Washington, Apr 8 : An inflammatory factor-already implicated in causing several diseases, like pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and arthritis- may also have a role to play in insulin resistance linked with obesity, according to a study.

The researchers behind the study say that an inflammatory protein, known as CXCL5, rises and falls with obesity and subsequent weight loss in humans.

They say that they experiments on mice have provided further evidence linking the inflammatory factor, which is produced and secreted at high levels by fat tissue, to insulin resistance.

The researchers have also shown that treatments designed to block its action improve the animals'' sensitivity to insulin.

Washington, Apr 8 : Acupuncture may not help relieve menopause-related hot flushes, say researchers.

The conclusion of a systematic review of literature by three groups in Daejon, Busan (South Korea) and Exeter (UK) has been published in the current edition of the peer-reviewed journal Climacteric.

Many women are concerned by the unfavourable publicity given to HRT use, but still have to deal with the symptoms which can occur during and after the menopause. A significant minority of women look for alternatives to HRT to deal with these symptoms.

Washington, Apr 8 : Even in forests, sex sells. A new study has found that male chimpanzees that share meat with females double their chances of having sex with them.

The study led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany has been published in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE April 8.

Washington, April 8 : Heart failure patients may slightly reduce their likelihood of death or hospitalisation by exercising regularly, without any safety risk.

This suggestion is based on a study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), which was conducted at 82 centres in the U. S., Canada, and France.

It has shown that heart failure patients who add regular, moderate physical activity to standard medical therapy generally have a higher quality of life compared to patients who receive medical therapy only.

Washington  - The United States on Tuesday slapped import duties on Canadian lumber, the latest twist in a long-running trade dispute between the two neighbours.

US trade representative Ron Kirk said that the US would impose a 10-per-cent customs duty on one of Canada's key exports until the United States has collected 54.8 million dollars it is owed under the terms of a 2006 trade deal.

New York  - US stocks lost ground for a second day as oil prices fell and analysts on Tuesday suggested a rally that lasted through much of March was unsustainable in the current economy.

The selloff came as the first quarterly earnings reports for 2009 were due to be announced.

Company profits were expected to drop about 37 per cent, according to a survey of Wall Street analysts by the Bloomberg financial news agency. It would be the seventh straight quarter of falling earnings.