Current Events in June 2014

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has presented its Top Safety Pick+ award to the Volkswagen Golf and its twin, the GTI.

The vehicles were cited for good performance in each of the institute's crashworthiness evaluations -- including the small overlap test -- and available front crash prevention. In addition, the two small cars, redesigned for 2015, offer an optional forward collision warning system that earns a basic rating.

Test results

In the small overlap test, the driver's space was maintained well and injury measures recorded on the dummy indicate a low risk of any significant injuries in a crash of this severity.

While the dummy's head nearly slid off the left side of the airbag, the side curtain airbag deployed to protect the head from contacting side structure and outside objects.

The small overlap evaluation, which was introduced in 2012, is more challenging than either the head-on crashes conducted by the government or the IIHS moderate overlap test.

In this test, 25% of a vehicle's front end on the driver's side strikes a rigid barrier at 40 mph. The crash replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole.

VW consistency

The Golf and GTI are the latest Volkswagen models to earn a 2014 safety award from IIHS after the Passat qualified for "Top Safety Pick."

To qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn a good or acceptable rating for small overlap protection and a good rating in the other four tests.

The "plus" is awarded to vehicles that meet those criteria and also earn a rating of basic or higher for front crash prevention.

If you thought measles was a thing of the past think again.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 288 cases of measles were reported in this country between Jan. 1 and May 23, 2014 -- the largest number of cases in the U.S. reported in the first five months of a year since 1994.

Nearly all of the measles cases this year have been associated with international travel by unvaccinated people.

“The current increase in measles cases is being driven by unvaccinated people -- primarily U.S. residents -- who got measles in other countries, brought the virus back to the United States and spread to others in communities where many people are not vaccinated,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general and director of CDC’s National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases. “Many of the clusters in the U.S. began following travel to the Philippines where a large outbreak has been occurring since October 2013.”

Lack of immunization

Of the 288 cases, 280 (97%) were associated with importations from at least 18 countries. More than 1 in 7 cases have led to hospitalization. Ninety percent of all measles cases in the U.S. were in people who were not vaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. Among the U.S. residents who were not vaccinated, 85% were religious, philosophical or personal reasons.

The large number of measles cases this year stresses the importance of vaccination. CDC urges health care providers to use every patient encounter to ensure that all their patients are up to date on vaccinations -- especially, before international travel.

A new phenomenon for many

“Many U.S. health care providers have never seen or treated a patient with measles because of the nation’s robust vaccination efforts and our rapid response to outbreaks,” said Schuchat.

Patients who present with fever and rash along with cough, runny nose, or pink eye should be evaluated for measles -- especially if the patient is unvaccinated and recently traveled internationally or was exposed to someone else who has measles or recently traveled.

If health care providers suspect a patient with measles, CDC says they should immediately isolate the patient to help prevent the disease from spreading, immediately report the case to their local health department and collect specimens for serology and viral testing.

Timely vaccination is the best way to prevent measles. Infants and young children are at high risk of getting a serious case of measles. CDC recommends two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine for everyone starting at age 12 months.

For those traveling internationally, CDC recommends that all U.S. residents older than 6 months receive MMR vaccine, if needed, prior to departure.

Still around

Measles is a serious respiratory disease that is highly contagious. Anyone who is not protected against the disease is at risk, especially if they travel internationally. Measles is still common in many parts of the world, including countries in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa.

Worldwide, an estimated 20 million people get measles and 122,000 die from the disease each year. Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, meaning that there was no longer continuous measles transmission for more than 12 months.

RealtySouth, the largest real estate firm in Alabama, has been ordered to pay $500,000 for inadequate disclosures that could leave consumers unaware of their rights to choose service providers during the home-buying process.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says these practices illegally benefited TitleSouth LLC, an affiliated company owned by the same holding company that owns RealtySouth.

“Disclosures give consumers the power to make informed financial decisions, and buying a house is among the biggest financial decisions most people ever make,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “The Consumer Bureau will continue to take action against companies that attempt to modify disclosures and keep consumers in the dark.”

RESPA violations

According to CFPB, RealtySouth violated the Real Estate Settlement and Practices Act (RESPA), which protects consumers during the home-buying process by prohibiting kickbacks for referrals of real estate settlement services.

RealtySouth’s preprinted form purchase contracts, which its agents provided to homebuyers preparing to make an offer on a home, either explicitly directed or suggested that title and closing services be conducted by its affiliate, TitleSouth.

