http://www.physorg.com/biology-news/biology-other/ en-us PhysOrg.com provides the latest news on biology, natural sciences, environment (PhysOrg.com) -- Immunizing calves with either of two forms of a vaccine newly developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists might reduce the spread of sometimes deadly Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria. The microbe can flourish in the animals' digestive tracts, yet doesn't cause them to show clinical symptoms of illness. http://www.physorg.com/news180367455.html Biology - Other Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:30:01 EST news180367455 (PhysOrg.com) -- A device developed by an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist to sort wheat has been successfully used to detect and remove popcorn kernels that have been damaged by fungi. http://www.physorg.com/news180172767.html Biology - Other Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:00:01 EST news180172767 As consumer demand for premium fruit increases, growers are being challenged to bring consistently high-quality fruit to market. And to boost their bottom line, orchard owners are experimenting with new techniques that can increase fruit quality while reducing labor costs. http://www.physorg.com/news179751927.html Biology - Other Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:10:06 EST news179751927 Whether plants are grown for food or ornamental use, conventional agricultural production methods have the same environmental impact. Pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers can find their way into the air and groundwater, ultimately affecting the environment, wildlife, and communities. http://www.physorg.com/news179752334.html Biology - Other Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:10:01 EST news179752334 Five-year-olds can reason about the world from multiple perspectives simultaneously, according to a new theory by researchers in Japan and Australia. Using an established branch of mathematics called Category Theory, the researchers explain why specific reasoning skills develop in children at certain ages, particularly at age five. The new theory, published December 11 in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology, shows that these reasoning skills have similar profiles of development because they involve related sorts of processes. http://www.physorg.com/news179737665.html Biology - Other Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:10:28 EST news179737665 Several genome-wide studies of human genetic diversity have been conducted on European populations. Now, for the first time, these studies have been extended to 73 Southeast Asian (SEA) and East Asian (EA) populations. http://www.physorg.com/news179676849.html Biology - Other Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:14:55 EST news179676849 While navigating the microscopic world of immune system proteins and cells to save a patient suffering from a raging bacterial infection, young teenage players of the "Immune Attack" video game measurably improved their understanding of cell biology and molecular science, according to a study that will be presented at the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) 49th Annual Meeting, Dec. 5-9, 2009 in San Diego. http://www.physorg.com/news179503928.html Biology - Other Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:30:06 EST news179503928 Dr. Daniel Leskovar, a Texas AgriLife Research plant physiologist at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde, has been investigating ways to help vegetable plants make a less stressful transition from the greenhouse to the field. http://www.physorg.com/news179151530.html Biology - Other Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:40:01 EST news179151530 (PhysOrg.com) -- Four advanced dry pea breeding lines that tolerate the pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV) -- a `scourge` of Pacific West pea crops -- have been identified by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. http://www.physorg.com/news179142792.html Biology - Other Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:20:01 EST news179142792 (PhysOrg.com) -- Nature and its bottom-up processes for creating robust and responsive materials are inspiring new generations of synthetic materials and creative design. http://www.physorg.com/news179137286.html Biology - Other Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:22:22 EST news179137286 Looking for larks? Searching for surfbirds? Checking for chickadees? There's an app for that. http://www.physorg.com/news179075676.html Biology - Other Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:14:56 EST news179075676 (PhysOrg.com) -- This year, hundreds of thousands of women and pet dogs will undergo a hysterectomy and have their ovaries removed along with their uterus. Now, two independent research studies looking at longevity may challenge almost four decades of standard operating procedures used in women and in pets. http://www.physorg.com/news178913565.html Biology - Other Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:40:01 EST news178913565 Hit-and-run attacks by sharks can be solved with a new technique that identifies the culprits by the unique chomp they put on their victims, according to a University of Florida researcher and shark expert. http://www.physorg.com/news178895925.html Biology - Other Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:40:01 EST news178895925 (PhysOrg.com) -- What, exactly, distinguishes humans from apes? It`s certainly more than just our genes, renowned anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy told a Harvard audience recently (Nov. 18). http://www.physorg.com/news178820796.html Biology - Other Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:30:01 EST news178820796 (PhysOrg.com) -- Drinking beer is a simple act, but making beer is not. It starts out with genetics and tens of thousands of barley varieties and ends with a clear ambrosia that belies the time, effort and technology that went into its making. http://www.physorg.com/news178385792.html Biology - Other Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:10:01 EST news178385792 Rocket science is opening new doors to understanding how sounds associated with Navy sonar might affect the hearing of a marine mammal - or if they hear it at all. http://www.physorg.com/news178296050.html Biology - Other Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:41:31 EST news178296050 (AP) -- An auction house says it