Climate change a challenge for our global food systems: WHO

New Delhi, (IANS) Climate change is a challenge for the global food system, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, at the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday.

In a video message to the second Global Food Regulators Summit in Delhi, the WHO chief highlighted the important role of national food regulators in harmonising regulatory policies for the world.

In addition to climate change, “population growth, new technologies, globalisation, and industrialisation" are other increasing challenges to the global food systems, Ghebreyesus said.

Further, he said food regulators also play a critical role in combating unsafe food, which causes 600 million cases of foodborne diseases and 4,20,000 deaths annually.

He also lamented that 70 per cent of fatalities from unsafe food occur among children under five.

"The food regulator community has a critical role to play in addressing these global challenges," Ghebreyesus said.

Meanwhile, stressing the need for innovative regulatory solutions, Dr Samuel Godefroy, President, the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) stated that food science is vital for human survival.

He also applauded FSSAI for its contribution to strengthening the global food regulatory network.

Steve Wearne, Chairperson, Codex appreciated India’s significant investment in Codex and food safety regulation. He highlighted that India is one of the few countries to host subsidiary commissions of Codex.

The Summit also launched the Food Import Rejection Alerts (FIRA) -- an online portal designed to notify the public and relevant food safety authorities about food import rejections at Indian borders.The two-day Summit is expected to witness over 5,000 physical attendees and virtual participation exceeding 1,50,000. This includes 1,00,000 food business operators, 40,000 students and researchers, 6,000 exporters, 5,000 importers, and 3,500 food safety officers. About 2,500 food safety trainees, 2,000 laboratory officials, and 800 Food Safety Mitras, apart from participation in Indian Missions in over 60 countries will also participate. Climate change a challenge for our global food systems: WHO | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→September 24, 2024

Scientists studied twins’ diets. Those who ate vegan saw fast results.

A member of staff works inside ‘Rudy’s Vegan Butcher’ shop, amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, October 30, 2020. Picture taken October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

Aleksandra Shai Chai needed a moment to process the idea that she would be stuck eating a vegan diet for eight weeks.

Shai Chai, who typically eats meat, was participating in a study to examine the effects of different diets on twins’ health. When Stanford University researchers randomly distributed slips of papers to the twins last year to indicate which diet they would follow, Shai Chai hoped hers would say “omnivore.”

Instead, it said “vegan.” Her twin sister, Mariya Foster, would eat a diet of meat and vegetables.

Shai Chai replaced her favorite foods – bacon, sushi and steak – with tofu, beans and vegetables. She didn’t love the diet, but when Shai Chai recently learned the study’s results, she felt thankful that she had briefly changed her eating habits.

After examining 22 pairs of identical twins, researchers found that vegan eaters had lower cholesterol, insulin and body weight than participants who followed a meat diet, according to the results published last week in the JAMA Network Open journal.

Vegan eaters’ low-density lipoprotein – bad cholesterol – dropped on average by 15.2 milligrams over eight weeks; omnivore dieters’ fell by 2.4. Vegan eaters on average shed 4.2 more pounds than omnivores, and their insulin – which regulates blood sugar – dropped by roughly 20 percent more.

“That made it all worth it, for sure,” Shai Chai, 43, told The Washington Post. “I was like, ‘All right, at least I have a little bit of payback; a little benefit for the trouble.”

Christopher Gardner, a Stanford University professor of medicine, said participants’ genetics have sometimes muddied researchers’ understanding of how different diets affect people’s health. He wanted to find a clear answer on the effects of eating or avoiding meat and animal products on cardiovascular health, and he thought the best subjects would be people with nearly identical genes and upbringings.

Near the start of 2022, Gardner found participants through Stanford’s twin research registry. Shai Chai and Foster had signed up a few years earlier, thinking the studies would be a fun way to contribute to scientific discoveries. They were exactly the type of twins Gardner was looking for.

Foster was born about five minutes before Shai Chai in December of 1979 in Kyiv before they immigrated to San Francisco in 1995. They like the same food (fish and chicken), the same music (pop and techno) and sometimes unknowingly buy the same clothes. The sisters, who are 5-foot-5 and live a few blocks from each other, said they often finish each other’s sentences and know what the other is thinking.

In May of 2022, participants in the study received 21 weekly prepackaged meals from Trifecta, a meal-delivery service, featuring food from their assigned diets. The vegan meals consisted of oatmeal, tofu, broccoli, spinach, beans, lentils and brown rice. The omnivore meals were still healthy, but featured eggs, chicken, turkey bacon, vegetables and jasmine rice. Participants logged their meals on Cronometer, an app that tracks diet and health data.

Shai Chai said the vegan meals were tastier than she had expected, though she disliked some dishes. Foster sacrificed her favorite snacks – M&Ms and granola bars – for healthy meats and fruits. After seeing examples of meals following their diets, participants purchased their own groceries during the second half of the eight-week study.

Dietitians called participants a few times to discuss how they were faring. Participants also gave blood and stool samples and underwent physical and cognitive tests to assess how the diets affected their balance and memories.

Shai Chai said that after four weeks of a vegan diet, she had more energy and slept better. Still, she missed her favorite foods. Once, she went out to a sushi restaurant with friends but forced herself to eat vegan sushi.

While some participants continued to follow a vegan diet after the study concluded in July 2022, Shai Chai said she immediately started eating sushi again – which she said tasted better than ever. Foster said she has become more mindful of eating healthy and has developed meal ideas from Trifecta.

