Online Pharmacy Guide

Almost 800,000 child safety seats are being recalled over concerns about a potentially dangerous problem with the locking-and-release mechanism, the National Highway Traffic Administration announced today.

The seats were made by Dorel Consumer Group between May 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009, according to the agency’s website. They include infant, convertible, and booster child restraint systems marketed under brand names including Cosco, Maxi-Cosi, and Safety First. The concern is that the harness might loosen as a child moves around, raising the risk of injury in a crash.

It involves car seats sold under the brands:

• Cosco.
• Eddie Bauer.
• Safety 1st.
• Maxi-Cosi.
• Schwinn.

The company said it would provide consumers with a tube of non-toxic lubricant that can be applied to the locking mechanism to ensure that it works properly, along with a label to indicate that the repair has been made.

Until the repair is made, consumers can continue to use the seats – but should make sure the lock/release button is in the locked position. A pull on the shoulder harness can help make sure it is secure and will not loosen.

For more information, contact the company at 866-623-3139 or harnessadustment@djusa.com.

Here’s a list of the affected model numbers and manufacture dates, according to safercar.gov:

IKEA Canada has initiated a recall for repair action on its Sniglar crib for infants. There have been no reported cases of injury.

The four bolts provided to secure the mattress support are not long enough. This can cause the mattress support to detach and collapse, creating a risk of entrapment and suffocation to a child in the crib.

About 6,000 cribs have been sold in Canada. Customers can contact IKEA for a free repair kit for recalled cribs or return the crib for a full refund.

Study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center presented at American Heart Association International Stroke Conference

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 9, 2011) – Whether or not you’re fond of Indian, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern food, stroke researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center think you may become a fan of one of their key spices.

The scientists created a new molecule from curcumin, a chemical component of the golden-colored spice turmeric, and found in laboratory experiments that it affects mechanisms that protect and help regenerate brain cells after stroke. Research scientist Paul A. Lapchak, Ph.D., director of Translational Research in the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, will present these findings at the American Heart Association International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 6:15 p.m. PST.

Only one drug is now approved for ischemic stroke, which occurs when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain. Commonly called a “clot-busting drug,” tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is injected intravenously to dissolve clots and reinstate blood flow. If blood and oxygen are restored in time, consequences of the stroke, such as speech, memory, movement and other impairments, may be reduced.

The new curcumin-hybrid compound—CNB-001—does not attack clots but instead repairs stroke damage at the molecular level that feed and support the all-important brain cells, neurons.

Curcumin has been studied for its potential to treat brain injury and disease, and while the substance itself looks promising, it has several drawbacks, especially as an emergency stroke treatment, which must be quick to be effective: It is not well absorbed in the body, fails to reach its target in high concentrations, becomes depleted quickly, and is blocked from entering the brain by a natural protective mechanism called the blood-brain barrier.

“CNB-001 has many of the same benefits of curcumin but appears to be a better choice of compound for acute stroke because it crosses the blood-brain barrier, is quickly distributed in the brain, and moderates several critical mechanisms involved in neuronal survival,” Lapchak says, adding that he and his colleagues expect the new drug to move to human clinical trials soon.

When brain tissue is deprived of blood and oxygen, a cascading series of interrelated events  triggers at the molecular level, breaking down the normal electrical and chemical “signaling pathways” responsible for nourishing and supporting neurons. The environment quickly becomes toxic, killing brain cells and destroying their support structures.

Theoretically, interrupting these harmful events and restoring normal pathway function could prevent cell death and the memory and behavioral deficits that result, but it will take a cocktail of drugs or a drug capable of targeting many mechanisms to correct the many pathways damaged by stroke, Lapchak says. CNB-001protects brain cells from damage by repairing four major pathways. One mechanism also plays a major role in the growth and survival of neurons.

The drug reduced stroke-caused “motor deficits”—problems of muscle and movement control—in this laboratory study. It was effective when administered up to an hour after stroke, which correlates with about three hours in humans, the same time frame for which tPA is currently approved.

Lapchak and colleagues at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies used the same laboratory rabbit model to mimic human stroke that earlier researchers had employed  before the clot-busting drug tPA entered clinical trials. Patrick D. Lyden, M.D., chairman of Cedars-Sinai’s Department of Neurology, helped lead a major trial that resulted in the Food and Drug Administration’s 1996 approval of tPA, still considered the stroke treatment gold standard.

Those who cook Indian, Thai, Malay and Persian dishes know turmeric well for its zesty flavor, use in curries and for the rich color it imparts to food. Turmeric also has a long history of use in Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional medicine.

Grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, supported the CNB-001 study (NS060685 to PAL).

# # #

Citation: American Heart Association International Stroke Conference Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 6:15 p.m

Lawsuit asks Taco Bell: Where’s the beef?

