It was available for 9 years in Jordan before it was finally approved for US use in 2007.

Dr Hijazi believes that children are getting worse treatment in the US, and have even died, because approval for adult medical devices takes priority.

He claims that more than 90 per cent of the medical devices he uses on children are 'off-label', meaning that they are approved for use on adults only.

"We take responsibility as physicians for using unapproved devices on kids," he said.

One medic is sure that children have died as a result of the lack of specialised implants for the young.

"In the nineties, we lost lives in the cath lab," said Dr Thomas Forbes, director of cardiac catheterisation at the Children's Hospital of Michigan.

"Patients have died on the table because we were using stents that were made for adults and weren't flexible enough."

A recent law provides financial incentives for companies to make devices for children -- but it also requires them to track the progress of patients at their own expense.

"It's a paperwork nightmare," Dr Forbes said.

"They have to commit resources and follow these patients forever."

"If I'm a [Johnson & Johnson] stockholder, I'm saying, 'I love kids, I'd love to help them out, but move on.'"

Some believe that the focus on adults is down to the fact that the market for children is much smaller.

"We're all anxious for the dissolvable stent...but do you think Johnson & Johnson is going to be interested in doing this for babies?" said Dr Richard Ringel, a paediatric cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

"No, they want to do it for [adult] coronary patients because the numbers are so much larger."

One manufacturer acknowledged the inherent problems with developing devices specifically for children.

"We have not cracked the code on this," said Michael Mussallem, chief executive of Edwards Lifesciences, makers of a a blood-oxygen monitor designed for the young.

"Development is time-consuming, there are regulatory hurdles and how do you recoup your investment?"

"The math generally does not work."

Mussallem also believes that there is a culture of 'getting by' when it comes to treating children.

"There's not a climate for innovation," he said.

"A great percentage of devices are used off-label to accommodate children's needs."

"Physicians are just used to getting by."

An upcoming conference organised by the state-funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) will bring doctors and manufacturers together to discuss the issue.

The trade association representing medical device makers is looking to the government for leadership on the issue.

"First, we need to understand what the needs are and I'm hopeful that NIH will help catalogue the needs," said Tara Federici of AdvaMed.

Carl Weisman, a 49-year-old Australian, conducted a survey of 1,533 heterosexual men for his new book So Why Have You Never Been Married? Ten Insights into Why He Hasn't Wed.

The book is intended to explain to women why so many successful men opt to stay single -- and also to make lifelong bachelors realise that they are not unique in being so selective.

"Men are 10 times more scared of marrying the wrong person than of never getting married at all," said Weisman.

"This is the first generation of people who have grown up with bad divorces."

"People assume there is something wrong if you don't marry but these are men who have made a different choice and not given in to social pressures."

"It's so important to these men to get it right."

Weisman's online survey found that around 8 percent never want to marry while 62 percent plan to wed -- but half of them won't settle for anything less than perfection.

The remaining 30 percent are undecided either way.

72 percent of respondents said they were unafraid of marriage itself, but half of them said that marrying the wrong person was their greatest fear.

"My best advice to single women after bachelors is to be patient," said Weisman.

"If you're in a hurry to get married you'll be frustrated."

Weisman found that money was an important factor, whether you had a little or a lot.

"Those with little money said they would have nothing to offer a partner, with some suffering self-esteem issues and withdrawing from the dating pool," he said.

"While those who are financially sound were terrified what a bad divorce could do to them."

Although it is commonly assumed that the single are more miserable than the married, Weisman's research defied such preconceptions.

"A compelling issue was how many of them had found contentment in a never-married life," he said.

"They had created lives full of careers, friends and ambitions."

"It was not like they walk around all day worried about not being married."

Ironically, working on the book made him look at his own life in greater depth -- Weisman moved in with a girlfriend for the first time ever and they are now contemplating marriage.

"As I researched the book I found I was looking at men 10 years older than me and it was like looking into the future," he said.

"If I didn't change, nothing would."

