Chicago

Study finds extract can help ease hangover

Good news for anyone who has ever had that queasy feeling the morning after tying one on: A study has found that an extract of prickly pear cactus can prevent a severe hangover.

Prickly pear cactus extract is available at some health-supplement stores. It has been used in sunburn ointments and as a diet supplement, supposedly to reduce blood sugar levels.

The study found that when taken hours before drinking, the extract can alleviate symptoms such as dry mouth and that nauseated, can’t-stand-the-sight-of-food feeling.

It does not appear to ease other symptoms, such as headaches and dizziness.

The study appeared in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine and was led by Dr. Jeff Wiese at the Tulane Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

Florida

Attempt rescheduled for risky spacewalk

The two astronauts on the international space station will venture back outside on a risky spacewalk Wednesday to replace a fried circuit breaker, after an attempt last week had to be aborted because of spacesuit trouble.

Last Thursday, Mission Control ordered American Michael Fincke and Russian Gennady Padalka back inside after a scant 14 minutes.

On Monday, engineers concluded that a finicky switch on Fincke’s suit had caused oxygen to flow at too high a rate from his tank into his spacesuit.

Tennessee

1st Amendment support rebounds, survey shows

Americans’ support for First Amendment freedoms has returned to levels not seen since before the 9-11 terrorist attacks, an annual survey on the subject shows.

The survey released Monday found that 65 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement “the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.” Thirty percent agreed with the statement.

Two years ago the response to the question in the survey was evenly split at 49 percent to 49 percent. The First Amendment protects freedom of religion, speech and the press and Americans’ right to assemble and petition the government.

The survey was conducted by the Nashville-based center in collaboration with American Journalism Review magazine.

Washington, D.C.

More women choosing to have C-sections

It’s still very rare — and intensely controversial — but more expectant mothers seem to be choosing C-sections even when there’s no clear medical need.

So says a new study that, by counting insurance claims data, estimates some 80,000 women had preplanned, elective C-sections in 2002, up from an estimate of just under 63,000 the year before.

That’s a tiny fraction of the nation’s 4 million births. But the numbers are stirring a major debate among obstetricians who for years have been urged, by the government and consumer groups, to lower the overall number of Caesareans they perform.