GOQii fitness device adds 'karma' to the healthy habits it tracks

GOQii is a new personal fitness tracker all about helping the user make permanent, positive lifestyle changes. Not only does the device cover health and fitness, it also incorporates social philanthropy elements, including allowing users to convert exercise points into real-world donations. "The GOQii philosophy is driven by the passion for healthy and meaningful living," founder and CEO Vishal Gondal said in a statement. GOQii includes a band, as well as "GOQii Coach," "GOQii Experts" and "GOQii Karma." GOQii Band is a fitness tracker with features including full touch display, water-resistant construction and "skin-sensitive" materials, vibrating alarm, watch, motion sensor and automatic wireless syncing through Bluetooth LE.

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Avalanche engulfs Montana home, injuring boy and leaving two people missing

(Reuters) - An avalanche engulfed a two-story house in a mountainside neighborhood in Missoula, Montana, on Friday, injuring an 8-year-old child at the home and leaving two elderly people who were with him missing, police said. The boy was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital shortly after the snow slide occurred at about 4 p.m. local time, but the two adults were believed to remain trapped in the snow, city police Sergeant Travis Welsh said. (Reporting by Laura Zuckerman; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)



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Generic drugmakers ramp up campaign against FDA label proposal

By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Generic drugmakers are furiously campaigning against a proposed U.S. rule that would require them to change the prescribing information on their products if they receive new safety information, which they say would open them to product liability lawsuits. The rule would overturn regulations that have been in place for three decades that prohibit generic drugmakers from updating safety data on their labels without such changes first being made by the company that developed the drug. The Food and Drug Administration, which issued its proposal in November, said the change is designed to "create parity" between branded and generic drug makers with respect to labeling changes, and remove an unnecessary impediment to the prompt communication of safety data. Generic drugmakers say the proposed rule would raise the cost of drugs and lead to confusion among consumers.



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Documents show 1990s effort to 'humanize' Hillary Clinton

By John Whitesides and Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Aides in former President Bill Clinton's White House crafted a strategy to "humanize" then-first lady Hillary Clinton and work around her "aversion" to the national media, according to documents released on Friday. The documents also detailed the first lady's struggles in the early 1990s with her healthcare task force, including worries about resistance on Capitol Hill and an aide's warning the plan could not meet a pledge to allow patients to pick their doctors, a promise that also came back to haunt President Barack Obama. The release of nearly 4,000 pages of previously sealed documents by the Clinton Presidential Library served to revisit Hillary Clinton's record and early struggles with her image as she gears up for a potential 2016 run for the presidency. An August 31, 1995, memo by Clinton's press secretary Lisa Caputo suggested she do interviews with "regional media." "Hillary is comfortable with the local reporters and enjoys speaking with them," the memo states.

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Federal program aims to make pet food, livestock feed safer

A new federal program aims to standardize inspection procedures for pet food and farm animal feed produced in the United States, making them safer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. The Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards comprise a series of new voluntary standards for inspections by state and other regulatory programs that oversee the production of pet food and feed for farm animals such as cattle, chickens and pigs. Concern over the safety of pet food and farm animal feed has mounted in recent years, as discoveries of salmonella-contaminated dog food and livestock feed contaminated with a corn-based toxin led to waves of product recalls and worries about the safety of the U.S. food production system.



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Got lice? Try ordinary conditioner, say scientists

Scientists from Belgium have found that ordinary conditioner is just as effective as special conditioners and treatments for removing lice. Those who have dealt with lice eggs, or nits, know they are incredibly challenging to remove. Following a few experiments, scientists found "no significant difference" between regular conditioner and special lice-removal products in ridding hair of the sticky eggs. However, they did find eggs easier to remove when hair was soaked in deionized water.

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Mix of Drugs Caused Hoffman's Death

Find out what the medical examiner learned about Philip Seymour Hoffman's death.



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Mattress covers may not help with dust mite allergies

By Shereen Jegtvig NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Based on two dozen clinical trials, U.S. researchers find that expensive mattress covers make no difference in reducing dust mite allergies or their symptoms. Up to 40 percent of the world population has allergies, and dust mites are thought to be one of the most common causes. "Based on this analysis which combines data from many different studies, there doesn't seem to be any benefit to using dust mite covers to prevent allergic disease or to prevent symptoms," lead author Whitney Arroyave told Reuters Health. Arroyave, a researcher with the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, and her colleagues combined results from 24 trials of methods to reduce dust mite exposure and prevent allergy signs and symptoms The study team found that use of the mattress covers had a large effect in reducing exposure to house mite dust levels - about 20 percent - but this reduction had no statistically significant impact on house dust mite sensitization, or symptoms such as wheezing, asthma, runny nose or dermatitis.



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Doctors could do a better job of breaking bad news: study

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Less than half of German people who are told they have cancer through a set and accepted protocol for breaking bad news are satisfied with the conversation, according to a new study. "The idea was somehow that physicians will ‘naturally' have the ability to communicate," Dr. Carola Seifart wrote in an email. For example, the diagnosis of a new cancer or a negative development with an existing cancer can significantly change a person's view of the future. While SPIKES has been tested in the U.S., the researchers write that it has not been tested in Germany and there is little information on how bad news is broken there.



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Philip Seymour Hoffman died of accidental overdose: official

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was found dead in his New York apartment on February 2 with a needle in his arm, died of an accidental overdose of drugs, the New York City Chief Medical Examiner said on Friday. The cause of death was acute drug intoxication, including heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines and amphetamine, according to Julie Bolcer, spokeswoman for the Medical Examiner's Office. A drug overdose had been suspected when Hoffman, 46, was discovered. "Glee" actor Cory Monteith, 31, died in Vancouver of an accidental overdose of heroin and alcohol in October.

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Nighttime finger splints can ease arthritis pain

By Ronnie Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Inexpensive splints worn nightly can reduce the pain of hand osteoarthritis, a chronic ailment that affects a majority of older adults, a new study shows. "It's a well-tolerated, safe and cheap intervention," rheumatologist Dr. Fiona Watt told Reuters Health. Watt, from the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis at the University of Oxford, led the new study. She and her colleagues tested custom-made splints on London clinic patients who suffered painful and deforming hand osteoarthritis.



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Florida restaurant chain adds Obamacare surcharge to meal bills

By Barbara Liston ORLANDO (Reuters) - Diners at a Florida restaurant chain are being asked to pay a health insurance surcharge on their meal tabs to cover the cost for business owners of the Obama administration's new healthcare program. Customers at eight Gator's Dockside restaurants dotted around central and north Florida are finding a 1 percent surcharge on their bills listed as "ACA," the letters standing for the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. A $14.56 lunch tab for Asian salad and iced tea ordered by a reporter at a Dockside restaurant in the town of Clermont, a short drive west of Orlando, included a 13-cent ACA surcharge. "Therefore, instead of raising prices on our products to generate the additional revenue needed to cover the cost of ACA compliance, Gator's Dockside has implemented a 1 percent surcharge on all food and beverage purchases only," the notice adds.



