New technique may clean contaminated soil quickly

SYDNEY - Scientists in Denmark have found a powerful new technique to rid soil of toxic heavy metals faster and more efficiently than current methods.

Karnataka swine flu toll rises to 100

BANGALORE - The swine flu toll in Karnataka has touched 100 after one more person succumbed to the HIN1 virus, a health official said here Tuesday.

Kansas doctor pleads guilty to illegally prescribing painkillers to woman who wasn’t a patient

Kan. doctor guilty of writing illegal prescription

WICHITA, Kan. — A Kansas doctor who worked for a physician accused of causing dozens of patient deaths from prescription drugs has pleaded guilty to illegally prescribing a painkiller for a women he never met.

Prosecutors: Man convicted of killing 2 in Texas had penchant for violence, illegal drugs

Texas convicted killer’s punishment phase starts

AUSTIN, Texas — Prosecutors have been highlighting the unsavory past of a man accused of killing six people in a cross-country spree as the penalty phase started in the trial of two of the deaths.

HEALTHBEAT: Health workers get first swine flu vaccinations; most people have a while to wait

First swine flu vaccinations _ but most must wait

WASHINGTON — Swine flu vaccinations began Monday with squirts up the noses of health care workers in Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee — it just tickled, shrugged one — as the government opened a massive effort to immunize over half the nation in a few months.

FDA advisers unanimously back GlaxoSmithKline drug for kidney cancer, despite liver risks

FDA panel unanimously backs Glaxo cancer drug

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Federal health advisers said Monday an experimental kidney cancer drug from GlaxoSmithKline PLC can benefit patients by slowing the disease, despite some risk of liver damage.

3 Americans win Nobel medicine prize for finding mechanism that protects chromosomes

3 Americans share Nobel medicine prize

NEW YORK — Three Americans won the Nobel prize in medicine on Monday for discovering how chromosomes protect themselves as cells divide, work that has inspired experimental cancer therapies and may offer insights into aging.

‘Save the boobs’: Breast cancer awareness gets feisty, sexy to lure in younger women

Breast cancer awareness uses sex to sell message

LOS ANGELES — A woman in a skimpy white bikini sashays next to a swimming pool. Onlookers gawk, men’s tongues roll and music blares in the background.

Indiana, Tennessee begin vaccinating health care workers against swine flu using nasal mist

Ind. doctor among 1st to get swine flu vaccination

INDIANAPOLIS — A group of Indiana health care workers is among the first in the nation to be vaccinated against the swine flu.

SciClone Pharma shares dive after company halts trial of RP101 for pancreatic cancer

SciClone tumbles after cancer drug trial stops

NEW YORK — Shares of SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc. dropped Monday after the company suspended a study of its drug candidate RP101, which was intended as a treatment for late stage pancreatic cancer.

CDC survey finds decline in share of schools that sell students candy, soda, unhealthy snacks

CDC: Fewer schools selling candy, soda to students

ATLANTA — Fewer U.S. high schools and middle schools are selling candy and salty snacks to students, the federal government said in a report released Monday.

Swine flu toll 351, cases cross 11,000 mark in India (Roundup)

NEW DELHI - Seven people, including four from Maharashtra, died of swine flu Monday taking the toll in the country to 351. The number of H1N1 cases in India also crossed the 11,000 mark, union health ministry said.

FDA panel narrowly backs Schering-Plough’s PegIntron as a skin cancer medication

FDA panel backs Schering-Plough cancer drug

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Federal health advisers voted 6-4 on Monday that the potential benefits of a Schering-Plough drug outweigh its toxic risks as a treatment for late-stage skin cancer.

27-year-old woman becomes Delhi’s 15th swine flu victim

NEW DELHI - A 27-year-old woman succumbed to influenza A (H1N1) Monday taking the toll in Delhi to 15, the state Health Minister Kiran Walia said.

Depomed says its post-shingles pain drug succeeded it trial, and shares hit three-year high

Depomed says shingles pain drug meets study goal

MENLO PARK, Calif. — Depomed Inc. on Monday reported a successful late stage clinical trial of a drug intended to treat pain following the viral infection shingles, and its shares soared on the news.

Three more swine flu cases reported in Himachal

SHIMLA - Three more people in Himachal Pradesh have tested positive for Influenza A (H1N1) virus, officials said Monday. Now the total number of swine flu cases in the state has reached seven.

Indiana, Tennessee to begin vaccinating health care workers against swine flu

Ind., Tenn. to begin swine flu vaccinations

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana and Tennessee are among the first states that will vaccinate people against the swine flu.

Patients suffer as junior doctors go on strike in Jammu and Kashmir

SRINAGAR - Patients are suffering at Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Jammu and Kashmir, as junior doctors are on a strike protesting against the alleged indifferent attitude of the State Government towards their long-pending demands.

