Typhoon Vongfong aims at Japans main islands

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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)Typhoon Vongfong is heading toward Japans main islands after strong winds and heavy rains left more than 20 people injured in the southern Okinawan islands over the weekend.

Reports cited the Japan Meteorological Agency as saying the typhoon was due to make landfall on Japans Kyushu and Honshu islands as early as Monday morning.

The agencys chief forecaster, Hiroshi Sasaki, warned residents to take precautions including staying away from beaches or swollen rivers.

Tokyo and eastern Japan are expected to see strong rain and wind on Tuesday.

In Okinawa, Japans southernmost prefecture, local officials said at least 23 people were injured, including a 9-year-old girl who had her finger amputated after getting it caught in a door slammed shut by strong winds.

Vongfong comes a week after Japan was hit by typhoon Phanfone, which killed seven people, including three U.S. servicemen in Okinawa.

Meanwhile, a massive cyclone pounded southern India on Sunday morning, killing at least six people and damaging houses and crops.

Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes, The Wall Street Journal reported. The storm, named Hudhud, hit the coast near a port city in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh at about 11:30 a.m. local time. The chief minister of the state said the extent of damage from the storm would become clear in a day or two after it subsided. He said Sunday evening at least 70% of communication had totally collapsed.

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Typhoon Vongfong aims at Japans main islands

Standard & Poor’s U.S. Consumer, Retail, And Health Care Weekly Review (Oct. 5) – Video

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Standard Poor #39;s U.S. Consumer, Retail, And Health Care Weekly Review (Oct. 5)
In this segment of Standard Poor #39;s U.S. Consumer, Retail, and Health Care Weekly Review, Standard Poor #39;s Associate Director Jacqui Hui highlights sector ...

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Standard & Poor's U.S. Consumer, Retail, And Health Care Weekly Review (Oct. 5) - Video

Bergen County Community College Pres.: Health Care Program Is Expanding To Meet Demand – Video

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Bergen County Community College Pres.: Health Care Program Is Expanding To Meet Demand
Bergen Community College President Kaye Walter says that the school #39;s health care program is expanding in order to meet the demand. For more New Jersey news,...

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Bergen County Community College Pres.: Health Care Program Is Expanding To Meet Demand - Video

Health care workers monitored after Ebola case

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DALLAS --

Tests confirmed the first known case of Ebola transmitted in the nation, raising questions about assurances by health officials here that the disease will be contained and any American hospital should be able to treat it.

Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Sunday there had been a breach of protocol that led the worker to become infected while treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan, but officials are not sure what occurred. Duncan, who traveled from Liberia to visit family, did not get sick until he arrived in the U.S. He died Wednesday.

The worker, who has not been identified, has not been able to point to how the breach might have occurred.

President Barack Obama asked the CDC to quickly investigate the incident, the White House said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was asked on ABC's "Good Morning America" if federal health authorities should consider requiring that Ebola patients be sent only to highly specialized "containment" hospitals.

"That is something that should be seriously considered," Fauci said.

Dallas police barred entry to the health care worker's apartment complex Sunday. Officers also knocked on doors, made automated phone calls and passed out fliers to notify people within a four-block radius about the situation, although Dallas authorities assured residents the risk was confined to those who have had close contact with the two Ebola patients.

The worker wore a gown, gloves, mask and shield while she cared for Duncan during his second visit to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, said Dr. Daniel Varga of Texas Health Resources, which runs the hospital.

Duncan, who arrived in the U.S. from Liberia Sept. 20, first sought medical care for fever and abdominal pain Sept. 25. He told a nurse he had traveled from Africa, but he was sent home. He returned Sept. 28 and was placed in isolation because of suspected Ebola.

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Health care workers monitored after Ebola case

Health care worker catches Ebola from man who died

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DALLAS Federal health officials on Monday urged the nation's hospitals to "think Ebola" and launched a review of procedures for treating infected patients, while the World Health Organization called the outbreak "the most severe, acute health emergency seen in modern times."

Public-health authorities also intensified their monitoring of Dallas hospital workers who cared for a man who died of Ebola. Their stepped-up efforts came a day after a nurse was tested positive for the virus.

