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Idiopathic brood disease syndrome the largest risk factor for predicting bee colony deaths

A new long-term study of honey bee health has found that a little-understood disease study authors are calling "idiopathic brood disease syndrome" (IBDS), which kills off bee larvae, is the largest risk factor for predicting the death of a bee colony.

5 Mar 2013

Viewpoints: Daschle, Frist urge Senate to confirm CMS chief; 'Insane' incentives in health law; Medicaid does better job than private insurance so why change it?

Imagine a large company operating for seven years without a CEO. A company with a product that accounts for more than 15 percent of our nation's gross domestic product. A company implementing the largest national effort at reform since its creation. A company set to gain an additional 30 million customers in the next year. Unfathomable.

4 Mar 2013

Speculation continues over possible changes to U.S. food aid program

"The U.S. Food for Peace, a food aid program with an annual $2 billion price tag, is reportedly being considered to be replaced with a more direct cash donation system, angering [some] senators and grassroots organizations," Devex's "Pennsylvania Ave." blog reports.

1 Mar 2013

Junk food during pregnancy changes development of opioid signaling pathway in the baby's brain

Here's another reason why a healthy diet during pregnancy is critical to the future health of your children: New research published in the March 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal, suggests that pregnant mothers who consume junk food actually cause changes in the development of the opioid signaling pathway in the brains of their unborn children.

1 Mar 2013

IDF welcomes FAO recommendations on dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition

As the global population continues to rise, there is increasing pressure to provide adequate quantities of safe, nutritious food products in a sustainable manner. As part of its commitment to address this challenge, the International Dairy Federation (IDF) welcomes the recommendations of the report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition.

28 Feb 2013

Groups expect White House to propose new global food aid approach

"The White House may soon propose the biggest change in U.S. food aid since the programs were created during the Cold War -- donating cash for hunger relief instead of shipping American-grown food thousands of miles to global trouble spots, say farm groups and charities," Reuters reports.

27 Feb 2013

Examining potential changes to U.S. food aid programs

"There are rumors that U.S. food aid programs could see major changes in the next budget, including converting some of the Food for Peace program into straight cash grants instead of in-kind food assistance," Roger Thurow, senior fellow of global agriculture and food policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, writes in the group's "Global Food for Thought" blog.

26 Feb 2013

Small, inexpensive changes to school cafeterias influence choice and consumption of healthier foods

In January 2012, the United States Department of Agriculture passed a series of regulations designed to make school lunches more nutritious, which included requiring schools to increase whole grain offerings and making students select either a fruit or vegetable with their purchased lunch. However, children cannot be forced to eat these healthier lunches.

22 Feb 2013

How Feed the Future initiative is working to end extreme poverty

"In his State of the Union address [last] week, President Obama laid out a challenge for our generation to eradicate the scourge of extreme poverty," Lona Stoll, acting deputy coordinator for development for Feed the Future, and Jonathan Shrier, acting special representative for global food security for Feed the Future, write in the initiative's blog.

20 Feb 2013

FSH, LH two important hormones that regulate puberty and maturation processes

FSH and LH are two important hormones which regulate the processes of puberty and maturation. These hormones are secreted by the pituitary gland and are transported in the blood to the genitalia, where they regulate maturation.

19 Feb 2013

Dietary impacts, health changes and oral pathogen genomic evolution

DNA preserved in calcified bacteria on the teeth of ancient human skeletons has shed light on the health consequences of the evolving diet and behaviour from the Stone Age to the modern day.

18 Feb 2013

New book discusses potential solutions and new ways of looking at hidden hunger

Hunger is a two-sided coin. It refers simultaneously to that which is visible and can be subjectively and objectively viewed, and that which is hidden. This less-visible hunger is known as 'hidden hunger' or chronic malnutrition. Every two minutes thirteen children worldwide die of the consequences of hidden hunger before they are five years old.

18 Feb 2013

U.N. joint meeting addresses issues surrounding food security

"Scaling up the global response to food security and nutrition topped the agenda [Thursday] at a special joint meeting between the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the General Assembly, world experts and the U.N. food agencies aimed at identifying steps to build a future free of hunger," the U.N. News Centre reports, noting the meeting "included the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP)."

16 Feb 2013

Study determines effectiveness of sewage lagoons at removing pharmaceuticals from wastewater

2012 marked the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which established regulations for the discharge of pollutants to waterways and supported the building of sewage treatment plants. Despite these advances, sewage remains a major source of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and naturally occurring hormones found in the environment.

15 Feb 2013

Emphasis on 'How' missing from 'IF campaign' against global hunger

The "Enough Food for Everyone If" campaign (IF campaign), "supported by a coalition of more than 100 development organizations, has identified four priorities on aid, land, tax avoidance and market transparency," Zahid Torres-Rahman, founder of Business Fights Poverty, writes in the Guardian Sustainable Business blog.

9 Feb 2013

Scientists trace nanoparticles taken up from soils by crop plants

Scientists have, for the first time, traced the nanoparticles taken up from the soil by crop plants and analysed the chemical states of their metallic elements. Zinc was shown to dissolve and accumulate throughout the plants, whereas the element cerium did not dissolve into plant tissue.

7 Feb 2013

Samoan epidemic of obesity may start with rapid weight gain in early infancy

As some Pacific island cultures have "westernized" over the last several decades, among the changes has been a dramatic increase in obesity. Researchers don't understand all the reasons why, but even a decade ago in American Samoa 59 percent of men and 71 percent of women were obese. A new Brown University study finds that the Samoan epidemic of obesity may start with rapid weight gain in early infancy.

6 Feb 2013

New standards emphasize healthier snacks in schools

Snacks sold in U.S. schools would need to be lower in fat, salt and sugar and include more nutritious items like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, under standards proposed on Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

5 Feb 2013

Gates Foundation, German government, private sector to pool $108M to reduce malnutrition globally

"The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, or BMZ, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, together with German and European businesses, are pooling investments worth €80 million ($108 million) to reduce malnutrition around the world," Devex reports.

1 Feb 2013

Molecular genetics expert wins Wolf Prize for his contribution to humanity

Joachim Messing, among the world's top experts in molecular genetics, became famous for developing a genetic engineering technique used in laboratories to create plants that have produced disease-resistant crops considered vital to feeding the world's population.

30 Jan 2013