PASCO, Wash. – A baby is being treated for rabies after it was bitten by a bat that flew out of a patio umbrella on the deck of her grandparents' Pasco home, the Tri-City Herald reported.
Dan and Sandra Anderson were babysitting 11-month-old Alanna on Saturday evening when Dan Anderson opened the umbrella and Sandra Anderson noticed something flutter out toward Alanna.
"It was weird. I thought maybe it was moths," Sandra Anderson said.
Then she saw the bat clinging to Alanna's back near her left shoulder. She brushed the bat away and then noticed two pair of tiny bite marks, even though the bat had been on the baby only a few seconds.
Alanna didn't cry — until she noticed how upset her grandmother was. The baby was given shots at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. Her grandparents are getting vaccine shots for rabies, too, as a precaution.
The family thought it had seen the last of the bat, but they were on the patio again Sunday for Mother's Day when they noticed something black inside the closed umbrella.
This time, Alanna's father, Derek Anderson, killed it with a piece of metal. He turned it over to the Benton Franklin Health Department and it tested positive for rabies.
The virus can be fatal without medical attention.
"I'm thankful we saw the bat on her and could take her for treatment," said Sandra Anderson.
"Everything's fine. It's 100 percent curable," Derek Anderson said.
Quabbin reservoir near Amhurst, MA provides water for the City of Boston and 40 other communities in the state.MyFOX Boston
Massachusetts State Police beefed up patrols around the reservoir that supplies Boston's drinking water after seven foreign students were caught trespassing in the area late at night.
With the city still jittery after the April 15 terror attack at the Boston Marathon, word that two women and five men, reportedly from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Singapore, had been found in the restricted area around the Quabbin Reservoir caused concerns. The reservoir serves Boston and some 40 other communities in the area.
“As an extra precaution, water quality samples were analyzed at MWRA’s lab yesterday and all came back normal," Ria Convery, of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, told the Boston Herald. “There is no evidence of any water quality issues at the Quabbin Reservoir following the trespassing incident.”
It was after midnight on Tuesday morning when a state trooper on patrol at the reservoir spotted two cars parked on the grass near one of Quabbin’s entrances. The cop investigated and found a group of seven people, five men and two women walking from the water back to their cars. When the police officer asked why they were trespassing, members of the group replied that they were chemical engineers and recent college graduates who had an educational interest in the reservoir, according to police.
The group was briefly held at the scene while background and warrant check were conducted but let go after their records turned up clean.
“There was no evidence that the seven were committing any crime beyond the trespassing,” Massachusetts State police spokesman David Procopio told FoxNews.com, adding that officers on the scene checked the vehicles and the park area and did not locate any items out of place or of a criminal nature.
Procopio also said that a preliminary investigation determined the individuals were originally from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. The Springfield field office of the FBI was contacted by the State Police and is assisting in an investigation.
“Further investigation is being undertaken because of the late hour when they were observed, their explanation for why they wanted to see the reservoir, and the fact that they were in an area marked no trespassing,” Procopio said.
Routine checks at numerous watersheds around the state have been stepped up as a precaution, but officials say nothing else has been reported as being out of the ordinary.
The seven individuals, whose identities were not released because of any formal arrest, will be summonsed to appear in a district court for trespassing. A court date is pending, according to officials.
As a doctor, I receive questions every day varying from heart health to infertility. Today, I received a question from a man who wanted to know what alternative therapies were out there for arthritis.
Dr. Manny, I suffer from arthritis, and my symptoms get worse during the winter. What can I do to manage the stiffness besides taking medication? - Marvin
Many arthritis sufferers use what is known as complementary and alternative practices to manage their symptoms.
Patients turn to these alternatives for many reasons. It may be because conventional medical treatment isn’t giving them the relief they need. Also, they may be concerned about the side effects associated with drug therapy, or they may feel that alternative therapies are safer because they are “natural.”
Whatever the reason, many patients are finding additional relief by incorporating these five practices into their arthritis management regimen:
Regular exercise
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) recommends that arthritis sufferers use these three types of exercise:
1. Range-of-motion exercises such as dancing to help maintain normal joint movement, relieve stiffness, and increase flexibility.
2. Strengthening exercises such as weight training to help keep or increase muscle strength.
3. Aerobic or endurance exercises such as bicycle riding to improve cardiovascular fitness, help control weight, and improve overall function. Weight control is important because extra weight puts extra pressure on many joints.
A healthy diet
Since there are over 100 known types of arthritis, there is no single diet that will help everyone. However, the Arthritis Foundation has established the following guidelines to assist patients in maintaining a diet that will help manage their symptoms:
1. Eat a variety of foods, and avoid those that can interact with your medications.
2. Use fat and cholesterol in moderation.
3. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products.
