LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) ? A food inspector says most ? if not all ? the prepackaged salad mix that sickened hundreds of people in Iowa and Nebraska wasn't grown in either state.
Iowa Food and Consumer Safety Bureau chief Steven Mandernach said Wednesday that at least 80 percent of the vegetables were grown and processed outside both states' jurisdictions. Mandernach says officials haven't confirmed the origins of 20 percent and may never know because victims can't always remember what they ate.
Officials have said the salad was infected with a rare parasite that causes a lengthy gastrointestinal illness. Outbreaks have been reported in 15 states, although it's not clear whether they're connected.
Mandernach says state law prohibits his office from releasing the information unless there's an immediate threat. Officials believe the threat has passed.
The Utah Blaze is an Arena Football League team and one of their touchdowns this weekend included a brilliant celebration that would never be allowed in the NFL.
After returning a kickoff for a touchdown, LaVaughn Macon was "clotheslined" in the style of professional wrestling by one teammate and then another teammate simulated bouncing off the ropes before dropping an elbow that The Rock would have been proud of.
Of course this would be a 15-yard penalty in the NFL for what the league defines as "taunting" the opponent. But in reality, there is nothing about this that is directed at the opponent and is completely harmless...
Veeries very quiet when owls are aboutPublic release date: 30-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Joan Robinson joan.robinson@springer.com 49-622-148-78130 Springer
Study shows birds eavesdrop on owls and change their dusk singing patterns to avoid becoming potential prey
If you hear an owl hooting at dusk, don't expect to catch the flute-like song of a Veery nearby. This North American thrush has probably also heard the hoots, and is singing much less to ensure that it does not become an owl's next meal.
Research by Kenneth Schmidt of Texas Tech University and Kara Loeb Belinsky of Arcadia University in the US, published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, provides insights into just how eavesdropping between predators and prey around dusk may be shaping communication in birds. The study is the first to use the playback of recorded owl vocalization at sunset to study how birds change their behavior when potential predators are heard nearby.
Perching birds are generally more exposed during periods of extended singing. They are less vigilant and their song can often attract the attention of a predator to their fixed location. Despite this risk, dawn and dusk chorusing is a common trait. One such perching bird is the Veery (Catharus fuscescens), a common small brown and white thrush that is most active during the day. Its most common call is a harsh, descending "vee-er", from which the bird gets its name. This particularly vocal bird has a breezy, flute-like song, a pronounced dusk chorus and is often heard singing well after sunset. This behavior could potentially expose the bird to predation.
The study was done on the forested property of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York, where up to three pairs of barred owls live. This owl species is known to be a predator of Veeries. The researchers found that the Veeries reduced their singing patterns for up to 30 minutes after recorded owl sounds were played. The songbirds also displayed fewer extended singing bouts at dusk and stopped singing much earlier in the evening.
"Singing becomes much more risky in the low light of dusk when owls are around," explains Schmidt. "However, by eavesdropping on owls, Veeries can adapt their singing behavior to decrease the risk of predation."
Schmidt adds that the study of the avian dusk chorus has been largely ignored relative to the more well-researched dawn chorus. "Further studies of dusk chorus singing may reveal how the risk of being attacked by predators has contributed to the evolution of singing behavior at dusk," he believes.
###
Reference
Schmidt, K.A., Belinsky, K.L. (2013) Voices in the dark: predation risk by owls influence dusk singing in a diurnal passerine, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. DOI 10.1007/s00265-013-1593-7
The full-text article and audio clips are available to journalists on request.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Veeries very quiet when owls are aboutPublic release date: 30-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Joan Robinson joan.robinson@springer.com 49-622-148-78130 Springer
Study shows birds eavesdrop on owls and change their dusk singing patterns to avoid becoming potential prey
If you hear an owl hooting at dusk, don't expect to catch the flute-like song of a Veery nearby. This North American thrush has probably also heard the hoots, and is singing much less to ensure that it does not become an owl's next meal.
Research by Kenneth Schmidt of Texas Tech University and Kara Loeb Belinsky of Arcadia University in the US, published in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, provides insights into just how eavesdropping between predators and prey around dusk may be shaping communication in birds. The study is the first to use the playback of recorded owl vocalization at sunset to study how birds change their behavior when potential predators are heard nearby.
