Commission trains veterinarians on
animal welfare standards at slaughter
A European Commission training workshop on animal welfare standards will take place on
15-19 October in Zagreb, Croatia. The workshop is part of the Commission Health and
Consumer
Protection Directorate-General's 'Better Training for Safer Food' initiative. The training
focuses specifically on the welfare of animals at slaughter and in killing for disease
control purposes. Approximately 100 participants are expected to attend the workshop.
These will mainly be official veterinarians responsible for verifying compliance with
welfare standards in slaughterhouses and disease control situations. Most participants
will come from EU Member States, candidate and associated countries and selected third
countries.The training aims to improve participants' awareness of relevant EU legislation
and international standards, as well as the scientific principles behind EU animal welfare
standards. Participants should also gain greater knowledge of stunning and killing
techniques used in slaughterhouses and for disease control as well as procedures for
monitoring compliance with welfare requirements. For more information on the 'Better
Training for Safer Food' programme on EU standards for animal welfare, please visit:
Almost everything Americans eat contains corn: high fructose corn syrup, corn-fed meat,
and corn-based processed foods are the staples of the modern diet. Ready for an adventure
and alarmed by signs of their generation's bulging waistlines, college friends Ian Cheney
and Curt Ellis know where to go to investigate. Eighty years ago, Ian and Curt's
great-grandfathers lived just a few miles apart, in the same rural county in northern
Iowa. Now their great-grandsons are returning with a mission: they will plant an acre of
corn, follow their harvest into the world, and attempt to understand what they-and all of
us-are really made of.
Ian and Curt arrive in the Midwest enthusiastic about their new endeavor. Iowa's newest
farmers lease an acre of land from a skeptical landlord and fill out a pile of paperwork
to sign up for subsidies. The government will pay them $28 to grow their acre of corn-the
first of many steps that reinforce the idea that more corn is what America needs.
Ian and Curt start the spring by injecting ammonia fertilizer. The chemical promises to
increase yields fourfold, fueling the mission of abundance laid out for them. Then it's
planting time, and with a rented tractor, Ian and Curt set 31,000 seeds in the ground in
18 minutes. Their seed has been genetically modified for high yields and herbicide
tolerance, and when the seedlings sprout, Ian and Curt apply a powerful spray to ensure
that only their corn will thrive on their acre.
But where will all that corn go? Ian and Curt leave Iowa to find out, first considering
their crop's future as feed. In Colorado, rancher Sue Jarrett says her cattle should be
eating grass. But with a surplus of corn, it costs less to raise cattle in confinement
than to let them roam free: "The mass production of corn drives the mass production
of protein in confinement." Animal nutritionists confirm that corn makes cows sick
and beef fatty, but it also lets consumers eat a $1 hamburger. Feedlot owner Bob Bledsoe
defends America's cheap food, but as Ian and Curt see in Colorado, the world behind it can
be stomach turning. At one feedlot, 100,000 cows stand shoulder-to-shoulder, doing their
part to transform Iowa corn into millions of pounds of fat-streaked beef.
Following the trail of high fructose corn syrup, Ian and Curt hop attempt to make a
home-cooked batch of the sweetener in their kitchen. But their investigation of America's
most ubiquitous ingredient turns serious when they follow soda to its consumption in
Brooklyn. Here, Type II diabetes is ravaging the community, and America's addiction to
corny sweets is to blame.
The breadth of the problem is now clear: the American food system is built on the
abundance of corn, an abundance perpetuated by a subsidy system that pays farmers to
maximize production. In a nursing home in the Indiana suburbs, Ian and Curt come
face-to-face with Earl Butz, the Nixon-era Agriculture Secretary who invented subsidies.
The elderly Butz champions the modern food system as an "Age of plenty" Ian and
Curt's great-grandfathers only dreamed of.
November pulls Ian and Curt back to Iowa. Their 10,000-pound harvest seems as grotesque
as it is abundant. They haul their corn to the elevator and look on as it makes its way
into a food system they have grown disgusted by. At a somber farm auction, Ian and Curt
decide to tell their landlord they want to buy the acre. The next spring their cornfield
has been pulled from production and planted in a prairie, a wild square surrounded by a
sea of head-high corn.
Study Suggests Migraine Drug Could
Curb Alcohol Dependence
A drug used to treat migraines and epilepsy showed the potential to help heavy drinkers
curb their alcohol use, according to research published in this week's Journal of the
American Medical Association.
Breast Cancer Linked To Pesticide
DDT, Study Suggests
At a time when the pesticide DDT is once again being promoted to combat malaria,
researchers have found new evidence linking DDT to breast cancer, according to a study to
be published in the scientific journal "Environmental Health Perspectives."
Blood transfusions may do more harm than good for a majority of patients because banked
blood begins to lose a key gas almost immediately after it is donated, researchers said
Monday.
Most chronic sinusitis cases are
from fungal-induced inflamma
Accentia Biopharmaceuticals announces evidence that most, if not all cases of chronic
sinusitis (CS), are due to a fungal-induced inflammation as originally proposed by
investigators at the Mayo Clinic.
An orange a day may actually keep your wrinkles away. An interesting study has revealed
that regular intake of foods rich in Vitamin C helps prevent ageing of skin.
Gardasil Linked to Blood Clots,
Seizures and Even Death
Gardasil, the much-touted vaccine against cervical cancer, might not be as safe as once
thought. The conservative group Judicial Watch has obtained documents that indicate that
Gardasil may have been responsible for thousands of serious injuries, including blood
clots and seizures, and possibly several deaths. The new Gardasil revelations are
disturbing, as efforts are underway in several states to make the vaccine mandatory for
young girls.
It was found that men walking for 21 minutes or more each day, compared to those
walking 10 minutes or less each day, were at a 27 per cent reduced risk of developing the
disease. And this reduction was statistically significant.
autism is a whole body medical disease, not a hopeless genetic mental disorder.
