The large-scale acquisition of land by foreign governments and business--more commonly known as land grabbing--is a contentious issue particularly in Africa where a large number of deals have taken place in regions facing food security problems and malnutrition.
because they potentially carry infectious diseases says Jennifer Layden MD infectious disease specialist at Loyola University Health System.
Ticks can carry Lyme disease and Rocky mountain spotted fever and mosquitoes can spread West Nile Virus. Insect repellents are used to avoid exposure to pests that can bite attach
or burrow into the skin. DEET is the most effective ingredient to protect against biting insects.
Signs that medical attention is needed include fever vomiting excessive sleepiness swelling redness and infection. Story Source:
#Peanuts dont panic parents as much as milk and eggsit's tough being the parent of a child with food allergies.
Although worry is a factor for anyone caring for a child with food allergies according to a study published in the July issue of Annals of Allergy Asthma
and Immunology the scientific publication of the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) there is increased anxiety and strain for caregivers of children allergic to milk and eggs.
The study examined 305 caregivers of children allergic to milk egg peanut or tree nut--the 4 most common food allergies.
The caregivers were asked about details of the children's most severe food reaction as well as information about the caregiver's quality of life.
If they knew exactly what foods could give their child an allergic reaction they were less likely to be stressed anxious
and egg allergies were the most worrisome for caregivers. It's assumed peanut and tree allergies are the most severe
and therefore it may be presumed they would cause the most strain for caregivers said allergist Laura Howe MD lead study author and ACAAI member.
and to prepare so many dishes caregivers with children allergic to those two ingredients feel more worried and anxious.
and also that others wouldn't understand the seriousness of their child's food allergy.
It is important for those who care for food-allergic children to work with an allergist to determine exactly what foods their child is allergic to
in case their child eats a food they shouldn't. Children with a history of severe allergic reactions
The above story is provided based on materials by American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI.
Traveling waves model tumor invasioncell migration which is involved in wound healing cancer and tumor growth and embryonic growth and development has been a topic of interest to mathematicians and biologists for decades.
In a paper published recently in the SIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical systems authors Kristen Harley Peter van Heijster Robert Marangell Graeme Pettet
and Martin Wechselberger study a model describing cell invasion through directional outgrowth or movement in the context of malignant tumors in particular melanoma or skin cancer.
Tumor cells move up a gradient based on the presence of a chemical or chemoattractant--this process is called haptotaxis.
In this paper the authors prove the existence and uniqueness of traveling waves to the model of malignant tumor invasion.
In sheep the bluetongue virus can cause abortion congenital abnormalities and death though mild cases completely recover.
The basic reproduction number for a disease is deï ned as the expected number of secondary cases produced by a single infection in a susceptible population.
As in many infectious disease models uniform disease persistence of bluetongue occurs if the basic reproduction number for the whole system exceeds one.
Midwives can administer antibiotics for infections and medications to stimulate or strengthen labor remove the placenta from a patient having a hemorrhage as well as handle many other complications that may occur in the mother or her baby.
While adding more obstetricians would save additional lives they cost more to deploy and can only use their surgical skills in a sterile hospital setting something that is often unavailable in many rural settings.
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
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).
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.
#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.
In addition AÎ triggers immune inflammatory responses like an infection bringing an on a rush of chemicals
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 new study provides experimental evidence that Lavado cocoa extract may influence Alzheimer's disease mechanisms by modifying the physical structure of AÎ oligomers.
and easily accessible means to prevent Alzheimer's disease even in its earliest asymptomatic stages. Story Source:
#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.
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.
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.
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.
#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
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.
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.
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.
#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
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.
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.
#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.
and tremendously inhibits the growth of fungal and bacterial pathogens Cornelison said. Honeybees and bats are key to the ecosystem.
#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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
#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
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
Unlike H5n1 the other virulent form of avian influenza to emerge in recent years H7n9 produces little signs of illness in birds
For example in the avian influenza study the maps helped researchers rule out intensive poultry operations in Northeastern China as a source of H7n9
On the other hand cool and wet weather conditions can increase plant disease pressure and the lodging of the crop making the crop difficult to harvest as well as complicating the management of soils.
