#Small produce farmers may need guidance, affordable strategies to meet new postharvest sanitation standardsmany small and medium produce growers in the United states neither have the funding nor the expertise to optimally sanitize postharvest operations to prevent the spread of potentially dangerous pathogens according to a panel discussion
at the 2014 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expoâ in New orleans. The 28-state listeria outbreak in a Colorado melon crop
which caused 147 illnesses and 33 deaths in 2011 placed a new and important focus on the postharvest production of fruits
and other common pathogens and illnesses the listeria outbreak really opened the eyes of a lot of people in produce that sanitation is a very important step
Contamination can occur during the planting growing harvesting washing storage and/or transportation of produce.
For example pathogens can spread during the fruit and vegetable cleaning process or in standing water without an appropriate level of chlorine or other sanitizer said Yaguang Luo Phd research and food technologist United states Department of agriculture (USDA)- Agricultural research services (ARS).
As part of the Food safety Modernization Act (FSMA) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a proposed draft of science-based standards for growing harvesting packing and holding produce on domestic
#New technologies will bring health benefits of oats and barley to a greater number of foodsnew technologies may help food manufacturers more broadly utilize the many healthful benefits of oats
Oats are now the third largest food staple in China growing in popularity as that country deals with rising rates of cancer diabetes heart disease and intestinal issues.
or fractionalize into edible and easy to use food components said Keshun Liu Phd research chemist United states Department of agriculture (USDA) National Small Grains and Potato Germplan Research Unit.
And yet recent discoveries of the varied health benefits of oats and barley have spurred food scientists to develop new
and oats we can improve public health said Liu. Many researchers have worked on processing barley or oats into value-added fractions enriched with nutrients some with commercial success said Liu.
and to educate consumers about the health benefits of beta-glucan and these two grains.
Study co-author Dr Stephen Willis in Durham University's Department of Biological and Biomedical sciences said:
Lead author and former Durham Phd student Dr Tom Mason said: Species might be squeezed in future due to a combination of climate change
In the case of Chamois in The alps this could involve restricting sheep from higher elevations in some areas added Dr Mason who is based now at Laval University Canada.
Fellow study co-author Dr Philip Stephens also in Durham University's Department of Biological and Biomedical sciences added:
During the most recent major outbreak the autumnal moth struck first continues Dr Jepsen. In the most severely defoliated areas an outbreak of the winter moth occurred a year or two later.
and after the outbreak and across a range of outbreak severities and found that dense birch forests survive far better than sparse ones says Dr Jepsen.
The small rodents such as voles and lemmings benefit from this says Dr Jepsen while it appears that reindeer use the heavily defoliated areas less.
We believe this may be increased related to pressure on the forest in certain areas explains Dr Jepsen.
#Cocoa extract may counter specific mechanisms of Alzheimers diseasea specific preparation of cocoa-extract called Lavado may reduce damage to nerve pathways seen in Alzheimer's disease patients'brains long before they develop symptoms according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of medicine
at Mount sinai and published June 20 in the Journal of Alzheimer's disease (JAD. Specifically the study results using mice genetically engineered to mimic Alzheimer's disease suggest that Lavado cocoa extract prevents the protein Î-amyloid-(AÎ) from gradually forming sticky clumps in the brain
which are known to damage nerve cells as Alzheimer's disease progresses. Lavado cocoa is composed primarily of polyphenols antioxidants also found in fruits
and vegetables with past studies suggesting that they prevent degenerative diseases of the brain. The Mount sinai study results revolve around synapses the gaps between nerve cells.
Within healthy nerve pathways each nerve cell sends an electric pulse down itself until it reaches a synapse where it triggers the release of chemicals called neurotransmitters that float across the gap
The disease-causing formation of AÎ oligomers--groups of molecules loosely attracted to each other-build up around synapses.
and disrupt mechanisms that maintain memory circuits'fitness. In addition AÎ triggers immune inflammatory responses like an infection bringing an on a rush of chemicals
and cells meant to destroy invaders but that damage our own cells instead. Our data suggest that Lavado cocoa extract prevents the abnormal formation of AÎ into clumped oligomeric structures to prevent synaptic insult
Given that cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease is thought to start decades before symptoms appear we believe our results have broad implications for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Evidence in the current study is the first to suggest that adequate quantities of specific cocoa polyphenols in the diet over time may prevent the glomming together of AÎ into oligomers that damage the brain as a means to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
The research team led by Dr. Pasinetti tested the effects of extracts from Dutched Natural and Lavado cocoa
There have been some inconsistencies in medical literature regarding the potential benefit of cocoa polyphenols on cognitive function says Dr. Pasinetti.
