The 21st century - time to wake
up….
Cancer to be the leading cause of death in
2010 through deadly cocktail of toxins ? We destroy our lungs with cigarettes, feed our
kids fast sugars. trans fats, salt, artificial flavors and colors, chemical sugars,
vaccines, etc. Then we wonder how it is that an increasing percentage of the population
develops chronic diseases such as asthma, allergies, diabetes, cancer, food intolerances,
skin problems and bowel problems. Mercury in fish and thermometers poses a problem for
most, but in tooth fillings or flu shots it doesn't seem to be a problem. Where's the
logic in that? We have the same ambivalence about antibiotics, the 'wonder drug' for
bacterial infections but also the great killer of your intestinal flora. Never mind that
friendly gut bacteria play a crucial role in maintaining long-term health. According to
ancient Chinese wisdom death resides in the bowels.
Read
full introduction article here
Ron Fonteine
News - week 47 - 2007
Virus-Related Muscle Damage Tied to
Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue syndrome seems to occur
sometimes after a virus infection. Now, researchers have shown that some patients with the
syndrome have evidence of virus in their muscles, and this in turn is linked to abnormal
muscle function.
http://paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?193456
Proposed Ban on Genetically
Modified Corn in Europe
European Union environmental officials have
determined that two kinds of genetically modified corn could harm butterflies, affect food
chains and disturb life in rivers and streams, and they have proposed a ban on the sale of
the seeds, which are made by DuPont Pioneer, Dow Agrosciences and Syngenta.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/business/worldbusiness/23gene.
html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Rapex Weekly Report: Week 46, 2007
RAPEX is the EU rapid alert system for all
dangerous consumer products, with the exception of food, pharmaceutical and medical
devices. It allows for the rapid exchange of information between Member States and the
Commission of measures taken to prevent or restrict the marketing or use of products
posing a serious risk to the health and safety of consumers. Both measures ordered by
national authorities and measures taken voluntarily by producers and distributors are
covered by RAPEX.
The list below is an overview of the
reported products last week.
This week's RAPEX report consists of 37
items- 18 Toys, 5 Electrical Appliances, 4 Clothing, 2 Stationary, 2 Children's Equipment,
2 Kitchen Accessories, 1 Protective Equipment, 1 Machine Tool, 1 Lighting Equipment,1
Cosmetic.
Click here for the full details, which can
be found in the weekly RAPEX report
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/dyna/rapex/create_rapex.cfm?rx_id=159
Ditta
Energy that flows freely for us
Install local your green energy generator at home and enjoy free energy your life time!
The generator is silence, no mowing parts and is not more bigger than a shoe-box.
The price will be the same as solar power, only it produce a lot more green power.
For hundreds of years man has struggled with energy conversion and mother nature. Mother
nature is the source of our prosperity. Only in the past 2 decades has a new opportunity
come into full view. The SRG concept brings together a full range of complicated physics
into just one device. The device works on principles of sound,
proven physics, backed up with 1000’s of technical papers written by scientist from
all over the world.
These scientific principles are combined to
make a useful device to generate electrical energy without the unwanted waste products.
The physics of the SRG utilizes one of the primary principles of mother nature, namely the
atomic elastic forces which are converted
into useful energy, i.e. electrical power to power our factories and our homes, cars and
other transportation vehicles. This is a very new and exciting way of working with mother
nature and keeping our biosphere intact hile mankind continues to prosper on this planet
at the same time.
We give it to humanity, non profit and fair
trade, but to do that we absolute need your support. We want to stay independent and we
need equipment and good people, that is expensive, also to protect the patent for not let
it be a Fort Knox (a place where they keep there gold). You help us now, we give you
back more!!
www.freeeyourself.com
St. Jude finds molecule that could
improve cancer vaccines and therapy for other diseases
The discovery of a new cytokine called
IL-35 could allow clinicians to treat diseases by turning up or down the immune response.
http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=87be6c5f47366110Vgn
Cigarette smoke, alcohol damage
hearts worse as combo
A new study shows that taking in smoky air
and drinking alcohol basically nullify any potential heart benefit from drinking alcohol
by itself. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that mice exposed
to smoky air and fed a liquid diet containing ethanol, the intoxicating ingredient in
alcohol, had a 4.7-fold increase in artery lesions, a key sign of advancing heart disease.
