Day: 12/17/2014

Debilitating outbreak sweeps the Americas

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Its name means “bending over in pain.” It has no treatment or vaccine. Its symptoms resemble Dengue fever. And it has infected more than 1 million people — 155 of them fatally — since spreading to the Americas one year ago.

The mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus has long been diagnosed in travelers returning from countries in Asia and Africa, where the disease is widespread. But in December 2013, the first people infected by mosquitoes local to the region were reported on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin.

This was the first outbreak of the debilitating disease in the Western Hemisphere, health officials said.

All countries in Central America have now reported local transmission of Chikungunya [pronounced chik-un-GOON-ya], and the United States had 11 confirmed cases of local infection this year as of December 12, all in Florida. There also have been 1,900 imported cases across the United States in returning travelers.

Dangerous mosquito illness on the rise

“It wasn’t until 2013 that unfortunately a traveler resulted in local transmission of Chikungunya,” said Erin Staples of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), referring to the people infected in Saint Martin.

Those infected carry the virus in their bloodstream; it can then be picked up by mosquitoes as they bite, making them carriers. The virus has since spread rapidly and shows no signs of leaving, as ecological conditions are perfect for the disease to flourish.

“We knew it would spread,” said Staples, a medical epidemiologist.

The big question perplexing officials: Why now?

Two mosquito species primed to the temperatures of Central and South America carry Chikungunya. The species — Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus — also carry the virus behind Dengue fever.

“Given the level of Dengue in the region, we knew there could be the same levels of Chikungunya,” Staples said. Both diseases can cause joint pain and inflammation, headaches, rashes and fever, and can lead to death in rare cases.

But this tropical disease with an exotic name (which originates from the African Makonde dialect) causes more intense joint pain and inflammation. For some people the pain can last for months or years, resulting in additional psychological strain.

The lack of immunity among people living in the Americas provided a blank canvas for Chikungunya to spread throughout the population this year. As of December 12, more than 1.03 million people have been infected, in addition to the 155 who died, according to the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). Almost all of the fatalities occurred in the Caribbean island countries of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

We have minimal to no immunity as people haven’t seen Chikungunya before.
Dr. Erin Staples, CDC

“Where we saw the biggest jump was after it reached the Spanish-speaking countries in the region,” said Staples, referring to the weakened infrastructures and health systems of countries such as the Dominican Republic, which has reported more than 520,000 cases — more than half of the overall outbreak and 5% of the island country’s population.

As South American countries approach their summer, numbers are expected to rise there as the mosquitoes flourish in the heat.

“Brazil, Peru, Paraguay are coming into their summer months and reporting their first local transmission,” Staples said. Already, more than 2,000 people have been infected in Brazil.

Is there cause for concern?

Because infection with Chikungunya is rarely fatal, the issue of most concern to officials is the burden on health services and the impact of the debilitating symptoms on the economy.

“The high number of cases can overload health services,” says Dr. Pilar Ramon-Pardo, regional adviser for PAHO, the regional office of the World Health Organization. Until recently, monitoring for Chikungunya was not part of routine surveillance in the region.

“Clinicians have to be ready to diagnose,” she said

About 20% to 30% of cases are expected to become chronic, with symptoms such as arthritis and other rheumatic manifestations leading to physical disabilities, Ramon-Pardo said. Further long-term effects are psychological as people become more depressed and tired.

All of this can result in missed work and lower school attendance, she said, hurting local economies.

Is it here to stay?

The warm climate of the region offers potential for Chikungunya levels to be maintained for years to come, just like Dengue fever. But areas of most concern are the tropics.

The high number of cases can overload health services
Dr. Pilar Ramon-Pardo, PAHO

“The areas which have year-round favorable climate for the mosquito are at the greatest risk,” says Dr. Laith Yakob of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which is monitoring the spread of the outbreak.

While the climate and mosquitos have long been present, Ramon-Pardo said, “we don’t know why this is happening now.” She said globalization is likely to blame, with increased population movement from one country to another. This offers more opportunities for local mosquitos to bite infected humans.

The CDC’s Staples said she is temporarily at ease regarding numbers in the U.S. “We’re moving into fall and winter periods, which should see activity decrease,” she said. Cold temperatures reduce mosquito survival rates.

