Adoption and Children Act 2002 and Its Impact on Adoption Tracing

On 30 December 2005, Section 98 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 came into force in England and Wales, giving birth relatives of adopted persons the legal right to use intermediary services to locate and attempt contact with their adopted relatives. According to the Act, birth relatives include the birth parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts of adopted persons. Section 98 also gives adopted adults the legal right to use intermediary services to locate and attempt contact with their birth relatives.

Until the early 1970s, many unmarried mothers were forced by their families to place their children for adoption against their wishes. Section 98 gives these women and their relatives the opportunity to trace their adopted family members and find out what has happened to them since the adoptions took place. It also works the other way, enabling adopted adults to locate and learn about their birth families. In both cases, the tool for tracing relatives is intermediary services.

Biology

Intermediary services can be provided by registered adoption agencies and registered adoption support agencies. Such agencies investigate the identities and locations of sought-after family members and then approach the found individuals to determine if they would like to have contact with the relatives who initiated the searches.

Adoption and Children Act 2002 and Its Impact on Adoption Tracing

The first step an intermediary agency takes when it receives an application for intermediary service is to verify that both the birth relative and the adopted person are 18 years old or older. It then must obtain information about the adopted adult and the circumstances of the adoption from a variety of official sources, including the adoption agency that performed the adoption (or the agency that has the adoption records), the Registrar General, and the involved courts. Additionally, the agency must determine how the adopted adult, the adoptive parents, and any other interested parties feel about being approached by the intermediary agency (i.e., Are they interested in being found, or are they willing to establish contact with the birth relatives?).

Once it has collected all this information, the intermediary agency must record it with the appropriate adoption agency or the Registrar General's Adoption Contact Register. The Adoption Contact Register is a government resource that contains the contact information of adopted adults and birth relatives who would like to reconnect with one another. It also contains information about which specific birth relatives an adopted adult is willing to have contact with, if certain individuals are specified.

It is important to note that both an adopted adult and a birth relative must consent to being contacted for the exchange of information to occur. An intermediary agency will only release identifying information about an individual if that person has consented to such a release.

If an adopted adult does not want to be contacted by birth relatives, he or she can register a veto with the Adoption Contact Register. The adopted person also can register the veto with the appropriate adoption agency, which must keep the veto on record. This way, if an intermediary agency ever contacts the adoption agency about that adopted individual, the adoption agency can explain the conditions of the veto. A qualified veto allows an intermediary agency to approach the adopted person only on behalf of a specific birth relative or only under specific circumstances. An absolute veto, on the other hand, does not allow the intermediary agency to approach the adopted person under any circumstances. An adopted adult can modify or revoke his or her veto at any time.

Once an intermediary agency succeeds in matching a birth relative with an adopted adult, the agency acts as a liaison to exchange the information between the parties. From there, the reunited individuals can choose how they would like to proceed with their contact and possible reunion.

Individuals who were separated by adoption and later reunited through an intermediary agency may want to consider having a DNA test performed to confirm their biological relatedness. A variety of genetic tests--from maternity and paternity tests to siblingship studies and grandparentage tests--are available today to help people answer questions about their family relationships. After waiting so many years to find one another, adopted persons and their birth relatives may be able to find the peace of mind they've been looking for with the aid of intermediary services and DNA tests.

Adoption and Children Act 2002 and Its Impact on Adoption Tracing

Amanda Roberts writes about current events in the UK. For information about the DNA maternity test and paternity test services available to confirm your relation to a birth parent or adopted child, visit DNA Bioscience.

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Lower Cholesterol Naturally - Alternatives to Statin Drugs

Huge topic. I can write a book on this but best not yet! Two more years of med school yet and by then I'll be even more versed in how to lower cholesterol naturally.

First: What is cholesterol?

Biology

According to Stedman's Medical Dictionary, cholesterol is "the most abundant steroid in animal tissues, especially in bile and gall stones, and present in food, especially rich in animal fats, circulates in plasma complexed to proteins of various densities and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atheroma formation in arteries."

Lower Cholesterol Naturally - Alternatives to Statin Drugs

What is pathogenesis of atheroma? It is the beginning stage of atherosclerosis which is the building of lipid [cholesterol] plaques within the structure of arteries. These plaques narrow the vessel wall thereby limiting the flow of blood. Limiting the flow of blood causes turbulence which causes further deposition of plaque. The slowed speed of blood through the arteries helps lay down more plaque as well.

