Health:
Pfizer moving new biotech research unit to S.F. -- San Francisco's drive to become a major hub of the biotechnology industry got a big boost Tuesday when Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drugmaker, said it will move the headquarters of its new biotech research unit to Mission Bay, next door to UCSF's new campus. The department's move from South San Francisco is a "significant win," said Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has campaigned for years to attract biomedical companies to the city, where the biotech industry's scientific foundation was built more than 30 years ago with early gene-splicing experiments at UCSF. SF Chronicle 8/6/08
*Battle against West Nile -- The local battle against the West Nile virus and the mosquitoes that carry and transmit it involves a plane equipped with a high-resolution digital camera and a GPS system. It's a high-tech biowar to be sure, but on ground mosquito hunting is dirty, gnarly grunt work with unglamorous tools: a green plastic bucket squirming with tiny fish, a cup-size fish net, a small spray bottle of mineral oil. SJ Mercury 8/5/08
As West Nile counts rise, fogging, spraying increase -- The number of mosquito samples testing positive for West Nile virus is growing, as is the frequency of ground fogging and truck-mounted spraying. Many positive mosquito samples have been found recently in Citrus Heights, Antelope, North Highlands and Orangevale, said Luz Maria Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District. Sacramento Bee 8/6/08
Food and nutrition:
Kids meals bust calorie, fat, sodium targets -- After analyzing kids' items offered by 13 of the nation's 25 largest restaurant chains, the Center for Science in the Public Interest concluded that 93 percent of the meals provide too many calories. Nutrition guidelines suggest that a moderately active child age 4 to 8 should get no more than 1,290 calories a day (430 calories per meal). Every single kid's option exceeded that at five chains. "These meals are really calorie time bombs," said Dr. Harold Goldstein, head of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. Sacramento Bee 8/5/08
*California Central Valley fights obesity epidemic -- Nearly two-thirds of the people living in Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties are obese or overweight, according to the Central California program. More than a third of the region's fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders have unhealthy weights, a major increase from a decade ago. Armed with statistics, public health directors in the six counties joined with community groups to try to turn the situation around with the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program. LA Times 8/6/08
*County sued over food-labeling law -- Santa Clara County's effort to curb obesity by taking on the restaurant industry has landed local officials in a quickly expanding legal battle. The California Restaurant Association recently sued the county, trying to block June legislation that would require chain restaurants in unincorporated areas to include calorie counts on their menus. The county legislation, which does not apply to cities within the county, is slated to go into effect Sept. 1. SJ Mercury 8/6/08
Water:
Scientists look into death of harbor porpoises -- Bay Area researchers are looking into whether harbor porpoises that have washed up on local beaches in recent months might have been killed by long-term exposure to toxic algae. Twenty-three porpoises were discovered between May 19 and July 25 on Bay Area beaches, said Marine Mammal Center spokesman Jim Oswald, and the cause of seven or eight of those deaths could be domoic acid poisoning, related to a type of toxic algae. SF Chronicle 8/5/08
*Water board pushes for lower usage -- The Santa Clara Valley Water District expects to launch a year-round water conservation campaign this month to heighten residents' awareness of the region's water supply. Along with an advertising push set to begin next week, district board members say they want to connect better with neighborhood associations and homeowners' groups to advocate for less water use around the house and in landscaping. SJ Mercury 8/6/08
Golf courses try to play through drought -- Amid the current drought, golf courses in the East Bay are some of the hardest-hit water customers. While the local water district has ordered single-family home dwellers to cut water use by 19 percent, so-called irrigators such as golf courses must achieve a 30 percent savings. The state's 900 golf courses cover about 130,000 acres, employ about 160,000 workers and pump nearly $7 billion into the economy. They are trying to make better use of surface water - and drilling for underground supplies. SF Chronicle 8/6/08
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