September 11, 2007
U.S. Reports of Drug Reactions Triple
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 12:10 p.m. ET

CHICAGO (AP) — Reports of dangerous side effects and deaths from widely used medicines almost tripled between 1998 and 2005, an analysis of U.S. drug data found.

The number of deaths and serious injuries from prescription and over-the-counter drugs climbed from 34,966 to 89,842 during the study of reports to the Food and Drug Administration.

Potent narcotic painkillers including Oxycontin, sold generically as oxycodone, were among 15 drugs most often linked with deaths in the study. Drugs frequently linked with serious nonfatal complications included insulin, the arthritis drugs Vioxx and Remicade, and the antidepressant Paxil.

Brussels bike ride gets political

Thousands of Dutch-speaking Belgians have cycled around Brussels in a mass parade for Flemish nationalism.
Some 75,000 cyclists joined Sunday’s “Gordel”, (Dutch for “Belt”), according to the AFP news agency.

The Gordel is an annual event, but this year’s came as Belgium is without a new government amid a split between Dutch- and French-speaking politicians.

Many wore yellow jerseys with the black lion of Dutch-speaking Flanders, where there is pressure for more autonomy.

Some acts of “sabotage” were reported - tacks and pins scattered on some cycle paths and street signs turned round to confuse riders.

Melanin

Melanin is a special pigment that gives the skin and hair its natural color. It also gives color to the iris of the eye, feathers and scales. It makes the skin tanned, but also produces unwanted freckles, birthmarks and other colored marks on the body.

Mysterious melanin is an amorphous suspension of polymeric compounds that colors tissues of animals, plants, mushrooms and even microorganisms. Melanin can be black, yellow and brown in color. These melanin types determine the dark color of beans and grape pits, make banana peels brown, color insect wings in different shades; give their special colors to shelf fungus and black truffle.