An email making the rounds on the Net entitled "CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS" is a hoax, according to snopes.com: Johns Hopkins did not publish the information, which often is an email attachment, nor does it endorse its contents. The email also contains an incorrect spelling of our institution as "John" Hopkins; whereas, the correct spelling is "Johns" Hopkins. For more information about cancer, please read the information the Johns Hopkins web site or visit the National Cancer Institute's web site at.”
(Circulating email) | For further info...

In a bid to give a definitive answer as to the scientific advice as to what is the best physical exercise for health, New Scientist gives Nine Facts About Fitness, based on a distillation of the decades of scientific studies. Questions answered include: What counts as exercise?; How much exercise and how often?; How do you know if you're getting fit?; Is pumping iron good for you?: Can jogging kill you?; and Do you need to 'push fluids'?
(New Scientist) | For further info...

A diet of chicken, fish and protein shakes helps heals a brain damaged by injury, according to a study at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The researchers believe that three particular branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) which are found in protein-rich food and are known to help build muscle, are involved: levels of these were much lower in the brain-damaged mice compared with a control group of non-brain-damaged mice. However, brain-damaged mice who were given water enriched with BCAAs for five days had normal levels and performed better at learning tasks.
The study complements the findings of an Italian study at the University of Pavia last year, which found found that BCAAs improved the "feeding, grooming and toileting" abilities of minimally conscious patients.
(New Scientist) | For further info...

White wine is more acidic than red wine, and drinking it frequently may erode enamel, according to researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University (Germany). Riesling wines are the worst in this regard, as they are the most acidic.
To minimise the effect, they recommend eating cheese at the same time (contains calcium, which counteracts the acid's attack). Conversely, eating strawberries at the same time, makes matters worse, as strawberries are also slightly acidic. It is also worth waiting at least half an hour before brushing teeth afterwards, as it gives time for the enamel to recover before it is brushed away.
(BBC Online) | For further info...

Wisen Up, from Indian developer Global Delight, is a collection of educational but entertaining information featuring personality quizzes, Ancient cures, Body Language, Medical quotes, Tell me why, Myths, Weird and incurable diseases, Body facts, Types of doctors, Phobias and First aid mistakes. Over 150 cartoons help keep the tone light; users can also share the facts, quiz interpretations and test results on Facebook or via mail.
(Source: MacMegaSite) | Cost: US$1.99 | Requires: iPhone/iPod Touch | For further info...

Acetaminophen – known by its tradename Paracetamol – though effective as a painkiller, can cause permanent and possible fatal liver damage at remarkably small amounts above the recommended dosage. (Unintentional over-dosing is easy, as the substance is also included in other cold medicines.) As a result, the US Food and Drug Administration panel wants to reduce the recommended dosage.
Fortunately, a safer alternative has been found, known as SCP-1 (comprising a molecule of paracetamol joined to a saccharin molecule), which in tests carried out by researchers at the University of New Orleans, Louisiana, in collaboration with St Charles Pharmaceuticals, appears not to produce the same toxic by-products. St. Charles have now announced that they have developed a method of synthesising SCP-1 cheaply and in large quantities.
(Source: New Scientist) | For further info...

With the camera of the new iPhone 3GS (but not, alas, of the previous generations), and the app Cyclops you can now to scan barcodes (UPC or EAN) and retrieve information on the item from Amazon – complete with a link to the product's page.
(Source: Macintouch.com) | Cost: Free | Requires: iPhone 3GS only | For further info...

Following Stanford University's lead, Yale University too has now begun offering select courses as free downloads from iTunes U, in areas such as Engineering and Technology, Humanities, Science, Arts and Architecture, Business & Management, etc.
(Source: iLounge) | Cost: Free | For further info...

Some species of algae have been found to contain domoic acid – a powerful neurotoxin,. Researchers at the University of Santa Cruz in California have found that, when consumed in sufficient quantities, it can affect sea lions, birds and humans. In people, it can cause headaches and memory loss, and even death.
Algae blooms are promoted by fertilisers leaching into coastal waters from agricultural and sewage runoff.
The toxin remains even when the algae dies off and sinks with it to the bottom, instead of being dissolved in seawater. This would explain the dead zones at lower depths in a growing number of marine areas. "[It is also] the missing link to explain why domoic acid also shows up in benthic organisms like crabs, shellfish and flatfish," says Raphael Kudela, one of the study’s authors.
(Source: New Scientist) | For further info...

Mind those arguments within families during childhood: they can be harmful to the children's mental health. This is the conclusion from a 30-year-long research study of 346 boys and girls in New England, each of which was monitored between the ages of 5 and 15.
Those who reported increased arguments with their parents and between their parents were found to be three times more likely to develop major depression, or indulge in drug or alcohol abuse. They were also nearly three times as likely to engage in antisocial behaviour, and more than twice as likely to be unemployed.
The report was published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
(Source: New Scientist) | Cost: | For further info...

A study by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, based in Washington, D.C., of 28 bath products for children, infants and babies found that 17 of them – 61% – tested positive for not-so-positive cancer-causing chemicals, such as formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.
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