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Abt Associates to evaluate program to encourage healthier eating among lower-income Americans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service has selected Abt Associates to lead a team evaluating a ground-breaking pilot program aimed at encouraging healthier eating among lower-income Americans. The Healthy Incentives Pilot (HIP) will enroll households in Hampden County, Massachusetts that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program).

21 Aug 2010

California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approves revisions to Heat Illness Prevention Standard

California continues to be a national leader in taking measures to keep employees safe while working outdoors in the heat. Today, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved revisions to the Heat Illness Prevention Standard. The modifications address high-heat procedure requirements for five industries, clarification of the shade requirement including temperature triggers, and the provision for flexibility to employers under this requirement.

20 Aug 2010

Chicago-based pasteurized eggs producer increases production following recall of salmonella-infected eggs

Chicago-based National Pasteurized Eggs today ramped up production of its industry-leading salmonella-free Davidson's Safest Choice Pasteurized Shell Eggs as federal health officials expanded the recall of eggs linked to salmonella enteritidis to 380 million.

20 Aug 2010

Study quantifies risk for gastrointestinal illness due to E. coli bacteria at inland beach

New research shows a clear link between increasing levels of E. coli bacteria in an inland Ohio lake and a greater risk that swimmers in the water will suffer a gastrointestinal illness.

19 Aug 2010

Prenatal pesticide exposure increases susceptibility to ADHD in children

Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides before birth can increase susceptibility to attention disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to new research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). The new study is part of a growing body of research indicating that exposure to OP pesticides can adversely affect brain development.

19 Aug 2010

New 'Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database' tracks published epidemiologic and real world exposure studies

Links to pesticide exposure are being found in a growing number of studies that evaluate the causes of preventable diseases -- including asthma, autism and learning disabilities, birth defects and reproductive dysfunction, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and several types of cancer. A new database, released today, tracks published epidemiologic and real world exposure studies.

19 Aug 2010

World Bank to provide $900M in emergency funding for Pakistan floods, country's High Commissioner provides rough damage estimate

The World Bank on Monday "pledged to reroute money from other projects to provide $900 million in emergency funding to help Pakistan" with its flood recovery efforts, the New York Times reports (Ellick, 8/17).

18 Aug 2010

Holotranscobalamin protein may be key to early detection of cognitive decline

B vitamins-B-6, B-12 and folate-all nourish the brain. But much remains to be discovered about the relation between these essential nutrients and our brainpower.

18 Aug 2010

Sinovac Biotech second-quarter 2010 sales increase 131% to $10.3 million

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading China-based vaccine manufacturer, announced today its unaudited financial results for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2010.

16 Aug 2010

Delegates explore agricultural cooperation, expanded ties at two-day China-Africa Agricultural Forum

Chinese and African officials concluded the China-Africa Agricultural Forum in Beijing on Thursday, which explored possibilities for agricultural cooperation and addressed food security issues, Xinhua reports.

16 Aug 2010

U.S. increases Pakistan flood aid contribution; Sen. Kerry to visit flood-hit Pakistan

"On assistance to Pakistan, to date, approximately $76 million in assistance has been provided by the U.S. to the flood-affected populations in Pakistan," Mark Toner, acting deputy spokesman for the State Department, said at a press briefing on Thursday, according to a transcript. "As of this morning, the additional money that the U.S. is providing is to Save the Children, and that's 4.1 million that will be used for food vouchers, enabling flood victims to purchase food in their local markets," he said.

16 Aug 2010

Women's eNews examines recent global focus on women farmers

Women's eNews looks at how women farmers are receiving more international recognition for their role in agriculture.

13 Aug 2010

Floods: U.N. issues $459.7M appeal for Pakistan, China concerned about disease outbreaks after mudslides

The U.N. appealed for $459.7 million on Wednesday "to aid flood victims in Pakistan as the magnitude of the disaster widened, with about one-fifth of the country submerged and the annual monsoon season still potent," the New York Times reports (MacFarquhar, 8/11).

