Sunday, December 30, 2012

NEWSLETTER: MCSA NEWS - January/February 2013

MCSA NEWS
January-February 2013, Volume 8, Issue 1 

 

Entire PDF Edition: http://mcs-america.org/JanuaryFebruary2013.pdf (View, Download, and Print)

 

 

Inside This Issue:

  • Op-Ed:  Restructuring Disability Programs Would Save Taxpayers Money and Benefit Claimants
  • Research:  First Safety Survey of Intranasal Glutathione 
  • Op-Ed:  Governor Proclamations Have Value Beyond Measure
  • Patient Support & Resources
  • Featured Research Studies
 

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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Latent viral immune inflammatory response model for chronic multisymptom illness.

Latent viral immune inflammatory response model for chronic multisymptom illness.

Maloney CS, Jensen S, Gil-Rivas V, Goolkasian P.
Med Hypotheses. 2012 Dec 19. pii: S0306-9877(12)00505-1. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2012.11.024. [Epub ahead of print]

Source
Deployment Processing Command-EAST, PCS Box 20086, Building 309, Camp Lejeune, NC 28542, United States; W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center, 1601 Brenner Avenue, Salisbury, NC 28144, United States.
Abstract
A latent viral immune inflammatory response (LVIIR) model is presented which integrates factors that contribute to chronic multisymptom illness (CMI) in both the veteran and civilian populations. The LVIIR model for CMI results from an integration of clinical experience with a review of the literature in four distinct areas: (1) studies of idiopathic multisymptom illness in the veteran population including two decades of research on Gulf War I veterans with CMI, (2) new evidence supporting the existence of chronic inflammatory responses to latent viral antigens and the effect these responses may have on the nervous system, (3) recent discoveries concerning the role of vitamin D in maintaining normal innate and adaptive immunity including suppression of latent viruses and regulation of the immune inflammatory response, and (4) the detrimental effects of extreme chronic repetitive stress (ECRS) on the immune and nervous systems. The LVIIR model describes the pathophysiology of a pathway to CMI and presents a new direction for the clinical assessment of CMI that includes the use of neurological signs from a physical exam, objective laboratory data, and a new proposed latent viral antigen-antibody imaging technique for the peripheral and central nervous system. The LVIIR model predicts that CMI can be treated by a focus on reversal of immune system impairment, suppression of latent viruses and their antigens, and healing of nervous system tissue damaged by chronic inflammation associated with latent viral antigens and by ECRS. In addition, the LVIIR model suggests that maintaining optimal serum 25 OH vitamin D levels will maximize immune system suppression of latent viruses and their antigens and will minimize immune system inflammation. This model also emphasizes the importance of decreasing ECRS to improve immune system function and to minimize nervous system injury from excess serum glucocorticoid levels. The proposed model supports growing evidence that increasing omega 3 essential fatty acid levels in nervous system tissues may decrease inflammation in the nervous system and improve neural plasticity and recovery from neuronal injury.

Quantitative analysis of organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides, pyrethroid transformation products, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and bisphenol A in residential surface wipe samples.

Quantitative analysis of organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides, pyrethroid transformation products, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and bisphenol A in residential surface wipe samples.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021967312016822

J Chromatogr A. 2012 Dec 4. pii: S0021-9673(12)01682-2. doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2012.11.003. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract

Surface wipe sampling is a frequently used technique for measuring persistent pollutants in residential environments. One characteristic of this form of sampling is the need to extract the entire wipe sample to achieve adequate sensitivity and to ensure representativeness. Most surface wipe methods require collection of multiple samples for related chemicals or chemical classes having similar physiochemical properties. In an effort to analyze a broad suite of pollutants collected from a single surface wipe sample, we developed a new method for the analysis of selected organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides, pyrethroid transformation products (TPs), bisphenol A (BPA) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). This is the first time this suite of compounds has been analyzed from a single indoor wipe sample because of the issues uniquely related to these sample types, namely high levels of interfering compounds such as phthalate esters and other residues found in the indoor environment. This new method uses extraction via sonication followed by solvent exchange into hexane, clean-up and liquid/liquid extraction. The extract portion containing insecticides and PBDEs is further purified using solid phase extraction prior to concentration and analysis. The portion containing BPA and TPs is solvent exchanged into ethyl acetate before concentration and derivatization with 99:1 trimethylsilyl 2,2,2-trifluoro-N-(trimethylsilyl)acetimidate:chlorotrimethylsilane. Wipe extract sub-classes were then analyzed by GC/MS in electron impact mode for insecticides, BPA and TPs while negative chemical ionization mode was employed for PBDEs. Method detection limits were <16.4 pg/cm2 for all compounds with most being <5 pg/cm2. Over 400 samples, including QA/QC samples, were analyzed with mean surrogate recoveries ranging from 76 to 95%. The most frequently detected chemicals from our suite were chlorpyrifos, permethrin, bisphenol A, BDE-47, BDE-99 and BDE-100. Permethrin (107 pg/cm2 on floors and 18 pg/cm2 on windows) and bisphenol A (110 pg/cm2 on floors and 6.8 pg/cm2 on windows) had the highest concentrations measured in the wipe samples. Results from the method evaluation and routine sample analysis are presented.

Small, Portable Sensors Allow Users to Monitor Exposure to Pollution on Their Smart Phones

Small, Portable Sensors Allow Users to Monitor Exposure to Pollution on Their Smart Phones
http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/small_portable_sensors_allow_users_to_monitor_exposure_to_pollution_on_thei

"Computer scientists at the University of California, San Diego have built a small fleet of portable pollution sensors that allow users to monitor air quality in real time on their smart phones. The sensors could be particularly useful to people suffering from chronic conditions, such as asthma, who need to avoid exposure to pollutants."

Gulf War Nerve Agents And Veteran Ailments Linked In Scientific Paper

Gulf War Nerve Agents And Veteran Ailments Linked In Scientific Paper
http://www.healthaim.com/gulf-war-nerve-agents-and-veteran-ailments-linked-in-scientific-paper/
"A new scientific paper has revived the debate on veteran's illnesses from the 1991 Persian Gulf war.  The paper was published in the journal Neuroepidemiology and was authored by James J. Tuite and Dr. Robert Haley.  Dr. Haley has written previous papers asserting links between gulf war illnesses and chemical exposures."

Too much cell phone usage could affect your health

Too much cell phone usage could affect your health
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20121227147265

"In today's world having a cell phone has become an urgent necessity and not just an added luxury. In Saudi Arabia, everyone has a cell phone, starting from nine year olds. Some people even have two; one for work and one for social purposes. Although the trend has been increasing worldwide, it has been increasing exponentially here in the Kingdom.

A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development shows that there are 4 billion cell phone users across the globe, with Saudi Arabia coming in first as the country with the largest number of cell phone users worldwide.

The report revealed that there are 180 cell phones for every 100 residents in the Kingdom; a number which speaks for itself. Cell phone usage is also on the rise among teenagers and children.

How may excessive cell phone usage affect our health as a nation? What is considered safe or moderate usage of cell phones? How many of us are guilty of chatting away on the cell phone for half an hour, even though we were at home and could have easily used the landline?"

Association between methylmercury and cardiovascular risk factors in a native population of Quebec (Canada): A retrospective evaluation

Association between methylmercury and cardiovascular risk factors in a native population of Quebec (Canada): A retrospective evaluation
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935112002332

Beatriz Valeraa, Éric Dewaillya, Paul Poirierc.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2012.08.002, How to Cite or Link Using DOI
Abstract
Background
Epidemiological evidence suggests a negative impact of methylmercury (MeHg) on cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). This issue is of concern in Arctic populations such as in the Inuit of Nunavik since this contaminant is accumulated in fish and marine mammals, which still represent the subsistence diet of this population.
Objective
We examined the associations between MeHg and BP and resting HR among Inuit adults.
Methods
The "Santé Quebec" health survey was conducted in 1992 in the 14 villages of Nunavik and a complete set of data was obtained for 313 Inuit adults≥18 years. Blood samples were collected in order to determine total mercury, lead, total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), fasting glucose and lipid profile while socio-demographic variables were obtained through questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements as well as BP and resting HR were obtained using standardised protocols. Pulse pressure (PP: systolic BP minus diastolic BP) was also calculated. Multiple linear regression was used in order to determine the change in the dependent variables associated with the quartiles of MeHg concentration, taking the quartile 1 as reference.
Results
The mean age of the participants was 38±14 years and the sample was composed of 132 men (42.2%) and 181 women (57.8%). MeHg geometric mean was 15.4 μg/L (95%CI: 13.9–17.0) and levels ranged from 0.8 to 112.0 μg/L. Resting HR increased linearly across quartiles of blood MeHg concentration after adjusting for confounders (p for trend=0.02). An increase of 6.9 beats per minute (bpm) between the 4th and 1st quartile was observed after adjusting for confounders. No significant association was observed between blood MeHg and systolic BP, diastolic BP or PP.
Conclusions
MeHg was associated with increasing resting HR after considering traditional risk factors as well as other contaminants (lead and total PCBs) and n−3 PUFAs. In contrast, no significant association with blood pressure was observed in this study.

