Why do guppies jump?

Apr. 25, 2013 ? If you've owned a pet guppy, you know they often jump out of their tanks. Many a child has asked why the guppy jumped; many a parent has been stumped for an answer. Now a study by UMD biologist Daphne De Freitas Soares reveals how guppies are able to jump so far, and suggests why they do it.

Soares, an expert in the brain circuitry that controls animal behavior, decided to study jumping guppies while researching unrelated evolutionary changes in the brainstems of Poecilia reticulata, a wild guppy species from the island of Trinidad and the forebear to the familiar pet shop fish. During that 2011 project, a guppy jumped out of a laboratory tank and into Soares' cup of chai.

"Fortunately it was iced chai and it had a lid on, so he stayed alive," Soares said. "That was enough for me. I had to use a high speed camera to film what was going on."

Soares, an assistant professor of biology, and UMD biology lecturer Hilary S. Bierman used high speed videography and digital imaging to analyze the jumping behavior of nine guppies from the wild Trinidadian species.

In a research paper published April 16 in the online peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, Soares and Bierman reported the jumping guppies started from a still position, swam backwards slowly, then changed direction and hurtled into the air. By preparing for the jump -- a behavior never reported before in fish, according to the two biologists -- the guppies were able to jump up to eight times their body length, at speeds of more than four feet per second.

Soares and Bierman concluded that guppies jump on purpose, and apparently not for the reasons other fish do -- to escape from predators, to catch prey, or to get past obstacles on seasonal migrations.

The biologists hypothesize that jumping serves an important evolutionary purpose, allowing guppies to reach all the available habitat in Trinidad's mountain streams. By dispersing, they move away from areas of heavy predation, minimize competition with one another, and keep the species' genetic variability high, the researchers believe.

"Evolution is truly amazing," said Soares, who spent her own money on fish food, but otherwise conducted the study at no cost.

Video of jumping guppy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fryho0sIp3E

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Maryland.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Daphne Soares, Hilary S. Bierman. Aerial Jumping in the Trinidadian Guppy (Poecilia reticulata). PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (4): e61617 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061617

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/ui2IGSnDbdo/130425132814.htm

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The Bird That Struts Its Stuff

The Greater sage-grouse is a large bird that makes its living in sagebrush habitats across the western U.S. and Canada. Every year at this time, male sage-grouse perform a striking dance routine each morning at dawn. Jason Robinson, upland game coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, breaks down the dance and describes challenges the birds face in Utah.

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=179224941&ft=1&f=1007

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Conference Discusses Future of English Language Testing in the ...

Global Scale of English will help improve learning outcomes for English language students in Saudi Arabia and wider region.

Riyadh: Leading international thinkers in English language teaching and assessment have gathered in Riyadh with local experts to discuss the best methods for improving the standard of English language training in the Arab world.

The ?English Language and Translation Forum? hosted by the Prince Sultan University on the 24th and 25th of April was the first English Language Teaching (ELT) forum held by the University, aimed at increasing the quality of English amongst Arab students. The Conference was supported by the British Council and delegates included experts in the field from within the Kingdom and around the world.

The Conference reinforced the importance of equipping Arab learners with excellent English language skills, as the region?s economies become increasingly globalised. Embedding quality English language training into education systems has been a priority of regional governments who understand the link between graduates with strong English skills and the ability of economies to thrive in a competitive, international market place. Improving the English language capabilities of school and university leavers also has wider socio-economic impacts in Arab countries, where graduates with effective English skills are more likely to find meaningful work, and enjoy higher salaries.

As governments in the region pour unprecedented funding into their education systems, many students want to upgrade their educational level and future prospects by learning English. This calls for English language teaching and assessment methods to stay innovative and responsive, says Professor John De Jong, Senior Vice President of Standards and Quality at the world?s largest education company, Pearson, and Professor of Language Testing at Amsterdam?s VU University.

Professor De Jong was a leading presenter at the English Language and Translation Forum, using the opportunity to explain the benefits of the Global Scale of English (GSE) to delegates. The GSE has been developed by Pearson to provide a comprehensive and robust global benchmark for English proficiency. The scale has been in use for a number of years as a reliable scoring system for Pearson?s trusted English test, PTE Academic?. But Professor De Jong explained the advantages of the GSE across a range of uses.

The GSE offers a standardised, numeric scale from 10 to 90 which can measure English language proficiency more precisely with reference to the widely known and employed Common European Framework of References for Languages, or CEFR. The GSE is a benchmark for English language proficiency that can be related to other English language tests and national examinations as well as a measure of the level of English needed for a range of academic and professional purposes. The GSE has been academically validated, and when linked to instructional content can be used as a benchmark for English language courses offering a truly global and shared understanding of ELT course levels.

