A way of diagnosing disease used in Russian clinics could be up to 23 per cent more accurate than western screening technologies, such as X-rays and mammograms, a new study has claimed.
Strannik Virtual Scanning (SVS), which uses light and colours to diagnose a wide range of disorders, was tested in a small group of patients and successfully identified the diseases in 85 per cent of them.
Previous studies had estimated that SVS was between two and 23 per cent more accurate in diagnosing than the standard tests it was pitched against.
In a small proof-of-concept study carried out by Graham Ewing of Mimex Montague Healthcare, the supplier of SVS, and J. Duran from Hospital San Roque in Gran Canaria, Spain, 20 patients were randomly selected for SVS screening.
The technology correctly identified the disease in 17 of them, which included prostatitis, encephalopathy (dementia-like disorders), diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
The test, which is non-invasive, requires that the patient looks at a colour video image for 15 seconds and then accurately recreates the colours after various colour filters have been placed over it. SVS has been used for years in clinics across Russia (Neurol. Neurotechnol., 2016).
Moving on to the US, and still looking at corruption in the Big Pharma, the next head of America’s drugs watchdog, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has close ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Among those blocking his appointment was Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Robert Califf is to be the FDA’s next commissioner now that his appointment has been approved by the US Senate, despite months of delay by a handful of senators, including Bernie Sanders, who attempted to block the move.
Sanders said that Califf, a cardiologist and academic researcher, would be incapable of representing the safety of consumers because of his close financial ties to the drugs industry. His salary at Duke University is partially underwritten by large pharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly and Merck. Califf’s opponents have argued that the FDA has been approving too many opioid painkillers and ignoring the advice of its panel of experts, which has often urged caution.
The behaviour of disruptive children in a London school was dramatically improved after they were given nutritional supplements
Another Democrat opposed to Califf’s appointment, Senator Edward Markey, said: “The FDA stands for Food and Drug Administration, but over the past 20 years, it really stands for ‘fostering drug addiction’. We have to have an honest discussion about the role that agency is playing.”
Finally, a study claiming that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil was causing inflammation and autoimmune reactions has been mysteriously withdrawn by a peer-reviewed US journal.
The journal, Vaccine, has removed the paper on the instructions of its editor-in-chief Gregory Poland. The paper, prepared by researchers at Tel Aviv University, had initially been accepted by the journal, which published it online on January 9, 2016.
The paper’s authors reported that the HPV vaccine, which includes aluminium, caused neuroinflammation and autoimmune reactions in laboratory mice, which led to behavioural changes.
In its response, one of the authors for the journal Yehuda Shoenfeld said: “The article in question has been temporarily removed as requested by Vaccine’s editor-in-chief Gregory Poland. In addition, Dr Poland has recommended the article be further reviewed.”
Dr Poland, who works for the Mayo Clinic, has also worked on the safety review committee for Gardasil, a position paid for by Merck, the vaccine’s manufacturer. (www.retractionwatch.com/2016/02/15/journal-temporarily-removes-paper-linking-hpv-vaccine-to-behavioral-issues)
On a lighter note, the behaviour of disruptive children in a London school was dramatically improved after they were given nutritional supplements for three months, an Oxford University research project has found.
The children, aged 13-16, were given WellTeen supplements and their blood levels measured throughout the trial. Also measured were minerals and omega-3s. The behaviour of the pupils was measured in tests and also taken from school disciplinary records.
The behaviour of those children taking the supplements improved dramatically, while those who were on the placebo during the study worsened.
The supplements, which featured 25 nutrients, including cranberry and green tea extracts, iron, zinc and vitamins C, B6 and B12, are designed to improve mood, behaviour and brain function (Br. J. Nutr., 2016).
kathryn@maltanet.net