While RESPA allows real estate companies to refer their customers to affiliated businesses, the law requires them to provide consumers an “Affiliated Business Arrangement” (ABA) disclosure that clearly states their right to shop around for a better price and that they are not required to use the affiliated company.

The disclosure RealtySouth gave consumers did not comply with the law, agency says, and did not properly highlight consumers’ rights. In addition, the required language was buried in a section of text that also made marketing claims about the company’s prices.

Inn addition to paying a civil penalty of $500,000, is ordered to ensure that its disclosures comply with RESPA, and ensure that its training materials emphasize that its agents cannot require the use of affiliates.

Bad news for anyone who likes using Zavers by Google to collect money-saving coupons: Google's shutting down the program, which launched in January 2013.

It sounded like a good idea: in 2011, Google acquired a startup called Zave Networks. The service allowed shoppers with grocery-store loyalty cards to “clip” online coupons they found on the stores' websites, using Zavers to link the coupons to their cards so that the discounts applied next time the cardholder went shopping.

However, as Recode.net noted on June 2 when it reported the Zavers shutdown: “Sources say the program did not expand as quickly as Google had hoped, in part due to some retailers’ uneasiness with giving Google access to information about their best customers.”

Fairly or not, Google already has a bit of a reputation for sucking up data and even committing privacy violations in the process; in light of this, perhaps the retailers' unease was to be expected.

Nissan North America is recalling 334 model year 2014 Pathfinder and Rogue vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 vehicles.

The right side wheels of the affected vehicles may have one lug nut each that was not properly tightened. If a lug nut becomes loose from not being properly tightened, it may fall off, allowing the other lug nuts to become loose, possibly resulting in a wheel separation, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten any loose lug nuts to the correct specification, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by the end of June 2014.

Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Glutino, a division of GFA Brands in Paramus, N.J., is recalling Glutino Rosemary and Olive Oil Snack Crackers.

The crackers' seasoning blend may be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product was distributed nationally through retail and warehouse club stores. The product affected is sold in a 4.25-ounce and a 20-ounce opaque white box with a "Best By" date of October 26, 2014 stamped on the top of the box.

The recall is limited to the Glutino Rosemary and Olive Oil Snack Crackers and does not extend to any other Glutino products.

The affected Glutino UPCs are:

• 6 78523 03861 1
• 6 78523 03863 5

Consumers who purchased this item should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 201-421-3970.

The rise in the use of heroin in the U.S. has alarmed both law enforcement and public health officials.

The shocking overdose death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman in February has focused attention on the problem, but officials say it was already at crisis levels by then.

The previous month, in his “State of the State” address, Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin warned lawmakers that not only had the drug invaded their tranquil state but was getting out of control.

“It is a crisis bubbling just beneath the surface that may be invisible to many, but is already highly visible to law enforcement, medical personnel, social service and addiction treatment providers, and too many Vermont families,” he warned.

Since then it seems to have only gotten worse. The Upstate New York Poison Center recently reported that number of heroin overdoses in 12 upstate New York counties jumped 417% from 2009 to 2013. In one county – Onondaga – the number rose from 14 in 2009 to 84 last year – in 2013, a 500% increase.

Going mainstream

Heroin was once largely a problem among hard core drug addicts, who prized the drug for its intense high. Today, young middle-class suburbanites are the ones getting hooked and, quite often, dying of an overdose.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis say they know why. Writing in JAMA Psychiatry, they contend that heroin is not just prized for its powerful euphoric effects, but also because it is dirt cheap. Cheaper than prescription drugs.

“In the past, heroin was a drug that introduced people to narcotics,” said principal investigator Theodore J. Cicero, PhD. “But what we’re seeing now is that most people using heroin begin with prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, Percocet or Vicodin, and only switch to heroin when their prescription drug habits get too expensive.”

To get their answers Cicero and his team went straight to the source. They gathered data from 9,000 people at more than 150 drug treatment centers.

Nearly a third – 2,800 – listed heroin as the primary drug they abused. When asked why they chose heroin, many said the drug was plentiful and inexpensive. If they were using illegal prescription drugs, addicts found they could get high for a lot less.

“The price on the street for prescription painkillers, like OxyContin, got very expensive,” Cicero said. “It has sold for up to a dollar per milligram, so an 80 milligram tablet would cost $80. Meanwhile, they can get heroin for $10.”

