LS,
RN07 - Januari 2007
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FDA Releases Draft Risk Assessment and Management Plan for Cloned
Animals
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to rule that
food from cloned animals is as safe to eat as food from conventionally
reared ones.
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200612281.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=59873
Technique quickly identifies bacteria for food safety
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a technique, called
desorption electrospray ionization, or DESI, to create a new class of
fast, accurate detectors for applications ranging from food safety to
homeland security
http://www.physorg.com/news86539297.html
Polar Bears to be 'Threatened Species'
The Bush administration, under legal pressure from three
environmental groups, will propose listing polar bears as threatened
under the Endangered Species Act. Once a species is listed as
threatened, the government is barred from doing anything to jeopardize
the animal's existence or its habitat. In the case of the polar bear,
environmentalists hope to force the government to curb emissions of
greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that can contribute to global
warming.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=2753429
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6213179.stm
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2006-12-28T035147Z_01_N26412574_RTRUKOC_0_US-CLIMATE-POLARBEARS.xml
Alcohol may offer protection against arthritis
In addition to boosting heart health, moderate alcohol consumption
might also protect against some types of arthritis, a preliminary mouse
study suggests.
http://environment.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn10815
Want to live longer? Toss back a few cocktails
Moderate drinking may lengthen your life, while too much may
shorten it, researchers from Italy report. Their conclusion is based on
pooled data from 34 large studies involving more than 1 million people
and 94,000 deaths.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16173568/wid/11915773?GT1=8816
Education -- the best pill of all for preventing Alzheimer's
A study published in PLoS ONE shows that even very modest
neuroprotective effects at the cellular level can lead to dramatic
reductions in the number of cases of Alzheimer's. The most effective
neuroprotective therapy for Alzheimer's disease may well not be a pill,
but education and intellectual activity.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/plos-e-t122006.php
Vitamin D linked to lower MS risk
A new study provides the most compelling evidence yet that vitamin
D, the so-called sunshine vitamin, may protect against the neurological
disease multiple sclerosis (MS). Vitamin D, dubbed the sunshine vitamin
because it is naturally produced in skin that is exposed to the Sun's
ultraviolet rays, is thought to rein in the overzealous immune system
cells that cause the condition.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2006/1815358.htm
http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/28125/High_levels_of_vitamin_D_in_the_body_may_decrease_the_risk_of_multiple_sclerosis.html
Farm Animals Threatened with Extinction
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned that 20 percent of
farm animal breeds are at risk of extinction due to globalization of
those markets. Diversity will allow future generations to select or
develop new breeds to face emerging conditions, such as climate change,
disease and socio-economic factors.
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={76461B5B-C61E-42C0-AC67-BEB7868A1D2C}&language=EN
http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=342365&ssid=26&sid=env
Oceans may rise over 4 1/2 feet by 2100
The world's oceans may rise up to 140 cms (4 ft 7 in) by 2100 due
to global warming, a faster than expected increase that could threaten
low-lying coasts from Florida to Bangladesh. Sea level changes hinge on
poorly understood factors such as the pace of the melt of glaciers and
of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. Water also expands as it
gets warmer but the rate of penetration of heat to the depths is
uncertain.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2006-12-14T192351Z_01_L14565762_RTRUKOC_0_US-CLIMATE-OCEANS.xml
Male circumcision reduces HIV risk
A University of Illinois at Chicago study has been stopped early
due to preliminary results indicating that medical circumcision of men
reduces their risk of acquiring HIV during heterosexual intercourse by
53 percent. The study's independent Data Safety and Monitoring Board
met Dec. 12 to review the interim data. Based on the board's review,
the National Institutes of Health halted the trial and recommended that
all men enrolled in the study who remain uncircumcised be offered
circumcision.
http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/male-circumcision-reduces-hiv-risk-study-stopped-early-12192.html
Blood Supply Threat: Mad-Cow Disease
The BBC reports that there's still plenty of risk for people who
were transfused with blood contaminated by the human form of mad-cow
disease. And even worse news: people may be infecting the blood supply
right now. A new blood filter device could in future prevent people
being infected with the human form of mad cow disease through
transfusions
http://blog.wired.com/biotech/2006/12/blood_supply_th.html
http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=1905242006
Bird flu is not the only risk
Bird flu may be the tip of the iceberg. Experts meeting in Mali say
the deadly H5N1 virus is just one of a plethora of diseases threatening
animals and people around the world as global warming, intensive
farming, increased travel and trade help dangerous microbes breed and
spread.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=1764183EF03FC7324EB58C3842BD9A57
Consumers neutral on risks and benefits of nano technology
The largest and most comprehensive survey of public perceptions of
nanotechnology products finds that U.S. consumers are willing to use
specific nano-containing products – even if there are health and safety
risks – when the potential benefits are high. The study also finds that
U.S. consumers rate nanotechnology as less risky than everyday
technologies like herbicides, chemical disinfectants, handguns and food
preservatives.