The rapid spread of Chikungunya this year also could help minimize future infections. “Chikungunya will go through a region quite rapidly and create a level of population immunity which helps mitigate large outbreaks of the disease,” Staples said. Unlike Dengue, infection with Chikungunya results in lifelong immunity.

Like many other infections, Chikungunya could, however, remain in the background through animals capable of carrying the virus in their bloodstream and acting as so-called reservoirs of the disease.

“In Asia and Africa there is a transmission cycle in small mammals and monkeys,” Ramon-Pardo said, meaning these animals keep the virus present within the population. “In the Americas … we don’t know yet.”

Those words — “we don’t know” — resonate throughout the community of scientists and government officials trying to control the outbreak.

The future risk of spread, levels of future immunity, risk from animal reservoirs, why this is only happening now, and the total economic impact are all unknown.

“Mathematical models are under construction by numerous research groups around the world to improve confidence over projections of future spread,” said Yakob, whose team is modeling the disease. As they work, control efforts continue.

Getting it under control

When it comes to controlling Chikungunya, there are two main strategies — reduce the likelihood of bites and remove the ever-biting mosquito. Prevention is the priority.

There are a lot of questions. Only time will tell what we’ll see
Dr. Erin Staples, CDC

Unlike the mosquitoes behind malaria, which bite at night, the species behind Chikungunya bite any time, day or night. Those living in affected areas are asked to use repellent, sleep under bed nets and wear long clothing to avoid getting bitten. The air conditioned and indoor environments of people living in the U.S. mean numbers are likely to stay low there.

But mosquito control is at the heart of it all. Mass spraying of insecticides and removal of any sources of shallow water in which mosquitoes can breed are taking place across the continents.

According to the CDC’s Staples, Florida has been highly aggressive with its approach to control. “We’re only at 11 (cases) due to such proactive measures,” Staples said. For now, prevention is all they have as officials wait and see how the outbreak pans out.

“There is no vaccine currently and no good antivirals, so we are trying to control the spread of the disease,” Staples said. “There are a lot of questions and only time will tell what we’ll see for Chikungunya in the future.”

Time does not heal ‘broken heart syndrome,’ new research finds

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An acute heart condition previously thought to recover spontaneously does not necessarily heal with time, new Aberdeen research has found.

A team of academics and clinicians, led by Dr Dana Dawson, has spent the last four years investigating acute stress induced (Tako-tsubo) , sometimes called ‘broken heart syndrome’.

It is a condition triggered by stress and often confused with a for which there is currently no treatment available.

Patients experience the severe chest pains associated with a heart attack but when their coronary arteries are investigated, no blockage is found although the heart muscle functions poorly.

For the majority of , it follows an episode of major stress such as bereavements, involvement in an accident, divorce or other emotional trigger, which gave rise to the name ‘‘. It was first described in Japan in 1990 and mostly affects women.

Dr Dawson, a Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Aberdeen and Consultant Cardiologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary said: “Since the condition was identified, work has been done to look at individual cases but there has been little research into these patients as a group.

“Although they haven’t had a heart attack, they are still at high risk and in-hospital mortality after they are admitted is similar to a heart attack. Patients can go downhill very quickly and electrical instability in the heart can develop.

“Acute stress induced cardiomyopathy is a serious condition but after the acute episode it appears that overall the heart pumping function recovers spontaneously and so there is no known treatment for the condition.”

But Dr Dawson’s work, published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology – Cardiovascular Imaging followed up the patients four months after their acute episode and found that recovery does not in fact happen to the degree previously thought.

She added: “The usual test for heart function is an echocardiogram (Echo) test and when we conduct this it shows that the heart is back to normal.

“However, when talking to the patients they report that they are still not feeling themselves, cannot take part in strenuous activity and many have been unable to return to work.

“The general belief was this condition was recovering itself very rapidly but this was obviously not the case when we investigated in greater detail. The use of more sophisticated diagnostic tools such as Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Spectroscopy found continued abnormalities in the heart.

