Science & Technology

If you ever wanted to stop your tennis match and challenge the referee’s last call,you probably should,said UC Davis associate professor David Whitney. Published in the Oct.28issue of the journalCurrent Biology,UC Davis researchers,led by Whitney,have shown that humans – even professional tennis referees – are hard-wired to misjudge balls when they are hit close to the line.

Consisting of22million acres,alfalfa is the fourth largest crop produced in the United States.Like most crops,there is an ongoingbattle between genetically engineeredproducers and organic producers ofalfalfa. However,a recent study conducted by UC Davis plant scientists suggests that gene flow between GEalfalfaand organicalfalfacan be minimized.

Editor’s note:Nancy Hudson,the assistant program director of the UC Davisnutrition department,has had the chance to visit72different countries to pursue her professional and recreational interests.She recently sat down with TheCalifornia Aggieto discuss her travels,her career in dietetics and more.

Today “Chemical Communications Between Plants,Leafminers,and Parasites“ Le Kang,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing,China 122Briggs,12:10to1p.m. Sponsored bythe department of entomology

Older blood found to increase infections in hospitalized patients A recent study showed that hospitalized patients who received bloodthat wasmore than a month old were three times more likely to develop infections than those who received fresher blood.

Once upon a time,it placed fear in the hearts of many and killed20million people in less than a year.Now,one shot every year hopefully prevents this outbreak from ever occurring again.As flu season begins,so does the distribution of vaccines.

California’s housing market slump may be breeding stress and discontent,but a new study shows that the ongoing foreclosure crisis may also breed disease. According to researchers at UC Davis and the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District,a rise in the number of neglected pools associated with abandoned homes in Bakersfield coincided with the city’s first West Nile Virus epidemic,which was also the largest outbreak of the disease in California last year.

Today “Genetic and Hormonal Regulation of Seed Dormancy“Kent Bradford,professor and director– Seed Biotechnology Center3001Plant and Environmental Sciences,noonto1p.m.Sponsored by Plant Sciences “Exploring the Genetic and Chemical Basis of Argentine Ant Behavior“Neil Tsutsui,Environmental Science,Policy and Management UC Berkeley122Briggs,12:10to1p.m.Sponsored by Entomology

Sugar in common foods linked to E.coli A type of sugar common in food has been found to create potential for E.coli to invade human bodies. A study published on Oct.29showed that food such as red meat and dairy products contain sugar molecules that are not naturally produced in humans.Toxins from E.coli may bind to the sugars and trigger a pathway to causing diseases.

Everybody loves a California Poppy – or as Shannon Still likes to call them,Eschscholzia Californica.No one quite admires the flower more than Still,whois a TAfor a plant anatomy course and is a graduate student in plant biology.His love for poppies extends all the way to theMojave Desert,where he thinks he may have discovered a new species of poppy.

Researchers have developed a new technique to study blood cell behavior in small blood vessels,highlighting its efficacy for determining how blood cells regulate blood pressure,and ways in which the process may be altered by diet and disease.The study was conducted by researchers at Harvard University,including William Ristenpart,who is now a professor in the departments of food science and technology and chemical engineering and material science at UC Davis.

Dr.Bob Rice,a professor in the environmental toxicology department,has a knack for growing things.He specializes in culturing and studyingepidermal cells,bringing us closer to an understanding of skin cancer and other diseases. When did you start working at UC Davis? Gosh, [almost] 20years ago… 1989,around Labor Day.