Cecil H. Brown of Northern Illinois University in Dekalb Ill.;Eike Luedeling of the World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi Kenya;
and disease will wipe out the entire herd. So I think outside of industrialized societies or special situations artificial selection was very weak she said.
or size differences or pathology that might plausibly be related to animals living with people. Sometimes there aren't morphological shifts that are easy to find
A low propensity or low capacity for forest management reduces options for addressing perceived problems such as low forest diversity invasive species and other insects or disease problems.
and vegetables and chronic disease prevention and pointed to research centers in the U s. that are making links between farmers biologists and chemists grocers health care practitioners and consumers.
for nowseveral parasites and pathogens that devastate honeybees in Europe Asia and the United states are spreading across East Africa
and Europe--parasites pathogens and pesticides--do not seem to be affecting Kenyan bees at least not yet said Christina Grozinger professor of entomology and director of the Center for Pollinator Research Penn State.
and measure pesticide contaminants in hives and determine the genetic composition of the colonies. This is the first comprehensive survey of bee health in East Africa where we have examined diseases genetics
and the environment to better understand what factors are most important in bee health in this region said Grozinger.
The Africanized bees--the so-called'killer bees'--in The americas seem to be having no problem with Varroa or diseases so
As these new parasites and pathogens become more widespread as pesticide use increases and as landscape degradation increases due to increased urbanization farming and climate change we expect to see the combination of all these factors negatively impact the bees in the future Grozinger said.
We are seeing more and more evidence of climate events weakening trees making them more likely to succumb to insects pathogens
and disease issues we're facing. It really is a crisis situation. If we don't understand what it is we might be about to lose then we don't count the cost of loss accurately
Early herds were vulnerable to disease droughts and storms disasters that would have forced pastoralists to replenish herds from wild populations better adapted to harsh local conditions.
Two possible speed bumpsmany crops are distinguished from their wild ancestors with a suite of traits called the domestication syndrome.
#Suicide epidemic among Indias marginalized farmersa new study has found that India's shocking rates of suicide are highest in areas with the most debt-ridden farmers who are clinging to tiny smallholdings--less than one hectare
and reports from the field and suggest there is a suicide epidemic in marginalized areas of Indian agriculture that are at the mercy of global economics.
and in many cases their wives too taking their own lives by drinking the modern pesticides designed to provide them with bountiful harvests--a truly horrific end as the chemicals cause swift muscle and breathing paralysis. Added Kennedy:
and pathogens as well as provide temperature regulation and comfort. Dr. Samson added Chimpanzees like humans are highly selective
#First metritis vaccine protects dairy cowscornell scientists have created the first vaccines that can prevent metritis one of the most common cattle diseases.
The infection not only harms animals and farmers'profits but also drives more systemic antibiotic use on dairy farms than any other disease.
The new vaccines prevent metritis infection of the uterus from taking hold and reduce symptoms when it does a prospect that could save the United states billions of dollars a year
and help curb the growing epidemic of antibiotic resistance. The research was published in the journal PLOS One.
Metritis develops after a cow gives birth when bacteria take advantage of the open vagina and cervix to settle in the uterus.
Infected cows suffer fever pain inflammation lack of appetite depression and reduced reproductive abilities. Metritis affects as many as 25 percent of the roughly 9 million dairy cows in the United states costing nearly $400 per case in lost productivity and treatment costs.
It is the number one cause of systemic antibiotic use which floods the whole body with antibiotics rather than just a specific region said Rodrigo Bicalho assistant professor of dairy production medicine at the College of Veterinary medicine.
Three of the vaccines Bicalho's lab created lowered metritis incidence and lessened its symptoms in the cows that received them showing promise for alternatives to antibiotics in addressing the disease.
Our lab has been developing a vaccine for years now based on our research of this disease said Bicalho.
We created multivalent vaccines complex cocktails with several components we've identified as important to causing metritis.
Bicalho and his lab researchers tested five combinations of various ingredients and delivered three subcutaneously via a shot and two intravaginally.
All three subcutaneous vaccines were effective significantly reducing incidence of disease by up to 83 percent.
Cows that were vaccinated with the subcutaneous vaccines had lower incidence of postpartum fever and puerperal metritis shorter disease periods and improved reproductive performance compared to those that did not receive the vaccines.
