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Mining and construction are reported to be driving jobs growth in South Australia, with up to half of employers in the sector expecting to hire more staff. New South Wales Health says a Productivity Commission report on Australia's health work force is a step in the right direction. These drugs won't do much to fight 'regular' flu, either, experts say. A mental health advocate, who says regional South Australia is suffering from a chronic shortage of therapists, has accused the Minister for Mental Health, Carmel Zollo, of trying to avoid the issue. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says it is appalled by the politics surrounding the latest hospital crisis in Queensland. GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - Two people have been charged in a federal investigation of a string of Northwest arsons claimed by the shadowy radical groups Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front, authorities said Wednesday. Jonathan Paul, 39, was arrested Tuesday on charges that he helped firebomb a horsemeat packing plant in Redmond, Ore., in 1997, said Diane Peterson, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Portland. Flu drugs aren't a magic bullet against seasonal flu -- much less a feared bird flu pandemic, warns a controversial new study. Men appear to get greater satisfaction than women when witnessing retribution, research suggests. Researchers have discovered a highly promising treatment for lung problems associated with the deadly condition. Doctors will soon see easier-to-understand safety labels on prescription drugs, the FDA announced Wednesday. The FDA action is designed to help doctors and consumers, officials say. Those with Lynch syndrome may benefit from removal of uterus and ovaries, a new study reports. But it may be best for patients receiving first-time treatment, study finds Aids in clearing away dangerous mucus, researchers report Progress in the first year after surgery could be crucial, study suggests NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The recommended daily intake for vitamin B-12 should be more than doubled from the current level, researchers argue in a new report. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - During the transition from adolescence to adulthood, health risk increases and access to health care decreases across all race/ethnic groups, according to a study funded by the National institutes of Health. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Alcohol consumption in moderation may reduce the risk of strokes caused by blockage of blood vessels -- the most common kind -- a new study suggests. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A newer type of football helmet that gives more coverage to the side of the head appears to lower players' risk of concussion, according to researchers. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In its first abortion ruling in more than five years, the U.S. Supreme Court said on Wednesday that a lower court should not have struck down a state law requiring parental notice before a minor's abortion because only part of it raised constitutional problems. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government stopped a trial of AIDS drugs on Wednesday aimed at finding out whether patients could take breaks from treatment, saying people were much more likely to become ill or die if they took breaks. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hospitals may have to adapt military-style triage in case of a bird flu pandemic, and must get plans into place now for dealing with one, a Canadian expert said on Wednesday. The U.S. government announced the expansion on Wednesday of the Public Health Corps, a little-known medical branch of the uniformed forces. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Contrary to the expectations of some scientists, cholesterol-lowering 'statin' drugs (such as Lipitor or Zocor) do not appear to stave off age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the eye. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Because of side effects, patients over the age of 60 with hepatitis C find it more difficult to stick with standard treatments than do their younger counterparts, according to a study in Japan. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women with a genetic mutation that gives rise to colorectal cancer -- a condition called the Lynch syndrome -- are also at high risk for endometrial and ovarian cancer. Investigators now report that preventive hysterectomy and removal of the ovaries is effective in preventing these gynecologic cancers in such cases. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a clinical trial suggest that human growth hormone (hGH) therapy improves growth, body composition and potentially bone density in children with rheumatic diseases, such as arthritis, and growth retardation related to steroid treatment. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Contrary to the guidelines of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), patients on long-term steroid treatment are often not prescribed therapy to prevent the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, according to findings from a small study. