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New research hopes to provide next generation HazMat boot

The rubber boots that emergency personnel wear when responding to situations where hazardous materials are present may be functional, but they're not very comfortable. New research coming out of North Carolina State University hopes to provide a next generation HazMat boot that meets both criteria.

29 May 2010

The Extra Gear founder earns distinction of Certified Consultant

Dana Blackmer, Ph.D., a resident of Richmond, has become one of the region's only professionals to earn the distinction of Certified Consultant by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, the leading organization of sport and exercise psychology.

29 May 2010

University of Bath receives funding to launch major study of the scrum

The University of Bath has received funding from the International Rugby Board to launch a major study of the scrum that will that drive best practice player welfare policy in this critical area of the game.

29 May 2010

North American Breweries' employees lose 2,093 pounds in Weight Loss Challenge

In January, North American Breweries launched a company-wide Weight Loss Challenge for employees. Teams of four surfaced and weighed in. During the next three months, the teams dieted, exercised and adopted healthy habits -- competing for prizes -- and bragging rights.

29 May 2010

Aegis Living to celebrate Grandparents Day with Seattle Mariners

Aegis Living is celebrating a Grandparents Day with the Seattle Mariners on June 6th against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Aegis Living communities are devoted to lifestyle options, each with a strong emphasis on health, well-being, and optimal quality of life in a genuinely caring community.

29 May 2010

Senate passes supplemental spending bill that includes Haiti relief, recovery funding

The Senate has passed a nearly $60 billion supplemental spending bill that includes funding for Haiti relief and recovery from the January 12 earthquake, Roll Call reports (Brady, 5/27). The total amount included in the bill for Haiti is $2.8 billion dollars, Agence France-Presse reports (5/28).

29 May 2010

Developing countries must have food production capacity to avoid food price crisis, U.S. official says

Factors that resulted in higher food prices in several countries in 2008, such as food scarcity and the use of land for biofuels, are still present and could cause prices to rise again without food production improvements in developing countries, Ertharin Cousin, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. food agencies in Rome, said in an interview with Reuters.

29 May 2010

Scientists offer low-cost solutions to reduce arsenic in drinking water

An estimated 60 million people in Bangladesh are exposed to unsafe levels of arsenic in their drinking water, dramatically raising their risk for cancer and other serious diseases, according to the World Health Organization.

28 May 2010

Household shampoos, detergents and cleaning agents form NDMA: Scientists

Scientists are reporting evidence that certain ingredients in shampoo, detergents and other household cleaning agents may be a source of precursor materials for formation of a suspected cancer-causing contaminant in water supplies that receive water from sewage treatment plants. The study sheds new light on possible environmental sources of this poorly understood water contaminant, called NDMA, which is of ongoing concern to health officials.

27 May 2010

Carbon dioxide and other gases from air traffic to become significant source of global warming

The first new projections of future aircraft emissions in 10 years predicts that carbon dioxide and other gases from air traffic will become a significant source of global warming as they double or triple by 2050. The study is in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal.

27 May 2010

WFP looks to improve aid delivery in volatile environments, BMJ News reports

BMJ News examines how the World Food Program has started consulting with members of the business, humanitarian and military sectors in an effort to ensure aid reaches the world's hungry, particularly those in regions hit by natural disasters or other volatile environments.

27 May 2010

East African examines 10-year research program to address agriculture, food security, climate change in rural areas

The East African examines the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security program, a 10-year research collaboration between the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research and the Earth System Science Partnership that aims to help rural communities address these issues (Butunyi, 5/24).

26 May 2010

Kidney Health Week, experts criticise government inaction

Kidney Health Week is being observed at Broken Hill Hospital this week by the Broken Hill Health Service. As a part of this the residents will receive complete kidney check ups including blood pressure and blood sugar and advice regarding kidney health.

26 May 2010

Shah to discuss U.S. role in global agriculture at Food Security Investment Forum in Bangladesh

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah will arrive in Bangladesh on Tuesday to participate in the Food Security Investment Forum and other meetings, All Headline News reports (5/23).

25 May 2010

Dole Nutrition Handbook recognized with prestigious Living Now Book Award

Dole Food Company, Inc. is pleased to have received the prestigious Living Now Book Award for the Dole Nutrition Handbook: What You Need to Eat And How To Live For A Longer Healthier Life. The gold medal award is the top honor in the competition's Nutrition & Diet category. On Earth Day each year, the Jenkins Group - an organization dedicated to promoting books that enrich readers' lives in Earth friendly ways - presents the Living Now Book Awards to honor "books for better living."

24 May 2010

NIH issues new conflict of interest guidelines for researchers

New NIH guidelines, proposed Thursday, are intended "to prevent financial conflicts of interest among [40,000] researchers who receive federal funding, a move long sought by watchdogs of scientific research concerned about the influence of the drug industry and others," The Washington Post reports.

24 May 2010

Lancet examines efforts to reform USAID

A Lancet World Report article examines the decision to restore USAID's policy department as part of broader reform efforts at the agency.

24 May 2010

Economist features special report on water

In a special report on water the Economist examines the causes of and growing concerns over increasing scarcity around the world.

24 May 2010

Feed the Future Guide for Obama administration's food security plan released

The "full details of how the money will be spent" has not yet been released, but the guide said the initiative would aim to increase "access to products such as fertilisers and new technology, including agriculture biotechnology," the Financial Times reports.

24 May 2010

Drug and alcohol experts to take part in T2010 conference

In August 2010, researchers and experts on drugs, alcohol and medicines will take part in the T2010 conference, the tri-annual meeting of the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (ICADTS). This year's meeting is being hosted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

21 May 2010