http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8344815.stm
Tiny metal particles have been shown to cause changes to DNA across a cellular barrier - without having to cross it.The nanometre and micrometre scale particles resulted in an increase of damage to DNA across the barrier via a never-before-seen cell signal process.
Reporting in Nature Nanotechnology, the researchers say the mechanism could be both a risk and an opportunity.
They say the preliminary result is relevant as more medical therapies rely on small-scale particles.
For instance, nanoparticle-based approaches are being considered for use to improve MRI images or direct the delivery of cancer drugs.
However, they concede their model system is far simpler than the human body, where the effects will be harder to unpick.
As yet, the researchers are not even certain of the mechanism by which the signalling molecules cause damage to DNA.
Vaccination Liberation - Home
Vaccination Liberation is part of a national grassroots network dedicated to providing information on vaccinations not often made available to the public so that one can make the only informed choice, complete avoidance and refusal.
Vaccination News, A Non-Profit Corporation
"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education."
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William C. Jarvis, September 28, 1820
Current NEWS about Vaccines Dangers
In 1976, one person died of swine flu. A national vaccination program was stopped because 25 died of reactions, including the Guillain-Barre syndrome. 'Whenever there is a mass vaccination, there will be some deaths,' said neurologist Dr. Ashish Trevedi. Trevedi says only one in perhaps 100,000 will get the syndrome. If it's recognized early, it is 90 percent treatable. Jerry Emmons' trouble: five doctors had no idea what was wrong."
Click here to read the rest of the story.
DR Congo army 'used aid as bait'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8347503.stm
The Democratic Republic of Congo army has used vaccination clinics as "bait" to attack civilians, says aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
Thousands of Hutu civilians were targeted when they visited sites set up to combat a measles epidemic, in areas controlled by the rebels, MSF said.
It denounced the attacks in North Kivu as "an abuse of humanitarian action".
On Monday the UN withdrew its support for a government army unit, accusing soldiers of killing 62 civilians.
100 Educational Twitter Feeds for Journalism Studentshttp://www.onlinecollege.org/2009/10/27/100-educational-twitter-feeds-for-journalism-students
100 Incredible Open Courses for the Ultimate Tech Geek
http://www.onlinecourses.org/2009/10/28/100-incredible-open-courses-for-the-ultimate-tech-geek
Indian Country Today
Native American veterans sought for ‘Words of War’ project
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/northeast/69378442.html
An anthropology professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston is inviting Native American veterans to participate in an anonymous online survey to track the relationships between Native American history, colonial wars, and U.S. military language in conflicts of the last 50 years.
Professor Steve Silliman of the university’s Department of Anthropology, said the project, called “Terms of Engagement: Understanding the Words of War,” is designed to study how military personnel use figures of speech to explain, describe, or get through times of conflict.
“We are interested in knowing how often certain phrases – such as those that refer to “the Wild West,” “Indian country,” or “cowboys and Indians” – were used in particular wars, who used them, and when. Many have studied the larger contexts of war or have made assumptions about those who fight in them, but few have studied directly the experiences and words of those who participate in the military and how these relate to Native American history and culture today. We want to hear directly from the soldiers and officers themselves about their experiences,” Silliman said.
Native American veterans or active personnel who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces from the 1960s onward can access and complete the survey online.
Economist de Soto angers Peru Natives, experts with documentary
Hernando de Soto, a renowned Peruvian economist, has upset Natives as well as the foremost local experts on Peruvian Natives and Amazon issues with a documentary critics see as another attempt to strip Peruvian Natives of their lands so they can be transferred to oil and lumber companies.
- Obama ushers in a new era for Indian country
- President’s remarks and Q&A at Tribal Nations Conference
- Salazar's opening comments to Tribal Nations Conference
- Seneca educates lawmakers on treaty rights, tobacco economy
- Little Shells denied Bureau of Indian Affairs recognition, await congressional action
- Pushing for tribal energy development
- Venezuelan ambassador in Alaska to promote
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11453693&Call=Email&Format=HTML
Hale stumbled on a problem Bonneville County HAZ-MAT Captain John Lund has been painfully aware of for years. "When I first got into this career I saw many instances where fire fighters are exposed to hazardous materials," he said.
Anytime the HAZ-MAT team responds to a situation with toxic chemicals they have to wear suits reminiscent to the pictures seen in Fahrenheit 451.
"We have lots of people that work with chemicals and work as scientists in our community," Lund said. "For whatever reason those chemicals and poisons end up in our homes."
In his career Lund has seen too many home accidents involving toxic chemicals like: pesticides, solvents, antifreeze, paint, paint thinners, gas etc.