Genetics do play a role in making children susceptible, but the environmental insults of
toxins, antibiotics, bacteria, fungi, and viruses must be introduced to cause the disease.
If bacteria colonize the throat of a one-month-old infant, the risk of later persistent
wheezing and asthma is sharply increased, researchers here found.
When it comes to specific foods you should eat, an anti-inflammatory diet involves
avoiding foods that make inflammation worse (saturated fat, trans fat and simple refined
carbohydrate) and eating plenty of foods that reduce inflammation.
The marketing claims and sham science used to recommend the benefits of everything from
sandwiches to yoghurts has been laid bare by a group of young scientists.
Study finds that people are
programmed to love chocolate
For the first time, scientists have linked preference for a food -- chocolate -- to a
chemical signature that may be programmed in the metabolic system and is detectable by
laboratory tests. The signature reads 'chocolate lovers' in some people and indifference
to the popular sweet in others, the researchers say. The study could lead to a test that
classifies people based on their metabolic type, which can be used to design healthier
individual diets, they say.
MS that runs in families appears
more severe than non-familial MS
Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of a large group of patients with multiple sclerosis
has provided the first evidence that those with a history of MS in their families show
more severe brain damage than patients who have no close relatives with the disease.
Even occasional use of spray
cleaners may cause asthma in adults
Using household cleaning sprays and air fresheners as little as once a week can raise
the risk of developing asthma in adults, say researchers in Europe. Such products have
been associated with increased asthma rates in cleaning professionals, but a similar
effect in nonprofessional users has never before been shown.
New research may show why some
prostate cancer recurs after treatment
Cancer researchers have long worked to understand why some prostate cancers recur after
the use of therapies designed to stop the production of testosterone and other androgens
that fuel cancer cell growth. New research has now detected that androgen-synthesizing
proteins are present within cancer cells, which suggests that cancer cells may develop the
capacity to produce their own androgens.
Study involving more than 100
scientists provides new insights on green algae
More than 100 scientists worldwide report in the Oct. 12 issue of the journal Science a
'goldmine' of data on a tiny green alga called Chlamydomonas, with implications for human
diseases.
Jefferson scientists find protein
may be key in developing deadly form of pancreatic cancer
A tumor-blocking protein previously implicated in prostate and breast cancer
development may also be behind the most aggressive type of pancreatic cancer. Researchers
have discovered that the protein pp32 -- which normally applies the brakes on a
cancer-causing gene -- is missing in an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. Though the
work is preliminary, the scientists say, the absent protein could eventually become a
marker for the disease and a potential drug target.
Innovative 3D-imaging technique
captures brain damage linked to Alzheimer's disease
Using an advanced three-dimensional mapping technique developed by UCLA researchers,
the team analyzed magnetic resonance imaging data from 24 patients with amnestic mild
cognitive impairment and 25 others with mild Alzheimer's disease. The research team found
that patients with mild Alzheimer's had 10 to 20 percent more atrophy in most cortical
areas than did MCI patients.
The enzyme TPPII may contribute to obesity by stimulating the formation of fat cells,
suggests a study in EMBO reports this week. The enzyme, TPPII, has previously been linked
to making people feel hungry, but Jonathan Graff and colleagues now show that it may be
even more deeply involved in causing obesity.
Clean and safe cars: The Commission
promotes hydrogen vehicles
Hydrogen vehicles offer environmental benefits through lower pollution and zero exhaust
pipe greenhouse gas emissions. The Commission wants to enable the EU-wide introduction of
such cars and ensure their safe operation. These are the objectives of today’s
proposal of the European Commission. More hydrogen cars will benefit citizens through
reduced health impacts of transport. Common standards for hydrogen storage will guarantee
the safety of the general public. The proposal has been developed involving extensive
stakeholder discussion and has also been subject to an internet consultation. The proposal
will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. Hydrogen
can be used in mobile applications like cars, delivery vans and buses. Hydrogen is a clean
energy carrier. When used either in combustion motors or in fuel-cell systems, it does not
produce any carbon emissions (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, unburned hydrocarbons or
particulates). Thus, using hydrogen will improve air quality in cities. Moreover, no
greenhouse gases are produced from motor vehicles, although care will have to be taken
that the production of hydrogen itself does not lead to an increase in CO2 emissions. This
can be achieved by producing hydrogen from non-fossil energy sources or by CO2
sequestration.
The European Community Whole Vehicle Type-Approval (WVTA)[1] system applies to vehicles
powered by conventional fuels (petrol and diesel). Once a type of vehicle has obtained an
EC WVTA certificate from the authorities of a Member State, it can be marketed throughout
the European Union. Currently, hydrogen powered vehicles are not included in the EC WVTA
framework. Some Member States issue national or single approval for these vehicles, while
others are not doing so because of a lack of national or European Union legislation.
The lack of a clear legislative framework poses problems for hydrogen vehicle
manufacturers when trying to place these vehicles on the market in the European Union.
Currently, even if a vehicle obtains national or single type-approval in one Member State,
it is not guaranteed that the registration of this vehicle will be authorised in all the
other Member States. Further, Member States have the possibility to establish different
requirements and to request the fulfilment of diverging standards in order to issue an
approval certificate. This situation results in a fragmented internal market of hydrogen
powered vehicles, as well as complicated and costly approval procedures, which discourages
the introduction of this environmentally friendly technology. The Commission has adopted a
proposal that will introduce these vehicles in the type-approval framework. This means
that hydrogen vehicles will be treated the same way as conventional vehicles and a single
approval will be sufficient for the entire European Union.
At the same time, there are perceived safety issues with using hydrogen for vehicle
propulsion, since it has different characteristics than conventional fuels. Therefore, it
should be ensured that hydrogen vehicles put on the market in the EU are at least as safe
as conventional vehicles. Thus, the proposal specifies technical requirements to be
applied for the type-approval of hydrogen components (hydrogen containers and hydrogen
components other than containers) included in the hydrogen system in order to ensure that
hydrogen related components are working in a proper and safe way. The impact assessment
that accompanies the proposal has concluded that adopting an EU regulatory package could
result in a saving of up to 124 million Euros in approval costs to vehicle manufacturers
in the period 2017-2025. With the establishment of the approval framework, the automotive
industry could become more competitive in markets outside the EU, through taking the lead
in hydrogen technology.
