Herbalife to pay $15 million to settle class action lawsuit

By Devika Krishna Kumar (Reuters) - Herbalife Ltd would pay $15 million to settle an 18-month battle over a class action lawsuit brought by a former distributor claiming that the nutrition and supplements company is running an alleged pyramid scheme, according to a U.S. court filing. The company would pay $15 million in cash, plus up to $2.5 million for product returns, according to the court filing that granted preliminary approval for the settlement on Friday. ...

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5 Nutritional Deficiencies You Might Not Even Know You Have

SPECIAL FROM Grandparents.comAs we age, proper nutrition is essential for maintaining a healthy body and mind. And while we need to eat fewer calories the older we get, our bodies actually require more of certain vitamins and minerals.A number of factors may contribute to nutritional deficiencies: Some people have limited access to food due to...

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Judge rejects strict limits on nurse who treated Ebola patients

By Joel Page FORT KENT Maine (Reuters) - Declaring Ebola fears in the United States "not entirely rational," a judge rejected Maine's bid for a quarantine on a nurse who treated victims of the disease in West Africa but tested negative for it, and instead imposed limited restrictions. Nurse Kaci Hickox's challenge of Maine's 21-day quarantine became a key battleground for the dispute between officials in some U.S. states who have imposed strict quarantines on health workers returning from three Ebola-ravaged West African countries and the federal government, which opposes such measures. ...

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Unknown election outcome is stocks' big fear

By Ryan Vlastelica NEW YORK (Reuters) - A handful of toss-up U.S. Senate races next week could hold the key to whether the stock market glides through the year-end in a typical post-midterm election rally or gets hit with a fresh bout of volatility. U.S. investors appear less concerned with whether Republicans take control of the Senate, as expected, or Democrats hang on to their majority by a slim margin. They just want to know - come Wednesday morning - the actual outcome. ...

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S.Leone Ebola outbreak 'catastrophic': aid group MSF

Ebola has wiped out whole villages in Sierra Leone and may have caused many more deaths than the nearly 5,000 official global toll, a senior coordinator of the medical aid group MSF said Friday. Rony Zachariah of Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, said after visiting Sierra Leone that the Ebola figures were "under-reported", in an interview with AFP on the sidelines of a medical conference in Barcelona. The World Health Organization (WHO) published revised figures on Friday showing 4,951 people have died of Ebola and there was a total of 13,567 reported cases.

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Watch: Inside an American Factory Churning Out Hazmat Suits

Dunlap Industries manufactures Hazmat suits using special material that will hold out blood and body fluid.



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Oregon resident hospitalized for possible Ebola virus infection

PORTLAND Ore. (Reuters) - An Oregon resident being monitored for possible Ebola infection has been hospitalized, state health officials said on Friday. A woman being monitored after traveling to an Ebola-plagued nation registered a high temperature, causing health officials to order her hospitalized, the Oregon Health Authority said, adding that she is in isolation and is not danger to the public. (Reporting by Courtney Sherwood in Portland, Oregon; Writing by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Bill Trott)



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U.S. Medicare sets new hospital, doctor payments for 2015

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Medicare program's payment rate for hospital outpatient services will increase 2.3 percent in calendar year 2015, while the rate for ambulatory surgical services will rise 1.4 percent, the federal government announced on Friday. The Medicare health insurance program for the elderly and disabled will also begin to pay doctors a monthly fee to coordinate care for patients with multiple chronic conditions in 2015, a government statement said. The separate monthly payment of $40. ...



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Medicare paid for meds after patients were dead

WASHINGTON (AP) — Call it drugs for the departed: A quirky bureaucratic rule led Medicare's prescription drug program to pay for costly medications even after the patients were dead.

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Jefferies CEO, chairman take drug tests

(Reuters) - Jefferies Group LLC said on Friday Chief Executive Rich Handler, Chairman Brian Friedman and executives at its healthcare division were tested negative for drug usage, after one of its investment banking head was accused of drug abuse. Sources told Reuters on Thursday that Sage Kelly, the head of Jefferies' healthcare investment banking group, is taking a leave of absence from the firm as he wages a bitter divorce battle with his estranged wife. ...



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Pentagon civilians leaving Ebola zones may choose monitoring regimen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Civilian U.S. defense employees returning from Ebola relief work in West Africa must undergo monitoring to ensure they are free of disease but can choose between following civil health guidelines or the stricter military regimen, the Pentagon said on Friday. The decision followed an impassioned political and scientific debate in the United States about the most appropriate and safe precautions for returning medical and other workers who have been helping to contain the Ebola outbreak at its source. ...

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Halyard Health poised to shine in debut on back of Ebola scare

By Devika Krishna Kumar (Reuters) - When Kimberly-Clark Corp decided a year ago to carve off its healthcare division, it probably did not envisage launching the company amid the deadliest ever outbreak of the Ebola virus. Since Ebola was first diagnosed in the United States, demand has surged for the eye shields, face masks and disposable gowns made by Halyard Health Inc, which is set to make its market debut on Monday. "The investment community seems very engaged and are asking us a lot of questions," Warren Machan, Halyard's senior vice-president of business strategy, told Reuters. ...

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Judge rejects Ebola quarantine for nurse

FORT KENT, Maine (AP) — A Maine judge gave nurse Kaci Hickox the OK to go wherever she pleases, handing state officials a defeat Friday in their bid to restrict her movements as a precaution against Ebola.



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Researchers in Oregon identify autism-risk genes

By Courtney Sherwood PORTLAND Ore. (Reuters) - Researchers in Oregon say they have identified 27 genes that may cause autism, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature. The research at Oregon Health and Science University has the potential to create a screening tool for parents of autistic children, by helping them to determine if future offspring are likely also to develop the disorder, said co-author Brian O'Roak, assistant professor of molecular and medical genetics at OHSU's medical school. ...