"Every year we have garbage truck fires," Lund said. "There may be cylinders under pressure in the trucks. Chemicals that shouldn't mix are thrown together. It's unpredictable."
In the state of Idaho it's not illegal for even the most hazardous household materials to end up in landfills. The state only requires landfills to meet minimal federal and EPA standards, which means the burden lies with our local governments to be proactive. Some counties may have more stringent regulations and refuse certain types of waste. If that's the case, and there are no other community collection events, waste will more than likely accumulate in homes.
Common Plants Can Eliminate Indoor Air Pollutants
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140816.htm
Indoor air has been reported to be as much as 12 times more polluted than outdoor air in some areas. Indoor air pollutants emanate from paints, varnishes, adhesives, furnishings, clothing, solvents, building materials, and even tap water.
A long list of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs [including benzene, xylene, hexane, heptane, octane, decane, trichloroethylene (TCE), and methylene chloride], have been shown to cause illnesses in people who are exposed to the compounds in indoor spaces. Acute illnesses like asthma and nausea and chronic diseases including cancer, neurologic, reproductive, developmental, and respiratory disorders are all linked to exposure to VOCs. Harmful indoor pollutants represent a serious health problem that is responsible for more than 1.6 million deaths each year, according to a 2002 World Health Organization report.
Some indoor plants have the ability to effectively remove harmful VOCs from the air, and not only have the ability to improve our physical health, but also have been shown to enhance our psychological health. Adding these plants to indoor spaces can reduce stress, increase task performance, and reduce symptoms of ill health.
The ability of plants to remove VOCs is called "phytoremediation." To better understand the phytoremediation capacity of ornamental plants, the research team tested 28 common indoor ornamentals for their ability to remove five volatile indoor pollutants.
Of the 28 species tested, Hemigraphis alternata (purple waffle plant), Hedera helix (English ivy), Hoya carnosa (variegated wax plant), and Asparagus densiflorus (Asparagus fern) had the highest removal rates for all of the VOCs introduced. Tradescantia pallida (Purple heart plant) was rated superior for its ability to remove four of the VOCs.
The study concluded that simply introducing common ornamental plants into indoor spaces has the potential to significantly improve the quality of indoor air. In addition to the obvious health benefits for consumers, the increased use of indoor plants in both ''green'' and traditional buildings could have a tremendous positive impact on the ornamental plant industry by increasing customer demand and sales.
Globalization: Diseases Spreading From Humans To Animals, Study Finds
Researchers from The Roslin Institute of the University of Edinburgh have shown that a strain of bacteria has jumped from humans to chickens.
It is believed to be the first clear evidence of bacterial pathogens crossing over from humans to animals and then spreading since animals were first domesticated some 10,000 years ago.
The study identified a form of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus -- of which MRSA is a subtype -- in chickens, and found that the bacteria originally came from humans.
Genetic testing showed that the bacteria crossed over from one species to another around 40 years ago, coinciding with a move towards intensive poultry farming practices.*
In comparison to the corresponding form of Staphylococcus aureus in humans, which was isolated to one geographical area, the strain in chickens was spread across different continents.
Infectious diseases in chicken flocks are a major economic burden on the industry and the spread of bacteria from humans to chickens could have a huge impact on poultry farming. If bacteria are also shown to be crossing over from humans to other livestock then there could be an impact on food security.
Dr. Ross Fitzgerald, of The Roslin Institute, said: "Half a century ago chickens were reared for their eggs, with meat regarded as a by-product. Now the demand for meat has led to a poultry industry dominated by a few multinational companies which supply a limited number of breeding lines to a global market -- thereby promoting the spread of the bacteria around the world."
The bacteria are a major cause of animal diseases, including bone infections in poultry. Further research will look at analysing other livestock for emerging pathogens and diseases which may have come from humans.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152810.htm
* Related Post
ECUADOR: Oil Giant Is Gone, Legal and Environmental Mess Remains
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49041
New documentary "Crude", the latest weapon in an escalating PR war taking place alongside the equally contentious legal war over whether Chevron should be held responsible for the 916 waste pits of crude oil that dot the Amazonian region of northern Ecuador – and the cancer and other health problems that have plagued the Lago Agrio region.
In the 1960s, Texaco began drilling in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest, and in the 23 years that it operated the site it spilled 17 million gallons of oil and dumped 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater, according to Amazon Watch, an organisation promoting the case of the Ecuadorian plaintiffs.
Texaco turned over its operations in the area to state-owned PetroEcuador in the early 1990s. PetroEcuador continues to operate in Lago Agrio today, and up until last year, according to the company, continued to dump wastewater in the surrounding environment.
