EK
Exposure to nanoparticles may threaten heart health
Date:
January 8, 2015
Source:
American Technion Society
Nanoparticles, extremely tiny particles measured in billionths of a meter, are increasingly everywhere, and especially in biomedical products. Their toxicity has been researched in general terms, but now a team of Israeli scientists has for the first time found that exposure nanoparticles (NPs) of silicon dioxide (SiO2) can play a major role in the development of cardiovascular diseases when the NP cross tissue and cellular barriers and also find their way into the circulatory system. Their study, published in the December issue of Environmental Toxicology.–The research team was comprised of scientists from the Technion Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Rambam Medical Center, and the Center of Excellence in Exposure Science and Environmental Health (TCEEH).–“Environmental exposure to nanoparticles is becoming unavoidable due to the rapid expansion of nanotechnology,” says the study’s lead author, Prof. Michael Aviram, of the Technion Faculty of Medicine, “This exposure may be especially chronic for those employed in research laboratories and in high tech industry where workers handle, manufacture, use and dispose of nanoparticles. Products that use silica-based nanoparticles for biomedical uses, such as various chips, drug or gene delivery and tracking, imaging, ultrasound therapy, and diagnostics, may also pose an increased cardiovascular risk for consumers as well.”–In this study, researchers exposed cultured laboratory mouse cells resembling the arterial wall cells to NPs of silicon dioxide and investigated the effects. SiO2 NPs are toxic to and have significant adverse effects on macrophages. a type of white blood cell that take up lipids, leading to atherosclerotic lesion development and its consequent cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke. Macrophages accumulation in the arterial wall under atherogenic conditions such as high cholesterol, triglycerides, oxidative stress — are converted into lipids, or laden “foam cells” which, in turn, accelerate atherosclerosis development.–“Macrophage foam cells accumulation in the arterial wall are a key cell type in the development of atherosclerosis, which is an inflammatory disease” says co-author Dr. Lauren Petrick. “The aims of our study were to gain additional insight into the cardiovascular risk associated with silicon dioxide nanoparticle exposure and discover the mechanisms behind Si02’s induced atherogenic effects on macrophages. We also wanted to use nanoparticles as a model for ultrafine particle (UFP) exposure as cardiovascular disease risk factors.”–Both NPs and UFPs can be inhaled and induce negative biological effects. However, until this study, their effect on the development of atherosclerosis has been largely unknown. Here, researchers have discovered for the first time that the toxicity of silicon dioxide nanoparticles has a “significant and substantial effect on the accumulation of triglycerides in the macrophages,” at all exposure concentrations analyzed, and that they also “increase oxidative stress and toxicity.”–A recent update from the American Heart Association also suggested that “fine particles” in air pollution leads to elevated risk for cardiovascular diseases. However, more research was needed to examine the role of “ultrafine particles” (which are much smaller than “fine particles”) on atherosclerosis development and cardiovascular risk.–“The number of nano-based consumer products has risen a thousand fold in recent years, with an estimated world market of $3 trillion by the year 2020,” conclude the researchers. “This reality leads to increased human exposure and interaction of silica-based nanoparticles with biological systems. Because our research demonstrates a clear cardiovascular health risk associated with this trend, steps need to be taken to help ensure that potential health and environmental hazards are being addressed at the same time as the nanotechnology is being developed.Story Source-The above story is based on materials provided by American Technion Society. The original article was written by Kevin Hattori. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.Journal Reference-Lauren Petrick, Mira Rosenblat, Nicole Paland, Michael Aviram. Silicon dioxide nanoparticles increase macrophage atherogenicity: Stimulation of cellular cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and triglycerides accumulation. Environmental Toxicology, 2014; DOI: 10.1002/tox.22084
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Membrane-Embedded Nanoparticles Induce Lipid Rearrangements Similar to Those Exhibited by Biological Membrane Proteins
Abstract
Amphiphilic monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles (NPs) have recently been shown to spontaneously fuse with lipid bilayers under typical physiological conditions. The final configuration of these NPs after fusion is proposed to be a bilayer-spanning configuration resembling transmembrane proteins. In this work, we use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to explore the rearrangement of the surrounding lipid bilayer after NP insertion as a function of particle size and monolayer composition. All NPs studied induce local bilayer thinning and a commensurate decrease in local lipid tail order. Bilayer thickness changes of similar magnitude have been shown to drive protein aggregation, implying that NPs may also experience a membrane-mediated attraction. Unlike most membrane proteins, the exposed surface of the NP has a high charge density that causes electrostatic interactions to condense and reorient nearby lipid head groups. The decrease in tail order also leads to an increased likelihood of lipid tails spontaneously protruding toward solvent, a behavior related to the kinetic pathway for both NP insertion and vesicle–vesicle fusion. Finally, our results show that NPs can even extract lipids from the surrounding bilayer to preferentially intercalate within the exposed monolayer.[F1] These drastic lipid rearrangements are similar to the lipid mixing encouraged by fusion peptides, potentially allowing these NPs to be tuned to perform a similar biological function. This work complements previous studies on the NP–bilayer fusion mechanism by detailing the response of the bilayer to an embedded NP and suggests guidelines for the design of nanoparticles that induce controllable lipid rearrangements.
