ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Wednesday, July 7, 2010
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Lone whales shout to overcome noise (July 7, 2010) -- Just like people in a bar or other noisy location, North American right whales increase the volume of their calls as environmental noise increases; and just like humans, at a certain point, it may become too costly to continue to shout, according to marine and acoustic scientists. ... > full story
Secrets of nutritious corn breed that withstands rigors of handling (July 7, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered the basis for what makes corn kernels hard, a quality that allows corn to be easily harvested, stored and transported. The findings could lead to better hybrids and increase the supply for people in developing countries who rely on it as a nutritional staple. The study examines "quality protein maize," or QPM, which has key protein ingredients and a hard-shelled kernel. ... > full story
NASA satellite adds carbon dioxide to its repertoire (July 7, 2010) -- A NASA-led research team has expanded the growing global armada of remote sensing satellites capable of studying carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth's climate. ... > full story
How T cells make a commitment (July 7, 2010) -- When does a cell decide its particular identity? According to biologists, in the case of T cells -- immune system cells that help destroy invading pathogens -- the answer is when the cells begin expressing a particular gene called Bcl11b. ... > full story
Cleaner water mitigates climate change effects on Florida Keys coral reefs, study shows (July 7, 2010) -- Improving the quality of local water increases the resistance of coral reefs to global climate change, according to a new study. ... > full story
Hips don't lie: Researchers find more accurate technique to determine sex of skeletal remains (July 6, 2010) -- Researchers are offering a new means of determining the sex of skeletal human remains -- an advance that may have significant impacts in the wake of disasters, the studying of ancient remains and the criminal justice system. ... > full story
Team devises technique to predict dust storms with infrared satellite (July 6, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a method for predicting dust and sandstorms that uses infrared satellite images to determine when conditions are ripe for the destructive phenomena, a technique that could be implemented globally and that the research team used to forecast a 2008 New Mexico dust storm -- the area's largest in decades -- two days beforehand. ... > full story
Rare creatures from the deep: Findings may revolutionize thinking about deep-sea life in Atlantic Ocean (July 6, 2010) -- Scientists have just returned from a voyage with samples of rare animals and more than 10 possible new species in a trip which they say has revolutionized their thinking about deep-sea life in the Atlantic Ocean. One group of creatures they observed -- and captured -- during their six weeks in the Atlantic aboard the RRS James Cook is believed to be close to the missing evolutionary link between vertebrate and invertebrate animals. ... > full story
Bacterial communication encourages chronic, resistant ear infections (July 6, 2010) -- Ear infections caused by more than one species of bacteria could be more persistent and antibiotic-resistant because one pathogen may be communicating with the other, encouraging it to bolster its defenses. Interrupting or removing that communication could be key to curing these infections. ... > full story
Can you make a snail forget? (July 6, 2010) -- Scientists have identified which environmental stress conditions encourage pond snails to remember and which make them forget. Following training, predator scent super-sensitised the snails whilst overcrowding and reduced calcium blocked memory formation. Understanding when stress blocks or enhances memory in a simple animal model may help elucidate mechanisms in more complex animals, like humans. ... > full story
Nna proteins play role in catastrophic neuron death in mice, flies -- and perhaps people (July 6, 2010) -- A team of researchers has identified a key player in the dramatic loss of neurons in mice and fly models, a discovery that could help illuminate the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in human neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. ... > full story
Thermal-powered, insect-like robot crawls into microrobot contenders' ring (July 6, 2010) -- Engineers have built an insect-like robot with hundreds of tiny legs. Compared to other such microrobots, this new model excels in its ability to carry heavy loads -- more than seven times its own weight -- and move in any direction. ... > full story
More fish than thought may thrive in the ocean's depths, study suggests (July 6, 2010) -- A study of the occurrence of fishes in the ocean's deepest reaches -- the hadal zone, below 6000 meters -- has provided evidence that some species of fishes are more numerous at such depths than experts had thought. ... > full story
Long-term fate of Gulf oil spill: Computer simulations show oil reaching up the Atlantic coastline and toward Europe (July 6, 2010) -- The possible spread of the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig over the course of one year was studied in a series of computer simulations by a team of researchers. The simulations suggest that the coastlines near northern Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas could see the effects of the oil spill as early as October 2010, while the main branch of the subtropical gyre is likely to transport the oil film towards Europe, although strongly diluted. ... > full story