The study appears in Free Radical Biology & Medicine.
http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=115347
New research shows climate change
triggers wars and population decline
Climate change may be one of the most
significant threats facing humankind. A new study shows that long-term climate change may
ultimately lead to wars and population decline. The study, published Nov. 19 in the early
edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed that as
temperatures decreased centuries ago during a period called the Little Ice Age, the number
of wars increased, famine occurred and the population declined.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/giot-nrs112107.php
Pregnant women pass on the effects
of smoking
Smoking during pregnancy has many adverse
effects on fetal development. A new study in mice has now added the possibility that
smoking before pregnancy or while breast-feeding might substantially decrease the
fertility of female offspring to the long list of possible negative outcomes.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/joci-pwp111407.php
Even minute levels of lead cause
brain damage in children
Even amounts of lead in the blood well
below current federal standard are linked to reduced IQ scores in children, finds a new
six-year Cornell study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Nov07/lead.brain.damage.sl.html
New study finds blood-spinal cord
barrier compromised in mice with ALS
The blood-spinal cord barrier is
functionally impaired in areas of motor neuron damage in mice modeling amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis, report researchers at the University of South Florida Center for Aging and
Brain Repair. The barrier disruption was found in mice at both early and late stages of
ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and the
spinal cord. The study appears in the online, open-access journal PLoS ONE.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/plos-nsf112007.php
Vit B 'reduces obesity risk'
Mothers with healthy levels of B vitamins
are less likely to produce offspring who will develop health problems such as obesity in
later life, a new study claims.
http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/science/health/vit-b-reduces-obesity-risk-$1168928.htm
Magnetic pulses to brain can treat
depression
Stimulating the brain with rapid bursts of
magnetic energy is a safe and effectively treatment for major depression, a new
large-scale study has found.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hLUWCdiUKqV47ULP8-k250IWcRwA
Flavonoid-rich Diet Helps Women
Decrease Risk Of Ovarian Cancer
New research out of the Channing Laboratory
at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) reports that frequent consumption of foods
containing the flavonoid kaempferol, including nonherbal tea and broccoli, was associated
with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071119184042.htm
Chemical hurts children
Kids should not be drinking bisphenol A
with their milk, or eating it with their canned veggies.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/278154
Research links child asthma with
old mattresses in cots
Babies who sleep on old mattresses are at
increased risk of developing asthma later in childhood, research has found.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10477116
Smoking teens are depressed
Teens with asthma tend to be more depressed
and more likely to smoke cigarettes than their peers who don't have the disease, an
analysis of US national data shows.
http://www.health24.com/news/Asthma/1-892,43007.asp
Possible new Alzheimer's gene
identified
A variant of the gene CDC2 could possibly
be used as a risk marker for Alzheimer's disease. The gene variant is considerably more
common among Alzheimer's patients. This is shown in a dissertation from the Sahlgrenska
Academy at Göteborg University in Sweden. Alzheimer's disease has several different
causes. Since many patients have a close relative who also developed the disease, heredity
is believed to be one of the most important factors.
http://www.idw-online.de/pages/de/news236127
Removing tonsils may not be best
for kids
Removing the tonsils of children with mild
or moderate throat infections is more expensive and has fewer health benefits than simply
watching and waiting.
