Food Quality Protection Act launches search for pest management alternatives

Insecticides have long been important tools for California farmers to combat agricultural pests. By 1995, organophosphate (OP) insecticides such as chlorpyrifos, azinphos-methyl, methamidophos, phosmet and diazinon accounted for an estimated 34% of worldwide insecticide sales, and they are widely credited with allowing large yield increases in commercial agriculture. The U.S. Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), signed into law in 1996, established a new human health–based standard that “reasonable certainty of no harm will result from aggregate exposure to the pesticide chemical residue.” When the FQPA was passed, 49 OP pesticides were registered for use in pest control in the United States; since then, many uses have been canceled and others are expected to be lost, with particular significance for California growers. A number of alternative pest-control products and strategies are available, with varying degrees of effectiveness and cost. Research and development of control measures to replace OP insecticides must be pursued to maintain an economically viable state agricultural industry

Can static foot posture measurements predict regional plantar surface area?

Background: The intent of this study was to determine if the use of a single or combination of static foot posture measurements can be used to predict rearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot plantar surface area in individuals with pronated or normal foot types. Methods: Twelve foot measurements were collected on 52 individuals (mean age 25.8 years) with the change in midfoot width used to place subjects in a pronated or normal foot mobility group. Dynamic plantar contact area was collected during walking with a pressure sensor platform. The 12 measures were entered into a stepwise regression analysis to determine the optimal set of measures associated with regional plantar surface area. Results: A two variable model was found to describe the relationship between the foot measurements and forefoot plantar contact area (r2=0.79, p\u3c0.0001). A four variable model was found to describe the relationship between the foot measurements and midfoot plantar contact area (r2=0.85, p\u3c0.0001) in those individuals with a 1.26cm or greater change in midfoot width. Conclusions: The results indicate that clinicians can use a combination of simple, reliable and time efficient foot measures to explain 79% and 85% of the plantar surface area in the forefoot and midfoot, respectively

Alterations in sperm long RNA contribute to the epigenetic inheritance of the effects of postnatal trauma

Psychiatric diseases have a strong heritable component known to not be restricted to DNA sequence-based genetic inheritance alone but to also involve epigenetic factors in germ cells. Initial evidence suggested that sperm RNA is causally linked to the transmission of symptoms induced by traumatic experiences. Here, we show that alterations in long RNA in sperm contribute to the inheritance of specific trauma symptoms. Injection of long RNA fraction from sperm of males exposed to postnatal trauma recapitulates the effects on food intake, glucose response to insulin and risk-taking in adulthood whereas the small RNA fraction alters body weight and behavioural despair. Alterations in long RNA are maintained after fertilization, suggesting a direct link between sperm and embryo RNA