Washington, April 16 : Using a drug called methamphetamine during pregnancy can cause abnormal brain development in children, says a new study.

This study is the first of its kind to examine the effects of methamphetamine use during pregnancy.

London, Apr 16 : A diet low in vitamins A and C could raise the risk of asthma, says a new study.

A Nottingham University-led team reviewed 40 studies carried out over the past 30 years and found that people with a low intake of vitamin C had a 12 percent increased risk of asthma, the Thorax journal reported.

The team said, for vitamin A the raised risk was less clear cut but there was still a significant association.

Australia, Apr 16 : Analysing a batch of bacteria brought back by the shuttle Discovery crew last month, scientists could soon develop a vaccine against food poisoning from salmonella bacteria.

The researchers conducted a series of experiments aboard the International Space Station, and are now working to develop compounds for a salmonella vaccine

Washington, Apr 15 : A new study has found that having a low glycemic breakfast, which mostly includes fruits, before exercise can significantly enhance the benefits of working out.

A research team led by Dr. Emma Stevenson at the University of Nottingham sought to determine the effects of pre-exercise meal composition on fat metabolism in more typical (sedentary) individuals.

They found that blood glucose concentrations were higher after the having a high glycemic diet than the low glycemic meals.

Washington, Apr 15 : People with urinary incontinence have been offered a new hope in the form of an electrical device that controls the bladder.

The battery-operated implant works with two small electrodes placed beneath the skin, near the sacrum or "tailbone," to give a continuous shock to the nerves that control the bladder, causing the person to feel an uninterrupted tapping sensation in the pelvic area.

Washington, April 15 : Researchers at UCLA''s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center say that a non-invasive method can enable cancer specialists to determine after a single cycle of chemotherapy whether the treatment is killing the cancer or not.

The researchers have revealed that they used a combination Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) scanner to monitor 50 patients undergoing treatment for high-grade soft tissue sarcomas.

The patients were receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatments to shrink their tumours prior to surgery, say the researchers.

The study showed that response could be determined about a week after the first dose of chemotherapy drugs.