NMR imaging of cell phone radiation absorption in brain tissue

NMR imaging of cell phone radiation absorption in brain tissue
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/12/10/1205598109

David H. Gultekina,b,1 and Lothar Moellerc,1
Edited* by William Happer, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved October 26, 2012 (received for review April 5, 2012)
Abstract
A method is described for measuring absorbed electromagnetic energy radiated from cell phone antennae into ex vivo brain tissue. NMR images the 3D thermal dynamics inside ex vivo bovine brain tissue and equivalent gel under exposure to power and irradiation time-varying radio frequency (RF) fields. The absorbed RF energy in brain tissue converts into Joule heat and affects the nuclear magnetic shielding and the Larmor precession. The resultant temperature increase is measured by the resonance frequency shift of hydrogen protons in brain tissue. This proposed application of NMR thermometry offers sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to characterize the hot spots from absorbed cell phone radiation in aqueous media and biological tissues. Specific absorption rate measurements averaged over 1 mg and 10 s in the brain tissue cover the total absorption volume. Reference measurements with fiber optic temperature sensors confirm the accuracy of the NMR thermometry.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Purine metabolites in fibromyalgia syndrome.

Purine metabolites in fibromyalgia syndrome.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23000315
 
Fais A, Cacace E, Corda M, Era B, Peri M, Utzeri S, Ruggiero V.
Clin Biochem. 2012 Sep 18. pii: S0009-9120(12)00539-5. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2012.09.009. [Epub ahead of print]

Source
Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università di Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate serum purine metabolite concentrations in patients affected by fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and the relationships between their levels and FM clinical parameters.
DESIGN AND METHODS:
Serum purine levels were quantified using LC/UV-vis in 22 fibromyalgic females (according to the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria) and 22 healthy females.
RESULTS:
Significantly higher serum inosine, hypoxanthine and xanthine levels (p<0.001) and significantly lower serum adenosine (p<0.05) were detected in the FMS patients vs healthy controls. Our data show a negative correlation between adenosine and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ).
CONCLUSIONS:
Study results suggest that purines, in particular adenosine and inosine, may be involved in pain transmission in fibromyalgia.

PMID: 23000315 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Men With Fibromyalgia Often Go Undiagnosed

Men With Fibromyalgia Often Go Undiagnosed
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121219132733.htm

"Fibromyalgia is a complex illness to diagnose and to treat. There is not yet a diagnostic test to establish that someone has it, there is no cure and many fibromyalgia symptoms -- pain, fatigue, problems sleeping and memory and mood issues -- can overlap with or get mistaken for other conditions. A new Mayo Clinic study suggests that many people who have fibromyalgia, especially men, are going undiagnosed."

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Researcher Theo Colborn Pleads with Obama to Help Stop Chemical Exposures

Researcher Theo Colborn Pleads with Obama to Help Stop Chemical Exposures 
http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2012/12/20/researcher-theo-colborn-pleads-with-obama-to-help-stop-chemical-exposures/



"By drilling deep into the bowels of the earth for coal, oil and natural gas," says Colborn, "we have unwittingly and catastrophically altered the chemistry of the biosphere and the human womb." To hear more, watch the video below:

Tools and perspectives for assessing chemical mixtures and multiple stressors.

Tools and perspectives for assessing chemical mixtures and multiple stressors.

Løkke H, Ragas AM, Holmstrup M. 
Toxicology. 2012 Dec 10. pii: S0300-483X(12)00406-4. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2012.11.009. [Epub ahead of print]
Source
Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Vejlsøvej 25, P.O. Box 314, DK-8600 Silkeborg, Denmark. Electronic address: hans.lokke@c.dk.
Abstract
The present paper summarizes the most important insights and findings of the EU NoMiracle project with a focus on (1) risk assessment of chemical mixtures, (2) combinations of chemical and natural stressors, and (3) the receptor-oriented approach in cumulative risk assessment. The project aimed at integration of methods for human and ecological risk assessment. A mechanistically based model, considering uptake and toxicity as a processes in time, has demonstrated considerable potential for predicting mixture effects in ecotoxicology, but requires the measurement of toxicity endpoints at different moments in time. Within a novel framework for risk assessment of chemical mixtures, the importance of environmental factors on toxicokinetic processes is highlighted. A new paradigm for applying personal characteristics that determine individual exposure and sensitivity in human risk assessment is suggested. The results are discussed in the light of recent developments in risk assessment of mixtures and multiple stressors.
PMID:  23238274  [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Safety Survey of Intranasal Glutathione.

Safety Survey of Intranasal Glutathione.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23240940

Mischley LK, Vespignani MF, Finnell JS. 
J Altern Complement Med. 2012 Dec 16. [Epub ahead of print]
Source
Bastyr University Research Institute , Kenmore, WA.
Abstract
Abstract Purpose: Glutathione depletion has been documented in several disease states, and exogenous administration has been hypothesized to have therapeutic potential for some conditions. In an effort to reach target tissues of the sinuses and central nervous system (CNS), glutathione is being prescribed as an intranasal spray, although no literature exists to support this mode of administration. The objective of this study was to describe patient-reported outcomes in a population of individuals who have been prescribed intranasal reduced glutathione, (in)GSH. Methods: A survey was designed to assess individuals' perception of tolerability, adverse events, and health benefits associated with (in)GSH use. Using a pharmacy database, 300 individuals were randomly selected to receive a survey; any individual who had received one or more prescriptions for (in)GSH between March 2009 and March 2011 was eligible for participation. Results: Seventy (70) individuals returned the survey (23.3% response rate) from 20 different states. Reported indications for (in)GSH prescriptions were multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) (n=29), allergies/sinusitis (n=25), Parkinson disease (PD) (n=7), Lyme disease (n=3), fatigue (n=2), and other (n=10). Of the respondents, 78.8% (n=52) reported an overall positive experience with (in)GSH, 12.1% (n=8) reported having experienced adverse effects, and 62.1% (n=41) reported having experienced health benefits attributable to (in)GSH use. Over 86% of respondents considered the nasal spray to be comfortable and easy to administer. Conclusions: This is the first study to evaluate patient-reported outcomes among individuals across the country who have been prescribed (in)GSH. The majority of survey respondents considered (in)GSH to be effective and without significant adverse effects. (in)GSH should be further evaluated as a method of treating respiratory and CNS diseases where free-radical burden is a suspected contributor to disease progression.

PMID:  23240940  [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Mercury disposition in suckling rats: comparative assessment following parenteral exposure to thiomersal and mercuric chloride.

Mercury disposition in suckling rats: comparative assessment following parenteral exposure to thiomersal and mercuric chloride.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22899883

Blanuša M, Orct T, Vihnanek Lazarus M, Sekovanić A, Piasek M.  J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:256965. doi: 10.1155/2012/256965. Epub 2012 Jul 26.

Source
Analytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, P.O. Box 291, HR-10001 Zagreb, Croatia.

Abstract
Due to the facts that thiomersal-containing vaccine is still in use in many developing countries, and all forms of mercury have recognised neurotoxic, nephrotoxic, and other toxic effects, studies on disposition of ethylmercury and other mercury forms are still justified, especially at young age. Our investigation aimed at comparing mercury distribution and rate of excretion in the early period of life following exposure to either thiomersal (TM) or mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) in suckling rats. Three experimental groups were studied: control, TM, and HgCl₂, with 12 to18 pups in each. Both forms of mercury were administered subcutaneously in equimolar quantities (0.81 μmol/kg b.w.) three times during the suckling period (on the days of birth 7, 9, and 11) to mimic the vaccination regimen in infants. After the last administration of TM or HgCl₂, total mercury retention and excretion was assessed during following six days. In TM-exposed group mercury retention was higher in the brain, enteral excretion was similar, and urinary excretion was much lower compared to HgCl₂-exposed sucklings. More research is still needed to elucidate all aspects of toxicokinetics and most harmful neurotoxic potential of various forms of mercury, especially in the earliest period of life.

