http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (PhysOrg.com) -- Exaptation is a familiar concept to evolutionary biologists. It's the basic idea explaining that a trait can evolve because it starts serving a different function. Think of birds: at first, the most important role of their feathers was to regulate body temperature. But over time, feathers became an increasingly important showpiece to help attract mates. Same feather, different function. http://www.physorg.com/news180640030.html Other Sciences Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:47:57 EST news180640030 With increasing species richness, due to more plant introductions than extinctions, plant communities of many European regions are becoming more homogeneous. The same species are occurring more frequently, whereas rare species are becoming extinct. It is not only the biological communities that are becoming increasingly similar, but also the phylogenetic relations between regions. These processes have led to a loss of uniqueness among European floras, scientists from the DAISIE research project have published their findings in the current online edition of the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). http://www.physorg.com/news179757376.html Biology Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:36:46 EST news179757376 A Kansas State University study has shown that when preparing frozen foods, adolescents are less likely than adults to wash their hands and are more susceptible to cross-contaminating raw foods while cooking. http://www.physorg.com/news177154983.html Medicine & Health Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:43:40 EST news177154983 The existence of harsh labor conditions in factories around the world is a pressing moral issue. But to improve those conditions, we should regard it as a logistical issue, too. http://www.physorg.com/news174720241.html Other Sciences Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:00:01 EST news174720241 (PhysOrg.com) -- Socially learned behavior and belief are much better candidates than genetics to explain the self-sacrificing behavior we see among strangers in societies, from soldiers to blood donors to those who contribute to food banks. This is the conclusion of a study by Adrian V. Bell and colleagues from the University of California Davis in the Oct. 12 edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://www.physorg.com/news174580688.html Other Sciences Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:38:44 EST news174580688 (PhysOrg.com) -- University of Arkansas psychology professor Jeffrey Lohr and colleague David Tolin have documented the history and criticisms of the ethics policy of the American Psychological Association and recommended remedies to restore ethical standards to the profession. http://www.physorg.com/news174217134.html Medicine & Health Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:50:01 EST news174217134 (AP) -- Dell Inc. says it will beef up accounting and corporate governance rules as part of a settlement tied to an investigation into past financial practices. http://www.physorg.com/news173383893.html Technology Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:30:02 EST news173383893 Scientists have shown that the main shoot dominates a plant's growth principally because it was there first, rather than due to its position at the top of the plant. http://www.physorg.com/news172824790.html Biology Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:20:02 EST news172824790 (PhysOrg.com) -- Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are developing a system that saves water by using aerial imagery and ground-based sensors to determine the irrigation needs of small sections of cultivated fields. http://www.physorg.com/news172221466.html Space & Earth Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:30:02 EST news172221466 More than half of all websites selling goods such as game consoles and digital cameras face closure or heavy fines for trying to "cheat" consumers, the European Union warned on Wednesday. http://www.physorg.com/news171725693.html Technology Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:40:01 EST news171725693 A group of researchers whose planned leg ulceration study was hamstrung by a physician recruitment rate of 2% have published the reasons why so many doctors turned them down. The qualitative information, featured in the open access journal BMC Medical Research Methodology, should be of use to those designing trials of their own. http://www.physorg.com/news169411169.html Medicine & Health Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:40:11 EST news169411169 When it comes to how they raise their children, mothers today tend to follow the same practices their own mothers did, according to a new study that looked at parenting practices across two generations. http://www.physorg.com/news169051240.html Medicine & Health Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:41:05 EST news169051240 New research suggests that universal intimate partner violence (IPV) screening in health care settings does not result in significant changes in subsequent reports of IPV or quality of life, according to a study in the August 5 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on violence and human rights. http://www.physorg.com/news168624288.html Medicine & Health Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:50:01 EST news168624288 The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has set its sights on Qualcomm, less than a week after the US wireless technology titan was fined over 200 million dollars by South Korea's antitrust watchdog. http://www.physorg.com/news168021001.html Technology Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:30:45 EST news168021001 (AP) -- Dell Inc. said Friday it has agreed to settle a federal gender-discrimination class action lawsuit brought by former employees for $9.1 million. http://www.physorg.com/news167720444.html Technology Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:20:02 EST news167720444 The progressive degradation of useful soils for agriculture and farm animal husbandry is a growing environmental and social problem, given that it endangers the food safety of an increasing world population. This fact prompted the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development - Neiker-Tecnalia - to design a series of research projects in