and East Africa or the Amazon said co-author Dr. Lauren Coad. However severe ecological changes below the forest canopy driven by hunting are already occurring.
and with them on the future of the forests themselves and all the people who depend on them said Dr. James Deutsch Executive director of WCS's Africa Program.
which together form around two thirds of the world's species. This means that butterflies are useful indicators of biodiversity and the general health of ecosystems.
Australia formally introduced plain brown packaging accompanied by graphic health warnings taking up three quarters of the front of the pack for all tobacco products on December 1 2012.
and whether it helped curb the appeal of tobacco emphasise its harms and boost thoughts of quitting among smokers.
The interviewees were all taking part in the annual phone Victorian Smoking and Health Survey
while the remainder (27.7%)were still using branded packs with smaller health warnings. The smokers were asked
They were asked also how often they thought about the harms of smoking and about quitting smoking
if they thought the harms of smoking had been exaggerated. The results indicated that perception of exaggerated tobacco harm or the frequency with
or social contagion suggest the authors. But they conclude: The finding that smokers smoking from a plain pack evidenced more frequent thought about
The above story is provided based on materials by BMJ-British Medical Journal. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
The above story is provided based on materials by Emory Health Sciences. The original article was written by Carol Clark.
In the paper researchers from Rice's Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP) show two ways that solar steam can be used for sterilization--one setup to clean medical instruments
Halas Rice's Stanley C. Moore Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering professor of physics professor of chemistry and professor of biomedical engineering is one of the world's most-cited chemists.
One of her creations gold nanoshells is the subject of several clinical trials for cancer treatment.
The study supported by the Natural Environment Research Council was published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Dr Ed Mitchard of the University of Edinburgh's School of Geosciences who led the study said:
#Health risks from arsenic in rice exposedhigh levels of arsenic in rice have been shown to be associated with elevated genetic damage in humans a new study has found.
The study published in Nature Publishing Group's Scientific Reports looked at the frequency of'micronuclei'--a telltale sign of chromosomal damage (that has been shown by others previously to be linked to cancer) by screening more than 400000 individual cells extracted from urine samples
which has caused devastating health impacts including cancers in many parts of the world. The authors say their work raises considerable concerns about health impacts of consuming high arsenic rice as a staple particularly by people with relatively poor nutritional status--perhaps as many as a few hundred million people.
How directly relevant the results are to people in the UK with a generally lower consumption of rice
In the absence of contamination rice is stored an easily food that provides essential energy vitamins
which are more consistent and protective of human health. Dr Ashok K Giri who led the Indian research team added:
Although high arsenic in rice is a potential threat to human health there should not be any panic about the consequences particularly as the health risks arise from long-term chronic exposure.
We can avoid high arsenic rice by taking proper mitigation strategies for rice cultivation; moreover one CSIR institute in India has identified already a number of Indian rice varieties
so we can easily address future human health risks with proper mitigation strategies Results of this study will not only help to understand the toxic effects caused by this human carcinogen
Increased frequency of these micronuclei has been shown by other groups to be linked to the development of cancers.
The camp is for children with diabetes ages 6-12. Campers were offered a nutritionally balanced daily menu
Ann Wolf executive director of the diabetes Camp Hertko Hollow who worked with researchers on the field study is interested in adding a permanent digital display for next summer's camp.
and manage their diabetes to live a long and healthy life. Using digital displays to boost salestargeting kids at camp
As seen under a microscope the layers brought onions to mind said Rice chemist James Tour until a colleague suggested flat graphene could never be like an onion.
and the remarkable rings that chemists marveled were even possible are described in a new paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
#Widely used pesticide toxic to honeybeesforthcoming research in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry analyzes the physiological effects of three separate pesticides on honey bees (Apis mellifera.
Deltamethrin fipronil and spinosad widely used pesticides in agriculture and home pest control were applied to healthy honeybees and proved toxic to some degree irrespective of dosage.
At sublethal doses the pesticides modulated key enzymes that regulate physiological processes cognitive capacities and immune responses such as homing flight associative learning foraging behavior and brood development.
The above story is provided based on materials by Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
#New way to measure cumulative effect of head hits in footballscientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical center have developed a new way to measure the cumulative effect of impacts to the head incurred by football players.
and practices the researchers used RWE to measure the cumulative risk of injury due to linear and rotational acceleration separately as well as the combined probability of injury associated with both.
