A new study finds that environment and genetics determine relative abundance of specific microbes in the gut. The findings represent an attempt to untangle the forces that shape the gut microbiome, which plays an important role in keeping us healthy.
A team of researchers from the iDAPT labs at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network are dedicated to keeping Canadians safer this winter by offering evidence-based ratings on footwear that may reduce the risk of slips and falls on ice. The team has developed the first test of its kind in the world – the Maximum Achievable Angle (MAA) Testing Method – to validate slip resistant footwear on icy surfaces using real people in a simulated winter environment.
“You may not notice the ways someone conserves, but they may already be taking action to not waste water by using good irrigation practices, and they may be open to some new ideas if you strike up a conversation about how you save water in the home landscape,” said Laura Warner, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of agricultural education and communications.
New research suggests that Lake Champlain may be more susceptible to damage from climate change than was previously understood—and that, therefore, the rules created by the EPA to protect the lake may be inadequate to prevent algae blooms and water quality problems as the region gets hotter and wetter.
Turning cattle out to graze in harvested fields was once a common practice. It’s something that researchers would like to see used again—and improved by planting cover crops, such as such as oats, sorghum, turnips, radishes or millet. These have the potential to improve the soil health and utilize any remaining nutrients, thus preventing runoff that pollutes lakes and streams.
Automated teller machine keypads in New York City hold microbes from human skin, household surfaces, or traces of food, a study by researchers at New York University has found. The work shows that ATMs can provide a repository to offer a picture of a city’s DNA.
The Zika virus is most commonly transmitted in humans as the result of a bite from an infected mosquito or from an infected human to another human. What is not well known is that the virus also can be transmitted via the environment if an individual is pricked with an infected needle or has an open cut and comes in contact with the live virus. While there are no known cases to date of the general public being infected with the Zika virus through the environment, there has been at least one documented case of laboratory acquired Zika virus infection.
In 1952 a killer fog covered London for five days, causing breathing problems and killing thousands of residents. The exact cause and nature of the fog has remained mostly unknown for decades, but an international team of scientists believes that the mystery has been solved.
By sampling the molecules on cell phones, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences were able to construct lifestyle sketches for each phone’s owner, including diet, preferred hygiene products, health status and locations visited. This proof-of-concept study could have a number of applications, including criminal profiling, airport screening, medication adherence monitoring, clinical trial participant stratification and environmental exposure studies.
The latest research and features on Animals in the Wildlife News Source
Scientists stress need for thorough research into flavored e-liquids.
Mark Gregory Robson has been on a global health crusade for decades. The Rutgers professor has spent countless hours in Thailand, the Philippines, Liberia and other countries working on pesticide issues, education and training. He is Board of Governors distinguished service professor and professor of plant biology and pathology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.
Biologically, tropical bed bugs mirror common bed bugs in that they feed on human blood. So they’re likely to cause similar health problems if you get a severe infestation: fear, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and itchy, blistery reactions on some people.
The latest research and features on obesity in the Obesity News Source.
This study estimates the regional economic contribution and costs of the oil production industry in the San Ardo oilfield, the tax contributions of the industry, and the environmental costs and contributions of the industry to the Monterey County economy. The study was conducted as a response to a request from the Monterey County for Energy Independence for an independent and impartial study of the past, present and future economic and environmental impact for Monterey County of the oil production industry in southern Monterey County, near San Ardo.
The 37 projects selected for the 2017 Community Science Program (CSP) of the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, “exploit DOE JGI’s experimental and analytical ‘omics’ capabilities and build our portfolio in key focus areas.”
Although the understanding of cough triggered by occupational and environmental causes has improved, experts say there is still a gap between current guidelines and clinical practice. A report by the CHEST Expert Cough Panel published in the journal CHEST suggests an approach to investigating occupational and environmental causes when these are suspected. The report has been endorsed by professional associations in the U.S., Canada, and Asia.
Sacramento State students will make a difference in the lives of thousands of Californians who need clean drinking water.
Scientists at the Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics have shown for the first time the extent by which interactions between environmental exposures and genetic variation across individuals have a significant impact on human traits and diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity, strengthening the case for precision medicine initiatives.
An incentive program that shifts electricity usage for low-priority activities to nonpeak times could help balance the demand for electricity and ease pressure on aging transmission lines. Utilities can then pass those energy savings on to consumers through discounted rates for those who agree to alter their energy usage habits.
The state's three largest public research institutions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which expresses the intent of the parties to increase research collaborations on complex challenges and provide additional research and training opportunities for students in the state. The memorandum was signed recently by leaders at the University of Washington, Washington State University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Normal, healthy heart muscle is well-supplied with oxygen-rich blood. But UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologists have been able to regenerate heart muscle by placing mice in an extremely low-oxygen environment.