13 Aug 2010

Scientists awarded $348,037 to study causes, effects of hypoxia in Green Bay

Scientists researching the causes and effects of hypoxia in Green Bay, part of Lake Michigan, Wisc., have been awarded $348,037 for the first year of an anticipated four-year $1,367,300 project through NOAA's Coastal Hypoxia Research Program. Hypoxia within Green Bay has been a problem for decades, and recent evidence suggests that it may be worsening, with the potential for "dead zones" and fish kills to become both more frequent and more extensive with a changing climate.

12 Aug 2010

U.S. announces additional $20M in flood aid for Pakistan

The U.S. will give an additional $20 million to aid Pakistan, bringing the total amount of flood assistance to $55 million, Mark Ward, acting director of the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, told reporters at a press briefing Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reports.

12 Aug 2010

Temperature increases could slow rice production, study says

A study published online Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that anticipated temperature increases "could slow the growth of rice production unless farmers adapt by changing management practices and switch to more heat-tolerant varieties," Reuters reports (Fogarty, 8/10).

11 Aug 2010

Ancient immunoglobulin study explains evolution of human intestinal immune responses

A study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has identified the function of one of the earliest antibodies in the animal kingdom, an ancient immunoglobulin that helps explain the evolution of human intestinal immune responses. It was discovered to play a predominant role in the guts of fish and paves the way for a better understanding of human gut immunity as well as for safer, healthier approaches to keeping fish from pathogen infections. The findings appear in the online version of Nature Immunology and will be featured on the cover of the September issue.

11 Aug 2010

Study suggests zinc supplementation may reduce pneumonia risk

A high proportion of nursing facility residents were found to have low serum (blood) zinc concentrations during an observational study funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute of Aging. The scientists found that those with normal blood zinc concentrations were about 50 percent less likely to develop pneumonia than those with low concentrations.

11 Aug 2010

U.N. says nearly 14M Pakistanis affected by floods

On Monday the U.N. said that 13.8 million people have been affected by the floods in Pakistan as the death toll has now reached 1,600, Agence France-Presse reports.

9 Aug 2010

New Irish collaborative seaweed cultivation project

Stop anyone in the street and ask them which country is the most famous for eating seaweed, and nine times out of ten, the answer will be "Japan". But did you know that Ireland has at least a 900-year old tradition of eating seaweed!

9 Aug 2010

Agriculture News and Research

Abt Associates to evaluate program to encourage healthier eating among lower-income Americans

California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approves revisions to Heat Illness Prevention Standard

Chicago-based pasteurized eggs producer increases production following recall of salmonella-infected eggs

Study quantifies risk for gastrointestinal illness due to E. coli bacteria at inland beach

Prenatal pesticide exposure increases susceptibility to ADHD in children

New 'Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database' tracks published epidemiologic and real world exposure studies

World Bank to provide $900M in emergency funding for Pakistan floods, country's High Commissioner provides rough damage estimate

Holotranscobalamin protein may be key to early detection of cognitive decline

Sinovac Biotech second-quarter 2010 sales increase 131% to $10.3 million

Delegates explore agricultural cooperation, expanded ties at two-day China-Africa Agricultural Forum

U.S. increases Pakistan flood aid contribution; Sen. Kerry to visit flood-hit Pakistan

Women's eNews examines recent global focus on women farmers

Floods: U.N. issues $459.7M appeal for Pakistan, China concerned about disease outbreaks after mudslides

Scientists awarded $348,037 to study causes, effects of hypoxia in Green Bay

U.S. announces additional $20M in flood aid for Pakistan

Temperature increases could slow rice production, study says

Ancient immunoglobulin study explains evolution of human intestinal immune responses

Study suggests zinc supplementation may reduce pneumonia risk

U.N. says nearly 14M Pakistanis affected by floods

New Irish collaborative seaweed cultivation project

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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