We know that young players are constantly experiencing low-level hits that don't cause visible injury
Concussion is the most common sports-related head injury with football players having the highest rate among high school athletes according to the study.
and rotational acceleration alone as well as to the combined probability of injury associated with both. This is an improved method of capturing the cumulative effects from each impact
and the associated risk of injury Stitzel said. All hits involve both linear and rotational acceleration
Studies like this are vital to understanding the biomechanical basis of head injuries related to football Stitzel said.
and neurological tests conducted as part of this study. The research team hopes that this work may ultimately improve helmet safety
The study was funded by the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. Co-authors are Jillian Urban M. S. Elizabeth Davenport B. S. Adam Golman M. S. Joseph Maldjian M d. Christopher Whitlow M d. and Alexander Powers
The above story is provided based on materials by Wake Forest Baptist Medical center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
#Irish potato famine-causing pathogen even more virulent nowthe plant pathogen that caused The irish potato famine in the 1840s lives on today with a different genetic blueprint
In a study published in the journal Nature Communications North carolina State university plant pathologist Jean Ristaino
or sets of all genes of five 19th century strains of the Phytophthora infestans pathogen with modern strains of the pathogen
and 1880s were quite different from modern-day P. infestans genes including some genes in modern plants that make the pathogen more virulent than the historical strains.
The genetic blueprints or genotypes of the historical strains were distinct from modern strains and genes related to infection were also quite different Ristaino says.
In the areas of the genome that today control virulence we found little similarity with historical strains suggesting that the pathogen has evolved in response to human actions like breeding more disease-resistant potatoes.
Some of the differences between the European historical samples from the 1840s and the 1870s and 1880s suggest that the pathogen was brought to Europe more than once debunking the theory that the pathogen was introduced once
and then expanded its range. Ristaino believes it was introduced to Europe multiple times probably from South american ships.
P. infestans caused massive and debilitating late-blight disease outbreaks in Europe leaving starvation and migration in its wake after ravaging Ireland in the mid-to-late 1840s.
Ristaino's previous work pointed the finger at the 1a strain of P. infestans as The irish potato-famine pathogen
and attempts to control the pathogen Ristaino says. Late blight is still a major threat to global food security in the developing world she adds.
Knowing how the pathogen genome has changed over time will help modern-day farmers better manage the disease.
and to control the spread of disease. A new study to be published in Nature's The ISME Journal reveals the profound effect it has on enriching soil with bacteria fungi and protozoa.
and diseases boosting yield said Professor Philip Poole from the John Innes Centre. Soil was collected from a field near Norwich
While continued planting of one species in monoculture pulls the soil in one direction rotating to a different one benefits soil health.
The scientists also grew an oat variety unable to produce normal levels of avenacin a compound that protects roots from fungal pathogens.
He also studied the structure of the tomato peels to assess their efficiency as biomaterials to remove toxic metal ions and organic pollutants from water.
His study revealed that tomato peels can effectively remove different contaminants in water including dissolved organic
#Bees under threat from disease-carrying bumblebee imports, research revealsstricter controls over bumblebee imports to the UK are required urgently to prevent diseases spreading to native bumblebees
and honeybees scientists have warned. The call follows the discovery of parasites in over three-quarters of imported bumblebee colonies they tested.
All were meant to be disease-free but when they were tested using DNA technology 77%of the colonies were found to be carrying parasites.
Although the licences require colonies to be disease free colonies arriving in the UK are screened not to ensure compliance
The study argues that producers need to improve disease screening and develop a parasite-free diet for their bees
or strains of parasites into some areas the authors warn. According to co-author of the study Professor William Hughes of the University of Sussex:#
The introduction of more or new parasite infections will at a minimum exacerbate this and could quite possibly directly drive declines.#
When a plant is domesticated it acquires a suite of traits called the domestication syndrome that made it easier to grow as a crop.
In rice the syndrome includes loss of shattering (the seeds don't break off the central grain stalk before harvest) increase in seed size
Because the weedy forms are closely related to rice varieties that were grown never in the U s. they probably arrived as contaminants in grain stocks from Asia instead of evolving directly from the tropical japonica crops grown here.
Even though both weedy strains arose in Asia he says weedy rice became a problem in Southeast asia only in the last few decades.
In the U s. weedy rice is combatted increasingly by growing herbicide resistant crop strains Olsen says.
The new species A. chamrani has its name in honour of Dr. Mostafa Chamran (1932-1981) an Iranian scientist and defence minister.
so his presentation was given by Debasis Bagchi Ph d. director of innovation and clinical affairs at Iovate Health Sciences International Inc. in Oakville Ontario Canada.
Phil Apong senior formulation specialist/researcher at Iovate Health Sciences said dietary recommendations for bodybuilders depend on many factors such as genetics age gender and body size.