Gardner, who’s a vegetarian, hopes nutritionists use the study’s results to persuade clients to eat more vegan products. He said that vegan food contributes to the three most crucial ways to improve cardiovascular health: by increasing fiber and decreasing saturated fat and body weight.

He added that eating a vegan diet offers health benefits that could prolong someone’s life – a discovery that Foster said has prompted sibling teasing.“I was already five minutes older,” Foster said, “and now I’m [figuratively] even older because she got the vegan diet.” Scientists studied twins’ diets. Those who ate vegan saw fast results.

Read More........→March 01, 2024

Scientists studied twins’ diets. Those who ate vegan saw fast results.

A member of staff works inside ‘Rudy’s Vegan Butcher’ shop, amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, October 30, 2020. Picture taken October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

Aleksandra Shai Chai needed a moment to process the idea that she would be stuck eating a vegan diet for eight weeks.

Shai Chai, who typically eats meat, was participating in a study to examine the effects of different diets on twins’ health. When Stanford University researchers randomly distributed slips of papers to the twins last year to indicate which diet they would follow, Shai Chai hoped hers would say “omnivore.”

Instead, it said “vegan.” Her twin sister, Mariya Foster, would eat a diet of meat and vegetables.

Shai Chai replaced her favorite foods – bacon, sushi and steak – with tofu, beans and vegetables. She didn’t love the diet, but when Shai Chai recently learned the study’s results, she felt thankful that she had briefly changed her eating habits.

After examining 22 pairs of identical twins, researchers found that vegan eaters had lower cholesterol, insulin and body weight than participants who followed a meat diet, according to the results published last week in the JAMA Network Open journal.

Vegan eaters’ low-density lipoprotein – bad cholesterol – dropped on average by 15.2 milligrams over eight weeks; omnivore dieters’ fell by 2.4. Vegan eaters on average shed 4.2 more pounds than omnivores, and their insulin – which regulates blood sugar – dropped by roughly 20 percent more.

“That made it all worth it, for sure,” Shai Chai, 43, told The Washington Post. “I was like, ‘All right, at least I have a little bit of payback; a little benefit for the trouble.”

Christopher Gardner, a Stanford University professor of medicine, said participants’ genetics have sometimes muddied researchers’ understanding of how different diets affect people’s health. He wanted to find a clear answer on the effects of eating or avoiding meat and animal products on cardiovascular health, and he thought the best subjects would be people with nearly identical genes and upbringings.

Near the start of 2022, Gardner found participants through Stanford’s twin research registry. Shai Chai and Foster had signed up a few years earlier, thinking the studies would be a fun way to contribute to scientific discoveries. They were exactly the type of twins Gardner was looking for.

Foster was born about five minutes before Shai Chai in December of 1979 in Kyiv before they immigrated to San Francisco in 1995. They like the same food (fish and chicken), the same music (pop and techno) and sometimes unknowingly buy the same clothes. The sisters, who are 5-foot-5 and live a few blocks from each other, said they often finish each other’s sentences and know what the other is thinking.

In May of 2022, participants in the study received 21 weekly prepackaged meals from Trifecta, a meal-delivery service, featuring food from their assigned diets. The vegan meals consisted of oatmeal, tofu, broccoli, spinach, beans, lentils and brown rice. The omnivore meals were still healthy, but featured eggs, chicken, turkey bacon, vegetables and jasmine rice. Participants logged their meals on Cronometer, an app that tracks diet and health data.

Shai Chai said the vegan meals were tastier than she had expected, though she disliked some dishes. Foster sacrificed her favorite snacks – M&Ms and granola bars – for healthy meats and fruits. After seeing examples of meals following their diets, participants purchased their own groceries during the second half of the eight-week study.

Dietitians called participants a few times to discuss how they were faring. Participants also gave blood and stool samples and underwent physical and cognitive tests to assess how the diets affected their balance and memories.

Shai Chai said that after four weeks of a vegan diet, she had more energy and slept better. Still, she missed her favorite foods. Once, she went out to a sushi restaurant with friends but forced herself to eat vegan sushi.

While some participants continued to follow a vegan diet after the study concluded in July 2022, Shai Chai said she immediately started eating sushi again – which she said tasted better than ever. Foster said she has become more mindful of eating healthy and has developed meal ideas from Trifecta.

Gardner, who’s a vegetarian, hopes nutritionists use the study’s results to persuade clients to eat more vegan products. He said that vegan food contributes to the three most crucial ways to improve cardiovascular health: by increasing fiber and decreasing saturated fat and body weight.

He added that eating a vegan diet offers health benefits that could prolong someone’s life – a discovery that Foster said has prompted sibling teasing.“I was already five minutes older,” Foster said, “and now I’m [figuratively] even older because she got the vegan diet. ”Scientists studied twins’ diets. Those who ate vegan saw fast results.

Read More........→December 13, 2023

Got milk? If you’re Black, Asian or Hispanic, make it lactose-free

Glass of milk. Photo: wikimedia.org

The Agriculture Department has proposed changes in its nutritional programs that could have a huge positive effect on the health of Black and Hispanic children from low-income households. For starters, the nation’s food stamp program would allow for more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Another game-changing proposal calls for providing lactose-free alternatives to cow’s milk – such as soy milk and soy-based yogurts and cheeses.

The USDA’s proposals follow a letter sent in October to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack from 31 members of Congress – mostly members of the Black, Hispanic and Asian Pacific American caucuses.

Their concern was the adverse impact that consuming cow’s milk has on schoolchildren, especially children of color.