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Could breathing differently change how people climb mountains?

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A brief new report claims that using a breathing technique based on Tibetan Buddhist tradition, 26 inexperienced mountain climbers made it up Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa in 48 hours while avoiding acute mountain sickness. They were trained to take quick deep breaths constantly while climbing, said coauthor Dr. Geert A. Buijze of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam in The Netherlands. “Compare it to the deep breathing when performing strenuous exercises,” Buijze told Reuters Health by email. ...



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Aging Is All In Your Head, Study Says

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks," you might joke. Or think to yourself, "I'm too old to do that." Stop it, we beg you. A new study shows perceptions of age are as good as reality when it comes to physical functioning.Researchers from Yale University and University of California, Berkeley set out to find out just how powerful negative --...

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Insurance broker Aon launches Ebola liability cover

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. insurance broker Aon has launched Ebola liability cover for hospitals and other health care institutions, the company said on Tuesday. The Ebola virus has killed nearly 5,000 people worldwide, mainly in West Africa. Fear of Ebola infections spreading to developed economies has prompted insurance companies to add exclusion clauses to their standard policies or to develop new products. The U.S. broker's Ebola cover is for situations "where existing liability programs may not apply" and provides up to $25 million of liability coverage, Aon said in a statement. ...

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GMO crops have fans, critics

(Reuters) - Since commercialization of the world's first genetically engineered crops in 1995-1996, there has been an ongoing debate globally about the safety and effectiveness of the crops. China has recently slowed its process for allowing imports of certain types of GMO corn and rejected millions of dollars worth of U.S. * GMO crop developers and other backers say many scientific studies show the crops are safe, and the USDA promotes the crops as a means to enhancing global food security. The last import approval for a GMO grain was granted in June 2013, said Matthew O'Mara, director of international affairs at the Biotechnology Industry Organization, an industry group.



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Canada imposes visa ban on nations where Ebola raging

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will stop issuing visas to people from those West African nations where the Ebola virus is widespread, the government said on Friday. The federal citizenship ministry, explaining the move, said in an official document that "the introduction or spread of the disease would pose an imminent and severe risk to public health in Canada". (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)

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Why an Ebola Survivor's Dog's Tail Will Wag Saturday

Dallas Nurse Nina Pham hasn't seen her dog, Bentley, 21 days.



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Judge eases limits on nurse who treated Ebola patients

By Joel Page FORT KENT Maine (Reuters) - A Maine judge on Friday imposed limited restrictions on an American nurse who treated Ebola patients in Sierra Leone and rejected a bid by state officials for more stringent measures. The confrontation between Kaci Hickox and officials in the state of Maine has become the focal point of a dispute pitting several U.S. states opting for strict quarantines against the federal government, which opposes such measures. ...



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Former Adobe exec's start-up seeks to improve the mammogram experience

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Former Adobe Chief Medical Officer Melissa Dyrdahl hopes to bring a spa-like feel to the experience of breast cancer screenings. Her start-up, Ella Health, has opened seven mammogram centers across the United States, in places ranging from Toms River, New Jersey to San Francisco. Ella's pitch: to improve the often nerve-wracking process so women will not skip their annual mammogram. "We want women to feel like they're in a spa, not a cold and clinical hospital," Dyrdahl, who is chief executive of the company, said in an interview. ...



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Accused in Canada dismemberment trial had troubled childhood, his father says

By Allison Lampert MONTREAL (Reuters) - The Canadian man who killed and dismembered a Chinese student in 2012 was raised by a domineering mother who would get drunk on vodka and was obsessed with germs, the man's father testified on Friday, while describing himself as an alcoholic schizophrenic. Luka Magnotta, 32, has admitted killing and dismembering engineering student Jun Lin, 33, and to videotaping the acts and mailing parts of the body to several addresses. He is pleading not guilty due to mental illness. ...

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China lifts suspension on Washington State delicious apples

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China is lifting its suspension on the import of red and golden delicious apples from Washington State, reopening a market once valued at about $6.5 million a year, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Friday. The restrictions were placed in 2012 by Chinese quarantine authorities due to the repeated interception of three apple pests: speck rot, bull's-eye rot, and Sphaeropsis rot. Since then, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service worked with the U.S. ...



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Judge rejection of quarantine over Ebola good compromise: nurse

(Reuters) - The American nurse who had defied the state of Maine's quarantine order after her return from Sierra Leone treating Ebola patients said a judge's rejection of the order on Friday was a good compromise. Maine Governor Paul LePage wanted the nurse, Kaci Hickox, to be quarantined in her house until the middle of next month even though she has tested negative for the virus and says she is healthy. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Grant McCool)



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Republicans question preparedness spending after Ebola missteps

By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Texas Republicans, including Tea Party-backed U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, sought to ratchet up the pressure on the Obama administration's Ebola response on Friday, by questioning its use of federal tax dollars for emergency preparedness. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, the lawmakers said they were concerned about missteps in the Dallas Ebola case of Thomas Eric Duncan, which they said occurred after large sums of federal money were spent to help U.S. cities prepare for infectious diseases. ...

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Ebola death toll rises, fewer cases in Guinea than thought: WHO

GENEVA (Reuters) - The Ebola epidemic has killed 4,951 people out of 13,567 infected in eight countries, the World Health Organization said on Friday, slightly revising downwards its figures for cases mainly due to "suspected cases in Guinea being discarded". The toll reflects a rise of 31 deaths since the United Nations agency reported its previous figures on Wednesday, while the number of overall cases fell by 136. ...