The soft mint contains arginine (branded as CaviStat), a component of human saliva that is known to neutralise acids that can damage tooth enamel.

"CaviStat can be considered to be a super-saliva complex that will pick up where fluoride has left off," said Dr Israel Kleinberg, lead researcher and Distinguished Professor at the Department of Oral Biology and Pathology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

"By mimicking the profound benefits of saliva we are able to attack the several stages of the tooth decay process."

A clinical trial in Venezuela involving 200 children aged between 10 and 11 demonstrated the effectiveness of arginine in fighting tooth decay.

Half of the children in the study took two mints in the morning and two at night, after brushing with a fluoride toothpaste.

The other half brushed twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and took plain sugarless mints.

At the end of trial, the children given the medicated mint had 62 percent less instances of cavities than those given the plain mint.

"This technology will be very beneficial to children and those adults prone to root caries due to dry mouth induced by medications, cancer treatments and medical conditions, such as Sjogren's syndrome," said Professor Kleinberg.

"We feel that CaviStat will be the new paradigm for fighting tooth decay."

The mints are designed to be dissolved and chewed into the biting surfaces of the back teeth -- where around 90 percent of childhood cavities occur.

"Unlike regular candies, we want this product to be stuck in the teeth," said Mitchell Goldberg, president of Ortek Therapeutics, the company that has licensed the technology from Stony Brook.

Ortek plans to seek regulatory approval to begin testing the product in the US this year -- but it could be several years before it is authorised for sale to the public.

"Clearly this technology has market potential in the billions and is a major advance in protecting healthy teeth," Goldberg said.

In 'How To Cheat At Cooking', Smith encourages people to avoid making food from scratch using fresh ingredients when they can make use of processed ingredients.

Researchers from Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) analysed the salt content of the recipes in the cookbook -- they found that several contained the recommended daily allowance in one serving.

“Delia Smith is very respected by the public and has great influence over what we cook,” said Graham MacGregor, chairman of CASH and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Medical School of St George’s Hospital in London.

"She has been trusted by millions of people for years to provide easy, everyday recipes."

“It is a real pity that she seems to be unaware of the dangers of eating too much salt, and furthermore it seems as if these latest recipes have not been checked for their salt content."

Professor MacGregor believes that Delia's use of excess salt threatens to reverse years of campaigning on health.

“The UK is currently leading the world in salt reduction," Professor MacGregor said.

"The majority of our food industry is making huge efforts to reduce the amount of salt they add to food and the public is becoming much more aware that eating too much salt has severe health implications."

"Unfortunately, this hard work is undermined when chefs and cookery writers appear on television using high salt ingredients and adding large amounts of unnecessary salt to their recipes."

"Research suggests that 19,000 deaths from stroke and heart attacks could be prevented in this country each year if we could get down from our current 9g a day to an average of 6g of salt per day for adults.”

Smith's new cookbook and accompanying BBC TV series have already attracted a hailstorm of criticism, with many feeling betrayed by someone who formerly advocated the joys of home cooking with fresh ingredients.

“Nutritionists would always advise people to cook meals from scratch, using fresh ingredients and adding as little salt as possible,” said Carrie Bolt, a nutritionist working for CASH.

"It really doesn’t take long to make a simple tomato sauce from a can of tomatoes, some onion, garlic and herbs."

"Avoiding ready-made versions like tinned mince and jars of sauce would cut the salt content of some of these recipes dramatically."

“If people do want to cook one of Delia’s Cheat recipes -– and they are not all high in salt –- then I would advise them to try the ones that do not feature high salt ingredients such as anchovies, olives, capers, stock, Parma ham, ready-cooked bacon, Thai fish sauce, soy sauce, blue cheese, and Pecorino Romano cheese."

"And there is certainly no need to add any extra salt during cooking.”

Researchers from Israel and Spain revealed their findings at a Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain symposium on medical cannabis.

