Ebola death in Sierra Leone hours after WHO declares outbreak over -

Ebola death in Sierra Leone hours after WHO declares outbreak over - 

Sierra Leone officials have confirmed a death from Ebola, hours after the World Health Organization declared the latest West Africa outbreak over.
The country was declared free of the virus on 7 November, and the region as a whole was cleared when Liberia was pronounced Ebola-free on Thursday.
Tests on a person who died in northern Sierra Leone proved positive, an Ebola test centre spokesman told the BBC.
The WHO has warned, however, that more flare-ups are expected.
How Ebola changed the world
Mapping Ebola
The Sierra Leone death occurred earlier this week.
Ebola test centre spokesman Sidi Yahya Tunis told the BBC that the patient had died in the Tonkolili district. He had travelled there from Kambia, close to the border with Guinea.

The tests were conducted by British health experts. The BBC's Umaru Fofana in the capital Freetown said health officials were now urgently seeking those who had come into contact with the victim.
Close to 4,000 people have died of Ebola in Sierra Leone, and 11,000 people across the region, since December 2013.
Liberia was the last country to see the end of active transmission of Ebola. But it had been declared clear twice before, only for the infection to re-emerge.
A country is considered free of human-to-human transmission once two 21-day incubation periods have passed since the last known case tested negative for a second time.

Read more - 
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35320363

Travelers cry fowl as 'Comfort Turkey' gets a seat on a plane - ruffles feathers about 'emotional support' animals -

Travelers cry fowl as 'Comfort Turkey' gets a seat on a plane - ruffles feathers about 'emotional support' animals - 

If you think that air travel has gone to the birds, it has -literally.

We're talkin' turkey, as in that big Thanksgiving bird, one of which recently was spotted aboard a Delta flight acting as a "support animal," and that's causing a flap over how passengers are using, and abusing, comfort animal rules.

So how can a turkey get on a plane?  Simple.  The passenger provided proper documentation proving the fowl was indeed their emotional support animal, so Delta let the bird on board, and even gave it its own seat.

Reddit user biggestlittlepickle posted the picture, saying that his neighbor, a flight attendant, took this snapshot of the poultry on a plane. unclelimpy, another Reddit user who is friends with the Delta pilot on that flight, followed with another shot of the turkey receiving VIP treatment as it was rolled through the airport on a wheelchair. It even looks like it was enjoying the ride.

Turkeys aren't the only animals used as emotional support animals on flights.  Horses, pigs and--yes, dogs are regularly used.

In 1986, Congress passed the Air Carrier Access Act, allowing service animals to fly on planes and ensuring they can't be removed simply on the grounds that other passengers object. That turkey, or other emotional support animals, requires documentation from a mental health professional. It can't walk about the cabin and can't do their business during the flight (after 8 hours the animal's owner must plan for the clean disposal of waste), something that must be a written guarantee from the human passenger. They also can't block aisles or take up seats near the emergency doors.

It's good to know that Delta and other U.S.-based carriers prohibit unusual service animals, such as snakes and other reptiles, ferrets, rodents, and spiders, as written in the federal guidelines of The Air Carrier Access Act. While Delta prohibits farm poultry, it allows domestic birds, and the turkey, well --apparently is a domestic bird.

In a statement to USA Today, Delta said by letting the turkey fly, they complied with the Air Carrier Access Act. "While we can't always accommodate all pets, Delta employees made a judgment call based in part on extensive documentation from the customer. We review each case and make every effort to accommodate our customers's travel needs while also taking into consideration the health and safety of other passengers."

Travel expert George Hobica, president of the website Airfarewatchdog.com, says these animals are all well and good until something happens.

"The problem with animals of any kind on planes, of course, is possible allergic reactions by other passengers and the possibility that an animal will bite a crew member or another passenger (there have been instances of this happening) or have an accident on the plane, perhaps even forcing an emergency landing if it's bad enough and passengers become ill as a result."

More of a concern is the growing trend of passengers faking emotional support needs and gaming the system to get around paying exorbitant pet fees.  Service animals are free, while shipping pets can cost hundreds of dollars. 