“When acute stress induced cardiomyopathy happens, the heart muscle becomes like a sponge when it has absorbed water and it swells significantly. We also observed that the ability of the heart to generate the energy it needs to produce a pumping action was very much reduced”

“Four months on we found that the parts of the heart most affected by the condition were still swollen and the heart energetics had partly improved but were not at normal levels.”

Dr Dawson said the findings raised important questions for future treatment of acute stress induced cardiomyopathy.

“Our findings go some way to providing an explanation as to why patients continue to complain about not feeling right months later despite no apparent problems with their heart,” she added.

“We now intend to call them back to see whether these things ever normalise. If they don’t recover fully then it opens up new questions as to whether acute stress induced cardiomyopathy caused this or whether there was something underlying beforehand that made them susceptible to this kind of episode.

“Further investigation is now required as only by finding out exactly what causes this condition will be able to start thinking about how to treat it so that patients can enjoy better follow-up care.”

The study was funded by Tenovus Scotland.

Case study

Michael Strachan from Banchory, Aberdeenshire, was diagnosed with acute stress induced cardiomyopathy in August 2014. It came about after a period of juggling full-time work and caring for wife Sheila, who had suffered a stroke.

Like many of those with the condition, he was rushed to hospital by ambulance and believed he had suffered a heart attack.

He said: “My wife had been in hospital for about a year and then came home. We had carers but at night it was down to me and I was also working full-time. It all came to a head.

“At first I thought I’d had a heart attack and when they told me what it was it was a bit harder to understand as I’d never heard of it.”

Michael said he was pleased to be part of research that might lead to better understanding of the condition in the future.

“I’ve been in and out of hospital most of my life between one thing and another so I don’t mind having tests.

“Everyone knows someone who has had a attack but I’ve never met anyone else who has been through this so it is nice to contribute to a study into induced cardiomyopathy.

“I am now feeling a lot better and have recently returned to work building up my hours slowly but it has taken time for me to recover. It would be nice to know more about why this happened to me and hopefully being part of this research might help other people who find themselves in my position in the future.

“My wife is also now improving so the stress levels at home are much reduced.”

Abundance of microplastics in the world’s deep seas.

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Around four billion minute fibers could be littering each square kilometer of some of the world’s deep seas, according to a new study.
Richard Thompson.

The deep sea is becoming a collecting ground for plastic waste, according to research led by scientists from Plymouth University and Natural History Museum.

The new study, published today in Royal Society Open Science, reveals around four billion microscopic plastic fibres could be littering each square kilometre of deep sea sediment around the world.

Marine plastic debris is a global problem, affecting wildlife, tourism and shipping. Yet monitoring over the past decades has not seen its concentration increase at the sea surface or along shorelines, despite experts knowing that more is being created.

However, the current study indicates this may be because microplastics have sunk to the ocean floor, with the number of fibres recorded in the deep seas up to four times greater than in shallow and coastal waters.

“The puzzle for marine scientists has been to establish where plastic debris is going. Part of the answer is that much of this waste is breaking down into fibres invisible to the naked eye and sinking to the sea floor,” said Dr Lucy Woodall, zoologist at the Natural History Museum. “It is alarming to find such high levels of contamination, especially when the full effect of these plastics on the delicate balance of deep sea ecosystems is unknown.”

The study, which also involved the University of Barcelona, the University of Oxford and the Scottish Association for Marine Science, focussed on deep-sea sediment and coral samples collected by Dr Woodall and other scientists from 16 sites in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Analysis of the non-natural particles at Plymouth University confirmed microplastics were abundant in all the samples (ranging from 1.4-40 pieces per 50ml of sediment), were commonly around 2-3mm in length and were mostly blue, black, green or red in colour.

Rayon — a humanmade non-plastic polymer used in personal hygiene products and clothing — contributed to 56.9% of the total fibres seen, with polyester, polyamides, acetate and acrylic among the others recorded.

Professor Richard Thompson, Professor of Marine Biology at Plymouth University, coordinated the study and led the identification process. He said: “The deep sea habitat extends to more than 300 million km² globally, so the discovery of previously under-reported microplastics suggests there may be even greater accumulation than was previously suspected. A range of shallow water organisms are known to ingest microplastics, and the extent of their harmful effects will likely be influenced by their relative abundance. The discovery of substantial quantities in deep-sea sediments is of considerable relevance to our understanding of the potential of these particles to cause harm in the marine environment.”