By: Bob Johnson , The Associated Press

Date: Tuesday Jan. 25, 2011 2:11 PM PT

An Alabama law firm is suing Taco Bell claiming the restaurant chain is using false advertising when it refers to using “seasoned ground beef” or “seasoned beef” in its products.

The meat mixture sold by Taco Bell contains binders and extenders and does not meet the minimum requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be labelled as “beef,” according to the legal complaint.

The class-action lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in the Central District of California by the Montgomery, Ala., law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles.

Lawyer Dee Miles said attorneys had Taco Bell’s “meat mixture” tested and found it contained less that 35 per cent beef.

The lawsuit on behalf of Taco Bell customer and California resident Amanda Obney does not seek monetary damages, but asks the court to order Taco Bell to be honest in its advertising.

“We are asking that they stop saying that they are selling beef,” Miles said.

Irvine, Calif.,-based Taco Bell spokesman Rob Poetsch said the company denies that its advertising is misleading.

“Taco Bell prides itself on serving high quality Mexican inspired food with great value. We’re happy that the millions of customers we serve every week agree,” Poetsch said.

He said the company would “vigorously defend the suit.”

The lawsuit says that Taco Bell’s “seasoned beef” contains other ingredients, including water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch.

The federal government said Tuesday it will place new restrictions on the use of six phthalates in children’s toys and some child-care products.

Phthalates are chemicals used to make polyvinyl chloride — a type of plastic — flexible. They are also used to hold colour and scents in certain products. Sometimes referred to as plasticizers, phthalates can be found in a wide range of consumer products, including perfumes, nail polish, vinyl floors, detergents, lubricants, food packaging, soap, paint, shampoo, toys, air fresheners and plastic bags.

There is no immediate health risk from the chemicals, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq told a news conference in Ottawa.

“But we are concerned about the long-term effects they could have on children when the soft vinyl is sucked or chewed — like a bib or a rubber duck for instance,” Aglukkaq said. “Research shows that exposure to even low levels of certain phthalates can affect a child’s development and behaviour.”

The regulations will help ensure that children’s toys and child-care articles imported, sold or advertised in Canada do not present a risk of phthalate exposure to young children, Aglukkaq added.

The new rules are an expansion of restrictions in Canada and follow similar moves in the United States. The European Union adopted more severe restrictions in 1999.

In force in June

Some medical research has suggested phthalates may have feminizing properties in humans, while other research has said phthalates might be linked with abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in men.

The new restrictions will limit the allowable concentrations of DEHP, DBP and BBP to no more than 1,000 milligrams per kilogram in the soft vinyl of all children’s toys and child-care products. They will also restrict the permitted concentrations of DINP, DIDP and DNOP to no more than 1,000 mg/kg in the same products where children under four years old might put the soft vinyl in their mouths.

The new restrictions come into force on June 10.

In 1998, Health Canada asked industry to voluntarily stop marketing soft vinyl “buccal” products — those meant to be put in the mouths of young children, such as pacifiers, teethers, rattles and baby bottle nipples — in Canada if they contained the phthalates DINP and DEHP.

However, the government subsequently found soft vinyl toys and child-care articles on the market that contained phthalates but were not covered by the voluntary ban.

Rick Smith, the executive director of Environmental Defence Canada, applauded the Canadian government’s latest move to bring the country’s measures in line with the U.S. and European Union.

New Democrat Glenn Thibeault, the party’s consumer protection critic, called on Ottawa to devote enough resources to protect children through proper monitoring and enforcement of the latest prohibition.

The federal government said it will use about 30 more inspectors to check for harmful chemicals including phthalates.

Since 2009, any children’s product sold or distributed in California has not been able to contain more than one-tenth of one per cent of phthalates. The European Union has outlawed the use of DEHP, DBP and BBP in children’s products. DINP, DNOP and DIDP are also banned in toys that children under the age of three might put in their mouths.

After the ban takes effect, manufacturers who don’t comply could face fines as high as $5 million.

Updated: Thu Dec. 30 2010 11:46:40

ctvedmonton.ca

Before she died at the age of 41 from lung cancer, Barb Tarbox was an anti-tobacco activist. Now, under the federal government’s new plan to display larger and more graphic warning labels on cigarette packages in an effort to get more Canadians to stop the habit, images of Tarbox in the final stages of lung cancer will be included.

The new images will cover 75 per cent of cigarette packaging, which is an increase from the current 50 per cent standard.

The plan includes featuring a variety of captions and pictures of Canadians who have been harmed by smoking, including  Tarbox, who died of cancer in 2003.

During a Thursday morning news conference, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said the warnings will appear on cigarette packaging as soon as possible. The government also says the warnings will be changed frequently to drive the message home to smokers.

“Using a testimonial from her [Tarbox] tragic story will make people stop and think about the dangers of tobacco use. Canadian and international research has shown that to be effective health warning on tobacco packages must be noticeable and memorable,” said Aglukkaq.