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Routines most vital in avoiding Ebola infection: WHO

Meticulously following stringent routines when putting on and removing protective equipment is more important than the kind of gear health care workers use to ward off Ebola infection, the World Health Organization said Friday. "The choice of (protective equipment) is much less important than the way it is used," said Edward Kelley, head of service delivery and safety at WHO. Presenting updated WHO guidelines on the use of personal protective equipment, or PPE, he said health care workers contracting Ebola on the job were not doing so because they made the wrong choice of gear. "It's the way that PPE has been put on and taken off," he told reporters, stressing the importance of in-depth training and clear systems in which health care workers always have a colleague watching and guiding their dressing and undressing.

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Judge's rejection of nurse quarantine 'unfortunate': Maine governor

(Reuters) - Maine Governor Paul LePage said on Friday it was unfortunate that a judge rejected the state's attempts to impose a strict quarantine on an American nurse who treated Ebola patients in West Africa, but said he will abide by the ruling. The ruling appeared to end a stand-off between the state and the nurse, Kaci Hickox, who had defied officials by leaving her house and going for a bike ride. "The judge has eased restrictions with this ruling. And I believe it is unfortunate," LePage said in a statement. "However, the state will abide by law." (Reporting by Jonathan Allen)



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Judge imposes conditions on Maine nurse, rejects stricter measures: lawyer

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Maine judge imposed certain conditions on an American nurse who treated Ebola patients in Sierra Leone but rejected a bid from state officials for more restrictive measures, her lawyer told Reuters. Charles LaVerdiere, chief judge of Maine District Court, on Thursday had earlier instructed Kaci Hickox to avoid "public places" like shopping centers and to maintain a three-foot distance from others at the state's request, hours after she defied officials and went for a bike ride. ...



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No Quarantine for Kaci Hickox While She Awaits Hearing, Judge Rules

Temporary court order prohibits her from public places.



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U.S. envoy to U.N. defends Ebola guidelines; praises airlines

By Louis Charbonneau and Bill Berkrot NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power on Friday defended federal guidelines for monitoring health workers returning from three Ebola-stricken West African countries and praised the airlines still flying there. Amid controversy in the United States over some states ordering 21-day quarantines for nurses and doctors returning home after treating Ebola patients, Power said current federal rules balanced "the need to respond to the fears that this has generated" with the known science on the disease. ...

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Flu or Ebola? US hospitals prepare for a confusing season

After weeks of Ebola panic, false alarms and quibbles over quarantine in the United States, health authorities are bracing for a new battle: flu season. The end of October marks the start of influenza season, bringing with it the predictable sniffles, sneezes, fever and aches that can extend well into the spring months. First is the Ebola epidemic in West Africa that spilled into the United States when a Liberian man traveled to Texas in September and infected two nurses who helped care for him. The prospect of facing all three illnesses in a single season has led the CDC to start a public education campaign to help people understand the risks, and to remind people to get their annual flu vaccine.

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On Denton's Upcoming Referendum for a Fracking Ban

By: Najmedin Meshkati, Nima Jabbari, Jamie Heinecke, and Cyrus Ashayeri As we all know, on November 4 there will be a referendum on a fracking ban in Denton, TX. Regardless of the outcome, the impact of this unprecedented grassroots movement will transcend well beyond Denton's city limits and affect the future of the entire oil and gas fracking...

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Staying Lean This Halloween

It's that time of year when tricks and treats seem to find their way into your pantry, much to the dismay of your weight loss and health goals. A bit of nervousness and fear is probably setting in for you've been here before, and although you often start this season off with the best intentions, "THIS year it's going to be different!" or "THIS...

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Sleep apnea tied to memory problems

By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - The ability to remember locations and directions may suffer when deep sleep is disrupted by breathing difficulties, a new study suggests. People with sleep apnea tended to score worse on spatial memory tests after sleeping without their breathing aid, compared to mornings after they’d used their breathing aids at night, researchers found. “There had been some evidence in animal models that REM sleep or dreaming sleep is important for spatial memory, but no one had shown or proven that in people,” said Dr. ...



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Watch: How to Properly Put on a Hazmat Suit

Doctors at the NIH in Maryland demonstrate the use of protective equipment used for treating Ebola patients.



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5 Tips to 'Fall Back' From Daylight Saving Time

What's better than sleeping in on a Sunday? How about dodging the days-long consequences of rolling the clocks back this weekend?



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Watch: Hannah Storm's Campaign for Children

The sports journalist is giving back beauty.



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Conflicts at home affect teens at school and vice versa

By Shereen Lehman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - - Conflicts in a teen's life can spill over at school and at home for days afterward, a new study suggests. Finding out why the spillover occurs, and which teens are most vulnerable to it, could help target ways to interrupt this damaging negative feedback loop, the study team writes in the journal Child Development. “We know that family conflict is a risk factor for poor school performance, but less is known about how these processes are associated on a daily basis,” lead author Adela Timmons told Reuters Health in an email. ...



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Did You Look Beyond the Pink This Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

As October comes to an end, the pink martinis have been drunk, the pink pompoms have gone flat, and the grocery store is getting ready to change out their donation signage for another important cause. But breast cancer? It doesn't care one bit about the calendar. I know this because if it did, when my friend Dana was 37 weeks pregnant with her...

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Judge issues order enforcing Ebola isolation of defiant Maine nurse

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The confrontation between the state of Maine and a nurse who treated Ebola patients in Sierra Leone heated up on Friday when a judge issued a temporary order enforcing a quarantine after she defied state officials and took a bike ride. The order from Charles LaVerdiere, chief judge of the Maine District Court, instructs nurse Kaci Hickox to submit to "direct active monitoring," and "not to be present in public places" like shopping centers, movie theaters or workplaces except to receive necessary healthcare. ...

