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Viewpoints: Debating P4P; ‘Tactical retreat' by GOP; The virtues of across-the-board spending cuts

Instead of granting automatic pay increases, N.Y. City's public hospital system will pay them based on how well they reduce costs, increase patient satisfaction and improve the quality of care. The Health and Hospitals Corporation, which runs the city's 11 public hospitals, deserves praise for an ambitious proposal that will need to be refined as it is put into practice.

28 Jan 2013

Diet plays key role in severe childhood allergic disorders

Study findings suggest that children and adolescents who eat fast food three times a week or more have a greater risk for severe asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema than those who do not.

25 Jan 2013

Ractopamine can boost pork production, does not affect meat quality or taste

Animal scientists in Brazil have found that a small dose of the feed additive ractopamine can boost pork production without changing how pork looks or tastes.

25 Jan 2013

New review examines role of nutrition in sarcopenia

Sarcopenia, or the gradual loss of muscle mass, is a common consequence of ageing, and poses a significant risk factor for disability in older adults. As muscle strength plays an important role in the tendency to fall, sarcopenia leads to an increased risk of fractures and other injuries.

19 Jan 2013

Carob extract could fight the microbe responsible for listeriosis

The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS') award-winning Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast series reports that an antibacterial extract from the leaves of the carob tree (the source of a popular chocolate substitute) could fight the microbe responsible for the serious form of food poisoning called listeriosis.

17 Jan 2013

T. gondii infection linked to bipolar disorder risk

Results from a French study support an association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and bipolar disorder.

2 Jan 2013

Researcher explores new PCR system to discover dangerous foodborne pathogens

Pina Fratamico is on the quest to find the easiest and fastest way to test for harmful Escherichia coli in ground beef. In an article published in Frontiers in Microbiology on the 20th of December, she explores using a next-generation real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system to discover specific gene targets that indicate the presence of dangerous foodborne pathogens. The results show that assays performed using this PCR system are rapid, sensitive, and reliable.

20 Dec 2012

Alcohol and antibiotics: an interview with Dr Randall

Contrary to popular belief, there are only a handful of antibiotics that can interact with alcohol to cause unpleasant effects. The two main antibiotics you should definitely avoid drinking alcohol with are metronidazole (brand names include Flagyl) and tinidazole (brand names include Fasigyn).

18 Dec 2012

Experts discuss feeding world's growing population at London roundtable

IRIN summarizes a discussion among "agriculturalists, scientists, businessmen, lobbyists, and policymakers convened in London's Chatham House this week to debate how to feed the planet's growing population without degrading the earth's resources -- if such a thing is even possible."

14 Dec 2012

3M Molecular detection assay Salmonella certified by AFNOR Certification

3M Food Safety today announced its 3M™ Molecular Detection Assay Salmonella received an NF VALIDATION mark from AFNOR Certification. The Salmonella assay was among three pathogen test kits the company introduced alongside its novel 3M™ Molecular Detection System less than a year ago. In April, AOAC Research Institute granted PTM SM certification of the Salmonella assay, another important confirmation of the technology's effectiveness in detecting the bacteria.

13 Dec 2012

Boston College professor to research into new drugs that can prevent onset of toxoplasmosis

The American Cancer Society has awarded a four-year, $720,000 grant to Boston College Associate Professor of Biology Marc-Jan Gubbels for research into potential new drugs that can prevent the onset of toxoplasmosis in cancer patients with weakened immune systems.

10 Dec 2012

Heart-healthy diet may reduce recurrent stroke, MI risk

Eating a “heart-healthy” diet may lower the risk for recurrent cardiovascular disease events in middle-aged individuals with a history of such conditions, researchers report.

10 Dec 2012

Healthy eating prevents second heart attack, stroke or death in people with CVD

A heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish significantly reduces the chance of a second heart attack and stroke in people with cardiovascular disease, McMaster University researchers have found.

4 Dec 2012

Financial Times examines demographic, economic, policy changes affecting global food security

The Financial Times examines "a complex cocktail of demographic, economic, and policy changes that can be blamed for increased pressure on the food supply."

27 Nov 2012

Safety tips to avoid cooking injuries on Thanksgiving Day

More than 141 serious fires and hot-oil burns have been reported from the use of turkey fryers over the past decade, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. And no one knows that better than Serafino Alfe. The 87-year-old Mount Prospect resident made national news last year when he wound up at the Loyola Burn Center with third-degree burns - the worst type of burn- on his leg. "I tripped and fell right into the deep fryer and basically fried myself," said the volunteer who was deep-frying turkeys at a charity fundraiser.

21 Nov 2012

GigaScience announces publication of whole-genome sequencing and analysis of Wuzhishan Pig

The international open-access journal GigaScience announces the publication of the whole-genome sequencing and analysis of the Wuzhishan Pig, an extensively inbred, miniature pig, which can serve as an excellent model for human medical research.

16 Nov 2012

Preschool children particularly vulnerable to food-borne toxins

In a sobering study published in the journal Environmental Health, researchers at UC Davis and UCLA measured food-borne toxin exposure in children and adults by pinpointing foods with high levels of toxic compounds and determining how much of these foods were consumed.

14 Nov 2012

Couples with high PCB levels and other pollutants take longer to achieve pregnancy

Couples with high levels of PCBs and similar environmental pollutants take longer to achieve pregnancy in comparison to other couples with lower levels of the pollutants, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

14 Nov 2012

FAO Food Price Index falls slightly during October

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Food Price Index, "which measures monthly price changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar," fell slightly in October, "largely because of falling cereals and oils prices, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday," Reuters reports.

9 Nov 2012

Lone star tick causes alpha-gal meat sensitivity in regional population

Meat lovers living in the central and southern regions of the country might be opting for a vegetarian lifestyle if meat comes with an unwanted side of a life-threatening allergic reaction. According to a study presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), the lone star tick inhabiting these regions is the primary reason for what's known as a meat induced alpha-gal allergic reaction.

9 Nov 2012