Category Archives: Diet And Food

To prevent future managed colony losses, the team will look for ways to strengthen bee colony immunity by feeding them more nutritious diets.

Getty Images

A newly fundedTexas A&M AgriLife Researchproject seeks to slow population losses among more than 2.6 million managed honey bee colonies in the U.S.

Honey bees provide pollination services that uphold $16 billion in U.S. agricultural crops. However, managed colonies have seen annual declines. Those include a 40% decline as recently as 2018-2019, said Juliana Rangel, AgriLife Research honey bee scientist in the Department of Entomology, Bryan-College Station.

The declines are attributed to several general issues, including poor nutrition and susceptibility to pathogens and diseases, said Pierre Lau, AgriLife Research graduate assistant and a Texas A&M Universitydoctoral candidate in Rangels laboratory.

Lau is also the project leader. To prevent future managed colony losses, his team will look for ways to strengthen bee colony immunity to disease pathogens by feeding them more nutritious diets.

The project is supported by aU.S. Department of Agriculture pre-doctoral fellowshiptitled Optimizing Macronutrient Contents in the Honeybee Diet as a Mechanism for Pathogen Defense.

The research team includes Lau, Texas A&M graduate student Alexandria Payne, undergraduate students Cora Garcia and Jordan Gomez, and Rangel. Spencer Behmer, AgriLife Research professor in the Texas A&M department of entomology, is also part of the team, as is his postdoctoral research associate Pierre Lesne.

Cups with different macronutrient mixes are presented to bees in these small cups.

Texas A&M AgriLif

Researchers will focus heavily on macronutrients, which are those nutrients in the highest demand by a healthy body for proper metabolism and physiology, Lau said.

His teams work will be to first understand the varying amounts of proteins and lipids, or macronutrient ratios, present in bees diets. They will work to optimize an ideal diet with varying ratios of macronutrients, then they will observe physiological benefits to bees that receive increasingly nutritious dietary mixes.

Commercial honey bee colonies succumb especially to Nosema ceranae and deformed wing virus. Nosema ceranae, a fungal pathogen, causes a fatal intestinal disease, while deformed wing virus causes death due to developmental complications in heavily infected adults, particularly due to crumpled wings.

Besides pathogens and diseases, Lau said, honey bee declines within agroecosystems which describe most agricultural crop scenarios can also come from parasitization, poor queen health, pesticide exposure and landscape fragmentation.

As such, in addition to immunity, the researchers will investigate how nutritional changes affect expression of genes that mediate proper honey bee development and growth.

We know that pollen is the most important source of nourishment for bees, but as a field of research, we have a poor understanding of all the macronutrients that make up pollen, Lau said.

At the same time, Lau and collaborators, in an unpublished study, were able to determine the nutritional content of certain pollens. In the same study, they noted that honey bees preferred pollen with a lower ratio of protein to lipids, or P:L ratio, than what would be currently available in the beekeeping industry. Moreover, Lau said, existing research shows that organisms naturally seek out pathogen-fighting nutrients in their surroundings.

Does this mean that honey bees can alter their macronutrient intake to self-medicate and increase their tolerance to a pathogen, given the availability? Lau said. It could also be that the role of lipids is more significant than we understand.

Additionally, Rangel said, honey bees need certain plants in the vicinity to help them with physiological processes. Those include metabolizing certain macro and micronutrients.

We know that honey bees need variety in their diet, Rangel said. But, to what extent are certain nutrients required, or even sought after, by the bees for proper nourishment?

Can we introduce supplemental macronutrients that allow honey bees to self-medicate in the presence of pathogen infections? Lau added. This will be our focus for the next two years.

Read more about theTexas A&M Honey Bee Research Program , and follow Rangels lab onFacebook.

Go here to see the original:
Honey Bee Nutrition Might Be Key To Healthy Colonies - Texas A&M Today - Texas A&M University Today

Of course, ditching unhealthy snacks is sure to help tone up the waistline.

However, the expert explained eating more of certain foods is actually the key to a weight loss transformation.

Those hoping to lose a few pounds and feel more energetic should add more foods high in fibre into their diets.

Emily commented: "Despite a bland reputation, health experts now believe that fibre is more than just roughage that keeps you regular.

DON'T MISS

"According to UK government guidelines, adults should be getting 30 grams of fibre a day.

"And yet, nine in 10 people in the UK are not meeting this, with most adults eating only 18 grams a day.

"The latest research suggests that eating enough fibre could be the key to reducing your risk of various health conditions as well as helping you lose stubborn fat."

Not only can fibre help improve the overall health of the body, the food can speed up weight loss results.

Fibre may help with weight management by helping you to feel fuller for longer, as well as helping to feed the good bacteria in your gut," she added.

High fibre foods include wheat bran, brown rice, nuts, seeds and cereals.

Combining these with plenty of protein can also help dieters cut back on fat.

She continued: "Protein is whats known as a macronutrient, meaning its a nutrient the body requires a lot of it (along with carbohydrates and fats) in order to stay healthy.

"Protein is a not-so-secret weapon when it comes to weight loss. The main reason for this is protein is satiating which means it makes you fuller for longer.

For adults, the general daily requirement is 0.6g of protein per kilogram bodyweight.