Chevron, which acquired Texaco in 2001, says the gooey mess is largely PetroEcuador's fault. It says Texaco was absolved of responsibility when it completed, in 1998, a 40-million-dollar cleanup of some of the dump sites, which it had agreed with the Ecuador government three years prior.
But a 2003 report by government auditors said Texaco had failed to properly execute its side of the bargain. Chevron rejects those findings, but in "Crude" villagers describe how they built houses in clearings they later discovered were simply oil pits covered over with dirt.
The palm oil scandal: Boots and Waitrose named and shamed
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/the-palm-oil-scandal-boots-and-waitrose-named-and-shamed-1810503.html
In a survey of leading European food and household firms, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said that only Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer and a handful of other companies had made substantial progress towards sourcing sustainable palm oil.
Continental retailers came out worst in the survey of 59 firms, with many French, German and Dutch chains making no effort to prevent the huge problems caused by the oil's production.
Palm oil is found in chocolate, biscuits, cereals, soap, shampoo and dozens of other products, but is also widely used as a bio-fuel for cars and power stations. While providing much needed income for developing countries, it has led to severe deforestation, human rights abuses and loss of endangered wildlife in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Computational Method Points To New Uses, Unexpected Side Effects Of Already Existing Drugs
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104085232.htm
computational method that compares how similar the structures of all known drugs are to the naturally occurring binding partners -- known as ligands -- of disease targets within the cell
"This approach uncovered interactions between drugs and targets that we never could have predicted simply by looking at the chemical structures."
21st Century Plague? Rat Fleas Spread Heart-damaging Bacteria
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081123222844.htm
Map Of Human Bacterial Diversity Shows Wide Interpersonal Differences
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143725.htm
"The goal is to find out what is normal for a healthy person, which will provide a baseline for further studies to look at people with diseased states. One of the biggest surprises was how much variation there was from person to person in a healthy group of subjects."
There are an estimated 100 trillion microbes residing on and within each human being that are thought to collectively endow us with the essential traits we rely on for a variety of functions, including the proper development of our immune systems, efficient digestion of key foods and resistance to invasion by lurking microbial pathogens.
The CU-Boulder team looked high and low, analyzing microbial communities in places such as hair on the head, ear canals, nostrils, mouth, lower intestine, and 18 different skin sites ranging from foreheads and armpits, forearms, palms, index fingers, navels, the back of the knees and the soles of the feet. The team used the latest generation of massively parallel DNA sequencers and new computational tools developed at CU-Boulder.
Leaders 'likely' to go to summit
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8347547.stm
At least 40 world leaders are likely to attend December's UN climate summit in a bid to secure a new global treaty.
Some observers say only intervention from heads of state and government can close the deal, given the gulf between industrialised and developing nations.
Vast Right Arm Conspiracy? Study Suggests Handedness May Affect Body Perception
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104152304.htm
There are areas in the brain devoted to our arms, legs, and various parts of our bodies. The way these areas are distributed throughout the brain are known as "body maps" and there are some significant differences in these maps between left- and right-handed people. For example, in left-handed people, there is an equal amount of brain area devoted to the left and right arms in both hemispheres. However, for right-handed people, there is more cortical area associated with right arm than the left.
Hormone That Affects Finger Length Key To Social Behavior
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101553.htm
Old World monkeys, such as baboons and rhesus macaques, have a longer fourth finger in comparison to the second finger, which suggests that they have been exposed to high levels of prenatal androgens. These species tend to be highly competitive and promiscuous, which suggests that exposure to a lot of androgens before birth could be linked to the expression of this behaviour.
Other species, such as gibbons and many New World species, have digit ratios that suggest low levels of prenatal androgen exposure. These species were monogamous and less competitive than Old World monkeys.
Not Just Bleach: Hydrogen Peroxide May Tell Time For Living Cells
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103145607.htm
Produced in all animal cells, hydrogen peroxide may act as a signal for the active and resting phases of living things, new research by USC biologists suggests.
A study published in the journal PLoS ONE shows that hydrogen peroxide given to fruit flies has dramatic effects on their daily rhythms and activity levels.
"H2O2 might be functioning as a systemic signal by which rhythms are regulated within cells and between cells," said lead author John Tower, associate professor in molecular and computational biology at USC College.
Hydrogen Peroxide - Curse or Cure?
http://curezone.com/art/read.asp?ID=73&db=5&C0=1
Afghans die in 'Nato air strike'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8348129.stm
At least eight Afghans working with US forces have been killed in a Nato air strike in north-western Afghanistan, the defence ministry in Kabul says.
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