Washington, Mar 31 : An international team of researchers have developed a novel radiation-free technique that detects and eliminates breast cancer tumours.

The team including researchers from California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) and the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre have shown that combining a compound known as a gallium corrole with a protein carrier can effectively detect and remove tumours with fewer side effects.

Washington, Mar 31 : A new study in the U. S. has found a link between an increased number of birth defects in children of women who got pregnant in spring or summer and elevated levels of pesticides in surface water across the country.

Studying all 30.1 million births, which occurred in the U. S. between 1996 and 2002, the researchers found that women whose last menstrual period occurred in April, May, June or July were at increased risk for delivering infants with birth defects.

They also found that this period of increased risk correlated with elevated levels of nitrates, atrazine and other pesticides in surface water across the country.

Washington, Mar 31 : A new study has shown that dietary supplementation with lipoic acid, a natural compound found at low levels in red meat and green leafy vegetables, can significantly reduce triglycerides, a key risk factor in cardiovascular disease.

While experimenting on rats, the researchers found that supplements of lipoic acid lowered triglyceride levels up to 60 percent.

Washington, Mar 31 : Comedian Jamie Kennedy is said to be on the mend after he fell ill due to kidney stones, and is also recovering fast with his girlfriend actress Jennifer Love Hewitt being there by his side.

Kennedy, 38, had fallen ill on March 24 while holidaying with Hewitt, 30, in Mexico, and as soon as they arrived back in Los Angeles on March 25, he headed straight for the hospital.

“He had comedy shows scheduled in Boston, but he cancelled them because of his kidney stones,” People magazine quoted a source as saying.

“He felt better later in the day and went home, but on Thursday he started hurting again and he went back to the hospital,” the source added.

Washington, Mar 31 : A commonly used painkiller has been found to be effective against treating the acute pain of shingles, an illness that often causes severe pain along with a rash.

The painkiller oxycodone can help in treating acute pain of shingles, which is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, a bug that causes chicken pox.

Only those having chicken pox are vulnerable to shingles.

Older adults aged 85 have 50pct increased likelihood of getting shingles.

Washington, Mar 31 : Late Hollywood actor Rex Harrison died looking for the perfect butler who could cook well and tolerate his frequent outbursts, his stepson revealed.

The `My Fair Lady' actor's stepson Jared Harris revealed that his stepfather could never find a butler who could serve him the right meal, and bear his outbursts too.

"He could never find one who would stay, because he was so appalling," Contactmusic quoted him as saying.