Hispanics Seem to Have Better Odds of Lung Cancer Survival

Hispanic people with lung cancer tend to live longer than white or black people with the disease, according to a new study.

 Researchers say Hispanics' increased likelihood of survival may be due to genetic factors or environmental advantages, such as lower rates of tobacco use.

In the study, the researchers examined diagnosis and survival data on cancer patients from a national database that pooled information from U.S. cancer registries.

They identified 172,000 adults diagnosed with any stage of the most common form of lung cancer, known as non-small cell lung cancer, between 1988 and 2007. Of these patients, Hispanics had a 15 percent lower risk of death during the study than whites. This was true for both U.S.- and foreign-born Hispanics.

The study, published online in the journal Cancer, pointed out that Hispanics tend to have better odds of survival despite facing more obstacles to health care and higher rates of poverty than other groups.

"This is important because it shows that our findings are indicative of the Hispanic population in general and not specific to specific groups of Hispanics," lead study author Ali Saeed, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said in a journal news release.

The study's authors added that the white patients who were studied had a slightly higher likelihood of survival than those who were black. Hispanics were more likely to be diagnosed with a less serious form of lung cancer, known as bronchioalveolar carcinoma.

"Our findings will motivate researchers and physicians to understand why Hispanics have more favorable outcomes and may shed light on potential environmental factors and/or genetic factors that can explain our observations," said Saeed. "For instance, the fact that Hispanics developed higher frequencies of bronchioalveolar carcinoma could be due to genetic predispositions and/or their lower smoking rates."

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com

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Look No Further Than Wisconsin To See the Connection Between “Digital Illiterate Lawmakers” With New Law “No Web Cams During a Non Surgical Abortion Procedure” - This Says It All!

I talk a lot about digital illiteracy with many lawmakers, why?  Because it’s true and all you have to do is read the news.  It’s amazing that in the rapidly developing world of technology we have today that you still see these throw backs to the 70s.  They haven’t quite figured it out yet that technology in healthcare is here and is developing and changing rapidly.  Those of us in technology literally “laugh” at laws as such as we see right to the point here and scratch our heads as to “why” laws as such are created.  Even those who are not big techs scratch their heads too as web cams are like part of every part of life.  One wonders if these folks use smart phones too?  Outside the US when news of such is read I kind of wonder what other countries have to say about some of this too? 

We all know the governor is not too smart if you go back to the phone call to where a radio personality sucked him in to a “fake” call from one of the Koch brothers, which was really hysterical, but in another way very sad as that’s’ the level of intelligence sitting in that office, scary.  These folks that put so much effort into controlling abortions could really re-direct themselves to work on some very serious issues by all means. Back in 2011, about a year ago I wrote on this topic and it was bringing to the forefront how digital illiteracy was leading back to this “default” topic of abortions and as far as I can tell, it’s about all they can muster up to control and talk about as laws dealing with technology certainly seem to be over their heads.  So even a year ago the connection I made between digital literacy and lawmakers was pretty much on target. 

Digital Illiteracy Still Plagues Law Makers–Severe Focus on Abortion Rights Proves It–Is This Where Our Lawmaking Knowledge Leaves Off or Even Begins? Scary…

 

I just wonder if they even think about how they look to the rest of the world, and seriously it’s like a bunch of “loose cannons” running around and of course a “digital formatted law” would probably even be a bigger crime <grin>.

In a time when everyone else is looking at big data and have the ability to better sort large amounts of data, do you think lawmakers have thought this could be a good idea to help them?  So far I have not seen any evidence in that direction either, and on a federal level too.

IBM Watson Capabilities Being Pitched to Financial Industry-Congress Must Not Have Felt They Needed This So Further Behind We Fall With Effective Intelligent Lawmaking

So now we have a “no web cam” consultation law…when the rest of the world is moving forward with telehealth, I swear others looking in too have to just be rolling over laughing at such a law as it saves money and gives people better access to care.  I guess they don’t read the news and are not too concerned over better healthcare because this is related to that “default topic of abortions for the digitally illiterates”.  Last year a federal judge blocked abortion rules in Kansas, so I mean what is up with these out of touch folks as there’s yet another bunch of digital illiterates in lawmaking. 

Kansas Health Abortion Rules Blocked by Federal Judge Who Put The “Digital Illiterate Whack Job” Lawmakers” In Their Place And Maybe That is the 70s

 

In a round about way even the Vatican is getting tired of the digital illiterates in office even though they have their beliefs regarding abortions, they are not out trying create laws and they too see a need for better digital literacy, especially in the financial world, so again these folks in Wisconsin and their “web cam” law are really looking pathetic and the link below fell into one of my posts about “The Attack of the Killer Algorithms”, which basically again talks about digital illiteracy of lawmakers and how banks and big business control all with servers running 24/7 making life impacting decisions about all of us, and the lawmakers in Wisconsin can’t see this and continue this battle on abortions with huge amounts of time and money spent on this.  This is really sad that this is what is in office today.

“Attack of the Killer Algorithms” Part 3–Vatican Doesn’t Like It Either–Occupy Wall Street Belongs in New York As They Don’t Do Code or Algorithms in Washington–Only Find time To Talk Abortions

 

The time and money spent here even made it’s way to Washington and a couple months ago there was a hearing on women’s health and no women were invited.  I have respect for all their views but please keep it out of lawmaking and respect the views of others.  Again the latest on no web cams has more than just me looking at the severe digital literacy and mental capacities of those in office for sure as how in the world can this be controlled? 

How is one going to determine that an “illegal web cam” consult was done?  These folks just don’t get technology at all and are looking “dumber” all the time as I would rather have them jump on the band wagon and get up to speed with where many already are.  I took my link for the Komen foundation off my page and replaced it with Planned Parenthood when the analytics of where to best spend their money became a big political issue for the “digital illiterates” as they don’t realize how analytics are moving the money around, see the picture below at the post on how this intertwines too with the big even on Wall Street as some of philanthropy today has gotten out of touch too.  The analytic folks though are smart and know the digital illiterates can be manipulated and they do that, get their money where they want it and I wonder if corporate US sits back and somewhat laughs at the fact that they can manipulate the digital illiterate lawmakers too?  Komen also last year got a little out of bounds for suing other charities for the use of the word “Cure”, so what’s that tell you, big business and business intelligence analytics at work. 