Antiviral Pathway
Deregulation of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Induces Nitric Oxide Production in Immune Cells
That Precludes a Resolution of the Inflammatory Response
These results therefore suggest that
chronic inflammation due to excess nitric oxide production plays a role in CFS and that
the normal resolution of the inflammatory process by NF-kB activation and apoptotic
induction is impaired. These observations draw new directions for the therapeutic approach
of CFS.
New molecules discovered
that block cancer cells from modifying cell DNA
Researchers have discovered new small
molecules that may prevent prostate cancer cells from turning off normal genes in a
process that transforms normal cells into cancer cells. This significant discovery in the
field of epigenetics has immediate implications in the development of new diagnostic tests
and cancer medications.
Prostate cancer increases hip
fracture risk by eight times in 50 to 65 year-olds
Men with prostate cancer are four times
more likely to suffer a hip fracture and two times more likely to suffer any kind of
fracture. The hip fracture risk rises to eight times in men aged 50-65. Prostate cancer is
now a leading cause of male deaths in the US and Europe. The latest study, in BJU
International, shows that the fracture risk appears shortly after diagnosis and is still
pronounced in long-term survivors.
New 'seed' therapy helps
pinpoint breast tumors with more accuracy
Physicians at UT Southwestern Medical
Center are the first in Texas to use a new technique in which a small radioactive pellet,
or "seed," is implanted into a mass or suspicious lesion in the breast to
pinpoint its exact location for surgical removal.
MIT researchers have discovered a link
between a gene believed to promote long lifespan and a pathway that flushes cholesterol
from the body. The finding could help researchers create drugs that lower the risk of
diseases associated with high cholesterol, including atherosclerosis (clogged arteries)
and Alzheimer's disease.
Red wine and grape juice help
defend against food-borne diseases, according to MU researchers
Red wine is known to have multiple health
benefits. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have found that red wine may
also protect humans from common food-borne diseases.
A study of the mental mechanisms
which lead people to develop risk conducts that are used when driving, practicing sex and
taking drugs.
Which are the mental mechanisms leading
people to develop risk conducts such as illegal overtaking manoeuvres, practicing unsafe
sex or to consume drugs knowing the consequences? Such is the aim of a group of scientists
of the Department of Experimental Psychology and Physiology of Behaviour from the
University of Granada (UGR) who are working on the project “Risk Behaviour:
Cognitive, Emotional and Neuropsychological Foundations” (El comportamiento de
riesgo: bases cognitivas, emocionales y neuropsicológicas), and which is subsidised with
€ 193,000 from the Project of Excellence of the Regional Government of Andalusia.
Queen’s scientists have
started research on a human gene that will lead to a better understanding of
schizophrenia.
The research identifies brain abnormalities
and what causes them. This better understanding of the abnormalities will lead to improved
treatment and preventative approaches that stop the problems developing.
Spirulina microalgae - the new
functional food option in our diet
The results show that the Spirulina
microalgae could be a good source of functional food ingredients with antioxidant action
thanks to the presence of carotenoids deriving from chlorophyll, and bacterial growth
inhibiting action thanks to certain fatty acids. In optimal extraction conditions (220 bar
y 55 ºC) an extract can be obtained with both a high activity as an antioxidant and
antimicrobial action, thanks to the combined method of extraction-fractionation developed
by this research group.
Young women suffering from breast cancer do
not necessarily benefit from chemotherapy treatment.
Women under the age of forty with breast cancer who are given drugs in addition to
lumpectomies or radiotherapy, known as adjuvant chemotherapy, may not be benefiting from
these drugs. This is especially true if their tumors respond to changing levels of
hormones such as estrogen, according to research published in the online journal, Breast
Cancer Research.
"Developing breast cancer at a young age is very worrying in terms of survival,"
explained lead researcher Dr J van der Hage. "But some young women may be undergoing
not only unpleasant but also unnecessary chemotherapy, which can be avoided."
http://breast-cancer-research.com/content/9/5/R70
Alternative food networks connect
ethical producers and consumers and can lead to healthier eating
In the light of growing concerns
about the separation of producers and consumers in our food system and the power of big
supermarkets, new research funded by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) provides
valuable insights into the motivations and practices of consumers and producers involved
in ‘alternative food’ networks, which include schemes as varied as organic
vegetable boxes, community gardens and farm animal adoption.
Study reveals how stem cells
decide to become either skeletal or smooth muscle
Researchers have discovered that a
key protein controls how stem cells 'choose' to become either skeletal muscle cells that
move limbs, or smooth muscle cells that support blood vessels. The results suggest new
ways to treat atherosclerosis and cancer, diseases that involve the creation of new blood
vessels from stem cell reserves that would otherwise replace worn out skeletal muscle.
Folic acid lowers blood
arsenic levels in Bangladesh
A new study conducted in Bangladesh
finds that folic acid supplements can dramatically lower blood arsenic levels in
individuals chronically exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Arsenic is a toxic
element that is naturally present in some soils and water. Arsenic-contaminated drinking
water is currently a significant public health problem in at least 70 countries, including
several developing countries and also parts of the US.
Superconducting wire could
increase energy efficiency
A new superconducting wire that can
carry increasing loads of electricity has been developed and tested at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory.
Oak Ridge's Parans Paranthaman says the superconducting wire can dramatically increase
energy efficiency. "These superconducting wires have zero resistance," says
Paranthaman "They can carry up to 140 times more current."