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Habits That Could Be Making You Age Prematurely

Taking care of your body should be a top priority. Unfortunately, in a world of flavored sodas and lazy Segways, we lose track of what it means to take care of ourselves. Exercise is key, and eating properly plays just as major of a role. But, there are other habits of our day to day lives that are negatively affecting our bodies.Click Here to...



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Sierra Leone soccer boss backs Nations Cup postponement over Ebola

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - The president of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), who has seen the sport come to a "grinding halt" in her country because of the Ebola outbreak, has backed host Morocco's request to have the African Cup of Nations finals postponed. Isha Johansen also revealed that the SLFA has used money donated to the organisation by the sport's international governing body FIFA, which had been intended to develop football infrastructure, to drive charity projects raising awareness of how to avoid contracting the deadly disease. ...

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This Halloween, Let's Protect Kids From the Deadliest Demons

With Halloween just around the corner, little goblins and ghosts are preparing for the eeriest evening of the year. Their spooky costumes are ready and their jack-o-lanterns carved, witch cackles practiced and down to an art. But when trick-or-treaters take to the streets tonight, the most spine-chilling horror will be nowhere in sight.That's...

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AbbVie sales blow past forecasts, fueled by Humira

(Reuters) - AbbVie, which earlier this month walked away from its $55 billion deal to buy Dublin drugmaker Shire, reported quarterly revenue well above Wall Street expectations, fueled by soaring sales of its Humira arthritis drug. The Chicago drugmaker, which significantly boosted its full-year earnings forecast, on Friday said it earned $506 million, or 31 cents per share, in the third quarter. That compared with $964 million, or 60 cents per share, in the year-earlier period. Company sales rose 7.8 percent to $5.02 billion, topping the average analyst estimate of $4. ...

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WHO says 2 suspected Ebola cases in Mali, 57 contacts sought

GENEVA (Reuters) - Two people are suspected of having Ebola after coming into contact with a two-year-old girl who died of the disease in Mali last week, according to data from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. An epidemiological presentation by both agencies, given on Thursday and seen by Reuters on Friday, breaks down the girl's journey from Guinea to Mali with her grandmother, five-year-old sister and her uncle, and shows she may have had contact with 141 people in all, 57 of them yet to be identified. ...



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WHO says two suspected Ebola cases in Mali, 57 contacts sought

GENEVA (Reuters) - Two people are suspected of having Ebola after coming into contact with a two-year-old girl who died of the disease in Mali last week, according to data from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. An epidemiological presentation by both agencies, given on Thursday and seen by Reuters on Friday, breaks down the girl's journey from Guinea to Mali with her grandmother, five-year-old sister and her uncle, and shows she may have had contact with 141 people in all, 57 of them yet to be identified. ...



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Police harass Kenyan patients and clinics as abortion battle heats up

By Katy Migiro NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Police threats against patients and medics they accuse of giving "illegal abortions", coupled with reversals in Kenyan policies, are stirring fears likely to reduce access to safe abortions, campaigners said. Doctors and nurses say police intimidation has increased since last month’s sentencing to death of a nurse, Jackson Tali, for murder after a woman died in his car. ...



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Africans worst responders in Ebola crisis

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The head of Africa's continental body did not get to an Ebola-hit country until last week — months after alarm bells first rang and nearly 5,000 deaths later.

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Bracing to meet a killer: aid workers in Geneva prep for Ebola

Geneva (AFP) - Sweating behind fogged-up goggles, Thanh Dang meticulously follows each instruction as she peals away layers of protective clothing, stopping repeatedly to wash her double-gloved hands in chlorine disinfectant.

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Ebola quarantines: Can states do that?

WASHINGTON (AP) — The quarantine of a nurse in Maine who recently returned from the Ebola hot zone in West Africa has touched off a battle between the authority of states to confine people to protect public health and the right of Americans to move about freely.

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How an Antifreeze Ingredient Led to a Whiskey Recall

The FDA-approved chemical is used in other common food items.



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Arizona school board votes to remove pages from biology textbook

By Daniel Wallis (Reuters) - An Arizona school board has voted to remove information about contraception methods from a biology textbook after a conservative majority decided it fell afoul of a state law that says materials should give a preference to childbirth or adoption over abortion. The members of the Gilbert Public Schools board, which covers at least 38 schools and 39,000 students mostly in Chandler and Mesa, voted 3-2 on Tuesday night to excise two pages from "Campbell Biology: Concepts and Connections. ...



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Maine nurse defies Ebola quarantine with bike ride

FORT KENT, Maine (AP) — Practically daring Maine health authorities to go to court to have her confined, nurse Kaci Hickox went out on a bike ride Thursday in defiance of the state's voluntary quarantine for medical workers who have treated Ebola patients.

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In U.S. Ebola fight, no two quarantines are quite the same

By Jonathan Allen and Yasmeen Abutaleb NEW YORK (Reuters) - (This story has been refiled to correct typographical error in first paragraph) In the U.S. battle against Ebola, quarantine rules depend on your zip code. For some it may feel like imprisonment or house arrest. For others it may be more like a staycation, albeit one with a scary and stressful edge. If they are lucky, the quarantined may get assigned a case worker who can play the role of a personal concierge by buying groceries and running errands. ...



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Ebola case highlights work of NYC disease sleuths

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City's disease detectives were off and running the moment the call came in from a doctor who suspected he had Ebola.