The Cal State University Monterey Bay 2016-17 President's Speaker Series kicks off Thurs. Oct. 27 when President Eduardo Ochoa hosts best-selling author and MSNBC analyst Richard Wolffe. The topic of conversation: Impacts of globalization on the Monterey Bay region and beyond.
When researchers try to uncover the cause of disease, they commonly start with two questions: Did a quirk in the patient’s genes open the door to illness, or did exposure to environmental factors play havoc with the patient’s health?
Children from urban areas of New York City who engaged in vigorous daily exercise had greater exposure to black carbon, a traffic-related pollutant, than children who were less active, according to Columbia University researchers.
Scientists from Johns Hopkins and Texas A&M have launched an ambitious effort, with a $5.3-million NIH grant, to learn at a fundamental level how genes and environmental factors interact to trigger human disease.
Toxic chemical and other environmental risks that Miami area Hispanics face are higher than those faced by the area’s U.S.-born Hispanic and white residents, but are almost identical to risks faced by the area’s black population.
A team of researchers, led by the University of Minnesota, has invented a new soap molecule made from renewable sources that could dramatically reduce the number of chemicals in cleaning products and their impact on the environment.
Fine particulate matter air pollution may be associated with blood vessel damage and inflammation among young, healthy adults, according to new research in Circulation Research, an American Heart Association journal.
Environmental contaminants such as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) can be transferred from mother to offspring through the placenta and mother’s milk, exposing the young mammal before and after birth.
Dozens of dangerous gases are produced by the batteries found in billions of consumer devices, like smartphones and tablets, according to a new study. The research, published in Nano Energy, identified more than 100 toxic gases released by lithium batteries, including carbon monoxide.
Scientists from the National Institutes of Health have determined what differentiates dust mite allergens from the non-allergen proteins dust mites produce. According to the researchers, dust mite allergens are more chemically stable and produced in larger quantities than other dust mite proteins.
Five years ago, the largest single release of human-made radioactive discharge to the marine environment resulted from an accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.
Several peptides have an antibacterial effect - but they are broken down in the human body too quickly to exert this effect. Empa researchers have now succeeded in encasing peptides in a protective coat, which could prolong their life in the human body. This is an important breakthrough because peptides are considered to be a possible solution in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
A new study suggests that the ‘neighbourhood effect’ of slums could help to alleviate some of their associated health problems. A team of academics led by Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick have conducted a review of international slum research, which is being published in The Lancet.
Researchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago will play leadership roles in the new Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium, as part of the $11 million grant awarded to Northwestern University by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The seven-year national study will explore the impact of exposures on children that range from air pollution, to societal factors, to individual behaviors like sleep and diet.
In a new study, researchers at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service have calculated how much chicken litter farmers need to apply to cotton crops to maximize profits.
Biologists sequencing the genome of the WO virus, which infects the bacterial parasite Wolbachia, have discovered that the phage carries DNA that produces black widow spider toxin: the first time an animal-like DNA has been found in such a virus.
Effective coal regulation could slash deaths from toxic fumes by 85%, saving 20,000 lives every year.
A new $157 million initiative launched by the National Institutes of Health aims to create a comprehensive understanding of how chemicals and environmental factors like air pollution impact childhood development. Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a pediatric environmental health researcher at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, was selected as one of the principle investigators whose focus is chemical exposures.
Twelve individuals will receive the first-ever Champion of Environmental Health Research Award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), for their significant contributions to the field.
The bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa can thrive in environments as different as the moist, warm tissue in our lungs, and the dry, nutrient-deprived surface of an office wall. Such adaptability makes it problematic in healthcare – where it causes infections in cases of cystic fibrosis, cancer, HIV, and other immune-compromised conditions – but also makes it a fascinating subject for study.
A survey of international members of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) found that 96 percent of respondents agreed that climate change is occurring and 81 percent indicated that climate change has direct relevance to patient care. Compared to a similar survey of American ATS members, more international physician members reported that climate change was affecting their patients “a great deal” or a “moderate amount” (69 percent international vs. 44 percent U.S.).
Toxicologists who research health, exposure-related disease, and susceptibility are actually concurrently studying the consequences of epigenetic regulation, which is why an understanding of toxicoepigenetics is so important.
As demand for the widely used blood thinning drug heparin continues to grow, experts worry of possible shortages. Heparin is primarily derived from pigs, and cattle have been proposed as an additional source. A new study finds that heparin derived from cattle has equivalent anti-clotting properties.
–– Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have been awarded more than $9 million by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate the effects of a broad range of environmental exposures on children’s long-term health from near the time of conception through adolescence.
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