if the tendency is to have lower precipitation in combination with deforestation the suitable habitat for the bees is going to be reduced said Margarita LÃ pez-Uribe the paper's first author and a graduate student at Cornell.
#Sometimes less is more for hungry dogshungry dogs would be expected to choose alternatives leading to more food rather than less food.
and Thomas Zentall of the University of Kentucky in the US who tested the principle by feeding baby carrots and string cheese to ten dogs of various breeds.
The research was conducted on dogs that would willingly eat cheese and baby carrots when offered
but showed a preference for the cheese. However when given a choice between one slice of cheese
or the cheese together with a piece of carrot nine of the ten dogs chose the cheese alone.
That is they chose less food over more food. The less is more effect is considered an affect heuristic
or mental shortcut that sometimes shows a preference for the qualitative over the quantitative when considering different options.
It appears that the dogs averaged the quality of the cheese plus carrot rather than sum up the quantity of food.
The one that hesitates may lose food to faster-choosing competitors. Such heuristics may also help prey in the wild to make rapid decisions rather than become supper.
But the fact that one in ten dogs did choose the cheese -and-carrot combination suggests that levels of motivation may play a role in this effect.
The outlier dog for instance had a history of living in shelters and fending for himself.
#Texans are turning to a different kind of spirit--vodka --and saltier is known bettertexans for enjoying local beers
and Dr pepper soft drinks now have a growing beverage industry that would appeal to James bond who is well-known for enjoying a good martini.
Distillers are producing at least 17 Texas vodkas researchers reported in Dallas today and the most popular are surprisingly those that are a bit salty.
Their report Shaken not stirred y'all: A comparison of select Texas vodkas covered the results of group tastings on the vodkas as well as some surprising facts about the state's alcoholic beverage market.
It was part of the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS.
The Texas vodka industry is just exploding said Diana Mason Ph d. the lead researcher of the work.
Two years ago when we started the study there were only six vodkas in Texas. Now there are 17 and counting.
And Texans are supposed to be beer drinkers! The expansion of the Lone Star State's distilleries is limited not to vodka either.
Right now there are more than 25 distilleries in the state of Texas which actually produce a lot of vibrant and diverse alcoholic spirits including vodka said Timothy W. Stephens a graduate student at the University of North Texas Denton where he
and Mason conducted the study. The list is expanding to include the production of rum gin whiskey bourbon flavored liqueurs and even agave spirits similar to tequila.
And more than 273 wineries have cropped up in the Lone Star State according to Stephens. In their vodka-tasting study 50 men
and women each sampled multiple small shots of the state's vodkas--presented in test tubes of course Mason said participants only consumed at most an ounce of vodka
because researchers used the swish and spit technique popular in wine tastings. The results were said surprising she.
The two most popular brands among the tasters were the ones with the most dissolved salts
which are detected by the tongue as are other tastes such as sweet and sour. So it was dissolved the salts in the vodka that affected the people's taste buds said Stephens. Besides conductivity (which was a test the researchers used to detect the salts) the team checked the color acidity cost and density of the vodkas.
It turned out that conductivity was the only factor separating the favorite brands from the rest.
Even the source of the vodka--corn wheat rye barley potato berries and cactus--didn't affect peoples'preferences he noted.
Stephens said he plans to conduct further taste studies on Texas-made bourbons whiskeys gins and rums.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by American Chemical Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h
According to Mousseau slower decomposition is likely to indirectly slow plant growth too given that the products of decomposition are nutrients for new plants.
The results also show the potential for further spread of radioactivity. There's been growing concern by many different groups of the potential for catastrophic forest fires to sweep through this part of the world
As society places increasing demands on agricultural land beyond food production to include ecosystem services we needed a new way to evaluate'success'in agriculture said Jason Kaye professor of biogeochemistry.
Benefits included increased carbon and nitrogen in soils erosion prevention more mycorrhizal colonization--beneficial soil fungus that helps plants absorb nutrients--and weed suppression.
study suggestsecologists at Plymouth University in a study published this week have shown the most common species of bumblebee are not fussy about a plant's origin when searching for nectar and pollen among the nation's urban gardens.
By growing a variety of plants from around the world gardeners ensure that a range of food sources is available for many different pollinators.
In susceptible varieties the fungus kills the infected cells in the head thereby plugging the transport of water and nutrients to the upper part of the head.
The study also enabled to analyse some causes that could explain species response for instance dietary and mobility patterns.
