Day: 02/16/2014

BMJ investigation exposes Big Pharma as conspirator in WHO pandemic flu scam.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) is the subject of a new investigation aimed at uncovering what really took place during the 2009 global influenza pandemic, which led to tens of millions of people being vaccinated for so-called “swine flu.” A joint investigation by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) has already uncovered major conflicts of interest at WHO, whereby vaccine companies profited heavily from the pandemic and the mass hysteria that it generated.

The investigation is focused specifically on the emergency advisory committee that was assigned to make official recommendations to WHO about how to plan for the pandemic, which was fraught with controversy from the start. Comprising this advisory panel were individuals highly connected to pharmaceutical companies, say BMJ and BIJ, many of whom had a vested financial interest in promoting antiviral drugs and influenza vaccines, which have been linked to causing narcolepsy and other disorders.

Big Pharma reportedly held a $4 billion stake in developing the swine flu vaccines that WHO would later push on the public through propaganda and fear. And the reason that WHO so readily accepted these drugs as viable responses to the pandemic is because its key advisors, many of whom are still unknown because they were intentionally kept secret, worked on behalf of the vaccine industry to see these drugs thrust into the limelight of the pandemic-planning process.

“Key scientists advising the World Health Organization on planning for an influenza pandemic had done paid work for pharmaceutical firms that stood to gain from the guidance they were preparing,” reads a report on the joint investigation. “These conflicts of interest have never been publicly disclosed by WHO, and WHO has dismissed inquiries into its handling of the A/H1N1 pandemic as ‘conspiracy theories.'”

Flu pandemic hysteria led to governments purchasing huge stockpiles of drugs, vaccines that were never used

The ultimate goal, of course, was to convince as many governments around the world as possible to purchase large stockpiles of antiviral drugs like oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), and vaccines like Pandemrix, to generate massive profits. Some of these drugs had never even been proven to work, let alone proven safe, and yet they were widely distributed as the emergency “cure” for H1N1.

Both oseltamivir and zanamivir have been around since the late 1990s, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulators really had to stretch the flimsy data that they received on the two drugs from their respective manufacturers in order to approve them. The FDA, it turns out, initially opposed recommending zanamivir, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, during the pandemic, because the data on its safety and efficacy was severely lacking — the agency later changed it’s mind.

“After Dr [Michael] Elashoff’s review (he had access to individual patient data and summary study reports) the FDA’s advisory committee voted by 13 to 4 not to approve zanamivir on the grounds that it was no more effective than placebo when the patients were on other drugs such as paracetamol,” adds the report. “Dr Elashoff’s view was that zanamivir was no better than placebo — and it had side effects.”

The pandemic, as most people now know, ultimately turned out to be a complete flop. Many individuals ended up rejecting both the drugs and the vaccines that were being pushed on them by the government, which means that these taxpayer-purchased drugs and vaccines are now sitting unused and on the verge of expiration in warehouses all across the globe.

You can read a full report of the joint investigation by BMJ and BIJ into WHO corruption during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic by visiting:
http://engineeringevil.com.

Sources for this article include:

http://engineeringevil.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

Misconceptions of science and religion found in new study.

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The public’s view that science and religion can’t work in collaboration is a misconception that stunts progress, according to a new survey of more than 10,000 Americans, scientists and evangelical Protestants. The study by Rice University also found that scientists and the general public are surprisingly similar in their religious practices.

The study, “Religious Understandings of Science (RUS),” was conducted by sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund and presented today in Chicago during the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference. Ecklund is the Autrey Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Religion and Public Life Program.

“We found that nearly 50 percent of evangelicals believe that and can work together and support one another,” Ecklund said. “That’s in contrast to the fact that only 38 percent of Americans feel that science and religion can work in collaboration.”

The study also found that 18 percent of attended weekly religious services, compared with 20 percent of the general U.S. population; 15 percent consider themselves very religious (versus 19 percent of the general U.S. population); 13.5 percent read religious texts weekly (compared with 17 percent of the U.S. population); and 19 percent pray several times a day (versus 26 percent of the U.S. population).