Harvard Study Unveils What Meditation Literally Does To The Brain

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meditation-health-benefits
Numerous studies have indicated the many physiological benefits of meditation, and the latest one comes from Harvard University.
An eight week study conducted by Harvard researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) determined that meditation literally rebuilds the brains grey matter in just eight weeks. It’s the very first study to document that meditation produces changes over time in the brain’s grey matter. (1)

“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day. This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing.” – (1) Sara Lazar of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program and a Harvard Medical School Instructor in Psychology

The study involved taking magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain’s of 16 study participants two weeks prior to participating in the study. MRI images of the participants were also taken after the study was completed.

“The analysis of MR images, which focused on areas where meditation-associated differences were seen in earlier studies, found increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection.” (1)

For the study, participants engaged in meditation practices every day for approximately 30 minutes. These practices included focusing on audio recordings for guided meditation, non-judgmental awareness of sensations, feelings and state of mind.

“It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life. Other studies in different patient populations have shown that meditation can make significant improvements in a variety of symptoms, and we are now investigating the underlying mechanisms in the brain that facilitate this change.” – (1) Britta Holzel, first author of the paper and a research fellow at MGH and Giessen University in Germany

How To Meditate

A common misconception about meditation is that you have to sit a certain way or do something in particular to achieve the various benefits that it can provide. All you have to do is place yourself in a position that is most comfortable to you. It could be sitting cross legged, lying down in a bed, sitting on a couch etc, it’s your choice.

Another common misconception about meditation is that you have to “try” to empty your mind. One important factor I enjoyed reading from the study mentioned above is that participants were engaged in “non-judgmental awareness of sensations, feelings and state of mind.”  When meditating, you shouldn’t try to “empty” your mind. Instead, try to let your thoughts, feelings and whatever emotions you are feeling at the time flow. Don’t judge them, just let them come and go and be at peace with it.

I also believe that meditation is a state of being/mind more than anything else. I feel that one does not have to sit down for half an hour and “meditate” so to speak in order to reap the benefits of it, or to be engaged in the practice itself.  One can be engaged in meditation while they are on a walk, for example, or the time they have right before they sleep. Throughout the day, one can resist judging their thoughts, letting them flow until they are no more, or just be in a constant state of peace and self awareness. Contrary to popular belief, there is more than one way to meditate.

“You will have to understand one of the most fundamental things about meditation: that no technique leads to meditation. The old so-called techniques and the new scientific biofeedback techniques are the same as far as meditation is concerned. Meditation is not a byproduct of any technique. Meditation happens beyond mind. No technique can go beyond mind.” – Osho

Sources:

(1)  http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to-a-better-brain/

Thumbs-up for mind-controlled robotic arm .

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A paralyzed woman who controlled a robotic arm using just her thoughts has taken another step towards restoring her natural movements by controlling the arm with a range of complex hand movements.
This is an image showing one of four new hand movements from the 10D control of the robotic arm.

A paralysed woman who controlled a robotic arm using just her thoughts has taken another step towards restoring her natural movements by controlling the arm with a range of complex hand movements.

Thanks to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Jan Scheuermann, who has longstanding quadriplegia and has been taking part in the study for over two years, has gone from giving “high fives” to the “thumbs-up” after increasing the manoeuvrability of the robotic arm from seven dimensions (7D) to 10 dimensions (10D).

The extra dimensions come from four hand movements–finger abduction, a scoop, thumb extension and a pinch–and have enabled Jan to pick up, grasp and move a range of objects much more precisely than with the previous 7D control.

It is hoped that these latest results, which have been published today, 17 December, in IOP Publishing’s Journal of Neural Engineering, can build on previous demonstrations and eventually allow robotic arms to restore natural arm and hand movements in people with upper limb paralysis.

Jan Scheuermann, 55, from Pittsburgh, PA had been paralysed from the neck down since 2003 due to a neurodegenerative condition. After her eligibility for a research study was confirmed in 2012, Jan underwent surgery to be fitted with two quarter-inch electrode grids, each fitted with 96 tiny contact points, in the regions of Jan’s brain that were responsible for right arm and hand movements.