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Effects of Nanoparticle Charge and Shape Anisotropy on Translocation through Cell Membranes
Nanotoxicity is becoming a major concern as the use of nanoparticles in imaging, therapeutics, diagnostics, catalysis, sensing, and energy harvesting continues to grow dramatically. The tunable functionalities of the nanoparticles offer unique chemical interactions in the translocation process through cell membranes. The overall translocation rate of the nanoparticle can vary immensely on the basis of the charge of the surface functionalization along with shape and size. Using advanced molecular dynamics simulation techniques, we compute translocation rate constants of functionalized cone-, cube-, rod-, rice-, pyramid-, and sphere-shaped nanoparticles through lipid membranes. The computed results indicate that depending on the nanoparticle shape and surface functionalization charge, the translocation rates can span 60 orders of magnitude. Unlike isotropic nanoparticles, positively charged, faceted, rice-shaped nanoparticles undergo electrostatics-driven reorientation in the vicinity of the membrane to maximize their contact area and translocate instantaneously, disrupting lipid self-assembly and thereby causing significant membrane damage. In contrast, negatively charged nanoparticles are electrostatically repelled from the cell membrane and are less likely to translocate.[F2] Differences in translocation rates among various shapes may have implications on the structural evolution of pathogens from spherical to rodlike morphologies for enhanced efficacy.
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Could gut microbes help treat brain disorders? Mounting research tightens their connection with the brain
Date:
January 8, 2015
Source:
Kavli Foundation
The trillions of microbes that inhabit the human body, collectively called the microbiome, are estimated to weigh two to six pounds — up to twice the weight of the average human brain. Most of them live in the gut and intestines, where they help us to digest food, synthesize vitamins and ward off infection. But recent research on the microbiome has shown that its influence extends far beyond the gut, all the way to the brain.–Over the past 10 years, studies have linked the gut microbiome to a range of complex behaviors, such as mood and emotion, and appetite and satiety. Not only does the gut microbiome appear to help maintain brain function but it may also influence the risk of psychiatric and neurological disorders, including anxiety, depression and autism[F3].—Three researchers at the forefront of this emerging field recently discussed the microbiome-brain connection with The Kavli Foundation.–“The big question right now is how the microbiome exerts its effects on the brain,” said Christopher Lowry, Associate Professor of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Lowry is studying whether beneficial microbes can be used to treat or prevent stress-related psychiatric conditions, including anxiety and depression.–One surprising way in which the microbiome influences the brain is during development. Tracy Bale, Professor of Neuroscience at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and her team have found that the microbiome in mice is sensitive to stress and that stress-induced changes to a mother’s microbiome are passed on to her baby and alter the way her baby’s brain develops.–“There are key developmental windows when the brain is more vulnerable because it’s setting itself up to respond to the world around it,” said Bale, who has done pioneering research into the effects of maternal stress on the brain. “So, if mom’s microbial ecosystem changes — due to infection, stress or diet, for example — her newborn’s gut microbiome will change too, and that can have a lifetime effect.”—Sarkis Mazmanian, Louis & Nelly Soux Professor of Microbiology at the California Institute of Technology, is exploring the link between gut bacteria, gastrointestinal disease and autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder. He has discovered that the gut microbiome communicates with the brain via molecules that are produced by gut bacteria and then enter the bloodstream. These metabolites are powerful enough to change the behavior of mice.
“We’ve shown, for example, that a metabolite produced by gut bacteria is sufficient to cause behavioral abnormalities associated with autism and with anxiety when it is injected into otherwise healthy mice,” said Mazmanian.—The work of these three researchers raises the possibility that brain disorders, including anxiety, depression and autism, may be treated through the gut, which is a much easier target for drug delivery than the brain. But there is still much more research to be done to understand the gut-microbiome-brain connection, they said.—Mazmanian’s lab is also exploring whether the microbiome plays a role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”There are flash bulbs going off in the dark, suggesting that very complex neurodegenerative disorders may be linked to the microbiome. But once again this is very speculative. These seminal findings, the flash bulbs, are only just beginning to illuminate our vision of the gut-microbiome-brain connection,” said Mazmanian.–Story Source-The above story is based on materials provided by Kavli Foundation. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
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Research linking autism symptoms to gut microbes called ‘groundbreaking’
Date:
December 19, 2013
Source:
University of Colorado at Boulder
A new study showing that feeding mice a beneficial type of bacteria can ameliorate autism-like symptoms is “groundbreaking,” according to University of Colorado Boulder Professor Rob Knight, who co-authored a commentary piece about the research appearing in the current issue of the journal Cell.-The autism study, published today in the same issue of Cell, strengthens the recent scientific understanding that the microbes that live in your gut may affect what goes on in your brain. It is also the first to show that a specific probiotic may be capable of reversing autism-like behaviors in mice.–“The broader potential of this research is obviously an analogous probiotic that could treat subsets of individuals with autism spectrum disorder,” wrote the commentary authors, who also included CU-Boulder Research Associate Dorota Porazinska and doctoral student Sophie Weiss.–The study underscores the importance of the work being undertaken by the newly formed Autism Microbiome Consortium, which includes Knight as well as commentary co-authors Jack Gilbert of the University of Chicago and Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown of Arizona State University. The interdisciplinary consortium — which taps experts in a range of disciplines from psychology to epidemiology — is investigating the autism-gut microbiome link.