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL20266468
Deficiency of sunlight exposure may
raise endometrial cancer risk
Deficiency in exposure to sunlight
particularly ultraviolet (UVB), meaning low vitamin D level, may increase risk of
endometrial cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at
the University of California- San Diego.
http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/C_ancer_31/112108122007_Deficiency_
of_sunlight_exposure_may_raise_endometrial_cancer_risk.shtml
Mercury Does Not Belong In Light
Bulbs Or Vaccines
According to the National Association of
County Health Officials (NACHO), an independent affiliate of the National Association of
Counties representing 1,300 local health departments, mercury poses the following dangers
; “Mercury can be extremely toxic, especially to infants and children.
http://www.newstarget.com/022279.html
Oceans, plants, and humans - closer
than you think
If you look at our “family tree”
you will find that apes are our “parents”, plants are our
“grandparents”, and the sun and sea our “great grandparents”.
http://www.newstarget.com/022278.html
Senators who protected Big Pharma
received millions of dollars from drug companies
Senators who received substantial donations
from pharmaceutical companies were instrumental in making a new drug bill more
industry-friendly, according to studies by nonprofit groups and remarks by some of the
senators themselves.
http://www.newstarget.com/022270.html
Evaluation of the European
Commission Public Health web site
The European Commission is carrying out a review of the Public Health web site and invites
you to have your say. Your views will help us to provide you with an even better service
in the future.
http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=healthsite
Ditta
News - The Guardian
Do you have any idea who last looked at
your data?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/15/comment
Brown apologises for data blunder
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/economics/story/0,,2214566,00.html
Google-backed firm offers DNA testing for
$999
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/nov/20/google.internet
Ditta
Common Drug (indomethacin) for
Stopping Preterm Labor may be Harmful for Babies
A drug commonly used to halt premature
labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies,
according to a new analysis of studies on the issue published this month in American
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1737
Consumer rights EU
Consumers do not always know their rights.
And if they know their rights at home, they do not always know the rights they have in the
other countries of the European Union. Consumers in the countries that joined the European
Union in May 2004 have the highest need to get to know their rights, and how to claim
them. Therefore the European Commission is conducting information campaigns in these
countries as a matter of priority. These campaigns also promote national consumer
associations. Because it is often difficult for an individual consumer to get his rights
respected. In joining forces consumers stand stronger, and problems can get solved
collectively and more effectively.
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/empowerment/index_en.htm
Ditta
Video - Bulgaria's Abandoned
Children
http://lorafoundation.co.za/
A breast cancer connection
Researcher shows link between growth
hormones and tumors
Many women over the age of 40 have small
tumors in their breasts — usually without even knowing it. Those tumors typically
grow to about 1 millimeter in size but then stop developing because they have insufficient
nourishment. How and why do other tumors keep growing into cancer? This question drives
the work of biomedical sciences researcher Salman Hyder. In the Oct. 15 issue of Cancer
Research, Hyder and colleagues published findings about progesterone, a hormone
common in birth control and treatments for menopause. Their research shows that
progesterone actively promotes the progression of human breast cancer cells in an animal
model. Previously such observations had been limited to animal cells.
Understanding the processes behind tumor
growth is crucial, especially considering that breast cancer is the second leading cause
of death for women in the United States. Each year, approximately 40,000 American women
die of this disease and doctors diagnose 200,000 new cases, according to figures from the
American Cancer Society. “If we could control these processes, we could potentially
control tumor growth and metastasis and thereby alleviate much suffering and save many
lives,” Hyder says.
Feeding tumors
Any new tissue growth requires the formation of new blood vessels — a process called
angiogenesis. Tumor cells can generate signals, in the form of “growth factors,”
that allow them to recruit new blood vessels from neighboring tissues. Hyder studies the
mechanisms by which these signals generate, specifically focusing on vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF). Hyder — the Thelma P. Zalk Missouri Professor of Tumor
Angiogenesis and an investigator at Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center — works
with colleague Yayun Liang and other collaborators at Mizzou and the University of Texas
Southwestern. The group has shown how progesterone and VEGF interact in certain tumor
cells with a mutant form of a protein known as p53. Hyder says that p53 actually
suppresses tumors in normal cases. However, some women have a mutant form of p53 that
doesn’t work the same way. In these women, progesterone “induces” VEGF
elaboration. In more basic terms, this means progesterone can trigger an increase in new
blood vessels, which in turn feed a tumor’s development.
