-
-
Study links farmworker psychiatric disorders with toxin exposure
A study of farmers finds that those with the highest number of lifetime exposure days to agricultural pesticides were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with clinical depression than those with the fewest application days and were 80% more likely if they had applied a class of insecticide called organophosphates. This is the first study to find a link with chronic, low-dose pesticide exposure, although previous studies show an increased risk of depression among people exposed to very high doses or poisoned. This study reinforces concerns that exposure to commonly used pesticides could cause psychiatric disorders.
snip
Researchers analyzed data from the Agricultural Health Study, a large study of individuals with pesticide applicator licenses in North Carolina and Iowa. Participants in the study are divided into commercial pesticide applicators and private applicators, who tend to be farmers. The researchers limited the current analysis to male private applicators.
More than 17,000 men filled out detailed questionnaires about their pesticide use, their health and their behaviors for the study. Men were asked if they had ever been diagnosed with depression requiring medication or shock therapy. They were also asked about their lifetime use of 50 different pesticides, including the number of days per year and the total number of years each pesticide was applied. Pesticides were grouped into different classes, including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and fumigants. Insecticides were further broken down into three types: organophosphates, carbamates and organochlorines. Individuals were categorized into low (752 days) lifetime pesticide exposure. Men were also asked if they had ever been diagnosed with pesticide poisoning or experienced an incident of unusually high pesticide exposure.
The researchers then compared the likelihood of being diagnosed with depression among men with low, medium and high cumulative days of pesticide use. Using statistical methods, they took into account factors such as age, education, race and marital status that could impact the results.
snip
This study suggests that long-term, chronic pesticide use may have neurological effects, particularly relating to depression. Previous medical reports have shown anxiety and depression symptoms in pesticide-poisoned individuals. This is the first study to extend those findings to regular pesticide use.
The men in this study were all licensed pesticide applicators who experienced pesticide exposures at levels much higher than the general public. However, pesticide exposure is widespread in the general population because of use in homes, workplaces and food.
The study is strong because it looked at a large population of men with wide variability in their pesticide exposures, allowing the authors to compare individuals with high exposure to those with low exposure in the same population. The researchers had extensive information on participants' backgrounds and pesticide exposure history. The major weakness of the study is that men reported about diagnosis of depression and pesticide use that occurred in the past, without differentiating whether the pesticide exposure came before or after the depression. Self-reporting, large time categories and lack of information about some stress-related events (financial) were additional limitations.
The results indicate that pesticides may have neurological effects at exposure levels well below those that cause clinically identifiable poisoning symptoms. Those who apply pesticides as part of their jobs, such as farmers and pest control applicators, should remain vigilant and use safety precautions to protect their long-term mental health. The authors advise that "physicians should be alert to mood changes in those with a history of applying pesticides." A study of farmers finds that those with the highest number of lifetime exposure days to agricultural pesticides were 50% more likely ... more -
Gene linked to premature ejaculation. Cure can't come fast enough.
Good news minutemen! Researchers at the Journal of Sexual Medicine have discovered a version of a gene that controls the hormone serotonin which is responsible for premature ejaculation in men.
A cure is in development now and soon men all over the world will no longer have an excuse to leave their partner unsatisfied. Good news minutemen! Researchers at the Journal of Sexual Medicine have discovered a version of a gene that controls the hormone sero... more -
Research reveals higher than expected amounts of pesticides in beehives
While pesticides have consistently been acknowledged as a contributing factor within this problematic milieu, recent research at Penn State has revealed that pesticide levels in hives are much higher than researchers predicted. Beekeepers use some pesticides as an inexpensive way to combat varroa mites in their colonies. While the researchers were able to reduce the pesticide levels in beeswax foundation -- the wax that beekeepers use to create hive structures -- through irradiation, this only addresses part of the problem. The extraordinarily high levels of pesticides discovered in the bees, their honey, and their pollen, showed that pesticide exposure outside of the hives is contributing to the problem.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates agricultural pesticide use, but this regulation does not account for the interaction of these chemicals that inevitably takes place through the bees' pollination processes. Some of these combinations of pesticides have been found to have a synergistic effect hundreds of times more toxic than any of the pesticides individually, says James L. Frazier, professor of entomology at Penn State. Bees' exposure to these toxic chemical combinations both outside of, and within, the home -- er, hive -- may cause behavioral changes. These changes include immune system blocks and disorientation, which may help to explain the CCD crisis of late.
