which is the third most important food crop in the world today. Although the potato was domesticated probably
and coauthors Paul Heady of the Central Coast Bat Research Group and John Hayes of the University of Florida also contributed to the study.
Researchers drove more than 1140 miles at night and used thermal imaging and night vision equipment to quantify the population of roe
and fertility of roe and muntjac deer across 234 km2 of forested land and heathland in Breckland East Anglia to measure the effectiveness of deer management.
because thousands of deer are pushed out'to the surrounding countryside each year helping drive the further spread of deer.
These figures greatly exceed previous cull recommendations for muntjac (30 per cent) and roe (20 per cent.
and 60 for roe deer is necessary to curb their continuing increase and spread. Story Source:
To allow future studies to identify the functions of slender false brome genes the authors also compared the false brome transcriptome to those of well-studied agricultural species including rice and sorghum.
or easy for enzymes to turn the biomass into sugars? Differences in cell walls are enormous
and insect resistance but it can stand in the way of enzymes that want to get at the sugars locked up in the carbohydrates.
It's the deconstruction of the raw sugars that produces the sugars the biofuels industry finds valuable.
The ratios of lignin to carbohydrate components together with the intensity of the lignin peaks can tell a scientist how easily a plant will give up its sugars.
or some other factor affecting recalcitrance (the plant's resistance to give up its structural sugars).
where the rain forest supplies more food the influence of the dominant male increases. In order to escape his attention many other males remain small.
As there is more food available in the jungle on Sumatra than in the forests of Borneo the dominant male has sufficient time to keep a close watch over the females in his environment
which the smaller ones never prevail the advantages of developmental arrest disappear The fact that food supply in the forest has such a strong impact on the mating behaviour of the orangutan came as a surprise to Dunkel.
and gingers according to Caroline Strã mberg UW assistant professor of biology and lead author of an article in Nature Communications.
and mostly up in the animals'gums when they are young. As chewing surfaces of the teeth wear away more of the tooth emerges from the gums until the crowns are used up.
In each tooth bonelike dentin and tough enamel are folded complexly and layered to create strong ridged surfaces for chewing.
Amsini Parfait C. Bakabana Thurston Cleveland Hicks Rosine E. Bayogo Martha Bechem Rene L. Beyers Anicet N. Bezangoye Patrick Boundja
Eighty-seven percent of the world's flowering plants including most of the leading global food crops are pollinated by animals.
The scientists found that declining bee species tend to have larger body sizes restricted diets and shorter flight seasons.
Historically we've seen symptoms similar to IBDS associated with viruses spread by large-scale infestations of parasitic mites says Dr. David Tarpy an associate professor of entomology at North carolina State university
and extrudes it into a long spaghetti-like string of plastic. Their process is open-source
#Problems with identifying meat? The answer is to check the barcodewant to know what you are eating?
DNA barcodes can be used to identify even very closely related species finds an article published in Biomed Central's open access journal Investigative Genetics.
Results from the study show that the labelling of game meat in South africa is very poor with different species being substituted almost 80%of the time.
In South africa game meat biltong (air dried strips) is big business with over 10000 wildlife farms
This meat is considered to be'healthier'than beef because it is lower in fat and cholesterol and perceived to be lower in additives.
and cytb sequencing researchers analysed samples of game meat from supermarkets wholesalers and other outlets and compared them to known samples and library sequences.
All the beef samples were correct but for the most badly labelled case 92%of kudu was a different species. Only 24%of springbok
and ostrich biltong was actually springbok or ostrich. The rest was horse impala hartebeest wildebeest waterbok eland gemsbok duiker giraffe kangaroo lamb pork or beef.
Worryingly one sample labelled zebra was actually mountain zebra a'red listed'species threatened with extinction.
Because swamp forests often lack food sources fresh water and easy mobility few mammals are exclusive to these areas Nowak reported.
The bees still have food plants are still getting pollinator service. But the service has declined the network's structure is weaker
Robertson's bees were mostly solitary bees small nondescript bees that lay a few eggs in cells
and seed crops that make diets interesting such as tomatoes coffee and watermelon is limited because their flowers are pollinated not adequately says Harder.
This study published in the journal Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism is the first to make a link between GSSES and high-fat-diet-induced renal disease.