Antioxidants do help arteries stay healthy (July 6, 2010) -- Long-term supplementation with dietary antioxidants has beneficial effects on sugar and fat metabolism, blood pressure and arterial flexibility in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers report these positive results in a randomized controlled trial of combined vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and selenium capsules. ... > full story
Environmental toxins affect the body's hormone systems (July 6, 2010) -- Individual variants of the environmental pollutants PCB and PFC can affect several of the body's hormone systems in a more complex way than previously supposed. Humans and animals are constantly exposed to these toxins through the food they eat and the air they breathe. ... > full story
Breath of the Earth: Cycling carbon through terrestrial ecosystems (July 6, 2010) -- Two recent international studies are poised to change the way scientists view the crucial relationship between Earth's climate and the carbon cycle. These reports explore the global photosynthesis and respiration rates -- the planet's deep "breaths" of carbon dioxide, in and out -- and researchers say that the new findings will be used to update and improve upon traditional models that couple together climate and carbon. ... > full story
For female baboons, too, it's good to have friends (July 6, 2010) -- Female baboons that maintain closer ties with other members of their troop live substantially longer than do those whose social bonds are less stable, a recent study has found. The researchers say that the findings add to evidence in animals from mice to humans that social bonds have real adaptive value. ... > full story
Benchtop biofuels: Fine-tuning growth conditions helps cyanobacteria flourish (July 6, 2010) -- Cyanobacteria are among the oldest living forms in nature, responsible for generating the atmospheric oxygen we breathe today. Now researchers are perfecting the means to culture these microbes -- potentially rich source of biofuels and biomaterials -- significantly greater abundance. ... > full story
'Digital embryo' gains wings: Now possible to film development of fruit fly and of zebrafish's eyes and brain (July 6, 2010) -- Scientists in Europe have captured fruit fly development on film, creating the Fly Digital Embryo. In a newly published study, they were also the first to clearly record how a zebrafish's eyes and mid-brain are formed. ... > full story
Virgin olive oil and a Mediterranean diet fight heart disease by changing how our genes function (July 6, 2010) -- Everyone knows olive oil and a Mediterranean diet are associated with a lower risk for cardiovascular disease, but a new research report offers a surprising reason why: these foods change how genes associated with atherosclerosis function. ... > full story
3,200-year-old bronze tablet identified as battle chariot linchpin (July 6, 2010) -- A 3,200-year-old round bronze tablet with a carved face of a woman, found at the El-ahwat excavation site near Katzir in central Israel, is part of a linchpin that held the wheel of a battle chariot in place. ... > full story
Our brains are more like birds' than we thought (July 5, 2010) -- For more than a century, neuroscientists believed that the brains of humans and other mammals differed from the brains of other animals, such as birds (and so were presumably better). Researchers have now found that a comparable region in the brains of chickens concerned with analyzing auditory inputs is constructed similarly to that of mammals. ... > full story
Ultrafine particles in air pollution may heighten allergic inflammation in asthma (July 5, 2010) -- Even brief exposure to ultrafine pollution particles near a freeway is potent enough to boost the allergic inflammation that exacerbates asthma, according to new research. ... > full story
Worm bites off enough to chew: Ingenious evolutionary trick (July 5, 2010) -- Dramatic scenes are played out under Ralf Sommer’s microscope: his research object, the roundworm Pristionchus pacificus bites another worm, tears open a hole in its side and devours the oozing contents. The squirming victim does not stand a chance in this duel: Caenorhabditis elegans may be a close relative of Pristionchus; unfortunately, however, it does not have the same strong "teeth". Pristionchus’ impressive hunting technique though is not the focus of interest for the biologists. Their concern is the development of its mouthparts. ... > full story
Mountain mice show adaptation to altitude (July 5, 2010) -- Mice at altitude have adapted to use oxygen more efficiently during exercise than their low-altitude counterparts by showing a fuel preference for carbohydrates over fats, Canadian and Peruvian scientists reveal. It is very likely that a similar strategy has also evolved in other mammals, including high-altitude native humans. ... > full story
Oil spills raise arsenic levels in the ocean, says new research (July 5, 2010) -- Oil spills can increase levels of toxic arsenic in the ocean, creating an additional long-term threat to the marine ecosystem, according to new research. ... > full story
Nanomachines in the powerhouse of the cell: Architecture of the largest protein complex of cellular respiration elucidated (July 5, 2010) -- Scientists in Germany have elucidated the architecture of the largest protein complex of the cellular respiratory chain.They discovered an unknown mechanism of energy conversion in this molecular complex. The mechanism is required to utilize the energy contained in food. ... > full story
