| Clues to the cause of difficulty with swallowing in children
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is disease that was first described in children only 20 years ago, but has shown a rising incidence in both children and adults. An inflammatory condition of the esophagus, its symptoms including vomiting, heartburn and difficulty in swallowing. In findings published on line January 10, 2007 in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center, San Diego show that the disease causes many of the same kinds of tissue changes seen in pediatric asthma. Their research may lead to new drug targets for EE, which appears to be allergy-driven in some patients. The esophagus is the soft tube-like portion of the digestive tract that leads from the back of the mouth to the stomach.
Killer habits eat black lives
Recent research by the cardiovascular research unit at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital shows that ever more black males are in danger of suffering from heart failure. Karen Sliwa-Hahnle, a professor at the research unit, said the report showed that about 30 percent of patients screened at the hospital during the study were at risk of some form of heart disease. The report also indicated that heart disease no longer affected only older men, but younger ones as well. Sliwa-Hahnle said unhealthy lifestyles made heart failure one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among black South Africans. “The study has proved that. The reason for this seems to be the adoption of a Western diet by South Africans.
BB&T shows 42% drop in income
BB&T Corp. took four after-tax charges in the fourth quarter, which contributed to a 42 percent decline in net income to $251 million, the bank reported yesterday. Diluted earnings were 46 cents a share, compared with 78 cents in the fourth quarter of 2005. The largest of the four charges was the $139 million that BB&T added to its tax reserves related to what it called "leveraged lease transactions." Excluding the after-tax charges, BB&T had profit of $449 million, up 5 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2005. Diluted earnings were 82 cents, which beat by 3 cents the average forecast of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research. The decline in net income after the charges did not deter investors, particularly since BB&T announced the need for most of the charges during the quarter.
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