For the new Cell study, led by Elaine Hsiao of the California Institute of Technology, the researchers used a technique called maternal immune activation in pregnant mice to induce autism-like behavior and neurology in their offspring. The researchers found that the gut microbial community of the offspring differed markedly compared with a control group of mice. When the mice with autism-like symptoms were fed Bacteriodes fragilis,[F4] a microbe known to bolster the immune system, the aberrant behaviors were reduced.–Scientific evidence is mounting that the trillions of microbes that call the human body home can influence our gut-linked health, affecting our risk of obesity, diabetes and colon cancer, for example. But more recently, researchers are discovering that gut microbes also may affect neurology — possibly impacting a person’s cognition, emotions and mental health, said Knight, also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Early Career Scientist and an investigator at CU-Boulder’s BioFrontiers Institute.–The Autism Microbiome Consortium hopes to broaden this understanding by further studying the microbial community of autistic people, who tend to suffer from more gastrointestinal problems than the general public.-People with autism spectrum disorder who would like to have their gut microbes sequenced can do so now through the American Gut Project, a crowdfunded research effort led by Knight.-The consortium also includes Catherine Lozupone and Kimberly Johnson of CU-Boulder, James Adams of Arizona State University, Mady Hornig of Columbia University, Sarkis Mazmanian of the California Institute of Technology, John Alverdy of the University of Chicago and Janet Jansson of Lawrence Berkeley Lab.-Story Source-The above story is based on materials provided by University of Colorado at Boulder. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.-Journal Reference-Jack A. Gilbert, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, Dorota L. Porazinska, Sophie J. Weiss, Rob Knight. Toward Effective Probiotics for Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Cell, 2013; 155 (7): 1446 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.11.035
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Bacteria in the gut of autistic children different from non-autistic children
Date:
January 11, 2012
Source:
American Society for Microbiology
The underlying reason autism is often associated with gastrointestinal problems is an unknown, but new results to be published in the online journal mBio® on January 10 reveal that the guts of autistic children differ from other children in at least one important way: many children with autism harbor a type of bacteria in their guts that non-autistic children do not. -The study was conducted by Brent Williams and colleagues at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.–Earlier work has revealed that autistic individuals with gastrointestinal symptoms often exhibit inflammation and other abnormalities in their upper and lower intestinal tracts. However, scientists do not know what causes the inflammation or how the condition relates to the developmental disorders that characterize autism. The research results appearing in mBio® indicate the communities of microorganisms that reside in the gut of autistic children with gastrointestinal problems are different than the communities of non-autistic children. Whether or not these differences are a cause or effect of autism remains to be seen.–“The relationship between different microorganisms and the host and the outcomes for disease and development is an exciting issue,” says Christine A. Biron, the Brintzenhoff Professor of Medical Science at Brown University and editor of the study. “This paper is important because it starts to advance the question of how the resident microbes interact with a disorder that is poorly understood.”–Bacteria belonging to the group Sutterella represented a relatively large proportion of the microorganisms found in 12 of 23 tissue samples from the guts of autistic children, but these organisms were not detected in any samples from non-autistic children. Why this organism is present only in autistic kids with gastrointestinal problems and not in unaffected kids is unclear.-“Sutterella has been associated with gastrointestinal diseases below the diaphragm, and whether it’s a pathogen or not is still not clear,” explains Jorge Benach, Chairman of the Department of Microbiology at Stony Brook University and a reviewer of the report. “It is not a very well-known bacterium.”–In children with autism, digestive problems can be quite serious and can contribute to behavioral problems, making it difficult for doctors and therapists to help their patients. Autism, itself, is poorly understood, but the frequent linkage between this set of developmental disorders and problems in the gut is even less so.–Benach says the study was uniquely powerful because they used tissue samples from the guts of patients. “Most work that has been done linking the gut microbiome with autism has been done with stool samples,” says Benach, but the microorganisms shed in stool don’t necessarily represent the microbes that line the intestinal wall.[F5] “What may show up in a stool sample may be different from what is directly attached to the tissue,” he says.–Tissue biopsy samples require surgery to acquire and represent a difficult process for the patient[F6], facts that underscore the seriousness of the gastrointestinal problems many autistic children and their families must cope with.–Benach emphasizes that the study is statistically powerful, but future work is needed to determine what role Sutterella plays, if any, in the problems in the gut. “It is an observation that needs to be followed through,” says Benach.—Story Source-The above story is based on materials provided by American Society for Microbiology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
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[F1]This is how the nanoparticles can accumalte by integrating with cells fats 000using proteins or sugars in the body to align and replicate in the system
[F2]Interesting —negative charge would repel NP from fats
[F3]Would come from glyphosate poisoning due to the way it removes all healthy bacteria from the colon and protects all the negative—without the health bacteria in place any foreign metal—biofilm could then by pass the blood brain barrier and cause imbalances not to mention digestive disorders as well
[F4]Anaerobic bacteria remain an important cause of bloodstream infections and account for 1–17% of positive blood cultures. This review summarizes the epidemiology, microbiology, predisposing conditions, and treatment of anaerobic bacteremia (AB) in newborns, children, adults and in patients undergoing dental procedures. The majority of AB are due to Gram-negative bacilli, mostly Bacteroides fragilis group. The other species causing AB include Peptostreptococcus, Clostridium spp., and Fusobacterium spp. Many of these infections are polymicrobial. AB in newborns is associated with prolonged labor, premature rupture of membranes, maternal amnionitis, prematurity, fetal distress, and respiratory difficulty. The predisposing conditions in children include: chronic debilitating disorders such as malignant neoplasm, hematologic abnormalities, immunodeficiencies, chronic renal insufficiency, or decubitus ulcers and carried a poor prognosis. Predisposing factors to AB in adults include malignant neoplasms, hematologic disorders, transplantation of organs, recent gastrointestinal or obstetric gynecologic surgery, intestinal obstruction, diabetes mellitus, post-splenectomy, use of cytotoxic agents or corticosteroids, and an undrained abscess. Early recognition and appropriate treatment of these infections are of great clinical importance.