Because loss of synaptic function may have a greater role in memory loss than the loss of nerve cells rescue of synaptic function may serve as a more reliable target for an effective Alzheimer's disease drug said Dr. Pasinetti.
The new study provides experimental evidence that Lavado cocoa extract may influence Alzheimer's disease mechanisms by modifying the physical structure of AÎ oligomers.
and identify potential drug targets. In addition turning cocoa-based Lavado into a dietary supplement may provide a safe inexpensive
and easily accessible means to prevent Alzheimer's disease even in its earliest asymptomatic stages. Story Source:
The above story is provided based on materials by Mount sinai Medical center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
#Quitting smokeless tobacco after heart attack may extend life expectancypeople who stop using smokeless tobacco after a heart attack may extend their life expectancy similar to people who stop smoking according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.
We didn't expect to see such a strong association among those people who stopped using (smokeless tobacco) said Gabriel Arefalk M d. lead researcher and cardiologist at Uppsala University Hospital in Uppsala Sweden.
After a heart attack no doubt smoking cessation reduces the risk of death approximately one third and is really a cornerstone of cardiac rehabilitation worldwide.
This may be the first study to examine the impact of smokeless tobacco on death in heart attack survivors.
They reviewed data on heart attack survivors younger than 75 in Sweden in 2005-09 and identified 2474 snus users.
and participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program researchers said those who stopped using snus had nearly half the mortality risk similar to the benefit observed with smoking cessation.
#Habitat loss, not poison, better explains grassland bird declinecontrary to recent well-publicized research habitat loss not insecticide use continues to be the best explanation for the declines in grassland bird populations
Wildlife and Wild Lands on the Flathead National Forest Montana WCS Senior Scientist Dr. John Weaver notes that these protections may not be enough in the face of looming challenges such as climate change.
Eating whole grains combined with a healthy diet may reduce the risk of heart disease and help with weight management according to the U s. Department of agriculture.
#Africas poison apple provides common ground for saving elephants, raising livestockwhile African wildlife often run afoul of ranchers
and water resources for their animals the interests of fauna and farmer might finally be unified by the Sodom apple a toxic invasive plant that has overrun vast swaths of East African savanna and pastureland.
Elephants and impalas can withstand S. campylacanthum's poison because they belong to a class of herbivores known as browsers that subsist on woody plants and shrubs many species
of which pack a toxic punch Pringle said. On the other hand grazers such as cows sheep and zebras primarily eat grass
which is rarely poisonous. These animals easily succumb to the Sodom apple. A 2011 study on sheep published in the journal Kenya Veterinarian showed that the plant caused emphysema pneumonia bleeding ulcers brain swelling and death among other effects.
As more African savanna is converted into pasture the proliferation of the Sodom apple may only get worse Pringle said which means that the presence of elephants to eat it may become more vital to the ecosystem and livestock.
The Sodom apple thrives on ecological mayhem such as the stress of overgrazing put on the land Pringle said:
I had thought always that these fruits were horrible and toxic but when I saw them in the experiment I knew some animal was
#Fungal infection control methods for lucky bamboothe popularity of ornamental plants imported to the United states from China is accompanied by concerns about the potential to introduce pathogens into the market.
The authors of a new research study say it is crucial to be vigilant about potential pests and pathogens on imported cuttings of Dracaena.
Pests and pathogens currently not in the United states could be imported with Dracaena plant materials said Ariena H. C. van Bruggen corresponding author of the study published in Hortscience.
the infection was associated with the fungus Colletotrichum dracaenophilum a pathogen that originated in Asia. The researchers evaluated the effects of hot water treatments on symptomless lucky bamboo planting material and tested fungicides for the control of Colletotrichum in asymptomatic
However in this study lesions appeared on noninoculated stalks when irrigation intervals were lengthened. Thus water stress may trigger the induction of symptoms the authors said.
Application of the systemic fungicide Azoxystrobin was found to be effective both at preventing new infections by C. dracaenophilum
and curing latent infections and anthracnose development on lucky bamboo plants. The authors recommended implementation of a systems approach to address the problem including:
training and disease management at the source careful inspection of plants at ports of entry fungicide treatment of rooted cuttings to eliminate latent infection and training and disease management in nurseries at lucky
With the increase in the organic and local food markets there may be areas in which plant breeding can focus to bring better disease resistance
say scientistsa new study on the digestion of milk could lead to the development of new formulas for premature babies weight loss drinks and potentially new drug delivery systems.
Funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and led by Dr Stefan Salentinig and Professor Ben Boyd from the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) the team looked at the nanostructure of milk to find out how its components interact with the human digestive system.
They discovered milk has a highly geometrically ordered structure when being digested. Dr Salentinig said the research provides a blueprint for the development of new milk products.
It could also lead to a new system for drug delivery. By unlocking the detailed structure of milk we have the potential to create milk loaded with fat soluble vitamins
and brain building molecules for premature babies or a drink that slows digestion so people feel fuller for longer.
We could even harness milk's ability as a'carrier'to develop new forms of drug delivery Dr Salentinig said.
By chemically recreating the digestive system in a glass beaker and adding cows'milk the team found that milk has a unique structure--an emulsion of fats nutrients
Dr Salentinig said the structure is similar to a sponge potentially enhancing the absorption of milk's healthy fats.
and lipid-soluble drugs to cross cell membranes and get into the circulatory system Dr Salentinig said. The next phase of the research will see the team work with nutritionists to better make the link between these new findings
and dietary outcomes and under the ARC funding utilize these findings to design and test improved medicines.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Monash University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
and farms where chemical pesticides were applied experienced a two-thirds increased risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder
and carbamates applied during the study participants'pregnancies and later diagnoses of autism and developmental delay in their offspring.
It is published online in Environmental Health Perspectives. This study validates the results of earlier research that has reported associations between having a child with autism
and prenatal exposure to agricultural chemicals in California said lead study author Janie F. Shelton a UC Davis graduate student who now consults with the United nations
and may pose threats to brain development during gestation potentially resulting in developmental delay or autism.
and linking the data to the residential addresses of approximately 1000 participants in the Northern California-based Childhood Risk of Autism from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) Study.
The study includes families with children between 2 and 5 diagnosed with autism or developmental delay or with typical development.
and professor and vice chair of the Department of public health Sciences at UC Davis. The majority of study participants live in the Sacramento Valley Central Valley and the greater San francisco bay Area.
whose children developed autism or had delayed cognitive or other skills. The researchers found that during the study period approximately one-third of CHARGE Study participants lived in close proximity--within 1. 25 to 1. 75 kilometers--of commercial pesticide application sites.
Organophosphates applied over the course of pregnancy were associated with an elevated risk of autism spectrum disorder particularly for chlorpyrifos applications in the second trimester.
Pyrethroids were associated moderately with autism spectrum disorder immediately prior to conception and in the third trimester.
Research from the CHARGE Study has emphasized the importance of maternal nutrition during pregnancy particularly the use of prenatal vitamins to reduce the risk of having a child with autism.
The above story is provided based on materials by University of California-Davis Health System. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Understanding the genetics mechanisms underlying the pig parasite may aid to modify the human immune response that could result in better treatments for autoimmune diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and multiple sclerosis.
and causes a disease (trichuriasis) that results in major socioeconomic loses. In contrast the pig whipworm causes disease
and losses in livestock but it does not cause disease in humans. It's reported that pig whipworm infection could even prevent inflammatory disease in humans
and has been used to treat inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. In this study researchers sequenced the genomes of single adult female
and male pig whipworm at about 140-fold coverage producing draft assemblies of 76 Mb and 81 Mb respectively.
It was reported previously that the XX and XY karyotypes for female and male whipworm respectively but in this study researchers found no evidence for A y chromosome among the male-specific scaffolds suggesting that the sex chromosomes were the smallest chromosomal pair
When investigating how pig whipworm regulates the host immune response researchers explored the stage-sex-and tissue-specific transcription of mrnas and small noncoding RNAS.
and in the stichosome seemed to have a central role in human autoimmune disorders primarily through inhibiting inflammation.
Researchers also constructed the models of inflammatory bowel disease and other autoimmune disorders trying to figure out a way for parasite-derived therapies.
Li Hu Project Manager from BGI said The constructed pig whipworm genome sequence provides us a genetic resource for deeply investigating the mechanisms underlying human autoimmune diseases.
Meanwhile the pig whipworm-host interactions will shed new light on the control of helminth and other immunopathological diseases in human.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by BGI Shenzhen. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
#Oldest ever schistosomiasis egg found may be first proof of early human technology exacerbating disease burdenthe discovery of a schistosomiasis parasite egg in a 6200-year-old grave at a prehistoric
town by the Euphrates river in Syria may be the first evidence that agricultural irrigation systems in the middle East contributed to disease burden according to new Correspondence published in The Lancet Infectious diseases.