Last year, the American Beekeepers' Federation, in a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, encouraged Congress to pass the 2007 Farm Bill. The letter highlighted environmental regulation and enforcement as one of the beekeeping industry's priority issues, stating "the central role of bees in the environment and farm economy should be emphasized in environmental regulation and enforcement, including in the review and approval of new farm chemicals and treatments.... In the Farm Bill or otherwise, Congress should, among other things, mandate that sub-lethal effects on honey bees be considered in the regulatory process for new agricultural treatments."
Whether Congress follows through or not, organic farming and agricultural practices provide an approach to addressing the problem of pesticide toxicity in bees. The Institute of Science in Society stated in a recent press release that "organic farming practices that retain more natural habitats and avoid the use of chemical pesticides should provide environments that serve as honeybee sanctuaries from the ravages of CCD. There are scientific studies showing that agricultural landscapes with organic crops are far superior environments for both honey- and bumblebees. It would be prudent to create organic bee sanctuaries as widely and as soon as possible... There is every reason to eliminate the use of all pesticides that act synergistically with parasitic fungi, and all Bt crops should be banned for the same reason. Obviously, these problems will disappear with the widespread adoption of organic, non-GM farming."
******************
Could it be that Monsanto's Round Up pesticide or some other pesticide made by Bayer is contributing to colony collapse disorder? The NRDC recently filed suit against the EPA to disclose information they have regarding CCD and pesticides as they refused to answer questions about it. I think this research is instrumental in then shedding some light on whether CCD is related to the pesticides bees come in contact with on GM crops when trying to pollenate them, or some other toxic source. While pesticides have consistently been acknowledged as a contributing factor within this problematic milieu, recent research at Penn ... more -
The Earth's cries are heard in space
Earth emits an ear-piercing series of chirps and whistles that could be heard by any aliens who might be listening, astronomers have discovered.
The sound is awful, a new recording from space reveals.
Scientists have known about the radiation since the 1970s. It is created high above the planet, where charged particles from the solar wind collide with Earth's magnetic field. It is related to the phenomenon that generates the colorful aurora, or Northern Lights.
The radio waves are blocked by the ionosphere, a charged layer atop our atmosphere, so they do not reach Earth. That's good, because the out-of-this-world radio waves are 10,000 times stronger than even the strongest military signal, the researchers said, and they would overwhelm all radio stations on the planet.
Theorists had long figured the radio waves, which were not well studied, oozed into space in an ever-widening cone, like light from a torch.
But new data from the European Space Agency's Cluster mission, a group of four high-flying satellites, reveals the bursts of radio waves head off to the cosmos in beam-like fashion, instead.
This means they're more detectable to anyone who might be listening.
The Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR), as it is called, is beamed out in a narrow plane, as if someone had put a mask over a torch and left a slit for the radiation to escape.
This flat beam could be detected by aliens who've figured this process out, the researchers say. The knowledge could also be used by Earth's astronomers to detect planets around other stars, if they can build a new radio telescope big enough for the search. They could also learn more about Jupiter and Saturn by studying AKR, which should emit from the auroral activity on those worlds, too.
"Whenever you have aurora, you get AKR," said Robert Mutel, a University of Iowa researcher involved in the work.
The AKR bursts -- Mutel and colleagues studied 12,000 of them -- originate in spots the size of a large city a few thousand miles above Earth and above the region where the Northern Lights form.
"We can now determine exactly where the emission is coming from," Mutel said.
Our planet is also known to hum, a mysterious low-frequency sound thought to be caused by the churning ocean or the roiling atmosphere.
Hear it hear..... http://www.space.com/php/video/player.php?video_id=0806... Earth emits an ear-piercing series of chirps and whistles that could be heard by any aliens who might be listening, astronomers have d... more -
Media Malpractice: Another Global Warming Meltdown
THERE IS A SURE-FIRE WAY to make the news these days: Just issue a press release beginning with the words, "New scientific study shows," and have it assert a conclusion that the MSM fervently want to believe--especially if the resulting story would serve to debunk or refute a Bush administration policy. Slam-dunk! Your press release will become news!
You are skeptical, you say? But what other explanation is there for the decision by CBS and MSNBC to post on their websites a ridiculous story about a new scientific "finding" that global warming is causing an increase in the world's earthquakes--an item that was even linked for a time on the Drudge Report.
Now I am not a scientist, but the idea that a few alleged degrees of warming--with none apparently in the last decade--could cause an increase in earthquakes seemed pure quackery to me. So, I decided to perform Google and Yahoo searches of the "scientist" who had issued the finding, one Thomas Chalko, MSc, Ph.D. In less than five minutes I found that Chalko was perhaps the last person who should be quoted on the purported impact of allegedly man-caused global warming.
