http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/997
send proposals for global health to Gates Foundation by June 15: Murray
5.26.3 rmforall

http://www.grandchallengesgh.org/
A CALL FOR IDEAS:
IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING GRAND CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL HEALTH
Due date: June 15, 2003
Introduction
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in collaboration with the National
Institutes of Health and the Foundation for the National Institutes of
Health, has established an initiative to support scientific and
technological research that addresses Grand Challenges in Global Health.

The Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative, led by an
international Scientific Board, seeks the participation of the global
scientific community in articulating the “Grand Challenges” for
scientific exploration that will ultimately increase research attention
to the most critical health problems in the developing world. Although
there are enormous challenges that relate to poverty, access to health
interventions, and delivery systems in developing countries, this
initiative is focused on the grand scientific and technological research
challenges in health.

What is the purpose and operational plan of the Grand Challenges in
Global Health initiative?
The primary intention of the initiative is to stimulate research that
will produce solutions to the identified Grand Challenges in Global
Health. The initiative is expected to draw widespread attention to
interesting problems with major consequences for public health; in
addition, it will provide funding for attempts to solve those problems.
These features of the initiative should serve as a stimulus to increase
participation in science relevant to disease in the developing world by
scientists everywhere and to encourage collaborations among them.

The initiative will take a novel two-step approach. Between May and June
15, the Scientific Board of the Grand Challenges in Global Health
initiative is asking health researchers around the world to submit their
ideas on what they consider to be the scientific Grand Challenges in
Global Health at this time. The Scientific Board will then review the
submissions and select the 10 to 15 most compelling challenges as
official Grand Challenges for the initiative. These Grand Challenges
will be announced this fall, and solicitations for research grant
proposals to address them will follow.

What is a Grand Challenge?
A Grand Challenge is a call for a specific scientific or technological
innovation that would remove a critical barrier to solving an important
health problem in the developing world with a high likelihood of global
impact and feasibility.

A Grand Challenge is neither the statement of the global health problem
itself (e.g., malaria or AIDS) nor the request for a specific health
intervention (e.g., a drug or vaccine), but the call for a discrete
scientific or technological innovation which will break through the
roadblock that stands between where we are now and where we would like
to be in science, medicine, and public health.

For example, a Grand Challenge could be the discovery or creation of:
A novel way to neutralize HIV that may be the critical limiting step
in developing a preventive vaccine
An innovative technology that provided a fundamentally distinct
platform to achieve point-of-care, accurate and affordable diagnostics
A viable method to alter mosquito behavior, control mosquito
populations or make mosquitos inhospitable to disease organisms
A definitive way to stabilize antigens to heat to avoid the “cold
chain” for vaccines

What is the scope of the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative?
The Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative will address the
diseases and health conditions that cause the greatest morbidity and
mortality in the developing world, thus accounting for the enormous
health disparities between the developing and the developed world, and
that receive disproportionately less attention from the scientific and
technical community than their consequences demand.

The scope of the ultimate goals of the Grand Challenges in Global Health
initiative is broad, encompassing prevention, detection, diagnosis,
treatment, rehabilitation, and surveillance and control of diseases.

The wide range of possible disciplines to be employed includes, but is
not limited to, immunology and microbiology, genetics, molecular and
cellular biology, entomology, agricultural sciences, clinical sciences,
epidemiology, population and behavioral sciences, ecology and
evolutionary biology.

Any scientific approach that has the potential to address a Grand
Challenge in a novel and potentially powerful way might be supported by
the initiative.

How will recommendations for the Grand Challenges list be solicited?
Widespread advertisements, news articles, letters to scientific
societies and institutions, electronic mailings and postings on Web
sites, and other means for spreading information will be used to insure
that the global research community is aware that the Grand Challenges in
Global Health initiative is seeking recommendations for Grand Challenges
before the deadline of June 15. The Scientific Board hopes to receive
recommendations from all sectors of the scientific and medical world,
including both developed and developing countries. Funding will not be
provided by the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative for
recommending a challenge or for having one selected as a Grand Challenge
by the Scientific Board.

How will the recommendations for Grand Challenges be evaluated?
All ideas for challenges that are received by the Grand Challenges in
Global Health will be reviewed and judged by the Scientific Board and
its staff. The following criteria will be used to select the Grand
Challenges:

The magnitude of the health problem being addressed and its alignment
with the scope of the program.
The identification of the scientific or technical roadblock to
achieving a solution and why this roadblock is limiting on a critical
path to achieving the solution.
The soundness of the scientific and technical foundation for the
proposed challenge, not merely the ease or likelihood of success. (Novel
and innovative ideas that may be risky, but nonetheless scientifically
and technically well founded, will be valued.)
[page 2]
The impact of solving the Grand Challenge on the health problem,
including indirect benefits such as those on income or environment.
The feasibility of widely implementing any solution to the Grand
Challenge in the context of the developing world.

What will happen after the Grand Challenges are selected?
After approval of the full list of selected Grand Challenges by the
Scientific Board in August, 2003, the list will be widely published and
advertised to solicit research grant proposals from the global research
community for funding by the Grand Challenges in Global Health
initiative.