PMID:  22899883  [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Study Finds Loss Of Normal Nighttime Parasympathetic Activity In Veterans Suffering From Gulf War Syndrome

Study Finds Loss Of Normal Nighttime Parasympathetic Activity In Veterans Suffering From Gulf War Syndrome
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11790285/1/study-finds-loss-of-normal-nighttime-parasympathetic-activity-in-veterans-suffering-from-gulf-war-syndrome.html

Paper Links Nerve Agents in '91 Gulf War and Ailments

Paper Links Nerve Agents in '91 Gulf War and Ailments
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/14/us/paper-links-nerve-agents-in-91-gulf-war-and-ailments.html?_r=0

"Reviving a 20-year debate over illnesses of veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf war, a new scientific paper presents evidence that nerve agents released by the bombing of Iraqi chemical weapons depots just before the ground war began could have carried downwind and fallen on American troops staged in Saudi Arabia.

The paper, published in the journal Neuroepidemiology, tries to rebut the longstanding Pentagon position, supported by many scientists, that neurotoxins, particularly sarin gas, could not have carried far enough to sicken American forces.

The authors are James J. Tuite and Dr. Robert Haley, who has written several papers asserting links between chemical exposures and gulf war illnesses. They assembled data from meteorological and intelligence reports to support their thesis that American bombs were powerful enough to propel sarin from depots in Muthanna and Falluja high into the atmosphere, where winds whisked it hundreds of miles south to the Saudi border."

Mom wants scents in schools axed

Mom wants scents in schools axed
http://www.meadowlakeprogress.com/2012/12/13/mom-wants-scents-in-schools-axed

"Dufour was encouraged to keep pushing the school when she recently visited the pediatrician's and noticed a scent-free policy. "It's obviously enough of a concern in health care facilities for them to get rid of it, so why is it an unreasonable thing to ask the school?"'

Cleaner Air in U.S. Boosting Life Expectancy, Study Finds

Cleaner Air in U.S. Boosting Life Expectancy, Study Finds
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_132011.html

"Continuing to reduce fine particle air pollution prolongs survival, researchers say"

Plastics Chemical BPA Found in Fetal Livers

Plastics Chemical BPA Found in Fetal Livers
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_132010.html
"Fetuses less able to rid body of the worrisome chemical than adults, researchers say"

Chemical intolerance in primary care settings: prevalence, comorbidity, and outcomes.

Chemical intolerance in primary care settings: prevalence, comorbidity, and outcomes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22778124

Katerndahl DA, Bell IR, Palmer RF, Miller CS.  Ann Fam Med. 2012 Jul-Aug;10(4):357-65. doi: 10.1370/afm.1346.

Source
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA. katerndahl@uthscsa.edu
Abstract
PURPOSE:
This study extends previous community-based studies on the prevalence and clinical characteristics of chemical intolerance in a sample of primary care clinic patients. We evaluated comorbid medical and psychiatric disorders, functional status, and rates of health care use.
METHODS:
A total of 400 patients were recruited from 2 family medicine clinic waiting rooms in San Antonio, Texas. Patients completed the validated Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) to assess chemical intolerance; the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) screen for possible psychiatric disorders; the Dartmouth-Northern New England Primary Care Cooperative Information Project (Dartmouth COOP) charts for functional status; and the Healthcare Utilization Questionnaire.
RESULTS:
Overall, 20.3% of the sample met criteria for chemical intolerance. The chemically intolerant group reported significantly higher rates of comorbid allergies and more often met screening criteria for possible major depressive disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and alcohol abuse disorder, as well as somatization disorder. The total number of possible mental disorders was correlated with chemical intolerance scores (P <.001). Controlling for demographics, patients with chemical intolerance were significantly more likely to have poorer functional status, with trends toward increased medical service use when compared with non-chemically intolerant patients. After controlling for comorbid psychiatric conditions, the groups differed significantly only regarding limitations of social activities.
CONCLUSIONS:
Chemical intolerance occurs in 1 of 5 primary care patients yet is rarely diagnosed by busy practitioners. Psychiatric comorbidities contribute to functional limitations and increased health care use. Chemical intolerance offers an etiologic explanation. Symptoms may resolve or improve with the avoidance of salient chemical, dietary (including caffeine and alcohol), and drug triggers. Given greater medication intolerances in chemical intolerance, primary care clinicians could use the QEESI to identify patients for appropriate triage to comprehensive nonpharmacologic care.
PMID:  22778124  [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Repressive authenticity in the quest for legitimacy: surveillance and the contested illness lawsuit.

Repressive authenticity in the quest for legitimacy: surveillance and the contested illness lawsuit.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22901667

Phillips T.  Soc Sci Med. 2012 Nov;75(10):1762-8. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.07.026. Epub 2012 Aug 5.

Source
Legal Studies Program, School of Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia. tarryn.phillips@latrobe.edu.au

Abstract

When seeking compensation for workplace injury, workers predictably face examination over the legitimacy of their condition from employers and medical and legal professionals. When the alleged injury is a contested environmental illness, the suspicion aroused and the scrutiny faced by workers is much more acute. In this paper, I analyse the medico-legal experiences of eight chemically sensitive claimants in Australia to reveal the nature and extent of the surveillance they are subjected to in their quest to prove the legitimacy of their disease. Four forms of surveillance are identified: medical scrutiny; legal surveillance, insurer investigation, and self-regulation. Advancing the Foucauldian concept of self-surveillance, I demonstrate that this latter form of regulation has the most deleterious impact on the claimants. The result of this scrutiny is a 'repressive authenticity' (Wolfe, 1999), where the chemically sensitive are expected to adhere to a particular normative ideal of sickness, which becomes therapeutically counterproductive.

PMID:  22901667  [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Tap-Water Chemical May Be Linked to Food Allergy: MedlinePlus

Tap-Water Chemical May Be Linked to Food Allergy: MedlinePlus
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MCS-America/95671789291?ref=hl#

"Certain chemicals used to purify tap water may play a role in the development of food allergies, a new study suggests.  Researchers from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) noted that the chemicals, known as dichlorophenols, are also used to make pesticides and may be found in treated fruits and vegetables."

CDC Features - Lead Hazards in Some Holiday Toys

CDC Features - Lead Hazards in Some Holiday Toys
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/LeadInToys/

"Parents should be aware of potential lead hazards associated with some holiday toys and toy jewelry. Review these important facts to keep your loved ones safe this holiday season."

In Utero Exposure to Arsenic Alters Lung Development and Genes Related to Immune and Mucociliary Function in Mice

In Utero Exposure to Arsenic Alters Lung Development and Genes Related to Immune and Mucociliary Function in Mice
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/2012/12/1205590/

Ramsey KA, Bosco A, McKenna KL, Carter KW, Elliot JG, Berry LJ, Sly PD, Larcombe AN, Zosky GR. In Utero Exposure to Arsenic Alters Lung Development and Genes Related to Immune and Mucociliary Function in Mice. Environ Health Perspect (): .doi:10.1289/ehp.1205590

Abstract
Background:  Exposure to arsenic via drinking water is a global environmental health problem. In utero exposure to arsenic via drinking water increases the risk of lower respiratory tract infections during infancy and mortality from bronchiectasis in early adulthood.
Objectives:  We aimed to investigate how arsenic exposure in early life alters lung development and pathways involved in innate immunity.
Methods:  Pregnant BALB/c, C57BL/6 and C3H/HeARC mice were exposed to 0 (control) or 100μg/L arsenic via drinking water from day 8 of gestation until the birth of their offspring. At two weeks post-natal age mice had somatic growth, lung volume and lung mechanics measured. Fixed lungs were utilised for structural analysis. Lung tissue was collected for gene expression analysis by microarray.
Results:  The response to arsenic was genetically determined and C57BL/6 mice were the most susceptible strain. Arsenic exposed C57BL/6 mice were smaller in size, had smaller lungs and impaired lung mechanics compared with controls. Exposure to arsenic in utero up-regulated the expression of genes in the lung involved in mucous production (Clca3, Muc5b, Scgb3a1), innate immunity (Reg3γ, Tff2, Dynlrb2, Lplunc1) and lung morphogenesis (Sox2). Arsenic exposure also induced mucous cell metaplasia and increased expression of CLCA3 protein in the large airways.
Conclusions:  Alterations in somatic growth, lung development and the expression of genes involved in mucociliary clearance and innate immunity in the lung are potential mechanisms through which early life arsenic exposure impacts respiratory health.

