...removing barriers to wildlife, and other means. There are hundreds of restoration projects under way in the United States to help restore ecosystems to their natural state. One of the most ambitious endeavors is the Kissimmee River Restoration Project in south-central Florida. Each year the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District releases a comprehensive report evaluating monitoring of data within the ecosystem of the Everglades. This information is available online at http://www.bit.ly/SSR 2014. According to research, “the Everglades contain a vast array of plants and animals that have adapted to the wet subtropical environment.” A few examples include birds such as the whooping crane, great blue, white, and tricolored herons, wood stork, and the cape-sable seaside sparrow. Land mammals such as the raccoon, skunk, opossum, bobcat and the white-tail deer are also a part of this environment; other animals include the American gator, the west-Indian Manatee, and the bottle nose dolphin. There are a number of species on the federal threatened or endangered lists, many more are rare, species of special concern, or included on state lists. The one most endangered species is the Florida panther with only about 100 remaining in the wild....
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...Introduction Mimicry is an innovative defense mechanism that developed in response to natural selection pressures. It involves a species copying another species that may already be successful in defending itself with the help of unique characteristics. An example of mimicry, called Batesian mimicry, is observed in butterflies, in which different species have similar wing coloration. Viceroy butterflies have developed wings that are similar to those of the Monarch and Queen butterflies. Viceroy butterflies have long been considered palatable butterfly species that participate in Batesian mimicry to protect themselves from predators, by copying the less palatable Monarch and Queen butterflies. However, not enough studies have been conducted to further assess this claim. This study provides insight into whether the Viceroy is indeed a Batesian mimic, in comparison the Queen and Monarch butterfly species. In the experiment,...
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...Science AP Biology Lexington High School, 251 Waltham Street, Lexington, MA 02421 *Correspondence: rhobbs@sch.ci.lexington.ma.us Abstract Allelopathy is the inhibition of the growth of a plant by the allelochemicals, produced by a nearby plant, into their shared environment. It is a form of chemical warfare used by plants to defend their territory and resources, thus reducing interspecific competition1. Although some allelopathic plants produce agents that may benefit rather than harm surrounding species, the majority release chemicals that are toxic to others. To explore this biological phenomenon, the effects of allelopathic nuts of the family Juglandaceae, containing the novel allelopathic agent juglone, were tested on the germination of plants sensitive to allelopathy and those shown to be resistant. Based on previous studies examining allelopathy, it is expected that sensitive plants treated with this agent would cause negative affects on germination, while the seeds that are known to be resistant, would undergo relatively normal germination. The results of these experiments are generally consistent with this model of allelopathic toxicity and resistance. Allelopathy is a unique phenomenon in nature that is relatively new to the scientific community, and the results of this experiment are not only relevant to basic botanical research, but also have real world applications. Introduction Allelochemicals can be found in all parts of the plant, the greatest amounts are most often...
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...Must one argue that America was built on the values of freedom? If this is true, which history has already proven it is, then why are we stripping the rights of our youth by requiring them to participate in mandatory volunteering? Before one can even begin to answer this they must also ask what is volunteering? In short it is offering to do something “freely”. Schools should not force our students to participate in volunteering, because they are inevitably causing the youth to be rebellious and devaluing the appreciation for true volunteering. While volunteering may be a seemingly good thing, mandatory volunteering causes young adolescents to rebel against community service and volunteer work. According to the Cognitive Evaluation Theory study, people tend to resist and lose interest in what is being asked of them when they feel they are being controlled by an outside source because of the human nature of individualism(Pearce 1).This is already seen in other school situations, such as with homework. Many children will often refuse to do rudimentary or simple homework assignments. Throughout history, volunteering has evolved into a cultural connection; a common characteristic of humans on a local, national, and global level is the desire to help one another. Although this statement is not necessarily true for every individual, most people feel an urgency to assist friends, family members, coworkers, and/or strangers in need or in crisis. Why should we volunteer? Many people...