The powerful protection these vaccines produced surprised us. We expected some protective effect but nothing as strong as what we found said Bicalho.
An effective vaccine against uterine diseases will have a significant positive impact on the dairy industry limiting the use of antibiotics and decreasing economic losses due to these disorders.
#Masculine boys, feminine girls more likely to engage in cancer risk behaviors, study findsyoung people who conform most strongly to norms of masculinity
and femininity--the most feminine girls and the most masculine boys--are significantly more likely than their peers to engage in behaviors that pose cancer risks according to a new study led by Harvard School of Public health (HSPH) researchers.
The study the first to look at cancer risk behaviors in teens based on their gender expression appears online April 16 2014 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
and femininity heavily influence teens'behaviors and put them at increased risk for cancer. Though there is nothing inherently masculine about chewing tobacco
and physical inactivity--all risk factors for cancer--are highly prevalent among young people in America.
or boys as masculine--and cancer risk behaviors were included in the study. The results showed that boys who described themselves as very masculine in terms of their self-image
or watching television and movies played a role in promoting certain cancer risk behaviors. For instance among girls media engagement accounted for one-third to one-half of the higher likelihood of using tanning beds.
#Pathogenic E coli binds to fresh vegetablesfood-poisoning outbreaks linked to disease-causing strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli are associated normally with tainted meat products.
Research presented today at the Society for General Microbiology's Annual Meeting in Liverpool shows that the disease-causing E coli O157:
so we can reduce the risk of food-borne disease. The researchers believe that the E coli O157:
By understanding the mechanisms of how the bacteria interact with plants the researchers are hoping to find targeted ways to stop the binding reducing the risk of food contamination.
Robinson's research can also be applied worldwide to help with cadmium contamination. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by American Society of Agronomy (ASA) Crop science Society of America (CSSA) Soil science Society of.
and results in a significantly reduced ability to fight infection and disease. The reasoning for this is not understood fully
and treating a range of autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and diabetes. Identifying this defect may someday inhibit the decline of the immune system as a normal part of the aging process.
Enteric disease in pigs has turned into a huge huge problem and we're developing all kinds of new tests to address the old problems
but also to address the new diseases that are just destroying everything said Dick Hesse director of diagnostic virology at the lab and professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology.
of which have entered the United states for the first time--porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and delta coronavirus. Swine specialists and molecular diagnosticians at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory have developed tests to detect which virus is infecting the pigs.
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus has killed already an estimated 6 million pigs. The Kansas State university laboratory is one of only four in the United states with the new tests to identify these diseases.
The researchers hope the tests will stop the spread of these diseases before they become endemic.
They're management tools Hesse said. With enough information you can make informed decisions and minimize the impact of the disease.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Kansas State university. The original article was written by Lindsey Elliott.
Climate change is expected also to intensify several stresses that forests already face such as damaging insect pests and diseases drought and wildfire.
#Mercury contamination threatens Antarctic birdsmercury contamination in the Antarctic and Subantarctic affects bird populations reveal researchers from the Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizã and from the'Littoral Environnement et Sociã tã s'Laboratory (CNRS/Universitã de
This could be due to the fact that in Adã lie Land the more severe environmental conditions combined with the increasing presence of other pollutants (pesticides PCBS) magnify the impact of mercury contamination.
if mercury contamination continues to increase skua populations could decline in the long term. The scientists call for further toxicological and demographic studies on other southern species
High levels of PCBS in the body are associated with an increase in hypertension and diabetes.
The findings showed that the rate of PCB disappearance from the participants that ate olestra was markedly faster during the one-year trial than that before the trial says principal investigator Ronald Jandacek Phd an adjunct professor in the department of pathology
Early reports of indigestion issues however prompted reformulation of the product prior to its market entry.
against muscle atrophy. Muscle atrophy or wasting is caused by aging and a variety of illnesses and injuries including cancer heart failure
and orthopedic injuries to name a few. It makes people weak and fatigued impairs physical activity
and quality of life and predisposes people to falls and fractures. The condition affects more than 50 million Americans annually including 30 million people over age 60 and often forces people into nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities.