The authors examined the effect of GSSE processed from a grape cultivar('Carignan')of Vitis vinifera from northern Tunisia on rats.
and prevents copper depletion in rats is available Open Access in the journal Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism.
In the case of dairy farms they also factored in the purchase of soybean meal from South america and all related greenhouse gas emissions.
One effective strategy is for landholders to grow feed themselves rather than purchase soy from another source.
and do not import soybean meal. This strategy pays off according to HÃ lsbergen: The pilot organic farms we looked at emit around 200 grams less CO2 per kilogram of milk than conventional farms with the same milk yield.
The study is financed by Germany's Federal Ministry of Food Agriculture and Consumer Protection and by the Federal Program for Organic agriculture and Other Forms of Sustainable agriculture (Bundesprogramm Ãologischer Landbau und andere Formen
and colleagues have identified a special population of adult stem cells in bone marrow that have the natural ability to migrate to the intestine
. and the European union on how production of biofuels will impact food security. This has led to a realization that increased production of biofuels must take place on so-called marginal land acreage not suitable for growing food crops but capable of growing switch grass Indian beech trees and Barbados nut trees.
Concerned that previous estimates were targeting some areas where land is not marginal the scientists did the calculations using data obtained through crowdsourcing
All social species ultimately evolved from a solitary ancestor--in this case a solitary wasp who lays the eggs and feeds the brood.
#Maize in diets of people in coastal Peru dates to 5, 000 years agofor decades archaeologists have struggled with understanding the emergence of a distinct South american civilization during the Late Archaic period (3000-1800
or corn) was indeed a primary component in the diet of people living in the Norte Chico region of Peru an area of remarkable cultural florescence in 3rd millennium B c. Their research is the subject of a paper
and constitutes the primary source of calories in the diet. Haas and his colleagues also analyzed residues on stone tools used for cutting scraping pounding and grinding.
Coprolites (preserved fecal material) provide the best direct evidence of prehistoric diet. Among 62 coprolites analyzed of all types--34 human 16 domesticated dog and others from various animals--43 (or 69 percent) contained maize starch grains phytoliths
Coprolites also showed that fish mostly anchovies did provide the primary protein in the diet but not the calories.
and in multiple sites indicates this domesticated food crop was grown widely in the area and constituted a major portion of the local diet
and it was used not just on ceremonial occasions. The research ultimately confirms the importance of agriculture in providing a strong economic base for the rise of complex centralized societies in the emergence of the world's civilizations.
and food sources into the forest as well as by physically altering and fragmenting habitat. These changes can have myriad impacts including altered species behavior
This research which is being conducted by Agricultural research service (ARS) scientists at the agency's Agroecosystems Management Research Unit in Lincoln Neb. supports the USDA priority of ensuring food safety.
In one project ARS microbiologist Lisa Durso used fecal samples from six beef cattle to identify a core set of bovine gastrointestinal bacterial groups common to both beef
even though all six consumed the same diet and were breed the same gender and age. In another study Durso collaborated with ARS agricultural engineer John Gilley
The manure had been collected from livestock that had consumed either corn or feed with wet distillers grains.
But they did note that diet affected the transport of bacteriophages--viruses that invade bacteria--in field runoff.
#Smarter lunchrooms make lunch choices childs playin January 2012 the United states Department of agriculture passed a series of regulations designed to make school lunches more nutritious
or vegetable with their purchased lunch. However children cannot be forced to eat these healthier lunches.
In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics researchers determined that small inexpensive changes to school cafeterias influenced the choice and consumption of healthier foods.
Andrew S. Hanks Phd and colleagues from the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (B. E. N. Center) studied the effects of multiple small interventions
called the smarter lunchroom makeover in the cafeterias of two junior-senior high schools (grades 7-12) in western New york. In the lunchroom changes were implemented to improve the convenience
and attractiveness of fruits and vegetables (e g. fresh fruit next to the cash register in nice bowls or tiered stands)
and vegetables seem standard through verbal cues from cafeteria staff (e g. Would you like to try an apple?.
The smarter lunchroom makeover took no more than 3 hours in one afternoon and cost less than $50 to implement.
To measure the impact of the smarter lunchroom makeover researchers recorded what was left on trays after lunch both before and after the intervention.