SOAR president Captain Tom Bunn, a former commercial pilot who now helps people manage their fear of flying, says it's all too easy to get a therapist to write a note. And websites are popping up that provide emotional support vests and necessary letters for fees ranging from $59 to $200.

"Any therapist can sign off on any kind of animal," he said.  "Science has proven that when dogs look at you with total devotion, it produces oxytocin, a hormone that shuts down the fear mechanism.  The turkey, I don't think so."

Bunn rarely uses dogs or other support animals in his therapy, opting instead for visualization techniques that would bring on the flow of oxytocin.  

He says support animals do help for jittery fliers, but when the system gets abused, it's not good for anyone.

"When I saw that turkey on Twitter, I thought here we go," he said. "Some people are going to very annoyed that they paid several hundred dollars to fly with a turkey."

It's likely airline executives feel the same way. But airlines face fines as high as $150,000 for refusing requests for legitimate support animals, and as those requests increase, so does the threat of a lawsuit.

According to Bunn, until the Department of Transportation changes guidelines, there's only one solution.

"The airlines and everyone on board will have to live with it,"says Bunn.

Read more - 
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2016/01/14/turkey-ruffles-feathers-about-emotional-support-animals-on-flights/

Urine Test to Predicts Alzheimer's -

Urine Test to Predicts Alzheimer's - 

A simple urine test may one day predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease, a devastating condition that affects 5.1 million Americans over the age of 65.

Researchers for the study, which was published by Scientific Reports, observed mice who were given chemical treatment meant to mimic the abnormal brain activity of people with Alzheimer's.

These mice had a urine odor distinct from the urine of mice who were not given the chemical.

The difference in odor was detectable even before researchers could identify plaque build-up in the mice's brains, an indicator meant to simulate Alzheimer's symptoms.

This suggests that the odor is due to a genetic change rather than a developmental one, signaling that the disease may be detectable earlier than previously thought.

"While this research is at the proof-of-concept stage, the identification of distinctive odor signatures may someday point the way to human biomarkers to identify Alzheimer's at early stages," said study author Dr. Daniel Wesson, a neuroscientist at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, in a press release.

While there is currently no test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, presence of an early biomarker could allow physicians to slow the progression of the disease and explore alternative avenues for treatment.

Read more - 

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-01-14/alzheimers-may-be-detectable-through-urine-test-study-says

This Plant Grows Eggplants and Potatoes at the Same Time - is nicknamed the “Egg and Chips” plant -

This Plant Grows Eggplants and Potatoes at the Same Time -  is nicknamed the “Egg and Chips” plant - 

A hybrid plant nicknamed “Egg and Chips” is capable of growing both eggplants and potatoes at the same time, yielding up to four eggplants and two kilograms of white potatoes during a harvest.

The plant is ideal for a kitchen garden or vegetable patch, and though it relies on a grafting procedure, has not been genetically modified. The plants “are great fun for kids and really capture the imagination, but the result is more than just a novelty, promises Thompson and Morgan, the U.K.-based seed manufacturer behind the dual-cropping plant.

Egg and Chips can be grown indoors or outdoors, and will reach a height of approximately 20 inches. Flowering will take place between July and August. Thompson and Morgan recommends you plant Egg and Chips in a greenhouse or sunny sheltered position, in a large-enough container to allow both plants to develop. For best results using a pot, choose a container that will hold at least 40 liters of compost.

Thompson and Morgan has previously created another hybrid called the Tomtato, a plant that grows tomatoes and potatoes. 

Read more - 

http://www.thedailymeal.com/cook/plant-grows-eggplants-and-potatoes-same-time-and-it-s-non-gmo/010816?advD=1401,21408

Dirty scopes needlessly infected scores of patients, investigation finds -

Dirty scopes needlessly infected scores of patients, investigation finds - 

Scores of patients were needlessly infected with potentially deadly bacteria after medical scope procedures because of repeated failures by the device manufacturers, regulators and hospitals to report outbreaks, according to a U.S. Senate investigation released Wednesday.

The investigators said they had found 25 outbreaks -- including two in Los Angeles -- linked to a device known as a duodenoscope, far more than previously reported. 

And they said that numerous flaws in the federal government’s oversight of medical devices are continuing to put patients at risk “with life-threatening consequences.” 