So it's very important to understand the larger ramifications of the products used in the home because of their potential harm to children pets and wildlife.
and Community Tobacco Control Research (SCTC) Initiative funded by the US National Cancer Institute at the National institutes of health and published in the supplement.
and that they were effective smoking cessation aids. Newer brands were more likely to focus on choice and versatility.
and more sensitive ways to detect these pathogens of E coli in cattle feces. To develop the diagnostic test Noll
When it comes to controlling hay fever-triggering ragweed plants on Detroit vacant lots occasional mowing is worse than no mowing at all
Ragweed pollen is one of the main causes of allergic rhinitis the seasonally recurrent bouts of sneezing nasal congestion and itchy eyes commonly called hay fever.
There is also some evidence that allergenic pollen can trigger asthma attacks; in Detroit the asthma rate is 50 percent higher than the rate for the state of Michigan as a whole.
In Detroit vacant lots are most common in low-income neighborhoods that have large minority populations.
#Gardens help cancer survivors cope, heal and growa diagnosis of breast cancer in 2010 hit Susan Rossman pretty hard.
A year later a pioneering study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham helped her reclaim her life from cancer's grasp.
I think that cancer can be the worst thing that ever happened to you or it can be a life-changing event--one that you do something with rather than letting it do something to you she said.
For Rossman the key was Harvest for Health a UAB study that paired cancer survivors and master gardeners from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Wendy Demark-Wahnefried Ph d. R. D. is the associate director for cancer prevention and control in the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.
She is intrigued by the link between cancer and diet. There is powerful evidence she says that a diet high in fruits
and vegetables is especially beneficial for cancer survivors. We asked the question: If cancer survivors started a vegetable garden would they eat more vegetables?
We found they not only ate more vegetables they also got more exercise. And their physical functioning improved dramatically she said.
since been expanded to many counties surrounding Birmingham along with the Cullman Montgomery Mobile and Dothan areas with support from the National Cancer Institute.
and increased physical function are means to an end--to keep cancer survivors living independently for as long as possible.
Loss of physical function in cancer survivors especially older survivors is a downward spiral so that many times survivors lose the ability to live on their own she said.
I didn't think about cancer every day. Shaddix of Maple Valley Nursery is a gardener not a psychologist;
which are associated with the image of cancer said lead author Shu-Hong Zhu Phd professor of Family
Although smoking rates among American adults have declined by more than half from 42 percent in 1965 to 18 percent in 2012 tobacco use in the United states is still responsible for nearly one in five deaths according to the American Cancer Society.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health working with colleagues at several U s. and Chinese institutions used the broccoli sprout beverage to provide sulforaphane a plant compound already demonstrated to have cancer preventive properties
The study was published in the June 9 online edition of the journal Cancer Prevention Research. Air pollution is a complex and pervasive public health problem notes John Groopman Phd Anna M. Baetjer Professor of Environmental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health
Last year the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified air pollution and particulate matter (PM) from air pollution as carcinogenic to humans.
Diets rich in cruciferous vegetables of which broccoli is one have been found to reduce risk of chronic degenerative diseases including cancer.
This strategy may also be effective for some contaminants in water and food. This study points to a frugal simple and safe means that can be taken by individuals to possibly reduce some of the long-term health risks associated with air pollution notes Thomas Kensler Phd professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
and new research from St michael's Hospital suggests it should also be one of the oils of choice for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Dr. David Jenkins head of the hospital's Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre compared people with Type 2 diabetes who ate either a low glycemic index diet that included bread made with canola oil
or a whole wheat diet known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. His study published today (Saturday June 14) in the journal Diabetes Care found that those on the canola bread diet experienced both a reduction in blood glucose levels and a significant reduction in LDL or bad cholesterol.
Even more exciting he said was the finding that the canola bread diet seemed to have the most significant impact on people who needed help the most--those
and to find out which foods were best for people with diabetes. High GI foods--such as white bread most breakfast cereals potatoes
Other studies have linked low GI diets with a reduction in both diabetes and cardiovascular events and have shown monounsaturated fats such as canola
and olive oil reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Jenkins said the combination of a low GI diet supplemented with canola oil had not been tested before on people with Type 2 diabetes.*
*This research was funded by the Canola Council of Canada Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Loblaw Companies and the Canada Research Chairs Program.
