Health and Medical News Headlines for January 5, 2009

5 Tips: How to Keep Your New Year's Resolution

Whatever you resolve to do differently in 2009, vow also to develop a strategy to make it happen.
Source: Livescience.com - Health | 31 Dec 2009 | 7:03 pm

What Science Says about Enlightened Sex

Another year, another batch of boring resolutions. So why not resolve to have better sex?
Source: Livescience.com - Health | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:57 pm

Exercise Improves Kids' Academics

Aerobic exercise improves a student's fitness level and test scores, too.
Source: Livescience.com - Health | 29 Dec 2009 | 2:06 pm

UPDATE 1-Nigeria's Oando buys stake in Akepo offshore field

LAGOS, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Nigerian energy firm Oando Plc said on Monday it had acquired a stake in the Akepo offshore oilfield as it diversifies from fuel distribution and retail into oil refining and...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:54 am

Why playing golf may damage your hearing

Keen golfers are being warned by doctors that they could be risking their hearing for their sport.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:40 am

Annus fabulous

Five ways to force yourself to be happy in '09
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:29 am

DRAM maker Powerchip seeks to cut costs, sell assets

TAIPEI, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Loss-making Powerchip Semiconductor Corp , Taiwan's biggest DRAM maker, said on Monday it will look to trim costs further and sell off non-core assets in a bid to survive the...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:24 am

StatoilHydro surplus gas sold to liquid EU markets

OSLO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Norwegian oil and gas producer StatoilHydro said on Monday it would sell its surplus natural gas, not contracted in long-term supply deals, to "liquid markets" in Britain and elsewhere...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:22 am

UPDATE 1-San Miguel takes option to buy 50.1 pct of Petron

MANILA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - San Miguel Corp , Southeast Asia's biggest food and drinks group, said on Monday it had an option to buy 50.1 percent of Philippine oil refiner Petron Corp from a unit of Ashmore...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:15 am

UPDATE 1-Formosa shuts 700,000tpy naphtha unit on demand fears

SINGAPORE, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Formosa Petrochemical Corp is shutting its 700,000 tonnes per year (tpy) No. 1 naphtha cracker in phases on Jan. 5, and the unit will be completely offline on Tuesday,...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:12 am

New Year hangover? Sorry, scientists debunk detox claims

As people trudged back to work on Monday bloated from the excesses of Christmas and New Year partying, British scientists warned that buying "detox" products may do nothing to help them...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:31 am

San Miguel says in agreement to buy 50.1 pct of Petron

MANILA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - San Miguel Corp , Southeast Asia's biggest food and drinks conglomerate, said on Monday it has signed an option agreement to acquire 50.1 percent of Philippine oil refiner Petron...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:22 am

Poland's gas via Ukraine still less

WARSAW, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Gas deliveries to Poland via Ukraine remained lower by 5 million cubic metres daily on Monday, Poland's dominant gas distributor PGNiG said in a statement on Monday.
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:19 am

UPDATE 1-Eni says Nigeria break cuts oil output by 12,000 bpd

* Cannot say how long Agip pumping station will be shut
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:08 am

New Initiative Urges Women to Address Men's Health this New Year

Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:00 am

MHRA - Brief Summary Of Reclassifications That Have Been Approved In The Past 12 Months, UK

Please see the relevant entry in List C (consolidated list of substances present in authorised products which have been reclassified since 1 April 2002) for full details.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:00 am

Earlier, Individualized Treatment Of Thyroid Cancer Enabled By Molecular Imaging

In a study to determine the diagnostic value of molecular imaging in nodal staging of patients with thyroid cancer, researchers were able for the first time to accurately distinguish between cancerous cells in regional lymph nodes and normal residual thyroid tissue directly after surgery.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:00 am

New Device Couples, Fuses Cells For Stem Cell Research

MIT engineers have developed a new, highly efficient way to pair up cells so they can be fused together into a hybrid cell. The new technique should make it much easier for scientists to study what happens when two cells are combined. For example, fusing an adult cell and an embryonic stem cell allows researchers to study the genetic reprogramming that occurs in such hybrids.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:00 am