Young adults struggling to cope with ‘anxiety overload’

LONDON - An increasing number of young adults are suffering from “anxiety overload”, warns a charity.

Cosmetic eyelid surgery improves patients’ quality of life

WASHINGTON - Cosmetic surgery to repair droopy eyelids has also been found to improve patients’ overall quality of life, say researchers.

Drug-light combo effective against head, neck cancers

WASHINGTON - A combination of medications and a particular light therapy has been found to be effective in treating certain types of head and neck cancers.

Excerpts: citation for 2009 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine

Excerpts from 2009 Nobel medicine prize

Excerpts from the citation awarding the 2009 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine to awarded to Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak. The Karolinska Institute says the trio was honored for research that has implications for cancer and aging research.

Million premature babies die every year

WASHINGTON - More than one million infants die worldwide every year because they are born too early, according to a recently released White Paper, The Global and Regional Toll of Preterm Birth.

Over 400,000 babies die within day of birth in India

NEW DELHI - More than 400,000 children die within 24 hours of their birth in India every year - the highest anywhere in the world, a study by an international charity said.

Climate change a major cause of child mortality: Study

NEW DELHI - Climate change, besides other factors like poverty, is one of the main causes of high child mortality in the world today, a study by an international charity Save the Children said Monday.

India may switch to ozone-friendly anti-asthma inhalers

NEW DELHI - When an inhaler provides relief to an asthma patient it may also be harming the ozone layer, but an NGO is advocating a complete switch to eco-friendly inhalers.

Scientists develop ecological engineering to control pests

SYDNEY - A pest management expert is relying on helpful plants and ‘good’ insects to protect rice in South East Asia, naturally.

Brain waves have direct influence on behaviour, says study

LONDON - Brain waves can have a direct influence on a person’s behaviour, say researchers after an experiment found that people can be made to move in slow motion by boosting one type of brain wave.

India’s neighbours debunk myths on reducing child mortality

NEW DELHI - Poverty is the biggest threat to children’s lives and the main reason why babies are dying at an alarming rate everyday, most of the respondents of a global survey contend. However, poor countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal have debunked this as myth by drastically reducing their child mortality rate over the last few years.

HEALTHBEAT: Swine flu vaccine starts arriving this week but picking a shot date takes patience

Swine flu vaccine arriving, but don’t line up yet

Novel minimally invasive technique to treat snoring

WASHINGTON - Scientists have suggested a novel, minimally invasive procedure that may help treat patients who snore.

Chronic rhinosinusitis patients going for alternative medicine

WASHINGTON - An increasing number of patients are turning to complementary and alternative medical therapies to help treat the symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), revealed a new study.

231 new genes linked with head and neck cancer identified

WASHINGTON - Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital have identified 231 new genes associated with head and neck cancer.

Chronic rhinosinusitis patients prone to other chronic illnesses too

WASHINGTON - Patients of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are also prone to suffer from other chronic illnesses like asthma, hypertension and arthritis, according to a study.

Pre-targeting approach may lead to personalised cancer therapies

WASHINGTON - Bringing personalized medicine one step closer from the laboratory to patients, researchers in The Netherlands have shown the potential to pre-target the treatment of cancer cells.

Scientists develop better technique to study bacterial swimming

LONDON - Scientists have come up with a new way to watch bacteria as they swim, which is expected to eventually help trap Escherichia coli bacteria and modify the microbes’ environment without hindering the way they move.

1 million premature babies worldwide die every year

WASHINGTON - Over one million infants who are born too early die each year, according to a new White Paper.

Chinese martial arts Tai Chi offers effective treatment for dizziness, balance disorders

WASHINGTON - A form of Chinese martial arts called Tai Chi may prove an effective treatment for patients who suffer from dizziness and balance disorders, also known as vestibular disorders.

Hormone replacement therapy ‘beneficial for postmenopausal women’

WASHINGTON - Hormone replacement therapy might be beneficial for postmenopausal women at increased heart risk, say researchers.

Radiofrequncy-tonsillotomy better treatment option for kids with enlarged tonsils

WASHINGTON - A new study suggests radiofrequncy-tonsillotomy, a procedure that helps surgeons reduce the size of the tonsillar tissue rather than remove the tonsils entirely, to be an effective and safe method of treating children with symptoms of enlarged tonsils.

Why some women suffer breast cancer relapses

LONDON - Scientists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York City have found out why some women suffer relapses years after beating breast cancer.

Gene that controls number of brain cells identified

LONDON - Scientists from University of North Carolina have identified a gene that controls the number of cells composing brain.

Curcumin may protect smokers from nicotine-induced head, neck cancers

WASHINGTON - Curcumin, a compound that is found in the India curry spice turmeric, seems to be effective in stopping nicotine’s adverse effects in smokers with head and neck cancer, according to a study.