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Myanmar orders aid group to stop work, patients at risk: MSF

By Jared Ferried YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar has ordered Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to halt all its work in the country, leaving tens of thousands of people without vital care, the medical aid group said on Friday. MSF did not give a reason for the suspension, but local media reported government officials had been angered by the charity's public comments on the western strife-torn state of Rakhine. The Nobel Prize-winning aid group has been giving care there to both ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, a mostly stateless minority who live in apartheid-like conditions and who otherwise have little access to healthcare. The United Nations and human rights groups say at least 40 Rohingya were killed by security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist civilians in a restricted area of the state in January.

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Can a Spider Bite Kill You?

One Florida man died after he was bitten by a rare bug.



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Boy With Rare Disease Gets Surgery to Smile

Dawson Barnett is the class comedian – an unlikely role for the boy born unable to smile. But thanks to surgery that rerouted a nerve and “borrowed” muscle from his thigh, the “happy-go-lucky” first grader finally has a fitting grin.



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Watch: Surgery Enables 6-Year-Old Boy to Smile

Dawson Barnett has Moebius syndrome, which paralyzes facial muscles.



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Tick test for persistent Lyme disease tried in humans

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A small experiment to see whether uninfected ticks could "diagnose" a lingering Lyme infection in people produced modest results, researchers say. DNA from the Lyme parasite, but not live parasites themselves, were transmitted to the ticks from just two people out of two dozen who had persistent Lyme symptoms despite treatment. In animal studies, researchers have successfully used "xenodiagnosis," or diagnosis with another animal, to detect the signs of a persistent Lyme infection in the blood. The technique has also worked in people to detect another parasitic infection, Chagas disease.



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Ex-SAC trader Martoma seeks to toss insider trading conviction

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former SAC Capital Advisors LP portfolio manager Mathew Martoma asked a U.S. judge to throw out his insider trading conviction, saying federal prosecutors did not prove he committed a crime and that improper evidence and jury bias tainted the verdict. The request submitted late Thursday night in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan was expected. It followed Martoma's February 6 conviction on two counts of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy. "This court should enter a judgment of acquittal on all counts," Martoma, 39, told U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe, who presided over the roughly month-long trial, in the filing.

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New York jury finds Kerry Kennedy not guilty of impaired driving

WHITE PLAINS, New York (Reuters) - A jury on Friday found the daughter of slain U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy not guilty of driving while impaired by drugs in connection with a 2012 incident in which she accidentally mistook a sleeping pill for another medication and crashed into a truck on a New York highway. (Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Paul Thomasch)

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Full recovery for Schumacher unlikely, some say

LONDON (AP) — Nearly two months after Michael Schumacher suffered serious head injuries in a skiing accident and was placed in a drug-induced coma, some neurologists say the seven-time Formula One champion seems unlikely to make a full recovery.



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Obama to preach unity to Democrats at winter meeting

By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday will lay out his approach to electing fellow Democrats in congressional campaigns this year as his party tries to overcome stiff headwinds brought about at least in part due to his signature healthcare law. The president will address the winter meeting of the Democratic National Committee with the aim of maintaining a spirit of unity among party activists. Democrats are trying to face down emboldened Republicans who see a chance of capturing the Senate and building on their majority in the House of Representatives. All 435 members of the House and a third of the 100-member Senate are up for grabs in November elections.

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Doctors Without Borders expelled from Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Doctors Without Borders says it has been expelled from Myanmar and the decision leaves tens of thousands of lives at risk.



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Oklahoma House passes new abortion restrictions bill

By Heide Brandes OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - The Oklahoma House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Thursday to apply new restrictions on abortions that lawmakers said are aimed at protecting women's health but opponents say are designed to shut down clinics. The legislation includes a provision similar to one put in place in neighboring Texas that requires physicians who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at an appropriately equipped hospital within 30 miles of their practice. The Republican lawmaker who wrote the legislation, Mike Ritze, a physician, said his goal was to ensure women who experience complications like hemorrhaging, can have access to hospital care immediately. Opponents argue that, given the sparse population in most of Oklahoma, the admitting privileges requirement places an unjust burden on clinics and punishes people in rural parts of the state where medical care can be scarce.



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TSX may open higher, helped by data, Mega Brands

(Reuters) - Canada's main stock index looked set to open higher on Friday following slightly stronger than expected quarterly growth data, which helped offset worries surrounding Ukraine's political situation. Shares of Mega Brands Inc were also expected to rise after Toymaker Mattel Inc said it agreed to buy Mega Brands for about $460 million, including debt, to expand its construction and arts and crafts offerings. (Reporting by Mononshila Deka in Banagalore and Jeffrey Hodgson in Toronto; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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Moov fitness tracker actually tells us how to fix ourselves

CNETMoov fitness tracker actually tells us how to fix ourselvesCNETThe Moov fitness tracker, using a combination of three powerful sensors, tracks whatever it's strapped to and monitors movement accordingly, whether it's your ankle, wrist, bike pedal or -- the company hopes in the future -- golf clubs and other ...

11 interesting facts about Randeep Hooda's fitness regime

India.Com Health11 interesting facts about Randeep Hooda's fitness regimeIndia.Com HealthRandeep-Hooda-fitness Randeep Hooda is garnering rave reviews for his performance in the recently released Highway but the method actor is also known for his fit physique and rugged sex appeal. Here's what he does to maintain his physical fitness: 1.

Child care centers to follow first lady guidelines

BOWIE, Md. (AP) — The nation's second-largest for-profit child care provider is adopting Michelle Obama's healthy eating and activity guidelines.

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Bayer says Xarelto and Eylea drugs near peak sales in 5-6 yrs

LEVERKUSEN, Germany (Reuters) - German drugmaker Bayer expects Xarelto and Eylea, among its most promising drugs, to be near their peak sales potential in about 5 to 6 years, Chief Executive Marijn Dekkers told a news conference on Friday. He added that Bayer's Adempas and Xofigo drugs would likely reach peak sales somewhat later. Earlier on Friday, Bayer lifted its estimate of the peak sales potential of its five most important drugs to at least 7.5 billion euros ($1.03 billion), up from more than 5.5 billion euros previously. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Christoph Steitz)



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U.S. concerned by reports Myanmar suspends MSF in Rakhine State

By Jared Ferrie YANGON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday urged Myanmar to allow humanitarian agencies "unfettered access" in Rakhine state, following reports the government had ordered medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to stop working there. The Nobel Prize-winning charity has been giving health care to both ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, a mostly stateless minority who live in apartheid-like conditions and who otherwise have little access to healthcare. "Free, regular and open access is essential to ensure the benefits of humanitarian activities are delivered appropriately to all people of Rakhine State," a U.S. embassy official told Reuters. Government spokesman Ye Htut told media that MSF had been ordered to cease operations.



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ECB easing hopes support shares, anchor yields

By Jamie McGeever LONDON (Reuters) - European stocks rose on Friday, supported by expectations a low reading of euro zone inflation later in the day will force the European Central Bank to ease monetary policy further and a record high close on Wall Street the previous session. But worries over the tense political situation in Ukraine limited these gains, helped fuel a safe-haven rise in the Japanese yen against the dollar and anchored benchmark U.S. Treasury yields near their lowest in three weeks. In the second half of the year, you could also see the central bank start buying assets in the American style. These measures have the potential to favorably impact the market," said Philippe Gijsels, head of research at BNP Paribas Fortis Global Markets in Brussels.

