© students.cis.uab.eduAntibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
When wastewater treatment plants discharge treated water into rivers and lakes, they can also pass along antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their resistance genes, according to a new study (
Environ. Sci. Technol.,
DOI: 10.1021/es202775r). If other bacteria in the environment snag these genes, municipal wastewater could contribute to the growth of antibiotic resistance worldwide, the researchers say.
When examining sources of antibiotic resistance, scientists have previously focused on agricultural waste, because farmers feed the drugs to animals to promote growth. But antibiotic resistance can also develop in the guts of people taking the drugs. Those resistant microbes get flushed into sewage and end up at wastewater treatment plants. Most treatment systems release some bacteria into the environment.
A Naperville physician featured in a 2009 Tribune investigation into alternative treatments for autism has been charged by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation with "unprofessional, unethical and/or dishonorable conduct."
The complaint against Dr. Anjum Usman alleges that she made false or misleading statements regarding the value of treatments, "demonstrated extreme departure from rational medical judgment" and "abused the patient/physician relationship." It asks that her medical license be revoked, suspended, placed on probation or otherwise disciplined.
The complaint, filed Wednesday, revolves around Usman's care of a boy diagnosed with autism whose treatment was described in the Tribune's series "Dubious Medicine." The series detailed the many unproven therapies prescribed for the boy and found that many alternative treatments for autism amount to uncontrolled experimentation on children.
According to the complaint, the boy began seeing Usman shortly after he was diagnosed with mild to moderate autism in the spring of 2004. He was not yet 2.
Usman allegedly diagnosed the child with a calcium-to-zinc imbalance, yeast, dysbiosis, low zinc, heavy metal toxicity and abnormally high levels of aluminum, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, silver, tin, titanium and selenium.
Comment: This newest article from the
Tribune conveniently doesn't mention that Mr. Coman, the original petitioner, is
engaged in a bitter divorce and custody battle with his son's mother.
The mother is the proponent of biomedical treatment for autism, which are usually expensive and paid out of pocket. The father's objection to the treatment began at time of divorce. There is no allegation of actual harm done to the child at any point during treatment.
This personal vendetta is being used by the PTB to jump-start another installment of witch hunt against doctors and scientists who challenge the medical establishment.
© Chris Mikula/The Ottawa CitizenOttawa's Medical Officer of Health Dr Isra Levy makes a statement at City Hall October 15, 2011.
Ottawa Public Health says it will send letters to nearly 7,000 people who had procedures at a local medical facility to warn them they may have been exposed to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.
Stressing that he is not aware of any people who have become ill, Ottawa's medical officer of health Isra Levy said the letters are being sent so people can be made aware of the risk.
"Even though the risk of infection to those who had the procedures related to this issue is very low, I wanted to ensure that affected patients are made aware of the situation, so they can consider being tested for these infections," said Levy, at a hastily called news conference on Saturday afternoon.
Ottawa Public Health said it has been investigating an unnamed non-hospital facility for the past several months because of "lapses in infection control."
The monsters under the bed are real.
Infants and young children in our culture regularly protest going to bed. They make all sorts of excuses. They say they are not tired, when in fact they obviously are tired. They say they are hungry, or thirsty, or need to hear a story (and then one more story) - anything to stall. They talk about being afraid of the dark, or afraid of monsters in the closet or under the bad. Little babies without language, who can't yet describe their fears or try to negotiate, just scream.
Why all this protest? Many years ago, the famous behavioral psychologist John B. Watson argued, essentially, that such behavior is pathological and derives from parents' overindulgence and spoiling of children.[1] Remnants of that view still persist in books on baby care, where the typical advice is that parents must be firm about bedtime and not give in. This, the experts say, is a battle of wills, and you, as parent, must win it to avoid spoiling your child.
But clearly something is missing in this explanation from the experts. Why do infants and young children choose to challenge their parents' will on this particular issue? They don't protest against toys, or sunlight, or hugs (well, usually not). Why do they protest going to bed, when sleep is clearly good for them and they need it?
© Hotspot Media(L-R) Nguyen Thi Phuong, aged 21 and how she looks now, aged 26, after having suffered an allergic reaction to seafood
Vietnamese woman Nguyen Thi Phuong now looks like a septugenarian after the rapid aging affliction took hold following an allergic reaction to seafood.
