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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

IRIN examines possible changes to U.S. food aid policy

IRIN examines the Obama administration's efforts to expand U.S. food aid beyond the distribution of domestically-produced food to countries in need.

7 May 2010

Fart blanket here to make marriages better!

A blanket made of activated carbon fragment that can aid in absorbing the stench from flatulence has been a hit in the market. The advertisement has become a hit on Youtube. MyFOXny.com said that this campaign for a Better Marriage Blanket is still not on TV but has been viewed more than one million times online since March 31. Another online marketing site has also called it “this year's Snuggie”.

6 May 2010

Chicken nuggets rate not too good in nutritional value: consumer report

A product evaluation organization Consumer Reports recently analyzed 12 brands of chicken nuggets including brands like Market Pantry (from Target), Bell & Evans Breaded, Kirland Signature Disney (Costco), and Health Is Wealth.

6 May 2010

New tools developed to enrich cereal products with bioactive compounds

The bioactive compounds of cereals are concentrated in the peripheral layers of the grains (bran) but most of them have a low bio-accessibility. In the HEALTHGRAIN project of the European Union, new tools for process monitoring were developed that support commercial implementation of innovative milling techniques including partial grain debranning, fine grinding and classification of grain fractions, resulting in flours and ingredients with enhanced nutritional properties.

6 May 2010

Global warming could lead to deadly temperatures for humans in coming centuries: Research

Reasonable worst-case scenarios for global warming could lead to deadly temperatures for humans in coming centuries, according to research findings from Purdue University and the University of New South Wales, Australia.

6 May 2010

Emotions can sabotage weight loss goals

How many times have you, after a particularly hard day, reached for some chocolate or ice cream? It's common for many people, but for those trying to lose weight, it can be detrimental to their long term success, and most weight-loss programs never even address it.

6 May 2010

HEALTHGRAIN Forum to develop European definition of whole grain

Cereal grain kernels consist of three main parts: endosperm, bran and germ. In Europe and worldwide most cereal products, like white bread, are based on kernels or flour after removal of bran and germ, the two parts containing most of the dietary fibre and other bioactive components. In the past decade consumers have been rediscovering whole grain based products. As a result consumption of whole grain products is growing world wide and in Europe also in countries where whole grain products were hardly known.

5 May 2010

AU chair discusses proposed food security compact ahead of World Economic Forum on Africa

Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika "said he planned to work with other African leaders to devise a programme on food security that was sustainable 'regardless of who is looking at it,' and set up what he called an African compact on food security to act as an independent advisory body to the African Union on agriculture and food issues," the Guardian's "Katine" blog reports.

5 May 2010

Ideal working environment can reduce psychosocial risks and health-related problems

The way people's work is organised can harm their health by causing a range of ailments, from cardiovascular disease to problems with mental health.

4 May 2010

Non-daily use of tobacco can trigger nicotine dependency among adolescents

Kids who have just started smoking, but not on a daily basis, don't seem to recognize the early symptoms of dependence, according to a new study.

4 May 2010

Early or delayed puberty can trigger antisocial behavior in adolescent boys

Puberty that arrives earlier or later in adolescent boys relative to their peers can trigger chemicals that are related to antisocial behavior, according to researchers, whose findings have key implications for parents with aggressive boys.

4 May 2010

Difference between grief and depression

"A son is a son till he takes a wife, a daughter is a daughter all her life," goes the old Irish saying. Though there is an extraordinary bond between every mother and child there is something unique about the relationship between a mother and daughter

4 May 2010

Tobacco companies increase marketing to women in developing countries

Agence France-Presse examines a trend among tobacco firms targeting ads toward women in developing countries: "Advertisements telling smokers they are smarter, more energetic and better lovers than their non-smoking counterparts are a familiar sight across Bangladesh - something unimaginable in most other countries," the news service writes.

3 May 2010

FDA sets new safety standards for transportation of food

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is asking commercial food transporters to follow new guidance the agency is issuing today to reduce the chances of physical, chemical, biological and other risks during transportation of foods while the agency reviews current food safety transportation regulations.

3 May 2010