U.S. air safety board urges more battery tests for Boeing 787

Handout photo of the burnt auxiliary power unit battery, removed from an All Nippon Airways' Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner plane which made an emergency landing, being inspected at GS Yuasa Corp in KyotoBy Alwyn Scott SEATTLE (Reuters) – The U.S. agency that investigates air crashes on Thursday called for lithium-ion batteries on Boeing's 787 Dreamliners to undergo more testing to ensure they are safe. The National Transportation Safety Board urged the Federal Aviation Administration to develop better tests for the uncontrolled overheating that led to a battery fire on a Dreamliner in 2013, require the tests for future aircraft designs and check whether 787s and other planes that have the batteries need more testing. The NTSB stopped short of calling lithium-ion batteries or planes flying with them unsafe. The NTSB has not yet determined a root cause for the 787 fire in Boston in January 2013.

GE agrees to extend deadline on Alstom bid to June 23

View of a Haliade 150 offshore wind turbine at Alstom's offshore wind site in Le Carnet, on the Loire Estuary, near Saint Nazaire, western France(Reuters) – General Electric Co has agreed to extend its $16.9 billion bid for the power arm of France's Alstom until June 23 from June 2 at the request of the French government, the U.S. company said on Thursday. GE has encountered resistance from the French government, which has sought to encourage Germany's Siemens as a potential rival bidder. French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg in a separate statement welcomed GE's decision to extend the deadline, saying it was in all parties' interests to find a solution before June 23. Alstom also said it welcomed "GE's initiative to extend the period review of the offer by Alstom's board in order to allow the constructive dialogue with the French state to continue." GE Chief Executive Jeff Immelt told an investor conference on Wednesday that the company was still going to "work constructively" with the French government on its bid and that he expects the deal to close.

U.S. investigates multi-state E.coli outbreak; no deaths reported

(Reuters) – U.S. health officials are investigating a multi-state E.coli outbreak linked to raw clover sprouts that have sickened as many as 10 people, half of whom required hospitalization, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday. As of May 21 there were seven confirmed and three probable cases of E. Coli illnesses, three in Idaho and seven in Washington state, the FDA said. The FDA said it was investigating the outbreak in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local officials. The outbreak has been linked to raw clover sprouts from Evergreeen Fresh Sprouts LLC of Moyie Springs, Idaho.

Wastewater a source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria: study

By Allison Bond NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Wastewater from cities and hospitals releases some antibiotic-resistant bacteria into the environment, according to a new French study. And although wastewater treatment plants cut the number of bacteria overall, the treatment process boosts the proportion of bacteria resistant to some antibiotics, the research found. The study focused on E. coli, a type of bacteria that commonly inhabits the intestines of many healthy animals, including humans, although certain strains can cause food poisoning. Drug resistance among many types of bacteria, including E. coli, is a growing problem.

Childhood trauma may leave its mark in blood vessels

By Shereen Jegtvig NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Young adults who were exposed to adverse experiences as children have greater signs of unhealthy blood vessel function than young people without a traumatic past, a new study finds. The results suggest that early-life stress may raise the risk of heart disease later on by affecting blood vessel function and blood pressure in ways that can be detected during young adulthood, the authors say. “We have translated ideas that we had from animal research and found that it’s true in humans,” Jennifer Pollock told Reuters Health. She and her colleagues looked for elevations in blood pressure and other indicators of how well blood vessels constrict or relax, as well as signs of stiffness in blood vessel walls.

Studies still looking for link between cell phones and brain tumors

City workers make phone calls outside the London Stock Exchange in Paternoster Square in the City of LondonBy Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The heaviest users of cell phones may be at higher than average risk of being diagnosed with a brain tumor, according to a recent French study. This isn’t the first study to point to a tumor risk with heavy cell phone use, said Dr. L. Dade Lunsford, a distinguished professor of neurosurgery specializing in brain tumor management at the University of Pittsburgh. But these kinds of studies rely on people to recall how much they have used cell phones in the past with no indication of their actual use, said Lunsford, who was not involved in the French research. The new results found no difference between regular cell users and non-users, which suggests that if there is a link, it is only applicable for people who claim to use their cell phone the most, he noted by email.

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