Monday, October 30, 2006
Atopy, Arthritis and Darkness
As I continue to revise PhotoperiodEffect.com I am folding in breaking science news that's consistent with the Photoperiod Hypothesis (here.)
I won't post every such news story here, there are too many, but I will probably do so from time to time.
The studies I've read suggest that atopy (asthma etc) and autoimmunity result when we cut short the period of darkness when much of the clean-up and maintenance of our cells, as well as self-identification takes place.
Specifically, very recent research (October, 2006) suggests that rheumatoid arthritis may result from one particular clean-up task not being properly performed by the immune system. The DNase II enzyme in macrophages (a garbage-collecting white cell) snips apart and thus digests waste DNA in the bloodstream from dead cells. Mice that are prevented from producing this enzyme, by deleting that gene “develop a chronic polyarthritis resembling human rheumatoid arthritis.” [17066036] [http://www.newscientist.com/]
The obvious conclusion (at least to me, to paraphrase Copernicus) is that those who already have arthritis ought to be smart enough to come in from the light.
If you're already in pain from an autoimmune disease, and you still want to burn the candle at both ends (of the day) preventing your normal daily immune cycles from operating, good luck to you.
Surely the sensible thing to do is to adopt a more normal night. (Instructions here).
I won't post every such news story here, there are too many, but I will probably do so from time to time.
The studies I've read suggest that atopy (asthma etc) and autoimmunity result when we cut short the period of darkness when much of the clean-up and maintenance of our cells, as well as self-identification takes place.
Specifically, very recent research (October, 2006) suggests that rheumatoid arthritis may result from one particular clean-up task not being properly performed by the immune system. The DNase II enzyme in macrophages (a garbage-collecting white cell) snips apart and thus digests waste DNA in the bloodstream from dead cells. Mice that are prevented from producing this enzyme, by deleting that gene “develop a chronic polyarthritis resembling human rheumatoid arthritis.” [17066036] [http://www.newscientist.com/]
The obvious conclusion (at least to me, to paraphrase Copernicus) is that those who already have arthritis ought to be smart enough to come in from the light.
If you're already in pain from an autoimmune disease, and you still want to burn the candle at both ends (of the day) preventing your normal daily immune cycles from operating, good luck to you.
Surely the sensible thing to do is to adopt a more normal night. (Instructions here).
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Giant Aluminum Paper Airplanes
Pity I'm too busy with rather adult, sober matters such as fixing up logictutorial.com my latest health related writing, summing up the Photoperiod Effect in a Nutshell.
Because there are more whimsical things that I'd like to have time for. Such as one I mentioned to a student of UCLA who wrote to ask about paper airplane events near him, to write about...
"I've sometimes thought of folding a huge paper airplane out of thin aluminum sheeting (say 6 or 8 feet long) and then launching it by inner-tube-rubber-band far out to sea, though. You could do that and make your own story...
Russell Johnston
bestpaperairplanes.com"
Nearly as much fun might be to fold up a bunch of these giant aluminum "paper airplanes" and then hang them up in an outsize mobile to hang in Malls. That ought to amuse some youngsters.
All wistful thinking though, as I won't have free time like that for some long while I expect.
Because there are more whimsical things that I'd like to have time for. Such as one I mentioned to a student of UCLA who wrote to ask about paper airplane events near him, to write about...
"I've sometimes thought of folding a huge paper airplane out of thin aluminum sheeting (say 6 or 8 feet long) and then launching it by inner-tube-rubber-band far out to sea, though. You could do that and make your own story...
Russell Johnston
bestpaperairplanes.com"
Nearly as much fun might be to fold up a bunch of these giant aluminum "paper airplanes" and then hang them up in an outsize mobile to hang in Malls. That ought to amuse some youngsters.
All wistful thinking though, as I won't have free time like that for some long while I expect.
Friday, October 13, 2006
"Ban antibiotic growth promoters!"
The untold story behind the emergence of deadly food poisoning of spinach, salad, sprouts and more, is the agribusiness use of antibiotics solely to fatten animals.
Today, the spinach fatalities join the list:
E. coli strain traced to ranch near spinach fields
The real story can be found at EurekaAlert, (or two studies in the Nov. 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases):
Studies identify food sources of disease and drug resistance
The industrial use of antibiotics in animals for meat production has created unprecedentedly deadly, highly drug resistant strains of bacteria which can kill in small amounts. The quote that's the title of this post comes from Niels Frimodt-Møller, MD, DMSc, and Annette M. Hammerum, PhD, MSc, of the Danish National Center for Antimicrobials and Infection Control, in an editorial in the same issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases
URL of this post:
http://confusioncomplete.blogspot.com/2006/10/ban-antibiotic-growth-promoters.html
Today, the spinach fatalities join the list:
E. coli strain traced to ranch near spinach fields
The real story can be found at EurekaAlert, (or two studies in the Nov. 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases):
Studies identify food sources of disease and drug resistance
The industrial use of antibiotics in animals for meat production has created unprecedentedly deadly, highly drug resistant strains of bacteria which can kill in small amounts. The quote that's the title of this post comes from Niels Frimodt-Møller, MD, DMSc, and Annette M. Hammerum, PhD, MSc, of the Danish National Center for Antimicrobials and Infection Control, in an editorial in the same issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases
URL of this post:
http://confusioncomplete.blogspot.com/2006/10/ban-antibiotic-growth-promoters.html
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Additions to PhotoperiodEffect.com
Finally I've managed to get up more than a one-page site at PhotoPeriod Effect dotcom.
Namely, a maybe thirty page article Photoperiod effect, Diabetes, Hypertension and more, in a Nutshell. which outlines the connections. It doesn't have anything like as many citations inserted into the text as it will, that will take more time. If you want an overview of how to escape obesity and chronic illnesses by adopting a more natural day (and night) that's where to start.
I've also put up
Easy Ways to Get More Natural Darkness; switching to a natural day, and night: A guide to shifting your hours back to something more like a natural day...
And the first article I wrote and sent around a little on the topic. more than a year ago now;
Darkness Therapy for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
The next addition to the site will be a "Frequently Raised Objections (and answers)" document, which has already been written, and has accumulated to the lenght of about 60 text pages, but which needs some editing before it can be posted.
Dragging eyes to these sites is the next task.
Namely, a maybe thirty page article Photoperiod effect, Diabetes, Hypertension and more, in a Nutshell. which outlines the connections. It doesn't have anything like as many citations inserted into the text as it will, that will take more time. If you want an overview of how to escape obesity and chronic illnesses by adopting a more natural day (and night) that's where to start.
I've also put up
Easy Ways to Get More Natural Darkness; switching to a natural day, and night: A guide to shifting your hours back to something more like a natural day...
And the first article I wrote and sent around a little on the topic. more than a year ago now;
Darkness Therapy for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
The next addition to the site will be a "Frequently Raised Objections (and answers)" document, which has already been written, and has accumulated to the lenght of about 60 text pages, but which needs some editing before it can be posted.
Dragging eyes to these sites is the next task.
