A first step in tackling this growing global problem is establishing a common vocabulary because the current jumble of terms fosters confusion among scientists in academia industry and government.
New formula to calculate hue improves accuracy of color analysisa stroll through the produce aisle in your local grocery store exhibits a plethora of vivid colors.
The ability of living organisms to reflect wavelengths of different portions of the color spectrum results in diverse displays like that of the grocery produce section.
but the quick release of nutrients heat and compounds found in ash and smoke play an important role in the life cycle of the native flora.
#Asthma drug aids simultaneous desensitization to several food allergies, study findsan asthma drug accelerates the process of desensitizing patients with food allergies to several foods at the same time a new study
The findings come on the heels of a recent study by the same team showing that people with multiple food allergies can be desensitized to several foods at once.
The two studies both phase-1 safety trials provide the first scientific evidence that a promising new method for treating people for multiple food allergies works.
Patients who took the asthma drug omalizumab became desensitized to multiple food allergens at a median of 18 weeks;
In oral immunotherapy the desensitization method used in both studies allergic patients build up tolerance to a food by ingesting it in tiny gradually increasing doses under a doctor's supervision in a hospital setting.
and the patient is able to eat the food safely. Several researchers have shown that this therapy works on a single food allergen
but it had not been tested on multiple food allergens. The Stanford team tried the new technique because nearly 4 million Americans are allergic to more than one food.
Parents came up to me and said things like'It's great that you're desensitizing children to their peanut
or milk allergies but my daughter is allergic to wheat cashews eggs and almonds. What can you do about that?'
'said Kari Nadeau MD Phd associate professor of pediatrics at the medical school and an immunologist at Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford.
Nadeau is the senior author of the new study. Patients'options for dealing with food allergies are limited.
Physicians advise them to avoid allergy triggers and carry injectable epinephrine at all times because they run a constant risk of anaphylactic shock from accidental consumption.
as long as three years to become desensitized to one food. being desensitized to several foods one at a time could prospectively take decades.
Yet Stanford researchers succeeded in safely desensitizing patients to several food allergens at once and were able to speed up desensitization by supplementing oral immunotherapy with injections of omalizumab (brand name Xolair).
In the earlier study in which patients were given not omalizumab 25 children and adults with multiple allergies ate tiny doses of their allergens--as many as five--as highly purified food powders each day.
The total dose was divided evenly between the allergens so that each subject got the same total quantity of food protein regardless of the number of foods they were being desensitized to.
The researchers monitored the treatment's safety noting some mild allergic reactions such as itching in the mouth
The food dose was increased gradually until subjects could eat 4 grams of each food protein
or up to 20 grams of the allergenic food proteins in total without experiencing a reaction.
This occurred at a median of 85 weeks after food doses began. Adding speedin the second and most recent study 25 children
and adults with multiple food allergies underwent a similar protocol--but with an additional step.
Eight weeks before being introduced to food allergens the patients began receiving injections of omalizumab. This drug reduces activity of the body's Ige molecules the antibodies involved in allergic responses
The patients continued consuming food powders until they could safely eat 4 grams of each food protein.
This occurred at a median of 18 weeks after the food doses began. It's efficient said Philippe BÃ gin MD a visiting scientist at Stanford and the paper's lead author.
It's exciting that we could perhaps have a treatment that's actually doable on a large scale.
Many of the study subjects had more than five food allergies the maximum number treated. However the researchers saw something curious:
'Bystander effect'We saw this'bystander effect'in about 60 percent of patients where for example we gave someone pecan powder
and the person became desensitized to walnut too said Nadeau who is also a member of the Children's Health Research Institute at Stanford.
Consumer concerns about bacterial resistance to antibiotics have prompted the swine industry to seek additional methods to protect the health of pigs including special feed additives.
The researchers conducted two experiments to test the beneficial effects of adding plant extracts to pig diets to combat PRRS and E coli.