“Patients should be able to trust that the devices they need for treatment are safe and effective,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who initiated the probe after dozens of patients were sickened at a Seattle hospital.

“Unfortunately this investigation makes clear that current policies for monitoring medical device safety put patients at risk, and in this case, allowed tragedies to occur that could have, and should have, been prevented.”

The report details how Olympus Corp., the leading maker of the device, knew of the potential flaws in the scope in spring 2012 because of an independent investigation of an outbreak in the Netherlands.

But Olympus – and the federal Food and Drug Administration – did not warn American hospitals about the potentially lethal problem with the device until February 2015 after The Times reported about a superbug outbreak at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center where dozens of patients were potentially exposed and three died.

The investigators said that at least 141 patients in a myriad of cities were infected during that three-year delay.

The FDA began to investigate the scopes in September 2013, but "wasted valuable time" in seeking data from Olympus and two other manufacturers on whether they could show their devices could be properly cleaned, according to the report.

They also faulted hospitals where the outbreaks occurred for not filing required injury reports, which could have helped stop the infections.

The FDA requires manufacturers to file reports of injuries tied to their devices. The system -- known as Maude -- was designed to help give an early warning about defective devices.

Olympus filed some reports months late. And in most of the reports, the company suggested that something other than its scope, including poor cleaning procedures by hospitals, were to blame.

The FDA also strips all hospital names and locations from the reports, making it difficult for the public to track the outbreaks.

Deborah Kotz, an FDA spokeswoman, said Wednesday that stopping the risk of device-related infections “is a top priority” for the agency.

“The FDA has taken several actions to address the issue of duodenoscope-related infections and will continue to work to protect patients while ensuring access to these important devices for those who may benefit from minimally invasive procedures,” Kotz said.

Mark Miller, an Olympus spokesman, said Wednesday that the company had been cooperating with the investigators for several months.

“Although we do not agree with all of the report’s conclusions,” Miller said, “we are closely reviewing the recommendations in the report as part of Olympus’ ongoing efforts to increase patient safety associated with use of Olympus duodenoscopes.” 

Olympus, which is headquartered in Japan, sells 85% of the duodenoscopes used in American hospitals.

The duodenoscope is used in a procedure known as ERCP, or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Doctors thread the flexible scope down a patient's throat, into the digestive tract to diagnose and treat cancers, gallstones and other conditions.

Other manufacturers of the scope are Pentax and Fujifilm.

A spokeswoman for Pentax said Wednesday that the company was working with Congress and regulators to reduce the risk of infection from scopes.

And Fujifilm spokeswoman Diane Rainey said: "The protection of the health and safety of all patients remains the No. 1 priority of Fujifilm, and we are committed to working together with all stakeholders, including patients, hospitals, regulators and lawmakers, to ensure the long-term sustainable use of duodenoscopes."

The FDA has said it decided not to recall the scopes because there is no other device to perform ERCP -- a procedure that can avoid dangerous surgeries. 

The investigators said that at least three independent investigations had questioned the new design of recent models of the duodenoscope. In those devices, a tiny internal channel was sealed with the intention of keeping blood and other infectious material out so that it did not have to be cleaned.

The Senate investigators called for the FDA to quickly evaluate the scope’s sealed design, saying it “is now evident” that such models can “trap and transmit bacteria” even after cleaning.

The agency should consider “a phased recall” of the devices, the investigators said, so that they can be repaired or modified and properly disinfected.

They also called for the FDA to stop relying on manufacturers and hospitals to report injuries caused by devices. Instead, the system should be strengthened, they said, so the devices have unique identifying numbers that can be tracked in pharmacy insurance claims and electronic health records.

And because most hospitals had failed to report the outbreaks to regulators, the investigators called for those injury reports to be required as a condition of participating in Medicare.

Read more -

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-senate-scopes-20160112-story.html

British scientists could genetically edit human embryos by March -

British scientists could genetically edit human embryos by March - 

British scientists could be genetically modifying human embryos by March if regulators give the green light to the controversial technique.
On Thursday the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) meets to decide whether to give permission to the Francis Crick Institute to carry out landmark experiments to alter the DNA of leftover embryos from IVF clinics.
The team at Francis Crick want to deactivate genes in the embryos to see if it hinders development.