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U.S. expands healthy food assistance to women, infants and children

Some 9 million poor women and young children who receive federal food assistance under the U.S. government's so-called WIC program will have greater access to fruits, vegetables and whole grains under an overhaul of the program unveiled on Friday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture hailed the revamping of its Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children as the first comprehensive revisions to WIC food voucher allowances since 1980. The list of foods that recipients could pay for with WIC vouchers was long limited to such basics as milk, infant formula, cheese, eggs, cereals, bread and tuna fish. In its final form, the overhaul will boost by 30 percent, or $2 per month, the allowance for each child's fruit and vegetable purchases, and permit fresh produce in lieu of jarred infant food for babies, if their parents prefer.



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Elderly, young to leave area near Australian mine fire burning for 3 weeks

Children, the elderly and pregnant women have been urged to leave a small Australian town because of health concerns from a fire that has been burning at a nearby coal mine for almost three weeks. Particulate pollution, which can damage the lungs and respiratory system, has been measured at more than 10 times the recommended daily threshold in the area around the fire near South Morwell, about 150 km (95 miles) east of the Victoria state capital of Melbourne. The fire at the nearby Hazelwood coal mine, co-owned by GDF SUEZ Australian Energy and Mitsui & Co Ltd, has been burning since February 9. State officials said on Friday that the elderly, young, pregnant women and those with respiratory problems should consider leaving the area because of the threat posed by smoke and ash.



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Chronically ill facing high drugs costs under U.S. health law

By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's ban on discriminatory health insurance practices against the sick has not stopped insurers from increasing up-front charges for the expensive drugs needed to control chronic illnesses from leukemia to multiple sclerosis. Actuarial studies of plans sold through health insurance marketplaces in some states found that many make consumers responsible for as much as 50 percent of the price of specialty drugs, which can cost $8,000 or more a month. Long before the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, became law in 2010, insurers began replacing fixed-dollar co-payments for the drugs with co-insurance rates that require consumers to pay a percentage of the cost of specialty medicines. Therefore, any discussion of prescription drug coverage must also include a focus on the direct link between rising prescription drug prices and consumer cost sharing," said Clare Krusing, spokeswoman for America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade and lobbying group.



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As Hillary Clinton soars, questions shadow lucrative speaking tour

By Gabriel Debenedetti CORAL GABLES, Florida (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton has not announced whether she's running for president in 2016. But when she and the road show that inevitably follows her arrived at the University of Miami, an official declaration seemed a mere formality. In a scene with all the makings of a campaign appearance, a line of Miami students waiting to get into Clinton's speech snaked around the university's arena hours before her arrival on Wednesday. When she arrived, it was with the heavy protection she retains as a former secretary of state and the wife of a former president, Bill Clinton.

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U.S. House Republican unity tested on Obamacare alternative

By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A month after Republicans rallied around offering an alternative to "Obamacare" in an election-year move to broaden their appeal to voters, divisions are surfacing over the issue in the U.S. House of Representatives. The often-fractured Republicans, who hold a majority in the House, ended a retreat outside of Washington on January 31 delighted that they had settled on a positive agenda for 2014 that centered on replacing President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare law, which has had a troubled rollout. The new strategy was put together amid concerns within the Republican Party that simply voting to repeal Obamacare, as they have done more than 40 times, would not be enough to carry them through November's congressional elections. House Speaker John Boehner, the top U.S. Republican, told reporters on Thursday that it was important for Republicans to come up with "better solutions" on healthcare.

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China detains more than 1,000 in baby trafficking crackdown

Chinese police have detained 1,094 people and rescued 382 infants in a nationwide crackdown on four online baby trafficking rings, state media said on Friday, as criminals prey on citizens yearning to escape strict population curbs. Child trafficking is widespread in China, where population control rules have bolstered a traditional bias for sons, seen as the support of elderly parents and heirs to the family name, and led to the abortion, killing or abandonment of girls. The imbalance has created criminal demand for kidnapped or bought baby boys, as well as baby girls destined to be brides attracting rich dowries in sparsely populated regions. "Child traffickers have now taken the fight online, using 'unofficial adoption' as a front," state news agency Xinhua quoted an unidentified police official as saying.



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Boy Author Raises $750K For Sick Friend

Every morning at 3 a.m. Lora Pournazarian is awake to feed her 8-year-old son Jonah a mixture of corn starch and water through a tube in his stomach. If she doesn’t, Jonah could die because he has a rare form of glycogen storage disease, a...

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California Democrats avert move to oust convicted state senator

By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers in California deflected a Republican resolution on Thursday calling for the expulsion of a state senator who was convicted of eight felonies, a move Republicans say was aimed at preserving Democrats' two-thirds majority. Democratic State Senator Roderick Wright, who represents parts of Los Angeles and the suburb of Inglewood, was convicted last month of voter fraud and perjury after prosecutors said he did not physically live in the district he represented. Earlier this week, Senate leader Darrell Steinberg granted him a paid leave of absence, saying that although a jury had found Wright guilty, the judge had not yet formally endorsed the verdict. After Knight and two other Republicans objected, Steinberg said he would hear their resolution to expel Wright if it came to the senate floor.



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California senator seeks review of paralysis cases

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer asked the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday to initiate a formal investigation into what has caused polio-like paralysis in about 20 children in California over the past 18 months.



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Oklahoma House passes new abortion restrictions bill

By Heide Brandes OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - The Oklahoma House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Thursday to apply new restrictions on abortions that lawmakers said are aimed at protecting women's health but opponents say are designed to shut down clinics. The legislation includes a provision similar to one put in place in neighboring Texas that requires physicians who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at an appropriately equipped hospital within 30 miles of their practice. The Republican lawmaker who wrote the legislation, Mike Ritze, a physician, said his goal was to ensure women who experience complications like hemorrhaging, can have access to hospital care immediately. The bill also requires abortion clinics to meet heightened building standards, bans abortion after 20 weeks, and requires strict adherence to guidelines in prescribing abortion pills.



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Spine surgery patients mostly unaware of costs, compensation

By Ronnie Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Orthopedic surgery patients go in and out of the operating room "blind" to the cost of their procedures, researchers say, but the patients often assume doctors are making much more than they really do. The misperceptions among spinal surgery patients are emblematic of a major barrier to controlling healthcare costs, according to the authors, which is that nobody knows what the costs are. "You're buying a service, and you don't know what you're getting," the study's lead author, Dr. K. Linnea Welton, told Reuters Health. "I think there's something to be said for a more black-and-white system so patients know what they're buying and they can make more educated decisions." Welton is an orthopedic surgery resident at the University of Michigan.



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DNA blood tests show prenatal screening promise

A DNA test of a pregnant woman's blood is more accurate than current methods of screening for Down syndrome and other common disorders, new research finds. If other studies bear this out, it could transform prenatal care by giving a more reliable, non-invasive way to detect these problems very early in pregnancy.

