Drinking Diet Soda May Reduce the Risk of Forming Kidney Stones

RJ Note: Guess this study indicates I can now drink some diet sodas without flinching. Of course, this doesn't mean I'll give up that wonderful refreshing taste of water. As my mam used to say- everything in moderation.

/PRNewswire / -- Patients with stone disease could benefit from drinking diet soda. New research from the University of California, San Francisco suggests that the citrate and malate content in commonly consumed sodas may be sufficient to inhibit the development of calcium stones. The study was presented at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA).

Increased alkalinity is proven to augment citraturia, a known factor for calcium stones. Malate increases the amount of alkali delivered. Researchers measured the citrate and malate content of 15 popular diet sodas. The researchers found that Diet Sunkist Orange contained the greatest amount of total alkali and Diet 7-Up had the greatest amount of citrate as alkali.

"This study by no means suggests that patients with recurrent kidney stones should trade in their water bottles for soda cans," said Anthony Y. Smith, MD, an AUA spokesman. "However, this study suggests instead that patients with stone disease who do not drink soda may benefit from moderate consumption."

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Earth Day Trivia Questions About Aerosol Products

/PRNewswire / -- Looking for an Earth Day trivia question likely to fool your friends? Try asking them about the environmental impact of aerosol products.

For instance, ask them if aerosol products are a threat to the Earth's upper ozone layer. Survey data shows that most people will answer yes, but they would be wrong. In the early 1970's aerosol products did use some ozone damaging chemical CFCs as propellant, but they were removed shortly after the so-called hole (it's actually a thinning, not a hole) in the ozone over Antarctica was discovered. In fact the US Environmental Protection Agency banned CFCs in aerosol products in 1978, so there have been no CFCs in aerosol products for more than 30 years.

Here's another one: ask if aerosol products are recyclable. Many people don't think so, but they are. More than 5,300 municipal collection programs include aerosol cans in their curbside collection programs, and that number is growing. In fact, some 160,000 automobiles could be produced from the recycled steel from aerosol product sold each year.

This information is provided by the nonprofit educational foundation Consumer Aerosol Products Council (CAPCO). For more facts about aerosol products and why they are more environmentally friendly than you think, visit www.NoCFCs.org, www.AboutAerosols.com, and www.EcoAerosols.com.

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U.S. Supreme Court To Review Controversial Ruling Striking Down Federal Animal Cruelty Law

RJ Note: You could have knocked me over with a feather when this story crossed my desk. How can any court say that videos of animal cruelty are protected by free speech? Kudos to the Humane Society and others for standing up for animals.

The Humane Society of the United States hailed a decision Monday by the U.S. Supreme Court granting the U.S. Solicitor General's petition asking the high court to review of a controversial appellate court decision that struck down a key federal anti-cruelty law as unconstitutional. The statute at issue — sponsored by Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif. — banned the commercial sale of videos depicting extreme and illegal acts of animal cruelty, and was prompted by an HSUS investigation that uncovered an underground subculture of "animal crush" videos, where women, often in high-heeled shoes, would impale and crush to death puppies, kittens and other small animals, catering to those with a fetish for this aberrant behavior. The law halted the proliferation of animal crushing operations, and has also been used to crack down on commercial dogfighting operations, in which the animals often fight to the death for the amusement of viewers.

"The federal Depiction of Animal Cruelty Law is an essential complement to state anti-cruelty and animal fighting laws, which alone do not equip law enforcement with the tools needed to stamp out this horrific form of extreme animal cruelty," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "We wouldn't allow the sale of videos of actual child abuse or murder staged for the express purpose of selling videos of such criminal acts, and the same legal principles apply to despicable acts of animal cruelty."

The Solicitor General filed a petition for certiorari last fall, requesting review of the Third Circuit's ruling that the depictions at issue are "protected speech" and that preventing animal cruelty is "not a compelling state interest." The HSUS filed a friend of the court brief in support of the petition emphasizing that videos of animals being tortured are not protected speech, and preventing animal cruelty is a compelling state interest — not only because our society values animals and their well-being, but also because people who perpetrate these acts of cruelty are often involved in other criminal behavior, including violence against people.