Currently around 50 per cent of fertilised eggs do not develop properly and experts believe that faulty genetic code could be responsible. If scientists knew which genes were crucial for healthy cell division, then they could screen out embryos where their DNA was not working properly, potentially preventing miscarriages and aiding fertility.
The initial pilot, which will also have to pass an ethics evaluation, will involve up to 30 embryos and the team would like to work on a further three genes, which could bring the total of to 120.
Critics warn that allowing embryos to be edited opens the door to designer babies and genetically modified humans.

But lead scientist Dr Kathy Niakan said that the research could fundamentally change our understanding of human biology and give hope to prospective parents.
“We would really like to understand the genes that are needed for an embryo to develop into a healthy baby,” she told a briefing in central London.
“Miscarriage and infertility are extremely common but they are not very well understood. We believe that this research could improve our understanding of the very earliest stages of human life.
“The reason why I think this is so important is that most human embryos fail to reach the blastocyst stage. Over 50 per cent will fail so this window is absolutely critical.
“If we were to understand the genes, it could really help us improve infertility treatment and provide crucial insights into the causes of miscarriage.”

The team at Francis Crick are already in talks with fertility clinics across the country to use their spare embryos.
Currently it is not illegal to edit human embryos for research purposes although it has never been done before because they technology has not been available. When China announced it had carried out similar experiments last year there was a widespread outcry.
All cells in a human embryo have the same DNA code, but they divide into specialised cells depending on gene expression.
Between day five and seven of human development and embryo has around 200 cells of three different types. One set will go on to form the foetus , while another type becomes the placenta, and the third kind the yolk sac which nourishes growing baby. The aim of the new project is to find out what causes the cells to turn into different kinds, a process known as ‘lineage specification.’
The new genetic editing technique, called Crispr, acts like molecular scissors to snip out part of the DNA code so that scientists can see if it was needed.
Dr Niakan said: “If you imagine the genome as volumes in an encyclopaedia, at some point in the development some of the cells will start to read a different volume compared to its neighbour cell. One cell will read a volume slightly differently even though they have the same library.”
“Crispr is so efficient and precise that it can go inside a single volume, open up, a specific page, identify a single word, and alter a single letter,” added Prof Niakan.

Read more - 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/12097488/British-scientists-could-genetically-edit-human-embryos-by-March.html

Workers ‘won’ $949M Powerball — for 20 minutes -

Workers ‘won’ $949M Powerball — for 20 minutes - 

Skip to 1:49 - 

Workers at a New Jersey restaurant jumped for joy when they thought they’d hit the Powerball jackpot, scoring Saturday’s $949 million prize.

But the celebration at Grissini’s Restaurant in Englewood Cliffs came to an abrupt end when employees realized they’d mistakenly compared Wednesday’s winning numbers to their Saturday ticket.

“It was like getting punched in the stomach,” said Charles Poveromo, 55, who’s worked as a bartender at the restaurant for 13 years.

Poveromo said 42 employees pooled their money and bought $210 worth of tickets.

On Saturday, his friend texted him the latest Powerball numbers — but failed to realize the website hadn’t been updated yet, and it was still showing Wednesday’s winning combination, he said.

“I picked up my phone and start calling out the numbers to everyone here,” Poveromo said.

“All the numbers matched our tickets. Then pandemonium hit. There was just so much joy, and I can’t put into words the feelings of euphoria that we all felt.”

A video posted on YouTube captured the brief moment of bliss, showing staffers hooting and hollering for joy, believing they’d become instant millionaires.

A dishwasher even took his apron off, yelling out, “I’m outta here! I quit!,” general manger Mike Devincenzi, 47, told The Post.

Then Poveromo called his wife, who said they should double-check the numbers. That’s when they realized the numbers were from the wrong day.

“When we found out, it was like a balloon deflating,” Poveromo said.

The dishwasher who threatened to quit laughed and put his apron back on, saying, “Back to work,” Devincenzi added.

In a Facebook post, the eatery posted a picture of their Saturday ticket with Wednesday’s winning numbers: 2, 11, 47, 62, 63 and 17. No one won the Wednesday drawing, which had a $528 million prize.