"We have come a long way in ten years and there is still a lot of research ground to cover," said Professor Tony Moffat, chairman of the symposium.

"There is currently considerable interest in the medical benefits of cannabis and related compounds for a range of conditions including arthritis, multiple sclerosis and neurological pain."

"Although recent press coverage has focused on the abuses associated with the plant, cannabis-derived medications may offer novel opportunities in drug discovery."

"Cannabis as it is normally smoked has mind-blowing properties and there are compounds in there which has these hallucinogenic properties."

"However, some of the indications for Alzheimer's in a mouse model is just a single compound that's used from cannabis plant material which is extracted and it can stop the memory loss."

"Now if you take that single compound and apply it to humans in clinical trials, we could prove for those 400,000 Alzheimer's patients that it could be used for those."

Alzheimer's expert welcomed the possibility of a new way to treat the incurable condition.

"I'm sure there will be people who want to enter the trial," said Dr Suzanne Sorenson of the Alzheimer's Society.

"The treatment opportunities for Alzheimer's disease are so few, it is incurable."

"The drugs that exist at the moment aren't suitable for everybody."

"So there being other drugs available, I'm sure will be a positive thing for patients."

But there was caution surrounding cannabis and its currently illicit status.

"We need robust clinical trials into the potential benefits of non-psychoactive components of cannabis," said Dr Clive Ballard, also from the Alzheimer's Society.

"It is important for people to note that these treatments are not the same as recreational cannabis use, which can be potentially harmful."

"The city of Oakland believes in compassionate care," said Paul Rose, spokesperson for Oakland's mayor Ron Dellums.

"The people of California voted to support medical cannabis."

"The mayor was discouraged to learn of the DEA's actions, which were in opposition to the will of the residents of this city."

Mayor Dellums has now written to Congressman John Conyers, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, requesting an investigation of the DEA's activities in California.

"The DEA's recent surge tactics, such as the dissemination of threatening letters to property owners and unrelenting raids that continue to place citizens in harm's way, undermine state and local authority, and jeopardize the integrity of state law," wrote Dellums to Conyer.

"We urge the House Judiciary Committee to expeditiously hold hearings and examine this very important issue."

Bruce Mirken, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project, described the DEA's actions as 'outrageous' and 'damaging.'

"They're trying basically to get landlords to do their dirty work," said Mirken.

"They don't have enough agents to close down the dispensaries and they're trying to get landlords to do it for them."

"The wheels don't turn in Washington DC as fast as we would like them to."

"But this does appear to have gotten Chairman Conyers' attention -- and that's a good first step."

In the face of growing opposition, the DEA are unapologetic about their targeting of cannabis dispensaries in California

The dispensaries contravene federal law, but are legal under California state law, a situation that has led Dellums to speak out.

"The DEA San Francisco Field Division Office has sent out letters as a courtesy to the landowners to inform them of the suspected marijuana distribution center operating on their property," said Javier Pena, DEA Special Agent in Charge.

"The DEA is committed to enforcing our nation's drug laws and will continue to work to keep our neighborhood communities safe from drugs and the negative ripple effects they cause."

Shenyang's Yilishen Group claimed that investors could get rich by giving them money which they would use to raise ants.

These insects were supposed to be the main ingredient for a health tonic promising an aphrodisiac boost.

The tonic was promoted on television by Zhao Benshan, the country's most famous comedian.

But the group has twice delayed payment of dividends since October, fuelling panic and rumours that the government has frozen their funds.

'We strongly demand the government offer a way out for Yilishen!' read one of the banners carried by demonstrators.

Riot police were deployed to prevent protesters reaching the provincial government headquarters.

Yilishen survived several investigations in the past eight years and investors had previously received their dividends on time.

But some believe the ants to be a useless ruse for an illegal scam -- one that is now unravelling.

"It has been out there for eight years and the government has given the company and the manager so many honors," said investor Li Dechun.

"We thought there mustn't be any problem."

A spokesperson for the provincial government responded to the scandal by denying any responsibility.