"So if you weigh 80kg, youd need around 48 grams protein daily to stay healthy, but increasing your protein intake might have benefits if youre trying to lose weight."

High protein foods include meat, fish, dairy, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds.

Read the rest here:
Weight loss: Eating more of one food can help burn fat and boost energy - what is it? - Express

Few actors have captivated the Indian imagination like actor Parveen Babi did. She dazzled on the Indian silver screen at a time when being modest and coy was the order of the day. Glamorous, sensuous and successful, her personal life was as much in the news as her work -- she was known for her bohemian choices and doomed romances. Later, her health issues began to dominate headlines.

While much is known about her, a new book Parveen Babi A Life by writer Karishma Upadhyay, takes a fresh look at the late star and dives deep into her lifes challenges and background. In a chat with Hindustan Times, Karishma talks about the highs and lows in Parveens life, her regal background, her transformation from a shy and ambitious girl to a life in arc lights and more.

Which new facets of Parveen Babis life will we get to read in the book?

The book pretty much covers her life from birth to death.

While the relationships were an important part of her life, there is a lot more to her life. There is information about her family, what she was like as student, etc. One of the things that directors I spoke to mentioned was her photographic memory. She may not have been the best actress in the business, but she was someone who memorised dialogues pretty much instantly.

For my book, I spoke to Amol Palekar who had worked with her. He recalled an earlier interaction when he had brought along with him the celebrated playwright Badal Sirkar, who had wanted to see a film shoot. Amol took him to Mumbais Film City, where Parveen was shooting for The Burning Train. The moment she saw Badal, Parveen jumped up and touched his feet. It turned out that when Parveen had made her debut on theatre, back in Ahmedabad, she had done so in a famous play by Badal called Evom Indrajit. Amol mentioned about how they spent the next few hours talking about literature and theatre. It is hard to believe that someone who looked as glamorous as Parveen did would be able to talk at length on such topics.

A large part of the book also talks about her mental health issues. There is a lot about her breakdowns and what she was like, what the people around her saw. When she left the industry even her family didnt know where she had disappeared. She just left. So there is information about that as well. There are details about the time she returned, right down to how she converted to Christianity. There are details about what she ate, how she thought that there were people wanting to poison her and how, towards the end of her life, she survived on a diet of milk and eggs.

Writer Karishma Upadhyay spoke to as many as 100 people for the book, Parveen Babi A Life.

In the context of Sushant Singh Rajput case where there is much talk about mental health, this book should help in de-stigmatising the issue. You think so?

That is my only hope. I started researching for the book about three years back and later, the writing began. Then the lockdown happened. It is very uncanny that the book is coming out now. I can only hope that it gives people a better understanding... I am not a psychiatrist but, to the best of my ability, I have tried to understand what she went through.

That it is possible to be young, beautiful and successful and yet have to deal with a mental health issue. When people use a word like paagal, it is important to know that there are many different kinds of mental illnesses. They all look different, their symptoms are different... if people understand a little more, I will consider it my job done.

Tell us something about your research, who did you speak to and where all did it take you? Did you go to Junagarh, for instance?

No, I did not go to Junagarh. She didnt really have a family - her father passed away when she was really young and her mother died three years before Parveens death. I did go to Ahmedabad where she spent considerable amount of time and where she studied. I went to Gangtok to meet Danny Denzongpa. I went to Pune to meet Amol Palekar.

I have spoken to about 100 people for the book out of which 60 are on record. I spoke to Hema Malini, Amol, Deepti Naval, Manoj Kumar, Ravi Tandon, her friends from the industry like Sanjay Khan and his wife, right down to the inspector who found her body. Mahesh Bhatt, Danny and Kabir Bedi are there in the book and I spoke to all of them.

What would be the takeaway from this book?

For me, I would really like all to understand the importance of conversations around mental health. On the surface, her life was perfect. She had the money. She had the men she loved. But when you look a little deeper, you understood things were not what they appeared to be.

In the process of speaking to 100 people, what would you say could have been done in retrospect to help prevent her downward spiral?

I feel it would be about getting the help she needed. Mahesh Bhatt did try, he was the first one who saw it coming; she had her first breakdown when she was with him. He mentioned later that he didnt have any status in her life and he couldnt help her as much as she needed. She needed someone who could get her the medical attention she needed.

Would you say your book will help people empathise more?

I genuinely hope so.

Theres a fair bit of information about her in public domain...

And much of it is wrong, like her age. She was five years younger than what is publicly known. She was born on April 4, 1954.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

Original post:
Parveen Babi survived on a diet of milk, eggs towards the end of her life: Karishma Upadhyay - Hindustan Times

Photographer: Maria del RioEditorial and internal use approved. OK for Native and co-branded use.Photographer: Maria del RioInternal and Editorial use approved. OK for Native and Co-Branded use.

Polycycstic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal condition that affects an estimated six to 12 percent of people with female sex organs (as many as five million), according to the CDC. Symptoms of PCOS include ovarian cysts, irregular periods, high levels of androgen (male hormones), excess hair growth, acne, and weight gain. Although these symptoms can be controlled with medication including birth control to regulate hormones and Metformin to regulate blood sugar, the biggest way to get PCOS under control is through lifestyle changes: sleep, stress management, exercise, and - most notably - diet.