The nurse, who was wearing protective gear when she took care of Thomas Eric Duncan, became the first person to contract the disease within the United States.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden said he would not be surprised if another hospital worker who cared for Duncan becomes ill because Ebola patients become more contagious as the disease progresses. The CDC now is monitoring all hospital workers who treated Duncan and planned to "double down" on training and outreach on how to safely treat Ebola patients, Frieden said.

When asked how many health care workers are being checked, Frieden said officials "don't have a number."

Health officials have relied on a 'self-monitoring' system when it comes to U.S. health care workers who care for isolated Ebola patients and wear recommended protective equipment. They expect workers to report any potential exposures to the virus and watch themselves for symptoms.

Besides the workers, health officials continue to track 48 people who were in contact before Duncan was admitted to the hospital and placed in isolation. They are monitoring one person the nurse was in contact with while she was in an infectious state.

None has exhibited symptoms, Frieden said.

The case involving the infected nurse raised questions about assurances by American health officials that the disease will be contained and that any U.S. hospital should be able to treat it.

Frieden has said a breach of protocol led to the nurse's infection, but officials are not sure what went wrong. The nurse, who has not been identified, has not been able to point to any specific breach.

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Health care worker catches Ebola from man who died

Health care worker at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas tests positive for Ebola

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A Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital health care worker in Dallas who had extensive contact with the first Ebola patient to die in the United States has contracted the disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta confirmed the news Sunday afternoon after an official test.

The infected person detected a fever Friday night and drove herself to the Presbyterian emergency room, where she was placed in isolation 90 minutes later. A blood sample sent to the state health lab in Austin confirmed Saturday night that she had Ebola the first person to contract the disease in the United States.

The director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday that the infection in the health care worker, who was not on the organizations watch list for people who had contact with Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan, resulted from a breach in protocol.

"We have spoken with the health care worker," who cannot "identify the specific breach" that allowed the infection to spread, said CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden. The CDC has sent additional staff members to Dallas to assist with the response, he said.

Frieden said exposure can result from a single inadvertent slip. He cautioned: "Unfortunately it is possible in the coming days we will see additional cases of Ebola" in health care workers.

Texas health commissioner David Lakey said the health care worker had "extensive contact" with Duncan. The nurse, who missed two days of work before going to the emergency room, is believed to have had contact with one person while symptomatic. Ebola, which is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of a sick person, can only be transmitted from infected people showing symptoms.

"We have been preparing for an event like this, Lakey said.

Presbyterian chief clinical officer Daniel Varga said the exposure occurred during Duncans second visit to the hospital. Duncan, the first person to die of Ebola in the United States, went to the Presbyterian emergency room Sept. 25 and was sent home with antibiotics only to return to the hospital on Sept. 28. He was diagnosed with Ebola and died Oct. 8.

It is not clear how the health care provider contracted Ebola. According to Duncan's patient records released by the family to The Associated Press, this is what happened at Presbyterian:

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Health care worker at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas tests positive for Ebola

Health care workers monitored after Texas Ebola case

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DALLAS --

Public-health authorities also intensified their monitoring of Dallas hospital workers who cared for a Liberian man who died of Ebola. Their stepped-up efforts came a day after a 26-year-old nurse tested positive for the virus.

The nurse, identified as Nina Pham, was wearing protective gear when she took care of Thomas Eric Duncan, but became the first person to contract the disease within the United States. Nina Pham's family told WFAA-TV in Dallas that she was the health care worker with Ebola. A rector at her family's church told The Associated Press that Pham's mother told him Pham has the virus.

Pham, a graduate of Texas Christian University's nursing school, was monitoring her own temperature and went to the hospital Friday night as soon as she found out she was running a low fever. She is in isolation and in stable condition, health officials said.

Signs and symptoms of Ebola virus

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days

When asked how many health care workers are being checked, Frieden said officials "don't have a number."

Health officials have relied on a 'self-monitoring' system when it comes to U.S. health care workers who care for isolated Ebola patients and wear recommended protective equipment. They expect workers to report any potential exposures to the virus and watch themselves for symptoms.

Besides the workers, health officials continue to track 48 people who were in contact before Duncan was admitted to the hospital and placed in isolation. They are monitoring one person the nurse was in contact with while she was in an infectious state.

None has exhibited symptoms, Frieden said.