Potential early warning
system for lung cancer identified
An immune system protein could act
as an early warning system for lung cancer, reveals research published ahead of print in
the journal Thorax. Lung cancer kills around 900,000 people every year, and can take 20
years or more to develop fully. But it is usually only picked up at an advanced stage,
when the chances of successful treatment are slim.
Obese people are six times as likely
to develop gullet (esophageal) cancer as people of "healthy" weight, shows
research published ahead of print in the journal Gut. Rates of esophageal cancer have been
rising rapidly, and in some countries, they have risen faster than those of every other
major cancer, say the authors.
Based in part on protein structures
determined at the National Synchrotron Light Source at the US Department of Energy's
Brookhaven National Laboratory, scientists at the University of Utah have developed new
peptides that appear to be significantly more effective at blocking HIV's entry into cells
than other drugs in their class. These peptides are sufficiently potent to begin
preclinical studies as a new class of agents for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
NAS report offers new tools
to assess health risks from chemicals
Determining how thousands of
chemicals found in the environment may be interacting with the genes in your body to cause
disease is becoming easier because of a new field of science called toxicogenomics. A new
report issued today by the National Academies of Sciences recognizes the importance of
toxicogenomics in predicting effects on human health and recommends the integration of
toxicogenomics into regulatory decision making.
Tooth loss, dementia may be
linked, JADA study suggests
Tooth loss may predict the
development of dementia late in life, according to research published in the October issue
of the Journal of the American Dental Association.
Study Finds No Association
Between Breastfeeding and
Early Childhood Caries
Breastfeeding, especially for
prolonged periods, has often been suggested as a potential risk factor for early childhood
caries (ECC), despite a lack of supporting evidence for the claim. But a new study in the
October 2007 Pediatrics should help to reassure nursing and expectant mothers, as well as
pediatric dentists, since it found that neither breastfeeding nor its duration is
associated with increased risk of early childhood caries. Rather, the study identified
poverty, Mexican-American ethnic status, and maternal prenatal smoking as independent risk
factors for ECC among young children.
Study Reveals How Stem Cells
Decide To Become Either Skeletal or Smooth Muscle
Researchers have discovered a key
protein that controls how stem cells “choose” to become either skeletal muscle
cells that move limbs, or smooth muscle cells that support blood vessels, according to a
study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The
results not only provide insight into the development of muscle types in the human fetus,
but also suggest new ways to treat atherosclerosis and cancer, diseases that involve the
creation of new blood vessels from stem cell reserves that would otherwise replace worn
out skeletal muscle. The newly discovered mechanism
also suggests that some current cancer treatments may weaken muscle, and that physician
researchers should start watching to see if a previously undetected
side effect exists.
Pierluigi Bersani, the Minister for
Economic Development has written a letter to the Minister of Health, Livia Turco and the
Minister of Justice, Clemente Mastella to ask them to investigate the Emilia Romagna
Regional Federation of Doctors and Surgeons. On 10 September, the Federation asked the
presidents of the provinces and the mayors in the Region not to go ahead and allow the
construction of new heat-extracting incinerators.
The Italian Association of Alzheimer
sufferers (AIMA) has written me a long letter to raise the awareness of Italian citizens
and the institutions to this illness. There are a good 800,000 people with this illness in
Italy. My mother was one of them, She became ill at the age of 49 and died 12 years later
after playing the piano. Music was the last thing she remembered. In 2002 AIMA
commissioned Tornatore to make a film. He gave this a setting in Parliament. The film was
not broadcast by RAI or by Mediaset. Publitalia responded: “There’s not the
space”. Sipra that manages advertising on the RAI, preferred to stay silent. The
politicians, with rare exceptions, felt offended by the comparison. The film is on the
blog from today.
Application of adult stem cells to
regenerate hearts having suffered attacks by means of catheter
A team of cardiologists at the University Hospital of Navarre, in collaboration with
the Area of Cell Therapy at the same center, and with the Gregorio Marañón Hospital in
Madrid, have carried out clinical trials on 50 patients in order to test the efficacy of
adult stem sell transplants (in this case, myoblasts), in the heart of persons who have
suffered a myocardial attack.
Electroacupuncture at PC6 may
decrease frequency of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation
New research shows that electroacupuncture at PC6 may decrease the frequency of
transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation, which is the main mechanism underlying
gastroesophageal reflux disease. This effect appears to act at the brain stem, and may be
mediated through NO, CCK-A and mu-opioid receptors.
Researchers find evidence linking
stress caused by the Sept. 11 disaster with low birth weights
Researchers have found evidence of an increase in low birth weights among babies born
in and around New York City in the weeks and months after the terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center. Writing in the journal Human Reproduction, they suggest that stress
may have contributed to the effect.
A new therapeutic schedule of treatment was used with good results when dealing with
patients suffering from liver cirrhosis following hepatitis C virus infection. Recent
scientific evidence from Naples, Italy, is introduced.
18F-DG PET/CT can highly increase
the detection of colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is currently the most common gastrointestinal malignancy. Recurrence
and/or metastasis occurs in 30 to 50 percent of patients after surgery. Early diagnosis
and accurate staging of postoperative recurrence and metastasis is crucial for prescribing
an optimal, individualized treatment plan. Research performed in China by Dr. Chen has
found that combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography can provide
complete information about the location, nature and extent of lesions.
Genes that affect responses of
multiple sclerosis patients to copaxone
Getting the drug dosage correct can be a tricky exercise in trial and error in a
disease like multiple sclerosis. Scientists from the Weizmann Institute and the Technion
have identified two genes that affect a patient's response to the drug Copaxone, a finding
which may help take the some of the guesswork out of treatment.
Low-fat dietary pattern may lower
risk of ovarian cancer
A diet low in fat could reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in healthy postmenopausal
women, according to new results from the Women's Health Initiative dietary modification
trial. Researchers found that after four years, women who decreased the amount of dietary
fat they consumed were 40 percent less likely to develop ovarian cancer than women who
followed normal dietary patterns.