Crackdown on prescription drug abuse

Prescription pain killers have been the object of stepped-up enforcement efforts in recent years, in an effort to control their abuse. Since 2010, for example, OxyContin was reformulated to make the pills more difficult to crush or dissolve.

Not only was it more expensive, it was also harder to snort or shoot up. But Cicero, a professor of neuropharmacology in psychiatry, said that didn't solve the problem.

“As we made it more difficult to use one drug, people simply migrated to another,” he said. “Policymakers weren’t ready for that, and we certainly didn’t anticipate a shift to heroin.”

Entirely new market

And the shift has been greatest among white suburban youth, who have little knowledge of or experience with heroin. It's been 40 years or more since heroin overdose deaths were commonplace.

Now they are, not in inner cities as in the past but in suburban and rural areas, where a new crop of young users are taking the drug – and the risk. The big question, says Cicero, is why?

“The overdose deaths and hospitalizations are symptoms of a problem that we really need to deal with,” he said. “You can’t effectively treat people or prevent addiction unless you know why they are taking drugs, and we don’t really have a handle on that yet.”

Adding to the problem is the fact that the heroin invading rural and suburban areas today is extremely powerful – perhaps the most powerful opiate ever created. Even if users think they are aware of the risks and are being careful, they can still die.

So imagine you wanted to design something that does what a car does without having a driver, what would it look like? And what would you call it? Those are some of the questions that Google is now dealing with.

It's no secret that Google has been developing the software that will allow cars to drive themselves. We've all seen the photos of Prius and Lexus vehicles that drive themselves but everyone understands the software-hardware interface on those cars is a retrofit -- a car designed to be driven becomes a rudimentary self-driven vehicle.

But now that the navigation and terrain-sensing software is at an advanced stage, Google engineers have started asking themselves what kind of car they should wrap around it.

A preliminary answer emerged last week as the first photos and drawings of a prototype Google car were made public. To be blunt, it looks sort of like a Little Tykes car -- a seat, four wheels and not much else. No steering wheel, no accelerator or brake pedal. Just a screen where you enter your destination. Oh, and a couple of seat belts.

"The vehicles will be very basic — we want to learn from them and adapt them as quickly as possible — but they will take you where you want to go at the push of a button. And that's an important step toward improving road safety and transforming mobility for millions of people, said Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving Car project. 

No one we know of has suggested a name yet, but it's obvious it should be called the Google Chromecar. 

Not Detroit Iron

The Chromecar landed with something of a thud in Detroit. Automakers have sort of been assuming -- or perhaps hoping would be a better word -- that Google would be offering a package that could be integrated into existing Hupmobiles but it looks like Big G is out to supply the entire package.

It's taking an Apple approach -- hardware, software, interface all in one integrated package. 

The Google engineers have also done a lot of thinking about how these odd-looking little cars will be used. Will you buy one and keep it in your garage or will you just summon one when you need to go somewhere, sort of like Uber without the driver?

Google, after all, invested some $250 million in Uber last year so it has more than a passing interest in its fate.

But think for a second of the potential advantages of a vast fleet of Google Chromecars that you could summon as needed. It would mean you wouldn't have to shell out $30,000 or so for a car that mostly sits around doing nothing much except depreciating.

It would also mean that cities wouldn't have to devote so much real estate to parking -- a waste of space if there ever was one.

Sits idle 

"If you look at a vehicle purchase today, it's the second largest purchase most people in America make, and it's a resource that basically sits idle for 95 percent of the time," Urmson told reporters at a briefing last week, Automotive News reported. 

The Chromecar concept isn't all that new. It's generally referred to as the "autonomous taxi" model and it is something urban planners and municipal transportation directors dream about. It would answer an awful lot of problems.

Of course, it would also cause a lot of anguish in Detroit and other auto manufacturing centers, not to mention how they're feeling about it over at the local Ford dealership. 

Perhaps one consolation for existing car cultists is that the Chromecar is very much a city car. At least for now, the prototypes will have a top speed of 25 miles per hour, so you won't see them on the Jersey Turnpike or the 405.

You will be seeing them though -- about 100 of them -- on California's streets next year as Google's engineers continue to refine the concept.

Want to take it for a spin? Go ahead, be our guest.

The Worldwide Developers Conference is for Apple kind of what the Super Bowl is to football, except it lasts a whole week, there's only one team, and hardly any beer commercials to speak of. So on second thought it's not like the Super Bowl at all, but it is a very big deal.

