This is really horrible, Melinda. Please next time put in a disclaimer. I did not want to see that I saw.
I wish I'd never clicked the link,
K
Melinda Smith <melsbasketcase@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I will not be reading the material since the pictures are so distracting. Perhaps when I have not been up for too long I will return to the material. I did give it a glance over and saw that a few of the babies are harlequin fetuses. I assume due to my quick scan of the page its point is to talk about the ill effects of depleted uraniium. Harlequin ichthyosis is a genetic disorder and not caused by depleted uranium.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlequin_type_ichthyosisMutations in the
ABCA12 gene cause harlequin ichthyosis. The ABCA12 gene makes a protein that is essential for the normal development of skin cells. Although the protein's exact function is unknown, researchers believe that it probably plays a major role in the transport of lipids (fats) in the outermost layer of skin (the
epidermis). Mutations in the ABCA12 gene lead to the production of an abnormally small version of the protein that cannot transport lipids properly. The loss of functional ABCA12 protein disrupts the normal development of the epidermis, preventing the skin from forming an effective barrier and resulting in the hard, thick scales characteristic of harlequin ichthyosis.
This condition is likely inherited in an
autosomal recessive pattern, which means two copies of the gene in each cell are altered. Most often, the parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive disorder are carriers of one copy of the altered gene but do not show signs and symptoms of the disorder.
In march 2006 i received this letter from a scientist: "I'm currently involved in research in microbiology and immunology, and think I might be able to offer a scientific perspective on this issue.
Harlequin Ichthyosis (HI) is the most severe form of congenital ichthyosis.
Harlequin ichthyosis is an autosomal recessive disorder marked in over 95% of patients by a deletion in ABCA12, resulting in truncation of a protein
necessary for lipid transport in the epidermis, leading to hyperkeratinization of the skin.
Now, HI in Western populations is estimated to occur in 1/300,000 births, but in some populations, such as the Navajo, this number is estimated at 1/5,000, and in Puerto Rico, 1/60,000. These increased rates are mostly due to consanguinity: people mating with cousins (1st and third).
If Iraq's population is 26,074,906, then there should be 86.9 (87)
Harlequin babies in Iraq right now. It really doesn't surprise me that Gunther found a few, as a child with these symptoms is bound to raise a few eyebrows.
Likewise, that disorder that he calls "Zyklopie" is a cleft palate deformity. 6,800 in the US are suffering from cleft palate disorders. 295,734,134 live in the US. That's 1/43,490 children. That's 599.6 (600) children in Iraq with cleft palate disorders, under normal conditions.
In other words,
Gunther's pictures, at least in part, are of children suffering from perfectly normal disorders which are present in the population.
As a scientist, I can honestly say that Gunther's work is sloppy to say the least. If he'd wanted to prove a case for DU causing HI, he would have simply karyotyped the parents and grandparents of the children born with HI. If the grandparents' genotypes didn't contain ABCA12 mutations, then he might have a case, but as it stands he does not."
On 4/29/06, MA PA <
drymarc2003@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Death Made In America
>
> Wondering if your conscience is still anesthetized
>
> Warning: Frightening and Disturbing Photo Essay
>
>
>
http://mparent7777.livejournal.com/8124727.html>
>
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