RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Avocado, a significant fruit crop grown in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world, is threatened by Phytophthora root rot (PRR), a disease that has already eliminated commercial avocado production in many areas in Latin America and crippled production in Australia and South Africa. Just in California the disease is estimated to cost avocado growers approximately $30-40 million a year in production losses. Research on developing PRR-tolerant rootstocks to manage the disease has been a major focus of avocado research at the University of California, ...

A study to be published in the June 2012 issue of Journal of Adolescent Health looking at the relationships between body satisfaction and healthy psychological functioning in overweight adolescents has found that young women who are happy with the size and shape of their bodies report higher levels of self-esteem. They may also be protected against the negative behavioral and psychological factors sometimes associated with being overweight. A group of 103 overweight adolescents were surveyed between 2004 and 2006, assessing body satisfaction, weight-control behavior, ...

A recent paper by Kathleen Eggleson, a research scientist in the Center for Nano Science and Technology (NDnano) at the University of Notre Dame, provides an example of a nanotechnology-related safety and ethics problem that is unfolding right now. The world of nanotechnology, which involves science and engineering down at billionths-of-a-meter scales, might seem remote. But like most new advances, the application of that technology to everyday experience has implications that can affect people in real ways. If not anticipated, discussed or planned for, some of those ...

VIDEO: In this time series animation, vegetation appears red and the bare soil of fallow fields or sparsely vegetated grasslands appear white to green. The blue-gray X near the center of... Click here for more information. A water-rich polka dot pattern takes over the traditional rectangular patchwork of fields in this time series animation of 40 years of Landsat images. In the dry Texas panhandle near the town of Dalhart, this transformation is due to center-pivot irrigation, ...

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues have found that adolescents newly diagnosed with cancer have strong concerns about their ability to have children as cancer survivors. They also found that standard health-related quality-of-life survey tools used to elicit answers from teens with cancer did not accurately reflect these concerns. Parents, who often answer survey questions as proxies, often inaccurately relayed their child's reproductive concerns. The study, carried out by Moffitt researchers and colleagues from the University of South Florida, the University ...

At Moffitt Cancer Center, patients with stage III and IV unresectable melanoma are now routinely genetically profiled for several gene mutations, including the BRAF gene, a known driver oncogene for melanoma. Research has shown that mutations in the BRAF gene determine sensitivity or resistance to a class of drugs that are BRAF inhibitors. "We have found that a large number of patients with melanoma who have the BRAF gene mutation quickly develop resistance to drugs that are BRAF inhibitors," said Jeffrey S. Weber, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Donald A. Adam Comprehensive ...

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have placed new emphasis on gathering data on cancer patient quality of life during both treatment and survivorship. Their focus is on gathering and using that data to develop interventions to improve the quality of life for patients in treatment and for cancer survivors. Much of the quality of life and survivorship research is carried out by researchers in Moffitt's Department of Health Outcomes & Behavior. "Among the several research goals of the Department of Health Outcomes & Behaviors is the evaluation and improvement of quality ...

A new study from researchers at the Bangkok Breast Center shows significant improvement in the detection of breast cancer in Asian women using automated breast volume sonography (ABVS) as compared to hand-held ultrasound (HHUS). In their study on 504 findings in 212 patients at the Bangkok Breast Center, researchers found that ABVS agreed with HHUS in detecting 15 suspicious lesions, uncovered 12 additional suspicious lesions, and excluded 3 suspicious lesions in these cases. A coordinating five-year retrospective study on 26,741 mammograms with ultrasound also revealed ...

As skiing and snowboarding continue to be the most popular winter sports, they also carry a significant risk of injury. One new exhibit will show how radiologists can meet these injuries head on with proper patient management and the latest imaging techniques. "It is important for radiologists to understand these injuries patterns," said Dr. Hillary Boortz, lead author for this exhibit. "When a patient presents with the appropriate history, the radiologist can properly protocol the study and alter their search algorithms to assure that an injury isn't overlooked." She ...

As more patients are referred to tertiary care center with previous images, a new study from researchers at the Westchester Medical Center shows how radiologists are tackling the challenges of interpreting outside studies and reviewing discordance opinions. "Outside studies were becoming a problem in our institution," said Dr. Zvi Lefkovitz, co-lead for this study. "We were receiving a lot of disjointed, fly-by-night examinations, and we had no formalized policy for reviewing these exams." Lefkovitz and his team began a comprehensive process of overhauling their procedures, ...

Shoulder injuries are among the most frequently encountered musculoskeletal injuries treated in emergency departments. One new study shows how radiologists can more effectively identify these injuries and improve patient outcomes. "The severity of shoulder injuries are often underestimated," said Dr. Scott Sheehan, lead author for the study. "Subtle injuries can have significant consequences if not recognized and treated promptly." Sheehan and his co-authors began studying the effects of traumatic shoulder injuries after one of his radiology mentors suffered a shoulder ...

