via Benefits of good childcare extend into teen years | BabyCenter.

Posted: March 8, 2010

By Janet Raloff, for Science News’ Science & the Public Blog

Pesticides are agents designed to rid targeted portions of the human environment of undesirable critters – such as boll weevils, roaches or carpenter ants. They’re not supposed to harm beneficials. Like bees. Yet a new study from China finds that two widely used pyrethroid pesticides – chemicals that are rather “green” as bug killers go – can significantly impair the pollinators’ reproduction.

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Both chemicals are widely used in North America and elsewhere, including China. And, the researchers point out, the concentration of each pesticide that produced adverse effects in the experiments was at or below those that bees could encounter while pollinating treated crop fields.

via The Barefoot Beekeeper.

via The Barefoot Beekeeper.

By DEMETRIS NELLAS (AP) – 1 day ago

ATHENS, Greece — They roam the strees of Athens unperturbed, a blue collar around their necks indicating that they have been neutered by the city authorities.

Athens’ stray dogs naturally seek company. And there’s no better place to find lots of it than at one of Athens’ many demonstrations.

Photographers have documented the presence of several yellowish dogs at boisterous anti-government protests over the years, barking and baring their teeth at police in what appears to be canine political statements. One, Kanellos (cinnamon in Greek, from its color) used the Athens Polytechnic school as its base and was a constant companion for over a decade to anarchist rioters until he died, in July 2008.

He has his own Facebook page, with nearly 1,900 fans and a song dedicated to him.

Photos of other yellowish dogs at the side of demonstrators have become an online sensation in recent days, with some websites describing them as evidence that a single, highly active dog is a constant presence at protests. AP photos show at least 2 different dogs mingling with protesters and taking on police.

The dogs appear to be immune to the effects of tear gas, but are very frightened when riot police use stun grenades. Protesters pet them and police are not unfriendly, either, although the nature of their job does not allow them to give their attention to the animals.

via The Associated Press: Athens stray dogs mingle at protest rallies.

Two federal agencies along with regulators in California and Canada are scrambling to figure out what is behind this relatively recent threat, ordering new research on pesticides used in fields and orchards. Federal courts are even weighing in this month, ruling that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overlooked a requirement when allowing a pesticide on the market.

And on Thursday, chemists at a scientific conference in San Francisco will tackle the issue of chemicals and dwindling bees in response to the new study.

Scientists are concerned because of the vital role bees play in our food supply. About one-third of the human diet is from plants that require pollination from honeybees, which means everything from apples to zucchini.

via Bee Pollen And Hives Laden With Pesticides, Study Shows.

A story in the Independent, a British newspaper, reports: “Leach argues that recent brain research proves that babies who are left to cry for prolonged periods are at risk of suffering damage to their developing brains, which reduces their capacity to learn. She said: ‘It is not an opinion but a fact that it’s potentially damaging to leave babies to cry. Now we know that, why risk it?’”

via BabyCenter: MOMformation » Blog Archive » Parenting expert claims sleep training can damage your baby’s brain. Really?.

Scientists arrived at the result after analysing data from 16 studies involving more than 1.5 million participants.

They found “unequivocal evidence” of a direct link between sleeping less than six hours a night and dying prematurely.

via Regular lack of sleep is ‘linked to early death’ – Health News, Health & Families – The Independent.

Political and social attempts to stop the use of disposable bags are gaining steam. But these efforts generally focus on the “carry-out” bag shoppers use to transport purchases from the checkout stand. Rarely, if ever, are efforts made to reduce the use of plastic produce bags.  Chico-based ChicoBag sees that as a niche to fill.

The company is introducing its new Produce Stand Collection, a new line of reusable bags made to hold fruits, vegetables, grains and bulk foods. ChicoBag says the product is a first-of-its-kind reusable produce bag set, manufactured with hemp and recycled content. All of the bags stuff down into a small apple pouch with an attached carabiner.

via Sustainable Industries | Food and Farms | ChicoBag kicks the produce bag habit.

Wed, Apr 21, 2010 (HealthDay News) — The advent in 2000 of the PCV7 vaccine to battle bacteria that causes pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis (blood infection) in children has caused notable changes in strains that cause these illnesses, researchers report.

Most worrisome is the recent spread of strains not covered by the vaccine, the team aid.

Immunizations with the PCV7 vaccine is now recommended for all children before the age of 2.

American researchers found that the most common cause of invasive pneumococcal infections is now a strain called serotype 19A, which is not covered by the PCV7 vaccine. The studies also found a rise in infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pneumococci.

One study, an analysis of 2001-07 data by Boston University researchers, revealed that only 15 percent of serious pneumococcal infections in Massachusetts were caused by one of the seven strains covered by the PCV7 vaccine. The remaining 85 percent were caused by other strains, most commonly serotype 19A.

Because infections with PCV7-targeted strains decreased and infections with strains not covered by the vaccine increased, there was little change in the overall rate of serious infections. The fatality rate among children with serious infections was 1.4 percent, and most of the deaths occurred in patients younger than 1 year old.

via Vaccine now misses many pneumococcal infections in kids | BabyCenter.

According to research, “A growing mass of scientific evidence does indicate that how places are designed and built can cause and complicate grave health problems for individuals and whole populations.”

Furthermore, studies show that “depression correlates with the lack of access to green space, a plight of many inner-city residents; the physical isolation of suburbanites; and the immobility enforced on those who cannot drive but have no transportation alternative.”

via How Good Urban Planning Can Improve Public Health – Atlanta Streets Alive!.