In both experiments researchers used four diets in weanling pigs including a control diet and three additional diets that included garlic botanical extracted from garlic turmeric oleoresin extracted from ginger or capsicum
oleoresin from pepper. In both experiments half of the pigs in each dietary treatment were challenged with either E coli
or PRRS virus while the other half of the pigs were challenged non. We've known for a long time that plant extracts also called essential oils
E coli is especially dangerous post-weaning as pigs adapt to new feed and new environments Pettigrew said.
The pigs fed plant extracts were more efficient (40 percent) in feed use than the pigs fed the control diet in the E coli-challenged group
and started on all solid feed the extracts could also be used to reduce its occurrence she said.
and it diverts nutrients away from growth to the immune system Pettigrew said If we can bring that quickly back down to normal after a challenge then that helps in production.
Although previous studies have looked at using plant extracts in pig diets Pettigrew said Liu's study which looked at the effects of three different extracts on two different diseases had not been done previously.
#Food production in northeastern U s. may need to change if climate doesif significant climate change occurs in the United states it may be necessary to change where certain foods are produced
in order to meet consumer demand. In a paper published online this week in the journal Renewable Agriculture
and Food Systems researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University provide an overview of current farmland use and food production in the Northeastern U s. identifying potential
and director of the Agriculture Food and Environment program at the Friedman School the authors evaluated the degree to
which the Northeast can satisfy the food needs of its residents a concept known as regional self-reliance.
Food production in the United states is concentrated in certain areas but it is important to explore the ability of all regions to produce food.
This is certainly the case in the Northeast which has both a high population density and a declining agricultural land base Griffin said.
For example most of the country's pork products come from Iowa and North carolina and most of the lettuce is grown in California's Salinas Valley Looking ahead there is the potential for climate change to disrupt food production in those key areas.
If irrigation in the Central Valley of California was reduced due to climate change could other regions make up for that drop in production?
Griffin and colleagues noted substantial diversity in the Northeast food system for crops in particular. A different picture emerges
and almost 40%of that is corn most of it used for animal feed. A small proportion of that acreage produces foods that people eat such apples
and potatoes although much of it contributes indirectly by supporting livestock production systems. Griffin and colleagues found regional self-reliance to be highest for animal-based products particularly milk and eggs.
The region produces about as much fluid milk as it consumes and about 70%of the amount of eggs consumed.
For seafood the region produces 45%of the amount of shellfish it consumes and 23%of fish.
Just under 30%of the amount of chicken consumed in the region is produced also there.
For vegetables the region produces 26%of the amount of it consumes and for fruit 18%.
if there were to be a shift toward eating more in line with the federal dietary guidelines
If we are to change the types of foods grown on farms where would that occur
and limits their ability to absorb essential nitrogen and other nutrients in the spring. This leads to greater run off of nitrogen into ground water and nearby streams
and very large orange spots suggest the female is swollen with eggs and no longer interested in mating.
#Bison ready for new pastures? Protocol used to demonstrate brucellosis-free bison from infected herdsa new study from the USDA Animal
They're beating the pandas to the bamboo buffet. A paper by Michigan State university panda habitat experts published in this week's Journal for Nature Conservation explores an oft-hidden yet significant conflict in conservation.
The global demand for palm oil has spiked in recent years as processed food manufacturers have sought an alternative to trans fats.
French is conducting his studies using alternative controls as a part of the U s. Department of agriculture-National Institute of Food
bactericides plant defense response and plant nutrients he said. We are trying to alleviate the disease symptoms on tubers
The third and last approach he is studying is using plant nutrients to offset the damage caused by the psyllid
We are adding micro-and macro-nutrients and other fertilizers he said. A macro-nutrient is something the plant readily needs like nitrogen
and phosphorus and a micro-nutrient is something the plant needs in small amounts like zinc or boron for plant functions.
In the past two years we actually had very good results with a combination of micro-and macro-nutrients that were applied biweekly after flowering on the potato French said.
We saw a 43 percent total yield increase in 2012 and a 45 percent increase in 2013 in comparison to the control or regular grower practices.
so the plan is to repeat these studies in 2014 with other nutrient and non-nutrient approaches.
drought tolerance in cowpeascowpeas known as black-eyed peas in the U s. are an important and versatile food legume grown in more than 80 countries.