Since many women with PCOS also have insulin resistance, treating the condition requires a tricky balance of eating the right foods at the right times. Unfortunately, PCOS is a complex condition that doesn't adhere to a one-size-fits-all approach.

"Lifestyle management is recommended as a first-line treatment of PCOS; however, studies have not proven which type of diet is best," said PCOS expert Martha McKittrick, RD, CDE, and certified health coach. "This is probably because each woman is an individual and has different genes, metabolisms, medical issues, and phenotypes of PCOS."

Even if there's not one type of diet that's best for everyone with PCOS, there are some general diet tips that everyone with PCOS can benefit from. Here are the main guidelines McKittrick recommends:

Related: After Years of Suffering, the Whole30 Diet Helped Heal My PCOS Symptoms

McKittrick says balanced meals that contain protein and fat along with your carbs control blood sugar, prevent insulin spikes, and ward off carb cravings. For example, a slice of whole grain toast with natural peanut butter is more satiating than a bowl of cereal with fat-free milk since the peanut butter is higher in fat and protein to balance out the carbs from the toast. However, she emphasizes that it's a general guideline and not a rule you need to stick to 100 percent of the time; sometimes you may just want an apple by itself or a steak with salad and no carbs.

Story continues

She recommends is eating foods that are lower on the glycemic index and have a lower glycemic load, such as whole grains, fruit, and vegetables, instead of higher glycemic foods such as potatoes, white bread, rice, and refined sugar. Eating fiber-rich foods will also prevent blood sugar spikes and keep you feeling fuller longer.

Healthy fats such as nuts, nut butters, avocados, and olive oil will keep you feeling satiated and can help you lose weight. Omega-3 fats, like the ones found in fatty fish, walnuts, and canola oil, may decrease the risk of heart disease, improve insulin resistance, and decrease inflammation.

Related: Can You Eat the Pain Away? Here's What Happened When I Followed an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Processed foods are usually loaded with refined sugars and carbs and empty calories that can spike your blood sugar. "Your best bet is to stick to food as close as possible to its natural state," she says.

PCOS is also associated with inflammation, so she recommends limiting inflammatory foods such as added sugars, trans fats, and refined carbs. Processed foods also tend to be inflammatory. Instead, she says to load up on anti-inflammatory foods such as fatty fish, dark leafy greens, berries, ginger, garlic, and turmeric.

Vegetables are not only anti-inflammatory; they can help you lose weight, too. They're low in calories but high in fiber, so loading your plate with vegetables will make you full without all the added calories of other calorie-dense foods. Veggies are also packed with micronutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants - all great news for those living with PCOS.

Poor gut health has been linked to obesity, according to a 2016 study, and McKittrick says gut health could also be tied to PCOS - after all, a healthy gut can help improve digestion, balance hormones, and boost immunity. Load up on probiotic-rich foods to feed your gut such as kombucha, unsweetened Greek yogurt, and fermented foods.

Since your hormones are all out of whack with PCOS, it's best to stay away from any other external sources of hormones such as meat and dairy. When it comes to buying your animal products, try to buy organic if you can, which means they haven't been given antibiotics or growth hormones, according to the USDA guidelines. However, organic meat is more expensive than nonorganic, so it's best to buy what's in your grocery budget.

Related: PCOS Affects as Many as 5 Million Women - Here's How to Know If You're One of Them

One of the best ways to stay on track with your healthy eating regimen is to meal prep. Plus, it will save you time during the week and money in the long run because you'll be less likely to order takeout or pick up something processed. Set aside some time on the weekends to prep all your meals and snacks for the week. It doesn't even need to be complicated - you can make a variety of foods in just 30 minutes!

At the end of the day, if you don't enjoy any of the food you are making or eating, you won't stick to your healthy eating plan.

"Eating is one of life's pleasures," McKittrick said. "If you feel deprived most of the time, it's likely that you'll end up bingeing on the foods you miss the most or will just feel totally miserable."

Find foods that you like and can eat frequently. If you miss your favorite comfort foods, try substitutes such as spiralized zucchini noodles instead of traditional pasta and cauliflower rice instead of white rice. It's all about balance, and as long as you are eating on your diet plan most of the time, there is still room for your favorite treats - just enjoy in moderation.

Here is the original post:
This Is the Best Diet For PCOS, According to a Dietitian - Yahoo Lifestyle

The following was submitted by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation:

WednesdaySep9,2020at2:13PM

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently announced that it is extending the Road Diet Pilot Project that is currently taking place on Main Street, Route 28, in Reading.

The pilot, which began in late April and was originally scheduled to conclude this fall, will now be extended through the winter months into 2021 to allow a more comprehensive sampling of data to be collected and evaluated during future time frames when traffic volumes may be more comparatively aligned to pre-COVID-19 levels.

The impacts of COVID-19 on traffic volumes and patterns in Reading and across the commonwealth have been significant. Although traffic volumes have continued to increase as a result of the phased reopening in the commonwealth, MassDOT wants to make sure that traffic data and public input being collected on the pilot are accurate and representative of future traffic conditions. While MassDOT expects that final lane configurations will be determined and installed in Spring 2021, exact dates will depend on weather and traffic conditions.

