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Investigators in Israel report that mobile phones can spread dangerous infections in hospitals. In a 2002 study at Soroka University Medical Centre in Beer- Sheva, 124 hospital workers  were randomly tested for the germ Acinetobacter baumannii, a common (and deadly) source of in- hospital infections.

The bug, which can develop resistance to most available antibiotics and survive an dry surfaces for a long period of time, was found on 24 percent of the hands of those tested and on 12 percent of their cell phones.  Following the study , the medical centre banned its doctors and nurses from using mobile phones while on duty. They also advised the public to wipe down their phones with antiseptic on a regular basis.

A study released in the United States Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims that tasty high fat “comfort foods” have a calming effect on the brains of chronically stressed rats. The researchers speculate that people may also be tempted to snack on chocolate cake and French fries in an effort to self- medicate.
Both rats and humans have similar stress- response systems, designed to create a state of hypervigilance and muster the quick energy needed for defensive actions. While this system normally shuts down when the threat is gone, constant high stress can override the shut- off system. In rats, symptoms of chronic stress include frantic wheel- running, compulsive eating, and a preference for high- fat foods.