Hormone therapies and the dilemma
Salman Hyder and colleagues have shown a
link between progesterone and the progression of breast cancer in human cells. Women
receive progesterone in birth control and other clinical situations. Synthetic
progesterone, or progestin, is given in combination with estrogen as hormone replacement
therapy (HRT) to reduce hot flashes, depression and other symptoms of menopause. In HRT,
progestin actually prevents the tumors that can develop when estrogen stimulates the
uterus. However, many clinical trials, including the Million Women Study and an extensive
National Institutes of Health study known as the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI),
show that if taken for a prolonged period, progestin increases the risk of breast cancer
by approximately 26 percent. Therefore, menopausal women find themselves in a dilemma
— undergo an HRT regimen with progestin and increase the risk of breast cancer, or
seek alternative hormone therapy without progestin and face the risk of developing uterine
cancer. Hyder says this dilemma has given rise to extensive debate. He advises women to
consult with their doctors and make an informed decision about whether to take HRT.
Physicians can evaluate family history, lifestyle and other factors.
“There is little doubt now that
progestins have the capacity to increase the formation of new blood vessels, which in turn
can lead to tumor development,” Hyder says. “If there is a propensity for breast
cancer in the family, it may well be advisable for a woman to avoid drug regimens
containing progestins.” New discovery and future treatments Showing a
connection between progesterone and breast cancer in human cells is a definitive step, and
it leads to further research. Hyder and his colleagues are studying ways to eradicate
tumors by suppressing VEGF and selectively killing the blood vessels that nourish
developing tumors. Natural, non-mutant p53 acts as a tumor suppressor and either corrects
mistakes or destroys potentially cancerous cells when they go awry. Such agents would have
applications not only in the treatment of breast tumors but also in other forms of cancer.
Hyder and colleagues discussed these possibilities in Cancer Research. “If we can
find safe anti-hormones or anti-angiogenic compounds, then we can potentially prevent or
arrest tumor growth,” Hyder says.
http://www.missouri.edu/
Forum on Nutrition in Care Homes
and Home Care: how to put in place adequate strategies
On 22-23 November an international workshop
on the quality of nutrition in care homes and home care will be held in Brussels, at the
MCE Management Centre Europe. This scientific conference, organized by the Belgian Food
and Health Plan (BFHP), brings together the international leading experts and policy
makers in the field of under nourishment with a view to identifying concrete actions to
tackle this problem.
In Europe it is estimated that between 40
to 80% of residents of care homes and home care are at risk of being undernourished, even
when high quality food is available. Several issues contribute to this situation: the lack
of mobility, having to rely on others, physical and mental regression and financial
limitations. Under nourishment dramatically increases the risk of complications, promoting
deterioration of the overall physical and mental situation of the individual, at times
even leading to premature death. The topics to be addressed include: the causes of under
nourishment, the lack of general interest (both medical and political), the usefulness of
creating a special focus for nutrition for the
elderly, the need for multidisciplinary approaches and how to implement the actual
recommendations suggested.
http://www.forumonnutrition.be/
Ditta
X Marks the Spot to Stop Back Pain
A new minimally invasive procedure is
hitting its mark with certain types of low back and leg pain sufferers, significantly
reducing their pain and disability.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1734
Public Consultation regarding a
European Action in the Field of Rare Diseases
The European Commission plans to publish in November 2008 a Communication on a European
Action in the Field of Rare Diseases. This communication will be the
culmination of a process starting with the current consultation aiming at gathering
expertise in all Member States.