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Judge sets October trial date for accused Colorado theater gunman Holmes

By Keith Coffman CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Reuters) - A Colorado judge on Thursday set a new trial date for October 14 for James Holmes, the former neuroscience graduate student accused of killing 12 moviegoers in a shooting spree at a Colorado cinema in 2012. Arapahoe County District Court Judge Carlos Samour set the new timeframe after a previous February trial date was vacated amid ongoing legal wrangling over Holmes' sanity and other issues. Holmes, 26, is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder stemming from the July 2012 shooting spree during a screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises." He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Last week, the judge ruled that the one-time University of Colorado doctoral candidate must submit to a second sanity evaluation because the first examination was "incomplete and inadequate." Defense lawyers have conceded that Holmes, a California native, was the lone gunman, but have argued that their client was suffering a psychotic episode when he went on the rampage.

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Indoor tanning tied to risky behaviors among teens

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - U.S. teenagers who use indoor tanning devices are more likely to take part in other risky behaviors, according to a new government study. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that using indoor tanning devices was linked to binge drinking, having sex and using unsafe methods to control weight among high school students. "I think it's important to understand the prevalence of indoor tanning and its relation to other risky behaviors," Gery Guy, Jr., the study's lead author from the CDC, told Reuters Health. Understanding the relationship between other behaviors and indoor tanning can help public health advocates to understand the tanners' motivations and better target campaigns to dissuade the practice.



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Supplement users are seeking wellness: study

By Shereen Jegtvig NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who use multivitamins and other nutritional supplements tend to lead healthier lives overall, so taking supplements can be seen as a positive sign, suggests a new review of past research. More than half of American adults use supplements such as multivitamins, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber, the researchers say. But the other things users are more likely to do - like exercise and maintaining a normal weight - are often downplayed in discussions of the value of dietary supplements. "This evidence is based on the fact that dietary supplement users tend to be health seekers in a broader sense, that is they tend to use supplements as part of several things they do to try to improve their health," said Annette Dickinson, the study's lead author.



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First Soccer Player Diagnosed with CTE Brings Up Sport's Risks

Patrick Grange was Diagnosed with CTE After His Death

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Teen helps scientists study her own rare disease

WASHINGTON (AP) — A teenager who survived cancer decided to study her own rare disease, and helped point scientists to a gene flaw that might spur it.



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U.S. Senate Republicans block veterans' health bill on budget worry

By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans blocked legislation on Thursday that would have expanded federal healthcare and education programs for veterans, saying the $24 billion bill would bust the budget. Even though the legislation cleared a procedural vote on Tuesday by a 99-0 vote, the measure quickly got bogged down in partisan fighting. With Democrats pressing for passage this week, Senate Republicans, backed by their leader, Mitch McConnell, attempted to attach controversial legislation calling for possible new sanctions on Iran that President Barack Obama opposes. "The issue of Iran sanctions ... has nothing to do with the needs of veterans," complained Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bernard Sanders of Vermont, the main sponsor of the bill.



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Judge sets terms for would-be Reagan assassin's hospital outings

Would-be presidential assassin John Hinckley will be required to stay away from government centers during the 17 days per month he will be allowed to spend outside the mental hospital where has lived since shooting Ronald Reagan in 1981, a U.S. federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman in December accepted a recommendation from Washington's St. Elizabeths Hospital that Hinckley be allowed to leave for 17 days a month, up from 10 days a month, to stay with his mother in Williamsburg, Virginia. While on unaccompanied outings, Hinckley, 57, is to avoid government centers in Richmond, Virginia, or areas where the president or members of Congress may be visiting.

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UK seeks public input on making 3-parent embryos

LONDON (AP) — Britain is inviting the public to weigh in on draft rules allowing scientists to create embryos using DNA from three people — a man and two women — to prevent mothers from passing on potentially fatal genetic diseases.



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Wall St. gains after Yellen remarks, retailers jump

By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Thursday after comments from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen offered some relief to investors worried about the central bank's tapering of economic stimulus. Tech shares, including Apple Inc , helped lead the advance, which pushed the S&P 500 above the 2013 year-end closing level and within points of surpassing Monday's intraday record high. Addressing the Senate Banking Committee, Yellen said the Fed would be on alert to make sure that recent signs of economic weakness are due to cold weather and storms, rather than a more fundamental slowdown. "Yellen came in and did exactly what she was supposed to do, and said, 'Listen, the weather is still a variable.' But she made it clear the Fed is ready to stand up and do what's necessary to continue to support the economy, and that's exactly what Wall Street wanted to hear," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive officer of Sarhan Capital in New York.

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Obese kids may face higher risk of bad elbow breaks

By Kathleen Raven NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Complicated elbow fractures could be added to a growing list of heightened health risks for obese children, according to a recent analysis. Obese kids were nine times more likely to suffer an elbow fracture with multiple fracture lines in the same arm, or with the bone exposed through the skin, compared to normal-weight children, researchers found. Obese kids were also more likely to have fallen on their outstretched hand. "As a public health message, this study validates the efforts of medical organizations to raise awareness about childhood obesity," Dr. Michelle Caird told Reuters Health.



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Judge delays trial for accused Colorado theater gunman Holmes

By Keith Coffman CENTENNIAL, COLORADO (Reuters) - A Colorado judge on Thursday set a new trial date for October 14 for James Holmes, the former neuroscience graduate student accused of killing 12 moviegoers in a shooting spree at a Colorado cinema in 2012. Arapahoe County District Court Judge Carlos Samour delayed the start of the trial, initially scheduled for next month, because of ongoing legal wrangling over Holmes' sanity and other issues. Holmes, 26, is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder stemming from the July 2012 shooting spree during a screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises." He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Last week, the judge ruled that the one-time University of Colorado doctoral candidate must submit to a second sanity evaluation because the first examination was "incomplete and inadequate." Defense lawyers have conceded that Holmes, a California native, was the lone gunman, but have argued that their client was suffering a psychotic episode when he went on the rampage.



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'Sleep driving' possible in case of RFK daughter's accident - expert

By Victoria Cavaliere WHITE PLAINS, New York (Reuters) - A drug expert testified Thursday that Kerry Kennedy, daughter of assassinated Senator Robert F. Kennedy, might have had an episode of "sleep driving" when she sideswiped a truck on a New York highway in 2012 before passing out behind the wheel. David Benjamin, a clinical pharmacologist, took the stand in Westchester County Court on Thursday to testify on behalf of the defense. ... They are acting on an automatic type of behavior, something they have done many times." Prosecutors in Westchester County, north of New York City, maintain that even if Kennedy took the sleeping pill accidentally she was liable for her actions and should have stopped driving after realizing she was impaired. A jury trial for impaired driving, a misdemeanor, is unusual but Kennedy, who is also the ex-wife of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the niece of assassinated President John F. Kennedy has maintained that she accidentally ingested the pill and did not realize her mistake the morning of July 13, 2012.

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Groups urge FDA to halt launch of Zohydro pain drug

A coalition of addiction experts, physicians and others is urging U.S. health officials to reverse course and block the launch of a powerful painkiller called Zohydro, expected to hit the market next month. The opioid drug, manufactured by Zogenix Inc, contains a potent amount of an active ingredient that could be lethal to new patients and children and is not safer than other current pain drugs, the groups told the Food and Drug Administration. A single capsule could be fatal if swallowed by a child," they wrote in a petition to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, dated Wednesday. In December, attorneys general from 28 states also urged the FDA to reconsider its approval of the drug.