According to authors omnivorous species are more resilient to fire probably due to their ability to adapt their dietary habits to available food resources
#Precise reason for health benefits of dark chocolate: Thank hungry gut microbesthe health benefits of eating dark chocolate have been extolled for centuries
but the exact reason has remained a mystery--until now. Researchers have reported just that certain bacteria in the stomach gobble the chocolate
and ferment it into anti-inflammatory compounds that are good for the heart. Their findings were unveiled at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS.
The good microbes such as Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria feast on chocolate she said. When you eat dark chocolate they grow
and ferment it producing compounds that are anti-inflammatory. The other bacteria in the gut are associated with inflammation
He said that this study is the first to look at the effects of dark chocolate on the various types of bacteria in the stomach.
He explained that cocoa powder an ingredient in chocolate contains several polyphenolic or antioxidant compounds such as catechin and epicatechin and a small amount of dietary fiber.
Prebiotics are carbohydrates found in foods like raw garlic and cooked whole wheat flour that humans can't digest
but that good bacteria like to eat. This food for your gut's helpful inhabitants also comes in dietary supplements.
Finley said that people could experience even more health benefits when dark chocolate is combined with solid fruits like pomegranates and acai.
Looking to the future he said that the next step would be for industry to do just that.
The researchers presented bees with a series of artificial flowers that required evermore challenging strategies such as moving objects aside or upwards to gain a sugar syrup reward.
When inexperienced bees encountered the most complex flower first they were unable to access the syrup reward
Mirwan made artificial flowers requiring the bees to walk on the underside of a disk to get a sugar syrup reward.
Control bees that had observed not the experienced bees could not access the syrup. Social learning in animals usually involves one individual observing
When the naive bees were allowed to forage on the artificial flowers they gained the syrup in just 3. 5 minutes.
Insect pests in the makingof thousands of known species of Drosophila fruit flies just one is known as a crop pest depositing eggs inside ripening fruit
Drosophila flies found worldwide lay their eggs in rotting fruit. Drosophila suzukii also referred to as spotted-wing Drosophila
because the male has large black blotches on his wings (as do males of several other closely related species) is able to penetrate the skins of ripening fruit
and lay eggs inside. It was a surprise for western researchers when D. suzukii was identified as a pest said Joel Atallah a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis who carried out the work with Artyom Kopp professor of evolution and ecology and undergraduate researchers Lisa Teixeira Raul
Salazar George Zaragoza and Mubasher Ahmed. Previously it was thought that Drosophila would just lay eggs on rotting fruit.
D. suzukii apparently originated in Asia and was reported in Hawaii in the 1980s. However it wasn't identified as a pest in North america until 2008 when a UC Cooperative Extension specialist sent samples of infested strawberries to Kopp's laboratory at UC Davis asking for help in identification.
or egg-laying organ of D. suzukii and three other closely related species D. subpulchrella D. biarmipes and D. mimetica.
and observed whether they were able to lay eggs in them. D. suzukii has pointed a large ovipositor with prominent bristles.
In the lab both D. suzukii and D. subpulchrella flies could penetrate the skins of cherries and raspberries and deposit eggs in them.
although they laid relatively few eggs there. Kopp noted that even when the Drosophila flies could penetrate fruit they were not very good at it taking several minutes and multiple attempts.
Laying eggs inside ripening fruit is probably a recent development for Drosophila. Kopp speculated that as flies compete for good food sources in
which to lay their eggs there would be an advantage in being able to colonize fresher and firmer fruit.
Eventually this could have pushed D. suzukii to the point where it can penetrate fruit before it falls and starts to rot.
Unlike the notorious Mediterranean fruit fly or Medfly Drosophila flies are generalists with a wide range of food sources and breeding sites and a generation time of less than two weeks.
#Global food trade can alleviate water scarcityinternational trade of food crops led to freshwater savings worth 2. 4 billion US-Dollars in 2005
Trading food involves the trade of virtually embedded water used for production and the amount of that water depends heavily on the climatic conditions in the production region:
but whether global food trade leads to conserving or depleting water reserves in water-scarce regions Biewald says.
trade of crops livestock and feed. The effects were analyzed with high resolution on a subnational level to account for large countries like India
Despite the fact that Europe alone exports virtual water in food crops worth 3. 1 billion US-Dollars the scientists found that international trade of food crops today globally accounts for water
one kilo of beef for instance can be produced with much less input feed in the US than in Africa
In contrast to popular perception global food trade and the related virtual water flows indeed offer the possibility of relieving water stress
To connect international food trade to regional water scarcity can contribute to advance this debate.
