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Friday, March 29, 2024

UF research team finds way to help those with chronic back pain

A UF research team has found a way to alleviate chronic back pain in older adults without using medication.

The team discovered electrical stimulation treatment, which decreases pain by activating receptors in the brain and spinal cord, can help ease back pain in those 57 to 79 years old, said Corey Simon, a postdoctoral researcher in the Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence at the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute. This could potentially become an alternative to prescription drugs.

The study included 60 adults who were 20 to 79 years old and suffered from chronic back pain. Pain is considered chronic when it lasts for at least three months, and it is prevalent among adults considered "older," which is between 57 to 79 years old, Simon said.

The stimulation comes from a portable device about the size of a smartphone, and it is worth about $600, Simon said. The device delivers low-voltage electrical nerve stimulation therapy through four adhesive pads placed on the participants’ lower backs.

In the course of two years, the five-person team learned all participants’ backs felt better at the end of the electrical stimulation treatments. The researchers found it interesting that older adults needed a higher amplitude of electric stimulation to feel better, and while the stimulation isn’t intolerable, some participants found it to be tingly, prickly or ticklish, Simon said.

The next step of the research will look at the stimulation therapy as an alternative to medication, which is why the study emphasized older adults using the treatment in their homes.

"It works when you use it," Simon said. "You have to keep using it effectively."

- Ashley Martin

UF research team finds water mold can kill Florida plants

The UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences found new information about a water mold responsible for plant damage that costs Florida growers millions of dollars annually.

The study found that phytophthora, which is Greek for "plant destroyer," infected about 40 of the ornamental plants the researchers studied, including azaleas.

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The mold was also responsible for the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s.

"Phytophthora are very dangerous, aggressive and carry lots of disease-causing proteins, which they inject into plant cells, killing them for their own benefit," said Gul Shad Ali, a UF plant pathology assistant professor and the study’s principal investigator.

He said the goal of the study was to find out how genetically diverse phytophthora species are in Florida.

The group also wanted to find out if any strands of the species are resistant to fungicides.

"Research like this enables us to use less pesticides and less chemicals in protecting our crops," Ali said. "Understanding the genetic diversity of these parasites helps growers prevent plant diseases naturally, which means a lower cost of production and a cheaper product for consumers, as well as a healthier environment overall."

- Ryan Harke

UF professor teaches students how to make peppers tastier

A UF professor is teaching students how to improve the flavor of peppers.

In a plant-breeding research project, horticulture science professor Bala Rathinasabapathi is working with students studying the genetic traits related to the quality of peppers’ flavor and appearance. This will help students find ways to improve the peppers’ nutrients and taste by modifying the vegetables’ characteristics, such as their acid and sugar content.

"We all know vegetables are good for you," Rathinasabapathi said. "But how do you make the consumers choose more vegetables in their diet?"

By making peppers taste and look more appealing, more people will want to buy and eat them, he said.

"We are increasing the variety of choices for the consumer," Rathinasabapathi said.

The program, which is open to all UF students, was created in 2010. After more than five years, about 30 students have participated in it, and they work by themselves or in groups at a greenhouse on Hull Road.

"Students can come in at any time and work on one aspect of research," Rathinasabapathi said.

He said he likes how the project works with all students, not just those knowledgeable about plant genetics.

People need to think about their health when choosing what foods to eat.

"I think we should eat a lot more vegetables and fruits and berries," Rathinasabapathi said.

 

- Ashley Martin

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