Perching birds are generally more exposed during periods of extended singing. They are less vigilant and their song can often attract the attention of a predator to their fixed location. Despite this risk, dawn and dusk chorusing is a common trait. One such perching bird is the Veery (Catharus fuscescens), a common small brown and white thrush that is most active during the day. Its most common call is a harsh, descending "vee-er", from which the bird gets its name. This particularly vocal bird has a breezy, flute-like song, a pronounced dusk chorus and is often heard singing well after sunset. This behavior could potentially expose the bird to predation.
The study was done on the forested property of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York, where up to three pairs of barred owls live. This owl species is known to be a predator of Veeries. The researchers found that the Veeries reduced their singing patterns for up to 30 minutes after recorded owl sounds were played. The songbirds also displayed fewer extended singing bouts at dusk and stopped singing much earlier in the evening.
"Singing becomes much more risky in the low light of dusk when owls are around," explains Schmidt. "However, by eavesdropping on owls, Veeries can adapt their singing behavior to decrease the risk of predation."
Schmidt adds that the study of the avian dusk chorus has been largely ignored relative to the more well-researched dawn chorus. "Further studies of dusk chorus singing may reveal how the risk of being attacked by predators has contributed to the evolution of singing behavior at dusk," he believes.
###
Reference
Schmidt, K.A., Belinsky, K.L. (2013) Voices in the dark: predation risk by owls influence dusk singing in a diurnal passerine, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. DOI 10.1007/s00265-013-1593-7
The full-text article and audio clips are available to journalists on request.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita holds a comfortable lead and could win an outright first-round victory in the West African nation's high-stakes presidential election, the minister of territorial administration said on Tuesday.
The announcement of partial results will likely fuel tensions between Keita's supporters and his rivals, who say they will challenge the results if there is no second round.
Voters turned out in large numbers on Sunday, eager for a fresh start after a March 2012 coup allowed separatist and al Qaeda-linked rebels to seize the desert north last year. It took an offensive by thousands of French troops in January to scatter them into the desert and mountains.
Voting was peaceful and observers have largely praised the polls.
"There is one candidate, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who has a wide margin compared with the other candidates," Colonel Moussa Sinko Coulibaly told journalists in the capital Bamako.
"If maintained, (it means) there will not be a need for a second round," he said. The results represented a third of ballots cast from constituencies across the country, he said.
Coulibaly, whose ministry is in charge of organizing the elections, repeatedly refused journalists' requests for exact numbers. He said the results had been certified by the elections commission.
The spokesman for ex-finance minister Soumaila Cisse, who Coulibaly said was currently in second place, criticized the announcement.
"It is scandalous. A minister, when talking about election results, must give numbers and percentages of every candidate," Amadou Koita said.
Minutes after the results were announced, cars and motorcycles honked their horns and Keita's supporters on the streets chanted "IBK" "IBK" "IBK", the initials he is universally known by.
Cisse and two other of Keita's rivals - Modibo Sidibe, a former prime minister, and Dramane Dembele, the candidate of Mali's biggest party - came together on Monday to complain about the process.
Their FDR coalition, which was initially set up to counter last year's coup, complained that hundreds of thousands of people had been excluded from the vote due to technical shortcomings.
Members of the FDR coalition have claimed that world powers led by France, which pushed for the vote to be held despite concerns over Mali's readiness, favored Keita in the process.
Cisse said he will challenge the results if Keita is announced winner in one round.
"It is up to Mr. Cisse to prove what he claims and to use the legal existing channels for his claim. The imperfections will affect the winners as well as the losers," Louis Michel, the EU's chief observer to the Mali mission, said on Tuesday.
"In my opinion, as of today, the problems that we have been told about will not have an impact on the legitimacy of the process," he told Reuters.
Average turnout was tallied so far at 53.3 percent, well above Mali's record high of 40 percent, Coulibaly said. Final results could be ready on Wednesday.
(Writing by David Lewis and Joe Bavier; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia's main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), on Monday rejected results showing the party of long-time Prime Minister Hun Sen had won Sunday's general election and said it wanted an inquiry into irregularities.
On Sunday, the government said Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) had won the election, taking 68 seats in the 123-seat parliament to the CNRP's 55.
The CNRP, whose campaign was given a boost by the return from exile of leader Sam Rainsy, said in a statement it wanted a committee set up with members from the CNRP, the CPP, the United Nations, the National Election Committee and others to investigate the election process.
(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing by Paul Tait)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Wilson Ramos hit a grand slam and rookie right-hander Taylor Jordan had six strong innings for his first major league win to lead the Washington Nationals to a 14-1 rout of the New York Mets on Sunday.
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The Nationals won their third game in a row and fourth in five to salvage a tumultuous 11-game homestand.
