Miscellaneous News

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Speech impaired after stroke but can sing

A British professional singer and music and drama teacher, Ann Arscott who was left unable to speak after suffering a devastating stroke has discovered she can still sing. She is from Birmingham, central England and suffered a sudden stroke in April last year which left her speechless – a condition known as aphasia.

8 Oct 2010

U.S. 'among the lowest' in aid quality and effectiveness, report finds

The U.S. "ranks among the lowest in terms of the quality and effectiveness of its aid," according to a new Center for Global Development/Brookings Institution report, Foreign Policy's "The Cable" blog writes.

7 Oct 2010

Twenty-two countries face 'protracted crises,' increased likelihood of food insecurity, U.N. report says

Twenty-two countries "are facing enormous challenges like repeated food crises and an extremely high prevalence of hunger due to a combination of natural disasters, conflict and weak institutions," the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's and the World Food Program said in the State of Food Insecurity in the World 2010 report on Wedensday, Xinhua News reports.

7 Oct 2010

Hygiene ‘scores on doors’ idea not wanted by SA restaurants

As an independent MP ‘eggs’ on the procedure to come down tough on eateries’ health standards across South Australia (SA), restaurants feel it is futile effort. Bob Such conducted research which found that 712 food outlets had been warned or fined for health breaches so far this year. As per current SA regulations, councils are prevented from highlighting offending outlets unless they have been convicted. Dr. Such feels differently.

5 Oct 2010

Religion fading in the eyes of Gen Y: Study

A new study by the Church of England including people born after 1982 shows that religion in its traditional form is largely irrelevant to the young Briton. Results show that less than one in five young people believes in a God “who created the world and hears my prayers”. Most adolescents were more likely to believe in the “nicer” parts of religious doctrine than the devil and punishment.

5 Oct 2010

Father of IVF acknowledged with a Nobel prize

Professor Robert Edwards who came to be known as the “father of In Vitro fertilization” (IVF) has won this year's Nobel prize in medicine. He is 85 and has won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his pioneering work on the in vitro fertilisation of human eggs that led to the birth of the world's first IVF baby, Louise Brown, in 1978. When he had started off initially his funding request for IVF research was turned down by Britain’s Medical Research Council (MRC) in the 1970s. His co-worker the gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe, died in 1988. Professor Edwards becomes the sole recipient of this award since it cannot be awarded posthumously.

4 Oct 2010

Health warning on iodine levels in food

After a health scare that involved consumption of Bonsoy milk, health experts have warned about iodine levels in food. Nearly twenty five people who developed illnesses because of high iodine levels in the soy milk filed a Supreme Court writ last week, seeking damages from Bonsoy's Australian distributors.

3 Oct 2010

World Bank President calls for new, more open approach to economic development

"World Bank President Robert Zoellick on Wednesday called on economists to rethink the way they look at issues affecting developing nations and said he was overhauling the way his institution approached research," Reuters reports (Wroughton, 9/29).

1 Oct 2010

AP examines delayed U.S. aid for Haiti reconstruction

"Nearly nine months after the earthquake, more than a million Haitians still live on the streets between piles of rubble. One reason: Not a cent of the $1.15 billion the U.S. promised for rebuilding has arrived," the Associated Press writes in an article examining why this aid has not been delivered.

1 Oct 2010

Food labeling urged to be more stringent

After recent research from campaigning organization Greenpeace found the S-26 Soy brand of infant formula contains GM or genetically modified ingredients that are not disclosed on the product label, two Senators are urging the Federal Government to tighten Australia's food labeling laws.

30 Sep 2010

Two new techniques to identify dissolved cocaine in bottles of wine or rum

In two landmark studies published today in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis (DTA), UK and Swiss research teams reveal two techniques proven to identify dissolved cocaine in bottles of wine or rum. These tools will allow customs officials to quickly identify bottles being used to smuggle cocaine, without the need to open or disturb the container.

30 Sep 2010

Midlife crisis is hitting Britons earlier: Survey

The latest British research shows that the tmidlife crisis that was once thought to hit people on their fifties is now affecting people in their mid-thirties. The changes in the work culture may be the main reason say researchers.

30 Sep 2010

School blood test breached guidelines: Investigation report

According to a report by an Education Department, a Tasmanian teacher who conducted blood tests on 19 high school students breached guidelines. The incident happened last month when a teacher at the Dover District High School took blood samples from the students using just two lancets for a science class experiment. These lancets were cleaned between pricks using methylated spirits. These spirits are inadequate when preventing blood borne viral disease like HIV and Hepatitis say experts.

29 Sep 2010

Asian countries should increase rice reserves to prevent food insecurity, report says

A report released on Monday by the Asia Society and the International Rice Research Institute recommends that Asian countries should increase rice reserves to help stabilize prices and improve food security in the region which is home to about 65 percent of the world's hungry, Bloomberg reports.

29 Sep 2010

Oxygen Biotherapeutics to showcase DERMACYTE oxygen-rich skin care products at Spa & Resort expo

Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc. will showcase for the first time its DERMACYTE oxygen-rich skin care products at the Spa & Resort/Medical Aesthetics Spa Conference and Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City starting tomorrow.

28 Sep 2010

Cargill introduces Clear Valley omega-3 shortening to help bakers differentiate products

Cargill today introduced Clear Valley omega-3 shortening, an industry-first shortening innovation to help bakeries differentiate their products and out-perform competitive brands, at the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) in Las Vegas.

28 Sep 2010

At FAO special meeting, delegates recommend addressing root causes of food price escalation

"Delegates at a special U.N. meeting [in Rome] about high food prices Friday blamed the hikes on speculation, futures markets and national responses to crop failure," the Associated Press/Moscow Times reports (9/27).

28 Sep 2010

Experts predict rise in food prices

With food prices expected to rise by 50 per cent within 10 years experts are planning to discuss the issues in Brisbane. There is to be a three-day summit on food security this week. With the global population touching nine billion by 2050, Australia’s role in feeding the world will be explored.

27 Sep 2010

Victorian health report card

Results from the 2008 Victorian Population Health Survey of more than 34,000 people are out. Broadly the picture is not too pleasing with signs of poor health like weight gain and disease. People are eating less fruit and vegetables, but smoking is down and asthma is less prevalent than it was earlier in the decade.

26 Sep 2010

Task of catastrophe data collection in hands of ordinary citizens

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $65,000 grant to a newly hired Virginia Tech College of Engineering assistant professor who wants to put the task of data collection during a catastrophe such as the recent Gulf Coast oil spill into the hands of ordinary citizens.

24 Sep 2010