Komen Foundation Cuts of Funds to Planned Parenthood - Wall Street Was Lit up in “Pink” Last Week For Fund Raising from Hedge Funds and Other Financial Companies

 

Poor Planned Parenthood is once again in the middle of this battle so again who’s going to monitor those dastardly web cams in the potential case that one might be doing a consult for an abortion?  Clearly they have no clue what this would entail with data trails and so forth…hysterically sad on on the levels of digital literacy.  In addition physicians can face felonies if violating the law.  The web cam phrase really takes the cake though and shows how far behind these lawmakers are and how they need to somehow attach themselves to “real” world out there as they are looking “dumb” and “dumber” every day when the need for “control” forces them into a box to where they think they can control “web cams” and how they are used, while the rest of the world moves forward. I don’t know how else to say this but these folks just look plain stupid and in my opinion are the “whack jobs” that somehow work on the emotions of the public when we all know the math and the algorithms are controlling who gets what today.   BD

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MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has suspended non-surgical abortions in response to a new state law that makes it harder for women to have the procedure, a move that followed anti-abortion measures in several Republican-controlled states.

T

he law, which took effect on Friday, requires women visit a doctor at least three times before having a drug-induced abortion, forces physicians to determine whether women are being coerced into having an abortion and prohibits women and doctors from using web cams during the procedure.

http://news.yahoo.com/wisconsins-planned-parenthood-suspends-non-surgical-abortions-175324214.html

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Mislabeling Work in Labs Sends Years of Cancer Research Down the Drain With Misidentified Contaminated Cells

Can you imagine being a scientist and then finding out later that the cells given for research were contaminated?  This is also hidden at times with researchers and journal publications have been in error as well and have had to be rescinded.  According to the article here there’s not much being done to ensure labeling is correct.  Researchers end up studying the wrong cancer cells and of course this directly impacts finding cures and treatments.

Some researchers have tried to bring this to light but are ignored by others they work with in fear that the errors, if brought forward would discredit an entire lab operation.  One doctor states that cell banks reported that 20% of cell lines for use in research are not properly identified and that’s a pretty large number.  When researching a specific tumor with misidentified cells, it becomes a waste of time, money an so on.

Cell lines are stored for years in freezers and the cells are what researchers study and are even shared  with other scientists so one mislabel can have a bit of a daisy chain effect.  One of the noted mix ups has been between breast cancer cells and melanoma and when it was further researched in one case the breast cancer cells were melanoma and not from a patient who had both. 

The cell lines uses are also published in journals so they can be identified for their point of origin.  One big concern is the financial end where many who donate and contribute money could possibly learn of such mistakes and the donation rates would drop.  With biotech financing being so tough to get, this is the last thing anyone would want to have hit with contaminated cell lines.  BD

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Cancer experts seeking to solve the problem have found that a fifth to a third or more of cancer cell lines tested were mistakenly identified—with researchers unwittingly studying the wrong cancers, slowing progress toward new treatments and wasting precious time and money.

In hundreds of documented cases that undermine a broad swath of research, cancer samples that were supposed to be one type of tumor have turned out to be another, through either careless laboratory handling, mislabeling or other mistakes.

It is a problem hiding in plain sight. Warnings to properly test cancer cell lines have sounded since the 1960s, a decade after scientists started making human cancer cell lines.

Much of cancer research seeks answers to questions of basic biology, so the proper identification of cell lines may be less important, said Dr. Masters. But when seeking cancer treatment for a specific tumor, he said, such mistakes "are an utter waste of public money, charity money and time."

These mix-ups are maddeningly difficult to pinpoint: an improperly sterilized pipette, a lab worker momentarily distracted, a misread label or a typo on a record sheet.

Cell repositories in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Japan have estimated that 18% to 36% of cancer cell lines are incorrectly identified. Researchers at Glasgow University and CellBank Australia found more than 360 such mistaken cell lines, including 100 that turned out to be the late Ms. Lack's cervical cancer cells.

Other scientists, following up on the observations at Stanford, demonstrated that MDA-MB-435 behaved like melanoma because it likely was melanoma—in particular, a skin-cancer cell line called M14.

Osamu Tetsu, a head-and-neck cancer researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, did a study in 2009 that concluded all six known cell lines used by researchers studying adenoid cystic carcinoma were contaminated.

All of the work done on the rare cancer—published papers, research, drug studies—had been conducted with mislabeled cell lines, Dr. Tetsu concluded. He called the findings "catastrophic."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204571404577257513760102538.html

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Medical Marijuana Machine Gets Busted in Orange County–Battle Still Continues Over Access

 

 

The medical marijuana business still has issues over laws that don’t agree with one another.  In this case the city of Santa Ana closed down this dispensary and the machine too.  A couple years ago there was a machine installed in downtown Los Angeles that coincided with the “pot cards” that are now issued in California, also saying it was a safer way for patients to get their medications.  The machine also came with an “armed guard” and was only accessible during business hours.  In the news lately we have had law enforcement carrying out what laws I guess apply to their particular areas and the federal laws.  Banks are afraid to take the gamble in many areas. 

U.S. Medical Marijuana Business Having Issues With Banks–Is This Going to be a Cash Only Business?

In addition we had the raid in northern California on the school that teaches how to work with medical marijuana.

Medical Marijuana in the Picture Again As DEA Raids Oakland Oaksterdam University

In addition some coupons have tried to make it easier to help patients with getting access. 

Medical Marijuana Sellers Offering Online Coupons To Attract Patients

You can watch the vide below for the full story on what happened in Santa Ana.



