zoonotic pathogens

1.20: news.health/zoonotic pathogens:
aolnews.com 1.20:
. zoonoses are the diseases that can be
transmitted from animals to humans,
"the risk for transmission of zoonotic agents
by close contact between pets and their owners
through bed sharing, kissing or licking
is real and has even been documented
for life-threatening infections such as
plague, and internal parasites"
and other serious diseases.
. several people have died from infections
after pets licked their open wounds .
. pets are exposed to salmonella in their food,
and if they've become littered with their own feces
the salmonella can stay alive for up to 12 weeks.

. 53% of dog owners consider their dog to be
a member of the family,
and 56 % of the Pets Are Family set
say they sleep with their dog next to them .
. dogs can carry some meningitis vectors,
and MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
. dog worms can be a source of human toxocariasis,
causing serious vision problems for young children.

. disease transmissions from cats
are far more prevalent, and often more serious .
. a case of the plague in arizona occurred
when a child slept with his flea-infested cat.

. Cat Scratch is a bacterial infection
causing serious damage to the
liver, kidney and spleen of humans
from the scratch, lick or bite of a cat.
. the germ is also contained in the flea feces
that are dropped by a cat onto food prep areas .

community gardens of tucson

news.apt/xeriscape/community gardens of tucson:
bill buckmaster radio
interviewing the community gardens of tucson (cg)
http://www.communitygardensoftucson.org/main/
. cg organizes gardens by accepting
free use of gardenable land
and then stocking it with tools
so that assigned people can rent it .
The land is usually lent to cg by a church, school
or private land owner
at no charge, for use as a garden space.
. a drip irrigation system is installed
to supply water to the plants.
A separate water meter is installed in the garden,
and the property owner is reimbursed
for all the water that is used.
each 3′ x 20′ garden plot is $15.00 per month;
This money pays for the water bills
and the irrigation equipment,
the bimonthly newsletter and a shed full of tools.
The gardener usually only needs to supply
plants/seeds and soil amendments.

reducing risk of food allergies

1.14: news.health/breastfeeding/breastfeed exclusively up to four months:
in the British Medical Journal
. babies not introduced to certain foods
earlier than six months
may have a higher incidence of food allergies.
Countries where peanuts are used as weaning foods
have low incidences of peanut allergy (Israel, for example)
. coeliac disease rose in Sweden
following advice to mothers to delay the introduction of gluten
into their child's diet until after six months,
and it fell when the recommendation
reverted to four months .
. failing to start weaning before six months
 appears to raise risks for iron deficiency anaemia,
"known to be linked to irreversible adverse
mental, motor or psychosocial outcomes."
. Exclusive breastfeeding protects against
infections, such as gastroenteritis
which is critical in developing countries,
but less important where sanitation is better.

fig-leafing our responsibility to children

1.13: relig/bible/genesis/privatization of parenting:
[1.21: . capitalists and communists are still arguing about
whether privatization of production is an evil,
yet they are both still making a mess,
and they both agree on the worst evil,
privatized reproduction(parenting):
it is the primary source of drug abuse, drug wars,
schizophrenia(mass rejection), and mass murder .]
. that realization
gave me this spin of the genesis story:
. god insists nothing should be private:
(genitals should remain in public view)
but after Adam's snake gave Eve
that first taste of fruiting
-- a harsh labor, and countless childhood emergencies --
they both decided it would be best if they
put all their troublesome differences out of sight .
. that, of course,
was the end of the first perfect garden .
. slavery is also a constant theme in the bible:
we have to put fig leaves between
the poor and the rich,
the mgt and labor,
your parenting style vs mine .
. the genesis author's god was right:
things should be specialized,
and things should not be private .
. secrets are not sure security,
but they are a sure source of power abuse .
. we should be able to inspect and have a say in
all things that can have an influence on us .
. I'm not saying that's an enforceable rule,
but it's where perfected technology is heading,
simply because that technology by definition
will make such per-module omniscience possible;
that is, it can enforce separate environments
and enable awareness of everything in
one's own environment .

wheeler may have been escaping the law

11.1.18: web.pol/purges/wheeler may have been escaping the law,

John P. Wheeler III, 66,
. a graduate of West Point, Harvard and Yale,
Wheeler led a prominent life in nonprofits
and the federal government, including the Pentagon;
an accomplished public servant
in three presidential administrations.
He was a founding member of the
Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program,
which helped veterans find employment opportunities.
He also helped spearhead a fundraising effort
to build the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial on the National Mall.