[F5]And when you consider nanoparticles and there disruptive role on cellular functions and genetics with the disrupting of gene programming and glyphosates which flush out healthy bacteria and protect the negative —these are factors that will not show up with conventional testing—we are dealing with this on a nanoscale —
[F6]The tissue samples would be required in order to see what is actually in the lining of the intestines—with the current scopes today they cannot access the information
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HOME
Show of the Month January 17 2015
Morgellons Fibers in the Water Supply
DTE & Consumers Energy Smart Meters
Little or no benefit from nutrient additions to vitamin waters and energy drinks
Potassium salts aid bone health, limit osteoporosis risk
Consumption of ‘good salt’ can reduce population blood pressure levels, research finds
Doctor who treats poor out of his car threatened with losing his license
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Morgellons Fibers in the Water Supply
‘Fungihomeworld’ found that local New Jersey tapwater is riddled with fibers. He studied and changed the water filters numerous times going though Brita, Pur and Burkey purification systems. Fibers show up in all them after a short time. On a quest for clean drinking water, he began testing bottled water, then bottled distilled water—only to find a lot of ‘debris’ (fibers and other gunk) in them. He purchased a home water distiller which was better, but not great. Fibers were riding their way through the steam. He then switched to a 1 micron water filtration system and found it totally lacking.–At last he has found a system he is satisfied with. Not perfect, but close. See update, bottom
Above and Below: Residue of gunk left in the distiller after boiling.
Update Homeworld July 14, 2011:
the countertop reverse osmosis filtration system arrived today.
it came with a two gallon US made non BPA plastic water tank.
AND a TDS [total dissolved solids] meter.-..hooked it up…everything is snug..no leaks…[!]…filtered and stashed 8 gallons of water..-testing: tap water measures about 300 ppm (parts per million) with the TDS meter.-interestingly…the water from the $150 “five stage filter” [“crystal quest”]-i’ve been using measures…300 ppm…exactly the same as the tap water. The “filtered water” looks as full of crap as the tap water. That’s not a filter. It’s an expensive paperweight.–
The output water from the reverse osmosis filter measures about 15 ppm. A reduction in particles of whatever sort in the tapwater from 300 to 15…that’s 95 percent reduction.-Unfortunately…there are still a few particles and fibers getting through…but not very many.-…it’s really annoying to take a “pure” water sample from the triple filter reverse osmosis system..a sample thats reading a low 14-15 ppm impurities on the TDS meter..and stare at those damn translucent fibers…mostly barely visible..up to 5-7 mm long….run the gauntlet of THREE filters? The fibers are just plain evil—There is confirmation that the particulates are being reduced by 95 percent..-The concept means that the infectious particles are being reduced by 95 percent…and Possibly–the micro fibers are being reduced by 95%. This reduction allows the body defenses to deal with the 5% that might be getting thru.. –The write up stated that the output of the filter system was as advertised..[rated at 100 gallon per day approx. a gallon every 15 minutes…and it did just that.–Advertised reduction in contaminants was 93-95 percent range..and so it was…verified with the TDS meter.–
…water tastes good too…** it seems that the KDF filter [prefilter] does a lot to control bacteria/ algal growth…the copper /zinc mojo screws with life support of the bacteria and algae.The KDF filter is ahead /in front of the reverse osmosis filter..so whatever ionic magic is happening in the KDF filter water is moved toward the reverse osmosis filter..the reverse osmosis filter should have some antibacterial benefit of the KDF filter output.
..in addition, the reverse osmosis filter is constantly being washed..that is where the waste water is coming from..the reverse osmosis membrane discharge /”brine.” The whole point of the discharge water is to keep the membrane clean.
It would seem to be a very challenging place for microbes to make a home. Between the copper/zinc ions and the constant water flushing, the bacteria/algae should be kept under control.
water filter
Note from Ayla:
I have purchased this unit for my apartment. Originally, I ordered it with the “pre-filter” which was supposed to save the life of one of the filters and end up being more cost effective. This was a big mistake. The pre-filter does not work well, clogs up with dirt and grime very quickly and needs to be replaced extremely often, making it much more expensive than replacing the cylinder. When I pulled the prefilter off the machine, it became less of an expense, and was less time-consuming to run. I suggest you stay away from the pre-filter.