“The rates of lactose intolerance in (people of color) are startlingly high, with 65 percent of Latino students, 75 percent of Black students, and 90 percent of Asian students unable to digest dairy milk without detrimental effects,” said the letter, whose signatories included Reps. Troy A. Carter (D-La.), who is leading the effort, and Hakeem Jefferies (D-N.Y.), who was recently elected leader of the House Democratic Caucus.

Boston Children’s Hospital notes that in young children, lactose intolerance is usually caused by digestive diseases or injuries to the small intestine. But most cases of lactose intolerance develop over many years in adolescents and adults. Each individual may experience symptoms differently, the hospital’s website says, but common symptoms – which typically begin about 30 minutes to two hours after consuming food or beverages containing lactose – include nausea, cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhea.

“This issue hit me hard both as a parent of two Black boys, and as a congressman of a majority-minority district in the south,” Carter said. “We know our nation’s public schools and health-care systems have deeply flawed histories – and, in some cases, current realities – of inequitable resource distribution and treatment of students and people of color. While this push to offer nondairy, nutritionally equivalent alternatives to our kids there at lunch counters may seem like a small fight, this is another one of those inequities facing communities of color that we can and therefore must take action to fix.”

The nation’s dairy industry, however, still pushes milk as a nutritious builder of strong bones and an important source of vitamin D. Last year, the American Dairy Association relaunched its “Got Milk?” campaign. This time, the campaign is relying more on social media influencers than celebrities and sports stars to market the product.

Moreover, despite its new proposals, the USDA continues to encourage consumption of fluid cow’s milk in it’s Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program, for example, must offer students a cup of milk with each lunch.

USDA research analyzing dietary records of teenagers and children between 2003 and 2018 found that children aged 6 through 12 years old obtained 35 percent of their fluid milk at schools, while teenagers aged 13 through 18 years obtained 25 percent of their fluid milk at schools. Consumption of fluid milk was also higher for both groups on weekdays, when schools are generally in session, than on weekends.

“Free and reduced school lunch is supposed to be a safety net for our nation’s most vulnerable children, and is disproportionately utilized by students of color,” Carter said. “For many of these kids, school meals may be the only food available to them that day. Children cannot learn if they feel sick or hungry, and yet we know that millions of children, especially children of color, experience negative symptoms after ingesting the dairy that our current school lunch program requires be placed on every student’s lunch tray.”

Currently, children who suffer adverse reactions from cow’s milk must produce a doctor’s note if they choose not to accept traditional milk with their lunch. Carter says this puts an undue burden on minority students, some of whom may not yet know adverse health effects – such as exacerbated asthma – are caused by lactose intolerance.

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service boasts that it is working to “end hunger and improve food and nutrition security” through a suite of more than 15 nutrition assistance programs. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, “promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being,” according to the USDA website.

But that is obviously aspirational. There is still a lot of work to do. The USDA is encouraging anyone interested in the proposed nutritional changes to provide feedback at www.regulations.gov. The comment period will be open until Feb. 21. Parents of children of color should let their voices be heard.“The sad reality is that by refusing to offer nondairy alternatives in our school lunch program, we not only waste millions of dollars through discarded, unopened milk, but this federal program is likely causing countless schoolchildren to feel sick and less able to learn,” Carter said. “After all, how can children be expected to successfully learn when they are experiencing preventable pain and discomfort? With a nutritionally equivalent solution available to us in soy milk, there is no reason that we should further delay bringing equity into our school lunchrooms.”Got milk? If you’re Black, Asian or Hispanic, make it lactose-free

Read More........→October 14, 2023

What’s the difference between skim milk and light milk?

Margaret Murray, Swinburne University of Technology

If you’re browsing the supermarket fridge for reduced-fat milk, it’s easy to be confused by the many different types.

You can find options labelled skim, skimmed, skinny, no fat, extra light, lite, light, low fat, reduced fat, semi skim and HiLo (high calcium, low fat).

So what’s the difference between two of these common milks – skim milk and light milk? How are they made? And which one’s healthier?

What do they contain?

Skim milk

In Australia and New Zealand, skim milk is defined as milk that contains no more than 1.5% milk fat and has at least 3% protein. On the nutrition information panel this looks like less than 1.5 grams of fat and at least 3g protein per 100 millilitres of milk.

But the fat content of skim milk can be as low as 0.1% or 0.1g per 100mL.

Light milk

Light milk is sometimes spelled “lite” but they’re essentially the same thing.

While light milk is not specifically defined in Australia and New Zealand, the term “light” is defined for food generally. If we apply the rules to milk, we can say light milk must contain no more than 2.4% fat (2.4g fat per 100mL).

In other words, light milk contains more fat than skim milk.

You can find the fat content by reading the “total fat per 100mL” on the label’s nutrition information panel.

How about other nutrients?

The main nutritional difference between skim milk and light milk, apart from the fat content, is the energy content.

Skim milk provides about 150 kilojoules of energy per 100mL whereas light milk provides about 220kJ per 100mL.

Any milk sold as cow’s milk must contain at least 3% protein (3g protein per 100mL of milk). That includes skim or light milk. So there’s typically not much difference there.

Likewise, the calcium content doesn’t differ much between skim milk and light milk. It is typically about 114 milligrams to 120mg per 100mL.

You can check these and other details on the label’s nutrition information panel.

How are they made?

Skim milk and light milk are not made by watering down full-cream milk.

Instead, full-cream milk is spun at high speeds in a device called a centrifuge. This causes the fat to separate and be removed, leaving behind milk containing less fat.

Here’s how fat is removed to produce skim and light milk.

Who should be drinking what?

Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend we drink mostly reduced-fat milk – that is, milk containing no more than 2.4g fat per 100mL. Skim milk and light milk are both included in that category.

The exception is for children under two years old, who are recommended full-cream milk to meet their growing needs.

The reason our current guidelines recommend reduced-fat milk is that, since the 1970s, reduced-fat milk has been thought to help with reducing body weight and reducing the risk of heart disease. That’s because of its lower content of saturated fat and energy (kilojoules/calories) than full cream milk.

However, more recent evidence has shown drinking full-cream milk is not associated with weight gain or health risks. In fact, eating or drinking dairy products of any type may help reduce the risk of obesity and other metabolic disorders (such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes), especially in children and adolescents.

The science in this area continues to evolve. So the debate around whether there are health benefits to choosing reduced-fat milk over full cream milk is ongoing.

Whether or not there any individual health benefits from choosing skim milk or light milk over full cream will vary depending on your current health status and broader dietary habits.

For personalised health and dietary advice, speak to a health professional.

Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→June 14, 2023

Facts about Apple Seed Cyanide

How would you react when you get to know that your favorite fruit is also a house to several diseases?

Apples are supposed to be one of the healthiest and delicious fruits that we are munching on since ages. Many health benefits are attached to eating one apple everyday. But do you know the other part of the story? Are you aware of what is Apple Seed Cyanide? Have you ever come across those black seeds hidden deep inside the apples? These black seeds have an unhealthy story to tell. Where apples are recommended healthy and a must addition to your daily diet, the apple seeds are dangerous to health causing various disorders and death. 

The apple seeds consist of a small proportion of chemical composite known as Amygdalin. It is not harmful as far as it is unscathed or swollen accidently. Nevertheless, it takes a heinous turn on being chewed or crushed. It releases a harmful gas popularly known as Apple Seed cyanide that may lead to death if taken in high amounts.

The high amounts consumed will certainly get you in a big trouble. You may be victimized to several disorders and get a paralysis attack, memory loss or even heart failure. A person is said to have taken a high dose of Apple Seed Cyanide if he has munched roughly 200 black seeds of apples. The small proportion on the other hand will not have such big consequences, but can cause mild body clutters. Vomiting, headache, stomach cramps, body ache and other body related turmoil.

 

Black seed oil on the other hand smells good and is favorable to your skin and hair. It can fight cancer and other diseases. You can get benefited to the numerous advantages attached to the apple seed oil but beware chewing the apple seeds.

Prevention is better than cure – Tips to be safe :

Apples are undoubtedly good for health but if not eaten rightly they can land you in misfortune. Keep your eyes and ears open so that you do not get trapped inside the uninvited accidents.

It is always commendable to slice the apple into four pieces, remove black seeds from between and then bite on to avoid any mishaps.

Alternately, if you are out and want to have an apple, go ahead but don’t forget to spit the seeds out.

Few fruits like apricots, peaches and cherries have the kinds of seeds that can produce cyanide when exposed to chewing. If possible do carry other fruits along that do not have such harmful seeds.

The seeds if come in contact with your teeth will prove to be detrimental. Avoid giving whole apple to kids, as they might not follow what it takes to be unharmed.

Be safe be alert from the harmful Apple Seeds Cyanide. Prevention lies in your hands. Source: https://www.tathastuindia.in/

Read More........→September 15, 2022

Junk Food Linked to Sleep Problems in Teens

Credit: University of Queensland

Eating too much junk food has been linked with poor sleep quality in teens, a University of Queensland-led study has found.

UQ School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences researcher Associate Professor Asad Khan said frequent consumption of soft drinks and fast food was strongly associated with sleep disturbance in adolescents around the world.

“This is the first study to examine unhealthy diets and stress-related sleep disturbance on a global scale in high school students from 64 countries,” Dr Khan said.

“Overall, 7.5 per cent of adolescents reported stress-related sleep disturbance, which was more common among females than males.

“Sleep disturbance increased with more frequent consumption of carbonated soft drinks, that often contain caffeine, and/or fast foods, that are traditionally energy-dense and nutrient-poor.

“Teens who drank more than three soft drinks per day had 55 per cent higher odds of reporting sleep disturbance than those who only drank one soft drink a day.

“Males who ate fast foods on more than four days per week had 55 per cent higher odds of reporting sleep disturbance than those who only ate fast food once a week, while the odds were 49 per cent higher in females.

“Frequent consumption of soft drinks more than three times a day, and fast foods more than four days per week, were significantly associated with sleep disturbance in all but low-income countries.”

Data was collected from the World Health Organization’s Global School-based Health Surveys between 2009 and 2016, which included 175,261 students aged 12 to 15 years from 64 low, middle, and high income countries across South East Asia, Africa, parts of South America and the Eastern Mediterranean.

“Teens in high-income countries had the highest association between frequent intake of soft drinks and sleep disturbance,” Dr Khan said.

“Females in these countries showed the biggest connection between regularly eating fast foods and sleep problems.

“Adolescents in South-Asia showed a high connection between drinking soft drink and sleep disturbance, while those in the Western-Pacific region showed the greatest link between both soft drink and fast food consumption and sleep issues.”

Dr Khan said the findings were of particular concern as poor quality sleep adversely impacted on adolescent wellbeing and cognitive development.

“The targeting of these unhealthy behaviours needs to be a priority of policies and planning,” he said.

“Strategies need to be customised and tailored across countries or regions to meet their local needs.

“As stress-related sleep disturbance was more common among girls than boys, girls should be a priority target group for associated interventions that could target stress management and sleep quality.