Kenya Bans Imports of GM Food

 
"Scientists fear that Kenya's recent banning of the import of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may be a significant blow to progress on biotechnology research and development in the country."

100 more Paulsboro homes evacuated

100 more Paulsboro homes evacuated
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20121205_100_more_Paulsboro_homes_evacuated.html

"Authorities evacuated about 100 more homes in Paulsboro on Tuesday in response to elevated levels of vinyl chloride in the area surrounding Friday's train derailment, which already had sent about 400 residents to seek shelter elsewhere."

Too much tuna can be bad for your brain, report warns.

Sushi kills your brain
Too much tuna can be bad for your brain, report warns.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/japan/121204/sushi-mercury-poisoning-seafood-tuna

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Altered functional B-cell subset populations in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome compared to Healthy Controls

Altered functional B-cell subset populations in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome compared to Healthy Controls
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cei.12043/abstract 

A.S. Bradley,
B. Ford,
A.S. Bansal*
DOI: 10.1111/cei.12043

"Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a heterogeneous disorder of unknown aetiology characterised by disabling fatigue, headaches, sleep disturbance and several other symptoms. The onset of CFS may follow a viral infection or period of stress. Patients with CFS do no have hypogammaglobulinaemia, predisposition to recurrent bacterial infections or symptoms of autoimmunity. To date, defects in B-cell numbers or function have not been shown in the literature. However, treatment with anti-B-cell therapy using Rituximab has recently shown benefit to CFS patients. We therefore postulated that patients with CFS had a subtle humoral immune dysfunction, and performed extended B-cell immunophenotyping. We undertook a detailed characterisation of the proportions of the different B-cell subsets in 33 patients with CFS fulfilling the Canadian and Fukada criteria for CFS and compared these with 24 age and gender matched healthy controls (HC). CFS patients had greater numbers of naïve B-cells as a % lymphocytes - 6.3 % versus 3.9 % in HC (P=0.034), greater numbers of naïve B-cells as a % of B-cells - 65 % versus 47 % in controls (P=0.003), greater numbers of transitional B-cells - 1.8 % versus 0.8 % in controls (P=0.025) and reduced numbers of plasmablasts - 0.5 % versus 0.9 % in controls (P=0.013). While the cause of these changes is unclear, we speculate whether they may suggest a subtle tendency to autoimmunity."

Food Allergies Linked to Pesticides

Food Allergies Linked to Pesticides
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20121203/food-allergies-pesticides

"People exposed to higher levels of certain germ- and weed-killing chemicals may also be more likely to develop food allergies, a new study shows.  The chemicals are called dichlorophenols (DCPs). They are created by the breakdown of common pesticides, including chlorinated chemicals used to purify drinking water. They also turn up in moth balls, air fresheners, deodorizer cakes in urinals, and certain herbicides sprayed on crops."

Neurological Effects Of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation

Neurological Effects Of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation
http://www.mapcruzin.com/radiofrequency/henry_lai2.htm

"Radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RFR), a form of energy between 10 KHz-300 GHz in the electromagnetic spectrum, is used in wireless communication and emitted from antennae of mobile telephones (handys) and from cellular masts. RFR can penetrate into organic tissues and be absorbed and converted into heat. One familiar application of this energy is the microwave ovens used in cooking.
 
The close proximity of a mobile telephone antenna to the user's head leads to the deposition of a relatively large amount of radiofrequency energy in the head. The relatively fixed position of the antenna to the head causes a repeated irradiation of a more or less fixed amount of body tissue. Exposure to RFR from mobile telephones is of a short-term, repeated nature at a relatively high intensity, whereas exposure to RFR emitted from cell masts is of long duration but at a very low intensity. The biological and health consequences of these exposure conditions need further understanding.

Formal research on the biological effects of RFR began more than 30 years ago. In my opinion, the research has been of high quality, innovative, and intelligent. All of us who work in this field should be proud of it. However, knowledge of the possible health effects of RFR is still inadequate and inconclusive. I think the main barrier in understanding the biological effects of RFR is caused by the complex interaction of the different exposure parameters in causing an effect. An independent variable of such complexity is unprecedented in any other field of biological research.

In this paper, I have briefly summarized the results of experiments carried out in our laboratory on the effects of RFR exposure on the nervous system of the rat. But, before that, I will discuss and point out some of the general features and concerns in the study of the biological effects of RFR."

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Toxic couches? Flame retardants on the rise in furniture, study finds.

Toxic couches? Flame retardants on the rise in furniture, study finds.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/toxic-couches

"Flame retardants in U.S. furniture are on the rise, with a new study finding them in nearly all couches tested. The findings, published today, confirm that household furniture remains a major source of a variety of flame retardants, some of which have been building up in people's bodies and in the environment. In the new tests, three out of every four couches purchased before 2005 contained the chemicals, with a now-banned compound in 39 percent. For newer couches, 94 percent contained flame retardants, nearly all next-generation compounds with little known about their potential health effects. "More furniture appears to be treated with flame retardants today than, say, 15 years ago," said Heather Stapleton, an environmental chemist at Duke University and lead author of the project."

Study provides more clues to Gulf War illness - and hope

Study provides more clues to Gulf War illness - and hope
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/26/gulf-war-report/1727655/

"A study finds that Gulf War Illness, or the series of symptoms that plagues 1 out of 4 veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf war, is due to damage to the autonomic nervous system."

Chemicals in the Environment Interfere With Pregnancy

Chemicals in the Environment Interfere With Pregnancy
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/27/chemicals-in-the-environment-interfere-with-pregnancy.html

"A new study uncovers more impediments to conception, but the chemicals to blame, including PCBs, aren't anything a couple can control."

Traffic-related air pollutants and exhaled markers of airway inflammation and oxidative stress in New York City adolescents

Traffic-related air pollutants and exhaled markers of airway inflammation and oxidative stress in New York City adolescents
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001393511200312X

Patel, M. et. al. 
Available online 23 November 2012.  In Press.

Abstract

Exposures to ambient diesel exhaust particles have been associated with respiratory symptoms and asthma exacerbations in children; however, epidemiologic evidence linking short-term exposure to ambient diesel exhaust particles with airway inflammation is limited. We conducted a panel study with asthmatic and nonasthmatic adolescents to characterize associations between ambient diesel exhaust particle exposures and exhaled biological markers of airway inflammation and oxidative stress.
Over four weeks, exhaled breath condensate was collected twice a week from 18 asthmatics and 18 nonasthmatics (ages 14–19 years) attending two New York City schools and analyzed for pH and 8-isoprostane as indicators of airway inflammation and oxidative stress, respectively. Air concentrations of black carbon, a diesel exhaust particle indicator, were measured outside schools. Air measurements of nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and fine particulate matter were obtained for the closest central monitoring sites. Relationships between ambient pollutants and exhaled biomarkers were characterized using mixed effects models.
Among all subjects, increases in 1- to 5-day averages of black carbon were associated with decreases in exhaled breath condensate pH, indicating increased airway inflammation, and increases in 8-isoprostane, indicating increased oxidative stress. Increases in 1- to 5-day averages of nitrogen dioxide were associated with increases in 8-isoprostane. Ozone and fine particulate matter were inconsistently associated with exhaled biomarkers. Associations did not differ between asthmatics and nonasthmatics. The findings indicate that short-term exposure to traffic-related air pollutants may increase airway inflammation and/or oxidative stress in urban youth and provide mechanistic support for associations documented between traffic-related pollutant exposures and respiratory morbidity.