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with cystic fibrosis suffer from mucus build-up in the lungs that makes breathing difficult, but investigators now report that salt water can ease the condition. Exposure to household insecticides, including head lice shampoos, may increase a child's risk of developing leukemia, according to findings from a French study. Cable operator Comcast on Wednesday announced it had launched a new video on-demand channel targeting fitness buffs that will do away with traditional commercial advertising. Surfers chasing waves off the coast of Australia gave researchers a clue to a cheap, effective treatment for cystic fibrosis. Two studies published Wednesday report that cystic fibrosis patients who inhaled a specially mixed saltwater solution at least twice a day had half as many hospitalizations for lung problems. The world's first face transplant recipient is using her new lips to smoke, which doctors fear could interfere with her healing and raise the risk of tissue rejection. Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable launched an all-exercise, on-demand cable network that will use product placements, branded graphics and sponsored segments rather than traditional commercials. The network features 90-minute workouts. WASHINGTON (AP) - Advocacy groups and parents are suing the Nickelodeon TV network and cereal maker Kellogg Co. in an effort to stop junk food marketing to kids. The plaintiffs are citing a recent report documenting the influence of marketing on what children eat. Ads aimed at kids are mostly for high-calorie, low-nutrition food and drinks, according to the government-chartered Institute of Medicine. A group of consumer organizations and individuals announced Wednesday that they will sue a major media company and a food corporation to stop junk food marketing aimed at young children. In targeting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, a new mix of drugs works as well as a traditional drug combination used for initial treatment of infection, a new study shows. A current editor and former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine will be grilled next week by the Merck’s lawyers. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Medicare drug program that was supposed to win political points for Republicans has exploded in their faces as this election year has begun. It's a particularly vexing problem for the GOP, since older Americans are such active voters and no one seeking office wants to see them angry. Since the Bush administration's prescription medicine program began on Jan. 1, tens of thousands of elderly people have been unable to get medicines promised by the government. Some 20 states have had to jump in to help them. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - For the second day in a row Wednesday, NASA scrubbed the launch of an unmanned spacecraft on a nine-year voyage to Pluto - this time, because a storm in Maryland knocked out the power at a laboratory that will operate the probe. NASA officials planned to make a third attempt to launch the New Horizons probe Thursday after electricity was restored to the lab. An obesity researcher says the way to lose weight is to limit flavors, triggering the brain to register the "full" feeling sooner. A new book advocates flavor-themed meals for weight loss. BEIJING (AP) - After a year of unprecedented appeals for money to cope with the Asian tsunami and the South Asia earthquake, the world dug deeper Wednesday, pledging $1.9 billion to fight bird flu and prepare for a potential pandemic. The United States alone came up with $334 million that will largely be used to help poor countries in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam and Indonesia, where the H5N1 bird flu virus is endemic. The European Union pledged another $261 million, responding with a renewed sense of urgency after the disease killed four children in Turkey. PITTSBURGH (AP) - A 5-year-old autistic boy died from a drug mixup, not the lead-poisoning treatment that was attempted to ease his disorder, a federal health official who reviewed the boy's autopsy results said. Instead of a synthetic amino acid that treats lead poisoning, Abubakar Tariq Nadama was given a medication that removes calcium, said Dr. Mary Jean Brown, chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's lead poisoning prevention branch. WASHINGTON (AP) - Marrying for money, it turns out, works. A study by an Ohio State University researcher shows that a person who marries - and stays married - accumulates nearly twice as much personal wealth as a person who is single or divorced. And for those who divorce, it's a bit more expensive than giving up half of everything they own. They lose, on average, three-fourths of their personal net worth. Watching bad guys suffer lights up the mind's reward centers, at least for men, study finds. Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)Skin Infections/DisordersSarcoma The newest treatment for cystic fibrosis is a breath of fresh air for patients hoping to reduce flare-ups while saving money. Don't cover babies with extra blankets or clothes during winter because of the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). It's the antioxidants in cocoa that are the key, but before you rush out and buy a grand hot chocolate, cocoa's antioxidants, called "flavonoids," taste bitter and are often taken out of consumer products. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - In a Jan. 17 story about a Genentech peanut allergy drug, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the company was stopping development of the drug because of safety concerns. The company is halting only the clinical trial but will continue to develop the experimental drug Xolair.    
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