Commuters on some underground lines are the most exposed to poor air quality, researchers found

Hundreds of doctors, nurses and other health workers are calling on the Prime Minister to take action to get polluting diesel vehicles off the UK’s roads as soon as possible. The recently formed Doctors Against Diesel group is campaigning for greater awareness of the health impacts of diesel emissions and for action to reduce the number of vehicles using the polluting fuel in towns and cities.

Three more foot-and-mouth cases confirmed in Korea

Three fresh foot-and-mouth disease cases were confirmed in central South Korea, the agriculture ministry here said Tuesday, amid rising concerns over a nationwide spread of the animal epidemic. Cows at three farms located in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province, some 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, tested positive for the contagious virus according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Poultry farmers are left reeling

A decision by the European Commission not to extend the free-range exemption for those who have been forced to house their flocks as a result of bird flu outbreaks, has been criticised by two of Northern Ireland’s MEPs. EU rules mean that the eggs and meat from birds kept indoors through housing orders beyond this 12 week period lose their free range status.

Trump transition team limits EPA at environmental forum

The Environmental Protection Agency halved the number of staffers attending an annual Anchorage forum on issues like climate change in response to a request from President Donald Trump’s transition team. Trump transition official Doug Ericksen told Alaska’s Energy Desk in an email that the EPA was directed to limit staff at the conference to save money on travel.

South Korea culls 33 million poultry amid worst H5N6 bird flu outbreak

Facing its worst avian influenza outbreak, South Korea has culled more than 33 million poultry since the first reported case last November, officials said Saturday, while observers noted local resources to deal with the deadliest outbreak may have already been stretched too thin. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the country has culled 33.12 million animals as of Friday.

The Centaurus Constellation

Welcome back to Constellation Friday! Today, in honor of the late and great Tammy Plotner, we will be dealing with the “Centaur”, the Centaurus constellation! In the 2nd century CE, Greek-Egyptian astronomer Claudius Ptolemaeus compiled a list of all the then-known 48 constellations. This treatise, known as the Almagest , would used by medieval European and Islamic scholars for over a thousand years to come, effectively becoming astrological and astronomical canon until the early Modern Age.

Researchers develop computer machine-learning model to predict remission or relapse in AML patients

Researchers have developed the first computer machine-learning model to accurately predict which patients diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia, or AML, will go into remission following treatment for their disease and which will relapse. “It’s pretty straightforward to teach a computer to recognize AML, once you develop a robust algorithm, and in previous work we did it with almost 100 percent accuracy,” said Murat Dundar, senior author of the disease-progression study and associate professor of computer science in the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Poultry set to roam again after bird flu curbs are lifted

Poultry owners will soon be allowed to keep their birds outside again as restrictions to limit the spread of bird flu are lifted. An avian influenza prevention zone was declared on December 6, forcing owners to keep poultry and captive birds indoors or to take steps to separate them from wild birds.

Poultry set to roam again after bird flu curbs are lifted

Poultry owners will soon be allowed to keep their birds outside again as restrictions to limit the spread of bird flu are lifted. An avian influenza prevention zone was declared on December 6, forcing owners to keep poultry and captive birds indoors or to take steps to separate them from wild birds.

Why Eyes are Blue

… experienced a deficiency in vitamin D in the diet. This vitamin plays an important role in immune function and health . In addition to dietary sources, it is also synthesized in the skin in the presence of sunlight. One way of correcting for vitamin …

St. Albert to consider bylaw changes to allow urbana

St. Albert residents may soon find the city abuzz with the sweet sound of honeybee hives in backyards across the city. Council unanimously approved a motion directing administration to develop the policies and bylaw amendments that would be required to allow beekeeping in the city, with a budget of $15,000.

Field Days powers up

… at 11am each day will be led by a massive 1910 Chas Burrell steam traction engine. The National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) will again be providing free health assessments, measuring body mass index, cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose …

Studies reveal link between rotator cuff disease and genetics

A new study presented this week at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting in Las Vegas shows rotator cuff disease might be a heritable trait. Rotator cuff disease is a common disorder that affects 30 to 50 percent of people over the age of 50. The disease often leads to shoulder pain and loss of function.

Genes point to who develops lung disease, study finds

Scientists unveiled a trove of newly-discovered gene variants on Monday to help predict who will most likely develop a killer lung disease, both among smokers and non-smokers. The world’s biggest probe of the genetics of lung health yielded 43 new gene variants linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , a major cause of death.

Korea confirms foot-and-mouth disease case

South Korea confirmed a case of foot-and-mouth disease at a dairy farm, the agriculture ministry in Sejong said Monday. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said that 195 cows at the farm in Boeun, 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, of North Chungcheong Province, tested positive for the animal disease.

Weed 101: Colorado agriculture office shares pot know-how

In this Jan. 31, 2017 photo, Denver marijuana grower Tim Cullen, left, shows young marijuana clones to out-of-state agriculture officials on a grow warehouse tour organized by the Colorado Department of Agriculture in Denver. Colorado’s Agriculture Department is opening up its marijuana knowledge to other states and encouraging them to plan now for the possibility of regulating farmers growing a plant that violates federal law.

Virginia Tech researchers receive NIH grant to improve malaria drug

As long as parasites continue to mount resistance to malaria drugs, scientists will be faced with the task of developing new, improved pharmaceuticals. A research team from the Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery has received a $431,126 two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to make improved versions of a promising compound called MMV008138, or 8138 for short.

Toxins in your fast-food packaging?

… Six of the samples also contained a long-chain PFOA, even though the chemical is no longer widely used because of health hazards. PFOA could be present in these wrappers because recycled paper was used in their manufacture, Schaider said — an …

Things to do in Morgan County

There is more to diabetes than high blood sugar. Come learn about dealing with the social, emotional and psychological sides of this complex disease from Dr. William Polonsky at noon Feb. 2 during the first of the 2017 series of the diabetes webinars offered in northeast Colorado, “I know what I’m supposed to do.

Climate Clown Prince Charles Might Lecture President Trump

Trump aides have raised concerns that Prince Charles, the crown prince who thinks Mad King George was “misunderstood” , will use an upcoming state visit to try to humiliate President Trump in front of international media. Donald Trump’s aides have raised concerns that a likely meeting with Prince Charles during his state visit could backfire because of the pair’s differences on climate change.

Parental Attention and ADHD

I saw a painful sight yesterday afternoon: a father was wheeling with a baby carriage with one hand and text-messaging with his other hand. Totally absorbed in his smartphone, he didn’t hear the pleas of his 5-year old walking alongside, “Abba, I’m cold!” A sudden strong wind blew in from the southwest, carrying heavy rain clouds and reducing temperatures suddenly.