Wheeler was believed to be on an Amtrak train
from Washington to Wilmington Dec. 28 .

. Wheeler had just lost a long battle
at stopping construction that would
obstruct his riverside view
and devalue his property .
. a smoke bomb goes off on the winner's property,
then before the police can talk to him,
the last place the he is seen
is in a bad part of town,
after which he was found murdered in a dumpster .

. he may have gone downtown to ask about
paying the underground to further upset the winner .
--
. this case caught my because one pro-repub radio
had lamented:
police found a fine repub' in the dumpster
but will that story get any air time on liberal news?
no, instead they'll harp on how the democrat shooting
was caused by repub's hate radio .

. this story's introduction gets even more strange
because the first acct I saw is this:

January 5th, 2011 examiner.com:

"( NPR reported that John P. Wheeler was so
"disoriented and so disheveled that he was
mistaken for a homeless person"
but the News Journal of Delaware they quote as the source
doesn't really quite put forth that supposition, exactly. )

. that was a strange coincidence:
#1: days ago,
NPR had a big problem with sources
who were (misunderstood?) to be verifying
that giffords had died .
--. the first news outlet to get it right
was a relative of Giffords
who told someone on twitter,
who was tracked by google's real time news .
#2: anti-liberal radio is pointing me at Wheeler story;
#3: a Wheeler story points out NPR is twisting the truth .

anyway, here's a synthesis of the news:

Marini`construction would block his view of the park

Wheeler was known in New Castle for his failed efforts to
stop construction of a 2 1/2-story house
across the street from his home along Battery Park.
[. his home is 108 W. Third Street, New Castle, Delaware.]
He had sued to stop Frank and Regina Marini from building,
arguing the structure would block his view of the park
and the Delaware River.
The Marinis' home is currently under construction,
but Wheeler and his wife, Katherine Klyce,
still have a lawsuit pending in Delaware Chancery Court
to stop the project, said their attorney, Bayard Marin.

Because Wheeler and Klyce worked in
Washington and New York,
they were frequently away from home.
Records show Wheeler and Klyce were established residents
and registered to vote in Delaware.

On Dec. 13, he lost a key court decision

Everyone just assumed he really cared
about historical preservation,"
said Ted Corbett, a New Castle resident
and former history professor who studies preservation.
He just fought a little harder than most
when Frank and Regina Marini started
building a home on land they bought in 1998.

On Dec. 28, less than two days before Wheeler vanished,
smoke bombs caused minor damage at
the Marinis' unfinished home;
and, police wanted to question him about the incident.

. a City Cab driver of 14 years
 denies he ever gave Wheeler a ride.but his cell-phone number was found
in John Wheeler's cell phone.
--[or in his cell records, obtained by warrant] .

1.5 news:
[12.29:]. 6 p.m.
Happy Harry's pharmacy (740 Ferry Cut-Off, New Castle)

with an unusual request for pharmacist Murali Gouro,
who had filled prescriptions for the
former Pentagon official in the past.
He said,
'Can you give me a ride to Wilmington?'
and that was a flag,"He looked like he was a little upset."
"a little different"
Gouro offered to call a cab,
but Wheeler declined and left the store.

About 40 minutes after leaving the pharmacy,
he turned up at the parking garage of
New Castle County Courthouse
erratically searching for his car,according to employees and surveillance video .
[12.29:]
Wheeler was carrying his right shoe in his left hand
and said someone had stolen his briefcase.
. he was blocks away from where his car was parked
in a garage on MLK Boulevard near the train station.
Wilmington Parking Authority officials
said he was a monthly customer.

[around 6:40 p.m.

An attendant said Wheeler came to her window
carrying his right shoe in his hand
and wearing a suit jacket but no overcoat.
Wheeler told a parking attendant
he wanted to get warm before he paid for parking,
even though his car wasn't there,
and that his briefcase had been stolen .]

Cathleen Boyer, a security guard at the courthouse,
said she was called down to the parking garage
after an attendant reported
"a homeless man in the garage."

Boyer walked out of the building with two state employees
when they encountered Wheeler.
"He came out of the bottom level," Boyer said.
"He had dirt on his right leg. His eyes were red,
like he was crying or something
and he said he was robbed."

