Save the River begins beach water testing
Bathtub Bay off Picton Island has been added to the list of tested locations. The other eight: Wilson's Beach, Sawmill Bay, Potters Beach, Frink Park, Round Island, the Thousand Islands Park Cove, Lake of the Isles and Scenic View Park. All will be tested for E. coli through the summer.
Save The River tests for E. coli because it is a simple measure of water quality. More than 235 E. coli colonies in a 100-milliter sample is considered unhealthy for people by the New York State Department of Health. Excessive E. coli in the River can indicate a leaking sewage, pollution from runoff and high levels of human and animal excrement.
Testing is completed by Converse Laboratories in Watertown. Results are shared weekly on Save The River's social media, website and with the press to ensure another healthy swimming season on the St. Lawrence River.
More information can be found at savetheriver.org, by calling (315) 686-2010, and emailing info@savetheriver.org
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Palm Beach physician pioneering new advances in ALS and inflammatory disease treatment
A Palm Beach physician-scientist is leading efforts to create breakthrough treatments for Parkinson's, ALS, Alzheimer's and other diseases through a biotech company she established nearly a decade ago. Dr. Simrit Parmar, a Northwestern University-trained oncologist and research scientist, launched Cellenkos Inc., in 2016 to accelerate the clinical development of "T regulatory cell" therapies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders. T regulatory cells, or Tregs (pronounced tee-regs), are natural immune system regulator cells that suppress the activity of other immune cells to prevent excessive inflammation and autoimmune reactions. Before launching Cellenkos, Parmar conducted extensive research on these cells and developed therapies based on them. While working as an oncologist/hematologist in the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at the University of Texas's MD Anderson Cancer in Houston in 2009, she developed treatments using T regulatory cells derived from umbilical cord blood to help prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a complication that can occur after an allogeneic stem cell or bone marrow transplant. Parmar told the Daily News it was 'very discouraging' to watch patients die from GVHD, which motivated her to focus her research on controlling the inflammation caused by donor cells, starting with the discovery of T regulatory cells. As she continued to conduct her research, she discovered that these cells had uses beyond preventing GVHD. "We found that the application of these cells is beyond just that one niche," she told the Daily News. "It can be applied to any autoimmune disease, to any inflammatory disorder." In 2016, the cell technology Parmar developed at MD Anderson was licensed to Cellenkos, which now supports her ongoing research through a sponsored research agreement. Since then, Parmar has focused on her work advancing targeted Treg cell therapies designed to ease inflammation and regulate immune function. Cellenkos is currently in clinical trials for various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including ALS, bone marrow failure, severe COVID-19 and myelofibrosis. Results have been positive so far, Parmar said, noting that ALS patients have seen a delay in disease progression and functional decline and an improvement in quality of life. "We have made some great strides in neurodegenerative disease," she said. "We just published a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine Evidence on ALS, where we showed not only disease halting, but slight improvement in resolving inflammation. That research has applications beyond just ALS. We are hoping as we are garnering more funding, we can go after Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis." Inflammation is the root cause of many diseases including cardiac, respiratory, neurological and hematological disorders, Parmar said, and it also drives many autoimmune diseases. Parmar's cell therapies restore immune balance by targeting harmful T cells — a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes — that can mistakenly attack healthy cells in the body, and retraining the body's own defense mechanisms. "We have a drug that heals inside out," she said. "We believe that we neutralize the bad player, which may not have initiated the inflammation, but definitely plays a key role in the propagation of widespread inflammation." Parmar, a mother of three who lives in Palm Beach's North End and travels regularly to Houston, where Cellenkos is based, said she remains committed to developing cell therapies targeting a broad range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Cellenkos is pursuing funding for larger ALS research studies in the U.S., and it is also preparing for the next phase of clinical trials required for federal Food and Drug Administration approval. Parmar said she sees Palm Beach County's emergence as a neuroscience hub as a key benefit of her move, and she hopes it will lead to new research, development, and partnership opportunities. "We're incredibly excited about the momentum building in the Palm Beach and Jupiter area around neuroscience innovation," she said. "With new opportunities for R&D collaboration in the region, it presents an ideal environment for us to expand. We see great potential not only to develop a manufacturing facility for neurological compounds … but also to establish a dedicated treatment center that brings these breakthroughs directly to patients.' Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach physician-scientist pioneering groundbreaking ALS therapy
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gadsden State camp aims to spark students' interest in high-tech fields