That will be of little comfort to those who have lost their savings.

"Most of the investors are from the lower class of society," said Cong, a resident of Shenyang.

"Some have threatened to take more radical actions, such as blocking trains at the railway station."

"We do think it will help the number of people, who want to give up to smoking -- the vast majority of smokers want to give up -- and this will give them an extra push," said Alan Johnson, Health Secretary.

The new warnings will begin appearing on cigarette packs from next year, with all tobacco products compliant by 2010.

Other countries such as Canada and Brazil have adopted a similar strategy, with some evidence to indicate that such warnings make smokers think twice.

A recent study showed 15% of Canadian smokers had been deterred from having a cigarette -- more than double the rate of countries such as the US and Australia, which had text-only warnings at the time of the study.

Protests against the move have come from Forest, the smokers rights lobbyists funded by tobacco companies.

"You could construct exactly the same argument for placing graphic images on bottles of alcohol, but because most people like to drink alcohol, the government doesn't want to offend the majority," said Neil Rafferty, spokesperson for the group.

"The government are bullying smokers simply because they can get away with it."

Professor Robert West of Cancer Research UK believes that the new warnings could result in up to 10,000 people giving up -- possibly saving over 2,000 lives a year.

But Professor West believes that it would also help if the poorer sections of society were deterred from smoking by ramping up the price of tobacco and clamping down on smuggling.

"The government is facing a huge smuggling problem," he said.

"Smuggled tobacco is half the price of a regular pack and 40% of tobacco is smuggled, mostly rolled tobacco.

"We need to bear down on that as much as we can."

"Survivors were either over-protective or clingy because they were fearful that something would happen to their children or they were dismissive and pushed their children away in an attempt to prevent any future hurt," said lead researcher Janine Beck, a PhD student at the Queensland University of Technology.

"These parenting patterns are highly likely to be repeated, so the cycle of trauma transmission continues."

Beck found that depression, anxiety, and trust issues were more prevalent in the descendents of Holocaust survivors compared to the general population.

The probability of experiencing depression seems to be linked to the magnitude of trauma -- long-term inmates of concentration camps and those who were the sole survivor in their family having the worst symptoms.

Country of origin also seems to be a factor, with survivors from Eastern Europe experiencing more problems than those from other regions.

The research is unfortunately relevant in the present day as conflicts in countries such as Iraq could mean that their traumas could similarly affect future generations.

"Undoubtedly, survivors and their descendants have been unable to reach their full potential in life," Beck said.

"Civilians and their descendants traumatised because of more recent conflicts such as in Iraq, Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Darfur are likely to be affected in similar ways."

"My emotions have changed. Somehow I can't help that," he said.

"Being a Jungian psychologist, I would describe myself as less intuitive.

"More of a thinking, more rational, less intuitive person.

"Less sure if I can do things by inspiration."

Houghton, 68, is an experienced grief counsellor -- a major reason why he was selected for a clinical trial in 2000 for a new artificial heart implant.

He became the first patient to have the Jarvik 2000 ventricular pump implanted permanently.

The surgery undoubtedly improved his physical health -- after recovery, his workload included writing books, travelling the world giving speeches, and taking part in a 91-mile charity walk.

But the contrast in his emotional interactions became starkly obvious to him.

He found himself struggling to cultivate a relationship with his grandsons due to a lack of emotional connection.

Poets and philosophers have posited the heart as the seat of emotion for centuries.

But Broughton's background as a psychologist makes him fall back on his professional expertise for an explanation.

"The procedure lands you in a position that no one has ever pioneered -- what it does to a person as a person.

"You're an invented person trying to cope with it, trying to deal with the emotional context of it."

“Appetising food smells have increased but others are less attractive, such as stale food and beer, damp, sweat and body odour, drains and -- how do you put this nicely -- flatulence," said Oliver Devine of Mitchells and Butlers, one of the countries' largest pub chains.

