Americans Are Buying Gene-Edited Food That's Not Labeled GMO

"... corn injected with outside DNA is classified a genetically modified organism, but canola that can tolerate herbicide because scientists removed a gene is not."

Americans Are Buying Gene-Edited Food That's Not Labeled GMO
by Craig Giammona and Jack Kaskey, bloomberg.com, 

14 July 2016

- USDA passes on oversight of cooking oil new to store shelves
- Monsanto, DuPont, Dow developing crops with the new technology

Products made possible through gene-editing have landed on grocery shelves. Whether they’ll stay there is up to shoppers wary of technological tinkering.

Food companies are now required to label GMOs in Vermont, and debate is raging over a federal standard. But so far, regulators at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have taken a pass on overseeing gene-edited crops. They say cutting DNA from a plant is not the same as adding genes from another organism. So corn injected with outside DNA is classified a genetically modified organism, but canola that can tolerate herbicide because scientists removed a gene is not.

Electrosmog and Autoimmune Disease

Electrosmog and autoimmune disease 
Immunol Res DOI 10.1007/s12026-016-8825-7
First online:  13 July 2016

Trevor G. Marshall1 • Trudy J. Rumann Heil2 The Author(s) 2016.

This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com

Abstract 

Studies in mice have shown that environmental electromagnetic waves tend to suppress the murine immune system with a potency similar to NSAIDs, yet the nature of any Electrosmog effects upon humans remains controversial. Previously, we reported how the human Vitamin-D receptor (VDR) and its ligand, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D (1,25-D), are associated with many chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. We have shown how olmesartan, a drug marketed for mild hypertension, acts as a high-affinity partial agonist for the VDR, and that it seems to reverse disease activity resulting from VDR dysfunction. We here report that structural instability of the activated VDR becomes apparent when observing hydrogen bond behavior with molecular dynamics, revealing that the VDR pathway exhibits a susceptibility to Electrosmog. Further, we note that characteristic modes of instability lie in the microwave frequency range, which is currently populated by cellphone and WiFi communication signals, and that the susceptibility is ligand dependent. A case series of 64 patient-reported outcomes subsequent to use of a silver-threaded cap designed to protect the brain and brain stem from microwave Electrosmog resulted in 90 % reporting ‘‘definite’’ or ‘‘strong’’ changes in their disease symptoms. This is much higher than the 3–5 % rate reported for electromagnetic hypersensitivity in a healthy population and suggests that effective control of environmental Electrosmog immunomodulation may soon become necessary for successful therapy of autoimmune disease.

Full text:
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12026-016-8825-7

PDF copy: 

http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs12026-016-8825-7.pdf

New Device Detects Disease Before You Have It

Scientist holds biosensor chip.

"This biochip would be easy to implant, swift to respond, and inexpensive. The chip is comprised of a DNA probe which sits on a graphene field effect transistor. The probe is a double strand of DNA genetically engineered to contain a sequence of coding for a specific SNP. The chip captures DNA or RNA molecules that have a certain kind of mutation. When these molecules bind to the probe, it sends an electrical signal."

New Device Detects Disease before You Even Have it
by Philip Perry, bigthink.com, 22 June 2016

Generally speaking, the farther along a serious illness is, the harder it is to cure or even manage. Many types of cancer such as colon, prostate, and breast cancer for instance, among the deadliest, give few if any symptoms before it’s too late. The earlier in its pathogenesis or development, the easier it is to manage and treat. Now, scientists have the means to detect serious illnesses before they begin.

Cell Phones Linked to Weaker Bones

"Although small, the new study raises the possibility that long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation from cell phones could adversely affect bone mineralization. Larger follow-up studies will be needed to confirm or disprove this hypothesis, according to Dr Sravi. He suggests that studies may be warranted in women, who have higher rates of osteoporosis; and children, who would have longer expected lifetime exposure to cell phones."

Common thing weakening your bones
by Bel Marra Health, 4 May 2016

(A summary of the study from Argentina follows this article.)

Everywhere you look, someone is carrying around a cell phone – many people see these devices as extensions of themselves. Whether in your purse, in your hands, or in your pocket, a cell phone is always within arm’s reach in case a text message, an email, or a phone call comes in. It doesn’t really matter how old you are, cell phones span across generations.

In addition to the previous studies reporting that cell phones may be hazardous to our health, a recent small study found new evidence – this time, with regards to our bone health.

Cell phones linked to weaker bones

Does Long-Term Exposure to 4G LTE Cell Phone Radiation Impair Cell Phone Users' Health?

Does long-term exposure to 4G LTE cell phone radiation impair cell phone users' health?
Electromagnetic Radiation Safety, May 2016

(Abstract and excerpts follow this summary)

Following is a summary of the second study published on the effects of 4th generation LTE cell phone radiation on the brain activity of cell phone users by the China Academy of Telecommunication Research of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The original study showed that 30 minutes of exposure to LTE phone radiation affected brain activity in the left superior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus and right paracentral lobule. The current study found that a 30-minute exposure to LTE radiation modulated the EEG in the alpha and beta bands at the frontal region of the near and remote sides, and at the temporal region on the near side.