High-quality diagnosis, treatment and information for people suffering from rare diseases
are priority issues for the European Commission as established in the new Health Strategy
adopted last 23 October 2007. Rights to an equal healthcare are also recognised in the
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. The Commission therefore undertook in its 2007
Annual Policy Strategy to develop a Community action in favour of rare diseases patients
by reinforcing cooperation between Member States and by providing support to European
information networks and patient's organisation actions.
The Commission considers that Community action should be founded on three pillars:
- Strengthening the cooperation between EU
programmes : the EU Public Health Programmes, the Framework Programmes for Research and
Technological Development, the Orphan Drugs strategy, the future Health Services
Directive, and any other existing or future EU or national action.
- Encouraging EU Member States in developing
national health policies to ensure equal access and availability of prevention, diagnosis,
treatment and rehabilitation for people with Rare Disease.
- Ensuring that common policy guidelines are
developed and shared everywhere in Europe: specific actions – in areas such as
research, centres of expertise, access to information, incentives for the development of
orphan drugs, screening, etc. – shall be part of an overall minimum common
strategy on Rare Diseases.
Consultation regarding Community action on
rare diseases
Public consultation regarding European Action in the Field of Rare Diseases (draft)
http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_threats/non_com/docs/raredis_comm_draft.pdf
Responses to this consultation, focussed
around the specific questions identified in the text above, should be sent to the European
Commission by 14 February 2008,
by email to sanco-rarediseases-consultation@ec.europa.eu, or by post to:
European Commission
Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General
Rare Diseases consultation
HTC 01/198
11, Rue Eugene Ruppert
L-2557 Luxembourg
All contributions received will be published, unless specifically indicated otherwise.
Following this consultation, the Commission intends to bring forward appropriate
proposals in 2008.
Gene therapy safety trial for
childhood blindness under way
A gene-transfer technique is being tested
for safety in people in a phase 1 clinical research study of inherited blindness conducted
by the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Florida with support from the
National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The first adult subject
underwent the procedure last week.
http://news.ufl.edu/2007/11/19/blindness/
MIT IDs proteins key to brain
function
MIT researchers have identified a family of
proteins key to the formation of the communication networks critical for normal brain
function. Their research could lead to new treatments for brain injury and disease.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/nerves-1119.html
Penn researchers use brain imaging
to demonstrate how men and women cope differently under stress
According to a study that appears in the
current issue of SCAN (Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience), researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discuss how men and women differ in their
neural responses to psychological stress.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/uops-pru111907.php
Doubled calorie intake from
beverages likely contributes to adult obesity
It's not just sugary sodas that are adding
to the obesity crisis -- it's fruit drinks, alcohol and a combination of other
high-calorie beverages, say University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public
Health researchers. And during the holidays, when eggnog, cocktails and spiced cider are
abundant, the problem can be even more apparent.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/uonc-dci111907.php
MU study finds that sitting may
increase risk of disease
University of Missouri-Columbia researchers
have found that standing during the day not only burns double the number of calories as
sitting, but also has some long-lasting healthy benefits for the body.
http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2007/1115-hamilton-inactivity.php
Researcher shows link between
growth hormones and tumors
In the Oct. 15 issue of Cancer Research,
Hyder and colleagues published findings about progesterone, a hormone common in birth
control and treatments for menopause. Their research shows that progesterone actively
promotes the progression of human breast cancer cells in an animal model. Previously such
observations had been limited to animal cells.
http://mizzouwire.missouri.edu/stories/2007/hormone-cancer/index.php
Stress hormone may hasten the
progression of certain blood cancers
Researchers here have shown that in cell
cultures, the stress hormone norepinephrine appears to promote the biochemical signals
that stimulate certain tumor cells to grow and spread. The finding, if verified, may
suggest a way of slowing the progression and spread of some cancers enough so that
conventional chemotherapeutic treatments would have a better chance to work.