A new study from UCLA shows how magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) are equivalent in delineating anatomy in living renal donors. In a study that examined 30 patients and 60 kidneys, both modalities were "excellent" in detecting the number of renal arteries and veins. Dr. Mittul Gulati, lead author for the study noted, "either MRA or CTA are great tools for helping surgeons remove kidneys safely, identifying donor and recipient veins and vessels, and identifying incidental findings." The results could potentially reduce radiation ...

With the increase of obesity in the last 50 years, bariatric surgeries are becoming a common solution for tackling this epidemic. A new exhibit shows how radiologists play a key role in ensuring the success of these procedures. "Although complications are generally rare with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and gastric banding procedures, it's critical for radiologists to be familiar with both the normal presentations and possible complications for these surgeries," said Dr. Mariam Moshiri, lead author for this presentation. Dr. Moshiri and her co-authors at the University ...

VIDEO: This is Fahd A. Ahmad, M.D. of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Click here for more information. BOSTON – More than 1 million youths ages 15-24 have sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea. Many others, however, are unaware they are infected because they have not been tested. Technology can change that, according to preliminary data from a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric ...

BOSTON – Although children are more likely than adults to suffer from many diseases, few clinical trials are being conducted to test drugs in pediatric patients, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. Drug studies in children are important because children often respond differently to medications than adults. However, there is widespread concern about the lack of clinical evidence available to guide physicians in prescribing pharmaceuticals to children. Florence Bourgeois, MD, MPH, ...

BOSTON – Contrary to what many trauma teams believe, the presence of family members does not impede the care of injured children in the emergency department, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. Professional medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Emergency Physicians, support family presence during resuscitations and invasive procedures. The degree of family member involvement ranges from observation to participation, depending ...

BOSTON – Black children are less likely than white children to receive medication for abdominal pain in the emergency department (ED) even when they report severe pain, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. "The emergency department serves as our nation's health care safety net, where all children can receive care regardless of their insurance status, ability to pay or race," said lead author Tiffani J. Johnson, MD, pediatric emergency medicine fellow at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh ...

BOSTON – While eating too much food can cause obesity, the fear of not having enough food may lead to the same result, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. Being worried about not having enough food to feed one's family, a situation called food insecurity, is common in low-income families. These families often are overweight, too. "Understanding the reasons why poverty puts families at greater risk of obesity is essential to addressing the epidemic," said study lead author Rachel ...

BOSTON – Many parents cringe when their child asks for help with math homework. New research shows that poor math skills can cause another difficulty for caregivers — measuring the right amount of medicine. In fact, parents with math skills at the third grade level or below were five times more likely to measure the wrong dose of medication for their child than those with skills at the sixth grade level or higher, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. "Parents face many challenges ...

BOSTON – Efforts to prevent obesity among low-income infants should focus not only on what babies are being fed but also the reasons behind unhealthy feeding practices, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. Adding cereal to bottles is one unhealthy practice that is discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics because it may lead to overfeeding and excess weight gain in infants. Researchers sought to determine factors associated with putting cereal in bottles among low-income, ...

BOSTON -- Preventing chronic diseases and disorders that begin in infancy will improve the health of children and adults, according to research being presented on Saturday, April 28, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. ET in a topic symposium at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Room 302 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. The session, "Life-course Research: State of the Art and Science," will cover how proper nutrition and healthy habits in infancy, along with diminishing cumulative risks over time, will help prevent disease burden later in life. Speakers ...

Traumatic shoulder injuries that result in a patient visit to the ER often contain a secondary injury that can cause pain and discomfort in that part of the body after the primary injury has healed. By focusing on the primary injury, radiologists sometimes miss the secondary injury, which can compromise treatment effectiveness. Trainees in the Brigham and Women's Hospital Radiology Residency Program developed new protocols aimed at drawing ER radiologists' attention to the potential presence of secondary should injuries. Better identification of these injuries could lead ...

Penn State University astronomers using the world's largest radio telescope, at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, have discovered flaring radio emission from an ultra-cool star, not much warmer than the planet Jupiter, shattering the previous record for the lowest stellar temperature at which radio waves were detected. The team from Penn State's Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, led by Alex Wolszczan, the discoverer of the first planets ever found outside our solar system, has been using the giant 305-m (1000-ft) telescope ...

BOSTON – While it may be cute when a 3-year-old imitates his parent's bad behavior, when adolescents do so, it's no longer a laughing matter. Teens who fight may be modeling what they see adult relatives do or have parents with pro-fighting attitudes, according to a study to be presented Sunday, April 29, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. "Parents and other adults in the family have a substantial influence on adolescents' engagement in fighting," said Rashmi Shetgiri, MD, FAAP, lead author of the study. "Interventions to prevent fighting, ...

BOSTON – Noisy neighbors and broken-down elevators are common downsides of apartment living. You also can add unwanted tobacco smoke to the list of hazards, according to research to be presented Sunday, April 29, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. Studies have shown that tobacco smoke can seep from one apartment into another. The extent to which this happens, however, is unclear. Researchers from the American Academy of Pediatrics Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence surveyed a nationally representative sample of adults living in ...