Before the law was enacted in 1999, there were some 2,000 crush videos available in the marketplace, selling for $15 to $300 each. Over the last decade, that market all but disappeared. However, since last July, crush videos have proliferated on the Internet in response to the appellate court's ruling. The statute includes an exemption for any materials of "serious religious, political, scientific, educational, journalistic, historical or artistic value."

The HSUS is represented in the case pro bono by the Washington, D.C. office of Latham & Watkins and lawyers in the HSUS' Animal Protection Litigation section.

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Pistachios May Find New Place in Our Lives

RJ Note: Interesting. I guess the question could be asked if that is with or without the potential risk of Salmonella? Too bad the salmonella risk news came out of the shell before this did. Even so, I suspect I'll still be enjoying the tasty flavor of the pistachios I love. Has our staff had any pistachios lately? Yep, just had some last weekend.

New Research Unveils That Pistachios May Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes by Improving Blood Sugar Levels

/PRNewswire/ -- The University of Toronto is unveiling new study findings at the Experimental Biology Conference in New Orleans on Sunday, April 19 that shows incorporating pistachios into a meal results in delayed emptying of the stomach and blunting of the blood sugar curve, which may be of benefit to long term blood sugar control.

The new study led by researcher Dr. Cyril WC Kendall from University of Toronto's Department of Nutritional Sciences and funded by the Western Pistachio Association, looked at the effects of pistachios on glucose and insulin responses and on its influence on satiety, or level of fullness. Previous studies have examined pistachios' effect on glucose levels which showed a dose response effect on blood sugar levels. In order to further assess pistachios' impact on health, Dr. Kendall and his team studied the effect of pistachios on serum glucose, insulin levels and gut satiety hormone responses.

"Our study found that strategies, such as pairing pistachios with meals decrease blood sugar peaks after a meal, which may result in a lower risk for type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk," said Dr. Cyril WC Kendall, University of Toronto. "Type 2 diabetes is associated with a four-fold increase of cardiovascular disease and an occurrence of kidney disease and blindness of 20 percent after 15 years of diabetes, making it the major cause of renal transplantation. There are currently 17.9 million people in the U.S. that have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes; affecting a large portion of our population."

Study Design and Highlights

The University of Toronto study included 15 men and women who fasted and then consumed three similar types of test meals in random order. The meals consisted of white bread plus two ounces of pistachios, white bread plus butter and cheese and the control meal was white bread. Blood samples were taken and subjective satiety measures were assessed over a three hour period in each of the test subjects.

The study found that:

-- The pistachios meal reduced peak blood sugar levels after a meal
relative to white bread but was not different from the control meal.
-- Serum GIP was significantly raised by the pistachio and control meals
relative to the white bread meal, indicating slower stomach emptying
-- At three hours, serum grehlin was significantly lower following the
pistachio and control meals compared with the white bread meal,
indicating a greater reduction in hunger.

-- Pistachios consumed with carbohydrate rich meals may blunt/moderate
the blood sugar response after a meal or postprandial glycemic impact
and thus may be of benefit in improving long term glycemic control.


Furthermore, in a study published in September 2009, pistachios were shown to have a dose-response effect on risk factors for heart disease, such as LDL cholesterol. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among both men and women.

Pistachios and Other Nuts Lower HbA1C in Persons with Type 2 Diabetes

This new pistachio study ties into another study being presented today by Dr. Cyril Kendall, "Dose Response to Mixed Nut Intake on Blood Lipids and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes" and sponsored by the International Tree Nut Council's (INC) Nutrition Research and Education Foundation. Pistachios were one of the nuts included in the study that showed incorporation of nuts into a diet following American Diabetes Association guidelines helps to improve long term blood sugar control.