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Health care workers monitored after Texas Ebola case

Health care workers monitored after new Dallas Ebola case

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October 13, 2014, 11:01 AM Last updated: Monday, October 13, 2014, 11:02 AM

DALLAS (AP) Health officials are intensifying the monitoring of hospital workers who provided care to the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. after one of them was infected with the virus despite wearing protective gear.

Tests confirmed the first known case of Ebola transmitted in the nation, raising questions about assurances by health officials here that the disease will be contained and any American hospital should be able to treat it.

Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Sunday there had been a breach of protocol that led the worker to become infected while treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan, but officials are not sure what occurred. Duncan, who traveled from Liberia to visit family, did not get sick until he arrived in the U.S. He died Wednesday.

The worker, who has not been identified, has not been able to point to how the breach might have occurred.

President Barack Obama asked the CDC to quickly investigate the incident, the White House said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was asked on ABC's "Good Morning America" if federal health authorities should consider requiring that Ebola patients be sent only to highly specialized "containment" hospitals.

"That is something that should be seriously considered," Fauci said.

Dallas police barred entry to the health care worker's apartment complex Sunday. Officers also knocked on doors, made automated phone calls and passed out fliers to notify people within a four-block radius about the situation, although Dallas authorities assured residents the risk was confined to those who have had close contact with the two Ebola patients.

The worker wore a gown, gloves, mask and shield while she cared for Duncan during his second visit to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, said Dr. Daniel Varga of Texas Health Resources, which runs the hospital.

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Health care workers monitored after new Dallas Ebola case

CDC doesnt know how many health-care workers in Dallas may have been exposed to Ebola; AP says its about 70 people

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A day after a nurse who treated an Ebola-stricken patient in Dallas was diagnosed with the virus,public health officials are still trying to figure out how many health-care workers may have had similar exposure.

It is still unclear how, exactly, the nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas became the first person to contract the virus in the United States, said Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But ifone health-care workerwas infected,it is possible other people could have been infected as well, Frieden said during a briefing with reporters on Monday.

This infection substantially changes how public health authorities will respond to the virus in the United States, he said.

We have to rethink the way we address Ebola infection control, becauseeven a single infection is unacceptable, Frieden said.

Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provided an update Monday to the investigation into the spread of the Ebola virus to a nurse at a Dallas hospital. Frieden also apologized for his initial remarks about the nurses infection, which seemed to blame the nurse or other health care workers for the infection. (AP)

The nurse remains in stable condition at the same hospital that treated Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian man who was diagnosed with the virusand died last week. Shehad one and only one contact during the period when she may have been infectious, a person who is being monitored and has exhibited no symptoms of Ebola.In addition, the 48 people who are known to have had possible contact with Duncan before his hospitalization continue to show no symptoms, Frieden said.

Still, the uncertainty about how the nurse was infected and the fact that she was infected while Duncan was isolated at a hospital raises more questions about how prepared hospitals and health-care workers are to deal with the additional Ebola cases that authorities say are likely to occur.

We need to consider the possibility that there could be additional cases, particularly among the health-care workers that cared for [Duncan] when he was so ill, Frieden said. We would not be surprised if we did see additional cases in the health-care workers who also provided care to [Duncan].

Figuring out exactly what protocols need to be strengthened and who else may have been exposed is particularly difficult because it is not known how the nurse was infected. TheCDC is looking at every aspect of patient treatment, rangingfrom what types of equipment can beused to how protective gear is placed on and off, to try and determine if the current guidelines are strong enough.

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CDC doesnt know how many health-care workers in Dallas may have been exposed to Ebola; AP says its about 70 people

Ebola Health Care Worker Sick Because Safety Rules Werent Followed, O

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A Dallas health care worker who has been diagnosed with Ebola got sick because safety protocols for treating a man who later died from the disease were not followed, health officials said Sunday.

The unidentified health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who tested positive for Ebola wore full protective gear while she cared for Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian man who died from Ebola on October 8.

But just wearing the gear isn't enough to avoid danger, according to health officials who suggested that contamination could have occurred while the health care worker was putting on or taking off the protective gear, which consists of a gown, a mask, gloves, a face shield, and booties.