4. Use sugar and salt in moderation.
5. Drink alcohol in moderation.
6. Take in the daily requirements of vitamins and minerals, including calcium.
Dietary supplements
The American College of Rheumatology has noted that there is some evidence that ginger and willow bark extract may relieve pain.
These remedies, however, may contain chemicals that are similar to those found in naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil), which can cause inflammation of the stomach and intestines. They also may interfere with blood clotting and cause fluid retention, which may be problematic for people with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease.
1.) Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine supplements are sold separately or in combination, and are recommended for pain relief when used in conjunction with other pain medication. Although their effectiveness is unproven, the college says they “appear to be relatively safe, and may be worth considering for people who have severe pain despite conventional treatments.”
2.) Fish oils that contain omega-3 fatty acids have been reported to relieve pain and joint tenderness. It may take several months before a patient sees results. Side effects include gastrointestinal distress and breath odor.
Manage stress
Stress is a normal part of life; but for arthritis sufferers, there are additional stress factors like increased dependence on family members and changes in appearance due to joint deformities or the side effects of drugs.
The Arthritis Foundation says that controlling stress is imperative for arthritis patients because “when you feel stressed, your body’s muscles become tense. This muscle tension can increase your pain and fatigue and may limit your abilities, which can make you feel helpless.” Stress can lead to depression, which can touch off a cycle of stress, pain, fatigue, and limited/lost abilities. Managing stress can break that cycle.
Hot and cold applications
The Mayo Clinic makes the following recommendations:
“Heat will help ease your pain, relax tense, painful muscles and increase the regional flow of blood. One of the easiest and most effective ways to apply heat is to take a hot shower or bath for 15 minutes. Other options include using a hot pack, an electric heat pad set on its lowest setting or a radiant heat lamp with a 250-watt reflector heat bulb to warm specific muscles and joints. If your skin has poor sensation or if you have poor circulation, don't use heat treatment.
Cold may dull the sensation of pain. Cold also has a numbing effect and decreases muscle spasms. Don't use cold treatments if you have poor circulation or numbness. Techniques may include using cold packs, soaking the affected joints in cold water and ice massage.”
Patients should always exercise caution when considering any other alternative therapies. Before beginning any alternative or complementary therapy, talk with your doctor to see if it is right for your particular situation, and ask about possible side effects and harmful interactions, especially if are taking any additional medications for other conditions.
The first step during SCNT is enucleation or removal of nuclear genetic material (chromosomal) from a human egg. An egg is positioned with holding pipette (on the left) and egg's chromosomes are visualized under polarized microscope. A hole is made in the egg's shell (zone pellucida) using a laser and a smaller pipette (on the right) is inserted through the opening. The chromosomes then sucked in inside the pipette and slowly removed from the egg.Cell, Tachibana et al.
A colony of human ESCs extracted from a blastocyst generated by SCNT.Cell, Tachibana et al.
In a major medical breakthrough, researchers at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) have for the first time ever successfully converted human skin cells into embryonic stem cells – via a technique called nuclear transfer.
The research has major implications for the future of medical treatments, as many believe embryonic stem cells are the key to treating damaged cells lost through injury or illness. According to various medical researchers, stem cell therapy has the potential to treat anything from heart disease and spinal cord injuries to major neurological diseases, like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
Through a common laboratory method known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), ONPRC scientists, along with researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, essentially swapped the genetic codes of an unfertilized egg and a human skin cell to create their new embryonic stem cells. The researchers were able to fine-tune this method through a series of studies in macaque monkeys, and this study marks the first successful use of the SCNT technique to create embryonic stem cells in humans after many failed attempts from other research laboratories around the world.
The SCNT process involved scooping out the nucleus of a donated egg cell, leaving nothing by the egg’s cytoplasm – an essential ingredient. The researchers replaced the egg’s nucleus with the nucleus of a skin cell, which contains an individual’s genetic code. The combination of the egg’s cytoplasm and the skin cell’s nucleus eventually grows and develops into the embryonic stem cell.
“The idea is that the egg cytoplasm has some factors – we don’t know their nature yet – but it has the ability to reset the cell’s identity,” lead author Dr. Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a senior scientist at ONPRC, told FoxNews.com. “It basically erases all this memory, and now we can derive them and make them into stem cells.”
Embryonic stem cell research has been a controversial pursuit since its conception. Derived from unused embryos, which have been fertilized in vitro, these types of cells are pluripotent – meaning they have the capacity to develop into a variety of different cell types within the human body.