order to evaluate alternative agricultural practices, as a function of their capacity to combine the productivity of crops with the health of the soil. http://www.physorg.com/news167657289.html Space & Earth Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:28:38 EST news167657289 South Korea's antitrust watchdog Thursday fined US firm Qualcomm a record 260 billion won (208 million dollars) for violating fair competition rules by abusing its market monopoly. http://www.physorg.com/news167549766.html Technology Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:36:46 EST news167549766 (PhysOrg.com) -- As published in the July issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science, paleoethnobotanist David Lentz of the University of Cincinnati has concluded that not only did the Maya people practice forest management, but when they abandoned their forest conservation practices it was to the detriment of the entire Maya culture. http://www.physorg.com/news167411824.html Other Sciences Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:17:58 EST news167411824 The health problems of Indigenous peoples around the world are intimately tied to a number of unique factors, such as colonization, globalization, migration, and loss of land, language and culture. These factors remain even after the "typical" social problems facing the poor, such as inadequate housing, unemployment, and low education levels are addressed, according to Dr. Malcolm King, lead author of a paper to be published tomorrow in the Lancet. http://www.physorg.com/news165779600.html Medicine & Health Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:54:23 EST news165779600 Evidence suggests that outcomes in many clinical settings leave a lot to be desired, which means that research into quality improvement (QI) in clinical care has the potential to greatly improve the lot of patients. Now a study in the journal Medical Care Research and Review published by SAGE suggests that both theoretical and practical improvements in QI effectiveness studies could make these into much more powerful tools for positive change. http://www.physorg.com/news165148673.html Medicine & Health Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:30:04 EST news165148673 Savvy consumers often go online for independent consumer reviews of products and services, scouring through comments from everyday Joes and Janes to help them find a gem or shun a lemon. http://www.physorg.com/news164815872.html Technology Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:11:51 EST news164815872 The care of patients with diabetes has improved over the last decade, but this does not seem to be a direct result of the quality and outcomes framework - the scheme that rewards UK general practices for delivering quality care. http://www.physorg.com/news162626498.html Medicine & Health Wed, 27 May 2009 07:02:08 EST news162626498 A new study published online in the journal Obesity provides further evidence that strict maternal control over eating habits - such as determining how much a child should eat and coaxing them to eat certain foods - during early childhood may not lead to significant future weight gain in boys or girls. Instead, this behavior may be a response to concerns over a child's increasing weight. http://www.physorg.com/news162566711.html Medicine & Health Tue, 26 May 2009 14:28:05 EST news162566711 (AP) -- Sun Microsystems Inc. may have broken anti-bribery laws with its actions in an unspecified location outside the United States, a revelation that would-be acquirer Oracle Corp. knew about before inking its $7.4 billion takeover deal. http://www.physorg.com/news161026137.html Technology Fri, 08 May 2009 18:31:02 EST news161026137 All African Pygmies, inhabiting a large territory extending west-to-east along Central Africa, descend from a unique population who lived around 20,000 years ago, according to an international study led by researchers at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. The research, published April 10 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, concludes that the ancestors of present-day African Pygmies and farmers separated ~60,000 years ago. http://www.physorg.com/news158563985.html Biology Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:34:04 EST news158563985 Patient-to-patient transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) can occur as the result of routine clinical practices incorrectly thought to be risk-free. A review of 33 HBV outbreaks, published in the open access journal BMC Medicine, has shown that the most frequent HBV transmission routes are administration of drugs using multi-vial compounds and capillary blood sampling (e.g. for glucose monitoring) using non-disposable devices. http://www.physorg.com/news158474856.html Medicine & Health Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:48:15 EST news158474856 The prairies offer opportunities for capitalizing on environmentally friendly farming practices and potentially useful agricultural waste to produce jobs, economic growth, commercial opportunities, and renewable energy sources, according to a perspective article published in the current issue of the International Journal of Private Law. http://www.physorg.com/news158417381.html Space & Earth Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:50:11 EST news158417381 Middle school youth are engaging in sexual intercourse as early as age 12, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health. http://www.physorg.com/news158416220.html Medicine & Health Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:30:55 EST news158416220 Hospitals that reported higher scores on measures of safe practices did not have a significantly lower rate of in-hospital deaths compared to hospitals that reported lower scores on these measures, according to a study in the April 1 issue of JAMA. http://www.physorg.com/news157738118.html Medicine & Health Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:09:10 EST news157738118 Hospital practices, such as supplementing newborns with formula or water or giving them pacifiers, significantly reduce the chances that mothers who intend to exclusively breastfeed will achieve that intention, according to a new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher. http://www.physorg.com/news156705090.html Medicine & Health Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:11:48 EST news156705090