* a few links for info about the filters:
http://pure-earth.com/pro.html
http://www.waterfilters.net/Omnipure-K2567-BB-KDF-Inline-Water-Filter.html
http://www.filterwater.com/asp/kdf-filters.asp
pure-earth.com/pro.htmlhttp://www.home-water-purifiers-and-filters.com/kdf-filter.php
and yes..300 ppm is 300 parts per million…measuring particles…ions, actually..since they are the electrical charge carriers in the water.
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DTE & Consumers Energy Smart Meters
Harm Your Health
Harm the Environment
Collect Data You Might Prefer Be Kept Private
Will Raise Your Electric Rates
If you have received a threatening letter from DTE that implies your service will be shut off, read our How to Respond page and contact us. These letters are not official notices. They are a ploy by DTE to raise fear.
Our appeal of the DTE opt-out program was heard by the Michigan Court of Appeals on Tuesday, January 13 in Lansing. Read more on our DTE Opt-Out page.
Gripping testimony of health problems at the Michigan Smart Meter Hearings. Nearly 100 people testifying about the effects on their health. Watch the videos (Part 1 and Part 2).
Many people in Michigan are experiencing severe symptoms and health effects from DTE and Consumers Energy smart meters and their radio-off opt-out meters. (DTE calls smart meters advanced meters and uses descriptions like advanced metering technology in an effort to avoid the negative publicity associated with smart meters.) Smart meters and DTE’s radio-off opt-out meter have a dramatic impact on health because of the pulsed waves they emit, both radiofrequency (wireless) waves and what is commonly called dirty electricity. For some people, this impact is immediately apparent in the form of insomnia, tinnitus, memory problems, and many other health issues. For others, the health effects come down the road. Thousands of independent, non–industry-funded scientific studies (for example, Bioinitiative Report; Forty Scientists) have shown that the electromagnetic frequencies emitted by smart and digital meters cause severe health problems, including cancer, ADD, and the breaching of the blood-brain barrier. Read our health page for more information. For an excellent video, mp3, and Powerpoint presentation on how smart meters work, why what the utility industry tells you shades the truth, and how radiofrequency (RF) emissions affect health, click here.
Very importantly, DTE’s opt-out meter will not protect your health! Click here to learn about the dirty electricity that both smart meters and digital meters generate. Learn what to do about it, by clicking here and here. Consumers Energy is currently allowing residential customers to keep their current meter. However, it is unlikely that this will continue. Click here to learn more.
Privacy
Governmental agencies, law firms, corporations, and other mainstream and nonprofit groups recognize the far-reaching privacy implications of smart meters and the radio-off opt-out meter. Because they gather usage data in such a fine-grained manner (up to every 15 seconds), they are capable of tracking when you are home and the appliances you use and when you use them. This data can be sold to third parties, with mind-boggling consequences. The European Union has issued a stunning report on the far-reaching implications of this. Smart meter data has also been used by law enforcement in an attempt to catch criminals—unfortunately, the usage patterns of law-abiding individuals can be the same as those of law-breakers, with the result that police have broken into the homes of law-abiding citizens. See our Privacy page for more information.
Costs
Your utility bills will go up. The utilities have made it clear that advanced (smart) meters will be used to bill time-of-use rates, which means you will pay more when demand is highest. Consumers Digest says: “Smart-meter conversion represents little more than a boondoggle that is being foisted on consumers by the politically influential companies that make the hardware and software that are required for the smart-meter conversion.” The former CEO of the Illinois utility ComEd agrees, as do the governors and attorney generals of a variety of states, including our own. See our Costs page for more information.
Who We Are
The Smart Meter Education Network is a group of citizens who have come together to educate the community, work for legislation, and take legal and other action that will protect all citizens, especially children, the elderly, and the chronically ill. Smart meters affect all of us, and will affect our children and our planet for decades to come unless we take action now.
People come to this issue for many different reasons—health impacts, environmental impacts, privacy issues, cyber-security, costs. Whatever your particular concerns, we welcome you to our community and hope that you will join us in our effort to preserve the health of our children, ourselves, and our environment. Click the links on the sidebars to learn more.
The Smart Meter Education Network is a non-partisan group dedicated to
educating citizens, legislators and activists about
the health and environmental impacts of smart and digital meters
the privacy, hacking and other concerns relating to such technology
ensuring that customers have the right to have an analog meter on their home or business
supporting meaningful legislation that will address these concerns
taking legal and community action to preserve health, privacy, and the environment
promoting safe alternatives to smart meters and AMI technology
All of these actions require money and volunteer effort. Please donate!! Your health is worth it. Call or email us to volunteer. See our What You Can Do page for more information on actions you can take.
—Stay Up to Date
Stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter (it comes out every 1 to 4 weeks). We constantly update our website, so check back often. You can find time-sensitive actions to take under our “Take Action Now” tab. We also use Facebook to send out quick news updates. (While we understand the privacy concerns with Facebook, at this point in time it is a useful tool for us, and is a great way to spread the word about smart meters. If you only wish to use Facebook for access to our updates, you can get an account without revealing personal information—it’s all in what you choose to share, and you can give them any name or birth date you like.)