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...Chapter 1 Introduction Background of the Study Bananas are among the most widely consumed fruits on the planet and, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans' favorite fresh fruit. The curvy yellow fruits are high in "potassium and pectin, a form of fiber," said Laura Flores, a San Diego-based nutritionist. They can also be a good way to get magnesium and vitamins C and B6. "Bananas are high in antioxidants, which can provide protection from free radicals, which we come into contact with every day, from the sunlight to the lotion you put on your skin," Flores added. Hawaii is the only place in the U.S. where bananas are grown commercially, although at one time they were also grown in southern California and Florida. The overwhelming majority of the bananas Americans eat come from countries in Latin America and South America, including Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, and Guatemala. Bananas were first found in New Guinea and spread throughout the Philippines nearly 4,000 years ago, and from their diversified around the world. They became a popular item in India, Indonesia, Australia, and Malaysia and were even used to make clothes and other fabrics in Japan. It wasn’t until they hit colonial plantations in America that they were used for inter cropping plants such as coffee, cacao, and pepper plantations. Their leaves provided the perfect shade for the more valuable plants, which was only the beginning of their endless environmental uses and...
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...Health benefits of Mangoes * Mango fruit is rich in pre-biotic dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and poly-phenolic flavonoid antioxidant compounds. * According to new research study, mango fruit has been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. Several trial studies suggest that polyphenolic anti-oxidant compounds in mango are known to offer protection against breast and colon cancers. * Mango fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin-A and flavonoids like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene,and beta-cryptoxanthin. 100 g of fresh fruit provides 765 mg or 25% of recommended daily levels of vitamin A. Together; these compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes is known to protect the body from lung and oral cavity cancers. * Fresh mango is a good source of potassium. 100 g fruit provides 156 mg of potassium while just 2 mg of sodium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. * It is also a very good source of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin-C and vitamin-E. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals. Vitamin B-6 or pyridoxine is required for GABA hormone production within the brain. It also controls homocystiene...
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...Global Warming And Its Effects On The Coastal Areas of Bangladesh [pic] [pic][pic] GLOBAL WARMING: Global Warming is the rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere, including the surface air and oceans. In simple words global warming is when the Earth heats up. It is caused mainly due to increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. The greenhouse gases, include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, water vapor, traps heat and light in the Earth’s atmosphere, which increases the temperature. Today global warming is considered as one of the major environmental issues, which threatens to disrupt the basic balance of the environment and cause large scale destruction. The Greenhouse Effect: [pic] There are certain gases that raise the temperature by trapping the sun’s heat and energy. The Earth’s average temperature would have been about 60Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. colder if it weren’t for these gases. These gases are referred to as “greenhouse effect” because of the way they help to keep the Earth warm. The greenhouse effect makes the Earth suitable for all living things. The Earth might have been freezing or it might also have been burning hot if the greenhouse effect did not occur. However, the presence of too many such gases can cause the Earth to get unusually warmer. The plants would not be able to take such heat and eventually they would have died. The scarcity of plants would cause animals to die...
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...PHILIPPINE FLORA AND FAUNA Flora and fauna refer to plant and wildlife, respectively. The indigenous plant and wildlife of a geographical region is often referred to as that region’s flora and fauna. Both are collective terms, referring to groups of plant or wildlife specific to a region or a time period. For example, the flora and fauna of a warm region may consist of tropical to warm-temperate vegetation and exotic species of birds. By definition, flora is a word of Latin origin referring to Flora, the goddess of flowers. Flora can refer to a group of plants, a disquisition of a group of plants, as well as to bacteria. Flora is the root of the word floral, which means pertaining to flowers. Fauna can refer to the animal life or classification of animals of a certain region, time period, or environment. Fauna is also of Latin origin. In Roman Mythology Fauna was the sister of Faunus, a good spirit of the forest and plains. The flora and fauna of any given region is usually explained in biological terms to include the genus and species of plant and animal life, their preferred growing or breeding habits, and their connection to one another in the environment as well. In addition to geographical groupings, environment also helps further classifications of flora and fauna. For example, aquatic flora andfauna of a region refers to the plant and animal life found in the waters in or surrounding a geographic region. FLORA Garden Plants and Flowers By Johnamendall (see also Flowers...