Highlights
► We measured airway inflammation in urban youth with and without asthma for 4 weeks. ► We measured daily ambient air black carbon as an indicator of diesel air pollution. ► Black carbon was associated with airway inflammation and oxidative stress over time. ► Ambient air nitrogen dioxide was associated with airway oxidative stress over time. ► Traffic emissions may increase airway inflammation in youth with and without asthma.

Cell Phone Radiation May Alter Brain, DNA

 
"New research by Russian scientist Igor Belyaev, Ph.D., and Turkish researcher Nesrin Seyhan, Ph.D., shows that radiation emitted from portable devices may damage DNA and disrupt the process of DNA repair."

Abnormal muscle membrane function in fibromyalgia patients and its relationship to the number of tender points.

Abnormal muscle membrane function in fibromyalgia patients and its relationship to the number of tender points.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23191983
 
Klaver-Król EG, Zwarts MJ, Ten Klooster PM, Rasker JJ.   Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2012 Nov 22. [Epub ahead of print]
Source
Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Functie Afdeling, Hospital Group Twente ZGT, Hengelo, The Netherlands. eklaver@planet.nl.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a disorder characterised by chronic widespread pain in soft tissues, especially in muscles. Previous research has demonstrated a higher muscle fibre conduction velocity (CV) in painful muscles of FM patients. The primary goal of this study was to investigate whether there is also a difference in CV in non-painful, non-tender point (TP) related muscles between FM patients and controls. The secondary goal was to explore associations between the CV, the number of TPs and the complaints in FM.
METHODS:
Surface electromyography (sEMG) was performed on the biceps brachii muscle of female FM patients (13) and matched healthy controls (13). Short static contractions were applied with the arm unloaded and loaded at 5% and 10% of maximum voluntary force. The CV was derived by cross-correlation method (CV-cc) and inter-peak latency method (CV-ipl). TP score and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) were performed in all participants. Correlations were calculated between the CVs, TP score and items of the FIQ.
RESULTS:
In FM patients, the CV was higher than in the controls (CV-cc p=0.005; CV-ipl p=0.022). The CV was correlated with the number of TPs in FM patients (r=0.642 and 0.672 for CV-cc and CV-ipl, respectively). No correlations were found between the CV and any aspect of health status on the FIQ.
CONCLUSIONS:
The results demonstrate abnormally high muscle membrane conduction velocity in FM, even in non-TP muscles. In addition, a relationship has been found between the high membrane velocity and the number of TPs.
PMID:  23191983 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Nerve Deficits May Drive Gulf War Syndrome

Nerve Deficits May Drive Gulf War Syndrome
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/GeneralNeurology/36113

"Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system may underlie the myriad symptoms experienced by veterans with Gulf War syndrome and its variant subtypes, a case-control study suggested."

Thursday, November 29, 2012

VIDEO - Resonance - Beings of Frequency

VIDEO
Resonance - Beings of Frequency
http://vimeo.com/54189727

"RESONANCE is a sensational eye opening documentary which reveals the harm we are doing by existing in an ocean of man made wireless frequencies.
Two billion years ago life first arrived on this planet; a planet, which was filled with a natural frequency. As life slowly evolved, it did so surrounded by this frequency. and Inevitably, it began tuning in.
By the time mankind arrived on earth an incredible relationship had been struck; a relationship that science is just beginning to comprehend.
Research is showing that being exposed to this frequency is absolutely integral to us. It controls our mental and physical health, it synchronizes our circadian rhythms, and it aids our immune system and improves our sense of wellbeing.

Not only are we surrounded by natural frequencies, our bodies are filled with them too. Our cells communicate using electro magnetic frequencies. Our brain emits a constant stream of frequencies and our DNA delivers instructions, using frequency waves. Without them we couldn't exist for more than a second.
This delicate balance has taken billions of years to perfect. But over the last 25 years the harmony has been disturbed. and disturbed dramatically.
Mankind has submerged itself in an ocean of artificial frequencies. They are all around us, filling the air and drowning out the earth's natural resonance.

To the naked eye the planet appears to be the same. But at a cellular level it is the biggest change that life on earth has endured; the affects of which we are just starting to see and feel."

Monday, November 26, 2012

Peds Come Out Against Pesticides

 
"Children should have as little exposure to pesticides as possible, the American Academy of Pediatrics urged.

A policy statement and technical report from the organization outlined steps for pediatricians to identify pesticide poisoning, evaluate for pesticide-related illness, provide appropriate treatment, and help prevent unnecessary exposure and poisoning."

New stain repellent chemical doubling in blood every 6 years.

New stain repellent chemical doubling in blood every 6 years.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2012/08/2012-1120-fluorinated-stain-repellent-rises-in-blood/

"As the phased-out stain repellent PFOS steadily decreases in people, its replacement is rising rapidly at levels that are doubling every six years, a Swedish study shows. Levels of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) in the women's blood rose 11 percent per year between 1996 and 2010. Whether there are any potential health effects of these exposures -- which are still far lower than PFOS levels -- is unknown."

Smart Grid Funding Misspent On Obsolete Technologies,

Smart Grid Funding Misspent On Obsolete Technologies, Says New Report
http://gettingsmarteraboutthesmartgrid.org/press_release_shortform.html

"Billions spent with taxpayer dollars on "smart meters" will not lead to U.S. sustainability; Place citizens and economy at risk"

EPA Webinar: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools - Basics for Winter

EPA Webinar:  Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools — Basics for Winter

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Special Report: Government has little authority to stop unsafe cosmetics

Special Report: Government has little authority to stop unsafe cosmetics
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/brazilian-blowout

"Hair stylist Natalija Josimov combed the straightening solution through her client's hair. She snapped on the blow dryer, and a plume of white vapor wrapped them in a toxic cloud. Next came the 450-degree flat iron, letting loose another sharp stink of embalming fluid that burned her eyes and made her nauseous. Every day for months, Josimov performed three or four chemical straightening treatments at a New York City salon until she fell so ill she couldn't even stay in the same room. Josimov is accustomed to odors of peroxide, nail polish and permanent wave solution. But this is different: It's Brazilian Blowout, and its secret ingredient is formaldehyde, a carcinogen linked to nose and throat cancers, leukemia, respiratory problems and other health effects. Brazilian Blowout is a dramatic example of how little authority federal and state governments have over the estimated $30-billion annual cosmetics industry – even when there is compelling evidence that ingredients are dangerous. Under federal law, cosmetics companies don't have to disclose chemicals or gain approval for the 2,000 products that go on the market every year. And removing a cosmetic from sale takes a battle in federal court. "Although the sale of Brazilian Blowout in California violated five separate state health, environmental and consumer laws and resulted in numerous acute injuries, we have not been able to get it off the market," said Michael DiBartolomeis of the California Department of Public Health."

Farmers' lawsuit against Monsanto heads back to federal court

Farmers' lawsuit against Monsanto heads back to federal court
http://www.kjonline.com/news/federal-court-to-hear-lawsuit_2012-11-23.html

"Case questions company's right to genetically modified seed patents, seeks to reduce infringement cases."

Suit alleges chemical used to embalm caused mortician's cancer

Suit alleges chemical used to embalm caused mortician's cancer
http://www.northjersey.com/news/180665201_Chemical_used_to_embalm_targeted.html

"A lawsuit by a New Jersey mortician stricken with leukemia is casting a spotlight on embalming, a standard practice in the funeral industry.  William Moore, 38, of Secaucus claims his illness was caused by exposure to formaldehyde, an ingredient in embalming fluid. He is suing his workplace and several manufacturers of embalming chemicals.  Moore was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia in 2010, according to a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Hackensack. Federal toxicologists in 2011 listed formaldehyde as a carcinogen and said mortuary workers were among those at risk of developing various cancers."

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Exposure to workplace chemicals can increase breast cancer risk, study says

 
"Women working in certain types of jobs — mainly agriculture and industrial settings — appear to have about double the risk of developing breast cancer as women who do other kinds of work, a new Canadian study says.
The work suggests the increased risk is likely the result of exposures to chemicals used in some factory-type jobs and second-hand smoke in entertainment sector jobs, plus shift-work across a variety of these job sectors."

European Commission mulls perfume ingredient ban

European Commission mulls perfume ingredient ban
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20405276

"The European Commission is to consider restricting 12 ingredients used in the production of perfume which it is thought can cause allergic reactions in users."