After the smarter lunchroom makeover students were 13%more likely to take fruits and 23%more likely to take vegetables.
and consuming healthier foods even when confronted with less healthy options. These simple changes could also be effective in the cafeterias of other organizations including hospitals companies and retirement homes.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Elsevier Health Sciences. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
This novel communication channel reveals how flowers can potentially inform their pollinators about the honest status of their precious nectar and pollen reserves.
and then fail to provide nectar: a lesson in honest advertising since bees are good learners
Bees communicate visually using precise waggles to indicate sources of foods to their peers; other primates can make a range of sounds comprising warnings about predators and other messages.
Their observation of how patterns of pigmentation on flower petals influence bumblebees'behavior suggests that color veins give clues to the location of the nectar.
which bees locate the nectar reward in a flower. Venation patterns--or lines of color on flower petals--are common in Antirrhinum flowers commonly known as snapdragons.
when they were looking for nectar. From the bees'perspective red flowers reflected little light while red veins on ivory flowers slightly changed the color of the flower.
because they can be useful nectar guides particularly when they also increase flower visibility. But it appears that the color contrast of a flower with its background has a greater influence on bee preference.
sugars than conventionally grown fruittomatoes grown on organic farms accumulate higher concentrations of sugars Vitamin c and compounds associated with oxidative stress compared to those grown on conventional farms according to research published February 20 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Maria Raquel Alcantara Miranda and colleagues from the Federal University
They suggest that this increased stress may be the reason organic tomatoes had higher levels sugars Vitamin c and pigment molecules like lycopene an antioxidant compound--all of
#Modifying infants diet may reduce celiac disease risk, Swedish study suggestsceliac disease is much more common in Sweden than in the rest of Europe
and the U s. but may be prevented with gradually introducing gluten-containing foods to breast-feeding infants according to a comprehensive study led by researchers at Ume㥠University.
Celiac disease also known as gluten intolerance is a chronic disease whose only treatment is a lifelong strict gluten-free diet
i e. to exclude anything that contains wheat rye or barley. Until the 1970s celiac disease was unusual
and preferably starting with small amounts of gluten while breastfeeding is still ongoing. These findings have contributed to the current Swedish recommendations on infant nutrition
and has influenced recently also the recommendations in the rest of Europe and in the United states. We now have proven this way of introducing gluten reduces the risk of getting celiac disease says Dr. Anneli Ivarsson.
The findings in the study published online Feb 18 and in the March print issue of the journal Pediatrics are based on ETICS--Exploring the Iceberg of Celiacs in Sweden
It was developed by a decade of adverse infant nutrition and Sweden has by far the highest incidence of celiac disease in Europe
and the U s. but may be prevented with gradually introducing gluten-containing foods to breast-feeding infants according to a comprehensive study led by researchers at Ume㥠University.
Celiac disease also known as gluten intolerance is a chronic disease whose only treatment is a lifelong strict gluten-free diet
i e. to exclude anything that contains wheat rye or barley. Until the 1970s celiac disease was unusual
and preferably starting with small amounts of gluten while breastfeeding is still ongoing. These findings have contributed to the current Swedish recommendations on infant nutrition
and has influenced recently also the recommendations in the rest of Europe and in the United states. The researcher team led Dr. Anneli Ivarsson at the Department of public health and Clinical Medicine speculate that there may be a window of opportunity in which an infanwe now have proven this way of introducing gluten reduces the risk of getting celiac disease says Dr
. Anneli Ivarsson. The findings in the study published online Feb 18 and in the March print issue of the journal Pediatrics are based on ETICS--Exploring the Iceberg of Celiacs in Sweden
It was developed by a decade of adverse infant nutrition and Sweden has by far the highest incidence of celiac disease in Europe
and the build up of leaf litter around the shrubs tends to cool the soil surface reducing the availability of soil nutrients for other plants Post said.
Amanda Padovan who led this project explained The main defence against predation of Eucalyptus is a cocktail of terpene oils including monoterpenes sesquiterpenes and FPCS
#Diet of resistant starch helps the body resist colorectal canceras the name suggests you can't digest resistant starch
and cooled starchy products like sushi rice and pasta salad. You have to consume it at room temperate
and then feed half of the rats a diet high in resistant starch--these rats don't gain back the weight as fast as rats fed a regular digestible starch diet.