They lost the first six games after the All-Star break, fired hitting coach Rick Eckstein last Monday and demoted former closer Drew Storen to Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.
Mets right-hander Carlos Torres (1-2) could not build on his solid start last week against the Atlanta Braves.
He allowed eight runs and nine hits in just three innings. Ramos had his third-inning grand slam. He ripped a 2-1 pitch into the left-field stands to cap a five-run inning.
Jordan (1-3), making his sixth career start, earned his first victory. The 24-year-old held New York to five hits in six innings.
The Nats set season highs in runs and hits (18) and battered Torres. Ramos singled home Ian Desmond in the second inning to start the scoring. Bryce Harper followed two batters later with a two-out single on a 3-2 count that scored two more runs to make it 3-0.
Ryan Zimmerman led off the third inning with a single and scored on a Desmond base hit prior to Ramos' grand slam. Zimmerman finished 3-for-4 with a double.
Ramos tied a career high with five RBIs - the second time this month he's done so. Ramos also had five RBIs on July 4 against Milwaukee. The grand slam was the first of his career.
Jayson Werth and Denard Span both added RBI singles in the fourth inning to make it 10-1. Washington was 9-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Things turned sloppy for the Mets in the sixth inning when reliever David Aardsma and catcher John Buck combined on a two-out wild pitch followed by a passed ball. That allowed Werth to advance to third base. Desmond singled him home.
Span, who entered the weekend without a home run since last Oct. 2, then hit his second in as many days. That line drive over the fence in right made it 13-1. Span finished with four hits, the first time he'd done so since July 31, 2012.
Desmond reached base five times, drove in three runs and posted his third four-hit game of the year.
The only Mets run came on a fourth-inning single to right by Marlon Byrd. That drove home Eric Young. Jordan struck out a career-best seven batters and walked just one.
Jordan, who began the season at Class A Potomac, has become a key part of a Nats rotation that is missing left-hander Ross Detwiler, on the 15-day disabled list with a herniated disc in his back, and has seen veteran Dan Haren (5-1, 5.49) struggle.
Jordan is on an innings limit in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery in 2011. Washington manager Davey Johnson said earlier in the week that Jordan has between 20 to 30 innings remaining before the organization ends his season. He is at 125 2-3 total innings with 35 1-3 of those in the majors.
NOTES: Mets third baseman David Wright was not in the starting lineup for just the third time this season It was a non-injury day off, "which he certainly needs," said New York manager Terry Collins. ... On Monday, the Mets continue an eight-game road trip with the start of a three-game series in Miami against the last-place Marlins. ... RHP Jeremy Hefner (4-8, 4.17) pitches for New York against RHP Jacob Turner (3-3, 2.49). ... The Mets are 3-8 against the Marlins this season. ... The Nationals are off on Monday. They begin a five-game road trip on Tuesday in Detroit. ... RHP Stephen Strasburg (5-8, 2.85) starts for Washington against RHP Anibal Sanchez (8-7, 2.68).
I know, I know, you despise Ryan Braun. And you should.
He cheated, which Americans often forgive, but then he lied about it, which narrows his prospects for popularity. And while he lied, he looked us in the collective eye and threw an innocent man under the particular bus that tramples the innocent, so Braun is hereby sentenced to the complex of virtual solitary confinement cells that hold Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds and the portion of Alex Rodriguez?s brain that once formed coherent thoughts.
You hate Ryan Braun, which is justified, even convenient, because he plays for a rival team in Minnesota?s rival state, but the hatred of fans and writers and even his peers obscures what?s important.
It?s not the crime. It?s the punishment.
Think of Braun the way you think of other white-collar criminals, like the crooks on Wall Street. You can?t erase their riches, can?t keep them from wiping the guilt sweat from their brows with thousand-dollar bills. The best that the powers-that-be can do is damage their reputations and use their stories to stump for harsher punishments for the next generation of cheaters.
Baseball is doing that, or at least trying, and that?s the real story here. There will always be cheaters in sports, just as there will always be cheaters and frauds on Wall Street and in Congress. Baseball is doing more to pursue and punish its drug cheats than our government did to punish the banks and financiers that destroyed our economy, and doing so at great risk to its own product.
Baseball is a business that relies on ratings, attendance and the health of its franchises. Punishing Braun, and exposing him as a user of performance-enhancing drugs, damages ratings, attendance and the health of the franchise baseball?s commissioner once owned.
What other major North American sport has so eagerly flogged itself, to its own detriment?
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Public release date: 30-Jul-2013
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