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Work stress, economic pressures contribute to weight gain among U.S. labor force: Survey

The combination of work stress and economic pressures appears to be playing a role in the U.S. labor force's weight gain. Overall, 44 percent of workers say they have gained weight in their current jobs, up slightly from 43 percent in 2009, according to a new CareerBuilder survey. Nearly one-third (32 percent) of workers say that stress contributed to their weight gain at work.

19 May 2010

Sex may become ‘old news’ when it comes to having babies says Australian scientist

According to researchers most couples over 30 will rely more on artificial methods to conceive. This prediction comes from John Yovich, Medical Director of Pivet Medical Centre, and a scientist acknowledged for his pioneering work in IVF, who calls human natural reproduction “a fairly inefficient process.”

18 May 2010

Call for papers, panels and posters for 2010 Pacific Rim Summit now open

The Biotechnology Industry Organization invites leaders from the biotechnology, chemical and agricultural industries to submit proposals and abstracts for panels, individual papers, and posters for the 2010 Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy. This unique conference will be held Dec. 11-14, 2010 in Honolulu.

17 May 2010

Carcinogenic potential of mobile phone use not clear cut

The most comprehensive international study to date on the association between mobile phone use and brain cancers has not shown a strong causal link between the two but research on their relationship needs to continue, Professor Bruce Armstrong from the School of Public Health says.

17 May 2010

Senate Appropriations Committee approves spending bill with foreign aid funding for Haiti

The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday unanimously voted to approve a $59 billion war funding measure that includes "more than $5 billion to replenish disaster aid accounts, as well as funding for Haitian earthquake relief," the Associated Press reports (Taylor, 5/13).

15 May 2010

Ecological speciation linked to emergence of new fungal diseases in plants

A new commentary on the nature of pathogens is raising startling new questions about the role that fundamental science research on evolution plays in the understanding of emerging disease.

15 May 2010

Chlorophyll-rich beverage offers immense health benefits

Summer action movies may call for suspension of disbelief from audiences, but one superhero's penchant for a chlorophyll-rich drink to detoxify his body has real benefits, according to one medical expert.

15 May 2010

Reuters AlertNet analyzes humanitarian aid debate

Reuters AlertNet analyzes a recent debate that addressed the complexities and challenges associated with humanitarian aid. The panel included two authors who have written about the topic.

15 May 2010

Media Line/All Headline News examines agriculture investment gap in Middle East

"Arab countries need to invest some $144 billion in agriculture over the next 20 years to meet the food demands of the growing population, an Arab agricultural organization has said," the Media Line/All Headline News reports in a piece that examines the contributing factors to gaps in food security in the region.

14 May 2010

Scientists study impact of Hurricane Katrina on ecology, human health

Scientists studying the environmental impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans have revealed the ecological impact and human health risks from exposure to chemical contaminants. The findings, published in a special issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, demonstrate how Hurricane Katrina caused significant ecological damage by altering coastal chemistry and habitat.

14 May 2010

Canadian tourist bitten by a Katipo spider in New Zealand

A Canadian tourist suffered a serious heart inflammation called myocarditis after he was bitten by a poisonous spider when he went swimming nude in New Zealand.

13 May 2010

African countries meet in Brazil to discuss food security

Representatives from African countries kicked-off a meeting about food security on Monday in Brazil, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports. The meeting is part of a series of Brazilian initiatives, which aim to strengthen ties between the country and Africa and help the continent expand its agricultural capabilities (5/11).

12 May 2010

A 75 minute wait for ambulance costs life of a heart patient in North Queensland

On Monday a 44 year old man from Marian west of Mackay, called an ambulance after he developed heart problems. The paramedics reached his home more than an hour later to find him dead. The man called an ambulance at 1.31pm (AEST) on Monday but the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) said paramedics did not arrive until 2.46pm.

11 May 2010

Baby names parents most regret

According to a study by http://www.bounty.com, one in five parents REGRET the names they have chosen for their children and 19 per cent of folk are fed up with the sheer number of other children sharing the same moniker.

11 May 2010

One-quarter of young adults use waterpipes

As fewer people puff on cigarettes, a new smoking trend may be gaining popularity among North American youth. A study published in the journal Pediatrics has found that almost one-quarter of young adults in Montreal had used waterpipes (also known as shishas or hookahs) in the past year.

11 May 2010

U.S., Haitian partners meet to discuss elections as Haitian parliamentary terms expire

In an article examining elections in Haiti and their impact on the country's recovery from the January 12 earthquake, the Miami Herald writes that Canada, the U.S., the Organization of American States, the U.N. and other partners have "dispatched top lieutenants [to Port-au-Prince] for a Monday meeting" with President Rene Preval to discuss elections.

11 May 2010

FAO head calls for more African agriculture investment to boost food security

Country and donor under-investment in agriculture has hindered food security across Africa, Jacques Diouf, director-general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said on Thursday at the group's 26th Regional Conference for Africa in Luanda, Angola, Reuters reports.

10 May 2010

Americans facing grievous harm from chemicals in the air, food and water

The U.S. President's Cancer Panel has come out with a new report on cancer risks and preventive measures, but policy makers don't seem interested. While the report is being praised by cancer awareness activists the majority of the government seems strangely unaffected by the new report. The President's Cancer Panel usually has three members appointed by the President but as of now there are only two people on the panel, namely Dr. Leffall and Dr. Margaret L. Kripke.

9 May 2010

Lawsuit over hepatitis C infections contracted from Doctor

Nearly 30 women got infected with Hepatitis C virus due to a breach in infection prevention protocols by an anaesthetist at a late-term abortion clinic. The incidents occurred at the Croydon Day Surgery in Melbourne's eastern suburbs during an 18-month period when James Latham Peters was working as an anaesthetist. The issue had come to light in the last few weeks. Now a multi million dollar lawsuit against the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria on behalf of the allegedly infected women is being planned.

9 May 2010

Nokia launches Ovi Life Tools in China

Nokia today announced the launch of Ovi Life Tools in China. Designed for the emerging markets, Ovi Life Tools offers a wide range of information services covering healthcare, agriculture, education and entertainment.

7 May 2010