“Creating school environments to limit access to carbonated soft drinks and fast foods, and introducing a sugar tax to lessen the sales of soft drinks may be beneficial.

“Family can also be instrumental in promoting healthy eating as the adoption and maintenance of children's dietary behaviours are influenced by their familial environments.”

The study was conducted in collaboration with Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, Deakin University, and Active Healthy Kids Bangladesh.

The research is published in the journal EClinicalMedicine (DOI:10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.01.011).

Contacts and sources: 

Dani Nash

University of Queensland

Source: https://www.ineffableisland.com/

Read More........→December 24, 2020

Giant underwater isopod fasts for 4 years, feels great

A creature known as “the scavenger of the deep” has surprised its keepers at an aquarium by “fasting” for more than four years. The giant male isopod, called No. 1 to distinguish it from the two other giant isopods kept at Toba Aquarium in Mie Prefecture, last ate in January 2009, when it was fed a whole horse mackerel.

The isopod devoured the fish, bones and all, in just five minutes. But it has not eaten anything since, with Feb. 10 marking 1,500 days without food. The crustacean was brought to the aquarium from the Gulf of Mexico in September 2007, measuring 29 cm and weighing 1 kg, and despite its lack of food still looks perfectly healthy, the keepers say. “We have done all we possibly can,” said Takeya Moritaki, who is responsible for the creature. Moritaki said he has tried an assortment of food items, including squid
tentacles and saury, but the isopod has ignored them all. Little is known about the biology of the creatures, which live in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean and which live off dead creatures and fish. It remains a mystery why the isopod suddenly stopped eating and why it has remained healthy. “Giant isopods are always in a state of semihibernation because they don’t know when they can eat, so they limit their energy on breathing and other activities,” said Taeko Kimura, a marine ecologist at Mie University. “For that purpose they sometimes keep a large amount of fat in their livers, so maybe No. 1 still has a source of energy in its body, and that’s why it still has no appetite.” The isopods are kept in a tank that uses artificial seawater so it is highly unlikely to generate organic substances such as plankton and sea algae that No. 1, which is about the same size as its peers in the tank, can feed on. The aquarium was previously home to a giant isopod that died of natural causes, despite having a healthy appetite, making No. 1′s good health even more mysterious. Voice of Russia, The Japan Times, Source: Voice of Russia

Read More........→February 27, 2013

Fueling the High Flyers

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Learn how America's high-flying U-2 pilots stay fueled in flight with the use of tube foods. Produced by Airman 1st Class Drew Buchanan

Read More........→February 10, 2013

Low-cal diet benefits fly brain and mouthpart

A new technique for measuring tiny, rapid-fire secretions in the brains and mouthparts of fruit flies (drosophila) is providing insights into the beneficial effects of eating less information that ultimately could help people suffering from neuromuscular disorders. Using the method, researchers were able to uncover never-before-seen brain chemistry that helped explain why fruit flies genetically manipulated to mimic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and myasthenia gravis are more vigorous and live longer when fed a restricted diet. The research was conducted by a team from the School of Medicine and the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. Senior author Benjamin Eaton, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology, says the results demonstrate how limiting calories may be therapeutic for people with various syndromes. Lead author Joel Rawson, Ph.D., and the Eaton team developed a novel system to analyze the impact of diet on life span and motor behaviour as well as on neurotransmission, which is believed to underlie most neurological disorders in humans. Flies on the low-calorie diet showed a 100 percent increase in the release of brain chemicals, which are called neurotransmitters, from their neurons. These chemicals carry signals from one nerve cell to another across gaps called synapses. The brain has millions of synapses that are believed to be the critical structures required for normal brain function. Diseases such as Parkinson’s harm them irreparably. Furthermore the chemicals were secreted at critical locations. “Diet restriction increased the neurotransmitters released at synapses called neuromuscular junctions,” Dr. Eaton said. “These synapses, which form on muscle, transmit nerve impulses from the brain to muscles, resulting in movement. If neuromuscular junctions degenerate, resulting in the release of less neurotransmitter, then muscle activity diminishes. This is observed in diseases such as myasthenia gravis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),” he said. The observation that diet could directly affect the amount of neurotransmitter secreted by the neuron was a novel observation that had not been seen previously. “People have seen that diet has effects on the nervous system, but the nuts and bolts of what it is doing to neurons have not been established,” he said. “We believe we have shown a novel and important effect,” he said. The team genetically engineered a single pair of motor neurons to develop neurodegenerative disease, resulting in a decrease of the flies’ ability to extend the proboscis, which they use to gather food. The team then dissected the head to locate the appropriate muscles on the proboscis and quantified the neurotransmitter activity occurring there, which continues to take place even after death. “We went into the very muscles that that these motor neurons controlled and analyzed neurotransmission using electrodes,” Dr. Eaton said. “We showed diet can rescue proboscis extension by increasing the amount of neurotransmitter released. This suggests that diet could be an important therapy for improving muscle function during motor diseases such as ALS,” he added. The study was published in June by Aging Cell. Source: Indian Express

