The Korea Herald

Scientists develop stem cells that may help treat dementia

HealthMar 23, 2012

A joint research team from South Korea and Germany said Friday they have created stem cells that have the potential to help treat people suffering from dementia and spinal cord trauma.Scientists from Konkuk University and the Max Planck Institute said they have successfully used somatic cells from m
Kim reelected as deputy registrar of sea law tribunal

PeopleMar 22, 2012

Judges of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea have re-elected Kim Doo-young as deputy registrar of the tribunal at a meeting in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday, the government said. Kim has served in the post since June 2002 and his third five-year term will take effect from June 25, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.He joined the Foreign Ministry in 1981 and served as director of the international legal affairs division of the treaties bureau from 1999 to 2001.
Robert de Niro endorses Paradise Casino in Seoul

PeopleMar 22, 2012

American actor Robert de Niro began advertising for Paradise Walker Hill Casino as its official model, the casino said Thursday.The longest-operating casino in the country said it had completed shooting commercials with the actor in New York last month. The advertisement will be circulated in Incheon International Airport, in-flight materials and major tourist spots. The iconic American actor played the top operator of a casino in the 1995 Hollywood movie “Casino,” alongside Sharon Stone and Joe
Japan university to study Peru’s Nazca Lines

CultureMar 22, 2012

TOKYO (AFP) ― A Japanese university will open a research centre near Peru’s Nazca Lines to study the ancient geoglyphs which are designated a UNESCO world heritage site, Kyodo news agency said Wednesday.The new facility set up by Yamagata University will operate for 15 years to study the large designs etched into the ground in Peru’s southern plains, with Japanese and local researchers expected to take part in the project.The research lab is scheduled to open in September, Kyodo said.“It’s not k
Wax museum spurs sticky situation in Iraq

CultureMar 22, 2012

NAJAF, Iraq (AP) ― An exhibit of wax statues depicting some of Shiite Muslims’ most beloved clerics, aimed at paying tribute to this Iraqi holy city’s contributions to culture, has been dipped in controversy as some Sunnis decry the figures as heretical.The wax sculptures are due to be displayed at a museum in Najaf, but even before the exhibit opens, some Sunni Muslims ― rarely shy about highlighting their religious differences with Shiites ― are denouncing them as a violation of Islamic law. E
Greece mulled buying Acropolis statues from U.K., files show

CultureMar 22, 2012

ATHENS (AFP) ― Greece’s Bavarian-born King Otto considered offering Britain cash or antiquities in the 19th century in exchange for marbles removed from the Acropolis, previously unpublished historical files have shown.“There is a document to the foreign ministry, subsequently forwarded to Otto’s minister in London, with instructions on how to request the marbles back,” Acropolis Museum director Demetrios Pantermalis told a conference on Monday.“There was a discussion on what should be offered i
Coffee culture carries caffeine risk

HealthMar 22, 2012

Caffeinated drinks take away calcium, curb bone growth for teenagers: expertsKoreans are definitely caffeinated: They love coffee, cola and chocolate as well as foods that contain a large amount of the stimulant. Though it has been less than two decades since global coffee shop franchises were introduced to the country, industry insiders said about 37 million cups of coffee are sold every day, which means that 24 million economically active people drink more than one cup of coffee a day. “I love
Ewha Hospital offers free dental treatment

HealthMar 22, 2012

The Dental Department of Ewha Womans University Medical Center will offer free treatment for gum disorders from 1 p.m. through 3 p.m. on March 28.The free event will be held at the hospitals’ grand meeting room in Mok-dong in eastern Seoul. The doctors will not only examine patients’ gums and treat them free of charge, but also give lectures on how to maintain dental health. Participants can take home toothpaste or toothbrushes provided after the event. For more information, call (02) 2650-2679.
Waterborne diseases on the rise

HealthMar 22, 2012

The prevalence of waterborne or food-related diseases is on the rise, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. The center also called for extra care in personal hygiene as the weather grows hotter. The number of such diseases reported between Jan. 1 and March 14 this year was 32, up from 24 cases a year earlier. The number of patients increased to 780, up from 492 over the same period.Norovirus, which causes gastroenteritis, took the lion’s share with seven cases, follow
Joint replacement gives seniors leg up on activity, longevity

HealthMar 22, 2012

SACRAMENTO, California ― A lifetime of wear and tear on his joints caused Dick Pryor, a 77-year-old retired landscape architect, to undergo not one but two surgeries to replace his knees.Neither slowed him down for long.“With one knee replacement, I was back skiing three months later,” said Pryor, a Sacramento, Calif., resident who began skiing a half-century ago. “I could have gone skiing sooner, but the snow wasn’t any good.”Like Pryor, many of his 130 fellow members of the Sacramento, Calif.,
Study of ‘meth babies’ finds behavior problems in childhood

HealthMar 22, 2012

The first study to look at methamphetamine’s potential lasting effects on children whose mothers used it in pregnancy finds these kids at higher risk for behavior problems than other children.The behavior differences - anxiety, depression, moodiness - weren’t huge, but lead researcher Linda LaGasse called them “very worrisome.”Methamphetamine is a stimulant like crack cocaine, and earlier research showed meth babies have similarities to so-called “crack babies” - smaller in size and prone to dro
John Linton wins Korean citizenship for medical contribution

PeopleMar 21, 2012

John Linton, director of Severance Hospital International Health Care Center, received Korean citizenship from the Justice Ministry Wednesday. Ministry officials said that citizenship was granted in recognition of his medical contributions here and about a hundred years of outstanding achievements by his ancestors in the country.Linton, 53, now holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Korea under the revised law, which allows foreigners to have dual nationalities even if they obtain Korean citizen
Dutch author wins Astrid Lindgren award

BooksMar 21, 2012

STOCKHOLM (AP) ― Dutch writer Guus Kuijer has been named this year’s Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for children’s literature, honored for his ability to portray life’s big problems with humor and warmth, the prize jury said Tuesday.Kuijer, 69, has written more than 30 books since making his debut in 1975, releasing works such as “The Book of Everything’’ and “Florian Knol’’ ― mainly directed at adolescents entering their teen years.“Respect for children is as self-evident in his works as his re
Chefs roll up sleeves for cooking contest

Food&BeverageMar 21, 2012

BRUSSELS (AFP) ― Twenty up-and-coming chefs faced off in Brussels on Tuesday in a two-day cookout for the European leg of the Bocuse d’Or contest, dubbed the Olympic Games of the food world.Working side by side in a row of purpose-built kitchens, huge white toques on their heads, the first 10 took up the challenge on Tuesday, egged on like prize-fighters by their coaches and a cheering crowd.Jury members will Wednesday name the winners of the European contest as well as the 12 chefs who will go
U.S. dating agencies battle sex, financial predators

PeopleMar 21, 2012

LOS ANGELES(AFP) ― Three major U.S, online dating agencies have pledged action to protect users from sexual predators and financial scammers, California’s attorney general said Tuesday.Dating services eHarmony, Match.com and Spark Networks ― which operates websites including JDate and ChristianMingle ― said they notably look for fake profiles and check subscribers against sex offender registries.The three have issued a joint statement of “business principles that online dating providers should f