Schistosomiasis is caused a disease by several species of flatworm parasites that live in the blood vessels of the bladder and intestines.
Infection can result in anemia kidney failure and bladder cancer. This research shows it may have been spread by the introduction of crop irrigation in ancient Mesopotamia the region along the Tigris-Euphrates river system that covers parts of modern-day Iraq Iran Kuwait Syria
According to one of the authors Dr Piers Mitchell at the University of Cambridge UK the discovery might be among the oldest evidence of human-made technology inadvertently causing disease outbreaks.
These irrigation systems distributed water to crops and may have triggered the beginning of the enormous disease burden that schistosomiasis has caused over the past 6000 years.
The oldest Schistosomiasis egg found previously was in Egyptian mummies from 5200 years ago. The egg was found in the pelvic area of the burial where the intestines
Schistosomiasis has become progressively more common over time so that it causes a huge burden across the world today with over 200 million people infected.
It causes anemia which significantly decreases physical productivity in infected people and may also cause bladder cancer We would expect these consequences in ancient peoples to have had a significant impact upon early civilizations in the region says Dr Mitchell.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by The Lancet. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Major agronomic problems common to these soils include Al toxicity decreased availability of phosphorus nutrient deficiencies and iron toxicity.
#Testing biological treatment for pathogens that are killing honeybees and batsa researcher at Georgia State university is studying a new biological treatment for bacterial and fungal pathogens that are killing honeybees and bats in record numbers.
Dr. Christopher Cornelison a postdoctoral researcher is testing how effective Rhodococcus rhodochrous a species of bacteria is in fighting pathogens affecting honeybees and bats.
In honeybees Chalkbrood disease has contributed to the number of managed honeybee colonies in the U s. being cut in half a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder.
Since 2006 White-Nose Syndrome has killed an estimated 7 million bats in North america the steepest wildlife decline in the past century.
Cornelison grows the bacteria under certain conditions that enable them to inhibit the growth of fungi responsible for these diseases.
The approach is unique because the bacteria do need not to make physical contact unlike many probiotics.
and tremendously inhibits the growth of fungal and bacterial pathogens Cornelison said. Honeybees and bats are key to the ecosystem.
In honeybees no negative effects were found in toxicity trials exposing bees to the bacteria in the air or in their honey.
and New zealand--by making female flies dependent upon a common antibiotic to survive. Dr. Max Scott professor of entomology at NC State and his research team genetically modified lines of female Australian sheep blowflies (Lucilia cuprina) so that they required doses of tetracycline in order to live.
Female blowflies that did not receive the antibiotic died in the late larval or pupal stages before reaching adulthood.
Several genetically modified lines lacking tetracycline showed 100 percent female deaths. Scott says that the gene construct responsible for lethality in antibiotic-free diets is female-specific Interestingly
and unexpectedly the genetically modified female larvae containing the tetracycline lethality genes also took on a crimson color due to overexpression of the linked red fluorescent protein marker gene.
This allows scientists to tell which larvae will be females and which will be males. Overexpression of the gene responsible for the reliance on tetracycline also seems to overexpress this marker gene Scott says.
Since the females will die when not provided tetracycline in their diets the males can be separated out in the larval stage.
This is essential for a male-only genetic control program to reduce blowfly populations Scott says as fertile males would pass the lethality construct on to female offspring
which would die in the absence of tetracycline. Male larval offspring however would still be dangerous to livestock.
In the study the researchers showed that the tetracycline gene construct also works in Drosophila the fruit fly lab rat of the insect world that is a distant cousin of the sheep blowfly.
This holds promise that the genetic system will function in the New world and Old world screwworm two major livestock pests that are close relatives of the sheep blowfly.
The research is by Dr Gianluca Tognon University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden and colleagues across the 8 countries:
The researchers used data from the IDEFICS study (Identification and Prevention of Dietary--and lifestyle--induced health effects in Children and infants) funded by the European commission.
Rolf Zeller from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel has investigated now the molecular changes
and loss of digitsthe scientists in the Department of Biomedicine then focused their attention on the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway as it controls Hox gene expression and the development of five fingers and toes in mice and humans.
ARID could have wide uses Woli said. â#oearid has potential to predict various responses by a crop that are related water stress â such as grain yield total biomass produced pest
and disease infestation and more â for any field crop that is sensitive to drought stressâ#said Woli one of the toolâ##s inventors.