The study while not primarily focused on plant disease population growth climate change or the diversion of corn to non-food uses such as ethanol suggests that significant stresses in these areas could jeopardize food security.
This is particularly true of nations like Mexico Japan and the Republic of korea that have yet to diversify their sources.
if major exporters experience disruptions due to non-food diversions plant diseases and climate impacts according to the article.
The research was supported by the National institutes of health and the article was published recently electronically in the journal Risk Analysis published by the Society for Risk Analysis. The researchers based their work on United nations Commodity Trade data
and the Verband Deutscher Zoodirektoren Association of German Zoo Directors the Dresden team led by biologists Dr. Raffael Ernst
which they could not assign to any known species. As it turned out it was indeed a hitherto undescribed species of poison dart frog
which the authors say supports the hypothesis that stressed bees leave the hive altruistically to prevent the spread of infection.
After a few days the effect of infection on bees and their behavior was monitored. Parasitization caused changes in the levels of active genes in the brains of infected bees.
Twenty genes were common between the two infections and several of the up-regulated genes are involved in oxidative stress neural function and foraging behavior.
Parasitized bees also tended to have a higher viral infection as well adding to their disease burden
--even if they did not have physical symptoms. Hydrocarbons on the cuticle of bees provide a'family'scent allowing bees from the same hive to recognize each other.
The levels of these chemicals was altered by infection with either the endo -or ectoparasite nevertheless infected bees were treated as normal by other bees--social interactions including antennal contact grooming feeding
Dr Cynthia Mcdonnell who led this study commented Parasitized bees tend to leave the colony earlier to perform foraging activity
Lead author Dr Amy Bogaard from the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford said:'
The nanotube carpets used in the photodetectors are grown in the lab of Rice chemist Robert Hauge who pioneered a process for growing densely packed nanotubes on flat surfaces.
and 65 percent of the insect and pathogen invaders included in this study colonize hardwood tree species said Liebhold a research entomologist with the U s. Forest Service's Northern Research Station.
and pathogens in North america has likely been facilitated by the similarity of the flora among these three continents the study suggests.
There are plenty of highly-damaging invasive species in Western United states forests such as sudden oak death and white pine blister rust according to Frankel a plant pathologist with the Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station.
and how do they provide digestive, immunity and bone health benefits? A new presentation today at the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Expo in Chicago focused on the health benefits of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scfos) which are low-calorie
nondigestible carbohydrates that can improve food taste and texture while aiding immunity bone health and the growth and balance of important bacteria in the digestive track.
Fructooligosaccharides are naturally found in chicory onions asparagus wheat tomatoes and other fruits vegetables and grains.
and prevent inflammation diarrhea and other intestinal conditions. This essential ecosystem provides an important balance between health and disease in the body.
Fructooligosaccharides also increase calcium absorption in the body an important consideration for pre-and postmenopausal women ages 45 and older who are losing critical bone mass that increases their risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures.
The regular addition of scfos to the diet is ideal for maintaining mineral density and (bone) strength said Phillip Allsopp Ph d. research associate at the University of Ulster in Coleraine Ireland.
Children's decision making has explained few dimensions Dr. Adam Drewnowski (CQ) director of the Center for Public health Nutrition and professor of epidemiology at the School of Public health University of Washington Seattle.
and are not making food choices based on health said Dr. Jennifer Orlet Fisher an associate professor of public health at Temple University Philadelphia.
#Habits, not cravings, drive food choice during times of stressputting a new spin on the concept of stress eating research presented at the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting
& Expo found that people who eat during times of stress typically seek the foods they eat out of habit--regardless of how healthy
The results found that during peak stress like an exam participants were likely to fall back on their habitual snack.
#RNA-interference pesticides will need special safety testingstandard toxicity testing is inadequate to assess the safety of a new technology with potential for creating pesticides
and insect-resistant crops based on RNA interference now in exploratory development may have to be tested under elaborate procedures that assess effects on animals'whole life cycles rather than by methods that look for short-term toxicity.
For example an interfering RNA might have unintended the effect of suppressing the action of a gene needed for reproduction in a beneficial species. Standard laboratory testing would detect no harm
--which means that they have to withstand herbivores pathogens and competitors to persist in a community.
Particle size has bioaccessibility of the energy of the food that is being consumed said Dr. Richard Mattes (CQ) professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University West Lafayette Ind.