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...Electronic Commerce Research ISSN 0718–1876 Electronic Version VOL 6 / ISSUE 2 / AUGUST 2011 / 31-49 © 2011 Universidad de Talca - Chile This paper is available online at www.jtaer.com DOI: 10.4067/S0718-18762011000200005 A Co-Evolution Model of Competitive Mobile Platforms: Technoeconomic Perspective Perambur Neelakanta1 and Raef Yassin2 Florida Atlantic University, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, 1 neelakan@fau.edu, 2 yassin@fau.edu Received 13 January 2011; received in revised form 10 April 2011; accepted 18 May 2011 Abstract A model depicting competitive technoeconomics of business structures specific to mobile-platforms is developed. The underlying co-evolution of large, competing enterprises of mobile-platforms that face customerchurning due to application-preferences and pricing structures in the deregulated ambient is viewed in the perspectives of nonlinear logistic systems akin to that of biological ecosystems. Relevant considerations are decided by and embodied with several stochastically-interacting subsystems. Hence, the temporal dynamics of competition/co-evolution of known competitors in the mobile-platform market, like Android, Symbian and iPhone is depicted by a novel model posing dichotomy of prey-predator flip-flops in the market; and, an asymptotic projection of ex post computations of underlying technoeconomics into the ex ante region would correspond to futuristic forecasts on the performance of test platforms...
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...Controlled Ripening and Storage Pests Diseases Food Uses Animal Feed Other Uses Folklore The word "banana" is a general term embracing a number of species or hybrids in the genus Musa of the family Musaceae. Some species such as M. Basjoo Sieb. & Zucc. of Japan and M. ornata Roxb., native from Pakistan to Burma, are grown only as ornamental plants or for fiber. M. textilis Nee of the Philippines is grown only for its fiber, prized for strong ropes and also for tissue-thin tea bags. The so-called Abyssinian banana, Ensete ventricosum Cheesman, formerly E. edule Horan, Musa ensete Gmel., is cultivated in Ethiopia for fiber and for the staple foods derived from the young shoot, the base of the stem, and the corm. Most edible-fruited bananas, usually seedless, belong to the species M. acuminata Colla (M. cavendishii Lamb. ex Paxt., M. chinensis Sweet, M. nana Auth. NOT Lour., M. zebrina Van Houtee ex Planch.), or to the hybrid M. X paradisiaca L. (M. X sapientum L.; M. acumianta X M. balbisiana Colla). M. balbisiana Colla of southern Asia and the East Indies, bears a seedy fruit but the plant is valued for its disease-resistance and therefore plays an important role as a ";parent"; in the breeding of edible bananas. M. fehi Bertero ex Vieill. and M. troglodytarum L. have been applied to the group of bananas known as fehi or fe'i but taxonomists have yet to make final decisions as to the applicability of these binomials. To the American consumer, ";banana"; seems...
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...Bad Bug Book Handbook of Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Introduction Food safety is a complex issue that has an impact on all segments of society, from the general public to government, industry, and academia. The second edition of the Bad Bug Book, published by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides current information about the major known agents that cause foodborne illness. The information provided in this handbook is abbreviated and general in nature, and is intended for practical use. It is not intended to be a comprehensive scientific or clinical reference. Under the laws administered by FDA, a food is adulterated if it contains (1) a poisonous or otherwise harmful substance that is not an inherent natural constituent of the food itself, in an amount that poses a reasonable possibility of injury to health, or (2) a substance that is an inherent natural constituent of the food itself; is not the result of environmental, agricultural, industrial, or other contamination; and is present in an amount that ordinarily renders the food injurious to health. The first includes, for example, a toxin produced by a fungus that has contaminated a food, or a pathogenic bacterium or virus, if the amount present in the food may be injurious to health. An example of the second...