Because they don't go through the government markets traders are making investments to get the food from the farmer to the city.
and in some cases works well in other cases it is also a mess. For vegetable crops if farmers don't have those linkages they really can't sell perishable products.
Global food security is seen often as a production issue but often it's not just lack of water
There has been evidence that major famines weren't due to a lack of food production they occurred
James Cook University Cairns Australia; U s. Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry Puerto rico; EMBRAPA Satellite Monitoring Center Campinas Brazil;
Water parsley (Oenanthe sarmentosa) is a native plant that grows in wet areas along the west coast of North america.
Field experiments in two California State Parks in Santa cruz County showed that marsh sandwort does well in areas dominated by water parsley.
This information provided guidance for larger-scale reintroduction experiments in the Golden Gate National recreation area (GGNRA) in Marin county. We think water parsley might be a good indicator of moisture
and light conditions that work well for this endangered species. That isn't to say that every place water parsley grows will be good for marsh sandwort
but within the range of coastal habitat this plant likes planting it alongside water parsley is likely to be said successful Bontrager.
Not only does it affect their hay crop but in a region with the Arctic Grayling a candidate for endangered listing the water shortage would affect wildlife.
So in examining that scenario ranchers could see how this feeds back and that's the iteration says Murphy.
#Study fingers chickens, quail in spread of H7n9 influenza virusamong the copious species of poultry in China quail and chickens are the likely sources of infection of H7n9 influenza virus
and his collaborators first infected seven species of poultry with a human isolate of the Chinese H7n9 virus. The virus replicated well in quail
and chickens and the former quickly infected their cage-mates says Suarez. The virus replicated less well in other poultry species
#Simple changes to homework improved student learninga new study offers evidence that simple and inexpensive changes to existing courses can help students learn more effectively.
The study from Rice university and Duke university found that making a few changes to homework assignments in an upper-level undergraduate engineering course at Rice led to improved scores on exams.
and systems engineering course where the experiment took place. These simple changes produced a larger effect than the average improvement for classroom interventions that require a complete overhaul of curricula and/or teaching methods.
and physical properties in galaxies other than our own Milky way said Dr Cortese'Cosmic dust is heated by starlight to temperatures of only a few tens of degrees above absolute zero
which have a star formation and chemical history significantly different to the one in our own Milky way.
#Knowing whether food has spoiled without even opening the containera color-coded smart tag could tell consumers
This report on the color-changing food deterioration tags was presented today as part of the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS.
and can be programmed widely to mimic almost all ambient-temperature deterioration processes in foods said Chao Zhang Ph d. the lead researcher of the study.
Use of the tags could potentially solve the problem of knowing how fresh packaged perishable foods remain over time he added.
when manufacturers grocery-store owners and consumers do not know if the food has been exposed unduly to higher temperatures
which could cause unexpected spoilage the tag still gives a reliable indication of the quality of the product.
which indicates the food is spoiled. The colors signify a range between 100 percent fresh and 100 percent spoiled.
In that case the consumer would know the product is edible for only another seven days
and tested the tags using E coli (food-spoiling bacteria that cause gastrointestinal problems) in milk as a reference model.
The tags could also be customized for a variety of other foods and beverages. The tags contain tiny metallic nanorods that at different stages
and some of them (such as Vitamin c acetic acid lactic acid and agar) are even edible he explained.
and dispersal of ancestral Polynesian chickens reconstructing the early migrations of people and the animals they carried with them.
and traced a unique genetic marker of the original Polynesian chickens that is only present in the Pacific
We have identified genetic signatures of the original Polynesian chickens and used these to track early movements
Domestic animals such as chickens carried on these early voyages have left behind a genetic record that can solve some of these long standing mysteries.
and South american chickens suggesting early human contact and found that some of the results were contaminated with modern chicken DNA
which occurs at trace levels in many laboratory components says ACAD Director Professor Alan Cooper.
We were able to show that the ancient chicken DNA provided no evidence of any Pre-columbian contact between these areas.
#Honey offers new approach to fighting antibiotic resistancehoney that delectable condiment for breads and fruits could be one sweet solution to the serious ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics
Medical professionals sometimes use honey successfully as a topical dressing but it could play a larger role in fighting infections the researchers predicted.