MassDOT plans to announce the results of the pilot evaluation and determine final lane configurations in March 2021. If it is determined that safety is not improved and traffic impacts reach unacceptable levels for an extended period of time, the lane configurations will be returned to the original pre-pilot conditions after the pilot evaluation period ends and the final pavement surface and permanent pavement markings are installed.

Road diets are proven safety countermeasures that reduce the number of conflict points and make travel safer for all roadway users. A study conducted by the Federal Highway Administration found that four-lane to three-lane road diets reduce the total number of crashes by 19-47%. Some road diets have shown an even greater improvement as much as a 70% reduction in crashes along a single stretch of road.

The road diet pilot on Main Street will reconfigure travel lanes within the existing roadway to create a center left-turn lane along the corridor and dedicated left-turn lanes at signalized intersections. This reconfiguration of travel lanes will simplify turning movements for cars, help provide more consistent traffic flow and reduce the likelihood of severe crashes and injuries for drivers and pedestrians.

For information, visit https://mass.gov/route-28-in-reading-resurfacing-and-road-diet-pilot.

The rest is here:
Road Diet Pilot Project to continue in Reading - Wicked Local Reading

Claudia Matias has joined Turismo de Portugal, India Office as a Director in January 2020. She has an experience of more than 20 years and is a representative expert and one of the most reliable marketing person in Portugal. We spoke to her about the culinary culture of Portugal and the bond that India and Portugal share and what we got was in an interview that would surely inspire any foodie to plan a trip to Portugal as soon as the travel ban is lifted.What are the five things you should not miss when in Portugal?Portugal is a country of beautiful contrasts, so selecting five its a challenge for a Portuguese soul. Portuguese are very passionate about their country, origins and achievements. Our historical background is amazing and that path made us a very friendly country, our people are natural-born hosts, we are storytellers and we take huge pleasure when we see visitors from other countries enjoying the secrets only locals can tell! I would say that the experience and what not to miss in Portugal can be many things, our, cuisine, nature, golden beaches with amazing sunsets, UNESCO heritage and history, monuments, medieval castles, cobblestone villages, captivating cities and the Portuguese, are the promise of an adventure that inspires a journey.

Why do you think it should be the most sought after travel destination in the post-COVID scenario?Portugal is already one of the most approached destinations by international travellers, with 4 of the 21 safest destinations for this summer with Madeira, Azores, Alentejo and Algarve being selected by the European Best Destinations for 2020 summer inside Europe. Three Portuguese beaches are among the 10 safest in Europe.

During the pandemic and confinement, we needed to take a break, the dream of the great days to come and face this together so we launched the #CantSkipHope movement that organically reached over 1.8 million people in over 90 countries. It is also translated in +12 languages, most of the translations were done by the users that wanted to share this inspirational message with the world.

According to Fowardkeys and the travel Outlook for Europe, Lisbon is one of the top 3 inbound destination cities for international travellers in October, November and December when examining tickets issued as of August 10. The Worlds Best Destination continues to be authentic, diverse, attractive, inclusive and safe. We maintain our purpose and undertaking, namely to welcome all our visitors and ensure that they can travel around the country safely and confidently. Its time to say #CantSkipHope... Start planning.

The Mediterranean Diet, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, is part of the identity of the Portuguese gastronomy. It's based on plants, including vegetables, fruit, good quality bread and largely unprocessed cereals, dried and fresh vegetables (beans, chickpeas, broad beans, etc.), dried fruits and nuts (walnuts, almonds, chestnuts, raisins, etc.), but also the mentioned olive oil as the main source of fat, and fish at the expense of red meat.

Each dish is matched to the right wine and we love sharing wine with family and friends during long and joyful meals. The whole country produces wine among hundreds of native grapes, the less unknown ones are Tinta Barroca, Rabigato, Touriga Nacional, Baga, Alvarinho. Many of these grapes directly descend from pre-historic vine plants that developed in the country and have to endure thousands of years of human presence and climate changes. Don t forget that Rose is a Portuguese wine! Wine also pairs with cheese and we have wonderful mountain cheeses produced that the world has yet to discover. The creamy, oily or dry goat and sheep cheeses also make us bless the heavens. The Portuguese sweets are divine and full of heritage, like the nuns used to do in the old days while preparing their recipes of sugar, eggs and almond in the seclusion of their cloisters.

We celebrate the National Gastronomy Day in June and our cuisine lies in the human factor. Our chefs are increasingly talented and are winning more prizes, revolutionising the richness of Portuguese cuisine with their creativity, boldness and good taste. Currently, Portugal is proud to have a host of chefs who work at the highest levels of cuisine, using old-established recipes or more unusual methods that often enhance the flavour and quality of local products. Some come from our 12 tourism schools managed by Turismo de Portugal, and we just received the UNWTO TEDQUAL certification.

So, I must say that across Portugal and its islands you get different flavours and dishes, each region is a capital of food having everything to please even the most discerning palate because it is based on genuine quality products, cooked according to traditional recipes or the most innovative and unusual trends.

Do share some lesser-known facts about Portugal that people do not know?