New radioactive agents for colon
cancer work inside cells
Johns Hopkins scientists have developed a potentially novel way to fight colorectal
cancer using tiny molecules to deliver potent barrages of radiation inside cancer cells,
unlike current treatments that bind to the surface of cells and attack from the outside
and cause unwanted side effects.
Chronic job strain doubles the risk
of a second heart attack
People who experience chronic job strain after a first heart attack double their risk
of suffering from a second one, reports a research team from Université Laval's Faculty
of Medicine in the Oct. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. This
study is the first to clearly demonstrate the risks associated with job strain for workers
who have been victim of a first heart attack.
Study finds that even aloof
husbands have lower testosterone levels than unmarried men
A fascinating new study is the first outside of North America to observe lower
testosterone levels among married men. Supporting a growing body of research, the study
reveals that even married men who are considered aloof spouses and provide minimal
parenting have much lower testosterone levels than single, unmarried men.
More than a pill - Complementary
medicine can help with chronic pain
Mr. Jones has chronic back pain. He cannot sleep, bend or stand for long periods of
time because of the pain. He cannot lose weight because the pain keeps him from
exercising. Jones is a case study in a publication by a University of Missouri-Columbia
occupational therapy professor to show that chronic pain can be treated by more than just
a pill.
Influenza - Insights into cell
specificity of human vs. avian viruses
Researchers have identified which sites and cell types within the respiratory tract are
targeted by human vs. avian influenza viruses, providing valuable insights into the
pathogenesis of these divergent diseases. The report by van Riel et al, "Human and
avian influenza viruses target different cells in the lower respiratory tract of humans
and other mammals," appears in the October issue of the American Journal of
Pathology, and is accompanied by a commentary and highlighted on the cover.
IMRT better for sparing bladder
when treating prostate cancer
When treating early-stage prostate cancer, intensity modulated radiation therapy spares
the bladder significantly more from direct radiation when compared to 3-D conformal proton
therapy , but the amount of rectal sparing is similar with both treatments, according to a
study released in the October issue of the International Journal for Radiation
Interleukin-8, key marker for
colorectal cancer treatment
Colorectal cancer constitutes one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths
worldwide. A German research group has shown that the expression of Interleukin-8, a
multifunctional cytokine, correlates not only with CRC onset, but also with tumor
progression and the development of colorectal liver metastases. The expression level of
IL-8 might thus be a useful tool to evaluate the prognosis of patients with CRC with a
high likelihood of impact on future treatment strategies.
Factory animal farms produce meat
through routine torture and environmental destruction
Public and environmental health is being severely threatened through the institution of
animal factory farming, which pollutes our water, air, soil and even our bodies with
harmful chemicals and pollutants. Corporations now have taken over the practice of family
farming and have developed cost-saving mass-production strategies that are not only
dangerous to public health, but are also cruel to the animals being processed.
Earlier this month, published findings in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology from a
seven-year study of 460 Spanish children concluded that a definitive link exists between
symptom-free children and a diet rich in “fruity vegetables” and fish. Fruity
vegetables are those that grow from a blossom in the plant that comes from seed; such
veggies include tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants, green beans, cucumbers and butternut
squash, among others.
Sen. Grassley proposes bill
requiring drug companies to disclose gifts to doctors
Senators Herb Kohl, D-Wis., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, have introduced a bill to
require companies to disclose the gifts that they make to doctors, in an effort to avoid
undue influence on the prescribing of treatments. The Physicians Payments Sunshine Act
would require all pharmaceutical and biological drug and device manufacturers to disclose
any payment to a doctor valued at more than $25. The payments to be reported would include
not just money, but also speaking fees, trips and other such gifts.
Al Gore criticized for eating meat
diet that contributes to global warming
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other animal rights groups have
criticized former Vice President Al Gore for ignoring the effects of industrial meat
production in his Academy Award-winning 2006 documentary "An Inconvenient
Truth."
"An Inconvenient Truth," which won the award for "Best Documentary"
from 18 different film groups, outlines the potentially catastrophic consequences of
global warming and examines many of the industries that contribute to the problem -- but
not the meat industry.
Vitamin D halts development of
osteoporosis in people taking antiseizure medications
Supplementing with high levels of vitamin D can help stem the bone loss caused by the
long-term use of antiseizure medication, according to a study published in the journal
Neurology. It has long been known that the antiseizure medications used to control
epilepsy speed up bone breakdown, often leading to bone loss and osteoporosis. It is also
known that vitamin D increases the calcium available to the body for maintaining bone
structure by increasing calcium absorption during digestion and reducing its excretion
through urine.
Bacteria Reveal Targets of Immune
Responses Quick and Direct Identification of Antigens
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a widespread herpesvirus that infects more than 90 per
cent of the worldwide human population. After primary infection, EBV persists for life in
the infected human host in a state of latency. In healthy individuals, the immune system
is able to control latent EBV infection.
Dental x-rays could be a thing of the past thanks to a new knowledge transfer
partnership between the University of Abertay Dundee and pioneering research firm IDMoS.
A team of scientists from the university’s SIMBIOS (Scottish Informatics and
Mathematics Biology and Statistics) Centre will use sophisticated CAT (Computerised Axial
Tomography) scanning equipment to verify that the company’s newly developed equipment
for detecting dental cavities works. Chair of the Environmental Sciences School, Professor
Iain Young said: “IDMoS have developed a non-invasive method of checking teeth for
cavities.
Mathematicians help unlock secrets
of the immune system
A group of scientists, led by mathematicians, has taken on the challenge of building a
common model of immune responses. Their work will radically improve our understanding of
the human immune system by allowing all the scientific disciplines working on it to have a
common reference point and language. The mathematicians, funded by the Biotechnology and
Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), will investigate how the different cellular
components of the immune system work together and devise a theoretical and computational
model that can be used by immunologists, mathematicians, computer scientists, physicists
and engineers.