Boyer said Wheeler did not smell of alcohol
and that his speech wasn't slurred.
He wore a black suit and a white shirt;
The two state workers offered him money.
"He told them he didn't want any money.
He said 'I have plenty of money,' " Boyer said.
. he claimed to be staying at an old hotel nearby
and that he had to get there.
He then walked off.

Wednesday night [12.29]
Wheeler was seen as disoriented and rambling
about his brother, mother and a Hertz rental car.

[on 12.30] 3:30 p.m, Thursday:

. he was seen in Wilmington's 10th and Orange streets,
near the DuPont, Nemours and Community Service buildings .
. there is a video surveillance camera
mounted at the corner of the DuPont Building
overlooking the street crossing.

Dec. 30, 8:30 p.m. surveillance video

Wheeler is wandering through the E.I. du Pont de Nemours
. he visited the 10th-floor officesof the Connolly Bove Lodge and Hutch law firm
looking to speak with the managing partner,
an attorney at the firm said Monday.

. he was looking to borrow train fare to travel north,
When a receptionist went to find someone for him,
Wheeler was gone -- still apparently disoriented,
and refusing help from passers-by who approached him.

last seen on video at 8:42 p.m.,
at Wilmington's Rodney Square
walking toward a high-crime section
about two blocks away.

. he exited E.I. du Pont de Nemours
onto 11th Street, going southeast,
past and through the Hotel du Pont valet parking area. He continues southeast and crosses Market Street .

walking toward the East Side,
Wheeler is wearing dark pants
and a dark blue hooded sweatshirt
with the hood worn over his head.

 Dec. 31 after 4:20 a.m.

. his body is picked up from one of 10 large trash bins;
all these sites are within 3..4 blocks of one another:
1. WSFS Bank, College Square
2. Newark Library, Library Avenue
3. Gardens of White Chapel, White Chapel Drive
4. Hudson State Service Center, Ogletown Road
5. Newark Toyota, Marrows Road
6. McDonald’s, E Main Street
7. Attila Wings, E Main Street
8. Newark Emergency Center, E Main Street
9. Bing’s Bakery, E Main Street
10. Goodwill, Newark Shopping Center

Dec. 31, around 9:56 a.m,
his body is transported from one of those sites
to Delaware Solid Waste Authority`Cherry Island Landfill .

Wilmington City Councilman Kevin Kelley 1.8:
cautioned Wilmington police not to go overboard in investigating Wheeler's death.
"I don't want any more resources dedicated to this
than we do any other homicide," Kelley said,
adding that about half of the city's
record 27 homicides from 2010 remain unsolved.

1.11

Detectives are reviewing hours of surveillance footage from
Downtown Visions, Wilmington's surveillance network,
to determine where Wheeler went after Rodney Square.

examiner.com`how the dump site was likely chosen

Wheeler's particular body dump site
has one thing in common with
locations favored by serial killers
who dump bodies and pick up victims:
it lies near two main highways: I95 and 273.
(map from last siting to dump area)

you want to subsidize corn and healthcare?!

1.17: web.health/glycemic index of various corn products:
65 Sweet corn, (has fiber and germ)
70 corn flour (same as sucrose)
85 corn starch (same as white bread)
-- the de-germed flour of the corn kernel
115 corn syrup --[ higher than 100 indicates a toxin .
   . it's measuring the rise in blood glucose
with pure glucose assigned an index of 100;
if the rise is faster than glucose,
it means something in it
is preventing cells from using it,
thereby keeping it dammed in the blood stream .]
70 high-fructose corn syrup drinks, hfcs sodas
--[ should be 115:
this is corn syrup with fructose added;
while the glycemic index appears low
it's because they testing a dilution .
. fructose doesn't become glucose
so it has a zero glycemic index;
but it does turn into triglycerides
that are making glucose less easy to use .
. by diluting the corn syrup
there's less of it test;
whereas the usefulness of the test
is not in showing how much a given calorie load
will turn into a given blood sugar load,
but rather,
in giving an idea of how fast
the blood sugar is increasing
-- important because the body can
put out insulin only so fast,
and if it can't keep up with that soda,
then there are short bursts of
brain-damaging high blood sugar;
in its rush to catch up, the insulin overcompensates:
bringing the blood sugar too low,
then the system protects itself from low brain sugar
by using cortisol to make the body insulin resistant
so there will be more for the brain;
at the next can of soda,
this insulin resistance will make the problem worse .]

what's cooking, doc?

