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When is food "done" enough to prevent food poisoning?

Food scientists have found that relying only on internal color to check if food is cooked properly isn't adequate. A beef patty may be brown throughout before it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, the recommended minimum safe temperature. And a safely cooked hamburger may still appear pink on the inside.

10 May 2007

Chickens which may have eaten contaminated feed go to market

The Agriculture Department in the United States (USDA) has given approval for 20 million chickens to be sold which may have been given feed contaminated with the chemical melamine.

8 May 2007

Health officials say low risk to humans from food containing melamine

There is very low risk to human health from consuming meat from hogs and chickens known to have been fed animal feed supplemented with pet food scraps that contained melamine and melamine-related compounds, according to an assessment conducted by scientists from five federal agencies.

7 May 2007

Should the UK adopt Dutch rules on euthanasia in newborn babies?

Euthanasia for newborn babies with lethal and disabling conditions is illegal worldwide, but in reality, its acceptance and practice vary between different countries.

4 May 2007

How science centers can engage an older America

Drawing on the SPRY Foundation's "The Longevity Revolution: How Science Centers Can Engage an Older America" conference held in June 2006, the latest issue of Public Policy & Aging Report ( PP&AR ) presents this event's key insights, outcomes, and resources.

4 May 2007

Philadelphia voters overwhelmingly support new smoke law

By a margin of 78 percent to 20 percent, Philadelphia voters overwhelmingly support the city's new smoke- free workplace law, according to a new poll released today by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

4 May 2007

Domestic violence should be treated as public health issue

Domestic violence causes "devastating" psychological and physical damage to women and should be approached as a public health issue, Cesar Chelala -- an international public health consultant and author of the Pan American Health Organization publication "Violence in the Americas" -- writes in a Philadelphia Inquirer opinion piece.

2 May 2007

Justice Scalia defends 'originalist' view of constitution

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Friday in a speech at the University of Delaware said that Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that effectively barred state abortion bans, is not a precedent he is willing to accept, the Wilmington News Journal reports.

2 May 2007

FDA announces new food protection post

Commissioner of Food and Drugs Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach today announced the creation of the position of Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection to provide advice and counsel to the Commissioner on strategic and substantive food safety and food defense matters.

2 May 2007

Allocation of deceased donor organs

While the field of transplantation is quite young, substantial advancements and success have led to the current imbalance between the supply of organs and the demand for them.

2 May 2007

Abstinence-only sex ed 'foolish,' 'indefensible' method of reducing teen pregnancies, STIs

Relying on abstinence-only sex education as the "primary tool to reduce teenage pregnancies" and sexually transmitted infections, as "favored by the Bush administration and conservatives in Congress, looks increasingly foolish and indefensible," a New York Times editorial says.

1 May 2007

Newly founded National Institute for Quality Improvement and Education

The newly founded National Institute for Quality Improvement and Education (NIQIE) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the integration of quality improvement and continuing education for healthcare professionals.

1 May 2007

House approves bill that bans discrimination based on genetics

The House on Wednesday voted 420-3 to approve a bill (HR 493), sponsored by Rep.

30 Apr 2007

Panel calls on G8 to deliver on 2005 promises made for Africa

The Africa Progress Panel on Tuesday in Berlin called on the Group of Eight industrialized nations to fulfill commitments made at its 2005 summit regarding aid to Africa, including HIV/AIDS funding, the Washington Post reports (Williams, Washington Post , 4/25).

30 Apr 2007

House approves bill banning genetic discrimination

House lawmakers on Wednesday voted 420-3 to pass legislation (HR 493) that would ban discrimination against U.S. residents based on the results of genetic tests, CQ Today reports (Armstrong, CQ Today, 4/25).

30 Apr 2007

Report on effects of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields on human health

A response to the Stakeholder Advisory Group's report on the effects of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields, by a member of SAGE.

30 Apr 2007

New type of mainstream lesbian on post-millennium TV

The New Yorker's take on the 2004 US TV series The L Word- which emblazoned "Not your mother's lesbians" across a photo of the conventionally beautiful female cast draped around each other in a naked cluster - was typical of recent media articles claiming there was a 'new' type of mainstream lesbian on post-millennium TV, said Rebecca Beirne, who graduated with a PhD from the University of Sydney's English Department last week.

30 Apr 2007