Antibody leads to repair of myelin
sheath in lab study of multiple sclerosis and related disorders
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that a human antibody administered in a single low
dose in laboratory mouse models can repair myelin, the insulating covering of nerves that
when damaged can lead to multiple sclerosis and other disorders of the central nervous
system.
Mayo Clinic Research Shows
Relatives of Parkinson's Disease Patients Face Increased Risk of Cognitive Impairment or
Dementia
Immediate relatives of people who have Parkinson's disease are at greater risk of
developing cognitive impairment or dementia than people who have no first-degree relatives
(brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter) with Parkinson's disease, according to
a new study by Mayo Clinic. The risk is particularly increased for relatives of patients
who developed Parkinson's disease before age 67.
A team of researchers from China and the University of Oregon have developed an
approach for neuroscientists to study how meditation might provide improvements in a
person's attention and response to stress. The study, done in China, randomly assigned
college undergraduate students to 40-person experimental or control groups. The
experimental group received five days of meditation training using a technique called the
integrative body-mind training (IBMT). The control group got five days of relaxation
training. Before and after training both groups took tests involving attention and
reaction to mental stress. The findings appear online this week ahead of publication by
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The experimental group showed greater
improvement than the control in an attention test designed to measure the subjects'
abilities to resolve conflict among stimuli. Stress was induced by mental arithmetic. Both
groups initially showed elevated release of the stress hormone cortisol following the math
task, but after training the experimental group showed less cortisol release, indicating a
greater improvement stress regulation. The experimental group also showed lower levels of
anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue than was the case in the control group.
"This study improves the prospect for examining brain mechanisms involved in the
changes in attention and self-regulation that occur following meditation training,"
said co-author Michael I. Posner, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of
Oregon. "The study took only five days, so it was possible to randomly assign the
subjects and do a thorough before-and-after analysis of the training effects."
Video - We Become Silent - The Last
Days Of Health Freedom
One shot of gene therapy spreads
through brain in animal study
By targeting a site in a mouse brain well connected to other areas, researchers
successfully delivered a beneficial gene to the entire brain—after one injection of
gene therapy. If these results in animals can be realized in people, researchers may have
a potential method for gene therapy to treat a host of rare but devastating congenital
human neurological disorders, such as Tay-Sachs disease.
An AIDS-related virus reveals more
ways to cause cancer, Penn researchers find
Researchers have shed new light on how Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpes Virus
subverts normal cell machinery to cause cancer. A KSHV protein called latency-associated
nuclear antigen (LANA) helps the virus hide out from the immune system in infected cells.
When LANA takes the place of other proteins that control cell growth, it can cause
uncontrolled cell replication.
KGI professor contributes new
insights on 'jumping genes'
Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) today announced that Dr. Animesh Ray, KGI professor and
director of KGI’s PhD program, has published a paper in the international online
journal PLoS ONE that sheds new light on the evolution of moveable genetic elements, or
“jumping genes.” This discovery has important implications for our understanding
of molecular evolution and genetic research involving plants, including genetically
modified crops.
Public health - The hidden menace of
mobile phones
Research into the link between regular handset use and disease reveals the risks rise
significantly after 10 years, despite official assurances that they are safe. Geoffrey
Lean reports
Small Papillary Thyroid Cancer Is
Not Without Risk
Patients with micropapillary thyroid cancer—small tumors equal to or less than 1
centimeter—and tumors even smaller, less than 1 millimeter (mm)—are more common
and not without a risk as previously thought, according to a new study.
High levels of free iron either released from iron reservoirs in the body or from
dietary intake may increase risk of developing breast cancer, according to a review
article published in the October 2007 issue of Cancer Causes Control.
An international study that included Israelis has identified a new breast cancer gene
that may increase the risk of the tumor by more than a third. The gene, named HMMR,
follows the discoveries years ago of the breast cancer gene mutations known as BRCA1,
BRCA2, APTM and CHEK2.
Concerned over excessive use of mobile phones by youngsters, the Union health ministry
has decided to conduct a study to pinpoint the health hazards related to its excessive
usage.
A vaccine that has dramatically curbed pneumonia and other serious illnesses in
children is having an unfortunate effect: promoting new superbugs that cause ear
infections.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20825107/
Depression Can Foreshadow
Intellectual Decline in Older People
Depression in the elderly increases the risk of subsequent mental impairment and can
act as a predictor of future intellectual decline, a study by University of Rochester
Medical Center psychiatrists and researchers has found.
Targeting sugars may revolutionize
treatment of bone disorders
Researchers in the United Kingdom and Germany are reporting that one of the most
fundamental scientific beliefs about the structure of human bone is incomplete -- a
finding they say could have sweeping impact on treatments for osteoporosis and other bone
disorders. Their study, scheduled for the Oct. 16 issue of ACS' Chemistry of Materials, a
bi-weekly journal, concludes that sugars, not proteins, are key organic building blocks
that account for bone's toughness and stiffness.
The University of Cambridge's David G. Reid and Melinda Duer and Christian Jaeger at and
Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing in Berlin, explain that scientists
have long held that collagen and other proteins were the main organic molecules
responsible for stabilizing normal bone structure. That belief has been the basis for
existing medications for bone disorders, and bone replacement materials. At the same time,
researchers paid little attention to roles of sugars (carbohydrates) in the complex
process of bone growth.
In the new report, researchers describe experiments on mineralization in horse bones using
an analysis tool called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). They found that sugars,
particularly proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, appear to play a larger role than
proteins in controlling the bone mineralization process and may be a key to maintaining
healthy bones.
"This could exert a major impact on the pharmacological management of bone disorders
by directing novel therapeutic approaches, as it suggests new molecular targets for drug
discovery," the report states. "It also offers new disease biomarkers for
diagnosis."
Researchers in a multicenter international study have identified a new gene that, if
mutated, may increase a woman's risk of breast cancer by more than a third.