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White House says up to Maine to make decisions on Ebola quarantines

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - President Barack Obama hopes Maine officials make science-based decisions on quarantines for healthcare workers returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa, but has said it is up to state officials to determine their own policies, the White House said on Thursday. Asked for reaction on the situation faced by nurse Kaci Hickox, who is fighting a quarantine imposed by Maine, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been in regular touch with public health officials in Maine. ...



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Maine governor vows to use full extent of authority on Ebola nurse

(Reuters) - Maine Governor Paul LePage vowed on Thursday to use the full extent of his authority in response to a nurse who has treated Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, after she left her home in Maine and took a bicycle ride despite a quarantine order. LePage said his office had been in talks overnight Wednesday to work out a deal for how Kaci Hickox, who has tested negative for Ebola, will spend the remaining time until Nov. 10, the period that the state has ordered her to remain at home as she waits out the virus's maximum 21-day incubation period. ...



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Microsoft Band monitors your fitness levels and sleep quality for $199

Daily MailMicrosoft Band monitors your fitness levels and sleep quality for $199Daily MailMicrosoft has revealed its device, called 'Microsoft Band,' which will allow users to monitor their fitness and exercise regime, as well as check their texts and emails. The wrist-worn device has 10 smart sensors that monitor pulse rate, measure ...

Individual genetic differences may affect Ebola survival: study

By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - Scientists have been puzzling for years over why some people survive Ebola while many others perish. A new study provides strong evidence that individual genetic differences play a major role in whether people die from the disease. Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle reported their findings on Thursday in the journal Science. ...



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New York unveils incentives for workers in West Africa Ebola fight

By Ellen Wulfhorst NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York officials on Thursday announced a program to encourage healthcare professionals to work in Ebola-hit West Africa, an effort to deflect criticism that the state's mandatory quarantine could hamper the battle against the disease. The program will provide financial incentives and employment protections similar to the benefits and rights provided to military reservists, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a joint statement. ...

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Pizzeria Awaits Nod From Cops to Deliver Pie to Ebola Nurse

Moose Shack pizzeria awaiting police approval to deliver pizza to Kaci Hickox.



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My Running Medals

I have something to admit: I have felt a twinge of silliness after finishing a race and wearing a medal around my neck. After all, I am an adult and I don't really need a congratulatory medal to tell me "good job." In addition, with the exception of a few 5k medals where I won my age group, all my medals are "finisher's medals." I often...

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To stop Ebola's spread in West Africa, target funerals: study

By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) - As the global health community ramps up its efforts to treat Ebola patients and curb its spread in West Africa, a new analysis finds that the greatest impact would come from insuring safe burials for victims, scientists reported on Thursday. The need for safe burials has been known from the beginning of the epidemic last spring, when people who attended the funeral of a faith healer in Guinea became infected. U.S. ...



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Terminally ill woman may postpone taking her life

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A 29-year-old terminally ill woman who expects to take her life under Oregon's death-with-dignity law has released a new video, saying she's feeling better and might postpone the day she had planned to die.

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U.S. nurse defies Maine's Ebola quarantine, takes bike ride

By Joseph Ax and Jeff Mason (Reuters) - A nurse who treated Ebola patients in Sierra Leone but has tested negative for the virus ventured out of her home in Maine and took a bike ride on Thursday, defying a quarantine order and setting up a legal collision with state authorities. Attorneys for Kaci Hickox, 33, said they had not yet been served with a court order to enforce a 21-day quarantine - matching the virus's maximum incubation period - but remained prepared to fight such an order if necessary. ...

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Ebola health worker restrictions could deter others: U.S. envoy

By Michelle Nichols BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Some countries are yet to shoulder their share of the Ebola response burden and some restrictions on aid workers returning home from West African nations hit hardest by the disease could deter thousands from helping, Samantha Power, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, said on Thursday. ...

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Oregon woman visits Grand Canyon ahead of planned assisted suicide

(Reuters) - A 29-year-old Oregon woman with terminal brain cancer has ticked off the Grand Canyon from her bucket list and said in a video released this week that she might end her life through assisted suicide in a couple of days. Brittany Maynard was diagnosed in January with a glioblastoma brain tumor and has said she plans to take prescribed medication to die when her pain becomes unbearable. She has moved from her San Francisco Bay area home to Oregon, which allows assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. ...



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Speed of weight loss may have little impact on success at keeping it off

By Roxanne Nelson (Reuters Health) – In a trial of weight loss approaches, the rate at which people dropped excess pounds was not linked to their success in keeping the weight off over the next three years. Researchers say the small study shows that current guidelines advising slow and steady weight loss should be revised, and the focus should be instead on improving methods for helping people maintain their weight over the long term. ...



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Insurers have big plans for 2015 Obamacare enrollment

By Caroline Humer (Reuters) - U.S. insurers planning to sell 2015 Obamacare health plans expect at least 20 percent growth in customers and in some states anticipate more than doubling sign-ups. In interviews with Reuters, half a dozen privately held and non-profit health insurers around the country say they are expecting this growth based on interest from potential customers they are hearing about through their call centers, sales forces and brokers. ...

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U.S. attends Ebola meeting in Cuba called by leftist bloc

By Nelson Acosta HAVANA (Reuters) - (This Oct. 29 story has been corrected in the tenth paragraph to show the CDC did not help train Cubans) U.S. government officials joined health experts from throughout the Americas at an Ebola conference in Cuba on Wednesday, the latest show of cooperation between the historic adversaries on fighting the disease. ...



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Watch: Nurse Breaks Ebola Quarantine

Police keep an eye on Kaci Hickox as she goes on a bike ride in Maine.