Since the smoking ban started in Scotland twelve months ago, the chain has experimented with introducing a scent into their pubs intended to smell like the sea.

“We are considering trialling the smell of leather, which suggests luxury and indulgence, and cut grass, which is clean and domestic,” Devine said.

The proposals are a slap in the face to advocates of the smoking ban who claimed that pubs would be more pleasant environments after cigarettes were banished from them.

Other establishments have also been implementing systems that pump perfume into the atmosphere.

Rentokil Initial -- already responsible for the automated systems that spray perfume into pub toilets -- have been commissioned by the Marriott chain of hotels to make their bars smell nicer.

Luminar, the operator of over 100 nightclubs in the UK, have already begun wafting pleasant odours over the dancefloors in their outlets.

"Our analysis suggests that abstinence-only programmes that aim to prevent HIV are not effective," said Kristen Underhill, lead author of the study.

"This finding has key implications for policy and practice, especially in the US, where abstinence-only programmes receive both federal and state funding."

One such faith-based programme caused a recent stir in Britain, when a school was sued unsuccessfully by a pupil wanting to wear a silver ring as a symbol of her chastity -- violating uniform codes.

In general, such programmes have failed to become widespread in Britain -- possibly related to dwindling church attendance, as society grows ever more secular.

This contrasts with America, where one third of the President's anti-HIV budget is dedicated to abstinence-only programmes.

The findings of the study indicate that programmes emphasising the use of condoms are more successful at preventing HIV, as well as reducing unwanted pregnancies.

Some figures working in the field of sexual health believe that abstinence-based approaches could ultimately do more harm than good.

"There are even studies which show they can make things worse as people do not have the knowledge or confidence to have safe sex," said Ivan Blake of Brook Advisory Centres.

"That's not the 'right stuff' as far as I'm concerned," said Congressman Bart Gordon, chairman of the House Science and Technology committee.

A special panel charged with studying astronaut health found 'heavy use of alcohol' before launch, which may have lead to life-threatening situations on at least two occasions.

NASA are officially vague on the risks, stating that the allegations are based on anonymous interviews and are unsubstantiated.

When space operations chief Bill Gerstenmaier was asked if he knew of any such incidents, he said: "The obvious answer is no. I've never had any instances of that."

"There's not been a disciplinary action or anything I've been involved with regarding this type of activity."

NASA is releasing two reports into astronaut's health, one by an external committee and another by an internal panel.

The agency is currently dealing with the fallout from the Lisa Nowak case, where one of their astronauts involved in a love triangle plotted to kidnap her rival.

Any scrutiny of astronaut's behaviour is likely to cause more trouble for an already embattled administration.

"If the reports of drunken astronauts being allowed to fly prove to be true, I think the agency will have a lot of explaining to do," Congressman Gordon said.

"We have developed a direct-current nanogenerator that is driven by ultrasonic waves," said lead researcher Dr Zhong Lin Wang, Regents' Professor at Georgia Tech.

"The basic principle is to use piezoelectric and semiconducting coupled nanowires, such as zinc oxide, to convert mechanical energy into electricity.

"This nanogenerator has the potential to directly convert hydraulic energy in the human body, such as blood flow, heart beat, and contraction of blood vessels, into electric energy."

Wang and his team have developed a prototype which generated electricity continuously for four hours.

"We expect the lifetime of the nanogenerator is much longer than the time we have tested," said Wang.

It is envisaged that the technology could be used to power a new generation of nanoscale medical implants to aid patients with conditions requiring constant monitoring.

For example, diabetics currently monitor blood sugar levels manually by taking a small blood sample which is analysed using a handheld electronic meter.

The new implants would be inserted surgically into the body where they could continually measure blood sugar and automatically alert patients and doctors to problems over a wireless link.

Wang and his team are confident that their work represents a real breakthrough in enabling the deployment of nanoscale devices in medicine.

"It sets a solid foundation for self-powering implantable and wireless nanodevices and nanosystems in biofluid and any other type of liquid," he said.