#Improving diet quality reduces risk for type 2 diabetesimproving the overall quality of one's diet helps to prevent type 2 diabetes independent of other lifestyle changes according to a study presented at the American Diabetes Association
and vegetables and less sweetened beverages and saturated fats for example--reduced their risk for type 2 diabetes by about 20 percent compared to those who made no changes to their diets.
or increased physical activity or if it could independently reduce a person's risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
We found that diet was associated indeed with diabetes independent of weight loss and increased physical activity said lead researcher Sylvia Ley Phd a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public health.
If you improve other lifestyle factors you reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes even more
and reduce their risk for diabetes. The study also showed that it didn't matter how good
The above story is provided based on materials by American Diabetes Association. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length g
That false sense of health as well as a failure to understand the information presented in nutrition facts panels on packaged food may be contributing to the obesity epidemic in the United states said Temple Northup an assistant professor at the Jack J. Valenti School
#Identifying cyst-laden meat: Sarcocystis thermostable PCR detection kit developedconsumption of undercooked cyst-laden meat from cattle sheep
and goats may cause infection in humans. Researchers from Universiti Teknologi MARA have invented successfully a PCR kit
which provides a suitable and feasible means of screening detection and identification with high sensitivity and specificity of the parasite.
Sarcosytis spp are intracellular protozoan parasites acquired upon consumption of undercooked cyst-laden meat from cattle sheep and goats.
Cases of human infection have been documented. Humans carry the intramuscular micro and macrocyst. The actual incidence among humans is yet to be assessed.
Human cases have been reported with acute myositis diarrhea and fever. Livestock suffer acute debilitating infections resulting in abortion
and death or chronic infections with failure to grow or thrive. It is indeed regrettable that this disease has received not the attention it deserves
and remains a neglected one. Studies have shown that sarcosytis spp were seen in 56%of hamburgers 20%of hotdogs and sausages.
Their findings could make the maddening itch of the summer season a thing of the past for the untold millions who are allergic to the plant.
The study was published in the journal Plant disease and is a first of its kind on a plant that affects millions
This poison ivy research has the potential to affect the untold millions of people who are allergic to poison ivy said Jelesko a Fralin Life science Institute faculty member.
This type of approach using native pathogens to control noxious and invasive plants is gaining more much deserved recognition.
After Kasson successfully isolated the fungus in pure culture from infected plants a DNA analysis revealed that the fungus--Colletotrichum fioriniae--is also widely known as an insect pathogen that kills an invasive bug that infests
In all of the natural world only humans are allergic to poison ivy and its itch-inducing oil urushiol.
Humans appear to be uniquely allergic to urushiol said Jelesko. Goats eat it deer eat it
The other 400-plus pondered generic plant disease with no mention of specific crops or historic famines.
In humans cadmium can damage internal organs and cause cancer. At the same time iron is an essential nutrient for plants and humans.
#Infant nutrition, development of type 1 diabetes: Is it possible to prevent the illness by splitting the proteins of cows milk?
Splitting the cow's milk proteins in a formula doesn't prevent the start-up of the disease process of type 1 diabetes in predisposed children shows a large international study.
However these results do not exclude the possibility that the early dietary modification may affect the latter phase in the disease process
and so prevent the actual illness. Previous studies have indicated that early exposure to complex foreign proteins such as cow's milk proteins increases the risk of type 1 diabetes in predisposed individuals.
Therefore In 2002 we embarked on a large-scale study on more than 2100 infants with a family member affected by type 1 diabetes
and with genetic disease susceptibility to find an answer to the question whether delaying the exposure to complex foreign proteins will decrease the risk of diabetes tells Professor Mikael Knip from the University of Helsinki the leader of the TRIGR Study.
After breastfeeding the babies were weaned either to a special formula where the cow's milk proteins were split into small peptides or to a conventional infant formula with the regular cow's milk proteins.
The first study endpoint was positivity for at least two diabetes-associated autoantibodies by the age of six years.
However the disease process resulting in clinical diabetes has clearly two phases the first being the appearance of autoantibodies and the other the progression from autoantibody positivity to clinical disease.
Overtext Web Module V3.0 Alpha
Copyright Semantic-Knowledge, 1994-2011