Triclosan exposure linked to allergies in children

Triclosan exposure linked to allergies in children
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20121115/Triclosan-exposure-linked-to-allergies-in-children.aspx

"Norwegian children with high levels of urinary triclosan are more likely to have allergies than children with lower levels, report researchers in Allergy. In particular, the team found that 10-year-old children with high levels of exposure to the antibacterial chemical had an increased likelihood for having seasonal or inhalant allergies. "Based on the 'hygiene hypothesis' of allergy in childhood, excessive use of triclosan may alter the commensal microbiota flora leading to impairment of normal maturation of the immune system," say Randi Bertelsen (Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo) and colleagues."

Mold invades thousands of homes across flood zone in wake of Hurricane Sandy

Mold invades thousands of homes across flood zone in wake of Hurricane Sandy

"You'll see it in the form of dime-sized, fuzzy, green spores clinging to chairs, black streaks of toxic mold lining the corners of dressers and two-inch-thick blankets of fungi covering garbage dumped along the road. Any way you slice it, it's all mold — and it can kill you."

Environmental Chemicals May Hurt Chances of Pregnancy

Environmental Chemicals May Hurt Chances of Pregnancy
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_131319.html

"Exposure starts in the kitchen, with the food you eat, experts say."

Living in Smoggy Areas May Reduce Seniors' Brainpower

Living in Smoggy Areas May Reduce Seniors' Brainpower
 
"Study tied high pollution to lower test scores for memory, language."

Flame Retardants in Furniture, Carpets Might Affect Kids' Development

Flame Retardants in Furniture, Carpets Might Affect Kids' Development
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_131374.html

"California study found that higher exposures were linked to IQ, attention deficits"

Empirical Data Confirm Autism Symptoms Related to

Empirical Data Confirm Autism Symptoms Related to Aluminum and Acetaminophen Exposure
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/14/11/2227/pdf

Stephanie Seneff 1,*, Robert M. Davidson 2 and Jingjing Liu 1
1 Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; E-Mail: jingl@csail.mit.edu (J.L.)
2 Internal Medicine Group Practice, PhyNet, Inc., Longview, TX 75604, USA;
E-Mail: patrons99@yahoo.com (R.M.D.)

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: seneff@csail.mit.edu;
Tel.: +1-617-253-0451.

Received: 24 September 2012; in revised form: 16 October 2012 / Accepted: 5 November 2012 /
Published: 7 November 2012

Abstract:
 
Autism is a condition characterized by impaired cognitive and social skills, associated with compromised immune function. The incidence is alarmingly on the rise, and environmental factors are increasingly suspected to play a role. This paper investigates word frequency patterns in the U.S. CDC Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) database. Our results provide strong evidence supporting a link between autism and the aluminum in vaccines. A literature review showing toxicity of aluminum in human physiology offers further support. Mentions of autism in VAERS increased steadily at the end of the last century, during a period when mercury was being phased out, while aluminum adjuvant burden was being increased. Using standard log-likelihood ratio techniques, we identify several signs and symptoms that are significantly more prevalent in vaccine reports after 2000, including cellulitis, seizure, depression, fatigue, pain and death, which are also significantly associated with aluminum-containing vaccines. We propose that children with the autism diagnosis are especially vulnerable to toxic metals such as aluminum and mercury due to insufficient serum sulfate and glutathione. A strong correlation between autism and the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine is also observed, which may be partially explained via an increased sensitivity to acetaminophen administered to control fever.
 
Keywords: autism; vaccines; MMR; HEP-B; glutathione; sulfate; cholesterol sulfate; aluminum; mercury; acetaminophen

News from ONFCI

Deceived, Disabled, Dejected, Dehumanized, Dismissed, and Dying: The
Widespread Dilemma of MCS Disability.
http://www.ddc.ohio.gov/Pub/Reach1-08.pdf

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Reflections by Dr. L. Christine Oliver and
Alison Johnson Transcript
www.alisonjohnsonmcs.com

Veterans Injured by Chemicals Need Help
http://postbythelake.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/newsletterweb4.pdf

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Part One WCPN radio interview with Karen
Schaefer, 2.15.01
http://www.ideastream.org/news/feature/7086

MCS Policy For Medical Offices
http://www.ohionetwork.org/dedu/Story%20form%20of%20PROPOSED%20MCS%20POLICY%20FOR%20MEDICAL%20OFFICES.doc

Letter: Educate Your Building Manager
http://www.ohionetwork.org/IEQ/Sample%20letter%20for%20top%20ten.doc

ONFCI's Top Ten Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality
http://www.ohionetwork.org/IEQ/Update%20to%20Top%20Ten%20Two%20pages.doc

MCS ACCOMMODATIONS

ONFCI November 28, 2003 Letter Urging CDC to Address MCS Epidemic
http://www.wtv-zone.com/infchoice/mcs/sample2.html

ONFCI 1998 letter responding to Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry Report http://www.lassentech.com/eipress1.html

Center for Disease Control (CDC) Employee Policy
http://depts.washington.edu/exposure/CDC%20Indoor%20Environmental%20Quality%20Policy.pdf
CDC's Fragrance-Free Policy & More - See pages 9-10 (Appendix A, Section C -
Building Occupants)

Professor Anne C. Steinemann - Links to her fragrance sensitivity report and
other resources http://depts.washington.edu/exposure/useful_resources.html

Parma Fire Department - Ambulance Protocol
http://www.ohionetwork.org/2009/parma_mcs_protcol.pdf

Parma Community General Hospital - Paramedic Protocol
http://www.ohionetwork.org/2009/MCS08.pdf

Parma Heights Curbs Diesel Emissions on Ambulances
http://blog.cleveland.com/parmasunpost/2009/05/parma_heights_city_is_first_to.html

American Journal of Nursing MCS Article References (#29) Toni Temple's
Healthier Hospitals
http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=698036#68#68

Dismantling the Attitudinal Barriers Against MCS by Toni Temple
http://www.needs.com/product/NDNL-0410-01/l_Heavy_Metal_Detox

Healthier Hospitals: a comprehensive guide to assist in the medical care of
the patient with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) disability. Parma, OH;
1996. p. 28.
http://www.needs.com/product/Healthier_Hospitals/bk_Toni_Temple

Hospitalization for the Chemically Sensitive Patient
http://www.ctaz.com/~bhima/hospital.htm

MCS Activism Starting to Pay Off - U.S. Access Board adopts fragrance-free
policy for meetings
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/0302/0302ft1.html

National Institute Building Sciences (NIBS) Indoor Environmental Quality
Report
http://web.archive.org/web/20060714175343/http://ieq.nibs.org/ieq_project.pdf

MCS AWARENESS MONTH

http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_council/en-US/Legislation/Resolutions/2012/R2012-0011.pdf
http://ecowatch.org/2012/cuyahoga-council-passes-landmark-resolution/
Press Release Feb. 2012
http://beachwood.patch.com/announcements/news-from-onfci

Sample MCS Awareness Month Proclamations

Governor Strickland Recognizes May as MCS Awareness and Education Month
http://www.mcs-america.org/Ohio2007MCS.pdf

ONFCI News Release: http://www.ohionetwork.org/aware/strick_may.doc

Mayor Cyril M. Kleem, City of Berea
http://www.ohionetwork.org/2009/berea.pdf

Mayor Thomas P. Perciak, City of Strongsville
http://www.ohionetwork.org/2009/strongsville.pdf

ONFCI press release - Awareness Month 2009
http://www.ohionetwork.org/2009/2009release.pdf

MISCELLANEOUS

ONFCI's 2004 "Prevention Convention" at Playhouse Square Center - Press
Release
http://www.ohionetwork.org/News%20Releases/July%2016,%202004%20Prev%20Conv.%20News%20Release.doc

New Pesticide Legislation:
http://www.cleveland.com/cuyahoga-county/index.ssf/2012/04/cuyahoga_county_council_approves_anti-pesticide_legislation.html

Ten Commandments Of A Good Neighbor
http://www.ohionetwork.org/articles/10commands.html

Catalan community groups take the Minister of Health to Superior Court with a Criminal Law Suite

Catalan community groups take the Minister of Health to Superior Court with a Criminal Law Suite

"Several community groups in Catalonia have taken the Catalan Minister of Health, Boi Ruiz, to the Catalan Superior Court with a criminal law suit for the radical cutbacks in public health care carried out in the past two years. The law suit is based on Article 542 of the Spanish Criminal Code which says that it is an offense for a public official to impede citizens from carrying out their civic rights. And according to the Spanish Constitution, health care is a civic right.
The brutal cutbacks that the Ruiz administration has been carrying out in the past few months have included closing health care centers, shutting down emergency services, an increase of 42% in the waiting lists and many other austerity measures which have put Catalonians' health in danger. The groups that are suing Ruiz and 3 other leading health administrators, argue, with a 80-page law suit and 400 supporting documents, that Ruiz's excuse of having "economic problems" and "the crisis" for cutting back, are not valid, because no economic problem can justify braking the law, as Ruiz's administration has done and continues doing.

