Riding mass transit systems instead of driving cars is being pushed by several groups across the U.S. The snowballing move is seen as a solution to the rising cost of fuel, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and improving the health of Americans as obesity stakes a bigger claim on the nation.

Jason Jordan, director of the Center for Transportation Excellence, said, "All the new research over the last five years indicates pretty clearly the health benefits of public transportation." The main benefit is the opportunity to walk more - from home to bus or train stop, within the station and from bus or train stops to their place of work

Children with autism have improved their skill in safely crossing the street after practicing the challenging task using a computer-based virtual reality street environment, according to a study of the University of Haifa in Israel.

A research team from the university's Department of Occupational Therapy and the Haifa Ofer School for Children with Autism found that a computer simulator is more effective in teaching street-crossing than the traditional classroom teaching or practicing it in the natural setting, which is dangerous

The Ministry of Health of Singapore announced that eight foreign workers were infected with Chikungunya virus, a dengue-like disease over the week since the case was first traced on Monday.

The latest cases involved two people who were apparently sent to isolation ward at the Communicable Disease Center on Friday

Immunizations are not required to visit China, but it is best to take several vaccinations before attending the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing from Aug. 8 to Aug. 24.

"Taking a few minutes to make sure you have the proper vaccinations will give a better chance of avoiding any dangerous medical problems when you're far from home," said Debra Amos, a travel nurse with The Methodist Hospital Wellness Services in Houston

Researchers from the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) in Ann Arbor have found that programs on pedometer-based walking leads to weight loss, even with the participants not changing their eating habits.

The findings were based on the analysis of nine studies on walking programs involving the use of the wearable instrument that records the number of steps taken by a walker or runner and shows the approximate distance traveled