There are a lot of things that feed into the same model of resistant starch as a cancer-protective agent Higgins says.
#Nicotine lozenges, tobacco-free snuff help smokeless tobacco users quitsmokeless tobacco users who said they didn't want to quit changed their minds
when given nicotine lozenges or tobacco-free snuff in a Mayo Clinic study. The findings are published in the February issue of Addictive Behaviors.
Forty were given 4-mg nicotine lozenges and 41 received tobacco-free snuff to help cut back their smokeless tobacco use.
and dips per day and sustained it through the end of the study. About one-third of study participants continued using 75 percent less smokeless tobacco use 26 weeks after the study
Previous studies have evaluated the effectiveness of nicotine lozenges and tobacco-free snuff for reducing smokeless tobacco use among smokeless tobacco users not ready to quit
They propose amendments to EU Directive 2001/18 to allow pharmaceutical products from GM plants to be commercialised without needing authorisation to enter the human food or animal feed chain.
Instead the scientists say they should be grown under clearly defined and enforced conditions to keep the food and animal feed chain'contamination free'.
Body composition measures were assessed via computed tomography (CT). Results published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found both increasing thigh intermuscular fat and decreasing thigh
Research (grant R01-NR012459) the Wake Forest University Claude D Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (P30-AG21332) and an individual postdoctoral fellowship (F32-AG039186;
Discovering how microbes collaborate to improve the hardiness of plants is a key to sustainable agriculture that can help meet increasing food demands
and climate change is also affecting our ability to grow enough food and food shortages can lead to unrest and wars.
Population growth makes this research important as well Roossinck added. The global population is heading toward 9 billion
A leafy plant related to a common weed known as lamb's quarter was infected also with a virus that caused a local infection.
#Decoys could blunt spread of ash-killing beetlesas the emerald ash borer ravages North american ash trees threatening the trees'very survival a team of entomologists
and engineers may have found a way to prevent the spread of the pests. Emerald ash borers (EABS) a type of beetle native to Asia first appeared in the U s. about 20 years ago.
but their larvae feed on the ash trees'sap effectively killing the trees by depriving trees of their nourishment.
Thomas C. Baker Distinguished Professor of Entomology at Penn State knew that the male EAB locates a mate by flying over an ash tree finding a female by identifying her green wings
Baker then learned that Lakhtakia was able to replicate certain biological materials such as fly eyes and butterfly wings.
The researchers were able to create a color similar to the emerald ash borer's green wings by layering different types of polymer.
and dendrochronologist David Stahle and Ewing Research Professor Edward Cook of Columbia University used more than 1400 climate-sensitive tree-ring chronologies from multiple tree species across North america to reconstruct the Palmer
They also found that the fires'rate of spread was greater when wind speeds were fast
or succumb later from lack of food and shelter or increased predation. In Australia for instance the koala is especially vulnerable to wildfires that consume the tree canopy as the animals are slow-moving
and leaving roots nutrients and microorganisms unharmed. These frequent low-intensity fires are what forest managers attempt to mimic
The potential of spectral analysisused in everything from baked goods to trendy edamame and livestock feed to cooking oil the huge array of uses for soybeans has scientists looking for the most efficient ways to grow them.
#Masked mold toxins in food should be included in safety regulationsgovernment limits on mold toxins present naturally in grain crops should be expanded to include so-called masked mycotoxins that change from harmless to potentially harmful forms in the body a new
Some health experts regard mycotoxins as the most serious chronic dietary risk factor greater than the potential health threats from pesticides and insecticides.
Government regulations thus limit levels of mycotoxins that are permissible in food and animal feed.
and using it to fertilize eggs for another 25 years. From an ecological viewpoint an ant colony is much like a tree putting out seeds with the potential to create new trees.
A 2007 study by researchers at the University of Northern Arizona estimated that 150 Clark's nutcrackers cached roughly 5 million pinyon pine nuts in a single season benefiting not only the birds themselves but also the pines
The rust mainly infects coffee leaves but also young fruit and buds. Coffee rust spores are spread by the wind and the rain from lesions on the underside of leaves.