Stem cell discovery could aid
search for how stomach cancer begins
Scientists have identified and described stem cells specific to several tissues and
organs of the body — key master cells that give rise to the specialized cell types
characteristic of that organ. But to date, it hasn’t been possible to pinpoint
functioning stem cells in the stomach, either in laboratory animals or people.
Antidepressants and painkillers - a
dangerous combination
Taking antidepressants together with painkillers can substantially increase the risk of
bleeding from the stomach, according to new research by the University of East Anglia.
A drug to treat colon cancer is proving much more convenient than traditional
chemotherapy, has fewer side effects - and a study of almost 2,000 patients has shown it
is giving them a better chance of surviving the disease.
Folic acid lowers blood arsenic
levels, according to Mailman School of Public Health study
A new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health finds
that folic acid supplements can dramatically lower blood arsenic levels in individuals
exposed to arsenic through contaminated drinking water. This toxic element is currently a
significant public health problem in at least 70 countries. Chronic arsenic exposure is
associated with increased risk for skin, liver and bladder cancers, skin lesions,
cardiovascular disease, and other adverse health outcomes.
Hip size of mothers linked to
breast cancer in daughters
In a study of the maternity records of more than 6,000 women, David J.P. Barker, M.D.,
Ph.D., and Kent Thornburg, Ph.D., of Oregon Health & Science University discovered a
strong correlation between the size and shape of a woman's hips and her daughter's risk of
breast cancer. Wide, round hips, the researchers postulated, represent markers of high sex
hormone concentrations in the mother, which increase her daughter's vulnerability to
breast cancer.
OHSU Examines Herb's Effects On
Diabetic Neuropathy
A 2005 OHSU study showing an herbal supplement speeds recovery in an animal model of
nerve damage has triggered a clinical trial to determine if the compound has the same
effect in humans suffering from diabetic neuropathy. Oregon Health & Science
University researchers have launched a Phase II, National Institutes of Health-funded
study of an extract of Centella asiatica, a botanical traditionally used as a nerve tonic
in the ancient Hindu system of healing known as Ayurveda. They will follow 60 subjects
with diabetic neuropathy who will be given the herbal extract or placebo for a year in the
randomized, double-blind trial expected to last through 2010.
Limiting refined carbohydrates may
stall AMD progression
Eating fewer refined carbohydrates may slow the progression of age-related macular
degeneration and ease the growing public health burden due to vision loss, report Tufts
researchers. People who consumed the most refined carbohydrates were 17 percent more
likely to develop blinding AMD than those who consumed the least.
Video -
Coriander None Dietry Fibrous Stomach and Intestine
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was created by DR Francine
Shapiro, a Psychologist and Senior Research Fellow at the Mental Research Institute in
Palo Alto, USA. It is an innovative clinical treatment, which has successfully helped over
one million people who have experienced psychological difficulties which originate from
some kind of traumatic experience, such as sexual abuse, childhood neglect, road traffic
accidents and violence. EMDR is also successful in treating other complaints such as
performance anxiety, self-esteem issues, phobias, and other trauma related anxiety
disorders.
EMDR is a complex method of psychotherapy which integrates many of the successful
elements of a range of therapeutic approaches, and combines them with eye movements or
other forms of bilateral stimulation in ways which stimulate the brain's information
processing system. Normally, the individual processes traumatic experiences naturally.
However, when a person is severely traumatized, either by an overwhelming event or by
being repeatedly subjected to distress, this healing process may become overloaded,
leaving the original disturbing experiences unprocessed. These unprocessed memories can be
stored in the brain in a "raw" form where they can be continually re-evoked when
experiencing events that are similar to the original experience.
EMDR utilizes the body's natural healing ability and allows the brain to heal
psychological problems at the same rate as the rest of the body heals physical ailments.
Because EMDR allows the mind and body to heal at the same rate, treatment can be rapid.
The number of sessions required for EMDR treatment, however, will vary according to the
complexity of the issues being dealt with. In general, the more isolated the
traumatic memory being treated, the shorter the treatment tends to be.
There have been 14 controlled studies supporting the efficacy of EMDR, making it the
most thoroughly researched method in the treatment of trauma. The most recent five studies
with people suffering from a range of events such as rape, combat, bereavement, accidents,
natural disasters etc. have found that 84 - 90% of the participants no longer had
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder following EMDR treatment. Given its wide application, EMDR
promises to be the therapy of the future.
Milk consumption and the
prepubertal somatotropic axis
Nutrients, hormones and growth factors in dairy foods may stimulate growth hormone
(GH), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and raise the ratio of IGF-I to its binding
protein, IGFBP-3. We conducted pilot studies in Mongolia and Massachusetts to test the
extent to which milk intake raised somatotropic hormone concentrations in prepubertal
children. Milk drinking may cause increases in somatotropic hormone levels of prepubertal
girls and boys. The finding that milk intake may raise GH levels is novel, and suggests
that nutrients or bioactive factors in milk may stimulate endogenous GH production.
Swedish study on effect of leaking
on amalgam fillings
It has been established that mercury is released from amalgam fillings and that the
amount of mercury which passes through the human body is sometimes very high. For a person with all occlusal
surfaces filled with amalgam the excretion was 100
times the mean intake of total mercury from the normal Swedish diet.
Today there are sophisticated and sensitive analysis methods for mercury and,
therefore,
mercury can be detected in almost all parts of the human body. Although there are
hundreds of articles published dealing with mercury in amalgam further studies are
required on the uptake or on the toxic effects of mercury from amalgam in the
human biological system. The Swedish Socialstyrelsen has decided that amalgam
shall not be used as a tooth filling material for young individuals. However, the
middle aged and elderly people still have old amalgam fillings continously leaking
mercury which means that the problem has not yet ended.
It is also established that mercury from amalgam is spread to the environment, for
example, into the sewage system. Restrictions on the use of mercury have been
introduced and discussions are on-going concerning how to handle existing
mercury in a safe way, for example, by storing mercury in specially prepared rock
shelters. Compared with this, the opinion that the only currently safe place to stoore
mercury is in our teeth as amalgam fillings is rather bewildering.