is selling a rare first edition of Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" found in a family's guest lavatory in southern England. http://www.physorg.com/news178121903.html Biology - Other Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:30:03 EST news178121903 (PhysOrg.com) -- A microwave meter that instantaneously measures both moisture and density of in-shell peanuts has been developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, making it easier and faster for producers and processors to determine these important quality indicators. http://www.physorg.com/news177941021.html Biology - Other Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:20:05 EST news177941021 People preferentially marry those with similar ancestry, but their decisions are not necessarily based on hair, eye or skin colour. Research, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology, shows that Mexicans mate according to proportions of Native American to European ancestry, while Puerto Ricans are more likely to settle down with someone carrying a similar mix of African and European genes. http://www.physorg.com/news177917997.html Biology - Other Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:40:44 EST news177917997 (PhysOrg.com) -- Over 45 million turkeys are eaten by Americans each Thanksgiving, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hunters provide some -- last autumn, about 24,000 wild turkeys were harvested in Pennsylvania. Vegetarians might serve up a soybean-based alternative, like Tofurky. However, most holiday tables feature a Broad-Breasted White, the breed that makes up over 99 percent of grocery-store turkeys. But with the trend in locally raised food, the "heritage turkey" is experiencing a surge in popularity. http://www.physorg.com/news177860968.html Biology - Other Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:03 EST news177860968 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new study compares personal perceptions of race, color and ancestry of Brazilian high school students with the results of genetic ancestry tests, with the aim of investigating the tensions between cultural and scientific conceptions of race. The research, led by Ricardo Ventura Santos of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Oswaldo Cruz foundation, appears in the December issue of Current Anthropology. http://www.physorg.com/news177701341.html Biology - Other Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:30:07 EST news177701341 An Australian scientist has paid an unusual tribute to late conservation star Steve Irwin by naming a rare species of snail "crikey steveirwini". http://www.physorg.com/news177312350.html Biology - Other Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:10:01 EST news177312350 A paper by University of Notre Dame biologist Giles Duffield and a team of researchers offers new insights into a gene that plays a key role in modulating the body's Circadian system and may also simultaneously modulate its metabolic system. The relationship between circadian and metabolic systems the researchers describe could have important implications for understanding the higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes among shift workers. http://www.physorg.com/news177268238.html Biology - Other Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:11:20 EST news177268238 (PhysOrg.com) -- Longer toes may give sprinters a leg up on other runners, according to a new study. http://www.physorg.com/news177258013.html Biology - Other Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:20:49 EST news177258013 (PhysOrg.com) -- A team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant physiologists is studying how global climate change could affect food crop production--and prompt the evolution of even more resilient weeds. http://www.physorg.com/news177149957.html Biology - Other Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:20:36 EST news177149957 Natural history plans to chart life on earth, yet the discipline risks being buried under a landslide of painstakingly collected data that isn't always used. Now researchers at London's Natural History Museum have created a social networking tool called 'Scratchpads' where natural historians can get together and share their data. A paper on this new platform features in a supplement on biodiversity informatics published today in the open access journal, BMC Bioinformatics. http://www.physorg.com/news177055947.html Biology - Other Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:15:04 EST news177055947 (PhysOrg.com) -- A researcher at Iowa State University has discovered how a group of proteins from plant pathogenic bacteria interact with DNA in the plant cell, opening up the possibility for what the scientist calls a "cascade of advances." http://www.physorg.com/news177018700.html Biology - Other Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:30:03 EST news177018700 Conserving water and reducing the environmental impact of runoff are two of the most important issues confronting container nursery operations. Current regulations and laws in five states limit water consumption by container nurseries, and some states also limit nutrient concentrations in runoff. Excessive runoff from container plants often results from poor irrigation efficiency; in some cases as little as 13% to 26% of overhead irrigation is retained in the container. http://www.physorg.com/news176569839.html Biology - Other Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:10:01 EST news176569839 Florists and other retailers who sell flowers and plants can now add another tool to their marketing kit. A recent study of "consumption values" may help them understand what influences consumers' choices in regard to floral purchases, and how to better design marketing efforts and purchase stock that can increase customers and sales. http://www.physorg.com/news176569398.html Biology - Other Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:10:01 EST news176569398 Predictions of grape yields are extremely important to juice processors and wineries; timely and precise yield forecasts allow producers to plan for harvest and move the highly perishable grape crop from vine to processing efficiently. Until recently, wineries and grape juice processors have relied on expensive and labor-intensive hand-sampling methods to estimate yield in grape crops. http://www.physorg.com/news176560015.html Biology - Other Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:30:02 EST news176560015