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U.S. Obesity Epidemic Grows: Mississippi Worst For Adults, D.C. For Kids
August 28, 2007 04:31 PM - Paul Schaefer, ENN
WASHINGTON - Adult obesity rates rose in 31 states last year, according to the fourth annual "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007" report. The report is assembled by a group called the Trust for America's Health. 22 states experienced an increase for the second year in a row; not one state decreased. A new public opinion survey featured in the report finds 85 percent of Americans believe that obesity is an epidemic.
New Optical Fiber Home Network Demonstrates 100Mb Capacity
August 28, 2007 12:47 PM - Paul Schaefer and Quinn Shanahan, ENN
DENVER - Mitsubishi International and partner Firecomms says they'll demonstrate a new home network with a transmission rate of 100 Mb of Ethernet content. The trick, the company says, is a network entirely comprised of Polymer Optical Fiber. That increase in capacity is a big jump from existing home capacity say experts. The technology means web pages that load faster, video with fewer breaks and potentially more resolution.
France promises green World Cup
August 28, 2007 11:04 AM - James Mackenzie -Reuters
Solar panels on stadium roofs, recycled pitch-watering systems and fair trade snacks for half time should make the World Cup a model for environmentally friendly sporting events, French officials said on Tuesday.
The competition, which kicks off next week, is expected to generate some 570,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the annual output of the tournament's Pacific Ocean outsiders Western Samoa.
Traditional Chinese Herbal Formula Effective In Treating Menstrual Discomfort
August 28, 2007 10:12 AM - Lan Lan Liang Yeh, PLoS Online
TAIPEI, TAIWAN - A new study shows that an 800 year old traditional Chinese medicine formula called "Four Agents Decoction", when used over time, is effective in helping relieve menstrual discomfort in young women. This was the first systematic evaluation of the herbal preparation. Scientists applied Western methodology to assess the herb's effectiveness and safety, both for primary dysmenorrhoea (menstrual discomfort) and to evaluate the compliance and feasibility for a future trial.
Greek government criticized as fires rage on
August 28, 2007 09:03 AM - Karolos Grohmann -Reuters
Greece's conservative government faced mounting criticism of incompetence on Tuesday as villagers fled fierce forest fires that have killed 63 people. The opposition Socialist PASOK party seized on the fires three weeks before a parliamentary election, pouring scorn on the government's efforts and saying accusations of arson were an excuse for its weakness in responding to the crisis.
Olympic Champ Has Plan To Beat Beijing Pollution
August 28, 2007 08:57 AM - Reuters
Ethiopian world and Olympic 10,000 meters champion Kenenisa Bekele said on Tuesday Beijing's pollution could affect how he prepares for next year's Games. "The weather conditions are not good, but this is not only for me, but for all," Bekele told a news conference. "I can't do anything about it, so I will concentrate on my training. I am not concerned about it."
First death of a U.S. wind farm worker recorded
August 28, 2007 07:47 AM - Bernie Woodall -Reuters
A man died over the weekend at a wind farm under construction in Oregon in what is believed to be the first death of a wind power worker in the United States, law enforcement and industry officials said on Monday. Chadd Mitchell, 35, was killed on Saturday afternoon when a 242-foot-tall tower he was working on toppled over, said a dispatcher for the Sherman County Sheriff's Department.
Mattel: Getting a Toy Recall Right
August 28, 2007 07:34 AM - John Quelch - Harvard Business School
Mattel has been criticized heavily for having to recall not once but twice in as many weeks 20 million toys manufactured in China with lead paint and/or loose, potentially dangerous magnets. Clearly Mattel did not have sufficiently tight quality control procedures in its supply chain to compensate for the extra risks of outsourcing to relatively new Chinese subcontractors. Clearly there were design flaws in the toys with the magnets that could come loose.
Back to School: Five Myths about Girls and Science
August 28, 2007 07:17 AM - nsf.gov
The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE) program seeks to broaden the participation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education fields by supporting research, the diffusion of research-based innovations, and extension services in education that will lead to a larger and more diverse domestic science and engineering workforce.
Stem Cells Repair Rat Hearts Damaged By Heart Attack
August 27, 2007 08:43 PM - Justin Reedy , University of Washington
University of Washington - Researchers were successful in getting human-derived heart muscle cells to graft into rat hearts and thrive alongside the rat's normal heart muscle cells. Researchers were also able to use human-derived stem cells to grow a heart muscle graft in a rat heart damaged by a heart attack. The human-derived cells incorporated with scar tissue and regular heart muscle cells.