However, the utilization of embryonic stem cells has been met with ethical concerns, as many believe a fertilized egg should be granted the status of a human being. Because the fertilized human embryo is ultimately destroyed in the development of embryonic stem cells, many activist groups and politicians have spoken out against the use of such medical techniques.
Fortunately, the SCNT method bypasses these ethical dilemmas, as the donated eggs are never actually fertilized. Instead, the researchers ‘trick’ the egg cell into thinking it has been fertilized by a sperm. During the nuclear transfer process, Mitalipov and his team prompt the cell to remain in a state known as “metaphase” – a stage of cell division in which the cell’s chromosomes align in the middle of the cell just before the cell divides. This keeps the process from stalling and encourages the cell to ultimately develop into a stem cell.
Once reprogrammed, these stem cells can be cultivated into any kind of living cell – including nerve cells, heart cells, brain cells and many more.
Mitalipov also noted that once an individual has this process done, he or she will have a lifelong “bank” of embryonic stem cells doctors can utilize whenever the patient is injured or sick.
“You only need to do it once per patient,” Mitalipov said. “Once established, the stem cells are like a permanent source of stem cells – they have an unlimited capacity to keep growing… We only need to do it once, but one colony multiples to make hundreds of colonies. We can freeze them and continue to grow more and more.”
The researchers addressed the possibility that the SCNT method may be considered therapeutic cloning, but they said it is highly unlikely this method would be able to produce human clones. In all the years of utilizing SCNT with monkey cells, no monkey clones have ever successfully produced, so it is highly unlikely that human clones can be produced through this method – especially since human cells are much more fragile than monkey cells.
Instead, Mitalipov hopes people focus on the main goal of the research, which is to foster hundreds of different studies utilizing this new process of developing embryonic stem cells.
“We still have a lot more work to do, to learn how to transplant them,” Mitalipov said. “But the first step is already done, and it looks pretty clean. Probably, people could start banking these cells now; and hopefully, in the near future we will have some treatments coming in the clinic.”
The research was published online in the journal Cell.
President Obama said Wednesday that acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller has resigned in the fallout of the agency scandal in which conservative groups were targeted.
The president made the announcement in a brief statement at the White House, following a meeting with Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and other top department officials in which they reviewed an inspector general’s report on the issue.
The White House scheduled the meeting a day after the release of the report, which found ineffective management at the IRS allowed agents to improperly target Tea Party groups for more than 18 months, starting in 2010.
Obama said Lew asked for the resignation and Miller agreed, after being on the job since November 2012.
“Americans have a right to be angry about it, and I’m angry about it,” Obama said from the White House.
Miller’s resignation was part of three-step plan Obama outlined to fix the problem.
The other steps are to put in place the safeguards recommended in the report and to work with Congress in its oversight capacity.
“The good news is we can fix this,” Obama said.
Miller became acting commissioner after Commissioner Douglas Shulman completed his five-year term. Shulman had been appointed by President George W. Bush.
The president has proceeded cautiously since the IRS controversy was made public Friday. While he initially said the accusations were "outrageous," he also said he wanted to wait until the report was released before addressing what should be done to hold accountable those responsible.
Obama said Wednesday he would hold a press conference Thursday on the matter.
The report lays much of the blame on IRS supervisors in Washington who oversaw a group of specialists in Cincinnati who screened applications for tax exempt status. It does not indicate that Washington initiated the targeting of conservative groups, but it does say a top supervisor in Washington did not adequately supervise agents in the field even after she learned the agents were acting improperly.
The Justice Department is also investigating the IRS targeting, as are three congressional committees.
The House Ways and Means Committee said after the announcement of Miller's resignation that he still will attend a hearing Friday.
And the House Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs sent a letter Wednesday afternoon to the IRS requesting five employees named in the IG audit be made available for transcribed interviews by committee staff.
The Republican-led committee wants to start the interviews Monday.
The names and titles of the IRS employees requested are Holly Paz, a director; John Shafer, a manager; Gary Muthert, a screener; Liz Hofacre, a case coordinator; and Joseph Herr, a manager.
"The resignation of Steven Miller is a positive and important step as this agency struggles to try to regain the public’s trust," said Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. "A clean slate at the IRS with new leadership is imperative to fix this egregious encroachment on the lives of honest, hard-working Americans whose only sin was that they want to express their beliefs."
Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney sidestepped a question about whether Obama still had confidence in Miller, saying he wouldn't discuss personnel matters. He said Obama has expressed his overall view that IRS personnel had acted inappropriately.