Dispense Labs, a division of  the Dispensary Group, unveiled  Autospense  Friday, an automated dispensary that distributes medical marijuana and looks like a vending machine.

All that is needed to tap an Autospense machine is a registration card and unique PIN number, said Joe DeRobbio, Dispense Labs’ founder and CEO.

During after hours, Autospense is open only to patients who have agreed to the fingerprint option – they run their prints  through a scanner and swipe a registration card, DeRobbio said.

Autospense offers a secure, “businesslike” way to distribute and obtain medical marijuana,  said DeRobbio. With cameras, locks and sensors, the machines are difficult to break into.

Although Dispense Labs supplies the machines, it is not involved in growing the product, DeRobbio said.

“We are not associated with the industry,” he said. “We do not provide the medicine that goes in the machine.”

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/04/marijuana-vending-machine-by-calif-company/

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Microsoft Research–Where News Ideas Develop to Include Solving Big Problems Like the HIV Virus By Working With Email Spam Filters And Kinect

This is pretty wild that some of the same coding techniques that we use to identify spam mail can also be applied to identify HIV virus mutations and this is a great way to use “machine learning” for better research and knowledge.  Today there’s so much code written that you can in fact see what parts or portions of existing queries, etc. are built in and use those for another industry outside of the original design.  Mashable does some good coverage on this and also you have to love the video when you look at how they are working with augmented reality and the race car.

Of course there’s no better device and technology than Kinect that makes a lot of this happen.  In the video they are using the “Beamatron” technology as it is called to control a virtual race car that sees stuff in it’s path and having a virtual toy car as such might put some of the other folks out of business, maybe?  They also continue on to the demonstration of using Power Point in the same fashion.  We all know that Kinect is coming to Windows and developers are hard at work to make more of this happen. It is very interesting to see a million dollar surgical robot working with the $150 Kinect device, link below at what Johns Hopkins was working with. 

Kinect And daVinci Surgical Robot Do Simulated Surgery Suturing Together (Video)

If that isn’t enough you can see another use of Kinect with radiology taking the need to “touch” out of the picture.  Last year I attended the Israel Conference and had quite a bit of time to speak with Microsoft/XBOX Corporate VP Ilan Spillinger and of course he was also very high on medical solutions with Kinect. 

Microsoft Kinect Working with a PACS Server-Images on Steroids Via Gestures (Video)

When you watch the video with the car and passing the virtual “ball” around you get all kinds of ideas on how lighting, or other information could be shared like even in an operating room or the ER for that matter.  BD

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24 year Microsoft vet and Microsoft Research General Manager Kevin Schofield told me Microsoft Research is also focused, at least in part, on “solving big problems” like the HIV virus.

Medical Research would seem an odd fit for Microsoft, but the research group is filled with all kinds of experts, including a couple of MDs. One of them is also a computer scientist and became fascinated with how doctors make crucial decisions in high-pressure situations when they have incomplete information (think emergency room visits). This led to work in machine learning (Microsoft Research does a lot of work in this area), which uses what’s known to figure out the unknown. Spam filters work this way. They can look at email and if the word “Viagra” is in it, decide with some degree of certainty that it’s spam. Now, that research is being applied to HIV vaccine research.

The HIV virus is known for its tendency to mutate, which makes it hard for people to develop an immunity. A spam-like filter can find the known in the unknown — in this case the core, recognizable virus.

I asked Schofield, who began his carrier at Microsoft in the OS group, if Microsoft founder and former CEO Bill Gates used the legendary Bell Labs as a model for Microsoft Research. “At a 30,000 foot level,” Schofield said, “Bell Labs was the model, but on the ground it was more Carnegie Mellon.” There are, apparently, two styles of research lab: The Xerox Parc model, where you isolate research from the business and the other model, where you basically have business fund and drive research. Both approaches can hinder tech transfer. The second method, in particular, said Schofield, tends to guide research too strongly so that most of the work is spent delivering product enhancements. Schofield said Microsoft took the middle road.

Like any true research facility, Microsoft Research has its share of duds. I asked Schofield if there was a room where Microsoft Research keeps its failed experiments. “Failures would be a big room,” Schofield said, laughing. But he also counts some of those failures among Microsoft Research’s successes.

http://mashable.com/2012/04/21/microsoft-sexy-peek/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mashable%2Ftech+%28Mashable+%C2%BB+Tech%29#59981Microsoft-Logo-on-Wall

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Drinking Soda Pop May Kill You!

Researchers from Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute and Harvard University have found that greater consumption of sugar-sweetened and low-calorie sodas is associated with a higher risk of stroke. 

The study – recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – is the first to examine soda’s effect on stroke risk. Previous research has linked sugar-sweetened beverage consumption with weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gout and coronary artery disease.

“Soda remains the largest source of added sugar in the diet,” said Adam Bernstein, M.D., Sc.D., study author and Research Director at Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute. “What we’re beginning to understand is that regular intake of these beverages sets off a chain reaction in the body that can potentially lead to many diseases – including stroke.”

The research analyzed soda consumption among 43,371 men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study between 1986 and 2008, and 84,085 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study between 1980 and 2008. During that time, 2,938 strokes were documented in women while 1,416 strokes were documented in men.

"The answer to the increase in strokes from drinking soda is quite simple - sugar is a metabolic acid and is poisonous to the body in all of its forms," states Dr. Robert O. Young.  Dr. Young further states, "other acids including carbonic and phosphuric acid also contribute to inflammation, atherosclerosis, acidic plaque, thrombosis, obesity, glucose intolerance, insulin resisitance, diabetes high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke."  In sugar-sweetened sodas, the sugar load may lead to rapid increases in blood glucose and insulin which, over time, may lead to glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and inflammation. These physiologic changes influence atherosclerosis, plaque stability and thrombosis – all of which are risk factors of ischemic stroke. This risk for stroke appears hy igher in women than in men.

The pH of soda drinks are highly acidic with a pH of less than 3 and an oxidative reduction potential of over +450mV.  According to Dr. Young, "soda sucks the life right out of you!"

