This continuing series gathers and presents original research results on the leading edge of medicine and biology. Each article has been carefully selected in an attempt to present substantial topical data across a broad spectrum. Topics discussed include growth hormone treatment in children; surgical interventions and acupuncture for low back pain; glycopeptide antibiotic sorption properties; opiod actions on the bulbar respiratory network; mesenchymal stem cells in therapeutic angiogenesis and vasculogenesis; aging physiology; the psychiatric aspects of constipation; and the genetics of COPD.