Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Cancer Institute Director Warns Faculty and Staff About Cell Phone Use

Staff at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute have been advised to limit their cell phone use due to the possible risk of cancer. The unprecedented warning was issued Wednesday by institute director Dr. Ronald Herberman.

His caution is based on early unpublished data. But Herberman said people should take action now to protect themselves because it can take too long for science to provide clear answers, the Associated Press reported. No other major academic cancer research institution has issued this kind of warning about cell phone use.

"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," Herberman said.

In a memo sent to about 3,000 faculty and staff, Herberman said adults should keep cell phones away from the head and use the speakerphone or a wireless headset. He also advised against the use of cell phones in public places because other people can be exposed to the phone's electromagnetic fields, the AP reported.

Because children's brains are still developing, they should use cell phones only for emergencies, Herberman said.

He cited unpublished data from a current 13-nation project called Interphone. Published results from the project, which involves countries mostly in Europe, focus on some 5,000 brain tumors. The U.S. National Research Council, which isn't part of Interphone, has criticized the project because it appeared to rely on people who already had brain tumors, asking them about their cell phone use.

A huge study on the subject, published in in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2006, followed 420,000 Danish cell phone users. It found no increased risk of cancer among participants, the AP reported.

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More Older Children Being Diagnosed with ADHD

The percentage of American children ages 12 to 17 diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been rising by about 4 percent each year, while the rate for children under age 12 has been holding steady, a new federal government report finds.

The study looked at the years 1997 through 2006 and found that the percentage of children ages 6 to 11 diagnosed with ADHD remained at about 7 percent during those years, but rose from just under 7 percent to nearly 10 percent for children ages 12 to 17, the Associated Press reported.

The researchers didn't investigate the reasons for the difference. Some experts believe it may be because doctors are increasingly considering the possibility of ADHD in older children with concentration problems, a trend that may be linked to increased marketing of ADHD medications to teens and adults.

"There are people out there being treated for ADHD that probably don't meet the diagnostic criteria," Scott Kollins, director of Duke University Medical Center's ADHD Program, told the AP.

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World's Largest Online Medical Encyclopedia Announced

The world's largest online medical encyclopedia is being created by the U.S. government and a number of medical schools, hospitals and health organizations. Medpedia will be free and available to the public when it launches later this year.

The resource will include easy-to-understand information about 30,000 diseases, thousands of medical procedures, and more than 10,000 prescription drugs, the Contra Costa Times reported.

Qualified doctors, biomedical researchers and clinicians are being urged to apply to become content editors for Medpedia.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, Harvard Medical School, and Stanford School of Medicine are among the participating organizations, the Times reported.

A sneak preview of Medpedia is available at www.medpedia.com.

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Fresh Water, Medical Care Concern Hurricane Victims

About 34 percent of people affected by Hurricane Katrina say they'd be very prepared if a major hurricane struck their community in the next six months, according to a Harvard School of Public Health survey conducted May 27 to June 23.

The survey included 5,055 people in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas in high-risk counties located within 20 miles of the coast.

Among respondents who were threatened or hit by Katrina, major worries in the event of a future hurricane are that they wouldn't have enough fresh drinking water (42 percent) and that they wouldn't be able to get needed medical care (41 percent).

The top concern among respondents who weren't affected by Katrina was that they would have problems getting gasoline for their cars (39 percent). That concern was expressed by 36 percent of respondents affected by Katrina.

Respondents who weren't affected by Katrina were much less likely than those who were affected by the hurricane to be worried about fresh water and getting needed medical care.

"The top concerns of people in high-risk hurricane areas -- having enough fresh water, getting medical care, and obtaining gas to evacuate -- are all things that public officials can plan for before the major storms of this season hit," Robert J. Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis, said in a Harvard School of Public Health news release.

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Gates, Bloomberg Donate Millions to Help Smokers Quit

Billionaire philanthropists Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg want smokers across the globe to quit.

So the Microsoft founder and New York City mayor are donating $375 million to worldwide anti-smoking campaigns that focus on developing nations with the highest smoking rates, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Bloomberg is contributing $250 million, and Gates $125 million to the smoking cessation efforts, most specifically in China, India, Indonesia, Russia and Bangladesh, the wire service said.

Bloomberg, who quit the habit some three decades ago, waged a successful campaign to ban smoking in most New York City bars and restaurants.

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Dirt Devil Vacuum Attachments Recalled

About 987,000 power brush attachments for Dirt Devil vacuums are being recalled because plastic pieces inside the tools can break apart, posing a risk of cuts to users, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says.

The manufacturer, TTI Floor Care North America, has received 140 incident reports about the tools, which were made in China. Among them are 12 reports of injury, including wounds to the eye, skin, and thumb, the CPSC said.

Retailers nationwide sold affected vacuums from April 2007 through April 2008 for between $60 and $170. Only tool accessories with date codes J7060 through J7365 with a C-clip connector are included in this recall. The date code is found on the underside of the tool.

The following Dirt Devil models are affected:

Reaction Purpose for Pets Ultra Swivel Glide      M110000M140000M086020 M110000HD                 M140000CA  M110001B   M110002Envision Wide Glide      Swerve M110003M086700WCAM086030 M110006M086710M086030CA M110008   M110008CAAction Upright Royal Commercial M110009M110020CABRY6100

Consumers should stop using the tools immediately and call the manufacturer for information about obtaining a free repair kit. Contact TTI Floor Care at 800-245-2296.