Guidelines

In the state's first decision involving juries and social media, the Massachusetts Appeals Court has called on judges to better police jurors' use of the Internet to make sure they do not discuss cases online, and thus risk a mistrial. The court said judges need to do more to explain to jurors that refraining from conversations about a case also means not posting anything about it on Facebook or Twitter, common practice in today's technology-driven world. "Jurors must separate and insulate their jury service from their digital lives," the court said in a ruling involving a Plymouth Superior Court...

CHICAGO - New lung cancer screening guidelines from three medical groups recommend annual scans but only for an older group of current or former heavy smokers. The advice applies only to those aged 55 to 74. The risks of screening younger or older smokers or nonsmokers outweigh any benefits, according to the guidelines. About 8 million Americans would be eligible for screening under the new criteria, and if all of them got scans, about 4,000 lung cancer deaths per year might be prevented, said Dr. Peter Bach of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Days after state environmental officials found unacceptable noise levels from wind turbines in Falmouth, they are considering new regulations that would require the state to review potential noise issues before wind turbines are built in Massachusetts. The state might also conduct sound studies in other communities, such as Fairhaven and Kingston, where residents, as in Falmouth, have complained about newly installed turbines, officials said. A panel of independent scientists and doctors, convened by the state to look at the effects of wind turbines on the health of nearby residents, urged the...

The war on smoking can help guide the nation's fight against obesity. Trash food can be the cigarette. Obesity can be lung cancer. This week, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Weight of the Nation conference in Washington, researchers projected that 42 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030. That is more than triple the rates a half-century ago. The health care costs of obesity have, by most accounts, surpassed the medical costs of smoking. "Obesity is analogous to tobacco," Justin Trogdon, a research economist at RTI International in North Carolina and co-author of the...

WASHINGTON -- Who should get the first flu vaccine during a worldwide outbreak -- the 60-year-old grandmother with a weak heart and lungs or the healthy 4-year-old with decades ahead of her? Government guidelines put the ill grandmother at the head of that line. Younger, healthier people should be moved ahead, argue bioethicists at the National Institutes of Health, raising new issues to consider as federal officials review the nation's pandemic guidelines. "Death seems more tragic when a child or young adult dies than an elderly person -- not because the lives of older people are...

WASHINGTON - Adding to the devastation of her daughter Clare being stillborn is the fact that Erin Fogarty Owen doesn't know why: What went wrong in a pregnancy that seemed textbook? And that unknown means Owen is facing her new pregnancy with as much fear as joy, repeating what she calls sanity sonograms for reassurance that this baby's still fine. More than 25,000 US babies a year are stillborn, and in more than a third of the cases doctors can't find an explanation. New guidelines for obstetricians aim to help change that with a too often taboo...

MILWAUKEE -- Nearly all American women are in danger of heart disease or stroke and should be more aggressive about lowering their risk -- including asking their doctors about daily aspirin use, the American Heart Association said yesterday in new guidelines. It is the first time guidelines have urged all women to consider aspirin for preventing strokes, although specialists warn that it can cause ulcers and dangerous bleeding. They said aspirin is probably not a good idea for young women with no big health problems.

Good news for budget-minded travelers: There's no proof that flying economy-class increases your chances of dangerous blood clots, according to new guidelines from medical specialists. Travelers' blood clots have been nicknamed "economy class syndrome" but the new advice suggests this is a misnomer. The real risk is not getting up and moving during long flights, whether flying coach or first-class. Sitting by the window seems to play a role, because it makes people less likely to leave their seats, the guidelines say. Still, even on...

ALBUQUERQUE -- The Air Force submitted new guidelines on religion as part of its fight against a lawsuit by an Air Force Academy graduate who alleges the school's officers and cadets illegally impose Christianity on others. The Justice Department has asked a US District judge to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the Air Force has no official policy of proselytizing. But attorney Sam Bregman, who sued the Air Force on behalf of Mikey Weinstein of Albuquerque, said yesterday that dismissing the lawsuit would be "ridiculous in light of what the new...