Transplant Program At UT Southwestern University Hospital Recognized For Increasing Organ Donor Rates

The surgical transplant team at UT Southwestern University Hospital has garnered twin awards for its successful efforts to increase organ donation rates. "Each organ donation is an opportunity for new life, so we are gratified with these recognitions," said Dr. Juan Arenas, chief of surgical transplantation and surgical director for the liver transplant program.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:00 am

Resolve To Make Folic Acid A Daily Habit This Year - Tennessee Department Of Health

The Department of Health is reminding all women of childbearing age about the need for folic acid, whether they're planning a baby right now or not. The Department will join observances of Folic Acid Awareness Week January 5 - 11, 2009.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:00 am

Hospitals Consult On Proposal To Become An NHS Foundation Trust - Lincolnshire, England

Communities across Lincolnshire are being invited to get involved and have their say on the next step for the future of the county's hospitals, by attending a consultation event in their area. The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust intends to apply for NHS Foundation Trust status.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:00 am

Novel Glioblastoma Mouse Model Developed By Salk Researchers

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have developed a versatile mouse model of glioblastoma - the most common and deadly brain cancer in humans - that closely resembles the development and progression of human brain tumors that arise naturally. "Mouse models of human cancer have taught us a great deal about the basic principles of cancer biology," says Inder Verma, Ph.D.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:00 am

Antioxidants Offer Pain Relief In Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis

Antioxidant supplementation was found to be effective in relieving pain and reducing levels of oxidative stress in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), reports a new study in Gastroenterology. CP is a progressive inflammatory disease of the pancreas in which patients experience abdominal pain (in early stage) and diabetes and maldigestion (in late stage).
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:00 am

Reducing Otolaryngic Surgical Infection Rates By Pre-Screening For MRSA

Pre-operative screening of patients for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may be an effective way to reduce infection rates following otolaryngic surgeries, according to new research published in the January 2009 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:00 am

MRSA At Record Low For The Chesterfield Royal Hospital, England

The Chesterfield Royal Hospital has recorded its lowest yearly MRSA rates since records began. The latest statistics have been released by the Health Protection Agency with just ten cases recorded at the Royal in the year between April 2007 and March 2008. And the news gets better with the hospital on course to do even better this year with only five recorded cases since April 1st.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:00 am

For Privacy’s Sake, Taking Risks to End Pregnancy

Some Latina women are using drugs or potentially harmful home methods to end their pregnancies.

Source: NYT > Health | 5 Jan 2009 | 6:28 am

New drug users

Asian women using Class A drugs is on the rise
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 5 Jan 2009 | 6:17 am

Scientists dismiss 'detox myth'

Products that claim to help the body "detox" are often based on meaningless claims, scientists warn.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 5 Jan 2009 | 2:35 am

Cancer cells 'cheat suicide call'

Cancer cells are able to escape death by reversing a process which triggers suicide in normal cells, scientists have shown.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 5 Jan 2009 | 2:09 am

Computer program analyzes brain activity

January 04, 2009 PITTSBURGH, Jan 4, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A computer program developed at a Pittsburgh university can offer limited insights into one's thoughts by analyzing brain activation patterns, researchers say.
Source: PsycPORT.com | 5 Jan 2009 | 12:47 am

Birth order, age raise autism risk

January 04, 2009 In the largest study of its kind, researchers have shown that the risk of autism increases for firstborn children and children of older parents.
Source: PsycPORT.com | 5 Jan 2009 | 12:47 am

Spirituality: Is it all in your head?

January 04, 2009 Jan. 4--Having a spiritual experience may be all in your head -- or at least part of it. A group of University of Missouri researchers recently completed a study that claims a particular area of the brain is linked to spirituality.
Source: PsycPORT.com | 5 Jan 2009 | 12:47 am