For Apple fans rather than developers, the high note so far has been the preliminary unveiling of the new iOS8 operating system, which is currently available only to developers but should be released to users this fall. However, the real suspense is whether Apple plans to unveil any new hardware, rather than software, at the conference.

Current rumor says that the answer is no, though until the conference ends on June 6 nobody (outside a few high-ranking Apple executives) can say for certain.

Apple streamed the conference live for those with Safari; for everyone else, a wide variety of media outlets have live or semi-live bloggers covering the event.

Since this is a consumer website rather than an etiquette-advice column, we frequently remind everyone that when dealing with businesses in the modern interconnected era, you must always take the otherwise-rude attitude “Don't call me; I'll call you.”

For example: if you have, or think you might have, a problem with [pick one or more]: your bank, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon, eBay, PayPal, electric company or any other account, you should definitely contact your bank or whoever, to see about fixing that problem.

But if everything seems fine and then suddenly, out of the blue, you get a text, phone call, email or any other message saying “Hi, this is your bank or Netflix or whoever, telling you there's a huge problem with your account so you need to give us some verification information right away” — don't believe it. Chances are that unsolicited message is actually from a scam artist posing as a legitimate business entity in hope of tricking you into handing over confidential information.

That said: if you're the worrywart type who simply can't ignore such a message, just in case there really is a problem, feel free to contact the company in question; just don't use the contact information you received in that unsolicited message. Go online (or even look in an old-fashioned phone book, if you want to contact the local electric company) and seek out the contact information yourself.

Worse than usual

All such scams are awful, especially from the victims' perspective, but the most recent one is even worse than usual: not just a phishing scam, but one targeting those already victimized by a previous scam! So far it's mainly been affecting people in Australia and New Zealand – but it has recently made it to America, and it's spreading.

The initial scam involves iPhone or iPad users being “locked out” of their devices after a scammer figured out how to hack the otherwise-useful “Find My iPhone” feature: try using your device and you are only able to access your email, where you find a note ordering you to put $100 into the scammer's PayPal account if you want the device unlocked.

That particular ransom email is “legitimate” – so much as any criminal ransom note can be “legitimate” – in that it actually is from the hacker himself.

A mere two days later, on May 29, security bloggers at Symantec warned of scammy phishing emails, allegedly from Apple, purporting to protect iFolks from being ransomed out of their iStuff.

The emails claim that the victims' iCloud infrastructure had been breached, so you have to change your password right now.

Of course, if you are foolish enough to fall for it, what actually happens is that you give your password to a scammer, who can then use it to break into your iThing and then do pretty much whatever he wants—anything from lock you out of it, to stealing or corrupting any files within.

Some of the subject headings in those sleazy emails included:

Please update your Apple account now

Apple – Your Account Is Not Confirmed

Please Verify Account Information For Your Apple ID

please verify the email address associated with your Apple ID

Incidentally, such language is hardly unique to this Apple-flavored phishing attempt; phishers pretending to be from Netflix, your bank or any other company often use the same phrasing. The whole idea, from the scammers' perspective, is to sound scary and ominous enough to override your usual sense of anti-scam skepticism.

If you're an iPhone or iPad user worried about your devices, feel free to contact Apple if you think it necessary. But if messages allegedly from Apple start cluttering your inbox, remember: “Don't call me; I'll call you.”

With diabetes cases growing rapidly in the last decade, more people are sensitive to possible symptoms.

But if you're approaching 50 it's very easy to confuse real symptoms of diabetes with normal signs of aging. For example, your vision and hearing may be degrading. Cuts and bruises take longer to heal.

It could be a sign of diabetes. Then again, it could just be a sign you're getting older. It's important to be able to tell the difference.

Risk increases with age

As you get older you have an greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you are overweight – even just as little as 10 pounds overweight – your diabetes risk rises.

Genes play a role too, not just in developing diabetes but also high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels and low HDL cholesterol. If you are African American, Latino, American Indian or Asian you also may be at higher risk.

Complicating things further is the fact that type 2 diabetes symptoms tend to be more subtle. Often you have the disease and don't know it. In fact, an estimated 7 million people with the disease are unaware of it.

Type 2 diabetes affects the way your body metabolizes sugar – or glucose -- your body's main source of fuel. A healthy body turns glucose into energy but if you have type 2 diabetes the glucose continues to build, leading to high blood sugar, causing a variety of symptoms.