http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/27895/Consumers_neutral_on_risks_benefits_of_nano.html
Nintendo cautions gamers on Wii safety
t least two Web sites have been set up to collect photos that
purportedly show damage — such as broken glass and TVs — resulting from
the strap coming off players as they swung around the controller, at
times causing the remote to fly out of their hands.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16082959/
Too much protein increases cancer risk
A strong correlation has been found between obesity and the risk of
common cancers, such as cancer of the colon and breast cancer. Initial
findings from a US study suggest that eating less protein could be a
way to protect some people from cancers that are not directly
associated with obesity.
http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/protein-cancer-risk.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/wuso-dtm120506.php
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/HealthScout/061207/6120719AU.html
Blame our evolutionary risk of cancer on body mass
Until now, scientists believed that our relatively long lifespans
controlled the expression of telomerase--an enzyme that can lengthen
the lives of cells, but can also increase the rate of cancer. And
scientists assumed that mice could afford to express telomerase, and
thereby benefit from its curative powers, because their natural risk of
developing cancer is low--they simply die before there's much
likelihood of one of their cells becoming cancerous.
A new study postulates that evolution has found that the length of time
an organism is alive has little effect on how likely some of its cells
might mutate into cancer. Instead, simply having more cells in your
body does raise the specter of cancer--and does so enough that the
benefits of telomerase expression, such as fast healing, weren't worth
the cancer risk.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/uor-boe112006.php
Cell Phone Use Not Linked To Cancer Risk
The widespread use of cell phones has raised concerns about health
risks among users. Cell phone antennas emit electromagnetic fields that
can penetrate into the human brain, and scientists have wondered if
this might cause tumors in the head or neck. Long or short-term cell
phone use is not associated with increased cancer risk, according to a
study in the December 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061206085942.htm
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2006-12-07T005201Z_01_N05280092_RTRUKOC_0_US-CANCER-CELLPHONES.xml
'Double Diabetes' a New Threat
Despite the flurry of public service campaigns and education
efforts, the diabetes epidemic in the United States continues to
escalate out of control. An estimated 20.8 million Americans -- or 7
percent of the population -- are now believed to be diabetic. Of those,
6.2 million people have the disease but don't know it.
http://health.yahoo.com/news/169496
Humans must look to outer space if race is to survive: Hawking
The long-term survival of the human race is at risk as long as it
is confined to a single planet, sooner or later, disasters such as an
asteroid collision or nuclear war could wipe us all out. But once we
spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future
should be safe. Humans will have to travel to another star to find a
hospitable planet to colonize. At the speed of chemical-propelled
rockets like the Apollo, the trip to the next nearest star would take
50,000 years. Nothing can travel faster than light. However, by using
"matter/antimatter annihilation", velocities just below the speed of
light could be reached, making it possible to reach the next star in
about six years.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-11-30T134445Z_01_L30663009_RTRUKOC_0_US-SPACE-HAWKING.xml&pageNumber=1&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage1
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200612/01/eng20061201_327228.html
Biosecurity Criticised After GM Corn Released
Horticulture New Zealand says the quality of New Zealand’s border
control systems has fallen, if almost two tonnes of genetically
modified sweetcorn can pass though it. The two consignments of sweet
corn seeds were incorrectly cleared by MAF's quarantine service in
October. The error was discovered two days ago by biosecurity staff.
http://www.newswire.co.nz/main/viewstory.aspx?storyid=349271&catid=30
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/909719
Runaway GM Crops Can Pose Food-Safety Risks
Genetically modified crops can produce food with superior
qualities, but they may also pose food-safety risks if they mix with
other crops. As pharmaceutical and industrial traits are introduced
into crop plants, there will in some cases be a greater risk that
consumers will be directly affected by gene flow from crop to crop.
http://www.uoguelph.ca/mediarel/2006/11/runaway_gm_crop.html
Fury as genetically modified potatoes given go-ahead in UK
Ministers have been accused of ignoring consumers and risking
contamination of the countryside after giving the green light for
genetically modified potatoes to be grown in the UK.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=419808&in_page_id=1770
compiled by PBP
risk (-at-) sciencemedia.eu