Our newsletter comes out every 1 to 4 weeks. It will keep you informed and tell you what actions you can take to fight smart meters. Note that most email programs will filter out our newsletter unless you adjust your email settings. Even though you may receive individual emails from us, when we send the newsletter out to a large group, the emails may be placed in a folder other than your inbox. This happened to us! We weren’t even getting our own newsletter. Then we did for a while, but suddenly gmail started putting it in our Spam folder again. Please make sure you look for emails from [email protected] gmail. com in your Promotions, Junk, or other folders. Please contact your email provider to learn how to adjust your settings, or search on the internet.
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Little or no benefit from nutrient additions to vitamin waters and energy drinks
Date-January 12, 2015
Source-Canadian Science Publishing (NRC Research Press)
A new study by researchers working at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University investigated the nutritional benefits of novel beverages (vitamin waters, energy drinks, and novel juices) sold in Canadian supermarkets by assessing their micronutrient compositions. The findings were published today in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.–According to the study novel beverages sold in Canadian supermarkets revealed extensive nutrient enrichment. On-package marketing highlighted nutritional attributes such as immune support and antioxidant properties, and some made claims related to specific nutrients. In addition, nutrients were often juxtaposed with messages related to performance and emotional well-being, benefits that are questionable.–The study found extensive micronutrient additions at levels often well in excess of nutrient requirements. The most commonly found nutrients were vitamins B6, B12, C and niacin. With the exception of vitamin of C, young Canadian adults — the likely target group for these products — are already consuming enough of these nutrients to meet their needs. [F1]Naomi Dachner, a researcher in Nutritional Science as the University of Toronto said, “While our findings suggest that consumers stand to reap little or no benefit from the nutrient additions in novel beverages, most products were being marketed as if they provided a unique benefit to the consumer through the nutrient additions.”–After novel beverages began being regulated as foods instead of Natural Health Products, their labels changed to meet food labeling requirements, but there was relatively little change in their nutrient composition or marketing. [F2]Dachner explained, “Most of the nutrients permitted for addition are allowable at levels well above nutrient requirements, and, the new guidance is not designed to steer manufacturers towards the addition of nutrients that would address existing nutrient inadequacies in the population.”–“Novel beverages are now required to display Nutrition Facts tables which may facilitate comparisons between products, but this information will not enable consumers to differentiate potentially beneficial nutrient additions from others.”[F3]–The study raises questions about what measures need to be taken to ensure that consumers of novel beverages are not misled or exposed to unnecessarily high nutrient loads with no potential benefit.Story Source–The above story is based on materials provided by Canadian Science Publishing (NRC Research Press). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.-Journal Reference-Naomi Dachner, Rena Mendelson, Jocelyn Sacco, Valerie Tarasuk. An examination of the nutrient content and on-package marketing of novel beverages. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2015; 1 DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2014-0252
[F1]Now Look at this statement and see through the smoke screen here to meet ones needs is as blatantly unscientific as some of the other things it is making a claim to and would make one think they are getting something in today’s food supply which we know is not the case —and a need is not necessary an adequate or right amount
[F2]Which has little to do with anything other then the fact they are listing what is in the product which is not bad but they are making it to be —something negative because it is implying something healthy
[F3]Again an attack on nutritionally based foods—they are not saying anything here other then they do not like the fact that the nutritional value is being exposed and they do not like the levels because they are high meaning they will have benefit—no one has suffered from to much vitamins and yet here they are putting the fear of BS in the report
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Potassium salts aid bone health, limit osteoporosis risk
Date-January 14, 2015
Source-University of Surrey
Latest research from the University of Surrey has found that the potassium salts (bicarbonate and citrate) plentiful in fruit and vegetables, play an important part in improving bone health. For the first time, the results also showed that these potassium salts reduce bone resorption, the process by which bone is broken down, therefore increasing their strength.[F1]–The study, published in the journal Osteoporosis International, also revealed that high intake of potassium salts significantly reduces the excretion of calcium and acid in urine.–“This means that excess acid is neutralized and bone mineral is preserved,” said lead author Dr Helen Lambert from the University of Surrey.–“Excess acid in the body, produced as a result of a typical Western diet high in animal and cereal protein, causes bones to weaken and fracture. Our study shows that these salts could prevent osteoporosis, as our results showed a decrease in bone resorption.”–Although bone resorption and bone formation is a natural process, allowing bones to grow, heal and adapt, in osteoporosis, the balance is shifted so that more bone is broken down than is built up, leading to fragility and fractures.–The debilitating disease affects almost three million people in the UK. One in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 will break a bone because of poor bone health.–This study shows that eating more fruits and vegetables could be a way to improve the strength of our bones and prevent osteoporosis.-Story Source-The above story is based on materials provided by University of Surrey. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.-Journal Reference-Helen Lambert, Lynda Frassetto, J. Bernadette Moore, David Torgerson, Richard Gannon , Peter Burckhardt and Susan Lanham-New. The effect of supplementation with alkaline potassium salts on bone metabolism: a meta-analysis. Osteoporosis International, January 2015 DOI: 10.1007/s00198-014-3006-9
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Consumption of ‘good salt’ can reduce population blood pressure levels, research finds