Muscle atrophy causes many problems for people their families and the health care system in general says Christopher Adams M d. Ph d. UI associate professor of internal medicine and molecular physiology and biophysics.
However we lack an effective way to prevent or treat it. Exercise certainly helps but it's not enough
More muscle less fatin a new study published online April 9 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry Adams searched for a small molecule compound that might be used to treat muscle atrophy.
when people are affected by muscle atrophy. After identifying tomatidine Adams and his team tested its effects on skeletal muscle.
And most importantly they found that tomatidine prevented and treated muscle atrophy. Interestingly although mice fed tomatidine had larger muscles their overall body weight did not change due to a corresponding loss of fat suggesting that the compound may also have potential for treating obesity.
and ursolic acid as natural leads for new medicines targeting muscle atrophy and obesity. Story Source:
One of the last strongholds for Western chimpanzeeswhen Liberia enters the news it is usually in the context of civil war economic crisis poverty or a disease outbreak such as the recent emergence of Ebola in West Africa.
or pathogens that can affect consumer health and shorten the shelf life of the product. However microbes--known as thermoduric--can survive pasteurization according to South dakota State university dairy science professor Sanjeev Anand.
#Synthetic gene circuits pump up cell signals in study of neurodegenerative diseasessynthetic genetic circuitry created by researchers at Rice university is helping them see for the first time how to regulate cell mechanisms that degrade the misfolded proteins implicated in Parkinson's Huntington
's and other diseases. The Rice lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Laura Segatori has designed a sophisticated circuit that signals increases in the degradation of proteins by the cell's ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). The research appears online today in Nature Communications.
These aggregates can form plaques as often seen in the brains of people with neurodegenerative diseases.
which are associated with the development of a number of human diseases. The Deg-On circuit couples proteasomal degradation of an engineered tetracycline repressor to an easily detectable fluorescent signal.
or strategies that could enhance degradation not only for the study and treatment of misfolding diseases but also for a variety of other applications.
The study of household and hospital kitchens was published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
WHO reportlarge graphic health warnings on tobacco packets in China would increase awareness about the harms of smoking help to cut smoking rates
and its Guidelines would increase awareness about smoking-related harms in China and encourage Chinese smokers to quit.
and full implementation of THE WHO FCTC would help reduce the growing burden of non-communicable disease in China.
Tobacco-related noncommunicable diseases pose a serious threat to the health and life of the Chinese people also creating a heavy burden on socioeconomic development said Dr Liang Xiaofeng Deputy Director of the Chinese Center for disease control and Prevention.
Increasing awareness about the health harms of smoking is particularly important in China where awareness is currently poor
Educating people about the harm of tobacco through graphic warnings on cigarette packages would be one of the most direct and effective ways to reduce tobacco use Dr Liang added.
by improving public awareness of tobacco harms stronger tobacco pack warnings would help to reinforce this policy said THE WHO's Dr Schwartlã¤nder.
#Spring allergies linked to specific food allergies, says specialistthe Midwest's high tree pollen count is primarily birch and oak bad news for carrot celery and almond lovers.
or your gums and throat itch says Joseph Leija MD allergist who performs the Gottlieb Allergy Count the official allergy count for the Midwest.
The spring allergy count in the Midwest is high in birch and oak which usually triggers reactions to carrots celery almonds apples peaches and pears in those with sensitive systems.
More than 45 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies primarily occurring in spring and fall according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Those with grass allergies should avoid melon tomatoes and oranges Leija warns. And ragweed allergies are linked also to allergies to bananas cantaloupe cucumber zucchini and chamomile tea.
While many people experience minor reactions to certain foods that are basically harmless others have extreme reactions.
Difficulty breathing and itchy rashes are signs to go to a board-certified allergist or in extreme cases straight to the emergency room says Leija who has been performing the Gottlieb Allergy Count for more than two decades.
Dr. Leija who normally conducts the Gottlieb Allergy Count from March to October began the count later than usual this year due to Chicago's longer winter.
The trees have been slow to bloom this year due to the inconsistent warm and cold temperatures he says.
which means post nasal drip congestion and headaches in sufferers. An octogenarian Dr. Leija rises before dawn to collect specimens from his pollen-catching-machine atop a building on the Gottlieb Memorial Hospital campus to deliver the count to the public by 7 a m. You cannot control the weather
Take your allergy medication and see your allergist before you experience health problems. Dr. Leija also advises:
 Wash your hair before sleep to remove trapped pollens.  Rinse your nostrils lightly with saline solution daily to remove irritants.