Students who are well-versed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics will be better prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. That's the concept behind Gadsden State Community College's STEM and Career Camp, held June 16-18 at the Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce Skills Training Center on the East Broad campus. Middle school students engaged in a wide array of hands-on learning experiences during the camp, according to a GSCC news release. 'This camp is a perfect example of how Gadsden State is investing in the next generation,' said Andy Robertson, dean of workforce development at GSCC, in the news release. 'We're showing students that college and high-demand careers are within reach. Events like this help spark curiosity and confidence in students at a critical age,' he said. 'They leave here realizing that careers in engineering, health care, and technology are not only possible — they're exciting.' The free camp was led by environmental engineer Jerome McQueen, who emphasized the importance of early exposure to career pathways and skill-building opportunities. 'I developed my own initiative — I call it AcaSTEMics. And I really mean STEM-based academics, because I know from my own background it is very important that we get our kids involved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as early as we can,' said McQueen who earned a master's degree in engineering as a NASA Graduate Fellow studying air pollution control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland. More: Accessing local journalism is even easier with the Times app 'I like to harp on the fun part and put on the hard part later," McQueen said. "When they have seen how much fun STEM can be in the beginning, when the hard stuff comes along, they will have this guiding light of where they want to go.' McQueen said it's never too early for students to think about their future. 'I also express the importance of learning what we can right now so they can eventually fund their livelihood and create great things for their future,' he said. GSCC fully funded the camp, which was organized in collaboration with Gadsden City Schools and other local partners. One interested observer at the camp was Alan Smith, interim president at Gadsden State. 'Gadsden State is proud to lead initiatives that support youth, education and workforce development in our region. This camp brought all those priorities together in an exciting and meaningful way through hands-on STEM experiences,' Smith said. 'It's part of our mission to meet students where they are and inspire them to see what their future could look like in high-demand STEM fields," he added. "This kind of outreach lays the groundwork for long-term success in our communities.' This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden State camp helps students build high-demand skills
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
MIT researchers invent game-changing product that could revolutionize agriculture: 'You could give back a billion dollars to US growers'
A team of MIT researchers has developed a system that helps agricultural sprays stick to plant leaves, cutting down on polluting runoff and lowering costs for farmers. Agricultural spraying involves mixing water with chemicals and applying droplets to plant leaves, which are inherently water-repellent, according to a report by MIT News. After testing a variety of methods to optimize the delivery of pesticides and other sprays, the team ended up coating water droplets with a small amount of oil to help them adhere to the leaves. "Basically, this oil film acts as a way to trap that droplet on the surface, because oil is very attracted to the surface and sort of holds the water in place," said Simon Rufer, an MIT graduate student and co-author of a study on the topic. During initial tests, the researchers used soybean oil, figuring that this material would be familiar to farmers, many of whom grow soybeans, the report explained. However, soybean oil wasn't part of the usual supply chains, so they found that several of the chemicals they were already using could be employed in the same way. "That way, we're not introducing a new chemical or changed chemistries into their field, but they're using things they've known for a long time," said Kripa Varanasi, an MIT professor involved in the project. Pesticide use has been steadily increasing across the globe, rising 20% over the last decade, and even up to 153% in low-income countries. The use of this and other types of sprays across the nearly 1.2 billion acres of agricultural land in the U.S. adds up both in terms of quantity and costs. Approximately half a million tons of pesticides, 12 million tons of nitrogen, and four million tons of phosphorus fertilizer are applied to crops across the country. By using the new system, which is being commercialized by AgZen, a spinoff company created by the researchers, farmers can reduce the amount of spray they need to use on crops. Do you worry about pesticides in your food? All the time Sometimes Not really I only eat organic Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "You could give back a billion dollars to U.S. growers if you just saved 6 percent of their pesticide budget," said Vishnu Jayaprakash, lead author of the research paper and CEO of AgZen. "In the lab we got 300 percent of extra product on the plant. So that means we could get orders of magnitude reductions in the amount of pesticides that farmers are spraying." This adhesive effect also helps reduce agricultural runoff, a leading cause of water quality degradation in rivers and streams. It also helps reduce soil erosion, nutrient loss, and the spread of pesticides into our waterways. The system, which AgZen calls RealCoverage, has already been deployed across 920,000 acres of farmland and various crop types, saving farmers up to 50% on their pesticide expenditures, the report explained. The RealCoverage system requires a nozzle that fits most spraying equipment and provides real-time coverage data using its onboard AI, so that it can be fine-tuned, even while in use. "The knowledge we are gathering from every leaf, combined with our expertise in interfacial science and fluid mechanics, is giving us unparalleled insights into how chemicals are used and developed — and it's clear that we can deliver value across the entire agrochemical supply chain," Varanasi said, per MIT News. "Our mission is to use these technologies to deliver improved outcomes and reduced costs for the ag industry." Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