Under a National Institute for Food and Agriculture grant of $500000 Zhang and other Texas A&m scientists will take advantage of the recently developed DNA sequencing technology to map
and Dr. Dirk Hays Texas A&m associate professor of physiological and molecular genetics all in College Station. The goal of the study is to develop single nucleotide polymorphisms
because they are a high protein grain vegetable fodder and high nitrogen-fixing legume that can be intercropped with corn cotton
and related crops thus supporting the long-term genetic improvement and sustainability of U s. agriculture and food systems she said.
#Water filter from the sapwood in pine tree branchesif you've run out of drinking water during a lakeside camping trip there's a simple solution:
In fact an MIT team has discovered that this low-tech filtration system can produce up to four liters of drinking water a day--enough to quench the thirst of a typical person.
Farmers often keep calves in individual pens believing this helps to reduce the spread of disease.
Vaughn Bryant an anthropology professor at Texas A&m and a melissopalynologist â#someone who studies the pollen in honey â#tested honey samples from grocery
and big box stores farmers markets and natural food and drug stores around the country and found more than 75 percent of the honey being sold has all of the pollen filtered out according to Food safety News
what nectar sources are dominant. This means that with no traces of pollen honey sellers can take cheap honey
what nectar sources were used. There are about 350000 different species of plants and each species produces a unique pollen type the professor explains.
One of the bill's provisions will require that appropriate U s. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency resources exist to address concerns that honey as well as contraband archaeological
Without them and without the bees they raise many of our food crops would not get pollinated
That in turn will greatly increase the cost of food. The result might be oranges or apples both pollinated by bees costing $5 each
Watery saliva helps stink bugs to digest their food. Sheath saliva surrounds stink bugs'mouthparts
and suck nutrients from the plant said Michelle Peiffer research support assistant. During this process stink bugs also deposit saliva onto the plant.
--and making sure that we have sufficient food to feed the ever-growing global population is key to our future food security.
Wheat one of the world's most important crops for human food is milled for use in bread breakfast cereals cakes pizzas confectionery soups and many other foodstuffs.
and our future food security is threatened by climate change and an ever-growing population it is essential to improve the control of crop diseases like fusarium ear blight around the globe.
#Sterile flies save food crops, millions of dollars in eradication effortsirradiated sterile flies dropped over seaports
and agricultural areas to mate with unsuspecting females save food crops and millions of dollars in prevented infestations and the ensuing eradication efforts.
Paul Brewer Principal Research Scientist at NPL said: By using high accuracy gravimetry we were able to prepare a gas mixture that accurately replicated the natural occurring isotopic carbon dioxide.
Developing high accuracy reference standards of carbon dioxide and methane with international comparability and traceability to the SI will greatly contribute to our work
#Fish tacos: A nutritional lunchrob Handler harvested his research but it wasn't the usual kale onions
It was the key ingredient for fish tacos which were served then at a residence hall on campus. We were growing tilapia Handler said.
Once the aquaponics project was completed the tilapia were turned over to Michigan Tech Dining Services and wound up on the lunch tables at Wadsworth Hall.
The fish tacos were a resounding success combined with coleslaw made of carrots and cabbage from the residence hall's organic garden.
#Rapeseed-based animal feed cuts greenhouse gases by up to 13 per centthe use of rapeseed cake in the production of livestock feed cuts methane
Specifically the incorporation of this oilseed plant into animal food cuts methane emissions by between 6%and 13%and carbon dioxide emissions by between 6. 8%and 13.6%.
%The introduction of this oilseed preparation into the diet of ruminants also improves efficiency in the use of digestible organic matter by between 4. 4%and 10.1
%and cuts the fermentation of the diet by between 6. 2%and 11 8%without adversely affecting its digestibility for this reason.
Rapeseed cake also known as'oil cake'is obtained a by-product after pressing the plant to extract its oil.
