It turns out that zapping saltwater with low-voltage electricity creates a
couple of powerful, nontoxic cleaning agents. Sodium ions are converted into
sodium hydroxide, an alkaline liquid that cleans and degreases like detergent,
but without the scrubbing bubbles. Chloride ions become hypochlorous acid, a
potent disinfectant known as acid water. …
The power of the acupuncture technique is that rare or limiting specimens can be
examined for expression levels without harming them so they can be used for
other studies such as DNA or protein analysis. …
The study authors stated that these results appear to corroborate the
findings from the ARIC and Framingham studies indicating that consumption of
diet soda, either independently or in conjunction with other dietary and
lifestyle behaviors, may lead to metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes.
“Higher vitamin C intake is independently associated with a lower risk of gout,”
the study authors write. “Supplemental vitamin C intake may be beneficial in the
prevention of gout.” …
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca folks were worried about Study 15. As you know, internal
emails released as court documents show that higher-ups praised a company
doctor’s efforts to put a “positive spin” on “this cursed study.” Company
officials discussed their “cherry-picking” of data; one said, “Thus far, we have
buried Trials 15, 31, 56 and are now considering COSTAR” (which also produced
unfavorable results). In public, however, AstraZeneca publicized a less-rigorous
study showing that patients lost weight
on Seroquel. …
Some of the early results are already in — Pfizer v. Wyeth, Merck v. Schering,
Roche v. Genentech. But there are lots of key matchups left to go before merger
mania reaches its absurd conclusion and the whole industry consolidates under
one giant roof. …
After his findings were publicized, rates of MMR vaccine in the UK promptly
fell; Dr. Wakefield was fired from his position and later was charged with
professional misconduct by the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC). The paper was
also removed from The Lancet amidst all the controversy.
It has
now become clear that the allegations were totally false and amounted to nothing
more than a smear campaign. …
“We already know that encouraging teens to get an adequate amount of
vitamin D in their diets will help promote a healthy body as they grow
and develop,” Ms. Stallman-Jorgensen says. “Now we need to do
intervention studies where we give teens vitamin D supplements to
determine if there is a cause and effect relationship between vitamin D
intake and fat.” …
Dr. Kennedy’s Vocabulary Course for 3/14/2009
What he and colleagues identified was a previously unknown combination of bowel
disease and autism in 12 children. Bowel symptoms are common in autistic
children but had until then been regarded as simply a manifestation of their
behavioral problems.
…