Ways to lower cholesterol naturally:

Exercise: damn. How many times do you have to hear it - everyone says it. Because it works better than any drug out there. Why does it work? Simple biochemistry and physiology. Exercise requires energy. Energy comes from sugars, fats and proteins. When the sugars and proteins are burned, fats must be converted into useable forms of energy. The liver steps up by making good cholesterol, HDL. HDL goes around and picks up bad cholesterol, LDL. It converts this into useable energy. So, by exercising, your energy requirements increase thereby lowering cholesterol naturally. Exercise 30 minutes a day as often as you can in a week. Try one day a week and build up. You'll become addicted to it. Better that than statins. Eat soluble fiber: Where can you find that? In beans and whole grains. Fruits and vegetables contain insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber actually binds to cholesterol removing it from your body. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stools making you more regular - which is extremely vital as well. Limit animal fat foods: damn again. Even Stedman's Medical Dictionary said cholesterol is the most abundant steroid in animal tissues. They didn't say plant tissues. I'm not saying avoid it completely. Just keep an eye on it - don't chomp down endless roast beef sandwhiches with mayo and four kinds of cheese. Inositol: This is time-released niacin in the no-flush form. Niacin is a main player in cellular metabolism. If one is low in niacin, then the energy reactions do not go forward. If they do not go forward, lipids accumulate which is directly tied to high levels of choleterol. A study on time-released niacin shows its effectiveness. The study I found used pharmaceutical time-released niacin but I believe these two are very similar - with the natural form being superior. The bottom line of the study: "The results show that niacin ER [extended release] produces a beneficial effect on lipoprotein subclasses, specifically decreasing the more atherogenic small, dense LDL particles and enhancing the cardioprotective large HDL particles." Remember what I said about bad LDL and good HDL? The inositol sounds pretty good now doesn't it? Red Yeast Rice: This is what the pharmaceutical companies make some statin drugs from - directly! So why not take it in its natural state? It works quite well. It works by limiting the cholesterol reaction from going forward. This means that cholesterol's production is slowed down thereby lowering cholesterol naturally. I have found a great research article on PubMed for Red Yeast Rice. The research was done by the Center for Human Nutrition and is not biased by a natural supplement company. Here is another study about the cholesterol-lowering effects of a proprietary Chinese red-yeast-rice dietary supplement. Policosanol: This is sugar wax. Sound safe? It is. It does not turn off the cholesterol forming reaction as strongly as statin drugs. Our bodies need some cholesterol formed. Without it, numerous hormones would not be made and we would be dead. Thus, it is better to moderately limit production rather than severely limit. Policosanol has also shown to increase the levels of HDL. Do statin drugs do this? No. There is a good study on Policosanol that I found on PubMed. You'll notice it is not a study made by a natural supplement company or with biased interests. The title of the study is: Comparison of the efficacy and tolerability of policosanol with atorvastatin in elderly patients with type II hypercholesterolaemia. Bio Lipotrol: Bio-Lipotrol has been shown to naturally lower cholesterol [http://www.healthegoods.com/product/bio-lipotrol-biogenesis-biolipotrol/natural-health-supplements]. Bio Lipotrol has Red Yeast Rice, Inositol, Policosanol and Guggal Gum extract. I have visited with physician after physician that have used Bio Lipotrol and the results are seen within a few weeks. Now this doesn't mean you can sit on your couch eating hamburgers and pizza while popping Bio Lipotrol capsules. I have already stated that exercise is the best medicine - along with the limitation of animal fats and an increase in soluble fiber. I did not know about Bio Lipotrol until a classmate kept buying it. I found her in the hall one day and asked her what it is. She told me it is working very well on her grandmother's high cholesterol levels. Then I became more interested. The benefits of being in med school - you find what works and what doesn't.
What are the dangers of Statin drugs?

I don't know all of the dangers but I know one that is not often addressed. Statin drugs give the false impression that the one taking them does not have to be proactive in lowering cholesterol. If a drug is lowering cholesterol without them doing anything, why not chomp on fatty foods? I'll tell you why. Statin drugs limit the production of cholesterol. They do not limit the intake of cholesterol. You do.