“This is a hopeful message for science policymakers and educators, because the two groups don’t have to approach religion with an attitude of combat,” Ecklund said. “Rather, they should approach it with collaboration in mind.”

Ecklund said that the way the science-religion relationship is portrayed in the news media influences the misperception.

“Most of what you see in the news are stories about these two groups at odds over the controversial issues, like teaching creationism in the schools. And the pundits and news panelists are likely the most strident representatives for each group,” she said. “It might not be as riveting for television, but consider how often you see a news story about these groups doing things for their common good. There is enormous stereotyping about this issue and not very good information.”

Ecklund noted that portions of the two groups are likely to stay put in their oppositional camps. As an example, she found that evangelical Protestants are twice as likely as the general population (11 percent) to consult a religious text or religious leader for questions about science.

Other key findings:

  • Nearly 60 percent of evangelical Protestants and 38 percent of all surveyed believe “scientists should be open to considering miracles in their theories or explanations.”
  • 27 percent of Americans feel that science and religion are in conflict.
  • Of those who feel science and religion are in conflict, 52 percent sided with religion.
  • 48 percent of evangelicals believe that science and religion can work in collaboration.
  • 22 percent of scientists think most religious people are hostile to science.
  • Nearly 20 percent of the general population think religious people are hostile to science.
  • Nearly 22 percent of the general population think scientists are hostile to religion.
  • Nearly 36 percent of scientists have no doubt about God’s existence.

Ecklund found another counterintuitive result in the survey. The conventional wisdom is that who work in science will have more doubts about their faith, but the survey revealed the opposite: Evangelical scientists practice religion more than evangelical Protestants in the .

“Those scientists who identify as evangelical are more religious than regular American evangelicals who are not in science,” Ecklund said.

https://i0.wp.com/cdn.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/2014/misconceptio.jpg

“Evangelical scientists feel that they’ve been put under pressure or they find themselves in what they view to be more hostile environments,” she said. “They potentially see themselves as more religious, because they’re seeing the contrast between the two groups all the time.”

RUS is the largest study of American views on religion and science. It includes the nationally representative survey of more than 10,000 Americans, more than 300 in-depth interviews with Christians, Jews and Muslims—more than 140 of whom are evangelicals—and extensive observations of religious centers in Houston and Chicago.

The study is being provided to the AAAS Dialogue on Science Ethics and Religion program to help foster dialogue between religious groups and scientists.

FDA Approves Vimizim to Treat Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IVA

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Vimizim (elosulfase alfa), the first FDA-approved treatment for Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IVA (Morquio A syndrome). Morquio A syndrome is a rare, autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficiency in N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase (GALNS). Vimizim is intended to replace the missing GALNS enzyme involved in an important metabolic pathway. Absence of this enzyme leads to problems with bone development, growth and mobility. There are approximately 800 patients with Morquio A syndrome in the United States.

Vimizim was granted priority review. An FDA priority review provides for an expedited review of drugs for serious diseases or conditions that may offer major advances in treatment. Vimizim is also the first drug to receive the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher – a provision that aims to encourage development of new drugs and biologics for the prevention and treatment of rare pediatric diseases.

“This approval and rare pediatric disease priority review voucher underscores the agency’s commitment to making treatments available to patients with rare diseases,” said Andrew E. Mulberg, M.D., deputy director, Division of Gastroenterology and Inborn Errors Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). “Prior to today’s approval, patients with this rare disease have had no approved drug treatment options.”

The safety and effectiveness of Vimizim were established in a clinical trial involving 176 participants with Morquio A syndrome, ranging in age from 5 to 57 years. Participants treated with Vimizim showed greater improvement in a 6-minute walk test than participants treated with placebo. On average, patients treated with Vimizim in the trial walked 22.5 meters farther in 6 minutes compared to the patients who received placebo.