By the end of 2013, 100 million cell phones in the U.S. operated on LTE. This number worldwide is expected to exceed 1 billion by the end of this year. Yet the one major study cell phone study being conducted in the U.S. examines the effects of 2nd generation cell phone technology.

Why don't the U.S. and other major nations conduct biological and health effects research on the latest cell phone and wireless technologies?

Australia ABC Suspends Presenter Over 'W-Fi Is Dangerous' Claims: New Managing Director is Ex-Google Exec

Scaremongering?  Catalyst?  Surely not.

"Under budget attack, and with a new managing director (ex-Google exec Michelle Guthrie) already wielding a funding knife, the review could well put the entire Catalyst program under a cloud."

Australia's ABC suspends presenter over 'Wi-Fi is dangerous' claims
by Richard Chirgwin, theregister.co.uk, 

5 July 2016

Catalyst's Dr Maryanne Demasi off air, programme under review

Australian public broadcaster ABC has suspended the presenter behind its unscientific “Wi-Fried”Catalyst programme that aired earlier this year.

Presenter Dr Maryanne Demasi of the popular science program swallowed wholesale the claims of scare-mongers like Devra Davis and Canadian opponent of Wi-Fi in schools, Frank Clegg.

Watch “Wi-fried” and Implement the Precautionary Principle

Watch “Wi-fried” and implement the precautionary principle*
by erikpeper, peperperspective.com,

5 July 2016

[You may still view “Wi-Fried”.]

The exponential increase in environmental exposure to electromagnetic radiation (microwaves) from wireless devices and Wi-Fi (e.g., routers, smartphones, tablets and any device that uses wireless connections) will probably cause harm. From an evolutionary perspective, this is the first time in human history that we are continuously bombarded by massive increases in microwave radiation–a totally new experience for our body. It is not be surprising that wireless radiation could increase the risk of cancer (Davis, 2010; Knudson, 2016). Why wait 30 plus years until the definitive studies have been completed. Use the precautionary principle and assume that microwave radiation is harmful until proven otherwise.

How the U.S. Tests Cellphones for Safety

Belt Clip? How the U.S. Tests Cellphones for Safety
by Ryan Knutson, The Wall Street Journal, 6 July 2016

Study results support push for tougher standards to protect humans from potential health effects

(Photo:) Last month, the National Toxicology Program released partial results from a study on rodents that found an association between radio-frequency radiation and cancer. This has stirred debate about whether the cellphones are tested adequately to protect human health. 

Photo:  Michael Nagle for the Wall Street Journal

Four decades ago, an inspector at the Hartford Police Department raised questions about the safety of one of Motorola’s walkie-talkies. Quirino Balzano, then a newly hired engineer at a Motorola lab in Florida, was asked to prove the devices were safe.

Walkie-talkies, similar to their cellphone successors, emit radio-frequency radiation, which in nominal amounts isn’t known to affect people. The only agreed upon effect of such energy is it can heat human tissue at high levels. The test Dr. Balzano devised was to place the walkie-talkie near a human skull filled with mostly sugar water and measure the temperature of the liquid. That general concept eventually evolved into the industry’s primary method for testing the radiation emissions from cellphones.

Today, every cellphone model sold in the U.S. is tested to ensure it doesn’t exceed energy absorption levels set by the Federal Communications Commission.

But a recent U.S. government study challenges the notion that heating is the only potential health effect, renewing a debate about whether the modern version of Dr. Balzano’s test adequately protects human health.

Glyphosate Sprayed on GMO Crops Linked to Lake Erie’s Toxic Algae Bloom

A look of the growing bloom of harmful algae in
Lake Erie from space.

Glyphosate Sprayed on GMO Crops Linked to Lake Erie’s Toxic Algae Bloom

by Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch, 5 July 2016

Glyphosate, the controversial main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup and other herbicides, is being connected to Lake Erie’s troubling algae blooms, which has fouled drinking water and suffocated and killed marine life in recent years.

Phosphorus—attributed to farm runoff carried by the Maumee River—has long been identifiedas a leading culprit feeding the excessive blooms in the western Lake Erie basin. Now, according to a new study from chemistry professor Christopher Spiese, a significant correlation has been established between the increased use of glyphosate to the percentage of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) in the runoff.

Case Report: Exacerbation of Demyelinating Syndrome After Exposure to Wireless Modem with Public Hotspot

Case Report:  Exacerbation of demyelinating syndrome after exposure to wireless modem with public hotspot
Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine

DOI:10.3109/15368378.2015.1107839

Olle Johanssona & Mary Redmayneb*

Published online: 29 Jun 2016

Abstract

In August 2003, 48-year-old JS of Colorado, USA, a fitness therapist and sports nutritionist, contracted neuroinvasive West Nile virus which left her with disabilities due to spinal axonal damage.In August 2014, she suddenly developed symptoms very much like her acute West Nile infection 11 years ago, including focal seizures, ataxia, vertigo and headaches. Her blood count looked normal so there was no obvious infection. What struck her as odd was that when she left her apartment for any length of time, the symptoms stopped. She found out that a new type of wireless modem, enabled for both personal use and functioning as a public hotspot designed to reach up to 100 m, had been installed in the flat under hers.Her neighbor replaced the modem with a router without the hotspot feature. After that, the seizures stopped immediately, and the other symptoms faded gradually, after which she was fine and again could sleep well.