Her sad story began in 2008, when her youthful beauty began to fade over the course of just a few days, leaving her with sagging, wrinkled skin all over her face and body.
Until now she has been forced to wear a mask in public to hide her appearance from prying eyes, but now doctors are attempting to establish what caused her sudden and horrifying aging.
© Unknown
It is commonly assumed that vaccinations are responsible for bringing about substantial improvements in public health, and that humans were much more prone to developing serious disease prior to their advent. But a new survey released by VaccineInjury.info debunks this myth by showing that unvaccinated children are far less prone to developing allergies, autoimmune disorders, neurological problems, endocrine diseases, and other illnesses compared to their vaccinated counterparts.
German homeopathic practitioner Andreas Bachmair compiled health data on more than 8,000 unvaccinated children from at least 15 different countries, and compared it to health data compiled on more than 17,400 vaccinated children involved in a German study known as KiGGS - The German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents.
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that conflicts of interest (COI) are prevalent and potentially underreported among individuals participating in the development of clinical practice guidelines, which inform standards of patient care. The findings provide further evidence of the potential influence of industry on medical practice recommendations. The study is published online Oct. 12 in
BMJ: The British Medical Journal.
To assess COI, the Mount Sinai team reviewed the panel members involved in the development of clinical practice guidelines for two highly prevalent conditions -- diabetes and high cholesterol -- from major organizations in the United States and Canada, such as the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the American Heart Association (AHA), and government-sponsored organizations, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
Of the 288 total panel members evaluated, 150
(52 percent) had COI. In addition, they found that panel members developing government-sponsored guidelines had significantly fewer conflicts than those from the non-government sponsored guideline panels.
Lastly, they revealed that one out of nine panelists who formally declared no COI did in fact have COI.
A newly released study suggests that multivitamin and nutrient supplements can increase the mortality rate in older women 1. However, there are several concerns about the study's methods and significance.
Summary: In an observational study of older women in good health, it was said that those who died were more likely to have taken multivitamin and nutrient supplements than those who did not. The effect was small, and does not indicate any reason for disease or death. Instead, the study's methods suggest that people who have serious health conditions take vitamin and mineral supplements because they know that supplements can help. Indeed, the study showed a benefit from taking B-complex, C, D, and E vitamins, and calcium and magnesium. Therefore, if those wanting better health would take appropriate doses of supplements regularly, they would likely continue to achieve better health and longer life.
© The Cornucopia Institute
A revelatory report released by The Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog, has stirred controversy in the natural foods marketing arena by highlighting abusive marketing practices by some of the nation's largest breakfast cereal manufacturers. In some cases, companies such as Kellogg's, Quaker Oats (PepsiCo), Barbara's Bakery and Whole Foods Market are selling products contaminated with toxic agrichemicals and Monsanto's genetically engineered organisms while promoting them as "natural."
The new report, Cereal Crimes:
How "Natural" Claims Deceive Consumers and Undermine the Organic Label - A Look Down the Cereal and Granola Aisle, explores this growing trend of marketing conventional foods as "natural" to lure health-conscious and eco-conscious consumers and their shopping dollars.
Unlike the organic label, no government agency, certification group, or other independent entity defines the term "natural" on processed food packages or ensures that the claim has merit.
© presstv.com
Another study has drawn a link between high levels of pesticides in blood tests and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Researchers of Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare team measured blood levels of several persistent organic pollutants in about 2,000 older adults, Reuters reported.
The results showed that 15 participants with high blood levels of organochlorine pesticides were suffering from type 2 diabetes.
In addition, the more the level of the toxic chemicals increased in an individual's blood stream, the greater became the risk of diabetes.
Comment: This newest article from the Tribune conveniently doesn't mention that Mr. Coman, the original petitioner, is engaged in a bitter divorce and custody battle with his son's mother.
The mother is the proponent of biomedical treatment for autism, which are usually expensive and paid out of pocket. The father's objection to the treatment began at time of divorce. There is no allegation of actual harm done to the child at any point during treatment.
This personal vendetta is being used by the PTB to jump-start another installment of witch hunt against doctors and scientists who challenge the medical establishment.