Here is the Ticket- a perfect match to Wednesday January 6th!

But Poveromo still relishes his brief taste of victory.

“For 20 minutes, it was real,” he said. “It’s a shame we didn’t win, but I wouldn’t trade that feeling for anything.”

And despite the crushing mix-up, they’re still playing this week’s lottery, hoping to take home the $1.5 billion jackpot on Wednesday, he said.

Read more - 
http://nypost.com/2016/01/12/workers-won-949m-powerball-for-20-minutes/

Thief is force-fed 40 bananas to retrieve a gold necklace he swallowed while fleeing police -

Thief is force-fed 40 bananas to retrieve a gold necklace he swallowed while fleeing police - 

A thief was force-fed 40 bananas as part of moves to retrieve a gold necklace he swallowed while fleeing from police.
The man denied snatching the chain from a woman in the street in Mumbai and gulped it down as he was fleeing officers in a desperate attempt to conceal his crime.
But X-rays showed what he had done and police in the western Indian city administered an enema which failed to yield the desired result.

Doctors suggested an operation would be the best way forward, but police officers decided it would be too expensive and opted instead for the bananas.

'He was fed more than 40 bananas throughout the day,' Mumbai police Senior Inspector Shankar Dhanavade told AFP.
'Eventually the chain was found. We made him wash and disinfect it,' the policeman added.
The 25-year-old man appeared in court on Friday and is in police custody, said Dhanavade.

According to reports, it was not the first time Mumbai police had turned to the fruit in order to recover a stolen item.
In July last year a chain was retrieved after a thief was made to eat two dozen bananas and drink several litres of milk laced with laxatives, the Hindustan Times reported.
Months earlier in April, a thief was fed five dozen bananas after swallowing a gold chain with a large pendant.
The thief successfully excreted the loot. But the disgusted victim refused to touch it and instead took it to a jeweller in a plastic bag, the newspaper said.

Read more: - 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3394181/Thief-force-fed-40-bananas-retrieve-gold-necklace-swallowed-fleeing-police-Mumbai.html

New freeze-dried 'poo pills' could be the answer to obesity -

New freeze-dried 'poo pills' could be the answer to obesity - 

SCIENTISTS are set to test freeze-dried pills containing the faecal matter of healthy and lean donors in a bid to tackle the obesity crisis.

Twenty obese volunteers will be taking part in the research and each will be receiving capsules that include several grams of stool from slim donors.

The pills will be taken every week for six weeks without making any changes to their normal diet and exercise habits while researchers track any changes.

These health and weight recordings will be taken at three, six and 12 months, with the potential to continue further depending on the success of the trial.

Elaine Yu, a professor and clinical researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital is leading the unusual trial.

While speaking to technology website Ars Technica that she and colleagues are "cautiously optimistic" but admits "We have no idea what the result will be".

The faeces filled capsules are designed to replace a person's intestinal microbes with those from the healthy donor.

The method has been tested in a number of animal studies and some anecdotal data in humans and has proved effective.

Previously, researchers took the gut microbes from a set of twins, one slim, one obese, and transplanted them into two sets of microbe-free mice.

The mice were on the same diet but those who got the obese twin's microbes became plumper, while the mice who received the lean twin's microbes remained slim.

Read more - 
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/6852866/New-freeze-dried-poo-pills-could-be-the-answer-to-obesity.html

ABC7 News car broken into while attending anti-robbery press conference in D.C.- mayor and chief were 100 feet away -

ABC7 News car broken into while attending anti-robbery press conference in D.C.- mayor and chief were 100 feet away - 

 An ABC7 News car was broken into while the crew was attending a press conference held by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Cathy Lanier to discuss a Task Force created to fight robberies.

According to ABC7 News reporter Stephen Tschida, thieves tore through the news vehicle Wednesday morning and a culprit smashed a window out of the car and stole a cache of equipment.

Tschida said the crime happened within view of where the mayor and chief were speaking, approximately 100 feet away.

ABC7 News will have more on this developing story as information becomes available.

Read more - 
http://wjla.com/news/local/abc7-news-car-broken-into-while-crew-was-attending-anti-robbery-press-conference-in-dc