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U.S. FTC sues Gerber over health claims in baby formula ads

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government is suing baby food maker Gerber, owned by Nestle SA, alleging it advertised that its Good Start Gentle formula would reduce the risk of a baby developing allergies despite having no proof for the claim. The Federal Trade Commission, which filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, said Gerber put stickers on the baby food which said the formula would "reduce the risk of developing allergies." The FTC also said Gerber advertised that the Food and Drug Administration approved its health claims, although the agency had not done so. ...



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Chicago high school evacuated, nine taken to hospital

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A Chicago high school was evacuated on Wednesday due to a suspicious odor that was investigated as a possible natural gas leak and nine students were taken to local hospitals as a precautionary measure, all in good condition, police said. Police said preliminary information was that there may have been a natural gas leak, but it was later ruled out. Harper High School in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side was evacuated shortly after 10 a.m., said Jose Estrada in the Chicago Police Department news affairs office. ...



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Ebola fears infect Louisiana medical conference

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Ebola fears have infected a medical conference on the subject. Louisiana state health officials told thousands of doctors planning to attend a tropical diseases meeting this weekend in New Orleans to stay away if they have been to certain African countries or have had contact with an Ebola patient in the last 21 days.



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FTC sues Gerber over claims on infant formula

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators are suing baby food-maker Gerber for claiming that its Good Start Gentle formula can prevent or reduce allergies in children.



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Die at home and cut the health cover-ups, Africans urge leaders

By Ed Cropley JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - When dying Zambian president Michael Sata flew to London last week he was following a long line of African leaders who have sought emergency -- and secret -- medical treatment in foreign hospitals most of their citizens can only dream of. With Ebola exposing the poor state of the continent's healthcare systems, and mobile phones and social media undermining official attempts to control and suppress information, many Africans were unimpressed. ...

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Liberians fast, pray for three days to break Ebola 'curse'

MONROVIA (Reuters) - (This Oct. 28 story has been corrected in seventh paragraph to make clear that Senegal, not Sierra Leone, was declared Ebola free) Liberians began three days of fasting and prayers on Wednesday to seek salvation from the "curse" of the Ebola epidemic, which has killed 2,705 people and infected 4,665 more in the West African country. The National Christian Ebola Task Force, an organization formed in September by different Christian denominations, urged Liberians to fast from dawn-to-dusk over the next three days. "Ebola is a virus from the devil. ...

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Kimberly-Clark faces $500 million lawsuit over Ebola protection gear

(Reuters) - A Southern California-based law firm has sued Kimberly-Clark Corp for more than $500 million, alleging that the Kleenex tissue maker committed fraud by marketing and selling some of its surgical gowns as protection against Ebola. Law firm Eagan Avenatti said it filed a class-action lawsuit in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday, stating that Kimberly-Clark had falsely represented to health regulators and healthcare workers that its "MICROCOOL Breathable High Performance Surgical Gowns" are impermeable and provide protection against Ebola. ...



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Bianchi remains in critical but stable condition: family

PARIS (Reuters) - Injured Formula One driver Jules Bianchi remains in a critical but stable condition, the Frenchman's family said on Thursday. "It will be four weeks this coming Sunday since Jules’ accident and he remains in the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi," Bianchi's family said in a statement released by his Marussia team on their website (http://www.marussiaf1team.com). "His condition continues to be classified by the medical professionals here as critical but stable." Bianchi has been in hospital since he crashed into a recovery tractor in the wet at the Japanese Grand Prix on Oct. ...

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Motor racing-Bianchi remains in critical but stable condition - family

PARIS, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Injured Formula One driver Jules Bianchi remains in a critical but stable condition, the Frenchman's family said on Thursday. "It will be four weeks this coming Sunday since Jules' accident and he remains in the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi," Bianchi's family said in a statement released by his Marussia team on their website (http://www.marussiaf1team.com). "His condition continues to be classified by the medical professionals here as critical but stable. ...



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IMF sees large financing needs next year for Ebola-hit countries

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund foresees large financing needs next year in the three West African countries hardest hit by the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. "The outlook for the Ebola-hit countries has worsened, with large financing needs likely for 2015," IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters, referring to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. He said the Fund was still assessing what that would mean for its response. ...

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IMF sees large financing needs next year for Ebola-hit countries

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund foresees large financing needs next year in the three West African countries hardest hit by the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. "The outlook for the Ebola-hit countries has worsened, with large financing needs likely for 2015," IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters, referring to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. He said the Fund was still assessing what that would mean for its response. ...



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Telemedicine eczema care just as effective as office visits

By Shereen Lehman (Reuters Health) - After a year of emailing photos of their skin and communicating with their dermatologists online, eczema patients showed just as much improvement as people who saw their own doctors in person, according to a new study. “Patients often report having to drive long distances and take time away from work and school to care for their skin,” said Dr. April Armstrong, the study’s lead author. ...



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China 'vulnerable' to Ebola outbreak, says expert

China is "vulnerable" to the deadly Ebola outbreak due to the soaring number of Chinese working in Africa and poor infection control at home, a co-discoverer of the virus warned Thursday. Belgian microbiologist Peter Piot also said experience with other viral outbreaks showed that airport screening was largely ineffective, and repeated his earlier criticism of the World Health Organization's initially "slow" response to the crisis. China is Africa's largest trading partner and Beijing's diplomatic footprint across the continent has expanded hugely in recent years as it seeks resources to drive the world's number-two economy. "So it is not impossible that one of them will go (back) to China.

