science wire

The competition between farmers and fish for precious water in California is intensifying in wine country, suggests a new study by biologists at the University of California, Berkeley. The findings, published in the May issue of the journal Transactions of the American Fisheries Society , link higher death rates for threatened juvenile steelhead trout with low water levels in the summer and the amount of vineyard acreage upstream.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. A new systematic assessment of malnutrition, created by researchers at Penn State, will aid dietitians and other health care providers in diagnosis and treatment. Up to 50 percent of patients in hospitals and nursing facilities are estimated to be malnourished, according to Gordon Jensen, professor and head of nutritional sciences, Penn State.

It seems improbable that a baby born underweight would be prone to obesity, but it is well documented that these children tend to put on weight in youth if they're allowed free access to calories. Now, researchers believe they understand why this happens. A new animal model study at UCLA has found that in low-birth-weight babies whose growth was restricted in the womb, the level of appetite-producing neuropeptides in the brain's hypothalamus — the central control of the appetite — is higher, resulting in a natural tendency among these children to consume more calories.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. A process that spins starch into fine strands could take the sting out of removing bandages, as well as produce less expensive and more environmentally-friendly toilet paper, napkins and other products, according to Penn State food scientists.

Members of the United States Studies Centre's Soil Carbon Initiative put their case for increased attention to global soil security at the United Nations in New York last week.

A calorie is simply a measurement of energy. But it's also the source of confusion and worry for many people trying to lose weight. At the same time, calories - too few or too many - are causing health problems resulting from malnutrition and obesity that affect billions of people around the world. A new 304-page book, "Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics" (University of California Press), aims to clear up the confusion.

Putting cows, sheep and other livestock into forests to graze could prove to be a valuable tool for New York woodland management, say Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) agriculture educators and colleagues in the Cornell Forestry Program.

An independent commission of scientific leaders from 13 countries today (Wednesday, March 28) released a detailed set of recommendations to policymakers on how to achieve food security in the face of climate change.

The University is leading a £6milllion European project to develop and test new food products with satiating qualities to help control appetite, manage weight and combat obesity.

Australia would greatly benefit from a "slow down and learn approach" to managing possible risks from coal seam gas extraction given the near impossible challenge of modelling its impacts, argues Professor Alan Randall from the University of Sydney.

When a rare corpse plant showed signs of imminent blooming on Cornell's campus March 14, the university opened its greenhouse doors to the public and live-streamed the event through two separate feeds.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Shoppers will continue to see the Fresh Local Produce sign in supermarkets, but stores will increasingly require growers to show proof of good agricultural practices, according to Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences researchers. Good agricultural practices - GAPs - are food-safety standards that reduce the risk of on-farm produce contamination, according to Daniel Tobin, a doctoral candidate in Agricultural and Extension Education and the principal investigator in the study.

"Predicting the Timing of Cherry Blossoms in Washington, D.C. and Mid-Atlantic States in Response to Climate Change" Access the paper published on the Public Library of Sciences' PLoS One, an open-access peer-reviewed journal. Cherry trees in full bloom in our nation's capital - as well as the festival surrounding that event - could be as much as four weeks earlier by 2080 depending on how much warming occurs.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Mothers who financially struggle to provide food for their families tend to put themselves at risk for obesity while trying to feed their children, according to Penn State sociologists.

A new study led by Juhee Kim, a professor of kinesiology and community health, found links between mothers' participation in WIC, use of relatives for child care and shorter breastfeeding duration. Although WIC offers various incentives to mothers to promote breastfeeding, there is also a need for educational programs aimed at relative caregivers, the study indicated.

UCLA stem cell researchers have shown that insulin and nutrition prevent blood stem cells from differentiating into mature blood cells in Drosophila, the common fruit fly, a finding that has implications for studying inflammatory response and blood development in response to dietary changes in humans.

Women in their forties are more likely to have dental anxiety than any other age group according to a University of Sydney study into dental anxiety and phobia.

Breastfeeding exclusively for the first four to six months of infants' lives and delaying introduction of solid food until that time may help prevent picky eating behaviors and weight problems when c

Oxford University researchers have helped create a new index designed to help empower women working in agriculture in developing countries. The 'Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index' (WEAI) is the first measure to directly capture women's empowerment and inclusion in the agricultural sector.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. A grant of $484,000 will support a joint Penn State/U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service project designed to help farmers improve water quality by making better decisions about when and where to apply fertilizer.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Natural-gas development appears to be associated with falling dairy production in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region, but the exact reasons for the decline are unclear, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

There are two very commonly performed operations to treat morbid obesity in the UK but it is unclear which is the most effective and provides the greatest benefit for patients and the NHS.

A world-renowned scientist whose research spans why locusts swarm to the dietary causes of ageing and human obesity has been appointed Academic Director of the University of Sydney's new multidisciplinary centre specialising in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

More than 100 scientists attended the Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease's (IACD) Annual Away Day, reflecting an impressive period of growth.

Angela Wiley, a faculty member in human and community development, leads an intervention program aimed at helping Latino families find ways to incorporate healthy eating and culturally relevant forms of exercise into their lives.