The most common side effects in patients treated with Vimizim during clinical trials included fever, vomiting, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, chills and fatigue. The safety and effectiveness of Vimizim have not been established in pediatric patients less than 5 years of age. Vimizim is being approved with a boxed warning to include the risk of anaphylaxis. During clinical trials, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions occurred in some patients during Vimizim infusions.

Vimizim is marketed by Novato, Calif.-based BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

Source: FDA

Are ADHD, Other Mental Disorders Products Of Chemical Exposure? Pesticides And Fluoride Among New Risks.

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Chemical exposure may contribute to an unforeseen number of mental disorder cases, such as ADHD and autism, a new joint study finds.

In a new study published in The Lancet, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have implicated six new chemicals they believe contribute to the development of mental disorders in children, such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and autism.

Coming off the heels of a study conducted by the authors in 2006, where the team identified five “developmental neurotoxicants,” the study now includes manganese, fluoride, chlorpyrifos and DDT (pesticides), tetrachloroethylene (a solvent), and the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardants). These industrial chemicals not only pose threats to mothers and their unborn children, the team argues; they’re capable of leaving serious neurological damage in the form of devastating brain disorders.

The problem, as co-author and adjunct professor of environmental health at HSPH Philippe Grandjean sees it, is twofold: helping people avoid risky environments and encouraging corporations to perform regulatory checks of their products.

“Organic foods are of course useful, and seafood should favor shrimp, salmon, and other species low in the food chain,” Grandjean told Medical Daily. “But many substances appear where the consumer has no way of knowing or detecting them. So this requires a systematic approach and initiatives on a national and international level.”

Grandjean and his co-author, Mount Sinai’s Dean for Global Health, Dr. Philip Landrigan, found certain chemicals linked directly to specific mental disorders. Manganese, while required for many enzymatic reactions in the body, may also appear in overabundance in certain dusty environments and lead to diminished intellectual function and impaired motor skills. Upholding the findings of one 2003 study, solvents were found to have significant ties to aggressive behavior and hyperactivity in children. And certain kinds of pesticides showed links to cognitive delays.

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While light on the specific mechanisms of transmission, the authors make explicit the chemical nature of these disorders. Autism, and ADHD in particular, are often thought of as overdiagnoses, especially as more kids with behavioral challenges seem to “grow out of” their diagnosis. For Grandjean, the social component of mental disorders has at least one surefire corollary.

“Social factors have been blamed for causing problems for kids, but research on lead exposure shows the opposite,” he explained. “Some of the behavioral abnormalities and school problems are more likely due to lead, including part of those that have been attributed to social factors.”

Lead poisoning is especially hazardous for pregnant women, as her unborn child is also at risk. When a mother inhales small quantities of lead, the chemical gathers in the bloodstream and eventually makes its way to the placenta, where it accumulates in the growing fetus’ bones and brain. Grandjean and Landrigan believe this is just one chemical of many, many more that exist in the world and are carelessly exposed to consumers on a regular basis. Together, the chemicals contribute to what the team calls, “a silent pandemic.”

“The problem is international in scope, and the solution must therefore also be international,” said Grandjean in a news release. “We have the methods in place to test industrial chemicals for harmful effects on children’s brain development — now is the time to make that testing mandatory.”

 

Source: The Lancet.

Growing number of chemicals linked with brain disorders in children .

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Toxic chemicals may be triggering the recent increases in neurodevelopmental disabilities among children — such as autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and dyslexia — according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The researchers say a new global prevention strategy to control the use of these substances is urgently needed.

 

The report will be published online February 15, 2014 in Lancet Neurology.

“The greatest concern is the large numbers of children who are affected by toxic damage to brain development in the absence of a formal diagnosis. They suffer reduced attention span, delayed development, and poor school performance. Industrial chemicals are now emerging as likely causes,” said Philippe Grandjean, adjunct professor of environmental health at HSPH.