See original here:
India and Portugal have a special culinary bond: Claudia Matias - Times of India

Wildfires started burning in California early again this dry seasonmore than two million acres have burned so far. Larger and larger wildfires are occurring as new heat records are being broken each year.

Firefighting efforts have leaned heavily on aerial spraying of fire retardants, but their environmental and health effects are little studied, says Jordyn Ellorin, VG19, a native Californian who received an M.S. in conservation medicine (MCM) from Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

For the capstone requirement of her masters program, Ellorin focused on the sustainability of current methods for fighting wildfires in California. (She now works as an animal diet technician for San Diego Zoo Global, where she did her MCM externship.)

Tufts Now talked to Ellorin about what she learned about wildfire management and mitigationand the consequences of those efforts.

Tufts Now: Does the use of these long-term fire retardants in California seem to be increasing?

Jordyn Ellorin: I cant speak to what is occurring with this round of fires. However, I can tell you from my research that the safety and usage guidelines for the fire retardants were developed nearly forty years ago. And the research that informed those guidelines was based on the amounts of chemicals that they were spraying back then, not at these increased amounts we see now.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) publish an estimated budget each year that contains the amount of flame retardant that they expect to use during the next fire season based on previous years and label-use specifications of the products. At the end of the year another report is published stating the amount of fire retardant actually used. These reports show that the actual use exceeded the anticipated amount for all years since 2014.

Why is that?

Its due in part to larger wildfires that are occurring as new heat records are being broken each year and from climate change and humans further encroaching on wildland areas.

The use of long-term fire retardants is designed to slow the fire ahead of ground crews so they can access and gain control of the fire. But fire retardants are now being used instead of ground crews, according to Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE), and the 19 million gallons sprayed on Californias federal lands is being applied differently than originally intended.

CalFire and USFS are not supposed to spray retardants within 300 feet of any waterway for environmental health reasons. However, theres an addendum to that rule that says you can spray near any waterway if human life or property is in danger.

In recent years, more people are living in forested areas, areas between urban and wild habitats, and other places where there is a fuel load for wildfires. So now theres a need to spray retardants in areas where they traditionally wouldnt have been allowedand then downstream effects from that.

What are the downstream effects on animals?

The really worrisome aspect is that we dont truly know. These fire retardants havent been fully studied over long periods of time at the increased amounts were currently using.

We do know that sprayed fire retardants feed harmful algal blooms along waterways and are toxic to fish. A 2014 study showed that the active ingredient in one common sprayed fire retardant is toxic to chinook salmon, causing death from direct exposure, as well as gill damage that would lead to reduced ocean survival at even dilute amounts. This is concerning, as salmon populations are a major contributor to the California river and ocean ecosystems and already in jeopardy as a native species.

On a larger scale, studies in the Canadian Arctic have shown that brominated fire retardants, which are now banned, accumulate in food systems from fish to wolf.

Until recently, these retardants were commonly used in close-contact household items such as furniture, so their effects have been better studied. It demonstrates the potential for exposure to fire retardants to create ripple effects in the environment and wildlife far from where they are first used.

And what about the effect on people?

On the human side, the chemicals material safety data sheets say that the retardants are not toxic to people but should not be ingested. The retardants are dyed orange so that when people see them come out of the planes, they know they shouldnt eat any food from their garden.

However, things can get tricky if your garden is sprayed while youre evacuated, because the fire retardants turn clear once exposed to sunlight. Meanwhile, California supplies more than two-thirds of the nations fruit and vegetables.

The U.S. Geological Services has a group, Columbia Environmental Research Center, that is working to pull together longitudinal research on effects of these fire-retardant chemicals. But there is currently nothing published on their effects on Californias agricultural products.

Human health researchers also have expressed concern that, although there is published research about the human hazards of smoke inhalation from wildfires, little is known about the inhalation of fire-retardant chemicals once theyre burned off by wildfires.

Can spraying fire retardants actually create more fuel for fire down the road?

One of the main components of most fire retardants is ammonium phosphate, which is a basic plant multi-nutrient fertilizer. When we essentially spray a fertilizer over California, so-called invasive plant species grow faster and outcompete the states native plant species, which do not thrive in a fertilized environment.

The non-native plant species then flourish in Californias wet season. And when this season changes to a very dry summer, there is a lot of dead brush or dead plant material that creates the fuel load for wildfires.

How can California adapt to prevent these dangerous fires before they start?

That is the key question. Fires are environmentally necessary. They burn dead or dry brush and other plant material first, clearing the forest and allowing space and light for new plants to thrive. Within some ecosystems, fires influence seedling germination, forest structure, and soil composition. They are how many wild plants seed and regrow, so theyre important for the states native species.

But if we're spraying fertilizer and all these non-native species are coming up and outcompeting the native species, how do we stop that cycle from feeding these huge wildfires? My case study while I was at Cummings looked at two potential mitigation tactics: prescribed fires and grazing.

Pine needles and other dry plant material burns hot and fast and, at a small level, thats okay. You want that dry plant material to burn and replenish the nutrients into the soil. But if too much of it burns, it starts catching the trees on fire. Once the trees start burning, the fire becomes super-hot and starts moving really fast. That is hard to stop.

