ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Friday, July 30, 2010
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Some trees 'farm' bacteria to help supply nutrients (July 30, 2010) -- Some trees growing in nutrient-poor forest soil may get what they need by cultivating specific root microbes to create compounds they require. These microbes are exceptionally efficient at turning inorganic minerals into nutrients that the trees can use. ... > full story
Best hope for saving Arctic sea ice is cutting soot emissions, say researchers (July 30, 2010) -- Soot from the burning of fossil fuels and solid biofuels contributes far more to global warming than has been thought, according to a new study. But, unlike carbon dioxide, soot lingers only a few weeks in the atmosphere, so cutting emissions could have a significant and rapid impact on the climate. Controlling it may be the only option for saving the Arctic sea ice before it all melts. ... > full story
Researchers study benefits of white button mushrooms (July 30, 2010) -- Scientists have conducted an animal-model and cell-culture study showing that white button mushrooms enhanced the activity of critical cells in the body's immune system. ... > full story
Migrating birds can’t control themselves (July 30, 2010) -- During the spring and fall migratory seasons, sparrows become significantly less capable of resisting temptation. Researchers investigated impulse control and sleep in white-crowned sparrows during migratory and non-migratory seasons. During migratory periods, the birds slept very little and became more impulsive, but sleep loss itself was not entirely to blame for their impulsivity. ... > full story
Polarstern expedition: Autonomous underwater vehicle dives under the Arctic ice (July 30, 2010) -- The Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association for the first time sent its Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) on an under-ice mission at about 79° North. The four-metre-long, torpedo shaped underwater vehicle was deployed from the research icebreaker Polarstern under heavy pack ice. The vehicle was subsequently recovered by helicopter. ... > full story
Signs of reversal of Arctic cooling: Rapid temperature rise in the coldest region of mainland Europe (July 29, 2010) -- Parts of the Arctic have cooled over the past century, but temperatures have been rising steeply since 1990, according to a summer temperature reconstruction for the past 400 years produced on the base of tree rings from regions beyond the Arctic Circle. ... > full story
Sensing wind speed with kites (July 29, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a way to use a kite itself to measure wind speed. The instrument consists of a 2-meter-long and 1-meter-wide Rokkaku-type kite. ... > full story
Accepted theory explaining frequent eruptions at Italy’s Stromboli volcano questioned (July 29, 2010) -- One volcano that volcanologists believe they understand fairly well is Italy's Stromboli, which has been erupting every five to 20 minutes for thousands of years, spewing fountains of ash and magma several meters into the sky. For several decades, scientists have pretty much used one theory to explain what is causing huge amounts of gas to erupt so frequently: swimming-pool-sized bubbles that travel through a few hundred meters of molten magma before popping at the surface. But they may be wrong, according to new research. ... > full story
Super-rare 'elkhorn' coral found in Pacific (July 29, 2010) -- An Australian scientist has discovered what could be the world's rarest coral in the remote North Pacific Ocean. The unique Pacific elkhorn coral was found while conducting underwater surveys of Arno atoll in the Marshall Islands. ... > full story
Aging and longevity tied to specific brain region in mice (July 29, 2010) -- The protein SIRT1 in the brain is tied into a mechanism that allows animals to survive when food is scarce, according to a new study. The research suggests that SIRT1 may be involved with the life span-increasing effect of low-calorie diets, they report. ... > full story
More frequent, more intense heat waves in store for New York, climate scientists predict (July 29, 2010) -- Heat waves like those that baked the Northeast in July are likely to be more frequent and more intense in the future, with their effects amplified in densely built urban environments like Manhattan, according to climate scientists. ... > full story
RNA offers a safer way to reprogram cells (July 29, 2010) -- For the first time, researchers have shown that they can deliver those same reprogramming genes using RNA, the genetic material that normally ferries instructions from DNA to the cell's protein-making machinery. This method could prove much safer than DNA-based reprogramming, say the researchers. The new technique could revert cells to an immature state that can develop into any cell type. ... > full story
Western diet link to ADHD, Australian study finds (July 29, 2010) -- A new study from Australia shows an association between ADHD and a "Western-style" diet in adolescents. The study examined the dietary patterns of 1800 adolescents from the long-term Raine Study and classified diets into 'Healthy' or 'Western' patterns. ... > full story
Swimmers at sub-tropical beaches show increased risk of illness, study suggests (July 29, 2010) -- Swimmers at sub-tropical beaches face an increased risk of illness, according to new research. Scientists examined the risk of illness that beachgoers face when exposed to recreational marine water at sub-tropical beaches with no known source of pollution or contamination. ... > full story
Brainstem, spinal cord images hidden in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel fresco (July 29, 2010) -- Michelangelo, the 16th century master painter and accomplished anatomist, appears to have hidden an image of the brainstem and spinal cord in a depiction of God in the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, a new study reports. These findings by a neurosurgeon and a medical illustrator may explain long controversial and unusual features of one of the frescoes' figures. ... > full story
