A coroner has linked an anti-smoking drug to the death of a television editor who killed himself.
Omer Jama, 39, who worked for Sky Sports, was found dead at his home two months after being prescribed Champix to help him quit smoking.
Mr Jama had slashed his wrists and stabbed himself in the thigh and stomach, an inquest in Bolton was told.
A case of bird flu was reported in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province near Seoul on Tuesday. It comes two weeks after the first reported case on April 1 in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, from where the outbreak has since spread to South Jeolla Province. Two weeks after the first outbreak, a total of 20 cases were reported of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of virus that can be transmitted to humans.
New Orleans residents who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina were over five times more likely to experience serious psychological distress a year after the disaster than those who did not.
That is one of the findings from a study presented at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America in New Orleans.
The study, conducted by University of Michigan researcher Narayan Sastry and Tulane University's Mark VanLandingham, examines the mental health status of pre-Katrina residents of the City of New Orleans in the fall of 2006---one year after the hurricane. It also describes and analyzes disparities in mental health by race, education and income.
Based on a pilot survey that drew a stratified, area-based probability sample of pre-Katrina dwellings in the city, the study is one of the first to provide data representative of the pre-hurricane population. It was designed by the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization.
Dozens of students at the University of Denver became ill over the weekend, and seven students remain hospitalized today.
The Denver Health Department is investigating the mass illness but has not yet come up with a cause, said David Brendsel, a university spokesman.
Herbal Science International, Inc. - also known as Jen-On Herbal Science International, Inc. - is recalling twelve
dietary supplements containing ephedra, aristolochic acid, or human placenta because they may present a serious health hazard to consumers.
Homework does not help primary school pupils get better grades, says a study.
Researchers struggled to find a link between how well the children do in national tests and the amount of extra tasks they are set.
It is thought that young pupils tire too quickly, do not have the skills to study effectively, and are too easily distracted.
This is in contrast to secondary school students, who perform better academically if they regularly do homework.
Dakar - Over 50 schoolgirls have succumbed to what educators here are calling "collective hysteria" - fainting and screaming, requiring hospitalisation.
Fred O'Connor
PC WorldTue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30 UTC
Using computers for checking e-mail, drawing images and playing games seem like common tasks for most people. For the severely paralyzed, however, these undertakings can be beyond their reach.
Neurotechnology -- using technology to study the brain -- relies on methods such as CAT (computed axial tomography) scans and deep brain stimulation. In deep brain stimulation, medical devices are placed on the brain in an effort to control brain activity and aid another part of the body.
Comment: Though the article states the benefits this technology provides for injured people, keep in mind that it can be used
for the purpose of social control as well.
WSIL3Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:21 UTC
There is a new medical breakthrough that helps troops suffering from brain injuries and stroke patients.
Early diagnosis of a heart attack may now be possible using only a few drops of saliva and a new nano-bio-chip, a multi-institutional team led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin reported at a recent meeting of the American Association for Dental Research.
The nano-bio-chip assay could some day be used to analyze a patient's saliva on board an ambulance, at the dentist's office or at a neighborhood drugstore, helping save lives and prevent damage from cardiac disease. The device is the size of a credit card and can produce results in as little as 15 minutes.
"Many heart attack victims, especially women, experience nonspecific symptoms and secure medical help too late after permanent damage to the cardiac tissue has occurred," says John T. McDevitt, principal investigator and designer of the nano-bio-chip. "Our tests promise to dramatically improve the accuracy and speed of cardiac diagnosis."
Comment: Though the article states the benefits this technology provides for injured people, keep in mind that it can be used for the purpose of social control as well.