The Scientific Board intends to conduct an entirely open competition for
research funding, with no advantages accorded to those whose ideas are
selected as Grand Challenges.

What is the format for submitting a recommendation for a Grand
Challenge?
The total length of the submission should be no more than two pages
(1500 words), with no more than five references to published work. Each
submission should include the respondent’s name, organization, city,
state/province, country, e-mail and telephone number, as available.
Each submission should include a brief title (200 characters or less)
and a summary.

Respondents are encouraged but not required to include answers to the
questions listed below, which are intended as a guide to help explain
the merit of a proposed Grand Challenge.
1.What is the significance of the health problem to be addressed?
2.What is the scientific rationale for proposing this challenge at this
time?
3.What are the scientific and technical advances that are anticipated if
the challenge is successfully completed?
4.What is the likely impact of those advances on the development of new
means to control or treat disease in the developing world?
5.What is the feasibility of implementing any resulting new measures
against disease in the developing world?
6.Are there any other comments you wish to make about the proposed
challenge?

Submissions are due June 15, 2003

In order to expedite this process, submission through the Web site
www.grandchallengesgh.org is preferred. Submissions can also be e-mailed
to callforideas@... or faxed to 301-480-2752.
Questions may be directed to info@....
For more information about the Grand Challenges in Global Health
initiative, please visit the Web site www.grandchallengesgh.org.
[page 3]
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/984
aspartame review: methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid toxicity:
Murray 5.26.3 rmforall

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 USA 505-986-9103

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/983
aspartame & formaldehyde toxicity: Murray 5.26.3 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
for 997 posts in a public searchable archive

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/ 658 member group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/989
EU votes 440 to 20 to approve sucralose, limit cyclamates & reevaluate
aspartame & stevia: Murray 4.12.3 rmforall

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/scf2002-response.htm
Mark Gold exhaustively critiques European Commission Scientific
Committee on Food re aspartame (12.4.2): 59 pages, 230 references

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/910
formaldehyde & formic acid from methanol in aspartame:
Murray: 12.9.2 rmforall

It is certain that high levels of aspartame use, above 2 liters daily
for months and years, must lead to chronic formaldehyde-formic acid
toxicity, since 11% of aspartame (1,120 mg in 2L diet soda, 5.6 12-oz
cans) is 123 mg methanol (wood alcohol), immediately released into the
body after drinking (unlike the large levels of methanol locked up in
molecules inside many fruits), then quickly transformed into
formaldehyde, which in turn becomes formic acid, both of which in
time become carbon dioxide and water-- however, about 30% of the
methanol remains in the body as cumulative durable toxic metabolites of
formaldehyde and formic acid-- 37 mg daily, a gram every month.
If 10% of the methanol is retained as formaldehyde, that would give 12
mg daily formaldehyde accumulation, about 60 times more than the 0.2 mg
from 10% retention of the 2 mg EPA daily limit for formaldehyde in
drinking water.

Bear in mind that the EPA limit for formaldehyde in
drinking water is 1 ppm,
or 2 mg daily for a typical daily consumption of 2 L of water.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/835
RTM: ATSDR: EPA limit 1 ppm formaldehyde in drinking water July 1999
5.30.2 rmforall

This long-term low-level chronic toxic exposure leads to typical
patterns of increasingly severe complex symptoms, starting with
headache, fatigue, joint pain, irritability, memory loss, and
leading to vision and eye problems and even seizures. In many cases
there is addiction. Probably there are immune system disorders, with a
hypersensitivity to these toxins and other chemicals.

Confirming evidence and a general theory are given by Pall (2002):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/909
testable theory of MCS type diseases, vicious cycle of nitric oxide &
peroxynitrite: MSG: formaldehyde-methanol-aspartame:
Martin L. Pall: Murray: 12.9.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/946
Functional Therapeutics in Neurodegenerative Disease Part 1/2:
Perlmutter 7.15.99: Murray 1.10.3 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/915
formaldehyde toxicity: Thrasher & Kilburn: Shaham: EPA: Gold: Murray:
Wilson: CIIN: 12.12.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/934
24 recent formaldehyde toxicity [Comet assay] reports:
Murray 12.31.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/935
Comet assay finds DNA damage from sucralose, cyclamate, saccharin in
mice: Sasaki YF & Tsuda S Aug 2002: Murray 1.1.3 rmforall
[Also borderline evidence, in this pilot study of 39 food additives,
using a test group of 4 mice, for DNA damage from for stomach, colon,
liver, bladder, and lung 3 hr after oral dose of 2000 mg/kg aspartame--
a very high dose.]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/961
genotoxins, Comet assay in mice: Ace-K, stevia fine; aspartame poor;
sucralose, cyclamate, saccharin bad: Y.F. Sasaki Aug 2002:
Murray 1.27.3 rmforall [A detailed look at the data]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/939
aspartame (aspartic acid, phenylalanine) binding to DNA:
Karikas July 1998: Murray 1.5.3 rmforall
Karikas GA, Schulpis KH, Reclos GJ, Kokotos G
Measurement of molecular interaction of aspartame and
its metabolites with DNA. Clin Biochem 1998 Jul; 31(5): 405-7.
Dept. of Chemistry, University of Athens, Greece
http://www.chem.uoa.gr gkokotos@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/782
RTM: Smith, Terpening, Schmidt, Gums:
full text: aspartame, MSG, fibromyalgia 1.17.2 rmforall
Jerry D Smith, Chris M Terpening, Siegfried OF Schmidt, and John G Gums
Relief of Fibromyalgia Symptoms Following
Discontinuation of Dietary Excitotoxins.
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2001; 35(6): 702–706.
Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA.
BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a common rheumatologic disorder that is
often difficult to treat effectively.
CASE SUMMARY: Four patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome
for two to 17 years are described.
All had undergone multiple treatment
modalities with limited success. All had complete, or nearly complete,
resolution of their symptoms within months after eliminating monosodium
glutamate (MSG) or MSG plus aspartame from their diet.
All patients were women with multiple comorbidities
prior to elimination of MSG.
All have had recurrence of symptoms whenever MSG is ingested.