The osmotic effect which is the result of the high sugar concentration in honey draws water from the bacterial cells dehydrating
#Salad at high school concession stands!?Pep-rallies the marching band cheers and chants and savory indulgent foods sold at the concession stand are beloved all features of the American high school sports tradition.
In contrast to the nutrition requirements on breakfast and lunches sold in school cafeterias foods sold at concession stands do not follow the standard nutrition guidelines
because they are sold typically for fundraising purposes. Is there something that can be done to improve the healthful features of concession stand food
and preserve the profits they generate? In this study published in the Journal of Public health Dr. Helena Laroche an assistant professor of internal medicine
and pediatrics at the University of Iowa and her research team along with researchers from the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (B. E. N. Center) identified two successful strategies
for improving the nutritional quality of foods sold at concession stands: 1) offer 5-10 healthy food options 2) modify the ingredients of popular items to contain less saturated and trans fats.
Revenue and sales data from the concessions at Muscatine High school in Muscatine IA were collected for two fall sports seasons one year apart.
In the first season no changes were made to the foods sold. In the second season 8 new healthier foods were sold
in addition to the standard foods offered. These foods included carrots apples a grilled chicken sandwich and string cheese.
Furthermore the regular nacho cheese sauce was replaced with a no trans-fat variety and the popcorn was prepared with canola oil that has saturated less fat
and no trans-fat compared to the coconut oil bars previously used Overall the healthier items accounted for 9. 2%of total sales a clear indication of demand for these items.
Sales of these items did increase from game to game suggesting increasing interest in these foods.
Income also increased by 4 %when the healthier items were sold. Sales of the modified nacho's and popcorn increased by 8%despite the relatively healthier nature of the foods.
Finally student satisfaction of the foods sold was affected not when the healthier foods were offered and parental satisfaction increased.
These results reveal the opportunities available for concession stand operators to improve the nutritional quality of
what they sell while maintaining customer satisfaction and profit. The researchers recommend adding 5-10 new healthful items to the concessions menu--Adding variety 5-10 new healthful items will make it easier for customers to find something that they like.
Try adding items such as granola bars fresh fruit string cheese and mixed nuts. Rather than removing the less healthy options make them using healthier ingredients
and preparation methods--patrons will still get the foods they love and they can feel better about eating them!
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Cornell Food & Brand Lab. Note:
Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference e
#Big data tackles tiny molecular machinesopen feed cut. Such is the humdrum life of a motor molecule the subject of new research at Rice university that eats
and the temperature of the groundwater may rise--with possibly negative consequences for drinking water quality.
and even former maleo hunters to guard nests from egg poachers. The most threatened of the beach nestersâ#he maleoâ#s a chicken-sized bird with a black helmet (or casque) yellow facial skin a red-orange beak
and a nesting strategy more reptilian than avian. After burying their eggs in sunbaked beaches
or in some instances volcanically heated soil the maleo parents abandon their nest. After an incubation period of approximately 70 days the chicks emerge fully feathered able to fly
and is threatened by egg harvesting and habitat loss. Nest abandonment is normal for sea turtles such as the olive ridley one of three threatened sea turtle species known to nest on the Binerean Cape area.
The species is threatened by egg harvesting and direct hunting. â#oethe round-the-clock monitoring of maleo and sea turtle nests on this protected beach prevents the exploitation of these species a threat that still frequently occurs at other sitesâ#said Dr. Peter Clyne Deputy
and death--food and water tainted with pathogens from fecal matter results in the deaths of roughly 700000 children each year.
and it can be used in agricultural areas to hold in nutrients and bring more stability to the soils.
and increase the availability of plant nutrients he said. Additionally the biochar can be burned as charcoal
#Africans ability to digest milk linked to spread of cattle raisingbabies are born with the ability to digest lactose the sugar found in milk
It requires participants to fast overnight have measured their blood sugar then drink a sweet beverage containing the equivalent lactose of one to two liters of cow's milk
The distinct geographic patterns in which these variants were present correlate in many cases with historic human migrations mixing between populations as well as the spread of cattle camels or sheep.
The researchers'analysis suggests that this variant spread more recently into southern African perhaps only in the last 1000 years.