California doesnt really have the human resources to safely conduct enough small controlled burns to thin that potential fuel load. And in the dry summer months, you dont want to conduct these prescribed fires, because thats when things can get out of control.

What about grazingis it a more feasible mitigation measure?

You dont want to graze those native plant habitats that are really vital to our state. But grazing could be a useful mitigation tactic in hilly or mountainous areas. Firefighters have a really hard time fighting fires on hills because they cant get trucks in there and fires tend to move up and down hills very quickly. So using livestock animals that are able to climb up and down those hills and graze and clear the ground of dead brush and plants would be helpful.

Goats may be a little bit less detrimental to the environment. You need fewer of them to browse an area clean, as they eat many different types of plant material when compared to cattle. Theyre also not quite as heavy as cattle, so they dont till up the ground quite as much as cows do. However, grazing is still a measure that has to be undertaken carefully, as domestic animals still will eat native plants that wildlife could be eating.

The USFS already leases land to agriculture professionals for grazing purposes, but this approach to land use could be further utilized to holistically benefit humans, animals, and the environment.

It sounds like there are competing interests at issue herepeoples safety and their property versus wildlife and the environment.

Growing up in northern California, I had experienced fire season, but within the last 10 years, every fire season has been labeled unprecedented and devastating to larger populations of the state. I think now that the majority of people living in the state have experienced the panic of evacuating or are related to someone who has.

It's hard to balance people feeling safe where they live and knowing how human actions are affecting the environment they live in. Further studying the effects of what we are doing currently will give people a better idea of humans impact and the opportunity to come up with innovative solutions for fire management.

Genevieve Rajewski can be reached at genevieve.rajewski@tufts.edu

See more here:
The Consequences of Spraying Fire Retardants on Wildfires - Tufts Now

Fitness during the pandemic: Here are 5 exercises you can try doing in the shower  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

New Delhi: As cases of COVID-19 rise all around the world, especially in India, with the country becoming the second-worst affected due to the pandemic, and reporting the fasting growing outbreak around the world, staying at home and ensuring the best of health becomes even more important to reduce the risk of contraction of the disease and to avoid any severe complications due to the same.

With the increased work pressure both professionally and personally, people are unable to find two seconds of peace for themselves, let alone for a proper workout routine. At the same time, physical activity remains restricted due to stay at home guidelines, and even as gymnasiums and fitness centres opened up in the latest phase of unlock, most people are refraining from visiting them. Therefore, it is very important to squeeze in some amount of exercise in your daily routine, so as to ensure that your body gets some sort of movement. Here is a genius idea why not exercise while you are in the shower?

While this may sound absolutely absurd, it does make sense if you think about it. The bathroom is the one place you find some amount of peace and can spare a few minutes to give your body a quick stretch or workout. Since most people shower as the first thing in the morning, it only makes sense to fit exercise in your routine at that time. Here are 5 exercises you can safely do in the shower.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

Link:
Fitness during the pandemic: Here are 5 exercises you can try doing in the shower - Times Now

Tara Lennon/THE REVIEWA limited number of students have now moved back to campus for the Fall 2020 semester, and the duty once again falls on Dining Services to provide them with meals.

BY KELSEY WAGNERAssociate News Editor

In March of 2020, there were three dining halls operating on campus. Each was consistently bustling with activity, sometimes even fielding lines out the door as students crammed in to grab a bite to eat. Now, only one dining hall remains in operation and is usually mostly empty.

Even after campus shut down for the latter half of the Spring 2020 semester, Dining Services was obliged to provide meals to students who were living on campus and on the universitys dining plan. A limited number of students have now moved back to campus for the Fall 2020 semester, and the duty once again falls on Dining Services to provide them with meals.

The summer provided time for Dining Services to monitor and evaluate the status of coronavirus and to look at Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, university procedures and state policy. They also began utilizing Aramarks EverSafe program. Aramark is a company that partners with the university to provide food for its dining halls. According to Aramarks website, EverSafe provides guidelines for safe reopening and sustainable management of Aramark locations.

For this spring, we had to be very reactive, and for the fall we had an opportunity to be proactive, Amanda Steiner, Dining Services vice president of operations, said.

According to Steiner, this proactivity included engaging with students to ensure continuing satisfaction, adapting operations and safety procedures and ensuring employee cooperation and commitment to new policies and regulations.

Because the number of students living on-campus is small, only Pencader Dining Hall is currently in operation. Other on-campus dining options include the Trabant Student Center, the Nest in Morris Library, and the Provisions On Demand (POD) market on North Campus.

Tara Lennon/THE REVIEWThis group of students prepares to eat in Pencader Dining Hall.

Steiner said the university also expanded its partnership with food delivery services GrubHub and Good Uncle, with an option to add these services to a meal plan. The goal in this expansion is for students to not have to be physically present in the universitys dining areas. Even if students must enter the dining facilities in Trabant, GrubHubs mobile ordering service and the recently installed kiosks limit cashier contact and stop large crowds from forming as students wait for their food.

According to Steiner, the POD on North Campus is the only place where students collect their own items and pay with a cashier system.

Dining Services has also worked to monitor density and traffic in Pencader Dining Hall. The density tracker can be accessed through the Dining Services website. Steiner said that the density tracker is in real time to allow students to decide when and where they would like to eat.