"We don't know what occurred in the care of the patient in Dallas, but at some point there was a breach in protocol," said Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Dallas health care worker's illness is a reminder of the risks medical personnel have faced during the Ebola outbreak that began in West Africa, and of how U.S. health officials have been scrambling to try to ensure the safety of medical personnel who may come in contact with Ebola patients.

At least 416 health care workers have been infected with Ebola in West Africa this year and 233 have died, greatly limiting the care options there, and the willingness of others to provide that care. In total, more than 8,300 people have been infected by Ebola this year and about 4,000 have died.

Health care workers in the West typically are better protected from contagious diseases than those in Africa, because Western workers and hospitals have the knowledge and equipment to shut down the spread of infections.

But the outbreak of Ebolawhich is spread through close contact with symptomatic person's bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, feces, or semenis raising questions about just how prepared U.S. health care workers and hospitals really are.

Ashish Jha, professor of health policy at the Harvard School of Public Health, said medical protocols have to be followed meticulously to protect health care workers from Ebola.

It's not yet clear specifically how the Dallas health care worker became infected, but Jha said it likely occurred when she was taking off her protective equipment, which he said has to be done very carefully to avoid contamination. At the most well-run Ebola treatment units in Africa, a staff member is responsible for watching other workers, particularly when they take off their gear, to make sure no one comes in contact with the outside of the gear.

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Ebola Health Care Worker Sick Because Safety Rules Werent Followed, O

Guideline offers direction in genetic testing for certain types of muscular dystrophy

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

13-Oct-2014

Contact: Rachel Seroka rseroka@aan.com 612-928-6129 American Academy of Neurology @GreenJournal

MINNEAPOLIS A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) recommends guidance on how doctors should evaluate the full picturefrom symptoms, family history and ethnicity to a physical exam and certain lab test resultsin order to determine what genetic tests may best diagnose a person's subtype of limb-girdle or distal muscular dystrophy. The guideline is published in the October 14, 2014, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. To develop the guideline, researchers reviewed all of the available studies on the disorders, which cause muscles to waste away.

"These are rare muscle diseases that can be difficult to diagnose," said guideline lead author Pushpa Narayanaswami, MD, of Harvard Medical School in Boston and a Fellow of the AAN and AANEM. "With an accurate diagnosis, unnecessary tests or treatments may be avoided. Knowing the specific subtype is important for getting the best possible care."

"Limb girdle" refers to the hip and shoulder areas, where the limbs attach to the body. Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy most affects muscles close to the center of the body, such as in the areas near the tops of the arms and legs. Distal muscular dystrophy most affects muscles farther away from the center of the body, such as muscles in the hands and feet. There are several known subtypes of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and distal muscular dystrophy. Experts continue to discover new subtypes.

Certain signs and symptoms and other information such as family history can help doctors determine a person's subtype. "Looking at a range of clinical signs and symptomssuch as which muscles are weak and if there is muscle wasting or enlargement, winging out of the shoulder blades, early signs of contracted limbs, rigidity of the neck or back, or heart or lung involvementcan help doctors determine which genetic test to order," said senior author Anthony A. Amato, MD, also of the Harvard Medical School and a Fellow of the AAN and AANEM. "This in turn can shorten the time to diagnosis and start of treatment while helping avoid more extensive and expensive testing."

While there is no cure for these disorders, complications can be managed. The guideline makes recommendations about treating and managing complications, which may include muscle symptoms, heart problems and breathing problems.

"Before this publication, there were no care guidelines that covered both limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and distal MD and were based on the evidence," said Julie Bolen, PhD, MPH, team lead, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We hope that this guideline will fill that gap for both the people who live with these rare disorders and the health care professionals who treat them."

The guideline recommends that care for people with these disorders should be coordinated through treatment centers specializing in muscular dystrophy. People with these disorders should tell their doctors about any symptoms such as the heart beating too fast or skipping beats, shortness of breath and pain or difficulty in swallowing, as treatments may be available. People should also talk to their doctors about exercises that are safe.

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Guideline offers direction in genetic testing for certain types of muscular dystrophy

ABB Product Launch in Hollywood to be Addressed by Futurist Jack Uldrich

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Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 13, 2014

Robotics are changing the world at a dizzying pace and ABB/Thomas & Betts is on the cutting edge of the movement. Innovation is at the forefront of what ABB/Thomas & Betts do and many of the technologies that drive modern society were pioneered by ABB. On October 13th, ABB/Thomas & Betts is presenting a revolutionary new product launch in West Hollywood, CA., and they have selected global Futurist Jack Uldrich to deliver the keynote for the event.