More recently, interest has grown in the potential value of including nuts in the diets of individuals with diabetes. To date, there have been few studies that have assessed the effect of nuts on glycemic control. Dr. Kendall's aim was to assess the effect of two doses of mixed nuts on serum lipids and glycemic control in type 2 diabetics.

The study showed that nuts improved blood glucose control in people with diabetes and significantly lowered HbA1C (a marker of blood sugar control over the previous three months) and LDL cholesterol levels. The study concluded that mixed nuts may improve serum lipids and glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

"Overall, nut consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and better long term control of blood sugar in persons with type 2 diabetes," said Dr. Constance Geiger, RD, nutrition expert for the Western Pistachio Association (WPA). "What these two studies show is that pistachios blunt the blood sugar response after a meal and as one of the nuts in the INC study, further contribute to positive health by providing better long term sugar control for individuals with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, pistachios have been shown to reduce the risk factors for heart disease in people with moderately high cholesterol and as one of the nuts in the INC study, in persons with type 2 diabetes reduces LDL cholesterol which is a risk factor for heart disease."

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Hello, I am a Clone

It's just been one of those days. You know, the kind where you really long to put your head under the pillow and shout "no."

I've been on the receiving end of a group of emails and comments to my blog. Comments that are original and constructive are nice to see. Sometimes, these helpful comments lead to a great conversation.

And then, there are the clones. You know the ones.

"Hi. I've never left a comment before, and I don't know what to say. I'll keep reading." And then the alleged writer signs with their business website. ummm...

How many times in one day can I see the same "comment?" It's a clone. It's not original. It will get you deleted faster than a hungry mosquito can bite and run.

There must be some hotshot who spreads the clone around as so many are using it to try and get their comments published. So sorry.

You got something to say? Say it, don't clone it. All that does is give my fingers even more exercise on the keyboard.

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NASA Astronaut Tweets Provide Inside Look at Mission Training

RJ Note: This is pretty neat stuff. Of course, you can also follow the Georgia Front Page on Twitter at @GAFrontPage.

/PRNewswire- / -- NASA astronaut Mike Massimino is using Twitter to provide a unique, behind the scenes peek at the last weeks of his training for the fifth and final shuttle servicing mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

Massimino, whose Twitter username is Astro_Mike (@Astro_Mike), will fly aboard space shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist and spacewalker during the STS-125 mission, targeted to launch May 12. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade Hubble with state-of-the-art science instruments. After the astronaut's visit, Hubble's capabilities will be expanded and its lifetime extended through at least 2014.

This will be Massimino's second trip to space. He first flew on the STS-109 mission to Hubble in 2002. During that flight, he performed two spacewalks.

Along with Massimino, the crew of Atlantis includes Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Gregory C. Johnson and Mission Specialists Andrew Feustel, Michael Good, John Grunsfeld and Megan McArthur.

To follow Massimino's Twitter, visit:

http://twitter.com/Astro_Mike


Follow NASA mission activities on Twitter @NASA, and for a complete list of all agency missions on Twitter, visit:


http://www.nasa.gov/collaborate

For information about the STS-125 mission and its crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

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Churchill Downs and Mattel Team Up to Create Kentucky Derby® Barbie® Doll to Commemorate 135th Run for the Roses®

(BUSINESS WIRE)--With Kentucky Derby® 135 on May 2, 2009, quickly approaching, Churchill Downs, the legendary racetrack that hosts the annual “Run for the Roses®,” and Mattel are pleased to announce that they have teamed up to create the Kentucky Derby® Barbie® doll.

From the celebrities and socialites who attend to the awe-inspiring hats, the Kentucky Derby is more than just a horse race – it is a famed fashion event. This year, Barbie®, the ultimate fashion icon, showcases legendary Derby fashion with the launch of the Kentucky Derby® Barbie® doll, dressed in a playful floral sun dress, faux pearl necklace and sassy spring sandals. True to Kentucky Derby fashion, Barbie doll’s look is topped off with a stylish, oversized white hat with blossoming flower accents.