Professor De Jong is confident the GSE will help improve the quality of English language education in the Middle East as it allows for a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of a learner?s English language ability and progression. He says:

?The intention of this scale is to encourage the profiling of learners, rather than merely classifying them by levels, as the CEFR tends to do. The GSE is more useful for students and instructors because it provides them with the information to understand English language proficiency more precisely within a CEFR band, and to monitor learner progress within course levels, as well as allowing them to make informed choices about teaching and learning goals to improve their English?.

Using the scale to determine the English language level of learners will have significant benefits for English language education in Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries. Professor De Jong says:

?Pearson is excited to see the changes the Global Scale of English can make to the learning outcomes of English students in the Middle East. Using this scale will mean we can accurately pinpoint the very specific listening, reading, speaking and writing capabilities of a learner, and provide them with a much more accurate and detailed learning plan than ever before. The GSE is less prone to misinterpretation, meaning the course or level the student is studying will be a much more accurate reflection of their learning needs. Ultimately, this should improve the results of English language students in the region, and we all know the far-reaching impacts good English language skills can have on an individual?s future, and the collective benefits this can have on communities?.

Source: http://www.pearsonmiddleeastawe.com/conference-discusses-future-of-english-language-testing-in-the-arab-world?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=conference-discusses-future-of-english-language-testing-in-the-arab-world

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Mac Miller Borrows Eminem's Superman Cape For 'S.D.S' Video

Rapper also took influence from Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes for the extravagant clip.
By Rob Markman

Mac Miller in his video for "S.D.S."
Photo: Rostrum

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706326/mac-miller-sds-music-video-inspiration-eminem.jhtml

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Psy knocked from top of Korean charts by 63-year-old singer

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean rapper Psy, whose latest video "Gentleman" tracked global megahit "Gangnam Style" by going viral on the Internet, has been knocked from the top of the music charts in his native country by a 63-year-old easy listening pop singer.

"Gangnam Style", which holds the YouTube record for most views with more than 1.5 billion, catapulted the sunglassed Korean with the garish jackets to world stardom and made him one of the best-known faces to grace the growing K-pop music scene.

But Cho Yong-pil, who has been a fixture of Korean pop music since 1975 with his electronic music and ballads, took over the top spot in Korea with "Bounce," according to both the daily and weekly charts on Naver, Korea's top Internet portal.

Fans lined up to buy "Hello," Cho's first album in a decade, when it went on sale earlier this week, and packed a stadium concert on Tuesday with people screaming his nickname of "Oppa" - a word used by Korean women for older men that Psy took to the world with the refrain "Oppa Gangnam Style".

Cho's songs took the top 10 places on the daily charts, pushing "Gentleman" to no. 13, and Psy had to settle for second place on the weekly charts.

But "Gentleman" surged to fifth place on the Billboard Hot 100 this week and has racked up over 220 million views on YouTube after smashing the record for first-day views for songs.

Psy told reporters he had nothing but respect for the veteran crooner, noting that Cho had praised him at a Tuesday news conference.

"I couldn't be happier, although getting on the Billboard chart also makes me really grateful," Psy told reporters on Thursday prior to leaving for the United States.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Elaine Lies)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/psy-knocked-top-korean-charts-63-old-singer-090558859.html

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Legal issues surround Boston suspect's questioning

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The hospital-room questioning of the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings is generating concern about whether he should have been interrogated without first being told of his constitutional rights to silence and a lawyer ? and, conversely, whether federal agents actually should have had more time with him before he was read his rights.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faced 16 hours of questioning before he was advised of his Miranda rights, and investigators say he told them of his role in the two bombings near the Boston Marathon finish line on April 15. He explained that he and his brother, Tamerlan, were angry about the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the killing of Muslims there, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the case with reporters.

He also described a spur-of-the-moment plan that the brothers hatched to drive to New York and set off their remaining explosives there, New York City officials said Thursday.

In Boston, federal agents invoked an exception to the Miranda warnings that allows for questioning when public safety may be threatened. But they knew their time with Tsarnaev in the absence of a lawyer would be limited.

On Sunday, prosecutors filed a criminal complaint charging Tsarnaev with a role in the bombings. That action led directly to the improvised court hearing in the hospital the following morning at which U.S. Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler told Tsarnaev he did not have to answer questions and could have a lawyer.

And he apparently did stop, though other cases in recent years suggest that silence won't necessarily last.

Could that first hearing on Monday have been delayed?

The hearing is supposed to take place "without unnecessary delay," according to the federal rules, sometimes within a matter of hours.

The rules governing such hearings, known as an initial appearance, require the judge to tell a defendant of his rights, Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said. "The prosecutors and FBI agents in Boston were advised of the scheduled initial appearance in advance of its occurrence."

Civil liberties advocates have said a suspect should rarely be questioned without a lawyer and without being told he doesn't have to respond.

"Miranda rights are an incredibly important civil liberties safeguard," said Hina Shamsi of the American Civil Liberties Union. "The public safety exception must be read narrowly, as it has been by the courts."

But California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, a former federal prosecutor, said he has questions about how the court proceeding came about.

