Health & WellnessS


Fish

Study explains why omega-3 fatty acids prevent breast cancer

David Liu
Foodconsumer
Sat, 11 Dec 2010 05:47 UTC
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Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to provide a preventative effect against breast cancer. A new study shows omega-3 fatty acids render the preventative effect by suppressing the NF-kB transcription activity, nuclear localization and overall function.

The study also found evidence suggesting that omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent luminal A, B and basal breast cancer subtypes, but not HER2 overexpressing subtype.

Previous studies have found Omega-3 fatty acids to be able to affect tumor growth in preclinical models of breast cancer while epidemiological studies did not yield consistent results.

Dr. C. Chen and colleagues from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City, Kansas hypothesized that omega-3 fatty acids are effective against certain subtypes of breast cancer only.
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Syringe

Scare Tactics: Ten Dead as H1N1 Flu Returns to Britain

Michael Holden
Reuters
Sat, 11 Dec 2010 10:48 UTC
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© ReutersA woman passes a H1N1 flu virus warning sign outside a hospital in London
The H1N1 swine flu virus which swept the globe last year has returned to Britain with 10 people dying in the last six weeks, health officials said Saturday.

Britain's Health Protection Agency said the 10 deaths had occurred in adults all under the age of 65, most of whom had underlying health issues.

"Over the last few weeks, we have seen a rise in the number of cases of seasonal flu both H1N1 (2009) and flu B in the community," Professor John Watson, head of the HPA's respiratory diseases department, said in a statement.

"We have also received reports of patients with serious illness requiring hospitalization and outbreaks of flu in schools across the country."
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Bug

Norovirus is spreading rapidly experts warn

Rebecca Smith
Telegraph.co.uk
Sat, 11 Dec 2010 12:55 UTC
norovirus
© naThe winter vomiting bug called norovirus is spreading rapidly doctors have warned as outbreaks rise by half in a month.

Officials have issued a health warning as norovirus outbreaks in hospitals have shot up by 50 per cent in a month.

The winter vomiting bug, which causes violent sickness and diahorrea, strikes around two million people in Britain each year.

In the last month the disease has spread rapidly and health officials have received twice as many positive samples in laboratories while hospitals have experienced more outbreaks.

Since the beginning of November the Health Protection Agency has recorded 43 outbreaks of norovirus in hospitals of which 39 have led to ward closures. This is almost 50 per cent more than the number recorded in October.
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Wolf

GMO oranges, China, and the loss of another piece of America's agricultural base

Barbara H. Peterson
Farm Wars
Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:56 UTC
gmo orange

America's oranges are now in the crosshairs of a genetic modification juggernaut that is sweeping this country and leaving in its wake a swath of destruction so wide and so utterly decimating that recovery seems a distant dream.

The genetic modification of corn and soy has succeeded in infiltrating nearly every processed food in America, with wheat and alfalfa soon to be next. Now it's oranges. But why?
The orange is the second most profitable fruit crop in America after the grape. Valued at 1.5 billion in 2009, it accounts for 1/6 of all fruit and nut cash receipts. Because it requires a tropical or subtropical climate to flourish, commercial orange production is limited to just four states: Florida, California, Texas and Arizona.

While California does produce the majority of the fresh fruit, Florida dominates the orange juice market. And since orange juice is far more popular than fresh oranges, the Sunshine State rules the orange industry. At last count, more than seventy percent of the oranges grown in America are Florida oranges.

Florida orange juice is the single most profitable and distinctive fruit product in the state. The industry is responsible for over eighty percent of the US supply. As a result, America rarely imports orange juice. (Halegroves.com)
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Syringe

No Value in Any Influenza Vaccine: Cochrane Collaboration Study

Heidi Stevenson
Gaia Health
Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00 UTC
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© unkCochrane Logo
This study is damning of the entire pharmaceutical industry and its minions, the drug testing industry and the medical system that relies on them.

A remarkable study published in the Cochrane Library found no evidence of benefit for influenza vaccinations and also noted that the vast majority of trials were inadequate. The authors stated that the only ones showing benefit were industry-funded. They also pointed out that the industry-funded studies were more likely to be published in the most prestigious journals...and one more thing: They found cases of severe harm caused by the vaccines, in spite of inadequate reporting of adverse effects.

