Month: May 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) — Exotic sea creatures called comb jellies may reshape how scientists view early evolution — as their genes suggest nature created more than one way to make a nervous system.

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – In a new study, children who regularly got too little sleep had worse physical, emotional and social health than those who slept the average amount. “Sleep is important for a lot of reasons, and can influence health and well-being and cognitive functioning,” said lead author Christopher A. Magee. “The typical sleep pattern appeared to have the best outcomes as measured in this paper,” he told Reuters Health in an email. But since this is a relatively new area of research, the researchers can’t say for sure that this pattern of sleep causes better health and wellbeing, said Magee, of the University of Wollongong in Australia.

Exposure to paints, degreasers, adhesives and glues is common in some occupations, and has been linked to problems such as memory loss, reduced cognitive processing speed and difficulty staying focused. “We do know that in the short term, certain chemicals at work – solvents – are known to affect cognitive health, but there isn’t a lot done that has looked at the long-term impact on cognitive function, particularly after people retire,” said Erika Sabbath, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, who led the study. Generally, this is the same period of life when people begin to experience cognitive decline, she added, so she and her colleagues wanted to see if there were certain patterns of lifetime exposure to solvents that predicted cognitive problems after retirement. “When we looked at those where the exposure happened a long time ago, 30 to 50 years before, we found that the effects of solvents on cognitive function didn’t necessarily fade away,” she said.

By Agata Blaszczak-Boxe, Contributing Writer Published: 05/21/2014 02:38 PM EDT on LiveScience Adults who lose weight may be able to reap long-term cardiovascular health benefits, even if they gain the weight back, according to a new study. In the study, researchers found that the less time adults carried around extra body fat, the less likely they were to experience cardiovascular health-related issues, such as high blood pressure or an increased risk of diabetes later in life. …

The Senate Finance Committee easily approved the nomination of Sylvia Mathews Burwell as U.S. health secretary on Wednesday, sending her candidacy to the Senate floor for a final confirmation vote. In a show of congressional bipartisanship, eight Republican lawmakers joined 13 Democrats to back President Barack Obama's choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and oversee its implementation of Obamacare, Obama's signature domestic policy achievement. Three Republicans opposed the nomination: Pat Roberts of Kansas, John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota. Burwell, a 48-year-old technocrat known for being able to work with Democrats and Republicans in Congress, is also expected to see a smooth confirmation following two cordial Senate confirmation hearings.

Political candidates have a lot to worry about on the campaign trail: the gaffe-to-gif pipeline, a 24/7 news cycle, debates, and, of course, attacks from their opponents. But according to a new study, maybe they should be worried about their weight, too. Researchers at Hope College and Michigan State University found an association between the heaviness of a candidate and the number of votes garnered. If a candidate is up against someone who's noticeably less heavy, the vote-count chasm widens even further. …

STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — Norway says it has halted research on tissues obtained from autopsies after accusations that the work involves using the long-stored brains of dead babies and infants without their parents’ consent.

General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeff Immelt said on Wednesday that GE is still going to "work constructively" with the French government on its bid for the power business of Alstom and that he expects the deal to close. But Immelt told an investor conference on Wednesday that, "We wouldn't have started if we didn't think we could finish." "It's a deal that's executable. GE last month made its offer for Alstom's power turbine and grid arm in a deal designed to expand its installed base of power turbines, get a more complete offering to power customers, and broaden GE's presence in emerging markets. In an attempt to get better bids for Alstom, seen as a center of French engineering know-how, French President Francois Hollande's government has weighed in on the talks, creating some uncertainty.