"He wants to see that the actions taken, as revealed by the Treasury report, that are inappropriate, are met with consequences," Carney said. "He will make clear to Treasury Department leaders that he expects action."
Carney said Obama wants the public to "understand and believe that the IRS applies our tax laws in a neutral and fair way to everyone."
PHOENIX – The same jury that convicted Jodi Arias of murder one week ago took about three hours Wednesday to determine that the former waitress is eligible for the death penalty in the stabbing and shooting death of her one-time lover in his bathroom five years ago.
The decision came after a day of testimony in the "aggravation" phase of the trial, during which prosecutor Juan Martinez hoped to prove the June 2008 killing was committed in an especially cruel and heinous manner.
Family members of victim Travis Alexander sobbed in the front row as Martinez took the jury through the killing one more time. He described how blood gushed from Alexander's chest, hands and throat as the motivational speaker and businessman stood at the sink in his master bathroom and looked into the mirror with Arias behind him.
"The last thing he saw before he lapsed into unconsciousness ... was that blade coming to his throat," Martinez said. "And the last thing he felt before he left this earth was pain."
The trial now moves into the final phase, in which prosecutors will call Alexander's family and other witnesses in an effort to convince the panel Arias should face the ultimate punishment. Arias' attorneys also will call witnesses, likely members of her family, in an attempt to gain sympathy from jurors so they give her life in prison. That phase is scheduled to start Thursday morning.
The aggravation phase played out in quick fashion, with only one prosecution witness and none for the defense. The most dramatic moments occurred when Martinez displayed photos of the bloody crime scene for the jury and paused in silence for two minutes to describe how long he said it took for Alexander to die at Arias' hands on June 4, 2008.
Arias, wearing a silky, cream-colored blouse, appeared to fight back tears most of the morning but showed little emotion when the decision was announced. Afterward she chatted with her attorneys.
Arias spent the weekend on suicide watch before being transferred back to an all-female jail where she will remain until sentencing.
Martinez told jurors Wednesday that Alexander "suffered immensely" at Arias' hands.
"She made sure she killed him by stabbing him over and over and over again," he said.
The defense didn't have much of a case given how many times Alexander was stabbed, the defensive wounds on his hands, the length of the attack, and the sheer amount of blood found at the scene. Defense lawyers said Alexander would have had so much adrenaline rushing through his body that he might not have felt much pain.
The only witness was the medical examiner who performed the autopsy and explained to jurors how Alexander did not die calmly and fought for his life as evidenced by the numerous defensive wounds on his body.
Minutes after her first-degree murder conviction last Wednesday, Arias granted an interview to Fox affiliate KSAZ, only adding to the circus-like environment surrounding the trial that has become a cable TV sensation with its graphic tales of sex, lies and violence.
"Longevity runs in my family, and I don't want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place," a tearful Arias said. "I believe death is the ultimate freedom, and I'd rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it."
However, Arias cannot choose the death penalty. It's up to the jury to recommend a sentence.
The medical examiner who performed the autopsy testified Wednesday that Alexander did not die calmly and fought for his life as evidenced by the numerous defensive wounds on his body.
Arias acknowledged killing Alexander on June 4, 2008, at his suburban Phoenix home. She initially denied any involvement then later blamed masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, she said it was self-defense when the victim attacked her after a day of sex.
She stabbed and slashed Alexander nearly 30 times, shot him in the forehead and slit his throat from ear to ear, leaving him nearly decapitated before she dragged his mutilated body into his shower, where friends found him about five days later.
Prosecutors said Arias planned the killing in a jealous rage, as Alexander wanted to end their affair and planned to take a trip to Mexico with another woman.
Testimony in Arias' trial began in early January. The jury reached its verdict after about 15 hours of deliberations over four days. All 12 jurors -- eight men and four women -- unanimously agreed the killing was premeditated.
Key trio ... is there a reunion beckoning at Chelsea?Source:AP
Some Manchester City fans fear Roberto Mancini's sacking is the first step to becoming Chelsea.
But with the London club on the cusp of yet another trophy under Roman Abramovich, is that such a bad thing?
A win in the Europa League final against Benfica will be Chelsea’s 11th of the Russian’s era in charge, which is about to celebrate a decade of decadence at Stamford Bridge.
City fans might ask: is the circus worth it?