In addition, study findings show that men and women who consumed more than one serving of sugar-sweetened soda per day had higher rates of high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol and lower physical activity rates. Those who drank soda more frequently were also more likely to eat red meat and whole-fat dairy products. Men and women who consumed low-calorie soda had a higher incidence of chronic disease and a higher body mass index (BMI). The investigators controlled for these other factors in their analysis to determine the independent association of soda consumption on stroke risk.

“According to research from the USDA, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption has increased dramatically in the United States over the past three decades, and it’s affecting our health,” said Dr. Bernstein. “These findings reiterate the importance of encouraging individuals to substitute alternate beverages for soda.”

Dr. Young suggests, "drinking soda drinks compromises the alkaline design of the body setting the stage for sickness, dis-ease, disease and death.  People are digging their graves with their own teeth when they ingest foods and beverages that are highly acidic/toxic to the blood and tissues.  These acidic foods and beverages include, animal flesh, dairy products, alcohol. coffee, tea, soda drinks, sports drinks, high sugar fruit drinks, vinegar,  and sugar in all of its forms both natural and artificial."

If you are ingesting acidic drinks like soda pop, the following article may help you kick the acidic habit before its too late!

Woman’s Coca-Cola ‘habit’ cited in death

By Eric Pfeiffer | The Sideshow – Fri, Apr 20, 2012

Experts say Natasha Harris Coca-Cola habit probably contributed to her death (AP/New Zealand Herald)When people attribute someone's untimely death to a Coke overdose, they're usually not talking about the world's most popular soda.

But experts in New Zealand say Natasha Harris' 2-gallon-a-day Coca-Cola consumption"probably" contributed to her death. The soda company responded to the alleged connection by noting that even water consumption can be fatalin excessive amounts.

"The first thing she would do in the morning was to have a drink of Coke beside her bed and the last thing she would do at night was have a drink of Coke," Harris' partner Chris Hodgkinson said in a deposition. "She was addicted to Coke."

Hodgkinson testified that Harris drank between 2.1 gallons and 2.6 gallons of Coke every day.

The 30-year-old Harris died of a heart attack in February 2010. According to New Zealand's Fairfax Media, pathologist Dr. Dan Mornin testified on Thursday that Harris likely suffered from hypokalemia (low potassium levels), which he believes was caused by her overall poor nutrition, including the unusually high levels of Coke consumption.

Though in fairness to the soda manufacturer, it was also revealed that Harris made other questionable health choices before her death, including smoking a reported 30 cigarettes per day and having poor eating habits. Dr. Mornin also said Harris had "toxic levels of caffeine" in her blood, though it's not clear if those levels came exclusively from Coke or from a combination of other sources, including coffee.

Karen Thompson, a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola Oceania, defended the safety of her company's products in a statement:

"We concur with the information shared by the coroner's office that the grossly excessive ingestion of any food product, including water, over a short period of time with the inadequate consumption of essential nutrients, and the failure to seek appropriate medical intervention when needed, can be dramatically symptomatic."

Harris reportedly experienced high blood pressure in the months leading up to her death. Hodgkinson called emergency services and tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but was not able to revive Harris after she collapsed in her home.

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Appalachian hospital chain, facing loss of 25,000 Medicaid patients, sues managed-care firms and state

"Appalachian Regional Healthcare, the largest health care system in Eastern Kentucky, has filed lawsuits against two of the state's Medicaid managed care companies, alleging that the managed care companies had not paid claims promptly," report Valarie Honeycutt Spears and Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader. ARH said it treats about 25,000 Medicaid patients at its eight Kentucky hospitals.

The moves came after Coventry Cares, one of three managed-care organizations hired by the state, said it would cancel its contract with ARH as of May 4. ARH sued Coventry in federal court on Monday; the previous Thursday, April 12, it sued "in Franklin Circuit Court against Kentucky Spirit Health Plan Inc. and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services." On March 29, "Coventry Coventry told ARH that it was terminating its contract with ARH effective May 4."

Coventry spokesman Matthew Eyles told the Herald-Leader, "We were effectively forced to break our ties with ARH until the Commonwealth takes steps to treat all MCOs equally and makes some key decisions to guarantee greater stability in the program, such as paying MCOs fairly based on whether they have healthier or sicker members." Cabinet spokeswoman Jill Midkiff said the issues don't indicate a problem with the managed-care system the state adopted Nov. 1. (Read more)

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The Mycotoxic Oxidative Stress Coagulated Blood Test

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Health Benefits of Guinea Hen Weed

Guinea Hen Weed: A Powerful Jamaican Herb


GUINEA HEN weed, known to South Americans as anamu, is a herb that is indigenous to induce abortion in the Amazon rainforest and the tropical areas of the Caribbean, Central and South America and Africa. Its botanical name is Petiveria alliacea. In Jamaica, it has several names – guinea hen weed, guinea hen leaf, garlic weed or gully root.

Anamu has a long history of use in all the countries where it grows. Herbalists and have traditionally used anamu for a wide variety of conditions including arthritis, digestive disorders,  diabetes, cancer, pain relief and even to induce abortions.

Over the past quarter of a century, however, modern scientific research has studied anamu intensively and many biologically active compounds have been discovered in the plant: flavanoids, triterpenes, steroids, and sulfur compounds. The research published on anamu now validates many of the historical uses of this herb.

Interestingly, the researchers found that of the 20 compounds isolated from the plant – several of which had never been identified in nature before – some were similar to compounds found in garlic, a plant known to have medicinal properties.

Anamu disorganizes cancer cells - Laboratory investigations show that anamu retards the growth of several strains of cancer and leukemia cells. In a plant screening programme performed at the University of Illinois at Chicago, more than 1,400 plant extracts were evaluated for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Anamu was one of only 34 plants identified with active properties specifically against cancerous conditions.

How does anamu work against a cancerous condition?