The law suit is also denouncing the following offenses regarding not providing help in emergency situations (Article 196 of the Spanish Criminal Code), traffic of influences (Article 428) and negotiations and activities forbidden to public officials (Article 441).

The groups that have presented the criminal law suit are: Liga del Síndrome Fatiga Crónica (the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis League), ATTAC-Acordem, ATTAC-Catalunya, CATAC-CTS-IAC (a public workers' union) and Dempeus per la Salut Pública ("On our Feet for Public Health"). These groups are under the umbrella of La PARS, Plataforma Afectadas por los Recortes Sanitarios (Regroupment of those affected by the health care cutbacks)."

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Thimerosal-Induced Apoptosis in Mouse C2C12 Myoblast Cells Occurs through Suppression of the PI3K/Akt/Survivin Pathway.

Thimerosal-Induced Apoptosis in Mouse C2C12 Myoblast Cells Occurs through Suppression of the PI3K/Akt/Survivin Pathway.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23145070
 
Li WX, Chen SF, Chen LP, Yang GY, Li JT, Liu HZ, Zhu W.  PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e49064. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049064. Epub 2012 Nov 7.

Source
Department of Toxicology, Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, is one of the most widely used preservatives and found in a variety of biological products. Concerns over its possible toxicity have reemerged recently due to its use in vaccines. Thimerosal has also been reported to be markedly cytotoxic to neural tissue. However, little is known regarding thimerosal-induced toxicity in muscle tissue. Therefore, we investigated the cytotoxic effect of thimerosal and its possible mechanisms on mouse C2C12 myoblast cells.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:
The study showed that C2C12 myoblast cells underwent inhibition of proliferation and apoptosis after exposure to thimerosal (125-500 nM) for 24, 48 and 72 h. Thimerosal caused S phase arrest and induced apoptosis as assessed by flow cytometric analysis, Hoechst staining and immunoblotting. The data revealed that thimerosal could trigger the leakage of cytochrome c from mitochondria, followed by cleavage of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and that an inhibitor of caspase could suppress thimerosal-induced apoptosis. Thimerosal inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt(ser473) and survivin expression. Wortmannin, a PI3K inhibitor, inhibited Akt activity and decreased survivin expression, resulting in increased thimerosal-induced apoptosis in C2C12 cells, while the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway by mIGF-I (50 ng/ml) increased the expression of survivin and attenuated apoptosis. Furthermore, the inhibition of survivin expression by siRNA enhanced thimerosal-induced cell apoptosis, while overexpression of survivin prevented thimerosal-induced apoptosis. Taken together, the data show that the PI3K/Akt/survivin pathway plays an important role in the thimerosal-induced apoptosis in C2C12 cells.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:
Our results suggest that in C2C12 myoblast cells, thimerosal induces S phase arrest and finally causes apoptosis via inhibition of PI3K/Akt/survivin signaling followed by activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Visual event-related potentials as markers of hyperarousal in Gulf War illness: Evidence against a stress-related etiology. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23149040

Visual event-related potentials as markers of hyperarousal in Gulf War illness: Evidence against a stress-related etiology.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23149040

Tillman GD, Calley CS, Green TA, Buhl VI, Biggs MM, Spence JS, Briggs RW, Haley RW, Kraut MA, Hart Jr J.  Psychiatry Res. 2012 Nov 10. pii: S0925-4927(12)00206-5. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.08.004. [Epub ahead of print]

Source
Center for BrainHealth, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA.

Abstract
An exaggerated response to emotional stimuli is among the many symptoms widely reported by veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. These symptomologies have been attributed to damage and dysfunction associated with deployment-related exposures. We collected event-related potential data from 22 veterans meeting Haley criteria for Gulf War (GW) Syndromes 1-3 and from 8 matched GW veteran controls, who were deployed but not symptomatic, while they performed a visual three-condition oddball task where images authenticated to be associated with the 1991 Persian Gulf War were the distractor stimuli. Hyperarousal reported by ill veterans was significantly greater than that by control veterans, but this was not paralleled by higher amplitude P3a in their ERP responses to GW-related distractor stimuli. Whereas previous studies of PTSD patients have shown higher amplitude P3b responses to target stimuli that are placed amid trauma-related nontarget stimuli, ill veterans in this study showed P3b amplitudes to target stimuli - placed amid GW-related nontarget stimuli - that were significantly lower than those of the control group. Hyperarousal scores reliably predicted P3b, but not P3a, amplitudes. Although many factors may contribute to P3b amplitude differences - most notably depression and poor sleep quality, symptoms that are prevalent in the GW syndrome groups - our findings in context of previous studies on this population are consistent with the contention that dysfunction in cholinergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems, and in white matter and basal ganglia may be contributing to impairments in GW veterans.
PMID: 23149040 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Neurobehavioral function and low-level exposure to brominated flame retardants in adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Neurobehavioral function and low-level exposure to brominated flame retardants in adolescents: a cross-sectional study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23151181
 
Kici Ski M, Viaene MK, Den Hond E, Schoeters G, Covaci A, Dirtu AC, Nelen V, Bruckers L, Croes K, Sioen I, Baeyens W, Larebeke N, Nawrot TS.  Environ Health. 2012 Nov 14;11(1):86. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND: Animal and in vitro studies demonstrated a neurotoxic potential of brominated flame retardants, a group of chemicals used in many household and commercial products to prevent fire. Although the first reports of detrimental neurobehavioral effects in rodents appeared more than ten years ago, human data are sparse.
METHODS:
As a part of a biomonitoring program for environmental health surveillance in Flanders, Belgium, we assessed the neurobehavioral function with the Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES-3), and collected blood samples in a group of high school students. Cross-sectional data on 515 adolescents (13.6-17 years of age) was available for the analysis. Multiple regression models accounting for potential confounders were used to investigate the associations between biomarkers of internal exposure to brominated flame retardants [serum levels of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners 47, 99, 100, 153, 209, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)] and cognitive performance. In addition, we investigated the association between brominated flame retardants and serum levels of FT3, FT4, and TSH.
RESULTS:
A two-fold increase of the sum of serum PBDE's was associated with a decrease of the number of taps with the preferred-hand in the Finger Tapping test by 5.31 (95% CI: 0.56 to 10.05, p = 0.029). The effects of the individual PBDE congeners on the motor speed were consistent. Serum levels above the level of quantification were associated with an average decrease of FT3 level by 0.18 pg/mL (95% CI: 0.03 to 0.34, p = 0.020) for PBDE-99 and by 0.15 pg/mL (95% CI: 0.004 to 0.29, p = 0.045) for PBDE-100, compared with concentrations below the level of quantification. PBDE-47 level above the level of quantification was associated with an average increase of TSH levels by 10.1% (95% CI: 0.8% to 20.2%, p = 0.033), compared with concentrations below the level of quantification. We did not observe effects of PBDE's on neurobehavioral domains other than the motor function. HBCD and TBBPA did not show consistent associations with performance in the neurobehavioral tests.
CONCLUSIONS:
This study is one of few studies and so far the largest one investigating the neurobehavioral effects of brominated flame retardants in humans. Consistently with experimental animal data, PBDE exposure was associated with changes in the motor function and the serum levels of the thyroid hormones.
PMID: 23151181 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Science-Based 'Cookbook for the Brain' Offers Food for Thought

Science-Based 'Cookbook for the Brain' Offers Food for Thought
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/774561?src=rsshttp://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/774561?src=rss

"A group consisting of a brain health expert, 2 nutritionists and recipe developers, and even several celebrity chefs have teamed up to create what they call one of the first best-evidence, science-based "cookbooks for the healthy brain.""