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Actelion diarrhea treatment gets fast-track from U.S. FDA

ZURICH (Reuters) - Actelion Ltd, Europe's biggest biotech company, said on Thursday that the U.S. health regulator has granted fast-track status to its antibiotic treatment for diarrhea. A fast track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) speeds up regulatory review of drugs that aim to treat serious diseases and fill unmet medical needs. Actelion said the FDA was also designating Cadazolid as a treatment for infectious diseases, which means the drug would get a nine-month priority review if it completes current late-stage trials successfully. ...



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Move Over Trojans, Condoms Appeal to Crunchy Women

According to a 2012 National Health Statistics Report, 62 percent of women of reproductive age use birth control and the most preferred methods are the pill and sterilization. Condom use declined from 20 percent to 16 percent between 1995 and 2006 to 2010 and the decrease in condom use was largest among teenagers.



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U.S. proposes major update to food labels in bid to combat obesity

By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Packaged foods sold in the United States would display calorie counts more prominently and include the amount of added sugar under a proposal to significantly update nutritional labels for the first time in 20 years as health officials seek to reduce obesity and combat related diseases such as diabetes. The Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday its proposal would also ensure that the amount of calories listed per serving reflects the portions that people typically eat. ...



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Drugmaker Valeant eyes multiple deals, posts profit

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc sees close to 50 opportunities for mergers or acquisitions, its chief executive said on Thursday, as it aims to become one of the world's five biggest pharmaceutical companies. The company, Canada's largest listed drugmaker and maker of antidepressant drug Wellbutrin and over-the-counter remedy Cold-FX, swung to a higher-than-expected fourth-quarter profit driven by the acquisition of contact lens maker Bausch & Lomb Holdings Inc. Shares rose 3 percent in Toronto and New York in morning trading, touching all-time highs. Valeant, which aims to become one of the world's top five pharmaceutical companies by market capitalization by 2016, has grown rapidly through acquisitions amid a consolidation wave in the specialty pharmaceutical sector. Chief executive officer Michael Pearson said the company is in multiple deal discussions, as it typically is, and has no set plan for how it will triple its market cap to $150 billion.



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New threat to Brazil's breadbasket: a pesky caterpillar

By Caroline Stauffer SAO DESIDERIO, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazilian farmers are battling a voracious caterpillar that likely arrived from Asia, challenging the agricultural superpower's widely touted mastery of tropical farming just as it is on the verge of becoming the world's top soybean producer. The caterpillar, a variety known as helicoverpa armigera that thrives in dry heat, was spotted for the first time in the Americas on cotton farms in drought-prone western Bahia in early 2012, fuelling panic among farmers who had no idea what it was. The caterpillar was soon in soybean fields thousands of kilometers away thanks to the long-distance flying power of its moths, consuming everything from tomatoes to sorghum. While crop losses have thus far been limited, Brazil is now on red alert over the nation's third major pest outbreak in 30 years.

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China suspends Polish pork imports over swine fever: report

China has suspended imports of pork from Poland citing concerns over African swine fever (ASF) among wild boars, Poland's embassy to China was quoted as saying on Thursday by Polish news agency IAR. The disease has not been found on Polish farms, the agriculture ministry has said, but pork prices have fallen in Poland because of consumer concerns that it could spread from wild boars to farmed pigs.

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TSX may open flat on Ukraine concerns; Yellen in focus

(Reuters) - Canadian stock index futures pointed to a flat open on Thursday as concerns over escalating political and military tension in Ukraine and Russia kept investors on the edge. Markets will also watch for U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's testimony later in the day. (Reporting by Mononshila Deka in Banagalore; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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Pacira says painkiller effective in wider range of patients

(Reuters) - Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc said a late-stage study showed the painkiller, Exparel, significantly reduced pain for a wider range of patients after surgery, sending its shares up 5 percent in premarket trading. This expands the use of the drug to cases where it is difficult to inject a painkiller directly into the area of pain.



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Britain sets out plans for first 'three-parent' IVF babies

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Britain published draft regulations on Thursday that would make it the first country in the world to offer "three-parent" fertility treatments to families who want to avoid passing on incurable diseases to their children. Britain's public consultation on the draft regulations began on Thursday and was scheduled to run until May 21, 2014.



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UK to consult on draft rules for 3-parent embryos

LONDON (AP) — Britain is starting a public consultation on rules that would allow scientists to create embryos using DNA from three people — one man and two women — to prevent mothers from passing on potentially fatal genetic diseases.



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Child care centers to follow first lady guidelines

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's second-largest for-profit child care provider is adopting Michelle Obama's healthy eating and activity guidelines.



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Bayer buys Dihon to add traditional Chinese medicine

Bayer said it would buy privately held Dihon Pharmaceutical Group Co, a maker of traditional herbal Chinese medicines (TCM), as the German drugmaker pushes to become the world's largest non-prescription medicines group. With China's healthcare spending forecast to nearly triple to $1 trillion by 2020 from $357 billion in 2011, according to consulting firm McKinsey, the country is a magnet for makers of medicines and medical equipment. Dihon has about 2,400 employees and generated sales of 123 million euros ($168 million) in 2013, Bayer said on Thursday, declining to provide the financial terms of the deal. The deal, which could help Bayer challenge Johnson & Johnson to the number-one spot in the over-the-counter (OTC)market, underscores its push into herbal medicine after it bought smaller German supplier Steigerwald last year.

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Indian soldier kills 5 colleagues then himself; stress suspected

By Fayaz Bukhari SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - An Indian soldier shot dead five colleagues before killing himself on Thursday, an army official said, in what investigators said appeared to be a case of stress-related violence in a force dogged by a staffing crunch. India's armed forces, the world's third largest, struggle to fill thousands of vacancies mainly due to difficult conditions and the high risks involved, according to the Defense Ministry. A senior army officer who declined to be identified said initial investigations suggested the shooter was under stress. The shooting comes a day after India's navy chief quit after taking responsibility for a string of operational incidents, the latest of which saw smoke sweep a submarine with two officers still missing.



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Indonesian province declares emergency due to haze

Indonesia's Riau province declared a state of emergency on Thursday as haze from raging forest fires, often deliberately set, disrupted flights and marine navigation and authorities reported a sharp rise in respiratory problems. The national disaster mitigation agency said the province of 5 million, a major palm oil growing region, had been experiencing haze for several weeks due to illegal land clearing and prolonged dry weather. "According to the data we have, the fires have gotten worse and need to be extinguished with water-bombing planes and we are ready to do that," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency, said in a text message.



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Recreational marijuana proposal certified for Alaska ballot

Alaska voters will decide this summer whether America's Last Frontier will become the third U.S. state to legalize the sale and recreational use of marijuana for adults under a proposal that officially qualified on Wednesday for a statewide ballot. Alaska Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell formally certified that a petition campaign for the measure had gathered more than 36,000 valid signatures from registered voters, nearly 6,000 more than legally required to qualify. The marijuana initiative, and a separate measure to raise the state's minimum wage by $2 an hour to $9.75 by January 2016, will be placed on the state's primary election ballot on August 17. Passage of the marijuana initiative would permit adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce (28 grams) of marijuana for private personal use and to grow as many as six cannabis plants for their own consumption.