A waste product in this process is used at the same time to produce animal feed with the resulting cost-cutting for farmers and greater efficiency in the emission of greenhouse gases.
which they added 500 g of strawberries to the daily diets of 23 healthy volunteers over a month.
The research team confirmed in other studies that eating strawberries also protects against ultraviolet radiation reduces the damage that alcohol can have on the gastric mucosa strengthens erythrocytes
In fact this year they will publish another study in the journal'Food Chemistry'in which they will demonstrate that consuming strawberries increases the antioxidant function of blood flow erythrocytes and mononuclear cells.
which will likely begin to threaten food security. According to Jennifer Fitchett a Phd student in the Wits School of Geography Archaeology and Environmental Studies (GAES) there has been an assumption that increasing sea surface temperatures caused by global warming is causing an increase in the number
Silman Messinger and Marcus Wright a chemistry lab manger and key developer of Wake Forest's environmental drone program are also applying their drone technology to explore climate change in the Peruvian Amazon.
and most strategies for combating the spread of the disease focus on control of mosquito populations using insecticides.
The spread of resistance genes could hold back efforts to prevent the disease. The authors say that knowing how resistance works will help to develop tests
improve food securitylivestock production is responsible for 12%of human-related greenhouse gas emissions primarily coming from land use change
and deforestation caused by expansion of agriculture as well as methane released by the animals themselves with a lesser amount coming from manure management and feed production.
There is a lot of discussion about reduction of meat in the diets as a way to reduce emissions says IIASA researcher Petr Havlã k who led the study
as well as higher quality feed--rather than in pure grass-based systems. This development would lead to a 23%reduction of emissions from land use change in the next two decades without any explicit climate mitigation policy.
and produce more milk when they eat energy-rich diets that include grain supplements or improved forages.
This means that more livestock can be raised on less land and with fewer emissions per pound of meat or milk produced.
Such diets are efficient not only from the perspective of greenhouse gas reduction but also from farm profit maximization and food production.
Havlã k says From the livestock sector perspective limiting land use change seems the cheapest option both in terms of the economic cost and in terms of impact on food availability.
while also maintaining food availability. The new study also introduces a new metric for measuring the costs of climate measures for agricultural systems the Total Abatement Calorie Cost (TACC)
while also capturing the impacts of mitigation measures on food security. Mario Herrero a co-author of the study
but also food insecurity in developing countries because it ignores the social cost of policies that focus just on greenhouse gas abatement..
#In the eye of a chicken, a new state of matter comes into viewalong with eggs soup
and rubber toys the list of the chicken's most lasting legacies may eventually include advanced materials such as self-organizing colloids
The unusual arrangement of cells in a chicken's eye constitutes the first known biological occurrence of a potentially new state of matter known as disordered hyperuniformity according to researchers from Princeton university
The researchers studied the light-sensitive cells known as cones that are in the eyes of chickens and most other birds active in daytime.
The lab of co-corresponding author Joseph Corbo an associate professor of pathology and immunology and genetics at Washington University in St louis studies how the chicken's unusual visual layout evolved.
Yet birds with the arrangement studied here--including chickens--have impeccable vision Corbo said. These findings are significant
Bioethanol which is made from the remains of plants after other parts have been used as food or other agricultural products and therefore termed second generation is seen as a strong potential substitute candidate
Corn cubs and sugar canes are in fact plant parts that can also be used directly as food so there is a great public resistance to accept producing this kind of bioethanol.
which cannot be used for food. The goal is to produce bioethanol from cellulose. Cellulose is very difficult to break down
and therefore cannot directly be used as a food source. Cellulose is found everywhere in nature in rich quantities for example in the stems of the corn plant.
and keep the corn cubs for food we have come a long way says Per Morgen professor at the Institute of Physics Chemistry and Pharmacy University of Southern Denmark.
There are on the market various patented enzymes that can do the job and break down cellulose into sugar
and sorghum--two of the most productive crop plants known--into even more productive oil-generating plants.