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/yangvegf.htm
PET scans show gene therapy
normalizes brain function in Parkinson's patients
Experimental gene therapy, brain function
effects are present a year later.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/nsij-pss111907.php
Drug That Lengthens Eyelashes Sets
Off Flutter
In the latest blurring of the line between
cosmetics and drugs, new products that promise to make eyelashes look longer are causing a
stir among physicians and regulators because they contain ingredients that are the same or
similar to those in prescription drugs for an eye disease.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119543055372597359.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Healthy Food Remains Out-of-Reach
for Many Families
Many families on a tight budget are
struggling to fill their shopping trolleys with healthy foods, placing them at high risk
of poor nutrition, including overweight and obesity, a study in Nutrition and Dietetics
published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Dietitians Association of Australia has
found. The study found that the cost of a standardized healthy food basket (HFB), and
therefore the cost of healthy eating, relative to income were very expensive for Adelaide
families on lower incomes.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=readrelease
&releaseid=525152&ez_search=1
Children herded like cattle into
Maryland courthouse for forced vaccinations as armed police and attack dogs stand guard
Following the State of Maryland's threats
against parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated, children were herded into a
Price George County courthouse being guarded by armed personnel with attack dogs. Inside,
the children were forcibly vaccinated, many against their will, under orders from the
State Attorney General, various State Judges and the local School Board Director.
http://www.newstarget.com/022267.html
Narrow band imaging colonoscopy
identifies flat dysplastic lesions in ulcerative colitis patients
A pilot study from researchers at Kyushu
University in Fukuoka, Japan, found that narrow band imaging colonoscopy used in cancer
surveillance for ulcerative colitis patients can identify flat dysplastic lesions. The
research appears in the November issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly
peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/asfg-nbi111607.php
Video - Sweet Misery - A Poisoned
World
Excellent documentary showing how dangerous artificial sweetner Aspartame is. From its
history, to its effects this video is enough to shock anyone into really looking at there
food labels next time they shop. Aspartame is a toxic food that came into the world as an
investment By Donald Rumsfeld, while ignoring the deadly effects the tests showed. Take a
good look at this video, it could save lives.
Immune system can drive cancers
into dormant state
A multinational team of researchers has
shown for the first time that the immune system can stop the growth of a cancerous tumor
without actually killing it. Scientists have been working for years to use the immune
system to eradicate cancers. The new findings prove an alternate to this approach exists:
When the cancer can't be killed with immune attacks, it may be possible to find ways to
use the immune system to contain it.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/wuso-isc111607.php
Video - Drink glasses in hotelroom
A novel way found to prevent
protein plaques implicated in Alzheimer's
For unknown reasons a protein called
amyloid beta aggregates into toxic plaques in the brain, killing neurons. These plaques
are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Now two new animal studies show for the
first time that the deadly transformation of amyloid beta into plaques can be prevented
through an interaction between amyloid beta and another protein called cystatin C.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/nyum-anw111507.php
Fat-cure pill causes depression
AN ANTI-OBESITY drug that may be available
soon in Australia more than doubles the risk of depression, anxiety and other psychiatric
illnesses, a study says.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071118151434.htm
Mushroom good for ovarian cysts, an
STUT study reveals
Eating Judas' ear mushrooms helps alleviate
the symptoms of polycystic ovarian cysts, according to a recent clinical experiment
conducted by a research team at the Southern Taiwan University of Technology (STUT) in
Tainan County in cooperation with the Kuo General Hospital in Tainan City.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/11/19/2003388509
Omega 3 fatty acids kill gastric
cancer cells
Intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty
acids may be protective against gastric cancer, according to a new Chinese study published
in the November, 2007 issue of Zhonghua Wei Chang Wai Ke Za Zhi.