In 2012 ABB merged with Thomas Betts and together they are a global leader in power and automation technologies. Their solutions improve the efficiency, productivity and quality of customers operations while minimizing environmental impact. They are a leading supplier of industrial robots, modular manufacturing systems and service. Their strong solutions focus helps manufacturers improve productivity, product quality and worker safety. To date, ABB has installed more than 250,000 robots worldwide.

Uldrich, a best selling author, trend expert and futurist is well versed in the coming trends and he will be addressing the ABB Group in West Hollywood, CA., with his talk, "Breakthrough: Ten Technological Trends Transforming Tomorrow."

In his talk Uldrich will provide an in-depth examination of a number of trends, including wearables technologies, 3D manufacturing, mobility, advances in nanotechnology, data anlytics, the Internet of Things and robotics, and discuss how these trends are transforming the competitive landscape. In addition to discussing the technologies that will be introduced in the near future, he also poses some serious questions for his audiences: "Think about how much we already rely on machines. What would happen if those machines were no longer available, or even temporarily offline? What risk does handing a growing number of our decisions off to automation pose?"

In his book "Foresight 20/20" Uldrich puts together a plethora of future based scenarios and robotics, energy, utilities and 3D printing are just a few of his highlighted chapters. In additon to speaking to companies like Emerson (most recently at their 2014 Global Users Exchange in Orlando last week,) Eaton, PMMI, The National Association of Manufacturers, Uldrich also speaks on topics in retail, education, finance and healthcare, among others. He will be following up his talk in California at ABB/Thomas & Betts events in Houston, Atlanta, Chicago and New York City throughout the month of October.

Uldrich is a renowned global futurist, best-selling author; editor of the monthly newsletter, The Exponential Executive. Parties interested in learning more about him, his books, his daily blog or his speaking availability are encouraged to visit his website. Media wishing to know more about either the event or interviewing Jack can contact Amy Tomczyk at (651) 343.0660.

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ABB Product Launch in Hollywood to be Addressed by Futurist Jack Uldrich

Raymond Loewy's NASA Designs Are The Space Future That Never Was

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From 1967 until 1973 NASA employed the services of Raymond Loewy, a legendary figure in the design world. Loewy's firm produced over 3,000 designs for NASA during this time. And everything they produced for the space agency would fit perfectly in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey like the Loewy space taxi pictured above.

Loewy is best known for his work designing earthbound objects, from trains to the iconic Coke bottle to the livery that still decorates Air Force One. But during those six years, the employees at Loewy's design firm served as "habitability consultants" to NASA with the hope of making projects like America's first space station Skylab (in orbit from 1973-1979) more human-friendly. Not all of their ideas were terribly practical, but they helped define the space design agenda for decades to come.

Below, we see one of Loewy's full-scale mock-ups for an "artificial-G, shuttle-compatible space station interior" courtesy of NASA.

"Prior to Skylab, NASA designed its vehicles like aircraft cockpits, where providing basic life support was the guiding principle," the new book Milestones of Space edited by Michael J. Neufeld explains. "Engineers at the NASA Marshall Center in Hunstville, Alabama, saw no need for amenities; instead, they stressed functionality and reliability."

But people like NASA's George Mueller and the contractor Martin Marietta (who were actually responsible for bringing Loewy into the fold) understood that if regular humans who weren't fighter pilots and astronauts were to ever go into space, things would have to be designed a bit more posh.

The stated goal of bringing on Loewy was to "help insure the psycho-physiology, safety and comfort of the astronauts." And even though some of the designs were too wild for the time (many of them having to do with space constraints and practicalities) they helped NASA consider new ways to make humans more comfortable in the cold, alienating confines of space vehicles.

If you're a fan, you can read Loewy's 1973 report [pdf] to NASA on designs for space shuttles and stations. The images and ideas evoke the space age futurism of the late 1960s and 70s perhaps better than any other official report produced for NASA. Loewy's work helped bridge the gap between science fiction and science fact, bringing a mod-sensibility to the agency.

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Raymond Loewy's NASA Designs Are The Space Future That Never Was