When to ask a doctor

Here are some signs that you may have diabetes and should consult a doctor:

• Communication problems: you have a hard time understanding people when they talk. Your eyesight seems to be failing, causing you to squint. Hearing loss may just be a matter of age but is twice as common in people with diabetes as in those who don’t have the disease, according to research.
• Feeling tired and grouchy: this could be because you're getting older and having a more difficult time doing the things you once did. But if you have type 2 diabetes your body isn’t effectively converting glucose in your blood to energy. As a result you usually feel exhausted and, when you’re tired, you tend to be irritable.
• Odd symptoms: have you recently developed dry, itchy skin? Or maybe you've noticed darkening and velvety patches of skin around your neck or other parts of the body. Does it take cuts and bruises a long time to heal? Have you felt tingling and numbness in your hands and feet? Many of these symptoms occur because the blood vessels and nerves are damaged by the excessive amounts of glucose.

Gotta go

Other diabetes symptoms include feeling hungry all the time or needing frequent bathroom breaks.

If you have diabetes you have an excess of glucose and your body tries to get rid of the glucose that’s building in your blood by causing you to urinate frequently. When you do you lose a lot of fluid, making you dehydrated and thirsty.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) type 2 diabetes usually occurs slowly over time. In most cases people with the disease are overweight when they are diagnosed. Increased fat makes it harder for your body to use insulin the correct way.

If you are unsure your symptoms are diabetes or age related, by all means ask your doctor. Fortunately, type 2 diabetes is treatable, often without medication – just lifestyle changes.

There are certain milestone stories almost every American adult has. Nicer ones include “the day you got your first driver's license” or “went on your first date”; less-happy ones include “first speeding ticket” and, especially in the Internet era, “first time you tried renting a place to live and came across a rental scammer.”

My first time with a rental scammer was a couple years ago, when I wrote an email expressing interest in a likely-looking ad, and soon received a badly misspelled missive mentioning in the very first paragraph that the “landlord” is a Christian missionary currently stationed in China, so I'd have to wire the rent money there.

The way such scammers usually operate is simple: go online to a genuine real estate website offering places for sale or rent; copy the photos, addresses and other information from various listings; then use this to put up a convincing-looking listing of your own, usually on Craigslist or some other local-based classifieds board.

I never bothered writing the “missionary” back, and never heard from him again. Which was lucky, because in Colorado Springs this week, news site KKTV warned that a strain of more aggressive rental scammer is harassing area residents who don't respond to the initial come-on emails:

Monique Vollmer, the [legitimate] listing agent, heard from one woman who didn't fall for it.

Monique tells us, "This scammer was harassing her. This scammer continued to call her and email her, was sending her bogus leases, was trying to encourage her to sign up with him and to put a deposit on the house."

How can you protect yourself from scams like these? Avoiding step one – sending that initial email in response to what looks like a genuine real-estate listing – might not be possible at all. Sure, you know to watch out for obvious signs like a too-good-to-be-true rental offer — but that scammy “Chinese missionary” ad I responded to asked for a typical market-rate rent.

But what about step two? What signs of a scam can you look for? The most obvious is: don't agree to rent anyplace if you haven't met the landlord or landlady face-to-face — not even if they offer excuses like “I can't come to meet you; I'm in China!” (Legitimate property-owning landlords might well choose to go out-of-country for long periods of time — but they hire rental agents to manage their properties back home.) Even if you do meet the landlord or rental agent face-to-face, don't trust them if they don't have the keys to the actual house.

Never agree to send payment in cash, via wire transfer, or any other untraceable method. (This anti-scam rule applies to all matters, not just real estate transactions.)

And do a little due diligence of your own — after rolling my eyes at the Chinese missionary I did a little online research about the house mentioned in the ad, and discovered I couldn't have rented it anyway, because not only was it for sale rather than rent, it was in a 55-and-older assisted-living community.

Sunlamp products -- including things like tanning beds and tanning booths -- will soon be carrying warning labels

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a final order reclassifying sunlamp products and ultraviolet (UV) lamps intended for use in sunlamp products from low-risk (class I) to moderate-risk (class II) devices.

That order means these products carry a visible black-box warning on the device that explicitly states that the sunlamp product should not be used on people the age of 18. In addition, certain marketing materials for sunlamp products and UV lamps must include additional and specific warning statements and contraindications.