Grazing fuel and foodapproximately 20%of the world's population depend on these areas of land for their livelihoods including their use for grazing fuel and food.
which yield nicotine tar and a bewildering array of carcinogens and'stop smoking devices'in the form Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTS) such as patches gum lozenges throat sprays and inhalators
In Oklahoma declining bobwhite quail numbers are especially alarming with one study relating that decline to the number of quail hunters
but no definitive explanation has been discovered for the quail decline. â#oeour study is important because prior to this we had no ability to use whole-genome technologies to monitor levels of genetic diversity over time define the genetic relationships among existing populations
and physiology. â#oenow we can peel back new layers of science to thoroughly look at many different levels of the quail problem including the utilization of whole-genome information for monitoring modern genetic diversity reconstructing historic population trends
#Concerns raised about using beta agonists in beef cattleuse of certain animal drugs known as beta agonists in cattle production has received considerable national attention.
In a peer-reviewed article published in PLOS ONE Guy Loneragan professor of food safety and public health in Texas Tech's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural resources adds to this ongoing national dialogue.
Beta agonists improve the efficiency of beef production and this improvement provides important societal benefits Loneragan said.
The beta agonists approved by the U s. Food and Drug Administration for use in cattle increase muscle growth
This means the cattle converts more of the feed it eats into beef and it does this more efficiently.
With the use of beta agonists cattle require less feed and less water to produce the same amount of beef than
if no beta agonists were used. Less land would be used to grow the crops used to feed the animals
and therefore less fuel to produce the same amount of beef. The improvement in the efficiency of production has meaningful societal benefits.
whereas Loneragan's work covers beta agonists in feedlots which is the topic of the newly published paper.
To paraphrase Dr. Grandin we owe the animals we raise for food a decent life
We certainly need to better understand the manner in which animals fed beta agonist die at the feedlot
and work out how to balance the societal benefits of beta agonist use with societal expectations concerning the welfare of animals raised for food.
They found that microbes in the guts of rotation-resistant rootworms help those beetles that stray into soybean fields survive on soybean leaves for a few days--just long enough for the females to lay their eggs in soil that will be planted in corn the following year.
We then performed lab studies with several drugs that were approved already by the Food and Drug Administration and which we thought might block the seizure activity.
It is conceivable that earlier intervention of this personalized medicine approach could have altered the course of the disorder and possibly the child's neurological development.
#Healthy food is good for you --and can sell, tooyou don't need just to rely on hot dogs and pizza to make a buck at concession stands.
A study led by the University of Iowa examined sales revenues and profits at a booster-run concession stand in Iowa that offered healthy food items from apples to string cheese over two fall seasons.
The club registered stable sales and revenue while profits remained intact. Results appear in the Journal of Public health.
In the fall of 2008 the booster club in Muscatine Iowa took a chance. Researchers from the University of Iowa asked
whether the club would add healthy foods--from apples to string cheese--to its concessions menu. And by the way would it also consider putting healthier ingredients in big sellers like nachos and popcorn?
According to a new study published this week in the Journal of Public health the club netted stable sales and revenues with the healthy food additions over one full season.
Moreover the healthy foods made up 9. 2 percent of concession sales signaling the new products could boost overall sales.
Parents and students also said they were happy with the healthy food choices according to surveys cited in the study.
To date six other school booster clubs in Iowa have added healthy foods to their concession menus following a how-to guide written by Laroche based on her experience in Muscatine.
The Muskie Boosters offered eight healthy foods: Apples carrots and dip chicken sandwiches granola bars pickles soft pretzels string cheese and trail mix.
The items were sold durning the 2009 fall season at Muscatine High football games volleyball matches and swim meets.
Additionally boosters substituted canola oil for coconut oil bars in the popcorn and swapped the cheese in the nachos eliminating trans fat from the products.
The group advertised the new offerings in a poster and marketing campaign with the slogan Great taste more variety.
While all the healthy foods sold chicken sandwiches and pretzels dominated accounting for 7. 6 percent of all food sales sales data showed.
Granola bars and trail mix sold better indoors while carrots and dip were popular in benign outdoor weather.
String cheese suffered from being tucked away in a refrigerator. Pickles were especially popular with students. And no one noticed the healthier changes to the popcorn and nachos
which continued to sell briskly. Researchers from Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab analyzed the sales data.
If you're a concession-stand sponsor and you want people to eat better and you want to make more money add at least five healthy items says Brian Wansink the Cornell lab's director and a marketing professor.
There's got to be a critical mass and we find that five's a very lucky number
To be sure classic concession items--hot dogs pizza and candy bars--continued to sell well. But Hansen says she noticed a shift in people's perception and attitudes about the new offerings.
We still sell hot dogs we still sell pizza we still sell candy bars. But everything in life is about choices
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