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Investment chief of top U.S. pension fund Calpers dies after cancer

(Reuters) - The chief investment officer of Calpers, the largest pension fund in the United States, has died after a battle with cancer, his office said on Wednesday. He was 62. Joe Dear, diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, had been on leave from the California Public Employees' Retirement System since last month for treatment. "It is with tremendous sadness that Calpers announces the passing of Joseph A. Dear, our Chief Investment Officer," his office said in a statement. ...

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Hundreds of foods in U.S. contain 'ADA' plastics chemical: report

Nearly 500 foods found on grocery store shelves in the United States, including many foods labeled as "healthy," contain a potentially hazardous industrial plastics chemical, according to a report issued Thursday by a health research and advocacy group. Azodicarbonamide, also known as ADA, was found as an ingredient in breads, bagels, tortillas, hamburger and hot dog buns, pizza, pastries, and other food products, according to a report by the Environmental Working Group, based in Washington. Some consumer groups have called for the removal of azodicarbonamide from use in foods. Fast food chain Subway said earlier this month that it was removing the chemical from its products, but stated that ADA is a safe and widely used ingredient for many foods.



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U.S. proposes major update to food labels in bid to combat obesity

By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Packaged foods sold in the United States would display calorie counts more prominently and include the amount of added sugar under a proposal to significantly update nutritional labels for the first time in 20 years as health officials seek to reduce obesity and combat related diseases such as diabetes. The Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday that its proposal would also ensure that the amount of calories listed per serving reflects the portions that people typically eat. That change may result in per-serving calorie counts doubling for some foods such as ice cream. First lady Michelle Obama, who has used her White House position to launch the "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity, announced the proposal for the FDA.



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Thirteen workers test positive for radiation at New Mexico waste site

Thirteen workers have tested positive for radiation exposure tied to an accidental release earlier this month of high levels of radiation in an underground nuclear waste repository in New Mexico, the U.S. Department of Energy said on Wednesday. No workers were underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project in southeastern New Mexico when air sensors half a mile below surface in an ancient salt formation triggered an alarm on February 14 indicating excessive amounts of radioactive particles. Particles emitted from the decay of those radioactive elements can harm humans if inhaled or ingested. But analyses released on Wednesday of biological samples lifted from the workers showed that 13 of them were in fact exposed to radioactive particles, Joe Franco, manager of the U.S. Energy Department field office that oversees the plant, said in a statement.



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Hillary Clinton defends Obamacare, but open to changes: report

Hillary Clinton, who leads the pack of potential Democratic 2016 presidential contenders, defended Obamacare on Wednesday but added she was open to "evidence-based changes" in the program, CNN reported. President Barack Obama's signature healthcare reform law is shaping up as a hot-button campaign issue in congressional elections in November and possibly the 2016 White House race. The law, which seeks to extend health coverage to millions of uninsured or underinsured people, has been under steady attack by Republicans, who say it is too costly, kills jobs and robs many Americans of healthcare choices. "But I would be the first to say if things aren't working, then we need people of good faith to come together and make evidence-based changes," said Clinton, who led a failed effort to pass healthcare reform during the administration of her husband, Bill Clinton.

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Kerry likens Uganda anti-gay law to anti-Semitism and apartheid

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday likened new anti-gay legislation in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties for homosexuality to anti-Semitic laws in Nazi Germany or apartheid South Africa. "You could change the focus of this legislation to black or Jewish and you could be in 1930s Germany or you could be in 1950s-1960s apartheid South Africa," Kerry told a group of reporters. Kerry said the legislation signed by President Yoweri Museveni on Monday was "atrocious" and expressed concern at mounting discrimination against gays in 78 countries around the world. Homosexuality is a taboo in almost all Africa countries and illegal in 37, including in Uganda where it has been criminalized since British colonial rule.

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Huge study links older dads with kids' psych woes

CHICAGO (AP) — Older fathers may face higher risks than previously thought for having children with psychiatric problems, including bipolar disorder, autism and attention deficits, according to the largest study to examine the potential links.



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A self-administered flu vaccine could be on its way

The days of visiting a clinic to receive a flu vaccine may be over, a new study suggests. Researchers from the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found self-vaccination may be possible using a microneedle patch instead of a traditional needle.

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FDA eases concern about certain diabetes drugs

People who take Januvia, Byetta or certain other widely prescribed medicines for diabetes can breathe a little easier — U.S. and European regulators have found no compelling evidence of a link between these drugs and pancreas problems or pancreatic cancer.



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UK troops mentally resilient despite Iraq, Afghan conflicts

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Intervention strategies have helped mitigate the psychological impact on British soldiers of more than 10 years of conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, a new study suggests, leaving them mentally healthier than their U.S. peers. But the study, by the King's Centre for Military Health Research at King's College London, found some British soldiers - particularly reservists and soldiers deployed in combat - do seem more vulnerable to mental illness when they come home. "Overall, UK military personnel have remained relatively resilient in spite of the stresses endured in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Deirdre MacManus, who led the study.

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Wisconsin man gets three years for sexually assaulting stepsister

Joshua Drabek, 20, was convicted by a Dane County jury on February 21 of first degree sexual assault of a child without great bodily harm, second degree sexual assault of a child and child abuse-intentionally causing harm, according to court records. Drabek was accused of forcing her to engage in oral sex and trying to have intercourse with her, according to a criminal compliant. The girl's father, Chad Chritton, 42, and his wife Melinda Drabek-Chritton, 44, who is Drabek's mother, were sentenced to five years in prison each in the case.



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Heroin overdose antidote: Who gets to carry it?

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — As deaths from heroin and powerful painkillers skyrocket nationwide, governments and clinics are working to put a drug that can reverse an opiate overdose into the hands of more paramedics, police officers and the people advocates say are the most critical group — people who abuse drugs, and their friends and families.

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DNA blood tests show prenatal screening promise

A DNA test of a pregnant woman's blood is more accurate than current methods of screening for Down syndrome and other common disorders, new research finds. If other studies bear this out, it could transform prenatal care by giving a more reliable, non-invasive way to detect these problems very early in pregnancy.

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Beard transplants latest fad for Brooklyn's hip young men

By Barbara Goldberg NEW YORK (Reuters) - Young men wearing pork-pie hats, knitted snoods and stylishly drab clothing are crowding doctors' waiting rooms in a burgeoning trend: Brooklyn hipsters seeking beard transplants. Toting photos of perpetually scruffy-faced actors like Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Gosling, an increasing number of men in their late 20s to early 40s are undergoing the procedure that can cost up to $7,000, Yael Halaas, MD, a facial plastic surgeon based in Manhattan said on Wednesday. "The demand for it has definitely increased," agreed Jeffrey Epstein, MD, a New York facial plastic surgeon who said he did 175 beard transplant procedures in 2013. "One reason is that whole hipster, casual way people like to look." Demand for the out-patient procedure completed under local anesthesia, which involves transplanting hair from the top of the head to the face, is growing quickly among those living in Brooklyn's coolest neighborhoods.