With this in mind, it is not difficult to understand why people are confused and
even afraid of having mercury in their teeth. This in itself may be reason enough to
ban amalgam from use in dental care.
Public information on environmental issues is of increasing importance and also an
obligation under the EU Framework Directive on air quality as well as under the Aarhus
Convention. Common Information to European Air (CITEAIR) is a project co-funded by the
European Union's INTERREG IIIC Programme. The project started in March 2004. It supports
cities and regions in developing efficient means to collect, present and compare air
quality data across a multitude of sites and provides furthermore an input to the air
quality reporting and action planning. Thus, CITEAIR supports European cities and regions
in their efforts to meet limit values and improve the air quality for their citizens.
During almost three years of productive work among partners and an exchange with
stakeholders including the European Commission (DG Environment) and the European
Environment Agency (EEA) a valuable set of products have been developed.
Video - Sasha
& Micah - Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy (AFLP)
Preventing Neurodegenerative
Diseases by Studying Proteins in the Brain
Researchers report in the October 2007 issue of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics the
most complete list so far of the proteins present in the cerebral cortex – the
outermost layer of the brain that plays a central role in memory, language, cognition, and
consciousness. The cerebral cortex is also the part of the brain that contains the
hallmarks of many neurodegenerative diseases, so these results could help understand how
such diseases develop and maybe find ways to slow it down. Most neurodegenerative diseases
develop in specific regions of the brain. For instance, loss of neurons due to
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) occur mostly in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, and
degeneration of neurons in Parkinson’s disease largely centers on an area in the back
of the brain called the brainstem – at least in the early stage of the disease. Jing
Zhang and colleagues identified over 800 different proteins in a part of the cortex near
the forehead called the frontal cortex. This region of the brain is involved in many
neurodegenerative diseases in which intellectual function deteriorates over time,
including AD, Parkinson’s disease with dementia (PDD), and dementia with Lewy body
(DLB) disease, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).
Milk consumption and the prepubertal somatotropic axis
Janet W Rich-Edwards, Davaasambuu Ganmaa, Michael N Pollack, Erika K Nakamoto, Ken
Kleinman, Uush Tserendolgor, Walter C Willett, Lindsay Frazier
Nutrition Journal 2007, 6:28 (27 September 2007)
Red wine consumption increases antioxidant status and decreases oxidative stress in the
circulation of both young and old humans
Michelle A Micallef, Louise A Lexis, Paul A Lewandowski
Nutrition Journal 2007, 6:27 (24 September 2007)
Dietary factors associated with obesity indicators and level of sports participation in
Flemish adults: a cross-sectional study
Nathalie Duvigneaud, Katrien Wijndaele, Lynn Matton, Renaat Philippaerts, Johan Lefevre,
Martine Thomis, Christophe Delecluse, William Duquet
Nutrition Journal 2007, 6:26 (21 September 2007)
Television viewing and sleep are associated with overweight among urban and semi-urban
South Indian children
Rebecca Kuriyan, Swarnarekha Bhat, Tinku Thomas, Mario Vaz, Anura V Kurpad
Nutrition Journal 2007, 6:25 (20 September 2007)
Daily calcium intake in male children and adolescents obtained from the rapid
assessment method and the 24-hour recall method
Michael Moore, Sarah Braid, Bareket Falk, Panagiota Klentrou
Nutrition Journal 2007, 6:24 (19 September 2007)
Consumers Should Consider Risks and
Realities of CT Scans for Colon Cancer Screening
A trial comparing optical colonoscopy to CT colonography raises several issues about
colon cancer screening using a CT scan of the abdomen, including potential risk of
radiation exposure. CT colonography, which requires bowel prep and is performed without
sedation, can be uncomfortable, and in some cases requires optical colonoscopy as
follow-up.
Scientists Search for Brain Center
Responsible for Tinnitus
For the more than 50 million Americans who experience the phantom sounds of tinnitus --
ringing in the ears that can range from annoying to debilitating -- certain well-trained
rats may be their best hope for finding relief.
UCI researchers restore memory
process in most common form of mental disability
University of California, Irvine scientists have discovered how to reverse the learning
and memory problems inherent in the most common form of mental impairment.
Got calcium? UWM researcher finds
that food labels confuse consumers
Current food labeling leads to under-consumption of calcium, according to this study.
Those who were taught how to translate the information consumed more. Researchers believe
the same is true for other beneficial nutrients.
New research from Cardiff University has revealed a daily diet of fresh herbs can help
combat a range of serious stress-related conditions, including high blood pressure,
insomnia and anxiety.
This kitchen herb is capable of mobilizing mercury, cadmium, lead and aluminum in both
bones and the central nervous system. It is probably the only effective agent in
mobilizing mercury stored in the intracellular space (attached to mitochondria, tubulin,
liposomes etc) and in the nucleus of the cell (reversing DNA damage of mercury). Because
cilantro mobilizes more toxins then it can carry out of the body, it may flood the
connective tissue (where the nerves reside) with metals, that were previously stored in
safer hiding places.
This process is called re-toxification. It can easily be avoided by simultaneously giving
an intestinal toxin-absorbing agent. Our definite choice is the algal organism chlorella.
A recent animal study demonstrated rapid removal of aluminum from the skeleton superior to
any known other detox agent.
For Prof. Beka Solomon it was obvious. If it isn`t possible to send drugs to the brain
to treat Alzheimer`s disease the normal way because of the blood-brain barrier that
prevents drugs from moving from the blood stream into the brain, then send them through
the nose instead. Solomon, of the Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology Department at
Tel Aviv University, has been working in this field for the last 13 years after years of
research in immunotherapy, and found in mouse trials that filamentous phages, a harmless
bacterial virus found almost everywhere from the depths of the ocean to the lining of the
stomach, can be an effective treatment against Alzheimer`s disease when carried to the
brain through the nose.