After the electrode grids in Jan’s brain were connected to a computer, creating a brain-machine interface (BMI), the 96 individual contact points picked up pulses of electricity that were fired between the neurons in Jan’s brain.

Computer algorithms were used to decode these firing signals and identify the patterns associated with a particular arm movement, such as raising the arm or turning the wrist.

By simply thinking of controlling her arm movements, Jan was then able to make the robotic arm reach out to objects, as well as move it in a number of directions and flex and rotate the wrist. It also enabled Jan to “high five” the researchers and feed herself dark chocolate.

Two years on from the initial results, the researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have now shown that Jan can successfully manoeuvre the robotic arm in a further four dimensions through a number of hand movements, allowing for more detailed interaction with objects.

The researchers used a virtual reality computer program to calibrate Jan’s control over the robotic arm, and discovered that it is crucial to include virtual objects in this training period in order to allow reliable, real-time interaction with objects.

Co-author of the study Dr Jennifer Collinger said: “10D control allowed Jan to interact with objects in different ways, just as people use their hands to pick up objects depending on their shapes and what they intend to do with them. We hope to repeat this level of control with additional participants and to make the system more robust, so that people who might benefit from it will one day be able to use brain-machine interfaces in daily life.

“We also plan to study whether the incorporation of sensory feedback, such as the touch and feel of an object, can improve neuroprosthetic control.”

Commenting on the latest results, Jan Scheuermann said: “”This has been a fantastic, thrilling, wild ride, and I am so glad I’ve done this.”

“This study has enriched my life, given me new friends and co-workers, helped me contribute to research and taken my breath away. For the rest of my life, I will thank God every day for getting to be part of this team.”

 

Journal Reference:

  1. B Wodlinger, J E Downey, E C Tyler-Kabara, A B Schwartz, M L Boninger, J L Collinger. Ten-dimensional anthropomorphic arm control in a human brain−machine interface: difficulties, solutions, and limitations. Journal of Neural Engineering, 2015; 12 (1): 016011 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2560/12/1/016011

Dangerous Alcohol Blackouts Are Too Common Among Young People: The Science Of Blacking Out

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The Science Of Alcohol-Related Blackouts
Alcohol-related blackouts are dangerous and drown teens’ young brains in misconceptions. 

Alcohol is the most widely used and abused drug in the world, and teens are using it to such extremes they blackout. Society has cultivated and nurtured a wrongfully accepted drinking ritual that makes joking around about blackouts and binge drinking fun and lighthearted. The consequences of binge drinking aren’t as funny, and researchers from the University of California, San Diego explain exactly why in their new study published in the journalAlcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

“Some people think that blackouts, very bad hangovers, and outrageous behavior at parties are very funny,” the study’s coauthor Marc A. Schuckit, psychiatry professor at the University of California, San Diego, said in a press release. “This does not represent ‘fun.’ People don’t understand how dangerous blackouts are. In fact, people have oodles of misconceptions about drinking.”

Schuckit and his research team selected 1,402 English teens between the ages of 15 to 19 years old because they’re the group that has the heaviest drinking habits. After four years of studying the group they confirmed their theory: Blackouts were most common among that age range. They found 30 percent of 15-year-olds were having alcohol-related blackouts. By the time they reached 19, a total of 74 percent were blacking out from excessive alcohol consumption. The rapid increase of blackouts with age merits cause for concern, especially the socially acceptable aspect of the behavior.

“The UK ranks among the top for drinking in the world, beginning by mid to late teens,” Schuckit said. “Drinking rates in the U.S. are not quite as high, but I am guessing that by age 19, more than half would have likely had a blackout. Regardless the nation, what we’re trying to understand here is the impact of blackouts, and what may predict a blackout. No matter what country, when kids are drinking, they are not likely to understand what is going on with their systems and how dangerous it can be. And if they’re drinking to the point of having blackouts, this is dangerous.”