International Experience in Addressing Combined Exposures: Increasing the Efficiency of Assessment.

International Experience in Addressing Combined Exposures: Increasing the Efficiency of Assessment.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23146753

Meek B.  Toxicology. 2012 Nov 9. pii: S0300-483X(12)00370-8. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2012.09.015. [Epub ahead of print]

Source
Associate Director, Chemical Risk Assessment, McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, One Stewart St., Suite 309, Ottawa, Ont. CANADA K1N 6N5. Electronic address: bmeek@uottawa.ca.
Abstract
More efficient methodology for assessing the impact of combined exposures to multiple chemicals has been considered in a project of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS). Recommendations regarding terminology and the status of development of the framework, its content, review and application are described. Evolving experience in its application is illustrated by example (polybrominated diphenyls) with special emphasis on the critical content of problem formulation, the role of predictive tools in grouping of chemicals for consideration and the importance of explicit delineation of relative uncertainty and sensitivity for tiered assessment. Priorities in increasing the efficiency of risk assessment not only for combined exposures, but more generally based on experience acquired in developing the framework and its application in case studies are identified and recommendations included.
PMID: 23146753 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Discovery Could Lead to Faster Diagnosis For Some Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Cases

Discovery Could Lead to Faster Diagnosis For Some Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Cases
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/chronfatigue.htm  

"COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the first time, researchers have landed on a potential diagnostic method to identify at least a subset of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a complex disorder with no known definitive cause or cure.
In a pilot study of six patients, scientists detected specific antibodies linked to latent Epstein-Barr virus reactivation in blood samples from people who had experienced classic CFS symptoms and responded to antiviral treatment. Control blood samples from 20 healthy people showed no such antibodies."

Hello, it's your pilot speaking. I am about to go unconscious...

Hello, it's your pilot speaking. I am about to go unconscious...
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/358881/Hello-it-s-your-pilot-speaking-I-am-about-to-go-unconscious

"TWO weeks ago Captain Tristan Loraine, a former British Airways pilot who retired on medical grounds in 2006, sat at his computer to type the email he had been hoping to send for years. He and fellow medically-retired air crew he had spent the past few years trying to expose what they believe is one of the great ­global scandals of our times: that the air on passenger jets is not always safe."

Ticked Off About a Growing Allergy to Meat - ScienceNOW

Ticked Off About a Growing Allergy to Meat - ScienceNOW
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/11/ticked-off-about-a-growing-aller.html

"Tick bites have long been synonymous with bad news, responsible for transmitting diseases such as Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but this must be a carnivore or BBQ lover's worst nightmare. A growing body of research suggests that bites from a particular tick are causing an unusual allergic reaction to meat. At an allergy meeting last week, for example, a diagnostics lab presented evidence that the highest prevalence of the allergy is in the southeastern United States, where the tick primarily thrives. Yet American BBQ lovers and carnivores elsewhere may not rest easy; the allergy mysteriously afflicts people living in parts of the United States, even Hawaii, where the tick does not live."

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Edible deodorant: Perfume candy to cure body odor?

[COMMENT: As if ADDING to the odor by making people stink of rose or other fragrance would help! Ingesting it sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen!]

Edible deodorant: Perfume candy to cure body odor?
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/12/edible-deodorant-perfume-candy-to-cure-body-odor/

Men warned of toxic ingredients in grooming products

Men warned of toxic ingredients in grooming products
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MCS-America/95671789291

"TORONTO – A Canadian environmental organization is warning men about toxic ingredients in their personal grooming products.  Environmental Defence has released a report detailing the prevalence of toxins in commonly used products marketed toward men, including shaving cream, deodorant, body wash and aftershave."

Pesticides used on fruit and vegetables 'may be putting young children at risk of cancer

Pesticides used on fruit and vegetables 'may be putting young children at risk of cancer
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2232925/Pesticides-used-fruit-vegetables-putting-young-children-risk-cancer.html

"Scientists warn children could be effected by 'cumulative risk' of pesticide exposure from foods.  Researchers suggest that varying a child's diet could help reduce exposure."

PBDEs linked to delays in development

PBDEs linked to delays in development
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/PBDEs-linked-to-delays-in-development-4039060.php

"Flame retardant compounds pervasive in most California households appear to delay the neurodevelopment of children exposed to the chemicals from the womb through the first years of life, UC Berkeley researchers say in a new study."

Finalists of air pollution sensor challenge announced

Finalists of air pollution sensor challenge announced
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2012/niehs-15.htm

"Four finalists have been selected in the My Air, My Health Challenge, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its challenge partners. Each finalist will receive $15,000, and will transform their designs to measure air pollutants and related physiological measurements into working systems. One overall winner will receive a cash award of $100,000 to be announced in June 2013."

Monday, November 12, 2012

Cellphone radiation impacts fetal brain development: Yale researchers

 
"Cellphone radiation exposure during pregnancy impacts fetal brain development and may cause hyperactivity, Yale School of Medicine researchers say."

China's birth defects blamed on pollution, unhealthy living

China's birth defects blamed on pollution, unhealthy living
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1079608/chinas-rising-birth-defects-blamed-pollution-unhealthy-living

"Incidence of problems in newborns has nearly doubled in 15 years and experts say environment and unhealthy lifestyle choices are the culprits."

Sandy Stirs Toxic-Site Worry

Sandy Stirs Toxic-Site Worry
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324073504578109550624063018.html

"Hurricane Sandy's environmental impact is still being assessed, but the worries for residents of New York and New Jersey are crystallized by one fact: Of the two states' 198 Superfund toxic-waste sites, 45 are within a half-mile of coastal areas vulnerable to storm surge."

Death after Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine: Causal or Coincidental?

Death after Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine: Causal or Coincidental?
http://sanevax.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Tomljenovic-Shaw-Gardasil-Causal-Coincidental-2167-7689-S12-001.pdf

Lucija Tomljenovic1* and Christopher A Shaw1,2,3
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Canada
2Program in Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada
3Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Canada
Abstract:
Background: The proper understanding of a true risk from vaccines is crucial for avoiding unnecessary adverse  reactions (ADRs). However, to this date no solid tests or criteria have been established to determine whether adverse events are causally linked to vaccinations.

Objectives: This research was carried out to determine whether or not some serious autoimmune and neurological ADRs following HPV vaccination are causal or merely coincidental and to validate a biomarker-based immunohistochemical (IHC) protocol for assessing causality in case of vaccination-suspected serious adverse neurological outcomes.
Methods: Post-mortem brain tissue specimens from two young women who suffered from cerebral vasculitis-type symptoms following vaccination with the HPV vaccine Gardasil were analysed by IHC for various immunoinflammatory markers. Brain sections were also stained for antibodies recognizing HPV-16L1 and HPV-18L1 antigen which are present in Gardasil.

Results: In both cases, the autopsy revealed no anatomical, microbiological nor toxicological findings that might have explained the death of the individuals. In contrast, our IHC analysis showed evidence of an autoimmune vasculitis potentially triggered by the cross-reactive HPV-16L1 antibodies binding to the wall of cerebral blood vessels in all examined brain samples. We also detected the presence of HPV-16L1 particles within the cerebral vasculature with some HPV-16L1 particles adhering to the blood vessel walls. HPV-18L1 antibodies did not bind to cerebral blood vessels nor any other neural tissues. IHC also showed increased T-cell signalling and marked activation of the classical antibody-dependent complement pathway in cerebral vascular tissues from both cases. This pattern of complement activation in the absence of an active brain infection indicates an abnormal triggering of the immune response in which the immune attack is directed towards self-tissue.

Conclusions: Our study suggests that HPV vaccines containing HPV-16L1 antigens pose an inherent risk for triggering potentially fatal autoimmune vasculopathies.

Practice implications: Cerebral vasculitis is a serious disease which typically results in fatal outcomes when undiagnosed and left untreated. The fact that many of the symptoms reported to vaccine safety surveillance databases following HPV vaccination are indicative of cerebral vasculitis, but are unrecognized as such (i.e., intense persistent migraines, syncope, seizures, tremors and tingling, myalgia, locomotor abnormalities, psychotic symptoms and cognitive deficits), is a serious concern in light of the present findings. It thus appears that in some cases vaccination may be the triggering factor of fatal autoimmune/neurological events. Physicians should be aware of this association.

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