Even though Pencader is currently the only dining hall in use, the density tracker was installed in Caesar Rodney and Russell dining halls as well.

Pencader Dining Hall has not seen full capacity so far this semester because of the low campus population, but Steiner sees it as a tool that could be used well into the future to help students make an educated decision without having to walk all the way across campus. She also hopes to gain a better understanding of dining hall traffic patterns to educate students on peak times.

It really gave us a better sense of helping the students be able to see where they could dine and what would be open and available, Stefanie Gilreath, the marketing manager for Dining Services, said. If we did have to restrict occupancy more, it is definitely a tool that we knew we would use heavily.

Some students currently living on campus have been monitoring the density tracker to determine when to eat.

Sophomore environmental science major Alexis Cervantes is immunocompromised, and therefore especially susceptible to coronavirus. She does not like to go to the dining hall when it is too crowded.

I was even scared to go at thirty percent, but I think when I went it was under 10, Cervantes said.

Sophomore public policy and criminal justice double-major Maggie Buckridge has also paid attention to the density tracker.

One thing I noticed is that the occupancy thats outside of the dining hall is definitely not accurate, Buckridge said.

Buckridge also pointed out other experiences in which she felt that the density tracker seemed inaccurate.

The other day it said two percent, and I went upstairs, Buckridge said. It was pretty empty but I dont think this was two percent, I mean there were definitely people there.

Another time, Buckridge said, the density tracker was at zero percent but the dining hall was not empty of students.

Since the spring, self-service has been eliminated, and there has also been a complete division between dine-in and take-out portions of Pencader. According to Steiner, Dining Services made these changes to remove the risk of cross-contamination of containers and to better control occupancy.

Buckridge sees the separation between dine-in and take-out as one of the most significant changes in on-campus dining since the spring.

I think the difference between dining in and dining out is kind of big, but regardless of if Im doing dine-in or take-out, it has all been tasting pretty good, Buckridge said.

Despite being content with the options available to her, Buckridge said that there are limited take-out options available to students who have dietary restrictions.

I imagine like if youre vegan or vegetarian, or even if youre just a picky eater or if you have allergies, its probably pretty hard to do take-out just because there are limited options, Buckridge said. There always is a vegan option, but it might be like one or two things so like hummus, for example, and [if] youre vegan thats kind of it.

Buckridge also pointed out that there are many more options that are available to students when they are dining in.

Although she has only visited the dining hall a few times since arriving on campus, Cervantes also feels that the options are limited as someone who follows a vegan diet. Instead, she looks to Main Street for alternative dining options.

They just dont have a lot of options, and then coming from [Caesar Rodney Dining Hall], like, just a whole different world up here because I used to have that entire vegan station, Cervantes said. Now, I just feel like my options are super limited.

Unlike Buckridge, Cervantes prefers the options offered by the take-out section of the dining hall.

The vegan options that I would have are only in the to-go section, so I dont mind taking it to-go since I am immunocompromised, Cervantes said.

Because Dining Services is providing food during a pandemic, they must ensure that they are doing so safely. Mike Diener, the safety director for Dining Services, was hired for this exact purpose.

Diener called hand sanitation a critical procedure for the safe functioning of a food service operation. He also said that Dining Services has increased the number of hand-washing and sanitizing stations available to students and has put up signage to promote hand hygiene.

According to Diener, Dining Services employees also had to undergo training in hand hygiene procedures and are observed to ensure they are washing their hands, as well as wearing gloves and masks. All employees were tested for coronavirus before returning to work and also undergo daily health screenings.

Gilreath also ensured that Dining Services employees are taking precautions against coronavirus.

Everyones been very committed to doing what we need to do to stay safe, from our management teams through our employees, Gilreath said. Everyones been very cooperative and have been taking all the precautions that we can.

Diener said that dining services also reviewed its safety measures with resident assistants, who could then communicate the guidelines with their residents.

Social distancing markers have been placed six feet apart throughout campus, including in Pencader Dining Hall. Diener said that Dining Services works to ensure social distancing by telling students to wait for their food in the dining room, rather than near the line.

Tara Lennon/THE REVIEWDining Services verified that tables are eight feet apart and sanitized when students leave.

Even though masks are required elsewhere on campus, students cannot eat with their masks on. To mitigate this problem, Diener said, tables only allow for six students to sit at a time and are spread eight feet apart. After students leave, tables and chairs are immediately disinfected.

Buckridge said that the students typically follow social distancing guidelines when eating in the dining hall.

Youre pretty much six feet apart from people when youre like walking around getting your food, which feels safe, Buckridge said.

When it comes to seating, however, Buckridge is concerned that the groups of students joining together for meals may be too large.

I mean, I dont feel super hopeful with people being able to eat in like groups of like eight people in the dining hall, Buckridge said.

Buckridge also finds inconsistencies between residence hall policies and dining hall policies. While she cannot go into a residence hall that is not her own, she can still eat with people who live there, potentially spreading coronavirus across residence halls through interactions in the dining hall.

It sort of makes the Res Life restrictions feel a little obsolete, Buckridge said. How meaningful and impactful are those gonna be when you can eat inside with a group of eight people without your mask on, at one table, socially distanced from other tables, but not from the people youre sitting with?