Dr. Roger Clemens (CQ) chief scientific officer of Horn Company of La Mirada Calif. and an adjunct professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences within the USC School of Pharmacy
explained in his abstract that scientists today continue to estimate the measurements of energy derived from foods based on calculations created over 125 years ago by Wilbur O. Atwater (CQ) a USDA agricultural chemist who published his findings from more than 200 dietary
Dr. Martin Wickham (CQ) director of nutrition at Leatherhead Food Research in the United kingdom also presented an update at the conference session on similar studies in the European union
& Food Expo John Peters Ph d. professor of medicine at the University of Colorado and chief of strategy and innovation at the school's Anschutz Health and Wellness Center presented data from an experiment
and disseminate information on the health benefits of culinary herbs and spices. Spice manufacturer Mccormick & Company Inc. supports the initiatives of the Mccormick Science Institute through funding.
#How cranberries impact infection-causing bacteriaconsuming cranberry products has been associated anecdotally with prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIS) for over 100 years.
which cranberries may impart protective properties against urinary tract and other infections. Two new studies spearheaded by Prof.
The findings also point to the potential for cranberry derivatives to be used to prevent bacterial colonization in medical devices such as catheters.
The experiments also show that increasing concentrations of cranberry powder reduce the bacteria's production of urease an enzyme that contributes to the virulence of infections.
because bacterial movement is a key mechanism for the spread of infection as infectious bacteria literally swim to disseminate in the urinary tract
and to escape the host immune response While the effects of cranberry in living organisms remain subject to further study our findings highlight the role that cranberry consumption might play in the prevention of chronic infections Tufenkji says.
More than 150 million cases of UTI are reported globally each year and antibiotic treatment remains the standard approach for managing these infections.
The current rise of bacterial resistance to antibiotics underscores the importance of developing another approach.
Another recent study led by Tufenkji in collaboration with Mcgill professor Showan Nazhat a biomaterials expert at the Department of Mining
Biointerfaces point to potential use for cranberry derivatives to hinder the spread of germs in implantable medical devices such as catheters
Based on the demonstrated bioactivity of cranberry its use in catheters and other medical devices could someday yield considerable benefits to patient health Tufenkji says.
#New risk factors for bowel cancerfizzy drinks cakes biscuits chips and desserts have all been identified as risk factors for bowel cancer according to new research.
The study is the first of its kind to find a positive link between the disease
Scientists reported links with some established risk factors of colorectal cancer#such as family history of cancer physical activity and smoking.
The study#which used data from the Scottish Colorectal Cancer Study#carried out in 2012 builds on previous research into the link between bowel cancer and diet.
The healthy dietary pattern was found to be associated with a decreased colorectal cancer risk while the western dietary pattern was found to be associated with an increased risk.
Dr Evropi Theodoratou of the University of Edinburgh's School of Molecular Genetic and Population Health Sciences said:
While the positive associations between a diet high in sugar and fat and colorectal cancer do not automatically imply'cause
which can have profound influences on the most significant environmental processes from plant growth and health to nutrient cycles in terrestrial and marine environments the global carbon cycle and possibly even climate processes.
Powdery mildew is one of the most dreaded plant diseases: The parasitic fungus afflicts crops such as wheat
Moreover the data provides fresh insights into the crop history of wheat and barley and their interaction with the mildew pathogen.
Asexual reproduction as a success model seems to be characteristic of many parasitic fungi including those that afflict humans such as athlete's foot.
Arthritis#infection#numerous maladies come to mind. But a Kansas State university researcher found that inflammation that occurs naturally in dairy cows the first few days after giving birth may play a surprisingly beneficial role in the complex process of going from late pregnancy to lactation.
We also know that many disorders including metabolic diseases such as ketosis and fatty liver occur during this time of transition.
Thinking that reducing inflammation during this period might be beneficial for the cow's transition from gestation to lactation plus limit metabolic disease Bradford
if using an anti-inflammatory drug (sodium salicylate or SS) for the first seven days of lactation would prevent liver fat accumulation improve the supply of glucose for lactation and limit metabolic disease in dairy cows entering lactation.
SS was delivered to the animals in a controlled way to their drinking water. The team did not get the result they expected.
Similarly anti-inflammatory treatment led to a dramatic drop in plasma glucose concentration in mature cows. Both of these responses are associated often with metabolic disease in early lactation cows.
The study improved our understanding of the re-prioritization process by suggesting that inflammatory pathways promote a temporary state of insulin resistance in dairy cows resulting in conservation of glucose for use by the mammary gland Bradford said.
and Agriculture indicate that inflammation-induced insulin resistance is in some cases an adaptive rather than pathological phenomenon.