 Keep windows closed to protect inside air from contaminants.  Run the air conditioner and air purifier to remove pollutants.
and therefore the risk of cardiovascular disease a new study has found. However most people in North america would have to more than double their consumption of these foods known as pulses to reach that target said the researchers at St michael's Hospital.
He said that would translate into a five to six per cent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease the leading cause of death in the United states. One serving of pulses is 130 grams
Some study participants reported stomach upset such as bloating gas diarrhea or constipation but these symptoms subsided over the course of the study.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by St michael's Hospital. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
or low-fat milk may delay the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Results published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal Arthritis Care
& Research show that women who ate cheese saw an increase in knee OA progression.
OA is a common degenerative joint disease that causes pain and swelling of joints in the hand hips or knee.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) OA affects nearly 27 million Americans age 25 and older with knee OA being more prevalent and severe in women.
While medical evidence points to obesity joint injury and repetitive use from some sports as risk factors for incident knee OA risks associated with OA progression remain unclear.
For the present study 2148 participants (3064 knees) with knee OA were recruited for the Osteoarthritis Initiative.
Results persisted even after adjusting for disease severity body mass index (BMI) and dietary factors.
In a related editorial also published in Arthritis Care & Research Shivani Sahni Ph d. and Robert Mclean D. Sc.
which can lead to functional disability. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Wiley.
and promotions appealing said lead author Samir Soneji Phd Norris Cotton Cancer Center researcher and assistant professor at the Geisel School of medicine at Dartmouth and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical
Norris Cotton Cancer Center prevention experts recommend stricter security for websites and increased enforcement for direct-to-consumer marketing.
The above story is provided based on materials by Norris Cotton Cancer Centerdartmouth-Hitchcock Medical center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
The research looks at the results relating to IS in the global burden of disease (GBD) study published in 2012
not only for reducing IS burden but also the burden from other chronic noncommunicable diseases. Story Source:
#What bank voles can teach us about prion disease transmission and neurodegenerationwhen cannibals ate brains of people who died from prion disease many of them fell ill with the fatal neurodegenerative disease as well.
Likewise when cows were fed protein contaminated with bovine prions many of them developed mad cow disease. On the other hand transmission of prions between species for example from cows sheep or deer to humans is--fortunately--inefficient and only a small proportion of exposed recipients become sick within their lifetimes.
A study published on April 3rd in PLOS Pathogens takes a close look at one exception to this rule:
bank voles appear to lack a species barrier for prion transmission and their universal susceptibility turns out to be both informative and useful for the development of strategies to prevent prion transmission.
they can induce existing properly folded Prp proteins to convert into the disease-associated prion form.
Prion diseases are rare but they share features with more common neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease.
Trying to understand the unusual susceptibility of bank voles to prions from other species Stanley Prusiner Joel Watts Kurt Giles
When these mice get older some of them spontaneously develop neurologic illness but in the younger ones the bank vole Prp is in its normal benign folded state.
They found that all of these foreign-species prions can cause prion disease in the transgenic mice
and that the disease develops often more rapidly than it does in bank voles. The latter is likely
Because the transgenic mice develop prion disease rapidly the scientists propose that the mice will be useful tools in studying the processes by
And because that process is similar across many neurodegenerative diseases better understanding prion disease development might have broader implications.
and for treating complex tumors and degenerative spine problems resulting in fewer complications and better outcomes for patients.
The surgeons said the technology has others applications for treating spinal disorders serving as a tool to remove tumors decompress the spinal column
A third study determined that the image-guided technique can be useful for other minimally invasive procedures including thoracic endoscopic spine surgery to remove tumors infections
study showswildlife fences are constructed for a variety of reasons including to prevent the spread of diseases protect wildlife from poachers
or infrastructure some species carry diseases of agricultural concern and a few threaten human lives. At the same time people kill wild animals for food trade
The desire to separate livestock from wildlife in order to create zones free from diseases such as foot
and standardized approaches to meat preparation can prevent spread of diseases without the need to separate cattle from wildlife by fencing.
or were susceptible to wind snow pests and pathogens. It is truly a unique achievement to design trees for deconstruction
and used in other applications such as adhesives insolation carbon fibres and paint additives. Genetic modificationthe genetic modification strategy employed in this study could also be used on other plants like grasses to be used as a new kind of fuel to replace petroleum.