1.17: news.health/stroke belt is frying poly'fats:
HSI - Jenny Thompson hsiresearch@healthiernews.com
HSI e-Alert - Southern fried Jan 17, 2011 at 5:07 AM
. within the states between the stroke belt
the risk of stroke seems higher for southeastern states
between Arkansas and the Carolinas;
this was curious because they eat plenty of fish
known for reducing strokes;
but an Emory University analysis of 21,000 usa diets
found that their fish is mostly fried,
at high heat, in oil rich in polyunsaturates,
or trans fats .
. another study showed fried fish is
increasing risk of heart attack and earlier death .

Problem #1: AGE's from high-heated poly'fats;
Mount Sinai School of Medicine 2009
compared normal food with an "AGE-less" diet
where foods were slow-cooked with plenty of moisture,
such as steaming or poaching.
. inflammatory markers (such as C-reactive protein)
were reduced while vascular function improved.

Problem #2: Trans fatty acids:
. people still use partially hydrogenated oils
or other sources of trans fatty acids;
even small daily amounts raise cardiovascular risks .

Problem #3: acrylamide from hot battered meat:
. most dietary acrylamide is formed by the
Maillard reaction:
when aspargine and reducing sugars
are heated above 100C° (212F).
brown-frying is temp > 170 °C (338 °F);
golden-frying reduces acrylamide formation:
145 to 170 °C (293 to 338 °F)
. typical sources of acrylamide are
coffee (54% of intake),
fried potatoes (12% of intake),
and toast (9% of intake).

food-browning can happen at low temperatures:
. fruit is dried at around 70C°(158F);
dark dried whole pears and prunes
contain surprising amounts of acrylamide .

. acrylamide (acrylic amide) is a potent neurotoxin,
and can also cause nausea, sweating,
urinary incontinence, myalgia[muscle pain],
speech disorders, numbness, paresthesia[tingling],
and weakened legs and hands.

. the body can break down acrylamide for fuel
via the citric acid cycle or
gluconeogenesis [liver-produced glucose];
but, along the way
this process can result in high levels of
the excitotoxic neurotransmitter aspartate .

. this is done with L-asparaginase
which removes an ammonium to form
the excitotoxic neurotransmitter aspartate;
A transaminase then converts the aspartate
to oxaloacetate .

. acrylamide is produced by any browning reaction
between a very common protein
(asparagine = aspartate + ammonia)
and a reducing sugar (glucose or fructose)
or a reactive carbonyl (aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acid and esters).
. nearly any whole food with sugars
will also contain asparagine
unless L-asparaginase is added to break it down
into excitotoxic aspartate.

. the modern diet is rich in reducing sugars:
most popular sweeteners include them,
and should not be used in cooking .
# Honey is 38.2% Fructose, 31.3% Glucose;
# inverted sugar syrup is 50% glucose 50% fructose .

. table sugar (sucrose = glucose + fructose)
doesn't form acrylamide until there is
sufficient processing to break sucrose's binding
into separate molecules of glucose and fructose .
. in the usa, subsidized HFCS has replaced sucrose .

. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
starts out as corn starch (glucose chains)
enzymatically degraded to glucose,
and converted to varying fractions of fructose .
HFCS 42 (for foods) is 42% fructose and 53% glucose.
HFCS 55 (for soft drinks) is 55% fructose, 42% glucose;
-- usually HFCS 42 + HFCS-90, 90% fructose, 10% glucose .

L-asparaginase can be used in cooking
to reduce levels acrylamide;
but, 10% of dietary acrylamide is not caused by asparagine;
so, breaking that down with L-asparaginase wouldn't always;
conversely,
avoid baking powder (ammonium hydrogencarbonate, NH4HCO3, E 503)
as it promotes much more acrylamide formation
than Baking soda (sodium hydrogencarbonate, NaHCO3, E501).

glycidamide formation:
links to cancer:
. acrylamide is metabolised in the liver
into the reactive epoxide, glycidamide .
. this epoxide forms DNA adducts,
ie, causing mutagenicity by adding things to DNA .

. glycidamide can also be directly formed in food
from high-temperature reactions between
acrylamide and poly'fats
but, most of the diet's glycidamide load
is from metabolizing acrylamide .

Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs):
Foods with significant browning, caramelization,
cooking done at temperatures above 120°C (248°F),
the use cooking oils high in polyunsaturates
as opposed to monounsaturates (olive oil, almond oil, ...)
will result in Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs).