Omega-3 fatty acids may have a role in preventing heart attack or strokes in adults who were small at birth, according to University of Sydney researchers.

Presenting obese individuals in a positive, non-stereotypical manner in the media could help reduce weight-biased attitudes held by the public, finds a study from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale. The study, published online in Health Psychology, investigates the impact on public attitudes and preferences of both stigmatizing and positive portrayals of obese individuals in the media.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that overweight dogs that lose weight have an improved quality of life compared to those that don't. It is estimated that approximately a third of the UK dog population is obese. Obesity is a serious disease and can lead to many other health disorders including diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

Warmer weather across northern New York could present an opportunity for farmers: soybeans. The low-input crop is currently commanding a high price, making it increasingly attractive for local growers, according to Cornell crop and soil science professor William Cox.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda are the pick-me-ups of choice for many people, but too much caffeine can cause nervousness and sleep problems. Caffeine Zone software app developed by Penn State researchers, can help people determine when caffeine may give them a mental boost and when it could hurt their sleep patterns.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. A preference for fatty foods has a genetic basis, according to researchers, who discovered that people with certain forms of the CD36 gene may like high-fat foods more than those who have other forms of this gene. The results help explain why some people struggle when placed on a low-fat diet and may one day assist people in selecting diets that are easier for them to follow.

Pioneering research will assess the effects of obesity on bone development Researchers from the University of Sheffield are conducting ground-breaking research to determine how body weight and hormones affect bone health from childhood to adulthood. The innovative study involves using revolutionary bone scanning equipment to look at the internal structure of bones in detail to assess whether body weight and hormones affect bone development during growth.

Obesity and chronic liver disease can be triggered by a family of proteins that alter populations of microbes in the stomach, a discovery that suggests the condition may be infectious, Yale scientists report. The study, in the advance online publication of Nature , expands on earlier Yale research that showed how similar microbial imbalances caused by the same family of proteins increases the risk of intestinal diseases such as colitis.

Within just a few days of having obesity surgery, the majority of patients cease to suffer from type 2 diabetes. At the Lund University Diabetes Centre, a research group is trying to get to grips with the apparently inexplicable connection. It is hoped that in the long run a cure could be developed.

Was the land reform in Zimbabwe in the year 2000, when thousands of white farmers were forced off their land, a disaster or a success for the country?

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center researchers examine role of diet and exercise An active lifestyle and a healthy diet can help you feel more energetic, control your weight, help you sleep better, and reduce your risk of many diseases.

A research team headed by Associate Professor Stefan Söderberg from Umeå University has for the first time demonstrated that the effect of obesity on the risk of premature death is seriously underestimated unless a person's hip circumference is taken into account. By looking at the relationship between waist and hip circumference* in a 20-year study of almost 8000 Mauritians, the research is also the first ever study to link obesity to mortality in a South Asian population.

The genuine scientific benefits that have emerged from the modern Olympic Games have often been lost in the hype surrounding these high profile international events.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. A Penn State Extension field demonstration of technology designed to reduce odors and nutrient losses from agricultural fields will be a featured segment on the History Channel's "Modern Marvels" program.

Newly discovered family of genes could help us breed grasses with improved properties for food and fuel. Unlike starchy grains, the energy stored in the woody parts of plants is locked away and difficult to get at.

Almost one-third of adults over the age of 25 have a Vitamin D deficiency, a new study evaluating the Vitamin D status of Australian adults has found. The paper is the largest study of its kind, drawing on 11,218 people from the AusDiab Study and includes Australians from Darwin to Hobart. Professor of Medicine (Assistant Dean) and Chair of the NorthWest Academic Centre, Western Section, the University of Melbourne and study author, Professor Peter Ebeling said the findings showed strategies were now needed to improve Vitamin D awareness.

A good upbringing can make you more attractive to females - if you are a mosquitofish, that is.

Weight loss surgery is not a cure for type 2 diabetes, but it can improve blood sugar control, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Surgery. Whereas some previous studies have claimed that up to 80 per cent of diabetes patients have been cured following gastric bypass surgery, researchers at Imperial College London found that only 41 per cent of patients achieve remission using more stringent criteria.

Satellites can help to grow the perfect grape A little water is needed to make wine, but how do you know when enough is enough? ESA's GrapeLook service can give you the answer.

University pledges continued cooperation with NCAA inquiry Hotels to support RAINN over commencement weekend A message from President Rodney Erickson As lawmakers review child abuse laws, Erickson expresses support Blue out, canning efforts raise $47,000 to fight child abuse, rape UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Intensive agriculture practices developed during the past century have helped improve food security for many people but have also added to nitrate pollution in surface and groundwaters. New research has looked at water quality measurement over the last 140 years to track this problem in the Thames River basin.

A fake Fido can motivate your child to eat breakfast, reports a new study. In a Cornell experiment, researchers found that teens who received feedback from virtual pets on a smartphone about their morning food choices were twice as likely to eat breakfast. The study - one of the first to test efficacy of mobile technologies to motivate adolescents to make healthy nutritional choices - was published Nov.