Controlling nonnative plants with herbicides and fungal infections has been tried with mixed results. But the factors that ultimately determine the survival of the sagebrush ecosystem may be out of managers'control.
When crossing parent plants for example breeders often like to track the genes underlying their trait of interest such as resistance to a pathogen.
A new study by Florida State university Associate professor Arturo Figueroa published in the American Journal of Hypertension found that watermelon could significantly reduce blood pressure in overweight individuals both at rest and while under stress.
More people die of heart attacks in cold weather because the stress of the cold temperatures causes blood pressure to increase
Thus people with obesity and high blood pressure face a higher risk for stroke or heart attack when exposed to the cold either during the winter or in rooms with low temperatures.
and women who also suffered from high blood pressure. To simulate cold weather conditions one hand of the subject was dipped into 39 degree water
In the past he examined how it impacts postmenopausal women's arterial function and the blood pressure readings of adults with pre-hypertension.
In addition to being published in the American Journal of Hypertension the study was published also in the US National Library of Medicine National institutes of health
Norris Cotton Cancer Center researchers take a look at what we know about e-cigarettes and health.
and continues to use those other products is unlikely to greatly lower their risk of heart attack cancer or chronic lung disease.
The above story is provided based on materials by Norris Cotton Cancer Centerdartmouth-Hitchcock Medical center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h
what ingredients in chocolate might help prevent obesity as well as type-2 diabetes. They found that one particular type of antioxidant in cocoa prevented laboratory mice from gaining excess weight
and type-2 diabetes. But not all flavanols which are a type of antioxidant are created equal.
They also improved glucose tolerance which could potentially help prevent type-2 diabetes. Oligomeric PCS appear to possess the greatest antiobesity
-and disease-resistant can help farmers in developed nations produce more peanuts with fewer pesticides
The sequences provide researchers access to 96 percent of all peanut genes in their genomic context providing the molecular map needed to more quickly breed drought-and disease-resistant lower-input and higher-yielding
Understanding the structure of the peanut's genome will lay the groundwork for new varieties with traits like added disease resistance and drought tolerance.
#Allergy tablet approval warrants caution for somea pill a day keeps spring allergies away. In a perfect world it would be that easy.
And for those suffering from an allergy to some grasses the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the oral dissolvable tablets designed to help treat symptoms may be beneficial.
But for the majority of seasonal sufferers allergic to pollens from the more than 30 other pollinating species relief isn't that easy.
The approval of oral immunotherapy tablets is advancement in the right direction said allergist Michael Foggs MD president of the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI.
It's an additional treatment option for those who are allergic to some types of grasses but not those allergic to other varieties of grass trees and weeds.
According to ACAAI those with seasonal allergies can be affected by the pollen of 11 different types of weeds and trees and eight varieties of grass.
Fortunately there is a longstanding solution for those suffering from multiple allergies. Immunotherapy also known as allergy shots has been used for 100 years
and is a natural treatment. Each injection can be customized to an individual's allergic needs.
Allergy shots can modify and prevent allergy progression while also relieving symptoms. They are also fast acting and cost-efficient.
It would be ideal if tablets could be customized like allergy shots but that's not on the horizon yet said Dr. Foggs.
Since allergy treatment is not a one-size-fits-all approach treatment needs to be tailored to an individual's needs.
Although the approved tablets are beneficial only for those suffering from some forms of grass allergy the FDA's approval will help open the door for others getting approved such as tablets for ragweed and dust mite allergy.
The best way to conquer allergy symptoms is to avoid allergens according to the ACAAI. During the spring sneezing season sufferers should:
â#¢Limit time outdoors when pollen counts are highest (midday and afternoon hours) â#¢Keep windows in the car and home closed â#¢Wash hair after working
or exercising outdoorsallergy sufferers should talk with their board-certified allergist to learn which treatment is suited best for their needs.
The above story is provided based on materials by American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI.
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