Read More........→December 23, 2012

Diet quality key to survival of whales, dolphins: study

The survival of whales and dolphins depends on the quality of their diet and this plays an important role in conservation, according to a new study. The study, published in the online journal PLOS ONE, was conducted by researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada and University of La Rochelle (ULR) in France. "The conventional wisdom is that marine mammals can eat anything," said co-author Andrew Trites, a marine mammal expert at UBC. "However, we found that some species of whales and dolphins require calorie rich diet to survive while others are built to live off low quality prey." The researchers compared the diet of 11 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, and found differences in the qualities of prey consumed that could not be explained by the different body sizes of the predators. The key to understanding the differences in their diet was to look at their muscle performance, as high energy prey tend to be more mobile, and require their predators to spend more energy to catch them, according to the researchers. The researchers believe the findings will help better assess the impact of resource changes to marine mammals. "Species with high energy needs are more sensitive to depletion of their primary prey," said Jerome Spitz, first author of the study and a post-doctoral fellow at ULR in France. "It is no longer a question of how much food do whales and dolphins need, but whether they are able to get the right kinds of food to survive." Spitz added. Source: SAM Daily Times, Image

Read More........→December 08, 2012

Shark's Sense of Smell: scientist sniffs out the subtleties of acute sense

We have long heard about a shark's acute sense of smell. It's ability to detect the odors or scents given off by an injured fish was long considered one of a shark's primary tools in its predator tool kit. But just how sensitive is it? With currents or water motion moving odors around, just how does a shark sense a smell and then begin tracking it to its source? Dr. Jelle Atema has been studying sharks for some 20 years, working with the Boston University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He has spent considerable time investigating just how sharks utilize their sense of smell to their best advantage. Reporting in BU Today, Susan Seligson writes of Dr. Atema's work with smooth dogfish, a small shark that is often found in the U.S. northeast (BTW: And one that has been severely hit by commercial shark fishing operations). Using controlled plumes of odors like squid scent in a long observation tank, he is unlocking many of the secret subtleties as to how a shark senses odor and tracks it to its source. Often we think of sharks as sensing the smell given off by an injured animal. That may be true but, when hunting, sharks are attracted to the odors of familiar prey, injured or otherwise. “All animals give off some kind of body odor,” says Atema.“The science here is to understand how odor is dispersed into the water, and how many molecules does a shark need in his nose to track that odor.” Dr. Atema's experiments have also provided new insight as to how a shark responds to odors and how they just where to go to get to the source. As reported in BU Today, "Working along with Jayne Gardiner at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, Atema’s most recent discovery is that sharks are guided by the nostril that first detects the prey’s odor, rather than orienting themselves based on which nostril senses the greater odor concentration. The finding—that smell reaches one nostril before the other, signaling whether to veer left or right—means that sharks can decipher very quickly, a matter of seconds as opposed to minutes, where their next meal is, no matter how chaotic the dispersed odor plume. Before this discovery, published in Current Biology, scientists had long believed that sharks’ sense of smell was a function of the plume’s surface area—the bigger the plume, the easier it would be for sharks to smell it." In some respects, the ocean is a very smelly place, full of scents or odors of hundreds of different organisms and at varying strengths or intensities. Bombarded with all these stimuli, sharks can amazingly sort it all out and, along with its other senses, be the efficient predator that it is. Source: RTSea

Read More........→September 24, 2012

Tomato resistant to salt and drought

The tomato belongs to the plant family which also includes the potato, pepper, red pepper and eggplant. The world's largest genome family both in economic terms and in overall food production! The Tomato Genome Consortium (a collaboration between more than 300 researchers from 14 different countries) unravelled the genome of tomato and its wild ancestor Solanum pimpinellifolium. The tomato is the model system for studying fruit development and the genome structure to gain a greater understanding of the genes controlling fruit characteristics and processes, such as those involved in fruit colour, flavour and texture. These new studies lay the groundwork for the development of new strains of tomatoes with more desired traits, such as higher yields, increased disease resistance, more climate tolerance, new colourings and more alluring aromas. Tomatoes could be engineered to get tastier and survive droughts, extreme storage and pests. Growers will benefit from lower costs and an improved crop; consumers will benefit from a more desirable fruit. Still, it requires a lot of. additional research! Source: Fresh Plaza, Image: flickr.com

Read More........→September 13, 2012

Geo-Engineering Soaring To New Heights

I come from a pasty Norwegian breed. In my younger, devil-may-care years, I used to scoff at wearing sunscreen with the belief that the quickest way to a bronzed bod was roasting myself at the beach without a drop of SPF in sight Not any more. I've read the reports and even witnessed my dad, who has a similar complexion, receive skin test results that came back malignant. Now I'm a liberal sunscreen applier when I go out. Plus, sunscreen makes you smell like you just came from the beach, and I like that. It's my new cologne.In some ways, our planet is of a pasty breed and needs adequate protection from the sun, too. Many scientists sayour planet is getting hotter, compliments of us industrious folks who call Earth home. Here in Missouri, the grass is brown and the leaves on the trees are wilted. The USDA has declared every county in the state as disaster area because of the drought. Just a random old hot-and-dry summer or the consequences of human-induced climate change? Well, a couple of Harvard engineers aren't waiting around for your opinion. David Keith and James Anderson are preparing to spray thousands of tons of sun-reflecting sulphate aerosols into the sky over Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Why? They believe the particles will reflect the sun's rays back into space and help lower the Earth's temperature. They plan to do so by using a balloon flying 80,000 feet above the Fort Sumner. The geoengineering project aims to mimic the effects of volcanoes spewing sulphuric ash into the air. Keith says the project could be an inexpensive way to slow down climate change, however other scientists warn that his methods could have dire effects on the planet's weather systems and food supplies. Environmentalists fear Keith's method is merely a stopgap that undermines efforts to accurately fight climate change by reducing carbon emissions. The experiment will take place in a year and see the release of tens or hundreds of kilograms of particles that, besides measuring impacts on ozone chemistry, will also find ways to make the sulphate aerosols the correct size. "The objective is not to alter the climate, but simply to probe the processes at a micro scale," Keith told the Guardian. "The direct risk is very small.Source: SAM Daily Times