Food manufacturers for the last 50 years
have added many AGEs to foods,
as flavor enhancers and colorants .
. foods with very high AGEs include:
donuts, cake, barbecued meats,
and dark colored soda pop.
. AGEs are also made naturally by the body
when excessive sugar is consumed
or when insulin resistance has developed .

Glycation:
Glycation is unintended chemistry between
saccaride derivatives (glucose, alpha-oxoaldehydes, ...)
and biochemistry (protein, phospholipids, guanyl nucleotides);
-- Glycation is also called non-enzymatic glycosylation;
ie, the intended chemistry is called glycosylation
and that depends on control by enzymes .

3-Deoxyglucosone (3DG)
3DG rapidly reacts with protein amino groups
to form AGEs such as imidazolone, pyrraline,
N6-(carboxymethyl)lysine and pentosidine.

. 3DG as well as AGEs play a role in the
modification and cross-linking of long-lived proteins
such as crystallin and collagen,
contributing to inflammation and aging diseases,
and the vascular complications of diabetes:
atherosclerosis, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease,
and retinal circulation issues leading to blindness .

se-methylselenocysteine preventing cancer

Se-methylselenocysteine -- at iherb and amazon--
is a uniquely non-toxic form of selenium,
the essential mineral;
I've routinely taken 20doses a day
-- that's 4mg*... (that would be too toxic in other forms).
. here are more references to articles about
how it prevents cancer, and maybe old-age blindness
(this will be added to my selenium knol).

12.12: web.health/se/se-methylselenocysteine:
TRAIL (TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand)
International Journal of Oncology May 2009 Volume 34 Number 5

. Se-MSC rapidly and specifically down-regulates
expression of the Bcl-2 at transcriptional level.
The forced expression of Bcl-2
attenuated Se-MSC plus TRAIL-mediated apoptosis,
suggesting that Se-MSC's reduction of Bcl-2 expression
is critical to the increased sensitivity
to TRAIL in renal cancer cells.
In addition, we demonstrate that the synergistic effects
of Se-MSC and TRAIL
result from the activation of the
caspase-dependent pathways.
Co-administration of HA14-1,
a small molecule Bcl-2 inhibitor
and TRAIL increased apoptosis in Caki cells.
Taken together, Se-MSC-mediated down-regulation of Bcl-2
is able to sensitize Caki cells for
TRAIL-induced apoptosis.

Programmed Cell Death

Programmed cell death (PCD), or apoptosis,
can be triggered by a wide range of stimuli,
including cell surface receptors like Fas
or tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1).
It constitutes a system for the removal of
unnecessary, aged, or damaged cells
. the relative abundance of
proapoptotic and antiapoptotic proteins
determines the susceptibility of the cell
to programmed death.

The proapoptotic proteins Bax, Bad, Bid, Bik, and Bim
contain an a-helical BH3 death domain
that fits the hydrophobic BH3 binding pocket
on the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL,
forming heterodimers that block
the survival-promoting activity of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL.

. things that result in more pro-apopt's
include: growth factor withdrawal
, genotoxic insult
, uv irradiation,
-- this reminds that chronically high
insulin (a growth factor)
can reduce one of your own sources of pro-apopt's .

The proapoptotic proteins act at
the surface of the mitochondrial membrane
to decrease the mitochondrial transmembrane potential
and promote leakage of cytochrome c.
In the presence of dATP,
cytochrome c complexes with and activates Apaf-1.
Activated Apaf-1 binds to downstream caspases,
such as pro-caspase-9,
and processes them into
proteolytically active forms.
This begins a caspase cascade
resulting in apoptosis.

Smac/Diablo is released from the mitochondria
and blocks IAP proteins that normally interact with
caspase-9 to inhibit its conversion to
the apoptosis-effecting caspases-{3, 6, 7}

The graphic shows the conserved apoptotic pathway
in the organism C. elegans .
CED-3 encodes a caspase whose function is facilitated by CED-4,
which is highly similar to Apaf-1.
CED-4 function is blocked by CED-9,
which protects cells against apoptosis
and is similar to the human antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2.
CED-9 activity is inhibited by EGL-1,
which is similar to the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members.