Also - statin drugs seriously limit the production of Coenzyme Q10. This is a major energy source for the human heart and electron transport chain. So if you are on statin drugs, take CoQ10. I believe statin drugs also limit the conversion of active Vitamin D. This I need to check on but it makes sense if following the reactions down from HMG-CoA, which is the limiting step in cholesterol synthesis.

If you want to lower cholesterol naturally, these steps will no doubt help you. I recommend having a sit-down chat with your physician. Most docs will listen to you and be supportive and knowledgable about this arena. If not, find a licensed and qualified naturopathic physician who will listen to you.

This information is not telling you to stop taking your statin drugs. It is merely information. Do not stop your statin drugs without consulting with your physician. Only then, under their direction, stop the meds if you implement other means.

If you are not on statin drugs and you don't have money to see a doctor, these steps may help you lower cholestrol naturally. But as I am not a doctor yet, I am not prescribing any of this information to you. It is up to you.

I hope you are still awake. That is a ton of information. I know I'm wiped. I've got to get away from this computer now.

Lower Cholesterol Naturally - Alternatives to Statin Drugs

Take care and stay healthy. And again - if you have any health questions, do ask me. I am here to help.

In health,

Ben

(c) 2005 Benjamin Lynch of HealthE Goods

Benjamin Lynch has a BS degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Washington. Currently, he is obtaining his doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University. You may find BioLipotrol Cholesterol Supplement [http://www.healthegoods.com/product/bio-lipotrol-biogenesis-biolipotrol/natural-health-supplements] at Bens online health site, HealthE Goods. We provide physician-grade non-prescription natural health products and natural health articles.

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Biology - Characteristics of Insects - An Introduction

There are about a million species of insect and many more yet to be discovered. They include, for example, ants, bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies, dragonflies and fleas. They range in size from microscopic soil-dwelling insects to large beetles and butterflies but they all share certain common features.

Their bodies are divided into about 20 segments which are grouped into the head (6 fused segments), the thorax (3 segments) and the abdomen (11 segments). All insects have an exoskeleton consisting of a firm cuticle.

Biology

The head bears sensory organs and mouthparts. There is a pair of antennae which are sensitive to touch and to smell. There is also a pair of compound eyes made up of hundreds of separate lenses and sensory cells. These can detect light, movement and colour and can form crude images of shapes. In bees and butterflies these senses allow the insect to find sources of nectar in flowers by their colour, shape and smell.

Biology - Characteristics of Insects - An Introduction

There are three sets of mouthparts carried externally on the head. A pair of mandibles (jaws) bites off portions of food and passes them into the mouth. A pair of maxillae help taste and manipulate the food and the labium (lower 'lip') has a variety of functions depending on the species of insect.

All insects have three pairs of legs, one pair on each thoracic segment. There are five sections to each leg with joints between each section which give the leg the ability to move in different directions. The exoskeleton at the joints consists of a flexible cuticle which allow freedom of movement.

Also on each of the second and third segments of the thorax there is, typically, a pair of wings though in some insects (e.g. flies and mosquitoes) these may be reduced to one pair and a number of species have no wings at all.

In the mature insect the abdomen carries no appendages other than some apparatus on the final segment to assist with egg-laying.

The firm exoskeleton supports the insect, maintains its shape and protects it from damage and from evaporation. The rigid exoskeleton prevents insects from growing in a continuous manner and growth takes place in spurts. The outer layer of cuticle is shed and the insect expands its body until the new layer of cuticle forms and hardens. This moulting process (or ecdysis) takes place 5 times or more until the mature insect appears, after which there is no further growth or ecdysis.

The intermittent growth takes place in the larval or nymphal stages of an insect's life cycle. Insects such as butterflies or bees, which exhibit complete metamorphosis, have larval stages quite unlike the adult e.g. fly maggots or butterfly caterpillars. The penultimate moult results in a quiescent stage, the pupa, in which the adult features are formed. The final moult reveals the mature insect.

In insects such as the cockroach or grasshopper, which have incomplete metamorphosis, the early stages are called nymphs and they closely resemble the adult except that their wings have not formed. Small changes of form take place at each ecdysis until the mature winged insect emerges.

Biology - Characteristics of Insects - An Introduction

D G Mackean is the author of GCSE Biology, IGCSE Biology, and many other Biology text books. He has a site of Biology Teaching Resources at http://www.biology-resources.com which includes a bank of Biology Experiments for teachers, sample PowerPoint presentations, and many biological drawings

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