The report follows up on a similar review conducted by the authors in 2006 that identified five industrial chemicals as “developmental neurotoxicants,” or chemicals that can cause brain deficits. The new study offers updated findings about those chemicals and adds information on six newly recognized ones, including manganese, fluoride, chlorpyrifos and DDT (pesticides), tetrachloroethylene (a solvent), and the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardants).

The study outlines possible links between these newly recognized neurotoxicants and negative health effects on children, including:

  • Manganese is associated with diminished intellectual function and impaired motor skills
  • Solvents are linked to hyperactivity and aggressive behavior
  • Certain types of pesticides may cause cognitive delays

Grandjean and co-author Philip Landrigan, Dean for Global Health at Mount Sinai, also forecast that many more chemicals than the known dozen or so identified as neurotoxicants contribute to a “silent pandemic” of neurobehavioral deficits that is eroding intelligence, disrupting behaviors, and damaging societies. But controlling this pandemic is difficult because of a scarcity of data to guide prevention and the huge amount of proof needed for government regulation. “Very few chemicals have been regulated as a result of developmental neurotoxicity,” they write.

The authors say it’s crucial to control the use of these chemicals to protect children’s brain development worldwide. They propose mandatory testing of industrial chemicals and the formation of a new international clearinghouse to evaluate industrial chemicals for potential developmental neurotoxicity.

“The problem is international in scope, and the solution must therefore also be international,” said Grandjean. “We have the methods in place to test industrial chemicals for harmful effects on children’s brain development — now is the time to make that testing mandatory.”

IBM Labs break data speed record; Internet speed could reach 400Gb/second.

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IBM’s new technology could help boost Internet data speeds to 400 gigabits/second (Gb/s) at extremely low power.

Scientists at IBM claim that they have broken the record for high-speed data transfer which could help boost internet speed up to 400 Gb/s and uses extremely low power.

The Inquirer reports that they have achieved this record using a prototype device.

The same was presented at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) this week in San Francisco.
The report further reveals the device uses an analogue-to-digital conversion (ADC) technology and it could be implemented to tremendously improve the data transfer speeds between clouds and data centres by up to four times than the technology in existence.

IBM stated that the device is really fast—160 GB of data (equivalent to four hours of 4K video or around 40,000 music files) can be downloaded within seconds.

The ADC technology has been developed as part of an international project called Dome, which is collaboration between the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), DOME-South Africa and IBM, to build the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), which will be the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope when it’s completed.

Russian satellite The Kosmos-1220 set to hit earth TOMORROW

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  • The Kosmos-1220 was launched by Russia in 1980 and classified as defunct the same year
  • Russian officials have warned it will re-enter the earth’s atmosphere on Sunday February 16
  • It’s descent is not controlled, so it can potentially land anywhere, experts say
  • It is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean

Space experts have warned there is a ‘very real danger’ associated with a Russian satellite that is due to come crashing back down to earth on Sunday.

Portions of the now-defunct Kosmos-1220 satellite will survive the high-speed re-entry to the planet and make a fiery, uncontrolled descent through the Earth’s atmosphere, Russian officials have confirmed.

Of the utmost concern however is the location where the fragments will land, which remains unknown.

‘As of February 7, 2014 the fragments are expected to fall on February 16,’ Colonel Alexei Zolotukhin told Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

The Kosmos-1220 was launched into by Russia in 1980 and classified as defunct the same year. Russian officials have now warned it will re-enter the earth's atmosphere on Sunday February 16, however officials say they don't know exactly where it will land. This is a stock image

The Kosmos-1220 was launched into by Russia in 1980 and classified as defunct the same year. Russian officials have now warned it will re-enter the earth’s atmosphere on Sunday February 16, however officials say they don’t know exactly where it will land. This is a stock image

‘The exact impact time and location of the fragments from the Kosmos-1220 satellite may change due to external factors.’

The satellite is expected to land somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, which would pose no threat.