Finish reading this article for more of Chalko's theories. THERE IS A SURE-FIRE WAY to make the news these days: Just issue a press release beginning with the words, "New scientific study ... more -
Science finally proves Red is always better than Blue
Finally. Proof that red team roolz. The scientific journal "Cyberpsychology & Behavior" has published the results of a research study, finding that over the course of 1,347 matches of Unreal Tournament 2004, the red team beat the blue team 55% of the time. Yes, this is actually what passes for science now.
One neuroscientist reasons that the slight red team advantage may be psychological, as the color red could prove distracting to men, "possibly because men flush and turn red when they're angry." As silly as that sounds, the study parallels a similar one performed in 2005, where it was found that wearing red in real-life one-on-one sporting events increased the likelihood of victory.
Acknowledging the findings of the research, Epic Games VP Mark Rein said they won't be changing the classic multiplayer colors of Unreal Tournament anytime soon. At least now you have an excuse for losing all the time, right blue team? Finally. Proof that red team roolz. The scientific journal "Cyberpsychology & Behavior" has published the results of a r... more -
US teens less slutty now!
Well it looks like the youth of today is pretty boring compared to the youth of yesterday. According to a new study from the Center for Disease Control US teens are having less sex, doing fewer drugs and smoking fewer cigarettes than those who grew up in the 1990s.
Unconfirmed reports claim the use of "sass mouth" is down a whopping 29%. Additionally, teenagers are also looking both ways before crossing the street, saying please and thank you 65% more often, and elder respect is at an all time high.
I guess all those skanky teens I used to watch on 'Laguna Beach' were really just dressing that way to beat the heat. Well it looks like the youth of today is pretty boring compared to the youth of yesterday. According to a new study from the Center f... more -
‘DASH’ Diet Gains Validity
Women who follow the healthy "DASH diet" have fewer heart attacks and strokes, a study has found. The research used 25 years of data on 88,000 women. All were part of the Nurses' Health Study. The DASH diet is a plan designed to reduce blood pressure. It includes twice as many fruits, vegetables and grains as the average American diet. About 15,000 women in the study ate in a way similar to the DASH diet. Their heart attack rate was 24% lower than the rate for women in the study who ate typical American diets. Their stroke rate was 18% lower. The study was published in the April 14th issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
***
A diet to reduce blood pressure that actually works AND includes foods that I regularly eat?? AWESOME! Women who follow the healthy "DASH diet" have fewer heart attacks and strokes, a study has found. The research used 25 years... more -
Facial profiling
Millions of users have profiles on the social networking sites. They can list their majors, hometown, favorite books, movies, music, quotes and other personal information. But a University of Texas researcher found this information does not always give an accurate impression of the user.
DUH!!! Millions of users have profiles on the social networking sites. They can list their majors, hometown, favorite books, movies, music,... more -
It pays to play nice, Harvard study says
According to new research nice guys do finish first.
In a study: the students played more than 8,000 games of prisoner's dilemma, using dimes to reward and punish. The normal game of prisoner's dilemma gives two players two options: cooperate or defect. If both cooperate, each ends up winning a dime. If both defect, each gets nothing. If one cooperates and the other defects, the cooperative player loses 20 cents and the defector wins 30 cents.
The research found that those who punished the most made the least money.
There you have it, BE NICE! :) According to new research nice guys do finish first. ... more -
Debbie Downer has more sex than you do
Depressed women have more sex than those who are happier, regardless of whether they are in a relationship or not, a study of Australians has found.
A survey of Melbourne women presented at an international mental health conference has concluded that females who suffer from mild to moderate depression have a third more sexual activity than those who are not.
But really. Would you want to have sex with a depressed woman? Depressed women have more sex than those who are happier, regardless of whether they are in a relationship or not, a study of Australi... more -
Why pretty women like ugly men…
Has anyone noticed how weddings and common cold are similar? Both are contagious and seem to be affected by weather change. Nothing else explains how suddenly most people one knows are either sniffling or sending out wedding invites. It could also be the biological clock.
The first announcement was sitting in my inbox with the subject line jubilantly declaring, “I am getting married people!” A week back the same friend was single and mingling. Before one could react to that news, another friend called and declared she had a marriage proposal and was “seriously thinking” about it. Again, in a week from having no suitors she was suddenly thinking matrimony.
In the course of describing how their sudden decision to tie the knot had come about, both friends declared, “I am very happy. But the guy is not very good looking,” and then somewhat defensively, “but he’s a sweetheart.” Congratulations later and having seen their to-be spouse’s pictures, one realized that both girls – despite being downright stunning to look at – were marrying men who were rather plain. It reminded one of an old adage, “Langoor ke moonh mein angoor.”
Now a recent study by Columbia University suggested that good-looking people prefer to date equally good-looking people, at times even people who are better looking than themselves. Yet here were two of my very good-looking friends settling for rather plain men.