Claudio Ranieri: September 2000 to May 2004
Jose Mourinho: June 2004 to September 2007
Avram Grant: September 2007 to May 2008
Luiz Felipe Scolari: July 2008 to February 2009
Guus Hiddink: February 2009 to May 2009
Carlo Ancelotti: June 2009 to May 2011
Andre Villas-Boas: June 2011 to March 2012
"It is better to do it in a quieter way. It is very hard to explain. We keep getting trophies and winning things and we keep changing manager when there are some clubs who keep the same manager but haven't won anything for a long time. But which way is the best, it is hard to tell," goalkeeper Petr Cech said this week.
And so here they are again, with Chelsea manufacturing another run to silverware with an interim manager. It worked for Guus Hiddink in 2009, Roberto Di Matteo in 2012 and perhaps for Benitez in 2013.
Cech adds: "You can’t change 20 players in the middle of the season so it becomes dangerous for the manager if you have a spell where nothing is working. The easiest way to cure the problem is to change the manager".
And that’s exactly what Abramovich has done. Second under Claudio Ranieri – not good enough. Avram Grant and a penalty-kick away from a Champions League crown – not good enough. A poor start under World Cup winner Luiz Felipe Scolari – not good enough. A poor season after Carlo Ancelotti’s impressive double – not good enough. Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo suffered similar fates – poor starts, not good enough.
Trevor Birch, Chelsea's chief executive in 2003, recalls the moment Abramovich bought the club. The impulsive nature goes some way to defining the 10 years since.
"We did the deal in 10 minutes, nothing like that had ever happened," he recently reflected. "I don’t think people appreciated what a game changer it was. I suggested he spent £20m on players. He spent £140m in six weeks, the biggest change I’ve seen in English football."
He’s lured some massive names to the Premier League; Drogba, Cech, Essien, Makele, Robben, Carvalho, Ballack, Crespo. The legacy is mixed with some massive failures, with Shevchenko, Mutu, Kezman the most memorable. Currently, Abramovich’s riches have helped Chelsea to some wonderful talent like Eden Hazard and Oscar. Players have been prized from their rivals, too; Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Demba Ba, Shaun Wright- Phillips, Scott Parker feature on the list, headlined by Fernando Torres.
And there has also been the interference. Obscene amounts were splashed on Torres and Shevchenko. The latter arguably influenced Jose Mourinho’s demise in 2007.
It’s been a rollicking ride for Chelsea supporters, and pretty interesting viewing for neutrals.
On Thursday, Interim manager Rafael Benitez will hope to become the second manager to win the title with two different clubs (Valencia his first; Giovanni Trapattoni is the other manager to do it) and win his first trophy since the 2006 FA Cup at Liverpool, while making Chelsea the first team to do the UEFA Champions League/Europa League double in consecutive seasons.
But Benfica aren’t moved by Chelsea’s ambition. Midfielder Pablo Aimar sledged: "They have not been convincing - in Europe or in the Premier League. Since they have inherited a wealthy owner, this is probably the weakest Chelsea team there has been."
Abramovich might agree, which is why it looks a fait accompli that he’s reaching out to his old sparring partner, Jose Mourinho, to bridge the gap to the Manchester clubs and return the side to the swashbuckling juggernaut it was in Mourinho’s title-winning seasons.
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Abramovich’s money has single-handedly pushed Chelsea into the upper ether of Europe’s elite, but despite the high profile comings and goings, the core of Mourinho’s success - and winning mentality - remains, even though they are just holding on.
Lampard will captain Chelsea on Thursday and earn a new deal despite all efforts to move him on, John Terry is injured for another final but unlikely to be released by Mourinho, Cech and Ashley Cole still remain as their old manager appears destined to return.
With the likes of Mata, Oscar and Hazard – who will miss the final through injury – capable of football just as good as Arjen Robben, Joe Cole or Damien Duff produced in yesteryear, Mourinho is charged with the task of reviving that aura around the team. The chequebook won’t be spared either, especially in the pursuit of someone to reprise Didier Drogba’s heroics.
While Chelsea look to create history, they’ll be up against a Benfica side looking to ignore history and buck a trend of six losing European finals dating back to 1963. They head into the match after losing their first match of the season on the weekend – an incredible 93rd minute loss to title rivals Porto, which denied them the chance to close out the championship.
But it's fitting that a Chelsea win still won't be enough to see them retain their manager.
That's the Roman Abramovich era, in a nutshell.
"After Thursday we will have played 68 games. For the last six months we have been playing two games a week at least," Rafa Benitez said this week.
"Imagine any team in the world doing that and progressing to semi-finals of two competitions and final of one. It doesn't matter what a lot of people say, we feel we have done a good job. Hopefully we can do even better."
But to do that, Abramovich will bring in a new manager.
As we look to define 10 years of foreign ownership at Chelsea, this final does a good job at doing just that.