However according to Fox News, it could potentially fall anywhere on earth.

In 1978, a different decommissioned Kosmos satellite crashed into an unoccupied part of Canada, spreading radioactive debris and leading to a lengthy clean-up.

Then in 2009, a third Kosmos satellite crashed at over 26,000 miles per hour with a U.S. Iridium telecommunications satellite, sending thousands of bits of space junk into orbit.

Most recently the European Space Agency’s GOCE satellite managed to harmlessly crash into the ocean in November 2013.

The exact size and weight of the Kosmos-1220 satellite is unknown, Ria Novosti reported, adding to the uncertainty of the upcoming event.

The GOCE satellite, which was sometimes referred to as the Ferrari of space because of its design, harmlessly crashed into the ocean in November 2013
The GOCE satellite, which was sometimes referred to as the Ferrari of space because of its design, harmlessly crashed into the ocean in November 2013

‘Much of it will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, but no doubt fragments of Kosmos-1220 will reach Earth,’ David Eicher, editor of Astronomy magazine, told Fox News.

‘What we have going for us is that most of the planet is covered with water, and highly populated areas are in the minority of our planet’s surface area.

‘So it is unlikely that satellite debris will cause injuries or major damage. Still, with such a reentry, we are playing the odds.

‘This is a very real danger, given that a decaying orbit will carry this satellite down onto the planet.’

As of October 2013, more than 800 floating bits of space debris posed a potential threat to the International Space Station, according to NASA.

Of these, 10 percent were spacecraft, either functional or non-operational, a third were rocket bodies, and the remainder were miscellaneous debris, the Orbital Debris Program Office noted in a recent newsletter.

FDA to review heart failure risk associated with saxagliptin.

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The FDA requested additional clinical trial data for saxagliptin due to potential heart failure risks, according to an announcement released today.

  • Concerns arose after data cited an increased rate of hospitalization for heart failure when patients were administeredsaxagliptin (Onglyza/Kombiglyze XR, AstraZeneca) compared with placebo; this data, which the FDA considers “preliminary,” was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in September, according to the release.

Patients in the saxagliptin group were hospitalized for heart failure more than patients in the placebo group (3.5% vs. 2.8%; HR=1.27; 95% CI, 1.07-1.51), according to the published data.

Although the study did not find increased rates of death or other major CV risks, including heart attack or stroke in patients who were administered the type 2 diabetes drug, the FDA has requested that the manufacturer submit trial data to the agency by early March 2014.

The FDA plans to conduct an analysis of the data as a “broader evaluation of all type 2 diabetes drug therapies and cardiovascular risk,” according to the press release.

The agency recommends that health care providers continue to follow prescribing recommendations on the drug label until more information becomes available. Any side effects should be reported to the FDA MedWatch program.

Novel embalming solution for neurosurgical simulation in cadavers Laboratory investigation.

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Surgical simulation using postmortem human heads is one of the most valid strategies for neurosurgical research and training. The authors customized an embalming formula that provides an optimal retraction profile and lifelike physical properties while preventing microorganism growth and brain decay for neurosurgical simulations in cadavers. They studied the properties of the customized formula and compared its use with the standard postmortem processing techniques: cryopreservation and formaldehyde-based embalming.

METHODS

Eighteen specimens were prepared for neurosurgical simulation: 6 formaldehyde embalmed, 6 cryopreserved, and 6 custom embalmed. The customized formula is a mixture of ethanol 62.4%, glycerol 17%, phenol 10.2%, formaldehyde 2.3%, and water 8.1%. After a standard pterional craniotomy, retraction profiles and brain stiffness were studied using an intracranial pressure transducer and monitor. Preservation time—that is, time that tissue remained in optimal condition—between specimen groups was also compared through periodical reports during a 48-hour simulation.