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German study finds cannabis use triggered 2 deaths

BERLIN (AP) — Cannabis use likely triggered fatal complications that led to the deaths of two men with underlying health conditions, according to scientists in Germany.



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Obesity rates remain high, but stable in the U.S.

Only preschool-age children show signs of a turnaround, with their obesity rates nearly halved in the same period, according to a new federal study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "The rapid increase in obesity we saw in the '80s and '90s has definitely slowed," epidemiologist Cynthia Ogden told Reuters Health. "There's some glimmer of hope in the new data in relation to the 2 to 5 year olds." Ogden, a branch chief at the National Center for Health Statistics in Rockville, Maryland, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is lead author of the new study. Obesity rates among 2 to 5 year old Americans dropped from 13.9 percent to 8.4 percent between 2003 and 2012, her team reports.



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A look at the changing obesity landscape for kids

NEW YORK (AP) — Is the anti-obesity message finally getting through?

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Teens' indoor tanning tied to other risky behavior

CHICAGO (AP) — Government research links indoor tanning by teenagers with other risks including binge drinking, unhealthy dieting and sexual activity.



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A Minute With: Patton Oswalt on Spirit Awards and playing host

By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When it comes to hosting an awards show, Patton Oswalt has a few tricks up his sleeve that include keeping a celebrity-filled crowd on edge. The Virginia-born Oswalt, 45, has forged a career in comedy, with roles in TV sitcoms "The King of Queens" and "Two and a Half Men," and films such as 2011's "Young Adult" and last year's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." With his comforting, friendly and often neighborly vocal tone, Oswalt is also a regular voice actor and stand-up comedian. On Saturday, he will host the Film Independent Spirit Awards, a laid-back luncheon held in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, California, the day before Hollywood's Oscars night. Oswalt spoke to Reuters on hosting duties, the industry of independent film and how to break the ice with nominees.

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Exclusive: Biomet picks BAML, Goldman, JPMorgan to lead IPO - sources

By Olivia Oran and Soyoung Kim NEW YORK (Reuters) - Biomet Inc, the U.S. medical device maker that was taken private by a private equity consortium for $11.4 billion in 2007, has hired underwriters for an initial public offering later this year, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Biomet's owners -- Blackstone Group LP , Goldman Sachs Group Inc's private equity arm, KKR & Co LP and TPG Capital LP -- have selected Bank of America Merrill Lynch , Goldman Sachs Group and JPMorgan Chase & Co to lead the IPO, the people said.

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Two humanitarian workers injured in landmine explosion in Mali

Two employees of humanitarian group Medecins du Monde's Belgian chapter were seriously injured on Wednesday when the vehicle they were travelling in hit a landmine in restive northern Mali, the organization and a local official said. "Around noon...a Medecins du Monde vehicle triggered a mine on the road from Kidal to the airport," the group said in a statement posted on its website. "The vehicles two occupants, including the driver, are seriously injured." The statement was accompanied by a photo showing the twisted wreckage of a 4x4 bearing Medecins du Monde's logo. Medecins du Monde said that there was no indication that the organization had been specifically targeted.



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Some pediatricians consider dropping vaccines due to cost

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Heath) - Ten percent of pediatricians say they have seriously considered no longer providing vaccines due to concerns about their cost, according to results from a 2011 survey. That number is actually somewhat encouraging, said coauthor Megan Lindley, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. If a pediatrician does decide to stop offering vaccines, parents will have to take their children elsewhere to get shots. Lindley stressed that the survey did not address whether doctors had actually discontinued the vaccines, only if they had considered it.



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Evening workouts don't disturb sleep

People who worked out in the morning reported getting the best sleep, on average. "Sleep recommendations suggest avoiding exercise prior to bed," said Matthew Buman, lead author of the study from Arizona State University in Phoenix. "We found evidence to the contrary suggesting that individuals need not avoid exercise at night." He and his colleagues analyzed responses collected from 1,000 adults participating in the 2013 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America Poll. Based on the types of physical activity participants performed regularly, like tai chi, running or yard work, workouts were categorized by intensity as light, moderate or vigorous.



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RFK daughter says sleeping pill, car crash memories 'jumbled'

By Victoria Cavaliere WHITE PLAINS, New York (Reuters) - The daughter of assassinated U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy told a court on Wednesday that she had not realized she had taken a sleeping pill before side-swiping a truck in 2012 and that her memory of the incident was "jumbled." Kerry Kennedy said at the third day of her impaired driving trial that she had intended to take a thyroid medication before getting into her silver Lexus, rather than the sleeping aid zolpidem, known by its brand name Ambien. Defense attorneys said the drug's effects were so quick and so powerful that Kennedy was essentially "sleep driving" and was unaware of her actions.

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Senate leader Reid blasts Koch brothers over Obamacare ads

By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top Senate Democrat Harry Reid on Wednesday accused the billionaire Koch brothers of spreading "horror stories" about President Barack Obama's healthcare law, in the latest salvo in the election-year debate over Obamacare. Reid, the Senate Majority leader, blasted ads by Americans for Prosperity, a political advocacy group backed by David and Charles Koch. The ad scored "two Pinocchios" out of a possible four by The Washington Post's Fact Checker Glenn Kessler, who said the commercial did not properly compare the patient's old and new plans and did not fully disclose the new plans costs. Higher out-of-pocket costs with a new plan could be off-set by lower monthly premiums, Kessler wrote, adding that "over the course of the year, the difference in the costs could well even out." The Koch brothers' vast fortune stems from their oil and gas conglomerate Koch Industries Inc. They have used it to fund numerous conservative causes.

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Republicans say FDA spying may have broken whistleblower law

By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration exceeded its authority when it set up a surveillance program to monitor employees in its medical device division who it suspected of leaking trade secrets, two prominent Republican lawmakers said on Wednesday. The charge was made in a report released by Representative Darrell Issa, chairman of the House oversight panel, and Senator Charles Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The report found that the FDA may have broken laws protecting whistleblowers and that interim policies put in place by the agency last year to safeguard them were insufficient. FDA spokeswoman Erica Jefferson said in a statement that the agency had not been given an opportunity to review the full report but said "many of the findings outlined paint an incomplete picture of the matter." In April 2010, the FDA engaged contractors to check on first one scientist and then four more using a software monitoring program called Spector 360, the report said.

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Killers of South African politician Hani attacked in prison

The convicted killers of South African anti-apartheid hero Chris Hani were attacked by a fellow inmate wielding a kitchen spoon, a correctional services spokesman said on Wednesday. Clive Derby-Lewis and Janus Walus suffered head and hand injuries after they were attacked by an inmate at a Pretoria prison, spokesman Manelisi Wolela said in a statement. His murder threatened to derail South Africa's transition from white minority rule to multi-racial democracy, leading to riots across the country and triggering fears of a civil war. Walus, a Polish immigrant to South Africa, shot Hani dead outside his home.