Se-methylselenocysteine inhibits
phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity
Breast Cancer Res (2005) 7: R699-707

Se-methylselenocysteine (MSC),
a naturally occurring selenium compound,
is a promising chemopreventive agent
against in vivo and in vitro models of
carcinogen-induced mouse and rat mammary tumorigenesis.
We have demonstrated previously that MSC
induces apoptosis after a cell growth arrest in S phase
in a mouse mammary epithelial tumor cell model (TM6 cells) in vitro.
The present study was designed to examine the involvement of
the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) pathway
in TM6 tumor model in vitro after treatment with MSC.
RESULTS: PI3-K activity was inhibited by MSC
followed by dephosphorylation of Akt.
The phosphorylation of p38 MAPK was also downregulated
after these cells were treated with MSC.
In parallel experiments MSC inhibited the
Raf-MEK-ERK signaling pathway.
CONCLUSION:
These studies suggest that MSC blocks
multiple signaling pathways
in mouse mammary tumor cells.
MSC inhibits cell growth by inhibiting the activity of PI3-K
and its downstream effector molecules
in mouse mammary tumor cells in vitro.

Se-methylselenocysteine (MSC) chemically synthesized:
. [these 2 ref's were given]:
# SYNTHESIS OF [TRIMETHYLSELENONIUM-SE-75 IODIDE
FROM [SELENOCYSTINE-SE-75]
Source: ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY Volume: 137 Issue: 1 Pages: 205-209
Published: 1984 Reprint Address: FOSTER, SJ (reprint author),
UNIV WISCONSIN, DEPT NUTR SCI, MADISON, WI 53706 USA
ISSN: 0003-2697
# Chemical Form of Se,
Critical Metabolites, and Cancer Prevention:

Methylated selenides are prominent metabolitesat the dietary levels
used for obtaining anticarcinogenic effects with selenium.
The present study reports the chemopreventive activities
of 2 novel selenium compounds,
Se-methylselenocysteine and
dimethyl selenoxide,
Other treatment groups were supplemented with either
selenite or selenocystine for comparative purposes.
Results of the carcinogenesis experiments showed that
the relative efficacy with the four compounds was
Se-methylselenocysteine > selenite
> selenocystine > dimethyl selenoxide.
In correlating the chemical form
and metabolism of these selenium compounds
with their anticarcinogenic activity,
it is concluded that:
(a) selenium compounds that are able to generate
a steady stream of methylated metabolites,
particularly the monomethylated species,
are likely to have good chemopreventive potential;
(b) anticarcinogenic activity is lower for selenoamino acids,
such as selenocysteine following conversion from selenocystine,
which have an escape mechanism via
random, nonstoichiometric incorporation into proteins;
(c) forms of selenium, as exemplified by
dimethyl selenoxide,
which are metabolized rapidly and quantitatively
to dimethyl selenide and trimethylselenonium
and excreted,
are likely to be poor choices.
We also undertook a separate bioavailability study
using
Se-methylselenocysteine
, dimethyl selenoxide
, and trimethylselenonium
as the starting compounds for delivering selenium with
one, two, or three methyl groups,
and measured the ability of these compounds to restore
glutathione peroxidase activity in selenium-depleted animals.
All three compounds were able to
fully replete this enzyme,
although with a wide range of efficiency
(Se-methylselenocysteine >
dimethyl selenoxide > trimethylselenonium),
suggesting that complete demethylation
to inorganic selenium
is a normal process of selenium metabolism.
However, the degree to which this occurs
under chemoprevention conditions
would argue against the involvement of selenoproteins
in the anticarcinogenic action of these selenium compounds.

-- Sodium selenite was obtained from
Sigma Chemical Co. (St Louis, MO, USA).
--. wholesaler only:
but they do have Se-methylselenocysteine:
M6680 Sigma Se-(Methyl)selenocysteine hydrochloride 95% (TLC)

CAS Number: 863394-07-4
Empirical Formula (Hill Notation): C4H9NO2Se · HCl
Molecular Weight: 218.54
MDL number: MFCD03412450
PubChem Substance ID: 24278564
Description: Se-(Methyl)selenocysteine
. a chemopreventive agent that blocks
cell cycle progression and proliferation of
premalignant mammary lesions;
and, induces apoptosis of cancer cell lines in culture.
M6680-100MG /$ 164.50

Sigma-Aldrich Corp
St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: 314-771-5765, Fax: 314-771-5757
E-mail: OC_DOM_HC@sial.com
Ordering & Customer Service
Phone: 800-325-3010

# Opening a Sigma-Aldrich Account
Accounts are generally established for a company or institution
rather than for individuals.
# Your business or institution must have an established
Customer Account with Sigma-Aldrich
to establish an account, and be approved for on-line ordering;
you will need to contact Support by phone.
You cannot establish an account on-line.

