New Bird Flu Outbreaks in China, Vietnam
China and Vietnam reported fresh outbreaks of the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu Saturday.
The latest China outbreak, its eighth within a month, is in Jingshan county in Hubei province, indicating that the virus appears to be spreading. Four suspected human cases of the virus are being investigated, but so far there have been no confirmed human infections in the country, according to wire reports.
The latest outbreak has killed 2,500 birds, and more than 30,000 birds are being culled, government authorities said Saturday.
The H5N1 strain has devastated poultry flocks across Asia since 2003 and killed at least 64 people.
In Vietnam, which has had two-thirds of the human deaths, two more provinces reported bird flu outbreaks, bringing to nine the total number of affected provinces, officials said Saturday.
In the northern province of Hung Yen, which borders Hanoi, about 150 poultry died and more than 300 have been destroyed, the National Animal Health Department said on its Web site.
In Ninh Binh province, poultry began dying in two villages earlier this week, and tests Friday confirmed the birds had the H5N1 strain, according to a provincial animal health officer.
Authorities have ordered the destruction of all birds in the two infected areas, about 10,000 in total. In the past month, more than 130,000 poultry have been culled throughout the country as Vietnam battles to stop the spread of the virus.
Loneliness Could Be Genetic, Researchers Say
Loneliness might be a family trait.
That's the conclusion of new research suggesting 48 percent of the variations in loneliness among people is a result of genetics. The rest is caused by life circumstances like leaving home or losing a spouse, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Researchers in the Netherlands and the University of Chicago examined surveys of 8,387 young adults in the Netherlands Twin Register. Fraternal and identical twins and their families responded to mailed surveys every two or three years. Twins were asked whether they agreed with such statements as "I feel lonely," "I like to be alone," "Nobody loves me," and "I try to have as little as possible to do with other people."
Thirty-five percent of the men and 50 percent of the women reported having moderate to extreme feelings of loneliness. And the researchers found less difference in loneliness ratings between identical twins.
There probably is more than one loneliness gene, although no such gene has yet been identified, said University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo, a co-author of the study, which is published in the journal Behavior Genetics.
Scientists Developing Combat Chewing Gum
Scientists are working on developing a chewing gum for combat soldiers too busy to brush their teeth.
The gum, described to an American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists meeting this week in Nashville, would contain a bacteria-fighting agent to prevent plaque, cavities and gum disease.
Soldiers in the field often lack the time or the means to brush and floss, and the stress of combat can encourage bacterial growth in the mouth, Col. Dennis Runyan, commander of the Army Dental and Trauma Research Detachment in Great Lakes, Ill., told the Associated Press.
Gum was considered an ideal solution because the Army already issues gum in field rations. Dr. Patrick DeLuca, a University of Kentucky drug product developer, is trying to make the prototype taste better and ensure that it retains its bacteria-fighting ability and flavor for up to an hour.
Once the development stage is complete sometime in the next year, scientists will begin field-testing the gum, possibly with Army units, the AP reported.
Warning Added to Birth-Control Patch Label
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ordered that a strong warning be added to the label on the popular Ortho Evra birth-control patch.
The FDA said the warning was needed to alert users of the patch that they're being exposed to higher estrogen levels than was previously revealed, putting them at increased risk of blood clots and other serious side effects, the Associated Press reported.
The warning, added to the patch label on Thursday, tells women using the patch that they're be exposed to about 60 percent more estrogen than what's found in typical birth-control pills.
Previously, the FDA and patch maker Ortho McNeil said that risks associated with the patch were expected to be similar to those associated with taking birth-control pills, the AP reported.
Several lawsuits have been filed against Ortho McNeil by families of women who suffered blood clots or died while using the patch.
Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, said in a prepared statement that there's no medical reason for women to use the "more dangerous Ortho Evra" rather than one of the "older, better understood, and equally effective oral contraceptives."
Meditation Linked to Structural Changes in Brain
The regular practice of meditation seems to produce structural changes in areas of the brain associated with attention and sensory processing, a new study suggests.
The imaging study, led by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers, found that particular areas of the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain, were thicker in participants who were experienced practitioners of a type of meditation commonly practiced in the United States and other western countries.
The findings appear in the Nov. 15 issue of NeuroReport, and are also to be presented Monday at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Washington, D.C.
"Our results suggest that meditation can produce experience-based structural alterations in the brain," said Sara Lazar, of the hospital's Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, and the study's lead author. "We also found evidence that meditation may slow down the aging-related atrophy of certain areas of the brain."
Calif. Center Shuts Liver Transplant Program
The University of California, Irvine Medical Center abruptly shut down its liver transplantation program Thursday, hours after the federal government stripped the program's certification and said the hospital was endangering patients' prospects for survival.
The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that the decision came on the same day the newspaper reported that 32 people had died awaiting liver transplants in the last two years while hospital turned down scores of donated organs.
Dr. Ralph Cygan, UCI Medical Center's chief executive, announced an investigation into the program and said the 106 patients on UCI's liver waiting list would be transferred to other hospitals for transplants and other care.
UCI's is the second liver program in Southern California to announce its closure within a week. St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles said Nov. 4 that it would shut its program, weeks after admitting its staff inappropriately gave a liver to a patient who was deep on the waiting list and then falsified records, the Times reported.
Food Fact:
Mesclun around.
Translate this peculiar French word as "easy nutrition" for folks on the run. Mesclun, a mix of baby greens, gives the health-conscious yet harried salad eater a welcome break. Mesclun, also called gourmet salad mix, usually contains oak leaf lettuce, radicchio, mache, arugula and a smattering of fresh herbs. Even if the mix varies somewhat, it's certain to include an antioxidant-rich blend. Choose mesclun with crisp, dry leaves and no signs of wilting. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. Wash and spin dry just before serving.
Fitness Tip of the day:
Jump to it.
Feeling rundown? We bet an old gym-class standby can make you feel like a kid again. Skipping rope as part of your exercise routine burns a surprising number of calories and provides a great workout for your shoulders, arms and calves. It's fast-paced, varied and, best of all, you can do it anywhere!
FAQ of the day:
Are vitamin D supplements a good idea?
A daily multivitamin will provide safe amounts of vitamin D and other nutrients. Consider a calcium supplement as well, if there's no other rich source of calcium in your diet. You need both calcium and vitamin D to reduce your risk of osteoporosis and possibly colon cancer.
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