Cancer possibilities

Sunlamp products, which include tanning beds and tanning booths, emit UV radiation that may cause skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology warns that people who have been exposed to UV radiation from indoor tanning have a 59% increase in the risk of melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. And that risk goes up each time they use a sunlamp product.

“The FDA has taken an important step today to address the risk to public health from sunlamp products,” said Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Repeated UV exposure from sunlamp products poses a risk of skin cancer for all users—but the highest risk for skin cancer is in young persons under the age of 18 and people with a family history of skin cancer.”

New requirements

As part of the new final rule, manufacturers will have to submit a premarket notification (also called a “510(k)”) to the FDA -- and obtain FDA clearance -- prior to marketing these devices, which until now were exempt from premarket review.

Manufacturers also will have to show that their products meet certain performance testing requirements and address certain product design characteristics, and include certain warnings and contraindications on sunlamp products and in certain marketing materials for sunlamp products and UV lamps that present consumers with clear information on the risks of use.

In addition to a warning placed on the sunlamp product advising that the product not be used on children under 18, certain marketing materials promoting sunlamp products and UV lamps must carry additional warnings and contraindications, including “Persons repeatedly exposed to UV radiation should be regularly evaluated for skin cancer.”

The final order for the reclassification of sunlamp products and UV lamps follows the recommendations from a panel meeting of outside experts convened in March 2010.

The panel evaluated the risks of sunlamp products, and recommended that FDA increase regulation of these devices. Some panel members recommended that children and teenagers not use the products.

A new study suggests that suicides are far more likely to occur between midnight and 4 a.m. than during the daytime or evening. The study by University of Pennsylvania researchers found that suicides peaked between 2 a.m. and 2:59 a.m.

“This appears to be the first data to suggest that circadian factors may contribute to suicidality and help explain why insomnia is also a risk factor for suicidal ideation and behavior,” said principal investigator Michael Perlis, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Penn Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

“These results suggest that not only are nightmares and insomnia significant risk factors for suicidal ideation and behavior, but just being awake at night may in and of itself be a risk factor for suicide,” he said.

According to Perlis, an important implication of the study is that the treatment of insomnia may be one way to reduce suicide risk. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that about 10% of adults have a chronic insomnia disorder lasting at least three months.

Accounting for more than 38,000 deaths each year, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In comparison, about 16,000 deaths occur each year due to homicide.

3.6 times higher

Results show that the weighted, scaled mean suicide rate per hour was 10.27% after midnight, peaking at 16.27% between 2 a.m. and 2:59 a.m. In contrast, the mean suicide rate per hour was 2.13% between 6 a.m. and 11:59 p.m.

When six-hour time blocks were examined, the observed frequency of suicide between midnight and 5:59 a.m. was 3.6 times higher than expected. The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep.

According to the authors, previous research suggesting that more suicides occur during the day failed to account for the proportion of the population that is awake at each given hour. The current study involved archival analyses of both the National Violent Death Reporting System, which provided data for the estimated time of fatal injury, and the American Time Use Survey, which provided an hourly proportion of the American population that is awake.

There is significant progress in the war on cancer in the U.S.

The good news is that a new report from the American Cancer Society estimates there are 14.5 million cancer survivors in the United States.

The better news is that the number will grow to almost 19 million by 2024.

The second edition of Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures, 2014-2015 and an accompanying journal article published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians find that even though cancer incidence rates have been decreasing for ten years, the number of cancer survivors is growing.

This is the result of increases in cancer diagnoses driven by the aging and growth of the population, as well as the fact that people are living longer with cancer because of earlier cancer detection and more effective treatments.

Common cancers

The three most common cancers among males living with a history of cancer in 2014 are prostate (43%), colorectal (9%), and melanoma (8%). Among women in 2014, the three most common cancers are breast (41%), uterine (8%), and colorectal (8%).

While lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women, a low survival rate makes it the number 8 cancer site represented among survivors. The distribution of prevalent cancers is expected to be largely unchanged in 2024.

"The growing number of cancer survivors in the U.S. makes it increasingly important to understand the unique medical and psychosocial needs of survivors," said Carol DeSantis, MPH, American Cancer Society epidemiologist and lead author of the reports. "Despite the fact that awareness of survivorship issues has increased, cancer survivors face numerous, important hurdles created by a fractured health care system, poor integration of survivorship care, and financial and other barriers to quality care, particularly among the medically underserved. An important first step in addressing these challenges is to identify 'best practices' for the delivery of quality post-treatment cancer care."