#No evidence that soy food protects against endometrial cancer, study findsresearchers have found no evidence of a protective association between soy food
and endometrial cancer risk says a new study published (18 june) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Soy foods are an almost exclusive dietary source of isoflavones a plant-derived estrogen. Some studies have highlighted their potential cancer protective properties
however research looking at the link to endometrial cancer has been inconsistent. The study defined short IPI as time from the immediate preceding birth to subsequent birth of the index pregnancy of<6 months 6 to<12 months and 12 to<18 months.
Researchers categorized the women with short IPIS into two groups IPI less than 12 months and IPI 12-18 months comparing them to women who were considered to have an optimal IPI of 18 months or more.
In the follow up 112 women were diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Women consuming more isoflavones were older less likely to be current smokers alcohol
and regular coffee drinkers and more likely to have a history of diabetes. They also had a higher dietary intake of fruit and vegetables.
and soy food the researchers found no association with endometrial cancer. Neither higher consumption of total soy foods nor isoflavones were associated with the risk of endometrial cancer after adjustment for factors such as age alcohol consumption smoking BMI menopausal status coffee intake
and number of deliveries. Dr Motoki Iwasaki Epidemiology Division Epidemiology and Prevention Group Research center for Cancer Prevention and Screening National Cancer Center Tokyo Japan and co-author said:
Our study found that intake of soy and isoflavones were associated not with the risk of endometrial cancer.
Although the incidence of endometrial cancer is much lower in Asian countries the incidence rate has been increasing.
We also know that the consumption of soy foods among Japanese people is very high.
and plant species in Central europe that are thought to have a significant negative impact on biodiversity economy and health.
'and an increased exposure to disease-carrying insects as a result. Through crop raiding a form of human-wildlife conflict hundreds of thousands of marginalized farmers are losing edible crops to damage from these troublesome animals each year.
In addition by guarding their existing crops during the night farmers are exposed increasingly to malaria carried by mosquitos and soil-based worms
which cause elephantiasis. Despite the positive actions taken by affected farmers working around the Gishwati Forest fragment in western Rwanda the shifts in farming practice are having a cumulative negative effect on their communities.
and an increased risk of disease is a major problem. Unsurprisingly nonhuman primates are quite fond of the food crops we grow!
The skin gives the muscadine natural resistance to disease fungi and insects and it stores many antioxidants the study said.
Grape phenolics serve as anti-inflammatory agents can reduce the risk of certain cancers and help prevent high blood pressure
and heart disease Marshall said. Skin and seed extract from muscadine grapes can be used as a food additive
or nutritional supplement Marshall said. Currently the food industry puts synthetic antioxidants into food to preserve it he said.
Synthetic antioxidants also preserve fats and oils in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The phenolics extracted during the UF study on the other hand are natural not synthetic antioxidants. â#oethis concept of using natural antioxidants in many different things in the food world is a nice concept to consumersâ#he said.
In addition to Xu and Marshall study co-authors were Yavuz Yagiz a senior chemist in food science and human nutrition at UF;
#Conditions linked to deadly bird flu revealed: High risk areas identifieda dangerous strain of avian influenza H7n9 that's causing severe illness and deaths in China may be inhabiting a small fraction of its potential range
and appears at risk of spreading to other suitable areas of India Bangladesh Vietnam Indonesia
Researchers from the Universitã Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Oxford university and the Chinese Center of Disease Control and Prevention analyzed new data
and spread of the disease up until now is linked mainly to areas that have a high concentration of markets catering to a consumer preference for live birds
Places at risk include urban areas in China where the disease has occurred not yet along with large swaths of the Bengal regions of Bangladesh and India the Mekong and Red river deltas in Vietnam and isolated parts of Indonesia and the Philippines.
We're not saying these are areas where we expect to see infections emerge but the concentration of bird markets makes them very suitable for infection should the virus be introduced there
and that knowledge could help guide efforts to limit transmission said Marius Gilbert an expert in the epidemiology of livestock diseases at ULB and the paper's lead author.
Gilbert and his colleges developed a risk map for H7n9 in part to help anticipate where human infections--so far caused mainly by contact with birds
and not through human to human transmission--might occur next. Unlike H5n1 the other virulent form of avian influenza to emerge in recent years H7n9 produces little signs of illness in birds
which means it could move stealthily into poultry populations long before people get sick. The obvious use for such maps in the immediate future is to help target surveillance to areas most at risk
and rest days that can influence the spread of the disease suggesting potential options for reducing risks of further transmission of H7n9.
For example in the avian influenza study the maps helped researchers rule out intensive poultry operations in Northeastern China as a source of H7n9
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