More than ten thousand scientists across Europe will profit from new investments in the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) approved today. Over the next seven years, unique new experimental facilities for research with X-rays will come into operation.

Women who have an abortion face a small increase in the risk of developing common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, according to a new study from New Zealand.

Young women who have a miscarriage or an abortion are three times more likely to experience a drug or alcohol problem during their lifetime, according to new research published in the December issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry. Recent evidence has suggested that induced abortion may be associated with later psychiatric disorders in women.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is most effective in patients who have had four or more prior episodes of depression, according to new research from The Netherlands.

Psychiatrists in Scotland are starting to view the new Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 a little more positively, according to the results of a survey published in the December issue of the Psychiatric Bulletin. Overall, levels of satisfaction among psychiatrists rose between 2006 and 2007.

Increasing the production of naturally occurring proteins that contain selenium in human blood cells slows down multiplication of the AIDS virus, according to biochemists. "We have found that increasing the expression of proteins that contain selenium negatively affects the replication of HIV," said K. Sandeep Prabhu, Penn State assistant professor of immunology and molecular toxicology.

Hereditary information flows from parents to offspring not just through DNA but also through the millions of proteins and other molecules that cling to it. These modifications of DNA, known as "epigenetic marks," act both as a switch and a dial - they can determine which genes should be turned on or off, and how much message an "on" gene should produce.

UroToday.com - In this study we report an analysis of prostate cancer grade migration trends, by age, using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data over a 30-year period from 1974 to 2003. Age and grade are critical factors in guiding treatment decision-making and outcomes reporting in prostate cancer.

UroToday.com - Overactive bladder is a key battleground for the pharmaceutical industry and an area of considerable significance to health delivery systems. Given the substantial effects on quality of life, patients are understandably keen for therapeutic strategies which are effective without the significant side effects of anticholinergic drugs.

South Africa's revitalised drive against AIDS today received a £15 million boost which could help save millions of lives and stop the spread of HIV across the country.