The study, "Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults," is damning of the entire pharmaceutical industry and its minions, the drug testing industry and the medical system that relies on them.
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Bulb

Twin study helps scientists link relationship among ADHD, reading, math


Association for Psychological Science
Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:34 UTC
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© Unknown
Children with ADHD can sometimes have more difficulties on math and reading tests compared to their peers. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, used identical and fraternal twins to look at the genetic and environmental influences underlying ADHD behaviors, reading, and math skills in children in an attempt to better understand the relationship among them.

Sara Hart, of the Florida State University, and her colleagues used twins enrolled in a long-term study of reading and math. Hart says by focusing on twins specifically, psychological scientists are able to tease out the difference between nature and nurture.

To do this, scientists compare identical twins, who have nearly the same DNA, with fraternal twins, who generally only share about half of their DNA. If identical twins are generally more alike on a trait - say, their eye color or reading ability - and fraternal twins are much less alike on the same trait, you can presume the trait is inherited. On the other hand, if pairs of identical twins are alike on a trait to the same extent that pairs of fraternal twins are alike on that trait - like how outgoing they are - you know the trait is probably influenced by their environment. Most traits fall somewhere in between, and twin studies can show that, too.
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Alarm Clock

Soldiers Use Extreme Methods to Meet Weight Regulations

Lance M. Bacon
Armytimes.com
Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:00 UTC
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© Army Times
Diet pills, laxatives, liposuction: Everyone is trying to meet the Army's weight, tape standards

Soldiers are dangerously starving themselves, gobbling diet pills and laxatives - even going under the knife in costly liposuction surgery - all to meet the Army's weight standards and avoid losing their careers.

"Liposuction saved my career - laxatives and starvation before an [Army Physical Fitness Test] sustains my career," a soldier told Army Times in an e-mail. "I for one can attest that soldiers are using liposuction, laxatives and starvation to meet height and weight standards. I did, do and still do," wrote the soldier, a medium helicopter repairer.

"Six years ago, I spent $4,500 on liposuction while on [permanent change of station] leave. As a crew member, our mission is to keep those aircraft in the air, and time for PT is not available," he wrote. "I was blessed with a very slow metabolism and an insatiable appetite."
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Attention

Russia's grim reality: Teens choosing death

Vladimir Kozlov, Natalia Antonova
The Moscow News
Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:06 UTC
teen suicide
© Unknown
The tragic death of two young people on the railroad tracks has again attracted public attention to the issue of teenage suicide in Russia.

Last week, twin brothers were run over by a train between the Klyazma and Tarasovskaya commuter stations in the Moscow region, RIA Novosti reported. According to investigators, the brothers committed suicide.

Early reports claimed that empty glue tubes were found on the bodies, prompting speculation that the victims could have been under the influence of toxic substances. Later, that version of events was discarded. "Reports that these young people were drug addicts are not true," Tatyana Morozova, a police department spokesperson, was quoted as saying by Komsomolskaya Pravda. "During the examination of the victims' belongings, half-empty glue tubes were indeed discovered, but the young people studied mechanics and chemical technology of wood processing and naturally could have had various related items on them."
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People

Overqualified candidates underrated says study


University of South Carolina
Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:50 UTC
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© Unknown
Companies may want to give job candidates who are overqualified for positions a second look, according to a recent study by a Darla Moore School of Business researcher.

Dr. Anthony Nyberg's study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology this fall, dispels the myth that overqualified job applicants are easily bored or prone to quit. Intelligent workers, the research indicates, benefit companies.

The study was co-authored with Dr. Mark Maltarich, St. Ambrose University, and Dr. Greg Reilly, University of Connecticut.

"A manager trying to fill a job that demands less-than-top-level smarts should never reject a candidate out of hand just because the applicant's score on the company's intelligence tests labels him or her as smarter than the job requires," said Nyberg, an assistant professor of management and an expert in strategic human resources. "If anything, our research suggests that such a candidate could be expected to stay longer and perform better than an applicant whose scores make him supposedly a better fit."
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Sherlock

Study: Triclosan in Toothpaste, Soaps may Damage Fetal Brain


Medguru.com
Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:32 UTC
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© medguru.com
A novel research initiated by a team of researchers from the University of Florida has revealed that a chemical called triclosan can damage the brain of developing fetus.

According to the researchers, pregnant women getting maximum exposure to the chemical may be compromising with the health of their unborn babies.

Triclosan is commonly found in the household toiletries like toothpastes, deodorants, and soaps. It is also found in chopping boards, toys and other day-to-day use items.

The medical fraternity is worried about its hazardous effects on the unborn babies.
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