RESULTS

The mean (± standard deviation) retraction pressures were highest in the formaldehyde group and lowest in the cryopreserved group. The customized formula provided a mean retraction pressure almost 3 times lower than formaldehyde (36 ± 3 vs 103 ± 14 mm Hg, p < 0.01) and very similar to cryopreservation (24 ± 6 mm Hg, p < 0.01). For research purposes, preservation time in the cryopreserved group was limited to 4 hours and was unlimited for the customized and formaldehyde groups for the duration of the experiment.

CONCLUSIONS

The customized embalming solution described herein is optimal for allowing retraction and surgical maneuverability while preventing decay. The authors were able to significantly lower the formaldehyde content as compared with that in standard formulas. The custom embalming solution has the benefits from both cryopreservation (for example, biological brain tissue properties) and formaldehyde embalming (for example, preservation time and microorganism growth prevention) and minimizes their drawbacks, that is, rapid decay in the former and stiffness in the latter. The presented embalming formula provides an important advance for neurosurgical simulations in research and teaching.

Fever, Rash, and Renal Failure.

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A 59-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of fever, confusion, rash, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure, 10 days after a hunting trip in the Nevada valley.

The combination of suspected infection, vasculopathy of small or medium-size vessels, thrombocytopenia, myositis, myocarditis, encephalitis, and possible tick exposure is a classic constellation for a tickborne rickettsial disease such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Patients with other tickborne diseases, such as human monocytic ehrlichiosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis, typically present with leukopenia, and rash is uncommon.

Clinical Pearls

– What is the typical presentation of Rocky Mountain spotted fever?

Rickettsia rickettsii, the causative organism for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, has a tropism for endothelial cells. Findings include a maculopapular rash that begins peripherally, often involving the palms and the soles, followed by central spreading. Small-vessel vasculitis leads to hemorrhage from small blood vessels into the skin, a phenomenon manifested by petechial or purpuric lesions. The small-vessel vasculitis in Rocky Mountain spotted fever typically has multisystem involvement and has been associated with myocarditis, myositis, and encephalitis. Adhesion of platelets to injured endothelium leads to the thrombocytopenia classically associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Headache as a presenting symptom is second in frequency to fever in adults with Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The incubation period for Rocky Mountain spotted fever is 5 to 10 days. Despite its name, Rocky Mountain spotted fever is most common in the southeastern and south-central United States.

– What is septic vasculopathy?

Septic vasculopathy is associated with a variety of infections and can be caused by several mechanisms, including direct invasion of endothelial cells by microorganisms, immune-mediated processes, and septic embolic phenomena. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the prototype for direct endothelial invasion. Meningococcal disease is the prototype for immune-mediated small-vessel vasculitis, which results from immune-complex formation, complement activation, and endotoxin effects. Although meningococcal disease can affect all age groups, severe disease is more common in children and young adults, and this patient’s deteriorating condition over a period of several days was slower than the typically rapid decompensation over a period of hours in patients with meningococcal meningitis. Infective endocarditis is the prototype for septic embolic vasculitis, although infective endocarditis can also cause septic vasculopathy through immune-complex formation.

Morning Report Questions

Q: What percentage of patients with infective endocarditis do not have a known cardiac condition?

A: Although we typically think of infective endocarditis as occurring in persons with underlying heart disease, nearly 25% of patients with this disorder do not have any predisposing condition, such as a prosthetic valve or structural heart disease. Furthermore, in nearly 30% of patients with infective endocarditis, a new or worsened murmur cannot be documented on examination.

Q: What are characteristic cutaneous manifestations of infective endocarditis?

A: Janeway’s lesions, frequently found on the palms or soles, are a vascular phenomenon that produces painless spots thought to represent microabscesses from septic emboli. Osler’s nodes, often found on the fingers or toes, are an immunologic phenomenon that produces painful nodules thought to be caused by immune-complex-mediated vasculitis.  Petechiae and splinter hemorrhages are also commonly seen in infective endocarditis. Petechiae are the most common dermatologic manifestation and may be seen on skin or mucous membranes.