U of M News Wire: July 26, 2007

 
Free Web-based resource aimed at helping Minnesotans connect with local health services to go live July 31
 
By Patty Mattern
U of M News Wire

Surfing the Web for information is often the first thing Minnesotans do today when they have a question regarding a health issue. And, on reputable sites, they find good information and suggestions of what health providers to see or what support groups are available. Unfortunately, health providers or support groups mentioned end up being thousands of miles away. Starting on Tuesday, July 31 that will change for Minnesotans.
 
A new, free, Web-based resource called “My Health Minnesota -- Go Local,” planned for a launch on Tuesday, July 31, will make it possible for Minnesotans to connect with health services, hospitals, care providers, nursing homes, support groups and more in their local communities.
 
The University of Minnesota Health Sciences Libraries, the Mayo Clinic Libraries and MINITEX Library Information Network are jointly launching this new resource.
 
My Health Minnesota -- Go Local’s goal is to give Minnesota citizens quality information about their health and also empower them to access health services throughout the state.
 
Consumers have long been able to access trustworthy information about health conditions through Web sites like the MedlinePlus consumer Web site of the National Library of Medicine (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/). But access to local health resources and treatment options has been hard to find online. My Health Minnesota -- Go Local builds on the MedlinePlus site by providing information on health services in consumers’ local communities.
 
For example, a Minnesota citizen looking for information on breast cancer could use My Health Minnesota -- Go Local to find links to local services such as cancer clinics, oncology specialists, breast cancer support groups and other resources.
 
“Minnesota prides itself as being one of the healthiest states in the nation,” said Linda Watson, Health Sciences Libraries director at the University of Minnesota. “Citizens who are well-informed about their health and about options for their care can make better decisions for themselves and their families. My Health Minnesota -- Go Local adds value by pointing to related health services in Minnesota communities.”
 
Twenty other Go Local projects exist throughout the country, all based on the information in MedlinePlus. Nine new Go Local projects are in development. More information about nationwide Go Local resources is available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/golocal/index.html.
 
The project was made possible with funding from the National Library of Medicine (part of the National Institutes of Health); the Minnesota Department of Education; State Library Services through a Library Services and Technology Act grant; and with the support of Health Science Libraries of Minnesota.

 
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In a bug-eat-bug world, the U of M is leading the charge against soybean aphids
U of M researchers are field testing good insects to battle Soybean Aphids in a safe, environmentally friendly method of pest control

By Justin Ware
U of M News Wire

The days of soybean aphids feasting on Minnesota’s soybean fields may be numbered.
 
University of Minnesota scientists are field testing a beneficial insect, a stingless wasp also known as Binodoxys communis, that kills soybean aphids. A successful field test would be a major breakthrough in controlling a damaging Minnesota crop pest. The U of M received permission from the federal government to conduct this test and is the leading institution in the testing.
 
The soybean aphid appeared in Minnesota fields in 2000 and today costs Minnesota soybean growers an estimated $200 million annually in lost crop yields and spraying costs.
 
“The soybean aphid was imported without any of its natural enemies, the organisms that keeps aphids in check in China,” said Dave Ragsdale, U of M entomologist. “Our researchers and Extension experts are working to provide that check and balance system in Minnesota.”
 
Multiple stages of evaluation and testing have been completed at the Insect Quarantine Facility, a joint effort between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station on the U of M’s St. Paul Campus. Special security and air filtration systems ensure the insects being evaluated don’t venture out on their own. Field testing will take place in a limited number of grower fields and at Research and Outreach Centers.
 
Binodoxys communis was approved for release based upon four years of laboratory safety testing.  It is an especially promising species for control of soybean aphid, because it comes from a region in China that is a good climate match to Minnesota. The stingless wasp specializes in soybean aphid and has been observed apparently controlling it in China.
 
A cooperative effort between the U of M, the state and soybean growers, like New Richland farmer Larry Muff, have made this experiment possible.
 
“The soybean check off is committed to supporting research that will mitigate this devastating pest,” said Muff, co-chair of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Tech Transfer Committee. “Organic growers will also benefit from this biological control of aphids.”    
 
University researchers and Minnesota Department of Agriculture scientists will monitor the ability of Binodoxys communis to kill soybean aphids this summer and continue the attack this fall when soybean aphids move to buckthorn plants and survive the winter to battle soybean aphids in 2008.
 
The researchers also have a backup plan.  Eleven other species and strains of stingless wasps are under evaluation and some of these that have shown promise from both a safety and efficacy standpoint may be field tested in 2008.
 
More information on the field testing, high resolution photos for download and other soybean aphid information is available at www.soybeans.umn.edu.

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Growing Concerns
A parenting question-and-answer column with Dr. Martha Erickson of the University of Minnesota

Question: Getting my 4-year-old off to childcare and myself off to work has become a morning nightmare. He doesn't want to get out of bed, resists when I try to dress him and hardly touches his breakfast. What can I do? Once he gets to childcare, he gets along fine with the other kids and seems to like his teacher a lot.
              
Answer: Trying to get the whole family fed, dressed and out the door can become a major challenge and source of stress for many families with young children. Your son probably finds his cozy bed much more appealing than facing the morning rush hour. And even though he enjoys childcare once he gets there, he may long for more time at home with those who love him best.  Nonetheless, there are a few things that might help things go more smoothly for all of you.
 
• Be sure that your son is getting enough sleep. This may mean gradually moving his bedtime to an earlier hour.
 
• Gently acknowledge his feelings of still being sleepy in the morning and wishing that he could have a morning at home. And remind him that when Saturday comes you can have a lazy morning together. Then be sure to follow through. Just knowing that you understand his feelings may make him less resistant.
 
• To minimize what you have to do in the morning, do some planning together the night before. For example, have your son choose his clothes and lay them out; pack his backpack for childcare and put it in the car; and plan together what to have for breakfast the next morning and set the table.
 
• Create a wake-up ritual with your son, something that makes getting up more fun and a time of special closeness with you.  For example, you might read a short story or sing a wake-up song. Although these routines require a little extra time, they often save time in the long run by helping to avoid battles.
 
I remember confronting these same challenges when my own daughter was young. We created our own wake-up routine, which made our mornings much happier. While she was still sleeping I'd make breakfast for both of us, then I'd take it upstairs on a tray and wake her up with a silly song I'd made up for her. We'd eat together, snuggled up on the couch in the den -- our special time together. Dad and big brother have a different morning style and were glad to be left on their own. My daughter is 30 now and has two young children of her own, and she still has warm memories of those morning times together. Sometimes we even sing that silly song I made up for her way back when!
 
Dr. Erickson is a senior fellow and director of the Harris Programs in the Center for Early Childhood Education at the University of Minnesota
 
Want to hear more parenting advice?
Dr. Erickson and her daughter can be heard every Sunday, from 2 - 4 pm, on “Good Enough Moms,” on FM107.1 radio in the Twin Cities or via Webcast at www.FM1071.com