In addition to the Kentucky Derby® Barbie® doll, Churchill Downs and Mattel will give Barbie® enthusiasts and collectors a chance to own their very own life-sized Kentucky Derby® BarbieTM replica hat. Renowned milliner Christine A. Moore will create up to 135 replica hats to commemorate the 135th Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky® Derby Barbie®. The first hat will be auctioned off through the Clothes® Off Our Back Foundation. Proceeds from the auction will benefit Clothes® Off Our Back’s charities, including Feeding America (formerly named America’s Second Harvest), The Art of Elysium, Hope North and H.E.L.P. Malawi. The remaining 134 hats will be available on a made-to-order basis on www.thederbystore.com.

“This is a great project that brings together two iconic American brands in a very special way,” said Casey Cook, senior director of marketing and licensing for Churchill Downs Incorporated. “We are so pleased to work with Mattel to create the Kentucky Derby Barbie as part of the Pink Label Collection and even happier that we were able to extend the project to include the replica hats that Barbie collectors and enthusiasts can proudly own and wear.”

“Barbie and the Kentucky Derby have come together to celebrate a legendary American sporting and fashion event,” said Stephanie Cota, senior vice president, Barbie. “As a fashion icon, this gorgeous collector doll and replica hat pays tribute to Derby fashion and is sure to excite Barbie collectors, Kentucky Derby fans and fashionistas alike.”

The Kentucky Derby® Barbie® doll is available for purchase through Walmart, Walmart.com, Barbie® Collector Dealers, Barbie Collector Catalog, www.barbiecollector.com and www.thederbystore.com.

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San Francisco Passes First 'Do Not Mail' Resolution in Nation

RJ Note: Junk mail is certainly a subject which brings to mind every trip I make to open my mail box. Loads and loads of unwanted mail fall over the ground as I trek to the trashcan to throw it away. I like the idea of reducing the mountains of it. I like the idea of conserving trees. Though I wonder who decides the definition of junk mail. After all, one man's trash is another's treasure.

/PRNewswire / -- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors today passed a resolution calling on California to create a Do Not Mail Registry giving its citizens the choice to stop receiving unwanted junk mail.

Though non-binding, the resolution represents the first time American lawmakers have withstood pressure from the direct mail industry and the U.S. Postal Service to side with the majority of Americans.

Sponsored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, the board approved the resolution by a 9-2 vote.

"Until now, junk mailers have stifled all efforts to give Americans what they want: an enforceable, comprehensive solution to junk mail's waste and annoyance" said ForestEthics Executive Director Todd Paglia. "San Francisco is the first city in the United States to take political action against junk mail, marking the beginning of a long-awaited government intervention to protect citizens from relentless and predatory junk mailers."

Bills calling for Do Not Mail Registries have failed in more than 20 states, despite widespread frustration with junk mail. A 2007 Zogby poll revealed that 89% of Americans support the creation of a national registry.

"Reducing junk mail is in keeping with our nation's efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and lead more sustainable lifestyles," said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, upon passage of his Do Not Mail Resolution. "Just as Do Not Call overcame industry opposition to become the most popular consumer rights bill in history, I hope that this resolution will empower our representatives on the state and federal level to represent their constituents on this issue."

Supervisor Mirkarimi has a record of trailblazing leadership on a variety of issues and policies, including the nation's first municipal ban on plastic bags, and commuter benefits requirements for San Francisco businesses.

More than 93,000 Americans have signed ForestEthics' petition at donotmail.org calling for the creation of a national Do Not Mail Registry.

Every year 100 million trees are logged to produce the 100 billion pieces of junk mail Americans receive. Junk mail's production generates the carbon emissions of over 9 million cars. U.S. junk mail accounts for 30% of all the mail delivered in the world, though 44% of it goes to landfills unopened.

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