NASA simulates space exploration at remote Arctic crater site (July 29, 2010) -- NASA personnel are among a group of international researchers who are in the Canadian Arctic assessing concepts for future planetary exploration as part of the Haughton-Mars Project, or HMP-2010. Scientists are using the arid, rocky environment of the Haughton Crater on Devon Island, Canada to simulate conditions that might be encountered by explorers on other planetary bodies. The latest edition of the HMP-2010 began July 19 and includes three weeks of crew and mission control activities and robotic testing. ... > full story
Birth of a hurricane (July 29, 2010) -- Summer storms are a regular feature in the North Atlantic, and while most pose little threat to our shores, a choice few become devastating hurricanes. To decipher which storms could bring danger, and which will not, atmospheric scientists are heading to the tropics to observe these systems as they form and dissipate--or develop into hurricanes. ... > full story
New tool for improving switchgrass (July 29, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a new tool for deciphering the genetics of a native prairie grass being widely studied for its potential as a biofuel. The genetic map of switchgrass is expected to speed up the search for genes that will make the perennial plant a more viable source of bioenergy. ... > full story
Marine biodiversity strongly linked to ocean temperature (July 29, 2010) -- Scientists have mapped and analyzed global biodiversity patterns for over 11,000 marine species ranging from tiny zooplankton to sharks and whales. ... > full story
A future with or without trees: Greenhouse gas emissions from Brazilian Amazon state (July 29, 2010) -- Researchers have estimated future emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane in the Brazilian Amazon state of Mato Grosso. The estimates were made by combining 105 years of historical data on land-use changes with possible scenarios for future deforestation and land use in the region. ... > full story
Polymer passage takes time: New theory aids researchers studying DNA, protein transport (July 29, 2010) -- Researchers have created a theoretical method to calculate the time it takes long-chain polymers to pass through nano-sized pores in membranes. The researchers studied how membrane pore geometry affects the translocation of long polymers. They say the new method, works for pores of any geometry, whether they're straight, conical or made of joined cylinders of different sizes. ... > full story
Hormonal birth control alters scent communication in primates (July 29, 2010) -- Hormonal contraceptives change the ways captive ring-tailed lemurs relate to one another both socially and sexually, according to a study that combined analyses of hormones, genes, scent chemicals and behavior. ... > full story
Genomes behave as social entities: Alien chromatin minorities evolve through specificities reduction (July 29, 2010) -- Researchers in Portugal and the U.S. studied the introgression -- the movement of a gene from one species into the gene pool of another -- of rye alien chromatin in the wheat genome, and showed that genomes behave like social entities. ... > full story
Three-year investigation of military munitions sea disposal site in Hawaii completed (July 29, 2010) -- The University of Hawaii at Manoa's School of Ocean Earth Science and Technology completed a three-year long investigation of Sea Disposal Site Hawaii Number 5, a deep-water military munitions disposal site in US coastal waters approximately 5 miles south of Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. This complex investigation required the use of high-resolution sidescan sonar and remotely operated underwater vehicles to locate sea disposed munitions in water as deep as 1,500 feet. ... > full story
Ancient DNA identifies donkey ancestors, people who domesticated them (July 28, 2010) -- In a finding that says much about the people who lived in northern Africa 5,000 years ago, scientists believe domestication of the donkey was achieved by nomadic people responding to the growing borders of the Sahara. Scientists also determined the endangered African wild ass is the living ancestor of the modern donkey and found hints that one strain of African wild ass thought to be extinct may still be alive. ... > full story
Middle school students co-author research on enzyme for activating promising disease-fighters (July 28, 2010) -- Two middle school students from Wisconsin joined a team of scientists who are reporting the first glimpse of the innermost structure of a key bacterial enzyme. It helps activate certain antibiotics and anti-cancer agents so that those substances do their job. ... > full story
Nanotechnology for water purification (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers in India are investigating the use of several nanotechnology approaches to water purification. Water purification using nanotechnology exploits nanoscopic materials such as carbon nanotubes and alumina fibers for nanofiltration ... > full story
Marine phytoplankton declining: Striking global changes at the base of the marine food web linked to rising ocean temperatures (July 28, 2010) -- A new article reveals for the first time that microscopic marine algae known as phytoplankton have been declining globally over the 20th century. Phytoplankton forms the basis of the marine food chain and sustains diverse assemblages of species ranging from tiny zooplankton to large marine mammals, seabirds, and fish. ... > full story
Making eco-friendly diesel fuel from butter (July 28, 2010) -- The search for new raw materials for making biodiesel fuel has led scientists to an unlikely farm product -- butter. In a new study, researchers report that butter could be used as an eco-friendly feedstock, or raw material, for making diesel fuel. ... > full story
First step toward electronic DNA sequencing: Translocation through graphene nanopores (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new, carbon-based nanoscale platform to electrically detect single DNA molecules. Using electric fields, the tiny DNA strands are pushed through nanoscale-sized thin pores in a graphene nanopore platform that ultimately may be important for fast electronic sequencing of the four chemical bases of DNA based on their unique electrical signature. ... > full story