The health minister stressed the government is committed to helping Canadians kick the habit, which kills an estimated 37,000 people in Canada each year.

The government also plans to introduce a phone hotline and website that smokers can access to get information on how to quit.

With files from Sonia Sunger and CTV.ca News Staff

There is an old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This of course refers to our health and well being since by making healthier lifestyle choices, we can improve our quality of life and greatly reduce our chances of becoming sick.

In our busy lifestyles, we find ourselves increasingly sedentary and spending more and more time in front of computers or on our smart phones/media devices etc.

However, all this lack of interacting with the real world has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, depression and a host of other illnesses of both body and mind. The best way of preventing this has been shown to involve simply getting out and visiting green spaces such as parks, gardens, and other natural environments.

By interacting more with our world we are essentially improving the health of our selves both physically and mentally, which in turn helps fight off illness and depression. It is well known that people who are constantly stressed out are more likely to catch ailments whether it is physical or even mental since our minds and bodies are both intimately involved in our health and too much stress can weaken the immune system.

As a result, doing things such as visiting the park, socializing with others, spending time with family and friends, and exercise will all have beneficial effects on our health. As an added bonus, many of these activities are free and so will have minimal effect on ones finances, making it much more accessible.

With health care such an important issue, prevention is starting to look all the more tantalizing since, after all, people would rather avoid becoming sick or depressed instead of having to find treatment once it happens. Spending some time with the natural world has been making its way back into people’s minds because of its ability to improve people’s outlook on life, and improve the emotional state of the ill, which in turn can help the healing process.

Research carried out by researcher Dr. Roger Ulrich had found that surgery patients who’s beds had a view of nature, such as trees, rivers, mountains etc had a faster rate of healing compared to those who could only see buildings and walls. In fact, more and more doctors are beginning to prescribe simply getting out and around nature, as a growing number of research studies are discovering the positive effects of spending time with the natural world and taking in some natural light.

All of these discoveries are also influencing the design of hospitals all over the world. A field referred to as evidence based design in health care architecture, involves taking these new findings and implementing them in the build and layout of hospitals and clinics; such as more natural light, reducing noise, and increased view of nature and gardens, all for the purpose helping the healing process. In addition, providing comfortable and positive spaces for family and friends of patients will also help heal as it fosters interaction and support for one another by alleviating stress for patients, family/friends, and hospital staff as well.

Further Reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/health/30brody.html?_r=1&ref=health

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression

http://www.asianhhm.com/healthcare_management/hospitals_heal.htm

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York telephoned the Uruguayan President Jose Mujica on Monday morning to pledge his financial assistance to that nation’s fight against the world’s leading cigarette company.

Mr. Bloomberg, a billionaire with a long record of anti-smoking activism, said his pledge was prompted by a front-page article in The New York Times on Sunday. The article detailed some of the lobbying, marketing and court activities by multinational tobacco companies.

On Monday afternoon, Mr. Bloomberg announced at a news conference that he would direct to Uruguay’s legal defense some of the $375 million he has set aside in a philanthropy to fight smoking. In a news release, he did not name a precise figure.

Uruguay, viewed as a world leader in anti-smoking laws, is being sued by Philip Morris International in a Washington-based affiliate of the World Bank. The cigarette giant objects to two new Uruguayan laws. One covers 80 percent of the front and back of cigarette packages with a graphic health warning. The other bans more than one type of any brand of cigarette, such as Marlboro red, gold and silver.

The suit has rallied anti-smoking forces globally. They interpreted it as an attempt to intimidate Uruguay and send a message to other developing nations on the eve of a conference of tobacco control officials from 171 nations. The conference in Punta del Este, Uruguay, is planning to recommend guidelines to enforce a broad anti-smoking treaty sponsored by the World Health Organization.

In the press release, Mr. Bloomberg said his money “will assist Uruguayan government officials by providing legal research and expertise, launching public education mass media campaigns, and galvanizing world support and public opinion.”

Peter Nixon, a spokesman for Philip Morris International, said in recent interviews that the lawsuit was necessary to protect the company’s trademark and intellectual property rights. He said its filing in February was unrelated to the conference of tobacco control officials. The suit seeks unspecified damages.

Of the size of the health warning, Mr. Nixon said, “The previous ones were 50 percent and we thought that was reasonable. Once you take it up to 80 percent, there’s no space for trademarks to be shown. So we thought that was going too far.” The limit on brands, he added, forced Philip Morris to remove a number of brands from the market.

A group of health nonprofit organizations bought a full-page advertisement in Uruguay’s leading newspaper Monday to thank the country’s president for standing up to tobacco companies. Philip Morris International’s $66 billion in annual revenues is twice the size of Uruguay’s gross domestic product.

Article By DUFF WILSON

Source: http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/bloomberg-backs-uruguays-anti-smoking-laws/?partner=rss&emc=rss