http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/C_ancer_31/111812492007
Protect your heart with green diet
Eating a rich diet filled with leafy green
vegetables may cut heart damage in the event of heart attack, a study suggests.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=64ca505c-9df6-4
Anti-cancer treatment may have
opposite effects
Anti-cancer treatments may have an opposite
effect on the cancareous cells increasing the small population of cancer stem cells
believed to drive the disease, according to a latest research.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200711181341.htm
Moderate drinking during pregnancy
could cause serious childhood disorders
Moderate drinking during pregnancy could be
the hidden cause of thousands of serious childhood disorders including autism, Scotland's
leading authority on alcohol and health warned last night.
http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=57719&c=1
Why Europe needs a Strategic Energy
Technology Plan
On 22 November, the European Commission
will present the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), which was
identified as part of the Energy Package proposed by the Commission in January 2007. This
background document describes the current situation regarding energy technology in Europe,
and introduces the two mapping exercises carried out by the Commission's Joint Research
Centre to support this work.
The Energy Challenge
Making the European energy system more sustainable is one of the greatest challenges
facing Europe. The EU responded in 2007 by adopting a package of proposals, paving the way
towards a future Energy Policy for Europe. It contains a set of ambitious targets for
2020: (i) reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 20% compared to 1990 levels; (ii)
reducing primary energy use by 20% (through energy efficiency); (iii) increasing the level
of renewable energy in the EU's overall mix to 20%; (iv) minimum target for biofuels of
10% of vehicle fuel. These targets are achievable if appropriate technological strides are
taken. Therefore one of the key elements of the Energy policy for Europe is the
preparation of a European Strategic Energy Plan, which will accelerate the availability of
energy technologies and at the same time engage European industry in the process so that
it can gain world leadership in this sector.
Europe is suffering from accumulated
under-investment due to cheap oil. The energy technology and innovation process has
structural weaknesses, such as long lead times for new technologies to mass market,
locked-in infrastructure investments, diverse market incentives and network connection
challenges. Furthermore, the market take-up of new energy technologies is additionally
hampered by the nature of the technologies themselves, because they are generally more
expensive than the technologies they replace. There is therefore a need to create a long
term EU framework for energy technology development.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do
ICCAT's welcome decisions confirm
its commitment to bluefin tuna recovery plan
The European Commission has welcomed the
outcome of the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) which closed today in Antalya, Turkey. Despite calls to reopen the
debate on the fifteen-year recovery plan for eastern bluefin tuna which was adopted last
year, Delegates decided to continue to implement the plan as agreed for another year. A
full review will be undertaken when new scientific advice is available at the end of 2008,
as originally planned. Full implementation of the control scheme agreed as part of the
recovery plan remains crucial, and the adoption of a new catch document to ensure
traceability throughout the market chain is one of the major achievements of this meeting.
ICCAT also adopted a number of proposals tabled by the EU, including a reduction in the
Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for northern albacore tuna to 30 200 tonnes for 2008 and 2009,
a one-month closed season for Mediterranean swordfish, and measures to mitigate bird
by-catch in longline fisheries in the southern Atlantic.Commissioner for Fisheries and
Maritime Affairs, Joe Borg, commented: "The situation of the eastern bluefin tuna
stock is of grave concern to us. We need to give the recovery plan time to work. However,
we also need to heed the signals we receive when they are supported by reliable data and
serious analysis. If, in 2008, the scientists tell us that the plan is not working, then
we must consider every option which might help prevent the collapse of this historic
fishery."
The recovery plan for bluefin tuna was
adopted at last year's annual ICCAT meeting in Dubrovnik, but its implementation was
delayed until mid-June for procedural reasons (IP/06/1632; IP/07/788). As a result, most
of the 2007 fishing season was carried out before key elements of the plan could be put in
place. An important one is the new control scheme, which is designed to eliminate
underreporting and illegal fishing identified as two of the main causes of overfishing.