Unexplained pattern of cosmic rays discovered (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers saw an unusual pattern when they looked at a "skymap" of the relative intensity of cosmic rays directed toward the Earth's Southern Hemisphere, with an excess of cosmic rays detected in one part of the sky and a deficit in another. A similar lopsidedness, called "anisotropy," has been seen from the Northern Hemisphere by previous experiments, but its source is still a mystery. ... > full story
Fly eye paves the way for manufacturing biomimetic surfaces (July 28, 2010) -- Rows of tiny raised blowfly corneas may be the key to easy manufacturing of biomimetic surfaces, surfaces that mimic the properties of biological tissues, according to researchers. ... > full story
Where do the drugs go? (July 28, 2010) -- Drug delivery inside the body is a complicated process. Compounds travel through a maze of aqueous solutions, lipid membranes, and barriers between the blood and tissues like the brain. New research presents a theoretical model that accurately predicts the hydration free energy (HFE) of a wide variety of organic compounds. ... > full story
Scientists tap into Antarctic octopus venom (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers have collected venom from octopuses in Antarctica for the first time, significantly advancing our understanding of the properties of venom as a potential resource for drug development. They also revealed the existence of four new species of octopus. ... > full story
Getting a step ahead of pathogens (July 28, 2010) -- A recent article examines the possibility of using epistasis to predict the outcome of the evolutionary processes, especially when the evolving units are pathogens such as viruses. ... > full story
New drug delivery technique: Nanoblasts from laser-activated nanoparticles move molecules, proteins and DNA into cells (July 28, 2010) -- Using chemical "nanoblasts" that punch tiny holes in the protective membranes of cells, researchers have demonstrated a new technique for getting therapeutic small molecules, proteins and DNA directly into living cells. ... > full story
Latest 'green' packing material? Mushrooms; Packing foam engineered from mushrooms and agricultural waste (July 28, 2010) -- A new packing material that grows itself is now appearing in shipped products across the country. The composite of inedible agricultural waste and mushroom roots is called Mycobond, and its manufacture requires just one eighth the energy and one tenth the carbon dioxide of traditional foam packing material. ... > full story
Urine: Waste product or future power source? (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers in the UK are looking into the use of urine as the ‘fuel’ for microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which use bacterial cultures to break down ‘food’ to create power. MFCs are a developing technology used to power autonomous robots. ... > full story
Can you ask a pig if his glass is half full? (July 28, 2010) -- Experts in the UK have shown for the first time that a pig's mood mirrors how content he is, highlighting that pigs are capable of complex emotions which are directly influenced by their living conditions. ... > full story
Protein identified that can result in fragile bones (July 28, 2010) -- Too little of a protein called neogenin results in a smaller skeleton during development and sets the stage for a more fragile bone framework lifelong, researchers report. ... > full story
Researchers' 'Posseidon' adventure could save shipping industry millions (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers could save the world’s shipping industry millions of pounds in repairs to broken down vessels after developing a computerized warning system which keeps the ‘lifeblood’ of a ship flowing. The Posseidon system, a new sensor-based processing unit, can continuously monitor the ship’s lubricated system, allowing crews on board to predict any deterioration or contamination in the oil, anticipate problems, allowing them to take action before damage and failure occurs. ... > full story
Multifunctional nanoparticle enables new type of biological imaging (July 28, 2010) -- By combining a nanoparticle's magnetic and thermal properties, researchers have created a new technique that virtually eliminates the background noise from non-radioactive medical imaging. ... > full story
Researchers investigate effects of lightning strikes on aircraft (July 28, 2010) -- Scientists in the UK are researching the potential for damage posed by lightning for carbon fibre composites (CFCs), which are increasingly being used in aircraft manufacture, with a view to reducing damage and minimizing repair costs. ... > full story
Key milestone towards the development of a new clinically useful antibiotic (July 27, 2010) -- Scientists have identified the genes necessary for making a highly potent and clinically unexploited antibiotic in the fight against multi-resistant pathogens. ... > full story
Calcium connections: Basic pathway for maintaining cell's fuel stores (July 27, 2010) -- Investigators have described a previously unknown biological mechanism in cells that prevents them from cannibalizing themselves for fuel. The mechanism involves the fuel used by cells under normal conditions and relies on an ongoing transfer of calcium between two cell components via an ion channel. Without this transfer, cells start consuming themselves as a way of to get enough energy. ... > full story
Native-like spider silk produced in metabolically engineered bacteria (July 27, 2010) -- Biomolecular engineers have developed technology to artificially create spider dragline silk proteins that can be used to make ultra-strong synthetic fibers and bulletproof vests. ... > full story
Engineered coral pigment helps scientists to observe protein movement (July 27, 2010) -- Scientists have shown that a variant form of a fluorescent protein originally isolated from a reef coral has excellent properties as a marker protein for super-resolution microscopy in live cells. ... > full story
Ötzi’s secrets about to be revealed (July 27, 2010) -- Using the latest technologies, scientists in Europe have reached a new milestone in their study of the iceman known as Ötzi. For the first time since his discovery almost 20 years ago, scientists now have access to the complete genetic profile of this world-famous mummy. ... > full story
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