2005 Wild Blueberry Project Reports

The 2005 edition of the Wild Blueberry Project Reports was prepared for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Evaluation of Emerging Disinfections Technologies for Wild Blueberry Processing 1A. Incorporation of wild blueberry puree into a soy-based burger and its effect on sensory and chemical properties of the broiled burgers. 2. Incorporation of wild blueberry puree into a soy-based burger and its effect on sensory and chemical properties of the broiled burgers 3. Wild blueberries and Arterial Functional Properties 4. Practical Microbial Control Approach and Antimicrobial Properties Study for Wild Blueberries 5. Wild Blueberries Reduce Risks for Cardiovascular Disease –No Report at this time, data is still under analysis. 6. Irrigation Water Use in Wild Blueberry Production 7. Control Tactics for Blueberry Pest Insects, 2005 8. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, 2005 9. Control Tactics for Blueberry Pest Insects, 2005 10. The Effect of Fungicides and Cultural Treatments on Monilinia Blight, Yield and Post-Harvest Disease in Wild Blueberries 11. Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Uptake 12. Effect of Manganese on Growth and Yield of Wild Blueberry 13. Raising Foliar Nitrogen by Application of CoRoN 14. Effects of Summer Foliar Fertilization to Increase Branch Length and Flower Bud Formation in the Prune Year 15. Assessment of Hexazinone Alternatives for Weed Control in Wild Blueberries and Field Cover Program Base 16. Evaluation of Fall Applications of Tribenuron Methyl for Bunchberry Control in Wild Blueberries 17. Evaluation of spot treatments of Tribenuron Methyl for weed control in Wild Blueberries 18. Evaluation and Demonstration of Techniques for Filling in Bare Spots in Wild Blueberry Fields 19. Assessment of Evitol and Kerb for Sedge Control in Wild Blueberrie

2006 Lowbush Blueberry Project Reports

The 2006 edition of the Lowbush Blueberry Project Reports was prepared for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Evaluation of Emerging Disinfection Technologies for Wild Blueberry Processing 2. Incorporation of wild blueberry puree into a soy-based burger and its effect on sensory and chemical properties of the broiled burgers 3. Infestation Detection using NIRS 4. Mechanism of Action through which Wild Blueberries affect Arterial Functional Properties in Normotensive and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats 5. Practical Microbial Control Approach for Wild Blueberries and their Antimicrobial Property 6. Wild Blueberry Consumption and Risks for Cardiovascular Disease 7. Irrigation Water use in Wild Blueberry Production 8. Control Tactics for Blueberry Pest Insects & Program Base 9. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategies 10. Biology and Ecology of Blueberry Insect Pests, 2006 11. Research on Wild Blueberry Diseases for 2006-2007 12. Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Uptake 13. Effect of Manganese on Growth and Yield of Wild Blueberry 14. Effects of Summer Foliar Fertilization to Increase Branch Length and Flower Bud Formation in the Prune Year 15. Effects of Phosphite Foliar Fertilizers on disease control and fruit set of wild blueberry 16. Assessment of Hexazinone Alternatives for Weed Control in Wild Blueberries 17. Evaluation of Fall Applications of Tribenuron Methyl for Bunchberry Control in Wild Blueberries 18. Evaluation of spot treatments of Tribenuron Methyl, Ultim and Roundup for weed control in Wild Blueberries 19. Blueberry Extension Education Program 20. Cultural Weed Management Using p

Effect of having private health insurance on the use of health care services: the case of Spain

Background: Several stakeholders have undertaken initiatives to propose solutions towards a more sustainable health system and Spain, as an example of a European country affected by austerity measures, is looking for ways to cut healthcare budgets. Methods: The aim of this paper is to study the effect of private health insurance on health care utilization using the latest micro-data from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), the Spanish National Health Survey (SNHS) and the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). We use matching techniques based on propensity score methods: single match, four matches, bias-adjustment and allowing for heteroskedasticity. Results: The results demonstrate that people with a private health insurance, use the public health system less than individuals without double health insurance coverage. Conclusions: Our conclusions are useful when policy makers design public-private partnership policie

International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Probiotics.

Position statement: The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) provides an objective and critical review of the mechanisms and use of probiotic supplementation to optimize the health, performance, and recovery of athletes. Based on the current available literature, the conclusions of the ISSN are as follows: 1)Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host (FAO/WHO).2)Probiotic administration has been linked to a multitude of health benefits, with gut and immune health being the most researched applications.3)Despite the existence of shared, core mechanisms for probiotic function, health benefits of probiotics are strain- and dose-dependent.4)Athletes have varying gut microbiota compositions that appear to reflect the activity level of the host in comparison to sedentary people, with the differences linked primarily to the volume of exercise and amount of protein consumption. Whether differences in gut microbiota composition affect probiotic efficacy is unknown.5)The main function of the gut is to digest food and absorb nutrients. In athletic populations, certain probiotics strains can increase absorption of key nutrients such as amino acids from protein, and affect the pharmacology and physiological properties of multiple food components.6)Immune depression in athletes worsens with excessive training load, psychological stress, disturbed sleep, and environmental extremes, all of which can contribute to an increased risk of respiratory tract infections. In certain situations, including exposure to crowds, foreign travel and poor hygiene at home, and training or competition venues, athletes' exposure to pathogens may be elevated leading to increased rates of infections. Approximately 70% of the immune system is located in the gut and probiotic supplementation has been shown to promote a healthy immune response. In an athletic population, specific probiotic strains can reduce the number of episodes, severity and duration of upper respiratory tract infections.7)Intense, prolonged exercise, especially in the heat, has been shown to increase gut permeability which potentially can result in systemic toxemia. Specific probiotic strains can improve the integrity of the gut-barrier function in athletes.8)Administration of selected anti-inflammatory probiotic strains have been linked to improved recovery from muscle-damaging exercise.9)The minimal effective dose and method of administration (potency per serving, single vs. split dose, delivery form) of a specific probiotic strain depends on validation studies for this particular strain. Products that contain probiotics must include the genus, species, and strain of each live microorganism on its label as well as the total estimated quantity of each probiotic strain at the end of the product's shelf life, as measured by colony forming units (CFU) or live cells.10)Preclinical and early human research has shown potential probiotic benefits relevant to an athletic population that include improved body composition and lean body mass, normalizing age-related declines in testosterone levels, reductions in cortisol levels indicating improved responses to a physical or mental stressor, reduction of exercise-induced lactate, and increased neurotransmitter synthesis, cognition and mood. However, these potential benefits require validation in more rigorous human studies and in an athletic population