The Science Behind A Blackout

Blackouts occur when a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in their blood reaches a level much higher than what is considered legal intoxication. While a person drinks, the alcohol acts as a stimulant. As BAC increases, drinkers report increases in elation, excitement, and extroversion, while they simultaneously experience fatigue, restlessness, depression, and confusion. Symptoms will fluctuate depending the degree of the drinker’s personality, mood, or genetic susceptibility. But once the drinking tapers off, it begins to act as more of a sedative.

The problems resulting from excessive drinking can seem endless. From regrets to life-changing mistakes, binge drinking lowers a person’s inhibitions so much he may not even be fully aware of his actions or the consequences. A lot of it takes place in the brain’s prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is the region responsible for decision-making, rational thought, and understanding an action’s cause and effect. Move on toward the back of the brain and you’ll find the temporal cortex, which is where the hippocampus sits. It’s the region of the brain responsible for forming new memories, and drinking will reduce the ability for the hippocampus to function properly — that explains why blackouts birth blank memories.

“Someone who has had a blackout cannot remember part of their drinking episode,” Schuckit said. “As you can imagine, blackouts are likely to occur when the drinker is vulnerable to a range of additional dangerous consequences. Women might have unprotected sex, place themselves in a situation where they can be raped, or not be fully capable of protecting themselves. Men can get into fights, use very bad judgment regarding another person, and are often the driver when BACs associated with blackouts can lead to a car accident. Blackouts are very dangerous for both men and women.”

Teaching preteens and teens what happens to their young brains may be strong enough to deter them from the curiosity and lure of alcohol. PFCs also develop with age, which means teens don’t even have a fully functional set of tools to stop them from drinking to excess. A woman’s PFC doesn’t fully develop until she’s 21 years old, while a man needs four more years and won’t fully develop until he’s 25 years old. Teenagers and young adults are virtually running around without the fully developed part of their brain that tells them “maybe you shouldn’t do that.” No wonder why teens have the biggest blackout population.

“Kids have to recognize the problem of blackouts themselves and take steps to change behaviors,” Schuckit said. “We need to identify something they can recognize in themselves and their peers so they can learn to modify their behaviors, because blackouts are dangerous, prevalent, and persistent.”

Marijuana e-cigarette developed to help people with pain

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  • Legal ‘electronic joint’ developed to help ailments eased by cannabis
  • It will help calm, relax and ease people’s pain, but will not give a ‘high’  
  • This is because it contains cannabidiol (CBD) which acts as a painkiller
  • Does not contain psychoactive ingredient THC which gives a ‘high’
  • Product will be available to patients in France from January 2015 

A legal ‘electronic joint’ to help patients with conditions that are eased by cannabis will go on sale in France next month.

The firm behind the e-joint, called KanaVape, claims it will provide all the relaxing and pain-killing effects of marijuana, without the high.

The product has been engineered to contain cannabidiol (CBD), a compound in cannabis which has therapeutic uses as a painkiller.

But, crucially, the product does not contain THC, another psychoactive compound found in cannabis, which causes the ‘high’.

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An 'electronic joint' made from hemp plants is being developed by a French manufacturer. It claims the e-joint, called KanaVape, will provide all the relaxing and painkilling effects of marijuana, without the high, as it does not contain the psychoactive ingredient THC

An ‘electronic joint’ made from hemp plants is being developed by a French manufacturer. It claims the e-joint, called KanaVape, will provide all the relaxing and painkilling effects of marijuana, without the high, as it does not contain the psychoactive ingredient THC

Cannabis-derived drugs such as Sativex are already used in the U.S., UK and other European countries to treat the pain associated with multiple sclerosis and cancer

 Cannabis-derived drugs such as Sativex are already used in the U.S., UK and other European countries to treat the pain associated with multiple sclerosis and cancer

‘KanaVape brings you many of the benefits of cannabinoids without the psychotic effect of THC’, its makers claim, writing on their website.

Cannabis-derived drugs such as Sativex are already used in the U.S., UK and other European countries to treat the pain associated with multiple sclerosis and cancer.

Two other cannabis-derived drugs, Cesamet and Marinol, are also used in Canada and the U.S. to treat the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and AIDS-related anorexia.