Several phytochemicals in anamu like astilbin and dibenzyl trisulphide have been documented to directly disorganizes cancer cells. Research showed further that the compounds in anamu were able to differentiate between normal cells and cancer cells, transforming only the cancerous cells. In addition, other substances in the herb stimulate the body’s natural defences as described below.

Anamu supports the immune system - Anamu has also been verified to have immuno-activation properties. It activates the immune system to increase its production of lymphocytes and natural killer cells – powerful disease-destroying cells. At the same time, it increases the production of interferon and interleukins – substances naturally produced by the immune system in dealing with dietary and metabolic acids that are at the root cause of ALL cancerous conditions and out-fections.

Anamu buffers acids that cause out-fections - It demonstrates broad spectrum antimicrobial properties against numerous bacteria, fungi and yeast. Compounds in anamu directly disorganizes and/or inhibits the develpment or transformation of healthy cells into bacterial or fungal cells. Interestingly, many alternative medicine practitioners believe that so-called infection or better said, outfictions play a major role in many cancerous conditions. Anamu is widely used in folk medicine for buffering the acids that are the cause of all so-called infections.

Anamu relieves pain by reducing dietary and/or metabolic acid - Its traditional use as a remedy for arthritis and rheumatism has been validated by clinical research that confirms its acid/pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effect. Researchers in Sweden demonstrated its COX-1 inhibitory properties (cyclooxogenase-1 inhibitors are a new class of popular and profitable arthritis drugs). Anamu extracts have been found to relieve acid/pain and inflammation even when applied topically to the skin.

Anamu lowers the acids in the blood called glucose/sugar - While anamu has not been widely researched for diabetes, it had been documented to lower blood sugar acid levels by more than 60 per cent in laboratory animals. This reflects herbal medical practice in Cuba where anamu has been used as an aid for diabetes for many years.

Contradictions to anamu

Anamu has been found to cause contractions of the uterus that can lead to abortions and miscarriages. As such, it should not be used by pregnant women.

Anamu contains a low concentration of a blood thinner called coumadin. People with any bleeding disorder like hemophilia or who are on blood thinning medication should consult their health-care provider before using anamu.

Directions for use

I recommend using organically grown anamu herb, free of insecticides, herbicides and other pollution.
One heaping tablespoonful of the whole powdered anamu plant is diffused in one litre of hot water. The resulting tea is drunk preferably on an empty stomach. An average dosage is four ounces (about half a cup) twice daily.

Reminder and warning

Many persons are desperately looking for a quick fix – a magic bullet that will miraculously cure their  acidic illness. The reality is that there is no quick fix. Like so many useful herbs, anamu will give best results when combined with optimal base nutrition, alkalizing nutritional supplements, exercise, acid detoxification, stress management and adequate restful sleep.

It must be only a part of the pH Miracle healthy lifestyles and diet. It can also be used along with conventional medicines without disturbing their effects. If you have a serious medical condition, do not self medicate without the assistance and guidance of a qualified health practitioner.

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Pill-mill bill passes; attorney general won't get drug-monitoring system but narcotic-prescribing doctors will have to use it

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, center, walks
with House budget committee chair Rick
Rand and House Majority Floor Leader
Rocky Adkins. (Courier-Journal photo).

Legislators have sent Gov. Steve Beshear a bill to curb prescription drug abuse and crack down on rogue pain clinics, ending the special session of the General Assembly.

The final version left the state's prescription drug-monitoring system under the control of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the doctor-controlled Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure rather than move it to the attorney general's office, as the last version in the regular session would have. But in another significant change, it will require doctors and pharmacists who prescribe or dispense Schedule II and III drugs, such as oxycodone and morphine, to use the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting system. Only about 25 percent of Kentucky physicians now use KASPER.

Putting the drug-monitoring system in the hands of the attorney general was considered a linchpin of efforts to help law enforcement to proactively identify suspicious prescribers; law enforcement officers can access the database only if they have a case opened, and say they need the data to open cases. But the Kentucky Medical Association called giving law enforcement oversight of information with prescription-drug information a violation of personal privacy. "You are essentially legislating medical care," said Shawn Jones, president of the KMA.

Beshear, who repeatedly pressured legislators to pass a bill pertaining to the issue, issued a statement this evening expressing his delight. "Even though the prescription drug bill doesn't include every element we had hoped, it is an enormous bipartisan accomplishment, and it restores Kentucky as a leading state in innovative tactics in battling prescription drug abuse," he said. "The elements of the bill also help prevent Kentucky from becoming a source state for prescription pills.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, who sponsored the bill, called its passage "a step forward" though he "would have preferred a stronger version." He told reporters that he did not feel this would be the last time lawmakers would be changing laws to fight the problem, and noted that Beshear could use his gubernatorial reorganization powers to change the administration of the system: "I think the governor, in the days ahead, will continue to take aggressive action on addressing this problem."

The measure will require pharmacists to submit information to KASPER within 24 hours of dispensing a narcotic and doctors must check the system before prescribing one to a new patient. They then would be required to check a KASPER report every three months during a patient's treatment.

As before, the measure will require most pain clinics be owned by at least one doctor; 33 of Kentucky's 77 pain clinics are owned by people with no medical background. Those who already own clinics and haven't had run-ins with the law will be "grandfathered" and be allowed to continue operating. "That really waters it down. A lot!!" Operation UNITE Director Karen Kelly said on Facebook.

Lawmakers also passed the transportation budget bill, which was the main reason why they were called in for a special session by Beshear. They reached an impasse last week when the Senate would not approve the budget, a move Beshear and Senate President David Williams blamed on each other.

There were suggestions that the road and drug issues, the only items that the legislature could consider under Beshear's call of the session, were related. "As the Senate receded on the amendment to put back $50 million of [road] money into Senate President David Williams' district, word went out that the House would compromise on the pill bill and let the Senate keep KASPER [where it is] as long as a funding change took place," Ryan Alessi reports for cn|2. "The Senate sprang into action amended the pill bill and leaders from the two chambers worked together to pass legislation before supper time."

