27 Feb
Georgia goes bananas
Bananas, known most often as a healthy, convenient food, are also popular ornamental plants in the southern United States. Banana plants are highly prized by a number of as one of the most beautiful ornamentals used for creating a subtropical ambiance in gardens and pool environments. A research study reported in the American Society for Horticultural Science journal HortTechnology detailed a study of 33 commercial banana cultivars grown near Savannah, Georgia. The study was designed to determine suitability for ornamental and nursery production and to observe the bananas’ fruit production……..
Humans lost in the desert are well known for going around in circles, prompting researchers to ask how desert creatures find their way around without landmarks for guidance. Now research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Frontiers in Zoology shows that Desert Ants input both local smells and visual cues into their navigation systems to guide them home……..
Nestled just off the east coast of Australia, picturesque North Stradbroke Island is a haven for local wildlife. Yet some of the inhabitants of the island’s creeks and swamps are far from peaceful. Slender crayfish are aggressive territorial creatures, explains ecologist Robbie Wilson of the University of Queensland, Australia. When two crayfish catch sight of one another, they size each other up in a ritualistic display, which can quickly escalate from careful tapping of their opponent’s chelae (enlarged front claws) to a full-blown fight. Studying these fascinating animals, Wilson discovered that crayfish decide whether to flee or fight based on the size of their adversary’s chelae, and that victorious females always have larger and stronger claws. But to his dismay, he observed that some males with weaker claws cheat; they defeat stronger foes despite having a weaker albeit larger claw. ‘Theory does not predict such dishonesty,’ Wilson says. Deceptive signals of weapon strength should not exist, as opponents would quickly stop taking notice of an unreliable cue. Wilson wondered how the crafty males get away with it and publishes his results on Friday 27th February 2009 in The Journal of Experimental Biology at http://jeb/biologists.org……..
When it comes to fresh vegetables and fruits, color is one of the best indicators of quality. Along with texture, size, and flavor, color plays an important role in the business of horticultural crop production and marketing. In tomatoes, for example, color and color uniformity contribute directly to quality and marketability. The presence of yellow shoulder disorder, or YSD, a ripening disorder that results in blotchy discoloration under the skin of the tomato, is a major quality issue……..
Shiitake mushrooms are the third most popular mushroom species in the U.S. In addition to taste, shiitake have a multitude of health benefits. Low in calories, glucose and sodium, shiitake are high in potassium, phosphorus, copper, and zinc. Beyond those positive nutritional factors, shiitake also contain elements that lower blood cholesterol and improve the immune system. It’s no wonder that demand is increasing for these nutritional powerhouses……..
Fresh strawberries. Just the mention of this iconic spring and early summer fruit can elicit mouthwatering memories of shortcake, fruity drinks and sweet desserts. Scientists interested in learning more about this evocative fruit have determined that “sensory quality” of strawberries, a strong influence on consumer preferences, is the result of a complex balance of sweetness, aroma, texture, and appearance……..
Black raspberries have been studied for decades by researchers and medical scientists interested in the fruits’ apparent ability to limit the onset or severity of degenerative diseases, including cancer. The fruit of a number of popular berries, including blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, elderberries, grapes, and plums, are known to have strong antioxidant capacity, mainly as a result of high levels of anthocyaninschemicals that give plants their vibrant colorsand other phenolic compounds. The darker the fruit, the more anthocyanins are present. Anthocyanins appear to work by inhibiting compounds that weaken the immune system and stimulate tissue inflammation. They can also destroy harmful free-radical molecules that attack cells and cause aging, heart disease, and cancer……..
Orchard floor and groundcover management is important to fruit growers, affecting the efficiency of orchard operations, fruit tree performance, and soil quality. Herbicide-treated tree rows with mowed grass “drive lanes” are the most widely used orchard groundcover management systems (GMS) in North America and Europe; the system is widely considered to be the most efficient and least expensive GMS……..
The complexity of the human brain is remarkable: It contains billions of nerve cells, each of which is connected with its neighbours via a number of thousands of contacts. The result is a multifaceted network which stores and processes a number of types of information. In comparison, the brain of a fly seems fairly simple with its 250 000 nerve cells. For example, a small network of only 60 nerve cells in each cerebral hemisphere suffices the blowfly to integrate visual motion information. The resulting information is then used in the control and correction of the fly’s flight manoeuvres. However, flies clearly demonstrate just how efficient these 60 cells actually are when they dodge obstacles while flying at high speed and land upside-down on the ceiling. No wonder neurobiologists find the brain of the fly so fascinating!…….
Proteins are widely viewed as a promising alternative to synthetic chemicals in everything from medications to hand lotion. The naturally occurring molecules have been shown to be more efficient and effective than a number of of the most sophisticated chemical compounds on the market. But outside the controlled confines of the lab bench, proteins quickly change structure, causing irreversible damage to their functionality and often safety……..