Press pass? Got it. Laptop? Yep. Muscle shirts, short skirts and flip-flops? Stop right there. For reporters covering Major League Baseball next season, beachwear and club outfits are no longer in fashion. Baseball became the first major pro league in North America to issue dress guidelines for media members, putting them in writing this week at the winter meetings. The no-wear list also includes visible undergarments, tank tops or anything with a team logo. "This is not in response to any single incident," MLB spokesman Pat Courtney...

The town is now updating its section of the regional, five-year, Merrimack Valley Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan, which is valid from 2008 to 2013, details a series of mitigation actions for 13 local communities to reduce risks to public safety and property from floods, storms, wildfire, and other natural hazards. It was prepared by the individual communities with the help of the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission. By updating it every five years in accordance with guidelines from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Newbury is eligible to receive various hazard mitigation grants through the...

The deadline for students to apply for the Bellingham Business Association's annual scholarship is this Tuesday. The scholarship, which includes two $1,500 prizes, is open to all Bellingham residents who are graduating from high school this year and are planning to major in a business-related field or are interested in starting a business of their own . For a complete list of scholarship guidelines, visit the association's website at www.bellinghambusinessassociation.org....

Last week, we heard news that 81-year-old billionaire Warren Buffett was diagnosed with prostate cancer after having the finding initially detected through a screening blood test to measure a cancer marker called prostate specific antigen. That was despite guidelines from a national task force that have been in place since 2008 recommending against the use of PSA screening in men over age 75 due to its lack of benefit. As it turns out, Buffett stands in good company. Nearly 44 percent of men his age got screened with a PSA test in 2010, a rate that has remained...

Mansfield Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization established to enhance local educational opportunities, has invited grant applications from Mansfield educators with plans for imaginative and innovative learning opportunities. The program funds a broad range of projects that advance, rather than duplicate, the standard school curriculum. Each application is reviewed by a standing grant committee and must meet strict criteria guidelines. Applications are available on the Education Foundation's website at www.MansfieldEducationFoundation.org.

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department is close to approving guidelines that would allow the intelligence community to lengthen the period of time it retains information about US residents, even if they have no known connection to terrorism. Senior US officials familiar with the guidelines said the changes would allow the National Counterterrorism Center, the intelligence community's clearinghouse for counterterrorism data, to keep such information for up to five years. Currently, the center must promptly destroy any information about US citizens or residents unless a connection to...

Last month, after reporting on a study showing that antibiotics don't work for most sinus infections, I received several comments from concerned readers who didn't believe the study findings and swore that these drugs have quickly relieved their miserable congestion and sinus pain whenever they have had sinus infections. But the flip side of this is that doctors are over-treating sinus infections -- which are usually caused by viruses -- with antibiotics, and that's leading to an increase in antibiotic-resistant...

New guidelines for identifying and treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder could lead pediatricians to diagnose the condition in kids as young as 4 and to continue treating teens through high school on stimulant drugs like Ritalin and Adderall. The recommendations, released last week at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting in Boston, state that primary care physicians should do a diagnostic workup and initiate treatment for ADHD for any child age 4 through 18 who has academic or behavioral problems and has trouble with inattention, hyperactivity, or...

The war on smoking can help guide the nation's fight against obesity. Trash food can be the cigarette. Obesity can be lung cancer. This week, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Weight of the Nation conference in Washington, researchers projected that 42 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030. That is more than triple the rates a half-century ago. The health care costs of obesity have, by most accounts, surpassed the medical costs of smoking. "Obesity is analogous to tobacco," Justin Trogdon, a research economist at RTI International in North Carolina...

The US Department of Transportation has issued a fact sheet offering several options for passengers seeking refunds from Direct Air, which has suspended operations for two months. The department is advising passengers to contact a new toll-free phone number set up by the airline and request a refund, with proof of travel purchase, from the airline, as well as from its escrow bank and surety bond company. Refunds can also be obtained from the consumer's credit card company under the Fair Credit Billing Act; there are federal protections for debit card purchases, but some may provide them.

Leading medical groups recommended new guidelines for cervical cancer screening Wednesday, advising against annual Pap smears in favor of screening every three to five years for most women ages 21 to 65. The recommendations issued by the US Preventive Services Task Force, a government advisory group, and by the American Cancer Society in conjunction with two other medical societies are nearly identical: Pap smears should begin at age 21, and...