Date-September 15, 2010
Source-Wageningen University and Research Centre
An increased intake of ‘good’ potassium salts could contribute significantly to improving blood pressure at the population level, according to new research. The favourable effect brought about by potassium is even estimated to be comparable with the blood pressure reduction achievable by halving the intake of ‘bad’ sodium salts (mostly from table salt).-Those are the conclusions drawn by Linda van Mierlo and her colleagues at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR, and Unilever in their investigation of the consumption of potassium in 21 countries. An article describing their findings appears in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.-The risk of developing cardiovascular diseases rises as blood pressure increases. In Western countries only 20-30% of the population has ‘optimal’ blood pressure, with the systolic (maximum) pressure being lower than 120 mm Hg and the diastolic (minimum) pressure lower than 80 mm Hg. Blood pressure increases with age in most people. Men more often have a higher blood pressure than women.-Diet and lifestyle plays an important role in managing blood pressure. High intakes of sodium and low intakes of potassium have unfavorable effects on blood pressure. Therefore, reducing the consumption of sodium and increasing the consumption of potassium are both good ways to improve blood pressure.-The study carried out by food researchers from the Human Nutrition department at Wageningen University and from the Nutrition & Health department at Unilever demonstrates that the average potassium intake in 21 countries including the US, China, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands varies between 1.7 and 3.7 g a day. This is considerably lower than the 4.7 g a day, which has been recommended based on the positive health effects observed at this level of intake.-A hypothetical increase in the potassium intake to the recommended level would reduce the systolic blood pressure in the populations of these countries by between 1.7 and 3.2 mm Hg. This corresponds with the reduction that would occur if Western consumers were to take in 4 g of salt less per day. The intakes of both potassium and sodium are therefore of importance in preventing high blood pressure.–Earlier studies have shown that salt reduction of 3 g per day in food could reduce blood pressure and prevent 2500 deaths per year due to cardiovascular diseases in the Netherlands. In Western countries, salt consumption can be as high as 9-12 g a day whereas 5 g is the recommended amount according to WHO standards. Most household salt is to be found in processed foods such as bread, ready-made meals, soups, sauces and savoury snacks and pizzas. An effective way of increasing potassium intake is to follow the guidelines for healthy nutrition more closely, including a higher consumption of vegetables and fruit. In addition, the use of mineral salts in processed foods — by which sodium is partly replaced by potassium — would contribute to an improved intake of both sodium and potassium.–Story Source-The above story is based on materials provided by Wageningen University and Research Centre. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.–Journal Reference-Linda A. J. van Mierlo; Arno Greyling; Peter L. Zock; Frans J. Kok; Johanna M. Geleijnse. Suboptimal Potassium Intake and Potential Impact on Population Blood Pressure. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2010; 170 (16): 1501-1502 DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.284
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Doctor who treats poor out of his car threatened with losing his license
Dr. Carrol Frazier Landrum is revered as a hero and lifesaver among his poverty-stricken patients whom he travels to in the town of Edwards. Despite that, he’s under threat for losing his license apparently because of the way he delivers help.
BY Nina Golgowski
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Friday, January 16, 2015, 4:12 PM
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WBTV Dr. Carrol Frazier Landrum, an 88-year-old doctor in Edwards, Miss., drives to his patients and sees them out of his car. It’s apparently a controversial practice that has placed him under fire by the state’s medical board. –A small-town Mississippi doctor who’s revered as a hero and lifesaver among his poverty-stricken patients says he’s embroiled in a fight to keep his license — apparently not because of the work he does, but where he does it.–Dr. Carrol Frazier Landrum, 88, is a traveling physician, one who carries his practice in his 2007 Toyota Camry because the majority of his Edwards patients — approximately two to three per day — need him to come to them.–“I’ve always had a heart for the poor,” Landrum told The Washington Post this week, while struggling to hold back tears.–“I grew up poor, and when the doctor would come to us, and he was happy to see us, I pictured myself doing that someday. I try not to ever turn people away — money or no money — because that’s where the need is,” he said.–Landrum’s traveling office is a relatively new thing for the 55-year medical veteran who turned to his vehicle about two years ago after his office in a low-income housing complex became too dangerous with rising gang violence, WKBT reported.–WBTV Landrum says he treats two to three patients per day out of his car. The majority of them are described as financially strapped and unable to find medical help elsewhere. –“My patients kept saying, ‘Don’t leave, don’t leave,'” he recalled to the station. “And I started working out of my automobile.”–If not making house calls he pulls into a usual parking lot. There he’ll examine patients, write prescriptions, and if he can’t help them with the equipment he keeps in his car, he refers them to a doctor who can.–But despite his apparent need in the community, with Landrum described as the only practicing physician in town, the state’s Board of Medical Licensure has asked him to surrender his license.–Landrum insists he has done nothing wrong.–WBTV Landrum said he has been asked to hand in his medical license but he plans to fight the state’s medical board once a hearing is scheduled. — Board of Medical Licensure investigation is said to be investigating Landrum’s case.–Its executive director, reached by the Washington Post, declined to publicly address any “complaints” there may be with Landrum until “action is taken by the board.”–Until then, his patients are also defending him.–“I’ve lived (in Edwards) all my life, and Dr. Landrum has always been my doctor,” 62-year-old Leroy Mitchell told the Clarion Ledger. “Edwards is a poor town. Us poor folks cannot afford to drive to Jackson or Vicksburg to go to the doctor. He isn’t out for money. He’s doing this because he truly loves helping us.”