It’s not just my friends either. Many celeb couples too seem to follow the norm of pretty-woman-average-bloke: Ajay Devgan-Kajol, Azharuddin-Sangeeta Bijlani, Priyanka Gandhi-Robert Vadra, SRK-Gauri Khan (he wasn’t a superstar then!), Juhi Chawla-Jai Mehta… Since these were all love marriages one could perhaps say love perhaps is blind. Both my friends however are going in for arranged marriages and love is nowhere in the picture. Has anyone noticed how weddings and common cold are similar? Both are contagious and seem to be affected by weather change. Nothing el... more -
Americans suck at sex
The results of the 2007/2008 Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey results are in - and we Americans should be sad.
Americans spend nearly three hours every week grooming themselves, but less than one hour on foreplay and sexual intercourse. It’s no wonder that only 46% of us describe our love lives as exciting, or existent for that matter.
On average, Americans spend 35 minutes on foreplay and sexual intercourse each session. And since we have sex once every 4.3 days, that averages out to about 57 minutes per week – 14 minutes below the global average.
Durex also revealed that Americans are having a lot less sex than just about everyone else in the world, and when we do, less than half are fully satisfied. Great job, U.S. The results of the 2007/2008 Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey results are in - and we Americans should be sad. ... more -
If you were spanked as a child you probably love it as an adult
Researchers have found that individuals who were spanked as children are more likely to partake in rough, masochistic sex as adults.
So, if you're into kinky sex, you can thank Mom and Dad. Researchers have found that individuals who were spanked as children are more likely to partake in rough, masochistic sex as adults. ... more -
Sperm defects can be passed to children
Research suggests that exposure to environmental toxins that can damage sperm can be passed down the generations.
Scientist say that fathers who drink and smoke should be aware they are potentially damaging not just themselves, but their off spring.
Now when you do the Dew, think about your unborn kids, your children, your children's children. They could all pay for your mistakes. Research suggests that exposure to environmental toxins that can damage sperm can be passed down the generations. ... more -
Can You Nap Your Way to Health?
Here in the United States, many people consider eight hours an ideal amount of sleep — and most of them expect those eight hours to come in one block at night. But in Latin America, Mediterranean countries, and other parts of the world, the ideal slumber follows quite a different pattern. In sunny climates, people like to retreat from the heat and stress of a busy day for an afternoon siesta, then make up the difference by staying up late at night.
Cultural norms evolve to suit the needs and preferences of particular societies. But human biology is much the same in Athens and Chicago. Perhaps, then, a study of siestas in Greece will help Americans understand their own choices for healthful sleep. The study also raises the interesting possibility that a daily siesta may help ward off heart disease.
***
I like to take naps in my car during my lunch hour. Here in the United States, many people consider eight hours an ideal amount of sleep — and most of them expect those eight hours to co... more -
Scientists hail spinal injury breakthrough
According to a report in New Scientist today, a group of neuroscientists have conducted successful experiments on rats with spinal injuries that allows the rats to regain feeling and some movement in paralyzed limbs. If tests continue to be successful it raises the prospect of the first human trials within five years, offering hope to the countless people with spinal cord injuries. According to a report in New Scientist today, a group of neuroscientists have conducted successful experiments on rats with spinal inj... more
-
Marriage: It's only going to get worse
So your spouse bugs you now, research shows that in the coming years it only gets worse. Study found that couples found their spouses even more irritating and demanding the longer they were together.
(The same was not true for friends and children. Good thing too, imagine hating your children or your friends.)
The silver lining is that maybe it's not that they're actually more irritating, but rather that as couples become more comfortable with each other, their communication improves, which includes communicating when they're annoyed by the other's behavior. So your spouse bugs you now, research shows that in the coming years it only gets worse. Study found that couples found their spouses... more -
Good night's sleep is no slumber party for smokers
A study found that smokers spend less time in deep sleep than nonsmokers, and 4 times more likely to complain that their sleep did not leave them well rested. What's to blame? The nicotine (it acts as a stimulate) and the minor withdrawal that happens while you are sleeping.
Solution: smoking in your sleep, forget about sleeping, or quit smoking. A study found that smokers spend less time in deep sleep than nonsmokers, and 4 times more likely to complain that their sleep did not... more -
Eating out could cost you
HPV is not just for women anymore.
The sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer in women is poised to become one of the leading causes of oral cancer in men, according to a new study.
Incidence rates likely due to increase in oral sex and decline in smoking. HPV is not just for women anymore. ... more
-
related topics
Scientific Studies
Contributors (300)
Scientific Studies
