Over the next few weeks, Genelex Corp. technician Dascena Vincent and her colleagues here will conduct what they call a nutritional genetic assessment, analyzing the DNA samples for certain deficiencies. Problems in the genes that handle dietary fats? That could put you at risk for heart disease. Trouble with those that help rid your body of toxins like smoke? Cancer could be an issue later in life. And how about those associated with metabolizing vitamin D? Be watchful for signs of deteriorating bone strength.

Based on the findings, the company provides recommendations on diet, lifestyle changes and categories of medications that might work best for an individual. Depending on how many tests the customer has ordered, the bill — which typically isn’t covered by insurance — could be $400 or more.

Companies such as Genelex are pushing medical science into territory that was once the realm of gods and horoscope writers. They are making predictions about what someone’s health might be in five, 10, 20 or more years. Other testing facilities around the country offer genetic assessments of what they claim is people’s future propensity towards diabetes, liver disease, blood clots, dementia — even alcoholism and gambling.

There are now tests for more than 1,100 ailments, double what was on the market five years ago, according to GeneTests, a public education service based at the University of Washington and funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Until recently, genetic testing was limited to pinpointing mutations associated with diseases such as Huntington’s or cystic fibrosis. Today’s analyses are more about probabilities and “what-ifs.”

The allure of the new tests, say physicians and consumers who have taken them, is that they give people a sense that they can change their fate by taking preemptive action. The soaring popularity of such tests is fueling a new “DNA diet” craze with health clinics in Los Angeles and New York offering meal and supplement recommendations based on your genes and boosting the sale of self-help books such as “Feed Your Genes.”

To some, the assessments are the first results of the advances scientists promised when they declared that they had mapped the human genome in 2000. “The adoption of genetic testing has the potential to radically transform health care. It will be the end of one-size-fits-all medicine,” said Howard Coleman, Genelex’s founder and chairman.

But other scientists worry that the commercialization of the nutritional genetic tests is premature.

They say that while some tests may have a valid scientific basis, others are based on research that is less universally accepted or even has been contradicted by subsequent studies. They also say our understanding of the interplay between genes, lifestyle and environmental factors is weak, and they fret that consumers might take the results too literally. By adjusting their lives based on the results, patients may end up doing more harm than good.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY STATEMENT
FOR THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES
I. Purpose and Policy.
Purpose: This policy establishes general goals and guiding principles for a commitment to
environmental responsibility. Through implementation of this policy, the NIEHS will strive to
be a leader in the advancement of environmental stewardship within our programs, facilities,
and the community.
Policy: The NIEHS mission is to reduce the burden of environmentally associated disease
and dysfunction by defining how environmental exposures affect our health, how individuals
differ in their susceptibility to these exposures, and how these susceptibilities change over
time. In keeping with this mission and to preserve the rights of future generations, the
Institute affirms its commitment to environmental excellence and actively promotes the
public’s right to a healthy, quality environment. The NIEHS is committed to continual
improvement in environmental compliance and pollution prevention through the
implementation of an Environmental Management System that strives to integrate
environmental responsibility at all levels and in the conduct of all Institute programs.
II. General Goals and Guiding Principles
A. Compliance with Environmental Requirements. The NIEHS is committed to complying
with all applicable Federal, state and local environmental laws, statutes, regulations, and
other environmental requirements. Where existing laws and regulations are not
adequate to ensure protection of public health or the environment, we will establish and
meet our own environmental quality standards.
B. Environmentally Responsible Planning and Design Principles. The NIEHS, in
conjunction with appropriate NIH offices, will assess the environmental implications in
the development, construction, and operation of campus infrastructure, grounds, and
buildings. To the extent practical, planning and designs for the maintenance and
development of campus facilities will promote environmental sustainability through the
efficient use and conservation of resources, landscaping and grounds maintenance
practices that are compatible with the local environment, and modes of transportation
that minimize environmental impact.
C. Built Environment. The NIEHS will seek to integrate the development and operation of
campus infrastructure, grounds and buildings with the natural environment in ways that
promote and encourage public health, employee wellness, and quality of worklife.
The NIEHS advances our understanding of the fundamental interrelationship
between human health and the environment. It is, therefore, a core value of the
Institute to preserve and protect the environment. This will be proactively
demonstrated by our commitment to continually improve the Institute’s
environmental stewardship through pollution prevention, resource conservation,
and sustainable development of facilities and programs.
D. Pollution Prevention. The NIEHS will minimize solid waste generation and the potential
release of pollutants into the environment first through source reduction, secondarily
through reuse and recycling, and finally through treatment and disposal.
E. Hazardous Waste and Toxic Materials. The NIEHS will actively strive to minimize the
generation of hazardous wastes. The Institute will maintain policies and processes for
the safe and efficient use, tracking, storage, and disposal of hazardous and toxic
materials.
F. Commitment to Environmental Education and Awareness. The NIEHS recognizes the
value of ongoing
education and awareness of all employees and onsite
contractors
concerning the importance of environmental responsibility in all phases of Institute
operations. Further, the Institute is committed to provide relevant and accurate
information on the Institute’s environmental performance to the public.
G. Environmentally Responsible Purchasing Decisions. The NIEHS recognizes that
environmental responsibility can be exercised through its purchasing choices.
Accordingly, the Institute will strive to obtain the “best value” by balancing short and
longterm
costs, including consideration of the environmental, life cycle, and
maintenance costs in purchasing products and services.
H. Efficient Use and Conservation of Energy, Water, and Other Resources. The NIEHS will
strive to reduce resource consumption by eliminating wasteful practices and promoting
efficient use, and by evaluating and implementing feasible and practical conservation
measures in existing buildings, renovations, and new construction.
III. Implementation and Review
The Office of Management, Health and Safety Branch, in coordination with the NIH Office of
Research Facilities shall be responsible for administering and monitoring this policy through
implementation of an Environmental Management System that strives for continual
improvement of NIEHS environmental management programs. All NIEHS employees and
staff are expected to support the Institute’s effort to meet the goals of this policy and are
encouraged to offer comments and suggestions for improvement. The Health and Safety
Branch will coordinate an annual review of this policy statement and develop
recommendations for improvements and updates as needed. Changes to this policy will be
communicated and made available to all employees and to those working on behalf of the
Institute.
August, 2007
Samuel H. Wilson, MD Marc S. Hollander
Acting Director, NIEHS Associate Director for Management, NIEHS

Prof. Dr. Johan Kohen

Corporate eLearning is a powerful technology, but it has strayed from its
inspired beginnings. Poised to become a driver of business performance,
eLearning lost its way as vendors reached for quick economic gains at the
expense of long-term strategic position.
eLearning devolved into quick-to-sell IT-only content libraries, bland Web
course designs, and unfocused, minimally tailored portal solutions. This was a
boon to the training department, but not the business as a whole, and the
value of hassle-free turnkey campuses and trainer-empowering LMSs became
the low-hanging fruit in the marketplace.
This article looks at the genesis, quality, and current attitude toward
eLearning.