The founders of KanaVape, Antonin Cohen, a start up entrepreneur and Sebastian Beguerie, an agricultural engineer, spent two years extracting legal cannabinoids and developing the product, VICE News reports.

Mr Cohen, who previously worked in start-up companies in the U.S. where he said it was possible to earn a ‘comfortable salary’, said he quit his job and set up KanaVape as he wanted to help people suffering conditions that could be eased by marijuana.

He realised many people in France suffer from cancer or MS, and said it was an ‘injustice’ they could not use cannabis to ease their pain.

He said: ‘One of them said “Cannabis plant helps me to fight against my illness, however, the legislation that I have to put myself in situations of illegality. I therefore cannot provide myself with cannabis legally, I cannot find quality cannabis.”

‘We sell this product in France for the sick, a harmless molecule is sued and cannot be accused of marketing a product for recreational use. There is no high in it.’

Kanavape halps to relieve the pain of MS without the high

Antonin Cohen, who previously worked in start-up companies in America said he set up KanaVape as he wanted to help people suffering conditions that could be eased by marijuana. Here, he is pictured speaking at the launch in Paris in December

Antonin Cohen, who previously worked in start-up companies in America said he set up KanaVape as he wanted to help people suffering conditions that could be eased by marijuana. Here, he is pictured speaking at the launch in Paris in December

He added that they are not interested in promoting the recreational use of cannabis, and have no problems with current drugs laws.

He is working with a legal firm who advise on the best ways to market the products.

Mr Cohen is launching his product amid a blazing debate over whether e-cigarettes should be regulated.

Some experts argue they are safer than smoking traditional tobacco, whose bouquet of toxic chemicals and gases can cause cancer, heart disease and strokes.

But the World Health Organization has called for them to be banned in public places, and their sale to vulnerable groups like minors and pregnant women regulated, as not enough research has been carried out into their long-term use.

Mr Cohen insists that he controls the entire production chain to ensure his product is safe.

While they are not officially registered as organic – because they did not pay the certifications – he claims their farming methods are the equivalent, he said.

 

New Harvard Study Says Fluoridated Water is Causing Cognitive Disorders

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A newly published study in Harvard’s The Lancet weighs in on the toxins causing autism and ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) say that along with these numerous environmental toxins, fluoridated water is adding to the higher incident of both cognitive and behavioral disorders.

Harvard had already published a study in 2006 that pointed to fluoride as a ‘developmental neurotoxicant’, and this newer study looks to over 27 additional investigations into the matter via meta nalysis. In the previous study, it was already established that fluoride consumption lowered children’s IQ scores. The left-over from industry, passed off as ‘medicine,’ obstructs brain development, and can cause a full spectrum of serious health issues – from autism to dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, and more.

The study calls the effects from this chemical a ‘silent epidemic’ that mainstream media  and many scientific papers have ignored.

Two of the main researchers involved in the study, Philippe Grandjean from HSPH and Philip Landrigan from ISMMS, say that incidences of chemical-related neurodevelopmental disorders have doubled over the past seven years from six to 12.

The study admits that there are numerous chemicals to blame – many of which are untested or ceremoniously approved by the FDA, USDA, and CDC without truly knowing their long term ramifications on human health – but that fluoride is a definite culprit.

“[S]ince 2006, the number of chemicals known to damage the human brain more generally, but that are not regulated to protect children’s health, had increased from 202 to 214,” writes Julia Medew for The Sydney Morning Herald. “The pair said this could be the tip of the iceberg because the vast majority of the more than 80,000 industrial chemicals widely used in the United States have never been tested for their toxic effects on the developing fetus or child.”

 

The fact is that fluoride, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, radioactive isotopes, GMO foods, and weather warfare chemicals are creating a neurological-toxic mix that is unprecedented in human history.

Fluoride, like other toxins, accumulates in the blood stream and even makes it past the blood-brain barrier. Eventually, as the body tries to protect itself from these unwanted substances, the substances make it into the bones and the organs, causing cancer, cognitive abnormalities, and even birth defects in unborn children. Fluoride is known to pass into the placenta in pregnant women, yet regulatory agencies ignore its toxic legacy.

The chemicals lurking in our food supply, water supply, and in our air and soil are causing the neurological decline of both young and old.