"I would have thought the public exception rule would have allowed more time for the questioning of the suspect prior to the arraignment and/or advising of rights," Schiff said.

A fellow Democrat, Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, agreed that some questions remain about when the judge arrived and whether she interrupted questioning. But, Levin said, " we do know there was 16 hours of questioning and that they got very detailed information."

Withholding a criminal suspect's Miranda rights becomes a legal issue only if authorities try to use what they learned during the questioning.

In fact, prosecutors probably will want to introduce Tsarnaev's confession as evidence against him.

"Prosecutors always prefer to have a confession," said Tamar Birckhead, a former federal defender in Boston who now teaches law at the University of North Carolina. She predicted there would be a protracted legal battle over Tsarnaev's statements, if his case comes to trial and prosecutors say they intend to use them.

But other legal experts said any controversy over those early statements should not obscure the rest of the government's case.

"When you read the affidavit, it lays out the evidence the FBI gathered wholly apart from any statements he made to law enforcement. Based on my experience, that's a pretty strong case, even without statements made by the defendant to law enforcement directly," said former federal prosecutor Juliet Sorensen, a Northwestern University law professor.

Tsarnaev apparently stopped talking to investigators once Bowler appointed the Federal Public Defender's office in Boston to represent him, said a U.S. law enforcement official and three congressional officials representing both political parties. The law enforcement official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to talk about the case with reporters. The congressional officials spoke on condition of anonymity because their information came from a confidential FBI briefing.

But that may not be final. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab of Nigeria, convicted of trying to blow up a packed jetliner using a bomb sewn into his underwear on Christmas Day 2009, also initially answered investigators' questions and then clammed up once he was read his rights, only to start cooperating again.

"This notion that they 'lawyer up' and that's the end of getting any information is just not true," said Miami defense lawyer Neal Sonnett.

David Cole, a Georgetown University law professor, said lawyers sometimes encourage their clients to cooperate. "The government generally has a lot of evidence against the individual. The criminal sentences are harsh and the likelihood of conviction is high. Defense counsel, seeing that, will often understand that cooperating is in his client's best interests," Cole said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/legal-issues-surround-boston-suspects-questioning-213211849.html

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Poor parenting -- including overprotection -- increases bullying risk

Apr. 25, 2013 ? Children who are exposed to negative parenting -- including abuse, neglect but also overprotection -- are more likely to experience childhood bullying by their peers, according to a meta-analysis of 70 studies of more than 200,000 children.

The research, led by the University of Warwick and published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect, found the effects of poor parenting were stronger for children who are both a victim and perpetrator of bulling (bully-victims) than children who were solely victims.

It found that negative or harsh parenting was linked to a moderate increase in the risk of being a 'bully-victim' and a small increase in the risk of being a victim of bullying. In contrast, warm but firm parenting reduced the risk of being bullied by peers.

The study authors, Professor Dieter Wolke, Dr Suzet Lereya and Dr Muthanna Samara, called for anti-bullying intervention programmes to extend their focus beyond schools to focus on positive parenting within families and to start before children enter school.

Professor Wolke said: "The long shadow of bullying falls well beyond the school playground -- it has lasting and profound effects into adulthood.

"We know that victims and bully-victims are more likely to develop physical health problems, suffer from anxiety and depression and are also at increased risk of self-harm and suicide.

"It is vital we understand more about the factors linked to bullying in order to reduce the burden it places on the affected children and society.

"People often assume bullying is a problem for schools alone but it's clear from this study that parents also have a very important role to play.

"We should therefore target intervention programmes not just in schools but also in families to encourage positive parenting practices such as warmth, affection, communication and support."

The study categorised behaviours such as abuse/neglect, maladaptive parenting and overprotection as negative parenting behaviour.

It categorised authoritative parenting, parent-child communication, parental involvement and support, supervision and warmth and affection as positive parenting behaviours.

Professor Wolke highlighted the finding that overprotection was linked to an increased risk of bullying.

"Although parental involvement, support and high supervision decrease the chances of children being involved in bullying, for victims overprotection increased this risk.

"Children need support but some parents try to buffer their children from all negative experiences.

"In the process, they prevent their children from learning ways of dealing with bullies and make them more vulnerable.

"It could be that children with overprotective parents may not develop qualities such as autonomy and assertion and therefore may be easy targets for bullies.

"But it could also be that parents of victims become overprotective of their children.

"In either case, parents cannot sit on the school bench with their children.

"Parenting that includes clear rules about behaviour while being supportive and emotionally warm is most likely to prevent victimisation.

"These parents allow children to have some conflicts with peers to learn how to solve them rather than intervene at the smallest argument."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Warwick, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. \ Suzet Tanya Lereya, Muthanna Samara, Dieter Wolke. Parenting behavior and the risk of becoming a victim and a bully/victim: A meta-analysis study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2013 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.03.001

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/-9amG3HR3LE/130425214005.htm

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