Other findings

The report also found:

• The majority of cancer survivors (64%) were diagnosed 5 or more years previously, and 15% were diagnosed 20 or more years ago.
• Nearly one-half of cancer survivors (46%) are aged 70 years or older, while one in 20 (5%) is under age 40.
• The age distribution of cancer survivors varies substantially by cancer type. For example, the majority of prostate cancer survivors (62%) are aged 70 and older, whereas less than one-third (32%) of melanoma survivors are in this age group.
• By January 1, 2024, it is estimated that the population of cancer survivors will increase to nearly 19 million people (9.3 million males and 9.6 million females).

In addition to prevalence estimates, the reports include data on cancer treatment patterns, survival, and information on common short- and long-term effects of cancer and its treatment for eleven selected cancers.

Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Facts & Figures also contains sections on the effects of cancer and its treatment, impairment-driven cancer rehabilitation, palliative care, long term survivorship, the benefits of healthy behaviors, and resources for cancer survivors from the American Cancer Society and other organizations.

New research finds that half of pregnant women who have high blood pressure and who snore may have undiagnosed sleep apnea, a condition that can reduce blood oxygen levels and cause serious health effects for both mother and child.

One in four hypertensive pregnant women who don't snore are also at risk, according to the University of Michigan-led study, published in theBritish Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"We know that habitual snoring is linked with poor pregnancy outcomes for both mother and child, including increased risk of C-sections and smaller babies," says lead author Louise O'Brien, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the U-M Medical School.

"Our findings show that a substantial proportion of hypertensive pregnant women have obstructive sleep apnea and that habitual snoring may be one of the most telling signs to identify this risk early in order to improve health outcomes," O'Brien said.

Habitual snoring – snoring three or more nights a week – is the hallmark symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, which has been shown to increase in frequency during pregnancy. and affects up to one-third of women by the third trimester.

Previous studies

O'Brien's previous studies have found that snoring during pregnancy may influence delivery and baby's health, with a higher risk for C-sections and delivering smaller babies. Women who begin snoring during pregnancy are also at a strong risk for high blood pressure and preeclampsia, O'Brien's research has shown.

"Hypertensive pregnant women who report snoring should be evaluated for obstructive sleep apnea since sleep apnea can be treated during pregnancy," says O'Brien, who is also a member of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.

"Prompt recognition, evaluation, and management will not only improve health benefits for both moms and babies but may also help cut the high healthcare expenses of operative deliveries, taking care of babies who are admitted to the NICU and other associated health risks."

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 231 model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured April 23, 2014, through April 29, 2014.

The seat may not fully lock into the inboard seat track in the forward first, second and third adjusting positions, which could increase the risk of the seat coming out of the track and injuring the occupant in the event of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the second row right hand seat, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in June 2014.

Boulder Natural Meats of Denver, Colo., is recalling approximately 363 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts due to misbranding.

The product was formulated with wheat, which is declared on the product label, so all allergens are properly identified. However, the front label states the product is gluten-free. Products with a gluten-free claim may not contain wheat.

There are no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the product.

The following product is subject to recall:

• 1 to 1.5-lbs. vacuum sealed packages of “Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts brushed with Teriyaki Seasoning”

The product was produced May 13 and 14, 2014, and has a freeze by date of 05.24.14 or 05.25.14. It bears the establishment number “P18852” inside the USDA mark of inspection, and was sold to retail establishments in Colorado.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Heather Crane at (303) 301-5293.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 370,000 model year 2004-2011 Sienna vehicles originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

The recalled vehicles have a spare tire carrier assembly mounted under the vehicle whose attachment cable may corrode due to high concentrations of road salt splashing onto the spare tire carrier. That could cause the spare tire to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will send owners an interim notification to advise owners of the recall and dealers will remove the spare tire and relocate it to the luggage compartment, free of charge.

Owners will be mailed a second letter when remedy parts are available and dealers will replace the spare tire carrier assembly with an improved one, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

The 2004-2010 model year Siennas subject to this recall were recalled in 2010. Those owners are advised that they must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign and that having the earlier recall completed did not remedy their vehicles.

Additionally, model year 1998-2003 Siennas were recalled as part of that same 20110. Owners of those vehicles that have not had not the remedy performed on their vehicles, should contact their Toyota dealer to schedule a free repair.