Read More........→August 22, 2012

Fruit flies offer DNA clue to why women live longer

Scientists believe they have discovered a clue to why women tend to live longer than men - by studying fruit flies. Writing in Current Biology, they focus on mutations in mitochondrial DNA - the power source of cells. Mitochondria are inherited only from mothers, never from fathers, so there is no way to weed out mutations that damage a male's prospects. But one ageing expert said there were many factors that explained the gender difference in life expectancy. By the age of 85, there are approximately six women for every four men in the UK, and by 100 the ratio is more than two to one. And females outlive males in many other species. 'No effect' on females In the research, experts from Australia's Monash University and the UK's Lancaster University analysed the mitochondria of 13 different groups of male and female fruit flies. Mitochondria, which exist in almost all animal cells, convert food into the energy that powers the body. Dr Damian Dowling, of Monash University who was one of the researchers, said the results point to numerous mutations within mitochondrial DNA that affect how long males live, and the speed at which they age. "Intriguingly, these same mutations have no effects on patterns of ageing in females," he said. "All animals possess mitochondria, and the tendency for females to outlive males is common to many different species. "Our results therefore suggest that the mitochondrial mutations we have uncovered will generally cause faster male ageing across the animal kingdom." They suggest this is because there is no evolutionary reason for the faults that affect males to be picked up - because mitochondria are passed down by females. Dr Dowling added: "If a mitochondrial mutation occurs that harms fathers, but has no effect on mothers, this mutation will slip through the gaze of natural selection, unnoticed. "Over thousands of generations, many such mutations have accumulated that harm only males, while leaving females unscathed." Tom Kirkwood, professor of ageing at Newcastle University said the paper was "intriguing". He said: "It may be it does tell us something rather important about mitochondria and the difference between male and female fruit flies. "And we know that mitochondria are important for ageing in a number of species. "But I certainly don't think this is a discovery that explains why women live five-to-six years longer than men. "There are other things we know also count - lifestyle, social and behavioural factors. But the biggest difference in biology is that we have different hormones."Source: Sam Daily Times

Read More........→August 04, 2012

Feeding time! Sea lion gets to grips with keeper as he jumps for fish at Vienna Zoo

At first glance it looks as though this zoo keeper may have found himself in a rather dangerous situation, as he stands with his entire head inside a sea lion’s head. However the scenario is a fundamental part of his job at Vienna Zoo in Austria, for he is actually checking the teeth of the huge animal. The daily ritual also sees the South American sea lions leaping in the air for food and hugging the keeper doling out fish from his bucket. Source: The Coming Crisis

Read More........→July 27, 2012

People pass a test in regenerating liver that works in animals

By Cena:People pass a test in regenerating liver that works in animals The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products has authorized the biotechnology company Digna Biotech start the first clinical trial with people, Phase I, cardiotrophin-I (CT-I), a molecule that stimulates liver regeneration in animal models. The Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarre has patented the molecule "for its ability to stimulate liver regeneration after partial removal in animal models, as well as protect the liver against ischemia-reperfusion injury."  It also "prevents cell death during acute liver failure," as reported in a statement CIMA, which has indicated that the first trial was held in the University Hospital of Navarra and the Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro in Madrid and will include 33 healthy volunteers.  CIMA has the rights to intellectual property for the use of CT-I in the treatment of certain liver diseases. Its preclinical development "has been made possible by financial support from ClaveSuan biomedical development of the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) and the Government of Navarra," added these sources. People pass a test in regenerating liver that works in animals The European Medicines Agency and the Food and Drug Administration United States have given to the CT-I protein orphan drug designation to prevent ischemia-reperfusion injury associated with solid organ transplantation. They are known as orphan who, being of interest to the health of the population, are not developed by the pharmaceutical industry due to low profitability, and that target a very small group of patients. In addition, the FDA has given the CT-I orphan drug designation for the liver transplant. Source: Forum Human Health, Image

Read More........→July 24, 2012

Engineering Technology Reveals Eating Habits of Giant Dinosaurs

A team of international researchers, led by the University of Bristol and the Natural History Museum, used CT scans and biomechanical modelling to show that Diplodocus -- on The research is published today (July 16, 2012) in the natural sciences journal Naturwissenschaften. The Diplodocus is a sauropod from the Jurassic Period and one of the longest animals to have lived on Earth, measuring over 30 metres in length and weighing around 15 tonnes. While known to be massive herbivores, there has been great debate about exactly how they ate such large quantities of plants. The aberrant Diplodocus, with its long snout and protruding peg-like teeth restricted to the very front of its mouth, has been the centre of such controversy. To  solve the mystery, a 3D model of a complete Diplodocusskull was created using data from a CT scan. This model was then biomechanically analysed to test three feeding behaviours using finite element analysis (FEA). FEA is widely used, from designing aeroplanes to orthopaedic implants. It revealed the various stresses and strains acting on the Diplodocus' skull during feeding to determine whether the skull or teeth would break under certain conditions. The team that made this discovery was led by Dr Emily Rayfield of Bristol University's School of Earth Sciences and Dr Paul Barrett of The Natural History Museum in London. Dr Mark Young, a former student working at both institutions, ran the analyses during his PhD. Dr Young said: "Sauropod dinosaurs, like Diplodocus, were so weird and different from living animals that there is no animal we can compare them with. This makes understanding their feeding ecology very difficult. That's why biomechanically modelling is so important to our understanding of long-extinct animals." Dr Paul Barrett added: "Using these techniques, borrowed from the worlds of engineering and medicine, we can start to examine the feeding behaviour of this long-extinct animal in levels of detail which were simply impossible until recently." Numerous hypotheses of feeding behaviour have been suggested for Diplodocus since its discovery over 130 years ago. These ranged from standard biting, combing leaves through peg-like teeth, ripping bark from trees similar to behaviour in some living deer, and even plucking shellfish from rocks. The team found that whilst bark-stripping was perhaps unsurprisingly too stressful for the teeth, combing and raking of leaves from branches was overall no more stressful to the skull bones and teeth than standard biting. Source: Sam Daily Times