12.12: news.health/se/se-methylselenocysteine/Protease inhibitors:
Protease inhibitors suppress apoptotic features induced by MSC

These results confirm previous observations
that caspase-3 is crucial for inducing apoptosis by MSC treatment,
and further suggest the possibility that
an unknown member of the serine protease family
is involved in MSC-mediated apoptosis.
Our results strengthen the possibility that
MSC can be used to prevent or cure cancer
as either a chemopreventive or a chemotherapeutic agent.
Further studies are required to differentiate between
the chemopreventive effects on normal cells
and cancer cells in vitro.

12.26: health/se/age-related macular degeneration:

I lamented how mom's eyes still got cataracts
even with supplemental selenium
-- not because selenium is quack
but because of
stress-induced melatonin disfunction
not allowing the selenium to be useful;
and now hearing about macular degeneration
I found only one article saying it helps that
when I know it helps so much more
(anti-cancer, anti-heart disease)
because of the way it enables selenium!

. in answering the question:
Does melatonin have any bad side effects
in someone mom's age?

here's something that starts as a warning
"(replacement of melatonin just for being elderly
is not recommended)
but actually becomes a great encouragement:
Although elderly people often have difficulty sleeping
it's not from being elderly
but from being either emotionally ill
(making too many stress hormones
that suppress melatonin secretion)
or using drugs that suppress melatonin secretion
(e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen, beta-blockers).
Adults with insomnia, heart disease, or schizophrenia
routinely have lower melatonin levels.

I found this study ok'ing elderly women 64 to 80 years
(it measures cortisol and dhea!)

Effects of six months melatonin treatment
on sleep quality and "serum concentrations of
estradiol, cortisol, dehydroepinadrosteron sulfate,"
and somatomedin C in elderly women
M. Pawlikowski, M. Kolomecka, A. Wojtczak & M. Karasek:
October 9 , 2002 NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY LETTERS

CONCLUSIONS:
On the basis of this preliminary open study
it seems that melatonin administration
may be beneficial for elderly subjects.
A significant decrease of estradiol concentrations
was observed after 6 months of the melatonin treatment
in comparison to initial levels.
IGF-I was found to be slightly but significantly
increased after the 6 months melatonin therapy.
Cortisol levels did not change significantly,
during the melatonin treatment.
DHEAS concentrations increased
after melatonin therapy.
-- a higher DHEAS/cortisol ratio .
Melatonin treatment did not influence significantly
either the parameters of total blood count
or glucose and serum lipids levels.
OBJECTIVES:
The role of melatonin in aging
is still under debate.
Therefore, an open pilot study on the effects of melatonin
was performed in elderly women.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS:
The study was performed on 14 women (volunteers),
aged from 64 to 80 years (mean age 71±4.6 years).
Melatonin (2 mg daily at 19:00 h) was administered during 6 months.
Before and after melatonin treatment
the peripheral venous blood samples
were taken in the morning (approx. at 08:00 h)
after the overnight fast.
The total blood count, glucose, total cholesterol,
LDL, HDL, and triglycerides were estimated by
routine laboratory methods.
The serum concentrations of the following hormones
were determined: 17-beta-estradiol,
dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS),
cortisol, and somatomedin C (IGF-I).

12.26: web.health/se/macular degeneration/se's role:
links from i-care:

# Glutathione and its related enzyme precursor amino acids
(N-Acetyl-Cysteine, L-glycine and glutamine,
as well as selenium)
are protective against damage to
human retinal pigment epithelium cells,
and may help prevent retinal damage in AMD.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1993 Dec;34(13):3661-8
# Consumption of fruits and vegetables is protective against
progression of macular degeneration.
Cho, Seddon, et al Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 Jun;122(6):883-92
# In a clinical trial 60% of subjects with ARMD
or diabetic macular edema [...] So Med J, 1987.

[. interesting term: diabetic macular edema
had me convinced that metabolic disorder
-- caused from the use of carb's
by carb'intolerant elders --
was the primary reason elders were getting armd .
so another source of damage besides
not getting the se to the gluthione peroxidase
is not having the circulation for
getting the glutathione to the retina .]