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...Are Genetically Modified Foods Safe for Human Consumption? Arianne Liz Quila DeVry University Professor Donham-Miller/English 135 Advanced Composition December 16, 2010 It’s a sad reality that many Americans are unaware that they have been eating foods that were genetically modified. In fact, more than half of the processed and unprocessed foods sold in supermarkets have been genetically engineered and yet, 59% of us are clueless about it (IFIC, 2008). The technology of genetic engineering or genetic modification is widely used in food industry because it produces plants that have better qualities such as bigger size and longer shelf life while reducing the production cost at the same time. However, there are concerns regarding the safety of GM foods for human consumption. This is due to several health incidents in the past that have been linked to ingestion of GM organisms such as the death of 37 people in 1987 caused by a food supplement that contains GM bacteria(Taggart, 2010, par. 7). Research studies also show that GM foods could cause allergic reactions, antibiotic resistance and even organ deterioration. Although genetically modified foods possess favorable attributes, they could also introduce new allergens and toxins that are dangerous to human health making these foods unsafe for consumption. What are GM Foods? Genetically modified (GM) foods refer to food items in which the genetic make-up has been altered. Some processed foods can also be considered GM foods...
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...working model of sustainable food production. This publication provides an introduction to aquaponics with brief profiles of working units around the country. An extensive list of resources points the reader to print and Web-based educational materials for further technical assistance. Introduction Contents Introduction ..................... 1 Aquaponics: Key Elements and Considerations ............... 2 Aquaponic Systems ...... 3 Organic Aquaculture .................. 11 Evaluating an Aquaponic Enterprise ........................ 12 References ...................... 13 Resources ....................... 13 Appendix I: Bibliography on Aquaponics ............. 20 Appendix II: Dissertations ................. 25 A quaponics, also known as the integration of hydroponics with aquaculture, is gaining increased attention as a bio-integrated food production system. Aquaponics serves as a model of sustainable food production by fol low ing certain principles: • The waste products of one biological system serve as nutrients for a second biological system. • The integration of fish and plants results in a polyculture that increases diversity and yields multiple products. • Water is re-used through biological filtration and recirculation. • Local food production provides access to healthy foods and enhances the local economy. In aquaponics, nutrient-rich effluent from fish...
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...Haiti From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Republic of Haiti République d'Haïti Repiblik Ayiti Flag Coat of arms Motto: "L'Union Fait La Force" (French) "Linyon Fe Lafòs" (Haitian Creole) "Strength through Unity" Anthem: La Dessalinienne Capital (and largest city) Port-au-Prince 18°32′N 72°20′W / 18.533°N 72.333°W / 18.533; -72.333 Official languages French, Haitian Creole Ethnic groups Black 95%; Mulatto and White 5%[1] Demonym Haitian Government Presidential republic - President René Préval - Prime Minister Michèle Pierre-Louis Formation - as Saint-Domingue 1697 - Independence from France 1 January 1804 Area - Total 27,751 km2 (147th) 10,714 sq mi - Water (%) 0.7 Population - 2007 estimate 8,706,497[2] (85th) - 2003 census 8,527,817 - Density 335/km2 (38th) 758.1/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2007 estimate - Total $11.150 billion[3] (133th) - Per capita $1,291[3] (154th) GDP (nominal) 2007 estimate - Total $6.031 billion[3] - Per capita $698[3] Gini (2001) 59.2 (high) HDI (2007) ▲ 0.529 (medium) (146th) Currency Gourde (HTG) Time zone (UTC-5) Drives on the right Internet TLD .ht Calling code 509 Haiti (pronounced /ˈheɪtiː/; French Haïti pronounced [aiti]; Haitian Creole: Ayiti), officially the Republic of Haiti (République d'Haïti ; Repiblik Ayiti), is a Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country. Along with the Dominican Republic...
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...59012-570 Natal, RN, Brazil o 2 Laborat´rio de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Farm´ cia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), o a Rua General Cordeiro de Farias, s/n, Petr´ polis, 59012-570 Natal, RN, Brazil o Correspondence should be addressed to Matheus de Freitas Fernandes-Pedrosa; mpedrosa31@uol.com.br Received 24 February 2014; Revised 1 May 2014; Accepted 1 May 2014; Published 5 June 2014 Academic Editor: Shi-Biao Wu Copyright © 2014 Juliana F´lix-Silva et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution e License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae), widely known as “bellyache bush,” is a medicinal plant largely used throughout Africa and America. Several human and veterinary uses in traditional medicine are described for different parts and preparations based on this plant. However, critical reviews discussing emphatically its medicinal value are missing. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the traditional uses, as well as the phytochemistry, pharmacology,...
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