MSNewsNow.com – Jackson, MS –“He’s doing a great service here, really, a great service, because these people can’t afford to go to doctors,” Dan Mashburn told WBTV.–As of Friday an online petition for Landrum to keep his license has pulled in more than 1,200 signatures — several hundred short of a Jan. 17 goal of 2,000.–Those signatures come as far away as Spain, Argentina, Sweden, Norway, Poland, South Africa, and Australia.–But his fate appears to now rest with a yet-to-be scheduled hearing by the board.–“I really am hoping this gets worked out and I can continue helping the people I’ve come to love,” Landrum told the Ledger. “I’m worried about the hearing, but I hope it all works out.”
[F1]This is hilarious they knew this in the 50’s and 60’s and to make this statement is showing a real sign of lagging info from mainstream science—just goes to show where the priorities are–
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Show of the Month January 24 2015
Viruses may play unexpected role in inflammatory bowel diseases
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Viruses may play unexpected role in inflammatory bowel diseases
Date:
January 22, 2015
Source:
Washington University in St. Louis
Inflammatory bowel diseases are associated with a decrease in the diversity of bacteria in the gut, but a new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has linked the same illnesses to an increase in the diversity of viruses.–The scientists found that patients with inflammatory bowel diseases had a greater variety of viruses in their digestive systems than healthy volunteers, suggesting viruses likely play a role in the diseases.–The research appears online Jan. 22 in Cell and in the journal’s print edition on Jan. 29.–Scientists only recently started recognizing the role of the microbiome — the bacteria in and on the body, and the bacteria’s genes — in illness. For example, changes in the gut microbiome have been linked to obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases[F1].–The new research is the first to associate disease with changes in the virome, or the viruses in the human body and their genes. According to the researchers, the results raise the possibility that viruses may have unrecognized roles in obesity and diabetes and the two most common inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.–The findings suggest that scientists should be studying the virome as closely as the microbiome, said senior author Herbert W. Virgin IV, MD, PhD.–“This is the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “A significant portion of the viral DNA we identified in these patients is unfamiliar to us — it comes from newly identified viruses we don’t know much about[F2]. We have a great deal of groundwork to do, including sequencing the genetic material of these viruses and learning how they interact with the gut and gut bacteria, before we can determine if changes in the virome cause these conditions or result from them.”-The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that inflammatory bowel diseases affect about 1 million people in the United States. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are thought to involve misdirected immune attacks on gut tissue and can lead to weight loss, bleeding in the gut and rectum, and loss of appetite. Surgery to remove part of the bowel is often necessary to treat Crohn’s disease.–Virgin and his colleagues studied three groups of patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis living in Chicago, Boston and the United Kingdom. In each group, they compared viral DNA purified from the feces of participants with viral DNA from the feces of healthy people living in the same areas and, in some cases, the same homes.–“Much of the increased viral diversity in participants with inflammatory bowel diseases was in the form of bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect bacteria and can incorporate themselves into the bacteria’s genetic material[F3],” said Virgin, the Edward Mallinckrodt Professor of Pathology and head of the Department of Pathology and Immunology.–Changes in the gut that eliminate bacteria in inflammatory bowel diseases may unleash bacteriophages in the dying bacteria, Virgin speculated. Or the introduction of a new bacteriophage to the gut, perhaps through the foods in a person’s diet, may trigger a reaction in the digestive system or the microbiome that causes the disorders[F4], he said. It’s also possible that a combination of these mechanisms may contribute.–To develop better treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases, scientists need to learn more about how the gut microbiome and the gut virome interact with a patient’s genes[F5].–“We know that mutations in human genes affect the risk of inflammatory bowel diseases, and scientists also are exploring how bacterial genes may influence risk,” Virgin said. “Our results show that the virome’s potential effects on the gut also need to be a part of these investigations.”–The researchers are developing an animal model of inflammatory bowel diseases to make it possible to determine whether human, bacterial or viral genes, or some mixture of all three, are driving these illnesses.—-Story Source-The above story is based on materials provided by Washington University in St. Louis. The original article was written by Michael C. Purdy. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.–Journal Reference-Jason M. Norman, Scott A. Handley, Megan T. Baldridge, Lindsay Droit, Catherine Y. Liu, Brian C. Keller, Amal Kambal, Cynthia L. Monaco, Guoyan Zhao, Phillip Fleshner, Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck, Dermot P.B. McGovern, Ali Keshavarzian, Ece A. Mutlu, Jenny Sauk, Dirk Gevers, Ramnik J. Xavier, David Wang, Miles Parkes, Herbert W. Virgin. Disease-Specific Alterations in the Enteric Virome in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Cell, 2015; DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.01.002