Sugarcane and sorghum are exceptionally productive plants and if you could make them accumulate oil in their stems instead of sugar this would give you much more oil per acre he said.
and sorghum by 30 percent Long said. And to boost cold tolerance researchers are crossing sugarcane with Miscanthus a related perennial grass that can grow as far north as Canada.
and roads but the earth split open and swallowed sections of the forests and bamboo groves that shelter and feed pandas and other endangered wildlife.
#Family meals do more than put food on the table: Benefits of cooking, eating as a familymake mealtime a family time.
If you can get together for meals even a few times a week family meals mean healthier eating--and more.
For National Nutrition Monthâ the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages all families to make a commitment to eating more meals together
and Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right. Research shows that family meals promote healthier eating--more fruits vegetables and fiber;
less fried food; and often fewer calories says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy spokesperson Angela Ginn.
This year's National Nutrition Month theme'Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right'reminds families to return to the basics of healthful eating by returning to the family dining table.
And family meals do much more than put healthy food on the table. Beyond preparing the meal itself we sometimes forget that mealtimes offer time to talk listen
and build family relationships. And it's a chance for parents to be good role models for healthful eating Ginn says.
Ginn offers ideas for adding more family meals to any family's routine: â#¢Start slowly.
However many meals you eat as a family now add one more to your weekly schedule.
If school nights are too hectic for a family dinner make it a leisurely weekend breakfast or lunch.
After a few weeks add another family meal to your schedule Ginn says. â#¢Plan tasty menus together.
Putting together a family meal does not have to be complicated or time-consuming. Let every member of the family choose a favorite item and build simple delicious meals around them.
Even small children can pick a main dish like tacos or pasta a vegetable like a green salad or cooked carrots and sliced apples or fruit salad for dessert Ginn says. â#¢Set the right mood.
Food is just one important part of mealtime. Your table setting can improve the mealtime mood with very little expense:
a candle colored napkins and wipe-clean plastic tablemats for children Ginn says. â#¢Talk!
The conversations families have while eating together have a huge impact as you share experiences and ideas and pass along family values.
Pick topics that are positive and allow everyone to talk. Even toddlers like to discuss topics like'What is your favorite color?'
'or'What made you laugh today?''Ginn says. â#¢Turn off the TV phones and anything else that makes noise.
They create distractions that can throw off any family's mealtime routine Ginn says. Declare mealtime a TV
and a wide range of information about eating right--all backed by the unequalled expertise of nutrition professionals like registered dietitian nutritionists--at Kids Eat Right a joint initiative of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
The above story is provided based on materials by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length
#Get the most nutrition from your calories and enjoy the taste of eating right during National Nutrition Month
and Beyondwhile taste drives most food choices eating nutrient-rich foods that provide the most nutrition per calorie is one of the best ways to Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
As part of the 2014 National Nutrition Monthâ theme the Academy encourages everyone to choose the most nutritionally-packed foods you can from each of the five Myplate food groups every day.
Nutrient-rich foods and beverages provide vitamins minerals protein carbohydrates and other essential nutrients that offer health benefits with relatively few calories.
When your daily eating plans include foods like vegetables fruits whole grains lean meats poultry fish eggs fat-free
or low-fat dairy beans nuts and seeds in the appropriate amounts you are able to get many of the nutrients your body needs all with relatively low amounts of calories says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy spokesperson
Debbi Beauvais. Beauvais offers practical ways to add nutrient-rich foods and beverages to your daily diet:
You should enjoy the foods you Eat in choosing nutrient-rich foods you'll find they are familiar easy to find
and represent the five Myplate food groups Beauvais says. Achieving balance and building a healthier diet can be simple
and stress-free. Selecting nutrient-rich foods and beverages first is a way to make better choices within your daily eating plan.
Beauvais also recommends limiting added sugars and reducing the major sources of solid fats. Drink few regular sodas fruit drinks
and sports drinks and cut back on cakes cookies ice cream cheese and fatty meats like sausages hot dogs and bacon she says.
You don't have to give up these foods entirely but find ways to enjoy small amounts occasionally Beauvais says Visit the Academy's website to view a library of recipes designed to help you Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right at http://www. eatright. org/Public/list. aspx?
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