Feature Channels: Environmental Health

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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Sacramento State students will make a difference in the lives of thousands of Californians who need clean drinking water.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Effective coal regulation could slash deaths from toxic fumes by 85%, saving 20,000 lives every year.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.).

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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.

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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.

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–– 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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Two scientists put the carbon dioxide record at Mauna Loa to music, and made a music video of climate change.

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High indoor temperatures appear to worsen symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, particularly in homes that also have high levels of air pollutants, according to new research published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

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A team of Michigan State University researchers has found that consuming an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, can stop a known trigger of lupus and potentially other autoimmune disorders.

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Researchers from North Carolina State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have created an efficient, semi-printed plastic solar cell without the use of environmentally hazardous halogen solvents.

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Agriculture and soil science fit with environmental health

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Columbia University Medical Center researchers will participate in a seven-year NIH initiative to study the effect of a wide range of environmental factors on the health of children and adolescents.

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A family of common industrial compounds called perfluoroalkyl substances, which are best known for making carpets stain resistant and cookware non-stick, has been under scrutiny for potentially causing health problems

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University of Chicago researchers will receive about $5 million in the first two years of a seven-year initiative called Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO), which will investigate how exposure to a range of environmental factors in early development influences the health of children.

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Researchers from 10 autism research centers nationwide will collaborate on a study using new technology to look at the baby teeth of children who have siblings with autism — considered high-risk already — to determine if they’re more likely to develop the disorder if exposed to chemicals in the womb.

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CHAM researcher awarded $5.3 million from NIH as part of a seven-year initiative called Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes

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UofL research team awarded more than $1.6 million by NIH to investigate environmental influences on children’s health

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It seems like almost every week another food product is being recalled because of contamination. One of the more common culprits is a pathogenic strain of E. coli. To help prevent illnesses caused by this bacteria in food or water, researchers have developed a new nanosensor to rapidly detect its presence. The study appears in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases.

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Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may reduce levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

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Beginning in 2008, Volkswagen installed software to circumvent emissions testing by turning off the nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions control system in real-world driving in nearly half a million cars. A new analysis using a tool developed and used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assess the health and economic impacts related to air quality calculates that a single year of elevated emissions from the affected VW vehicles could lead to as many as 50 premature deaths, 3,000 lost workdays, and $423 million in economic costs.

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Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University (GW) will hold a public forum on September 22 that will address the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which offers much-needed reforms to the nation’s system of regulating chemicals. Join us on September 22 for a lively discussion of new law and what it will take to implement some of its key health protection measures.