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Preschool Obesity Rates Have Plummeted in Last Decade, CDC Says

Figures show that obesity rates for preschoolers have fallen dramatically over the last 10 years. According to Medical News Today, CDC statistics show a 43 percent drop in obesity among youngsters 2 to 5 years old. Overall U.S. obesity rates remained at the same level, and they actually went up significantly in women at least 60. The CDC says that unlike the specific role BMI measurements play in determining an adult's weight status, a child's weight category is the result of considering age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles.



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In sickness and health, sex keeps older couples happy: study

By Kathleen Raven NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Among older couples, physical illnesses can strain a marriage, but maintaining a healthy sex life could make a difference in how happily both partners cope, a new study suggests. Researchers have long known the illnesses that come with age are linked to poorer marriage quality, but exactly why has not been clear. According to the new analysis, sexual intimacy is the link that keeps partners positive about their marriages in the face of difficult times, and a lack of sex makes matters worse. The results "suggest that it may be important to stay sexually connected to protect" the quality of a marriage, lead author Adena Galinsky told Reuters Health.



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China vows 'harsh punishment' for toxic smog culprits

China's environment ministry has vowed to 'harshly punish' factories and power plants that contributed to a hazardous smog which enveloped much of Northern China, official state media reported on Wednesday. Investigations had found that some thermal power plants, cement and steel makers in the northern province of Hebei had failed to halt or curtail production during severely smoggy days despite government orders, state news agency Xinhua quoted the Ministry of Environmental Protection as saying.

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Blood pressure meds may raise elderly fall risk

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older people who take blood pressure medications had more serious injuries from falls than those not taking medications, according to a new study. The added risk with blood pressure meds for falls that cause serious injury has been suggested before, but older people shouldn't stop taking their medications based just on these results, the authors say. "It is important to remember that no single study, and particularly an observational study such as ours, can give a definitive answer," said Dr. Mary E. Tinetti, who led the research. "We cannot say definitively that antihypertensive medications led to serious fall injuries such as hip fractures," said Tinetti, a geriatrics researcher at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.



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The best expert

Telegraph.co.ukThe best expert-led fitness holidaysTelegraph.co.ukFor those of us who have long since abandoned January 1 resolutions to get back in shape, now's the time to invest in a get-fit holiday that should bring those seemingly distant fitness goals within reach. While it's a given that any worthwhile luxury ...

FDA approves Bristol-Myers' drug for rare fat disorder

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it approved Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's drug to treat rare and potentially fatal disorders involving loss of body fat. The condition, known as generalized lipodystrophy, involves fat buildup in the blood and organs such as liver and muscle and can lead to diabetes, pancreatitis and fatty liver disease. The FDA said it required seven post-marketing studies on the drug, Myalept. (http://ift.tt/1efFfIV) (Reporting by Shailesh Kuber; Editing by Ted Kerr)



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Western anger at anti-gay law hits Uganda's currency

By Philippa Croome and Elias Biryabarema KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda's currency tumbled on Wednesday on concerns that a new anti-gay law will damage relations with Western countries alarmed at what they see as a government-backed violation of human rights. President Yoweri Museveni's approval of the law on Monday, imposing jail sentences of up to life for gay sex, reflects a gulf in social attitudes between conservative Africa and the West, with Washington saying the law complicated its "valued relationship" with Uganda and several European countries withholding aid. The shilling fell 2 percent on Wednesday before Uganda's central bank intervened to stop the slide, after Denmark and Norway said they would hold back on aid and others threatened to follow. The currency movement appeared to confirm the prediction by Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg who said on Tuesday the law was a "financial risk" for Uganda.

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Co-op unveils farm, pharmacy sell-offs as losses mount

By Belinda Goldsmith LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's embattled Co-operative Group said on Wednesday it was selling its farming business and looking at offloading its pharmacies as the BBC reported the group was about to report the worst loss in its 170-year history. The sales are part of a restructuring at the member-owned group rocked in the past year by the discovery of a 1.5 billion pound capital hole in its banking arm and a drugs scandal involving ex-chairman, Methodist minister Paul Flowers.

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European politicians back tougher anti-tobacco rules

By Barbara Lewis BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU politicians voted for a new anti-tobacco law on Wednesday that forces cigarette makers to increase the size of health warnings on packets and for the first time regulates electronic cigarettes. Following Wednesday's plenary vote at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, ministers from EU member states are expected to give the law final endorsement next month, although it will only start taking effect from 2016. The rules also include a ban on smoking tobacco products containing flavors such as fruit or vanilla. Menthol cigarettes will be banned from 2020, after some governments demanded a slower phase-out.

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Tiny Northwest Biotherapeutics aims to dominate brain cancer

By Ransdell Pierson NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ten years ago, cash-strapped biotechnology company Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc was down to three employees and one week from closing its doors when a financial backer came forward at the annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. By 2007, that backer, Linda Powers, had become chairman of the Maryland-based company. A venture capitalist, Powers remains one of its largest shareholders and has invested more than $20 million in the company and its experimental drugs for brain cancer and inoperable tumors. "Through two major recessions and pummeling in the capital markets, we've chosen to keep our focus." Now worth close to $300 million, Northwest's stock has jumped 75 percent this year to the $7 range.

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Second Bahrain detainee dies in custody: ministry

A 23-year-old Bahraini man who was detained in December and accused of smuggling weapons died from an illness in custody on Wednesday, the Interior Ministry said, the second death of a person held on security-related charges this year. Jaffar Mohammed Jaffar was arrested in a raid that the government said broke up a plot to bring in detonators and explosives by boat and use them to launch attacks in the island kingdom. Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has been rattled by bouts of unrest since February 2011 when members of its Shi'ite Muslim majority took to the streets, demanding democratic reforms from the Sunni Muslim ruling family. Bahrain's Interior Ministry, which regularly denies mistreating detainees, told Reuters on Wednesday Jaffar had not been tortured.



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California city tests waters for soft drinks tax

By Laila Kearney BERKELEY, California (Reuters) - A California city is to consult its citizens on whether to impose a soda tax on sugary drinks, following failed bids by other local governments to pass similar measures. The Berkeley City Council will gauge local voter support for a penny-per-ounce tax - opposed by most of the soft drinks industry but which its backers say could help to curb obesity and diabetes - in an opinion poll next week. Depending on the outcome, it might include a referendum on introducing the tax in a city-wide ballot in November. Other U.S. cities have tried without success to enact such a tax amid a growing national movement to curb the consumption of high-calorie beverages.



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Sporting fitness

The HinduSporting fitnessThe HinduThe fitness bug seems to have bitten Dino around then too and his travels across Europe over the years, he points out, have shown him one thing sadly absent from our own country: “In many countries abroad, you'll see people so into health and fitness ...

Missouri executes killer of schoolgirl

(Reuters) - Missouri authorities early on Wednesday executed a 47-year-old man for the rape and murder of a Kansas City-area schoolgirl, a state public safety official said. Michael Taylor was pronounced dead at 12:10 a.m. local time at a prison in Bonne Terre, said Mike O'Connell, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Taylor pled guilty in 1991 to the 1989 rape and murder of 15-year-old Ann Harrison. The girl was abducted from a school bus stop near Kansas City and tortured and stabbed to death. The U.S. ...



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