Both Diener and Gilreath believe that awareness is key to enforcing policies aimed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Its really [about] educating and communication and making sure that those materials and guidelines are out there, so students know what the expectations are when theyre dining on campus, Gilreath said.

Both Buckridge and Cervantes believe that there is not enough signage conveying dining hall expectations. Cervantes said that even though there are arrows, there is still some confusion.

I just dont want to accidentally go somewhere that Im not supposed to or grab something Im not supposed to, but theyre not really telling us what to do, Cervantes said.

Buckridge is most concerned about students spreading coronavirus by sitting with people whom they are not already in close contact with.

Theres like no signage; theres no encouragement or expectation, like it doesnt say, Oh, eat with people you live with or you know, only eat with people in your building, or something, Buckridge said. Theres none of that. You can eat with whoever.

For those looking for more information regarding safety guidelines for returning students, including a list of safe dining rules, please refer to the universitys published campus guidelines here.

Correction: A previous version of this article, published Sept. 10 at 12 noon, introduced and referred to the safety director for Dining Services as Mike Diner or Diner throughout the piece. This was a misspelling. His last name is spelled Diener. This article was updated Sept. 11 at 12 noon to correct this factual error.

Excerpt from:
Safe to dine?: Dining Services navigates on-campus meals during a pandemic The Review - University of Delaware Review

Credit: Camille Troisi, Author provided.

The internet is filled with blogs and articles offering advice for parents who are trying to coax children into eating greens. Anyone with kids can relate to stories of mealtimes becoming a succession of attritional confrontations, where you cycle through ineffectual strategies before accepting the reality of the situation and plead with your toddler to simply take one bite of broccoli. In the end, it doesnt matter how much gravy you pour on fish, or cheese you melt on cauliflower fussy toddlers know what youre up to.

If we could converse with animals, they would also relate to these stories, as many species have a seemingly irrational dislike of anything unfamiliar and are more likely to eat new food after watching other individuals try it. Fussy eating can be an important way of avoiding toxic food, as witnessing other individuals eat new foods might tell them that its safe.

But fascinatingly, fussy eating may also indicate the presence of teaching in animals. Despite 30 years of research on the topic, there are still few examples of teaching in other species, making it difficult to understand how such behaviour might have evolved. My colleagues and I recently conducted research in the Atlantic forest of Brazil that provides new evidence that some animals may effectively teach their young what foods are safe to eat.

There are plenty of examples of fussy eating among animals. Young marmoset monkeys are slow to eat new food when alone, but are more willing to take a risk and try it if they are surrounded by family. Similarly, capuchins eat more unfamiliar food when group members also do so.

There are instances where food handling is linked to teaching in animals. The way in which meerkats show their young how to safely handle scorpions for eating is one well-known illustration. At first, young pups are given dead scorpions to familiarise them with the dangerous insect. As the meerkats grow up, adults remove the sting from live scorpions so that the pups can learn how to deal with the prey. Then intact animals are gradually introduced.

As a behaviour, this meets the three criteria scientists use to identify teaching in animals. An individual changes its behaviour in the presence of an observer, at a cost or no benefit to themselves, and this change leads to learning in another individual. In the case of the meerkats, although an escaped scorpion might represent a lost lunch, the exercise leads to learning in the young observer.

This kind of research has helped challenge the long-held assumption that teaching is a uniquely human practice. But the overall dearth of evidence means there is still debate.

In particular, its not always clear that instances where animals learn to eat new foods because of other individuals around them really meet the criteria for teaching. For example, there is limited evidence that adult golden lion tamarin monkeys, which are known to have a varied diet that includes insects and fruits, might teach their young about diet by sharing and transferring food.

If such food transfers do have a teaching function, we would expect them to meet the three criteria I mentioned before. The tamarins would transfer more unfamiliar food than familiar food because this would create the opportunity for learning.

On two recent visits to Brazil, we studied this behaviour by introducing familiar and unfamiliar foods to wild groups of tamarins. Initially, we introduced these foods when young tamarins were dependent on their family, enabling us to look at how adult tamarins transferred food within their family group.

Six months later, when the young tamarins were independent, we returned to find that their food choices were influenced by their parents. The tamarins did not, as we had expected, transfer more unfamiliar food than familiar food. But they did transfer more food they had grown accustomed to than the food they had never tried.

Despite not clearly demonstrating teaching because it doesnt meet all the criteria, this evidence appears to show that adult tamarins assess new food first before passing it on to others. This is still significant for juveniles, as they learn about what to include in their diet from the food that they receive from adults.

It is possible that food transfers in golden lion tamarins serve several functions simultaneously, depending on the identity of the individual receiving the food, and the food type being transferred. Further research could look at how tamarins transfer insects to see if there is a general pattern.

We also need to investigate whether adult tamarin gain any benefit, such as decreased harassment or increased social bonds, by transferring food to their young. Such information would help us come closer to understanding whether some animals really can be taught to overcome their fussy eating.

Camille Troisi, Postdoctoral Researcher in Behavioural Ecology, University College Cork

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

The rest is here:
Animals are picky eaters too scientists are trying to discover if parents teach them what's safe to eat - ZME Science