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Dr. Young educates individuals, groups and communities to learn how to behave in a manner conducive to the promotion, maintenance, or restoration of health; how to acquire information and the skills needed to make quality health decisions including but not limited to: environmental, physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health.

Dr. Young will help you to understand the condition of someone’s health by using safe screening diagnostic methods such as Live Blood Analysis, Medical Diagnostic Ultrasound and Thermography to recognize and prevent degenerative diseases.

Dr. Young believes that health is a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and emotional well-being and that the body has the power to heal itself. He educates his clients to understand that they can facilitate the process of healing with a healthy diet, manipulative medicine and non-toxic, non-invasive and natural therapies in order to eliminate harmful side effects.

There is an underlying cause, such as diet, lifestyle or emotional forces, to every illness. Dr. Robert O. Young helps to uncover and treat the cause of disease instead of just the symptoms of the illness, which he achieves through education and promotion of healthy lifestyle choices. 

~ Dr. Galina Migalko


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Universal-Medical-Imaging-Group-Diagnostic-Ultrasound-and-Thermography/144446982270571

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GINGER is an aromatic, pungent and spicy root vegetable. Ginger adds a special flavor and zest to stir fries and many fruit and vegetable dishes. Ginger’s benefits as a healing food are well known in Asia where it is frequently called “the universal medicine.” Ginger is regarded as an excellent “carminative” (a substance which promotes the elimination of intestinal gas) and “intestinal spasmolytic” (a substance which relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract).

Ginger’s effectiveness as a buffer for stomach acid is due largely to its active phytonutrient ingredients: “gingerols” and “shogaols” which are responsible for ginger’s distinctive flavor. Ginger’s anti-vomiting/acid action has been shown to be very useful in reducing the nausea (due to the body's need for alkalinity in the form of sodium bicarbornate) and vomiting of pregnancy also the result of excess acids and the need for base. Japanese researchers believe the gingerols may be responsible for blocking the body’s reflex to vomit. Dr. Robert O. Young's research indicates that ginger buffers excess acid and thus blocks vomiting. Ginger’s phytonutrients help to neutralize stomach acids, enhance the secretion of aklaline juices (stimulating the appetite), and tone the muscles of the digestive tract.

Both gingerols and shogaols have been shown to fight cancer as well. Scientific research has been shown that gingerols have antibacterial properties to inhibit the growth of “helicobacter pylori,” involved in the development of gastric and colon cancer and suppress the growth of human colorectal carcinomas. Lab experiments presented by Dr. Rebecca Lui (and colleagues from the University of Michigan) at the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer showed that gingerols kill ovarian cancer cells by inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) and phagocytosis (self-digestion).

In a 2007 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Dr. Chung-Yi Chen (and colleagues in the American Chemical Society) presented compelling evidence that ginger’s shogaols effectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells. A Rutgers University study later that same year supported the cancer-fighting properties of both shogaols and gingerols.

Denmark researchers have discovered that ginger can block the effects of prostaglandins, which are substances that cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain and lead to migraines. When you feel a migraine coming on, take 1/3 teaspoon of fresh of powdered ginger to help stop the headache before it starts. In Chinese medicine, ginger tea with brown sugar is used in the treatment of menstrual cramps, while adding ginger to honey can wipe out food poisoning in a hurry.

But that’s not all! Studies have shown that ginger contains anti-inflammatory properties that work much like the more common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Ginger actually inhibits the action of several of the genes involved in the inflammation process, namely cytokines and chemokines.

We love to blend up a couple of fresh ginger roots along with fresh lime or lemon juice, garlic, and ice for a nutritionally potent (and tasty) breakfast smoothie. When buying ginger, fresh is best! Be sure to avoid ginger with dry, wrinkled, skin, mold or soft spots. Grating, blending, or using a garlic press will give you the maximum benefit.

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We Pay Gasoline Tax to Keep Up the US Highway Infrastructure–Why Not Tax the Data Selling Companies and Banks to Keep Up the US Government IT Infrastructure? A “Buffett Tax” Alternative

It’s time for another one of these posts since the Buffett Law on taxes is sinking or is sunk.  If you have followed any of the news in the last few years about the SEC (Madoff) and other government departments needing IT infrastructure updates, let’s face it, we need a tax for that. 

Corporations, Banks, High Frequency Traders, Social Networks, etc. all make Billions, that’s with a big “B” selling data they mine and most of the time get it for free.  States already license data miners but now their costs are going up as they have to install software to keep some of the “bots” out as they have tremendously grown in numbers and who pays for that?   Taxes are supposed to but they are all running short.  This was discussed before under Chapter 17 of “The Attack of the Killer Algorithms”.  They have teeth and make money and this is what you can’t see, touch or talk to running on servers 24/7 behind the scenes. 

Start Licensing and Taxing the Data Sellers of the Internet Making Billions of Profit Dollars Mining “Free Taxpayer Data”–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 17 - “Occupy Algorithms”– Help Stop Inequality in the US

I actually started out calling it the “Alternative Millionaires Tax a while back.  Not too long ago I saw somewhere that Google was offering a “tiny” bit of money for those to agree to let them use their data.  I can’t remember where but it was out there. 

The Alternative Millionaire’s Tax–License and Tax Big Corporations Who Mine and Sell Taxpayer Data They Get for Free From the Internet-Phase One to Restore Middle Class With Transparency, Disclosure and Money

CoreLogic, one of the data miners for credit information  has formed a partnership with FICO who is already in the process of selling algorithms with mismatched data which connects public information about you and combines it with your credit score to tell if you as a medical patient will take your prescriptions.  Somebody needs to start calling some of these folks on “mis matched data” that discriminates as now we have “Discrimination by the Algorithm” and it’s showing in more places all the time.   Others actually say it a lot better than I do, video below.