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Cardio Myths You Need to Stop Believing

Ask cyclists, runners, cross-country skiers--cardio is king. Though most endurance athletes supplement their workouts with other forms of training, cardio is the bulk of what they do--it's what they love to do.Click Here to see the Complete List of Cardio Myths You Need to Stop BelievingEven among first-timers at the gym or those getting back...



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Maine nurse defies state Ebola quarantine, leaves home

(Reuters) - A nurse in Maine vowing not to be bullied by politicians and threatening to sue the state over an Ebola quarantine she calls unscientifically sound, defied the order and left her home for a bike ride on Thursday, according to television images. Kaci Hickox left her home in Fort Kent to take a morning bicycle ride with her boyfriend, MSNBC and other networks reported. Hickox, 33, who tested negative for Ebola after returning from treating patients in West Africa, said that she plans to take the issue to court if the state did not lift the quarantine by Thursday. ...

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Correction: Superstorm-Mental Health story

LONG BEACH, N.Y. (AP) — In a story Oct. 29 about Superstorm Sandy victims experiencing mental health issues, The Associated Press erroneously reported the name of an organization helping with disaster distress response. The organization is the Visiting Nurse Service, not the Visiting Nurse System.

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World Bank funding for Ebola fight hits $500 million

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Bank pledged $100 million on Thursday to help recruit more foreign health workers in the fight against Ebola, taking its funding for the three worst-hit countries to more than half a billion dollars over the past three months. The biggest recorded outbreak of the deadly virus has killed almost 5,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Some aid groups have criticized the scale of the initial international response. ...



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Niger drops sex education from syllabus at Muslim leaders' urging

By Abdoulaye Massalaki and Misha Hussain NIAMEY/DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The Niger government has withdrawn a course on sexual and reproductive health from the school syllabus after Islamic organisations said the teachings were contrary to the country's values. The predominantly Muslim nation of 17 million has the highest fertility rate in the world, an average of around eight children per woman. Some 30 percent of girls are married by the age of 15, and 77 percent by 18, according to the latest government health surveys. ...



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Microsoft outs Band fitness wearable in Apple App store screenshots

CNETMicrosoft outs Band fitness wearable in Apple App store screenshotsCNETOn Thursday, October 30th, we are hosting all-day fitness activities in U.S. Microsoft stores before the biggest candy eating holiday of the year! Microsoft wants to help you get a head start on your health and fitness goals by staying active & fit ...

Microsoft unveils $199 wearable fitness device

BBC NewsMicrosoft unveils $199 wearable fitness deviceBBC NewsMicrosoft has unveiled its first wearable device that can track a user's sleep and exercise as well as connect to a health service on smartphones. The Microsoft Band will retail for $199 (£125) on the company's online store. The device can operate for ...

Teva optimistic U.S. top court to rule in favor of MS drug patent

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is optimistic the U.S. Supreme Court will decide in its favor regarding patent protection for Copaxone, its multiple sclerosis treatment, Chief Executive Erez Vigodman said on Thursday. Vigodman said in a conference call with analysts that he expects a decision by late this year or the first quarter of 2015. The court earlier this month appeared closely divided as it weighed Teva's high-profile fight with generic drug manufacturers over patent protections for its $4-billion-a-year drug. ...

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Bristol immunotherapy shows promise in lung cancer trial

By Bill Berkrot (Reuters) - Treatment of advanced squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's experimental immunotherapy nivolumab led to a one-year survival rate of 41 percent in a midstage clinical trial, according to data being presented at a medical meeting. While the study called CheckMate-063 did not compare nivolumab with another drug or placebo, the historical one-year survival rate for patients like those in the trial, whose cancer had progressed after treatment with two or more prior therapies, is between 5. ...



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Novo Nordisk more cautious on timing of U.S. Tresiba launch

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk is more cautious in its assessment of when it would launch its Tresiba diabetes drug in the United States, a critical growth driver for the future, according to statements it made in its quarterly report. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused in February 2013 to approve Tresiba, a long-acting insulin drug, until Novo provided additional tests for potential heart risks. In August, the company said it expected to be able to submit an interim analysis to the FDA during the first half of 2015, leading to a potential launch at the start of 2016. ...



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Watch: Early Days of Modern Medicine Shown in Haunting Photos

Dr. Stanley Burns' archive of medical photography underscores how far modern medicine has come in just over 100 years.



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Fujifilm cautious on Avigan profitability, eyes Ebola spread

By Ayai Tomisawa TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Fujifilm Holdings Corp said it was difficult to estimate the profitability of its influenza drug Avigan, which has been earmarked to fight Ebola, given the uncertainty over the spread of virus, a company executive said on Thursday. Fujifilm has said it is expanding the production Avigan anti-influenza. France and Guinea plan to conduct clinical trials of Avigan 200 mg tablets, made by Fujifilm group company Toyama Chemical Co, in Guinea to treat Ebola in mid-November. ...

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Bayer says animal health unit large enough

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Bayer sought to dampen expectations that any proceeds from a separate listing of its plastics unit would be used for takeover deals to bolster its animal health activities. "We have an animal health business that is not small, with good products in the market," Chief Executive Marijn Dekkers said in a conference call. "We believe we have a good animal health business that can very well operate on its own." Any proceeds from a separate listing of the Bayer MaterialScience division might be used to cut debt. ...

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In Guangdong, nervy Chinese ramp up Ebola watch

By Yimou Lee HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese authorities have identified the southern province of Guangdong, home to Asia's biggest African population, as a frontline in their efforts to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from entering mainland China. The province bordering Hong Kong has proven susceptible to infectious diseases in the past, shouldering a large share of SARS and bird flu cases, prompting local authorities to take no chances with Ebola. ...



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How to Avoid the ER on Halloween

Children are twice as likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween.



