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— The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seems to have overstepped its authority by stopping the importation of electronic cigarettes, a federal judge ruled yesterday. Judge Richard Leon asserted that the FDA’s newly enacted authority over tobacco — which led to an ‘A’ grade from the American Lung Association last week — did not give the agency the power to regulate the battery-powered device, which works by emitting a mist of nicotine and does not contain tobacco. The judge also rejected FDA claims that e-cigarettes should be considered a drug-device combo, which would similarly increase scrutiny. (Reuters)
— Whoops! Three esophageal cancer cell lines used in published research were contaminated with cells from bowel and lung tumors, according to a new report. Two of the three lines were used in more than 100 published papers, 11 US patents, and at least three US National Institutes of Health research grants. (BBC)
— Researchers have published the first genetic map of Artemisia annua, the herb behind the widely-used malaria drug artemisinin. The genome sequence, which revealed loci that affect the crop’s yield, could help farmers meet the growing need for artemisin combined therapy (ACT). Currently, enough artemisinin is produced for 60 million treatments each year, but demand for ACT is expected to increase to 200 million within two years. (Reuters)
— While overweight owners tend to have overweight dogs, cats aren’t on the same leash: A study found no connection between the body mass index of the feline-friendly and the weight of their pets. While it may not be a reason for the difference, other research finds that in a personality test, dog owners score higher on extraversion, while cat owners score higher on neuroticism. (LATimes)
— Research finds that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a good time to skip your daily dose. Just kidding, but we’ll back Tuesday.
Image by Brendan Adkins via Flickr Creative Commons