You Are the Product–Privacy Anonymity and Net Neutrality On the Internet - Excellent Stanford University Lecture (Video)

So the next time you are out there buying that tire to keep your car rolling, and pay a federal excise tax, give this some thought on the millions and billions being made by corporate US today from the “free taxpayer data” they mind and scrape for free and all the money they make off the backs of taxpayers, and this should be a way of corporations giving some of it back and would add some real transparency as we don’t know what all they are selling and to who? 

Walgreens said in their 2010 SEC statement that they made short of $800 million, just from selling data, so one has to wonder if filling prescriptions is a side business to collect that data and how much profit would they show without this source of income?  It’s large enough to be taxed and for them to have a license to mine and sell data.  So far I have not had anyone “not” like this idea and separate it from Income Tax and require quarterly payments and an updated license every quarter so we know all are compliant.  Here’s a little hindsight or foresight, a post I made back in August of 2009 and we need this now with the amount of “flawed data” and software out there. 

“Department of Algorithms – Do We Need One of These to Regulate Upcoming Laws?

As consumers we have become data chasers to fix everything that has been put in data files that for the most part we had nothing to do with, unless you give it all away on Facebook and other social networks. 

Attack of the Killer Algorithms Part 6–Discrimination With Consumer Credit-Same As Health Insurance Wanting Consumers to Reconstruct Records From Many Years Past As Middle Class Turns Into Data Chasers-Days of Taking Risks to Get Ahead Will Be Limited For Most…Occupy Algorithms

So again, where’s the tax in the US to keep up the IT Infrastructure, I don’t think there is one and we certainly could use it as big business runs over government all day long and we as consumers suffer with the Attacks of the Killer Algorithms as there’s no system and balance to protect us as the government is outdone over and over in most areas, with the exception of the military for the most part. 

When folks get out of the military we hear one story after another though too and how they are not getting their proper benefits either and join the rank and file of the rest of us not protected by an adequate IT Infrastructure.  The SEC and the FDA come to mind as 2 departments that could really use the support with IT infrastructure and they are 2 agencies that are supposed to help and protect consumers. 

So again where is this IT Infrastructure tax?  We can certainly use one as without it inequality will continue to thrive as big business continues to reign without much regulation.  This is an area where big business benefits and the cost should be reflected from that side of the fence and not more tossed upon the consumer.  Consumers also need a federal disclosure page in the name of transparency so we can see who sells what kind of data to who, as right now we are all at the mercy of the crafty written legal privacy statements on websites that are very difficult to interpret for the most part and confuse all and that may be the plan so as not to give out too much information as to what is really happening on servers operating 24/7 making life impacting decisions about all of us.  Our lawmakers seem to be out of touch with all of what goes on behind the scenes as well. 

IBM Watson Going to Work At Citigroup on Wall Street–Congress Didn’t See Big Data As A Tool (Hadoop Framework) When They Had Their Chance…For Consumers The Attack of the Killer Algorithms–Chapter 22

The government needs to keep up with with the IT infrastructure of big business today and big business should foot that bill, not the consumer.  BD

 

The Quiet Rise of Machine Learning-Like IBM Watson Offers With Speed and Learned Analytics-Congress Needs Technology This To Make Better Laws & Collaborate

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Kentucky's pill mill fight makes headlines in Wall Street Journal

A man gets arrested at a pain clinic in Lexington.
Photo by Charles Bertram for the Lexington
Herald-Leader.

The Wall Street Journal has featured Kentucky's legislative battle over its pill-mill bill in today's paper, calling the state an "epicenter of abuse."

"Kentucky is ground zero of the effort to move prescription-drug monitoring programs out of the health-care arena into law enforcement," said Even Jenkins, executive director of the West Virginia State Medical Association, a physicians trade group, and a Democratic state senator.

"The Republican-controlled Senate is considering a vote as early as Friday on a bill that would restrict ownership of pain clinics to licensed physicians and give law enforcement easier access to the state's prescription-drug database," writes Timothy W. Martin.

But, he notes, there is strong opposition to the bill from the Kentucky Medical Association, which worries "giving law enforcement oversight of a database with prescription-drug information is a violation of personal privacy."

"You are essentially legislating medical care. We think doctors should write those regulations, not legislatures," said Shawn Jones, president of the KMA. He called the bill an "overreach."

"The struggle over the Kentucky bill highlights the complicated path policy makers and law enforcement are traversing nationwide in their attempts to fight abuse of prescription painkillers," Martin reports. "Unlike importers and dealers of illicit drugs such as cocaine, the supply chain for prescription drugs is made up largely of legitimate businesses and professionals."

Legislative pushes in Ohio, West Virginia, Florida and other states have been met with fierce opposition from physician and pharmacy trade groups, Martin writes.

About 48 states have legislation requiring prescription drug-monitoring programs. That's up by 16 from 10 years ago, but restrictions for who can access the data varies by state, Martin reports. Kentucky law enforcement has complained it cannot access the data in time to single out problem prescribers, which is the reason House Bill 1 would transfer the tracking system from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the attorney general's office.

"The data is all there — it's just under a rug," said Attorney General Jack Conway, saying law enforcement cannot know now who are the highest prescribers in the state. Having access to the database would solve that problem, he said. (Read more)

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Hospitals get antsy about leasing space to fast-food chains

McDonald's has space in the Cleveland Clinic. (AP photo)

While the U.S. Department of Agriculture decides what to suggest about junk food in schools, hospitals are likewise at a crossroads, with many administrators feeling conflicted about housing fast-food chains in their facilities.

At Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, the cafeteria features low-fat meals, on the other side of a wall from a McDonald's. CEO John Bluford said the golden arches send "an inconsistent message" to patients, staff and community because of the unhealthy offerings, but Truman agreed to a 25-year contract with the chain in 1992 "at a time when the financial benefit of having a stable food-service client in the hospital outweighed any potential health concerns," reports Elana Gordon for NPR.

Getting out of these contracts can be tricky. The Cleveland Clinic tried to end its agreement with McDonald's 10 years ago, but the restaurant remains in operation. "We're just going to live with it," said Bill Barum, director of hospitality and retail services. "When the contract ends, we'll have the opportunity to reexamine the space."