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University of North Carolina bans student travel to countries affected by Ebola

WINSTON-SALEM N.C. (Reuters) - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said on Wednesday that students will now be prohibited from school-related travel to three West African countries due to concerns about the Ebola outbreak. Faculty and staff will have to seek advance approval to travel to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia for humanitarian or scientific reasons, the university said. The school also is discouraging personal travel to that region. (Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Sandra Maler)



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Nurse 'Will Go to Court' Over Maine Ebola Quarantine Rule

Ebola nurse Kaci Hickox is in a quarantine in Maine.



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Are We Playing God By Consciously Choosing Life Or Death?

This month, two very public medical cases were making waves throughout the headlines. One is about a woman who wants to choose her dying date. Brittany Maynard (29), who is battling with stage 4 Glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer, has scheduled the end of her life for November 1, 2014, the day after her husband's birthday....

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First marijuana planted for medical use in Chile

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A Chilean municipality is planting the country's first legal medical marijuana as part of a pilot program aimed to help ease the pain of cancer patients and others.



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Express Scripts says AbbVie drug could displace Sovaldi on formulary

By Ransdell Pierson (Reuters) - Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts Holding Co said it may quickly change its preferred drug formulary to favor an expected new hepatitis C drug from AbbVie if it is clinically equivalent and less costly than Gilead Science Inc's $84,000 Sovaldi and $94,500 Harvoni treatments. Sovaldi, with its price tag of $1,000 a pill, has become a lightning rod in a debate over the high cost of specialty drugs, despite its cure rate of more than 90 percent and gentle side effect profile. ...



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Maine Scrambles With How to Enforce Quarantine Against Ebola Nurse

Maine officials are deciding what to do about the Ebola nurse who vowed to disobey its quarantine.



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NYC Marathoner Reboots After Injury Nearly Cost Him a Leg

Ken Dunbar almost lost his right leg from a soccer collision.



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'Ambulance drone' prototype unveiled in Holland

A Dutch-based student on Tuesday unveiled a prototype of an "ambulance drone", a flying defibrillator able to reach heart attack victims within precious life-saving minutes.

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Experts update stroke prevention guidelines

By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - Tools for preventing strokes include a healthy diet, home blood pressure monitoring and an online stroke-risk estimator, according to updated guidelines issued Wednesday by a leading heart health organization. Together with traditional measures like smoking cessation aids, medications and surgeries, the updated recommendations can help people substantially reduce the risk of stroke, said Dr. James Meschia, who led the group that wrote the new guidelines for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. ...



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Chicago high school evacuated, nine taken to hospital after gas leak

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A Chicago high school was evacuated on Wednesday due to a natural gas leak and nine students were taken to local hospitals as a precautionary measure, all in good condition, police said. Harper High School in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side was evacuated shortly after 10 a.m., said Jose Estrada in the Chicago Police Department news affairs office. The school will remain closed the rest of the day, the media relations office at Chicago Public Schools said. (Reporting by Fiona Oritz in Chicago; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)



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Why U.S. green groups are talking about abortion this election

By Andy Sullivan DENVER (Reuters) - Green billionaire Tom Steyer vowed to make the November congressional elections about climate change. Now he's talking about abortion and the economy to get his candidates across the finish line. Steyer, a hedge fund manager turned environmentalist, launched a state-of-the-art operation to push voters to elect governors and senators willing to confront global warming. His NextGen Climate Action political committee is on track to spend more than $55 million in this election - an unprecedented amount for an environmentalist group. ...

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Purdue University shooter found dead in Indiana prison

(Reuters) - A former Purdue University student who admitted killing a fellow student on campus in January has been found dead in prison of an apparent suicide, a state prison official said on Wednesday. Cody Cousins, 24, was found unresponsive Tuesday night in his cell at the prison in Michigan City with self-inflicted lacerations to his neck and arms, Indiana State Prison Superintendent Ron Neal said in a statement. Attempts were made to revive Cousins, who was alone in the cell, but he was pronounced dead about 25 minutes after being found during a routine check, Neal said. ...

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Zambia's Scott becomes Africa's first white leader in 20 years

By Chris Mfula LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambia's Guy Scott became Africa's first white head of state in 20 years on Wednesday after the president, "King Cobra" Michael Sata, died in a London hospital aged 77. Scott, a Cambridge-educated economist born to Scottish parents, had been Sata's vice president. He will be interim leader until an election in three months, making him the first white African leader since South Africa's F.W. de Klerk lost to Nelson Mandela in the 1994 election that ended apartheid. ...

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U.S. attends Ebola meeting in Cuba called by leftist bloc

By Nelson Acosta HAVANA (Reuters) - United States government health officials were among those from 31 countries in the Americas attending an Ebola conference in Cuba on Wednesday, the latest show of cooperation between the historic adversaries on fighting the disease. The meeting organized by ALBA, a bloc of leftist-governed countries, aims to coordinate a regional strategy on the prevention and control of Ebola, which has killed about 5,000 people in West Africa but in the Americas has only reached the United States. A Liberian man died Oct. ...



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Liberians fast, pray for three days to break Ebola 'curse'

MONROVIA (Reuters) - Liberians began three days of fasting and prayers on Wednesday to seek salvation from the "curse" of the Ebola epidemic, which has killed 2,705 people and infected 4,665 more in the West African country. The National Christian Ebola Task Force, an organization formed in September by different Christian denominations, urged Liberians to fast from dawn-to-dusk over the next three days. "Ebola is a virus from the devil. It's killing us because we have turned our back to God," Reverend David G. Benitoe, a representative of the task force, told a news conference. ...

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