Rather than thinking of mild inflammation as a disease-inducing factor we think there may be times during life where some inflammation is advantageous or necessary.
Herbivory is a fundamental driver of plant diversity explains Dr Sarah Barlow who carried out the work
On the bright side said Dr Barlow the slugs did not like the seedlings of some of the desirable wildflowers such as wood cranesbill rough hawkbit and greater burnet.
Newcastle University's Dr Gordon Port a senior lecturer and an expert in pest management said:
#Snakes devour more mosquito-eating birds as climate change heats forestsmany birds feed on mosquitoes that spread the West Nile virus a disease that killed 286 people in the United states in 2012 according to the Centers
for Disease Control. Birdsalso eat insects that can be agricultural pests. However rising temperatures threaten wild birds including the Missouri-native Acadian flycatcher by making snakes more active according to University of Missouri biologist John Faaborg.
He noted that farmers public health officials and wildlife managers should be aware of complex indirect effects of climate change in addition to the more obvious influences of higher temperatures and irregular weather patterns.
Low survival in the Ozark nests harms bird numbers in other areas Faaborg said. Birds hatched in the Ozark forest spread out to colonize the rest of the state and surrounding region.
#Whole chickens from farmers markets may have more pathogenic bacteriaraw whole chickens purchased from farmers markets throughout Pennsylvania contained significantly higher levels of bacteria that can cause foodborne illness compared to those purchased from grocery stores in the region
Cutter suggested that concerns about antibiotic resistance and animal-welfare issues in large animal-agriculture operations that supply food to supermarket chains may explain why consumers are switching to locally grown and locally processed foods.
We hope this small study will lead to more extensive research to determine why we are seeing the levels of pathogens in these products
Cutter and Scheinberg speculate that interventions such as antimicrobial rinses can lower pathogen levels on poultry carcasses.
However they found that many of the farmers/vendors may not be incorporating antimicrobial interventions during processing.
and federal regulations and emphasize the need for antimicrobial interventions to prevent a higher prevalence of pathogens.
we're here to improve public health she said. We can train farmers and vendors to produce a safer product that won't make people sick.
Bacteria that cause foodborne illness such as Campylobacter and Salmonella are destroyed by proper cooking of poultry products;
however they also can cause cross-contamination if they come in contact with other foods through contaminated cutting boards sinks countertops or utensils.
#Do antibiotics in animal feed pose a serious risk to human health? As fears rise over antibiotic resistance two experts on The british Medical Journal website today debate
whether adding antibiotics to animal feed poses a serious risk to human health. David Wallinga from Keep Antibiotcs Working:
the Campaign To end Antibiotic Overuse in Animal Agriculture believes that physicians and policymakers have overlooked the critical role played by the ongoing overuse of antibiotics in livestock and poultry.
He understands the interest in creating a pipeline of new antibiotics but says overall reductions in antibiotic use should come first.
He points to data showing that in 2009-11 72%of all US sales of antimicrobials comprised those routinely added to water or animal feed.
These he says are feed additives in given routinely without a prescription at lower than therapeutic concentrations for purposes such as growth promotion
and to control disease in otherwise healthy animals being raised in crowded or unhygienic conditions that promote disease.
Wallinga argues that contrary to claims by some in the livestock and drug industries routine antibiotics are not necessary for animal health.
He points to Denmark the world's leading pork exporter which reduced antimicrobial use in livestock production by 60%while increasing pork production by half since 1994.
Based on a growing body of evidence almost every European and North american public health authority agrees that routine antibiotic use in animal food production likely worsens the epidemic of resistance he writes.
Less certain is the political will to act upon that information he concludes. But Veterinarian David Burch argues that medicated animal feed poses no additional risk of resistance development than giving a human patient an oral antimicrobial.
He explains that some countries such as The netherlands have banned routine use of antibiotics in animal feed mainly over concerns about an increase in MRSA.
But Burch argues that use of antibiotics in feed was associated not with an increase in MRSA because no products
which directly select for MRSA are registered for use in feed in the European union. It is mainly older antibiotics that are licensed for use in feed in the UK he explains.
He believes that how bacteria which might carry resistant genes are transmitted to humans must be considered
but says given the thorough risk assessments concerning antimicrobial resistance by the regulatory authorities it is considered highly unlikely that the use of adding antibiotics to feed poses a serious risk to humans especially in comparison with the extensive use of antibiotics directly in human patients.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by BMJ-British Medical Journal. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference e
Overtext Web Module V3.0 Alpha
Copyright Semantic-Knowledge, 1994-2011