Retinoids and cell growth in the cardiovascular system.

Deficiency of vitamin A and its retinoid metabolites has been associated with a number of developmental abnormalities in the cardiovascular system. Many of these effects are mimicked by targeted deletion of retinoic acid receptors in the embryo. Retinoids also display anti-growth activity in fully differentiated cardiac and vascular cells.

Noninvasive blood glucose monitoring.

The concentration of glucose in the blood may soon be measured noninvasively, without puncturing the finger to obtain a drop of blood. Current prototype devices for this purpose require greater accuracy and miniaturization to be commercially viable. No such device has been approved for marketing by the U.