The EU itself overfished its 2007 quota by over 4000 tonnes, due to the failure of Member
States to transmit data in a timely manner, and where necessary to close their fisheries
as soon as their quota was exhausted. The Commission has opened infringement procedures
against Member States in relation to these shortcomings (IP/07/1355; IP/07/1399). The
Commission has declared this overfishing to ICCAT, and a payback regime was agreed at the
meeting which will see the EU pay back 100% of this year's quota overshoot in three equal
annual instalments starting in 2009. The full amount to be paid back is subject to
revision following the outcome of a number of investigations into catch data currently
ongoing in the Member States.
Poor compliance with existing measures
remains one of the main root causes of overfishing in bluefin tuna fisheries. ICCAT
Contracting Parties, therefore, addressed this problem during the meeting to find ways of
strengthening control and monitoring of all the various steps involved. Thus, the
Delegates adopted a new catch document to be used to trace all catches of eastern bluefin
tuna throughout the market chain, from net to plate. This document will be one of the keys
to making control and monitoring work in this fishery, where the rapid expansion of
catches has been fuelled by high demand from the East Asian market. ICCAT will convene a
meeting in Tokyo before the start of the 2008 fishing season to bring together all those
involved in the bluefin tuna fishery and marketing chain, to see how better understanding
and coordination between different players could help reduce market-based pressure on the
resource.
ICCAT also adopted a number of other
important conservation and environmental measures, many of them on the EU's initiative.
For northern albacore tuna, Delegates agreed an EU proposal to reduce the TAC for 2008 and
2009 to 30 200 tonnes (2007: 34 500 tonnes) in line with scientific advice. The maximum
carry-over of unused quota between fishing years will also be reduced from 50% to 25%.
In the case of Mediterranean swordfish, the
general good health of the stock is being undermined by large catches of very small fish
in the latter part of the year. ICCAT adopted an EU proposal to close the fishery from 15
October to 15 November, which should help significantly reduce the biological damage being
done. This measure should form the first step towards developing a multi-annual management
plan for this stock at ICCAT level. Another EU initiative led to the adoption of bird
by-catch mitigation measures in the Atlantic longline fisheries similar to those recently
established by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. The EU also associated itself to an
unsatisfactory compromise proposal on sharks, which commits ICCAT members to reducing
fishing mortality on porbeagle sharks, without specifying any particular target. ICCAT is
the regional fisheries management organisation responsible for the conservation and
sustainable harvesting of tuna and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and associated
waters. ICCAT currently has 45 Contracting Parties, and resolutions are adopted by
consensus of the general assembly.
ICCAT:
http://www.iccat.es/
Warning list E numbers in Food
Thanks to: R van Dongen
UK ME patients fight back in court
'Yuppie flu' campaigners are going to court
to try to force the Government's health watchdog to stop defining it as a psychiatric
illness. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) could have to
rewrite its new guidelines on chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as ME.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=
494200&in_page_id=1770
Remote-control nanoparticles
deliver drugs directly into tumors
MIT scientists have devised remotely
controlled nanoparticles that, when pulsed with an electromagnetic field, release drugs to
attack tumors. The innovation, reported in the Nov. 15 online issue of Advanced Materials,
could lead to the improved diagnosis and targeted treatment of cancer.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/miot-mrn111607.php
Some drug studies more likely to
have favorable conclusions
Previous work has shown that, when a drug
study was funded by the company that made that drug, the results might be biased in favour
of that drug because the methods or analyses were manipulated. New research published
online today shows that, for blood pressure drugs, studies are now much less likely to
have biased results but still tend to have overly positive conclusions favoring the
company's products.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/bmj-sds111607.php
Ottawa investigates chemical found
in baby bottles
The federal government is looking into
whether bisphenol-A, a common chemical in hard plastic containers such as baby bottles, is
harmful to humans.
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/11/15/bisphenol-risk.html
Study shows that toxins from
everyday products leach into human system
The frightening reality that toxic
chemicals are building up in his body has been confirmed for Dartmouth resident Jerry
Fishbein. He is not alone, according to the results of a national bio-monitoring study
released last week.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071117/LIFE/711170356
[ News of week 46 ]