Read More........→July 16, 2012

Japanese macaque Japanese Monkeys in Yakushima Island

The Japanese macaque Macaca fuscata is known for its diverse range of habitats and highly seasonally variable diet. But we do not know how seasonal plant food diversity affects monkeys in captive forested enclosures. It is important to know how enrichment with natural vegetation affects the foraging behavior of captive groups. Iwamoto found that nutrient intake of an adult female Japanese macaque on Koshima islet varied across seasons, with protein intake being greater in October and November than other seasons and lipid intake was lower in winter than other seasons. This might be due to the seasonal variation of nutrients of plant items. Nakagawa found that interregional (cool temperate vs warm temperate) differences in the intake of gross energy and protein; with higher in autumn than in winter were responsible for those in nutritional content and feeding rate of food items. Hanya et al. reported that leaves high in protein, ash and protein to neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ratio were selected on Yakushima Island, Japan. They only investigated leaf food selection, based on the nutritional properties of ingested leaf food items, but did not analyze them seasonally. Japanese monkeys in the wild consume both leaves and fruits equally and their dietary diversity varies across seasons. To build on our knowledge of primate feeding ecology in the wild and in captivity, we
conducted nutritional analysis of all major food items (bark, leaf, fruit, nut) for a twelve month period to investigate whether nutritional quality varies seasonally, and whether this affects the monkeys consumption of these major food items. Little information exists on the foraging behavior and dietary composition of captive macaques. A captive forested enclosure provides the opportunity to investigate in more detail how Japanese macaques utilize vegetation (variety of species and their food parts) in a semi naturally forested enclosure and what nutritional properties of this vegetation may affect their consumption of specific plant food items. Such a study also provides an opportunity to evaluate the possible benefits to monkeys in such an enriched enclosure environment by measuring the impact of this extra source of nutrition on their activity budget (e.g., extension of feeding time) and the enhancement of dietary quality. In a previous study, Jaman and Huffman showed that Japanese macaques housed in a forested enclosure spent a nearly equal amount of time feeding on natural plant food items as they did on provisioned food. This had the effect of increasing the total time spent foraging to a proportion of the total activity budget spent feeding similar to that of Yakushima macaques. Based on these results, we asked the following questions, while monkey chow may meet nutritional requirements for basic health maintenance and breeding: 1) when given access to appropriate plant resources, will captive macaques consume a wide variety of plant items from diverse plant species consumed by their wild counterparts? 2) If so, will they ingest items based on the seasonal variability of nutritional content, i.e., consuming items with relatively higher amounts of crude protein, crude lipid and TNC, and relatively lower amounts of fiber? The study group, Wakasa-5 troop, of Japanese macaques was captured from the wild in March 1974 and transported to the Primate Research Institute (PRI), Inuyama, Japan by institutional staff. All members of the present group were born and lived their entire lives together in an outdoor non vegetated enclosure up until April 2004, when they were moved into a newly constructed 6400 m2 naturally forested enclosure. This was the group’s first exposure to a naturally vegetated environment. At the beginning of this study in August 2005, the group consisted of 32 individuals. Due to births, there were 41 individuals by the end of the study in 2006. The enclosure was surrounded by a 2–3 m high fence. Inside were wooden platforms for climbing, resting and socializing. Three small ponds and one artificial narrow water flow provided drinking water. The macaques entered the pools to play and cool off during hot summer months. Source: Animal Discovery-chanel

Read More........→July 14, 2012

Genetic difference between tomato and potato only 8%

Fresh Plaza : Recent research has demonstrated that tomatoes and potatoes are 92% similar to each other in terms of genetics. The scientists behind the studies also discovered that tomato is closely related, in genetic terms, to strawberries, apples, melons and other fleshy fruits. The decoded genome of the tomato is an important step towards improving yield, nutrition, disease resistance, taste and colour of tomato and other crops, scientis-ts said. "The genetic divergence between tomato and potato is only 8 percent. There are only about 500 genes specific to tomato," explained Dr Akhilesh Kumar Tyagi, Director, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, one of the three Indian members of the international tomato consortium. Though potato is a tuber and tomato a fruit, they belong to the same family - Solanaceae. "The similarities between the two relate to genes that control important traits like disease resistance and metabolism," explained Dr Tyagi. Comparisons between genomes of wild and cultivated varieties showed the difference was less than one per cent, though many changes have occurred since domestication of the wild tomato and the intensive breeding that followed. In fact, wild tomato is very small, almost the size of a pea. Consortium researchers report that tomatoes possess close to 35,000 genes arranged on 12 chromosomes. "For any characteristic of the tomato, whether it's taste, natural pest resistance or nutritional content, we've captured virtually all those genes," said James Giovannoni of Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, who led the 14-country consortium that started the project in 2003. Source: Fresh Plaza, Image: flickr.com

Read More........→July 13, 2012