#Low-arsenic rice discovered in Bangladesh could have major health benefitsscientists identify aromatic rice with very low arsenic content and higher concentrations of essential nutrients selenium
and Imagingmillions of people worldwide are exposed regularly to arsenic through drinking water and eating rice grown in soil
and water containing high amounts of arsenic. Long-term exposure can lead to the development of different types of cancer as well as serious cardiovascular neurological and other health problems.
Rice is the staple food of over three billion people. Because the rice plant is highly efficient at absorbing arsenic from soil
For Bangladeshis rice is their staple food and they consume on average half a kilogram of rice daily.
This is very good news for millions of Bangladeshis who are exposed to high concentration of arsenic through drinking water
#oebangladeshis are proud of their diet and often refer to themselves as#mache bhathe Bangali which can be translated roughly as fish
and other communities where rice is a staple food but it is important to encourage a more balanced diet that is less dependent on rice#Haris explains.
Aromatic rice is cultivated generally during the wet (aman) season and therefore is less dependent on the use of groundwater for irrigation.
#oethis type of rice could be used in infant foods instead of rice with higher arsenic concentrations.
It could also benefit people suffering from celiac disease who consume rice-based foods on a regular basis. Therefore it is essential that further research on aromatic rice from different parts of Bangladesh
and his team managed to remove the ability of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa microorganism to resist the antibiotic medication tetracycline by limiting its access to food and oxygen.
and the associated antibiotic-resistant genes that find their way into the ground water and ultimately the food supply.
By slowly starving them of nutrients and/or oxygen through successive generations they found that in the absence of tetracycline both microbes dumped the resistance plasmid though not entirely in the case of E coli.
#Dark chocolate and red wine the food of love and healthif you want to keep your true love's heart beating strong Susan Ofria clinical nutrition manager at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital said the real
food of love is dark chocolate and red wine. In moderation red wine and dark chocolate are good health choices not just on Valentine's day but for any occasion.
You are not even choosing between the lesser of two evils red wine and dark chocolate have positive components that are actually good for your heart said Ofria a registered dietitian at the Loyola University Health System's Melrose Park campus. Red wine
and dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70 percent or higher contain resveratrol which has been found to lower blood sugar.
Red wine is also a source of catechins which could help improve good HDL cholesterol. Ofria who is also a nutrition educator recommends the following list of heart-healthy ingredients for February which is national heart month and for good heart health all year.
Eight Ways to Say I Love You From Loyola Dietitianred Wine--Pinots shirahs merlots--all red wines are a good source of catechins and resveratrol to aid'good'cholesterol.
Dark chocolate 70 percent or higher cocoa content--Truffles souffl s and even hot chocolate can be a good source of resveratrol
and cocoa phenols (flavonoids) as long as dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa is used. Salmon/tuna--Especially white or albacore tuna and salmon are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids
and canned salmon contains soft bones that give an added boost of calcium intake. Flaxseeds--Choose either brown
or golden yellow and have them ground for a good source of omega-3 fatty acids fiber phytoestrogens.
Oatmeal--Cooked for a breakfast porridge or used in breads or desserts oatmeal is a good source of soluble fiber niacin folate and potassium.
Black or kidney beans--Good source of niacin folate magnesium omega-3 fatty acids calcium soluble fiber. Walnuts and almonds--Both walnuts and almonds contain omega-3 fatty acids Vitamin e magnesium fiber and heart-favorable mono-and polyunsaturated fats.
Blueberries/cranberries/raspberries/strawberries--Berries are a good source of beta carotene and lutein anthocyanin ellagic acid a polyphenol) Vitamin c folate potassium and fiber.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Loyola University Health System. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h
and the nutrients in such forms are difficult for plants to use. The active labile fraction however is a modest but important part of the organic matter.
It's where soil nutrients are cycled rapidly and are interacting with microbial communities. The size of the labile pool then can be an important predictor of corn agronomic performance.
Culman in Sieg Snapp's lab at the W. K. Kellogg Biological Station decided to use other measurements of the labile fractions--including nitrogen mineralization
This would be especially useful for nitrogen--a nutrient that is incredibly important for crop growth
and millions of workers--have enabled The argentine ant to spread across the United States displacing native species
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