The Korea Herald

Study: Simple scope exam cuts colon cancer deaths

HealthMay 24, 2012

A simple, cheaper exam of just the lower part of the bowel can cut the risk of developing colon cancer or dying of the disease, a large federal study has found.Many doctors recommend a more complete test ― colonoscopy ― but many people refuse that costly, unpleasant exam. The new study shows that the simpler test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, can be a good option. Although it may seem similar to having a mammogram on just one breast, experts say that even a partial bowel exam is better than none.As o
Born to run barefoot? Some end up injured

HealthMay 24, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Swept by the barefoot running craze, ultramarathoner Ryan Carter ditched his sneakers for footwear that mimics the experience of striding unshod.The first time he tried it two years ago, he ran a third of a mile on grass. Within three weeks of switching over, he was clocking six miles on the road.During a training run with a friend along a picturesque bike path near downtown Minneapolis, Carter suddenly stopped, unable to take another step. His right foot seared in pain. “It w
Coffee’s effects on the body

HealthMay 24, 2012

Caffeine is a substance found in food and pharmaceutical products that exerts various biological effects on the body. About 3/4 of the caffeine that we consume comes from coffee. Coffee made from coffee beans contains the highest level of caffeine and one cup of black coffee has approximately 103-112mg of caffeine. A single cup of the instant coffee commonly consumed in Korea contains approximately 60 mg of caffeine. Assuming that one cup of coffee contains two teaspoons of ground coffee, a sing
What to know about generic Viagra

HealthMay 24, 2012

As the main patent for Viagra has expired, generic versions of the “blue magic pill” are expected to rush into pharmacies. The release of generics is expected to give wider and easier access to treatment for people suffering from erectile dysfunction, since prices are expected to be far lower than for the original drugs. According to the Korea Food and Drug Administration, a total of 28 generics produced by 15 domestic pharmaceutical companies have passed bioequivalence tests and are awaiting re
Chimpanzees have human-like personalities

CultureMay 24, 2012

Chimpanzees and orangutans really do have personalities "like people," British researchers say.The new findings address a long-standing debate about whether great apes possess human-like personalities or if such perceived behavior is an anthropomorphic projection of human observers, they said.Using a statistical method to remove any biases in human observers of apes' behavior, researchers at the U
Kitten freed after getting her head stuck in tire

HealthMay 24, 2012

A 10-week-old kitten that got her head stuck in a car wheel was rescued after one hour of struggle. The stray cat was discovered by a man living in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, who heard a desperate meowing and contacted one of the U.K.’s animal welfare charities, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Rescuers from the RSPCA tried to pull her out of the spare tire but failed. “I t
Woman, 84, trapped in chair for two day

PeopleMay 24, 2012

An 84-year-old Swedish woman who fell through the fabric of a chair on her balcony was stuck for two days, friends said.Neighbors in Karlskrona told the Kvallsposten newspaper they became concerned when they noticed the woman's newspaper hadn't been brought inside and the woman failed to show up for church on Sunday, The Local.se reported Wednesday.Friends and neighbors contacted the building's ca
Babies of smoking moms get help from vitamin C

HealthMay 24, 2012

Pulmonary function of babies born to women who smoked during pregnancy was significantly improved if the women took vitamin C, U.S. researchers say.Dr. Cindy McEvoy, associate professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital, said the study involved newborns of 159 smokers and randomized them to daily vitamin C -- 500 milligrams or placebo -- before 22
Men's death risk rises in extramarital sex

HealthMay 24, 2012

So-called sudden coital death is more common when a man has sex with a mistress outside than when he had sex with his wife, researchers in Italy said.(MCT)Dr. Alessandra Fisher of the University of Florence and colleagues reviewed existing research on the context in which men experience sudden death during or after sex.They found both fatal and non-fatal heart attacks were relatively rare when a m
Hot dogs fall from the sky in Detroit

Food&BeverageMay 24, 2012

To celebrate a Detroit restaurant's 95th anniversary, 955 raw hot dogs were dropped from a hovering helicopter onto a soccer field Wednesday morning.The stunt, arranged by WKQI-FM, Detroit, honored the American Coney Island restaurant, whose third-generation owner, Grace Keros, noted the famed eatery has "been at the same location for the past 95 years."The hot dogs, referred to at the restaurant
Warm words for Obama but no endorsement yet: Powell

PeopleMay 23, 2012

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had praise but no endorsement Tuesday for President Barack Obama, saying he plans to “keep my powder dry” as he weighs whom to back in November’s election.Powell, himself once widely touted as a prospect for the White House, and who endorsed Obama in 2008’s presidential race as a “transformational figure,” said the president by-and-large has lived up to that billing.“There are some things that he has done I wish he had not done. For
British artist brings two celebrated Korean writers into his world

CultureMay 23, 2012

Artist highlights writers’ artistic agonies and sufferings mixed with his ownThe multi-talented British artist Billy Childish sheds new light on two prominent Korean writers of Korea’s modern literature, Yi Kwang-su and Yi Sang, at his first exhibition in Seoul. “I wanted to make some paintings that related directly to the people who would be coming to see the exhibition,” Childish said at the opening event for his exhibition “Strange Bravery” in Seoul on May 11.Studying the two writers’ litera
Canada bus killer says he believed the victim was alien

PeopleMay 23, 2012

A Chinese immigrant who beheaded and cannibalized a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in western Canada four years ago thought he was attacking an alien, according to a mental health advocate who interviewed him.Vince Weiguang Li (second from left)In 2009, Vince Li was found not criminally responsible due to mental illness for the death of Tim McLean, a 22-year-old carnival worker who was sittin
Vitamin C helps babies of smoking moms

HealthMay 23, 2012

Pulmonary function of babies born to women who smoked during pregnancy was significantly improved if the women took vitamin C, U.S. researchers say.Dr. Cindy McEvoy, associate professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital, said the study involved newborns of 159 smokers and randomized them to daily vitamin C -- 500 milligrams or placebo -- before 22
Is Superman gay? DC comics to announce gay superhero

CultureMay 23, 2012

An unnamed character from DC comics will officially come out of the closet in a future issue, the company has announced.The comic book giant includes iconic superheroes such as Batman and Robin, Superman, and Wonder Woman.“One of the major iconic DC characters will reveal that he is gay in a storyline in June,” Courtney Simmons, DC Entertainment’s senior vice president of publicity, told ABC news.