Of the 14,000 McDonald's in the country, there are 27 in hospitals, and officials say the restaurant's menu can be tailored to health-conscious diners.

Some hospitals have five fast-food outlets, a survey by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine found. The report's top five "worst hospital environments" housed at least one fast-food restaurant. "In this day and age, you would think a hospital might be proud enough, if not shamed enough, to cut or end these contracts with fast-food outlets," said Susan Levin, a dietitian with PCRM.

But while some hospitals are looking to end fast-food contracts, some are signing them, including the Texas Medical Center's St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and the Medical University of South Carolina University Hospital, where Chick-fil-A is  open for business. (Read more)

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Poll finds parents overwhelmingly support more nutritious school food; USDA expected to issue new guidelines

Photo by Reuters' Lucy Nicholson

Chocolate bars, Cheetos and cheesy fries may soon be a thing of the past at public schools in America, and that's fine with parents, a new poll has found.

The survey found "most people agreed the chips, soda and candy bars students buy from vending machines or school stores in addition to breakfast and lunch are not nutritious, and they support a national standard for foods sold at schools," reports Susan Heavey for Reuters.

As it did for school lunch earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to release new guidelines for vending machines and à la carte sales by June, some experts say.

In Kentucky, schools are already not allowed to sell food that competes with the national school lunch and breakfast programs from the minute students arrive in the morning until 30 minutes after the last lunch period. Only water, 100 percent fruit juice, lowfat milk and any beverage that contains no more than 10 grams of sugar per serving are allowed to be sold in school vending machines, as per state mandate. There are no limits as to what food or drinks that can be sold in fundraisers.

The poll, conducted by advocacy group Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project, found 80 percent of the 1,010 adults surveyed said they would support nutritional standards that limit the calories, fat and sodium in such schools.

Students eat one-fifth to one-half of their daily diet at schools, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report 20 percent of American children are obese, As of 2007 in Kentucky, more than 37 percent of children were either obese or overweight, a study by the National Conference of State Legislatures shows.

A study by the National Academy of Sciences reports that about $2.3 billion worth of snack food and drinks are sold each year in schools nationwide. As such, changes might be controversial. The new guidelines for school lunch met with resistance from lawmakers, who "locked limits to french fries and counted pizza as a vegetable because it contains tomato sauce," Heavey reports.  There are concerns industry lobbyists and members of Congress could dilute the USDA proposals. (Read more)

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UnitedHealthCare 1st Quarter of 2012 Yields over $1 Billion in Net Profits–25% of the Nation Still Remains Uninsured

The Los Angeles Times ran this article today about the “holes in health insurance coverage” and is that where some of the profits lie?   Also noted in the growth was the DOD contract award.  Did this lawsuit have anything to do with the award mentioned in the article as well as hiring the former US Assistant Attorney General from Minnesota as general counsel?   One does have to ask when you see flurries of legal activities. 

Update: UnitedHealthcare Sues Department of Defense Over Tri-Care Contracts–They Said They Would Do This – Is This A Case Of My Algorithms Are Better Than Yours?

 

In addition the company either directly or through subsidiaries is buying up more physician’s practices, HMOs and IPAs so that would seem to leverage greater control on reimbursement to the the doctors. 

United Healthcare Buys Two HMOs in Florida–More Cheap or Free Hearing Aids for Seniors Perhaps–Subsidiary Watch

Meanwhile the AMA put an article out that the United lawsuit checks are in the mail.  Nobody is getting tons of money as they never really do on a class action suit.

”Neither United nor any of the health plans that used its Ingenix databases admitted to any wrongdoing, but they did reach a settlement in the federal lawsuit in 2009, agreeing to pay physicians and patients $350 million.

United and other insurers also reached an agreement with the New York State Attorney General's Office, which had investigated the use of UCR to set payment rates and concluded that the system cheated patients and their physicians. The insurers agreed to change the way they set out-of-network payment rates and pay to establish a new database”

In the Health IT business they have about 3 different medical records programs offered through subsidiaries and have enough analytics to cure what ever ails a doctor, hospital or corporation.  Contract lowered, they have the algorithms to help one function with less.   

Subsidiary Watch-Corporate Conglomerate Insurers Reduce Compensation Contracts Using One Subsidiary Then Market Same MDs With Another Subsidiary in Health IT

 

Here’s a couple other subsidiaries that add to their bottom line, although I believe some of the I3 folks are no longer a part but they still have ChinaGate as a subsidiary in China and maybe this is part of the cheap hearing aides they offer through yet one more subsidiary they set up to distribute them.   More information about the hearing aids at the links above. 

United Healthcare (Optum) Owns A Consulting Firm for FDA Drug and Device Approvals, Clinical Trials–CanReg - Subsidiary Watch

UnitedHealth subsidiary (Ingenix Subsidiary I3) Acquires ChinaGate – Working to Sell Chinese Products Globally

Other insurers are due to come out with their numbers soon, but nobody has the huge daily chain of subsidiaries to compile revenue as does United and they don’t have a bank as United does with over $1 billion on deposit.  BD 

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First-quarter net income rose 3.1 percent to $1.39 billion, or $1.31 a share, UnitedHealth said in its statement. The results beat the $1.17-a-share average of analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Revenue climbed to $27.3 billion from $25.4 billion a year earlier.

UnitedHealth spent 81 percent of premiums collected on medical care, down from 81.4 percent a year earlier.

Hemsley has been bulking up with acquisitions of smaller health plans as President Barack Obama’s health-care law puts pressure on profit margins. UnitedHealth completed its $2 billion purchase of XL Health Corp. in February, gaining membership in plans administered for Medicare, the U.S. backed program for the elderly. Last month, the Pentagon announced it had chosen the company for a $20.5 billion, five-year contract to provide benefits to military personnel and their families.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-19/unitedhealth-profit-rises-as-medical-costs-lag-behind-recovery.html

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