Siegfried O. Schmidt, MD Asst. Clinical Prof. siggy@...
Community Health and Family Medicine, U. Florida, Gainesville, FL
Shands Hospital
West Oak Clinic Gainesville, FL 32608-3629 352-376-5071

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/846
RTM: aspartame in Merck Maxalt-MLT worsens migraine,
AstraZeneca Zomig, Eli Lilly Zyprexa,
J&J Merck Pepcid AC (Famotidine 10mg) Chewable Tab,
Pfizer Cool Mint Listerine Pocketpaks 7.16.2 rmforall
Migraine MLT-Down: an unusual presentation of migraine
in patients with aspartame-triggered headaches.
Newman LC, Lipton RB Headache 2001 Oct; 41(9): 899-901.
[Merck 10-mg Maxalt-MLT, for migraine, has 3.75 mg aspartame,
while 12 oz diet soda has 200 mg.]
Headache Institute, St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY
Department of Neurology newmanache@...
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Innovative Medical Research RLipton@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/855
RTM: Blumenthall & Vance:
aspartame chewing gum headaches Nov 1997 7.28.2 rmforall
Harvey J. Blumenthal, MD, Dwight A Vance, RPh
Chewing Gum Headaches.
Headache 1997 Nov-Dec; 37(10): 665-6.
Department of Neurology, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine,
Tulsa, USA. neurotulsa@...
Aspartame, a popular dietetic sweetener, may provoke headache in some
susceptible individuals. Herein, we describe three cases of young women
with migraine who reported their headaches could be provoked by chewing
gum sweetened with aspartame. [6-8 mg aspartame per stick chewing gum]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/925
aspartame puts formaldehyde adducts into tissues, Part 1/2
full text, Trocho & Alemany 6.26.98: Murray 12.22.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/926
aspartame puts formaldehyde adducts into tissues, Part 2/2
full text, Trocho & Alemany 6.26.98: Murray 12.22.2 rmforall

http://ww.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html
Trocho C, Pardo R, Rafecas I, Virgili J, Remesar X,
Fernandez-Lopez JA, Alemany M ["Trok-ho"]
Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue
components in vivo. Life Sci 1998 Jun 26; 63(5): 337-49.
Departament de Bioquimica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biologia,
Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
http://www.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html
Maria Alemany, PhD (male) alemany@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/864
Murray: Butchko, Tephly, McMartin: Alemany: aspartame formaldehyde
adducts in rats 9.8.2 rmforall
Prof. Alemany vigorously affirms the validity of the Trocho study
against criticism:
Butchko, HH et al [24 authors], Aspartame: review of safety.
Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 2002 April 1; 35 (2 Pt 2): S1-93, review
available for $35, [an industry paid organ]. Butchko:
"When all the research on aspartame, including evaluations in both the
premarketing and postmarketing periods, is examined as a whole, it is
clear that aspartame is safe, and there are no unresolved questions
regarding its safety under conditions of intended use."
[They repeatedly pass on the ageless industry deceit that the methanol
in fruits and vegetables is as as biochemically available as that in
aspartame-- see the 1984 rebuttal by Monte, below.]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/911
RTP ties to industry criticized by CSPI: Murray: 12.9.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/872
immune system reactions due to formaldehyde from the 11% methanol in
aspartame: Thrasher: Tephly: Monte: Murray 9.27.2 rmforall

J. Nutrition 1973 Oct; 103(10): 1454-1459.
Metabolism of aspartame in monkeys.
Oppermann JA, Muldoon E, Ranney RE.
Dept. of Biochemistry, Searle Laboratories,
Division of G.D. Searle and Co. Box 5110, Chicago, IL 60680
They found that about 70% of the radioactive methanol in aspartame put
into the stomachs of 3 to 7 kg monkeys was eliminated within a day as
carbon dioxide in exhaled air and as water in the urine. They did not
mention that this meant that about 30% of the methanol must transform
into formaldehyde and then into formic acid, much of which must remain
as toxic products in all parts of the body. They did not report any
studies on the distribution of radioactivity in body tissues, except
that blood plasma proteins after 4 days held 4% of the initial
methanol. This study did not monitor long-term use of aspartame.
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