Air pollution doesn't increase risk of preeclampsia, early delivery, study finds (July 5, 2010) -- While pregnant women may worry about the effects of air pollution on their health and that of their developing child, exposure to carbon monoxide and fine particles in the air during pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk of preterm delivery or preeclampsia -- a serious condition that arises only during pregnancy -- according to results of a new study. ... > full story
Wallabies and bats harbor 'fossil' genes from the most deadly family of human viruses (July 4, 2010) -- Modern marsupials may be popular animals at the zoo and in children's books, but new findings reveal that they harbor a "fossil" copy of a gene that codes for filoviruses, which cause Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers and are the most lethal viruses known to humans. ... > full story
Nutrition's potential to save sight (July 4, 2010) -- Scientists are finding that healthy eating can reduce not only health care costs, but also the decline of quality of life due to these diseases. ... > full story
Genetic inspiration could show the way to revolutionize information technology (July 4, 2010) -- Chemists in the UK have created a synthetic form of DNA that could transform how digital information is processed and stored. ... > full story
Excess nitrogen favors plants that respond poorly to rising CO<sub>2</sub> (July 3, 2010) -- As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise, so does the pressure on the plant kingdom. The hope among policymakers, scientists and concerned citizens is that plants will absorb some of the extra CO2 and mitigate the impacts of climate change. For a few decades now, researchers have hypothesized about one major roadblock: nitrogen. ... > full story
Volcanic ash research shows how plumes end up in the jet stream (July 3, 2010) -- A volcanologist has shown how the jet stream -- the area in the atmosphere that pilots prefer to fly in -- also seems to be the area most likely to be impacted by plumes from volcanic ash. ... > full story
Scientists find direct line from development to growth (July 3, 2010) -- It may seem intuitive that growth and development somehow go together so that plants and animals end up with the right number of cells in all the right places. But it is only now that scientists have gotten some of the first insights into how this critical coordination actually works in a plant. ... > full story
Molecular prosthesis against gout (July 3, 2010) -- Researchers in Switzerland have devised a new method for preventing and permanently eradicating the cause of gout. It involves implanting a biological network that regulates the uric acid levels autonomously. ... > full story
Feathered friends: Ostriches provide clues to dinosaur movement (July 2, 2010) -- The flightless ostrich uses its wings as sophisticated air-rudders and braking aids when running at high speed and may provide valuable information about how its dinosaur ancestors used their feathered forelimbs to move more efficiently. A small leg muscle, if also present in dinosaurs may have reduced the energetic cost of carrying a heavy body. ... > full story
Discovery of a hepatitis C-related virus in bats may reduce outbreaks in humans (July 2, 2010) -- Viral hepatitis affects more than 500 million people worldwide and while vaccines are available for hepatitis A and B, this is not the case for hepatitis C, which affects as much as two percent of the population in the US. Now, scientists are reporting discovery of a virus related to hepatitis C in Asian bats, which may provide insights into the origins of the hepatitis C virus. ... > full story
Warmer is better: Invasive cane toads set to thrive under global warming (July 2, 2010) -- As global warming threatens many animal species with extinction, the cane toad is set to flourish with increasing temperature. This is a major cause for concern as the cane toad, once introduced to Australia as agricultural pest-control of the cane beetle, is an already highly invasive species and considered a pest in Australia. ... > full story
Tibetan adaptation to high altitude occurred in less than 3,000 years (July 2, 2010) -- Scientists have compared the genomes of 50 Tibetans living above 14,000 feet to 40 Han Chinese living at essentially sea level. They found that within the last 3,000 years, Tibetans evolved genetic mutations in a number of genes having to do with how the body deals with oxygen, making it possible for Tibetans to thrive at high altitudes while their Han relatives cannot. ... > full story
Three-legged dogs boost robot research (July 2, 2010) -- Scientists in Germany are examining how three-legged dogs move to help design and develop robots that can adapt in the event of an "injury." The new research looked at walking and running techniques in dogs with fore-limb or hind-limb amputations, using a treadmill and a set of high-tech infra-red cameras. ... > full story
Scrubbing CO<sub>2</sub> from atmosphere could be a long-term commitment (July 2, 2010) -- With carbon dioxide in the atmosphere approaching alarming levels, even halting emissions altogether may not be enough to avert catastrophic climate change. Could scrubbing carbon dioxide from the air be a viable solution? A new study suggests that while removing excess carbon dioxide would cool the planet, keeping carbon dioxide at low levels would require a long-term commitment spanning decades or even centuries. ... > full story
Killer whales and the mystery of human menopause (July 2, 2010) -- The evolutionary mystery of menopause is a step closer to being solved thanks to research on killer whales. A new study has found a link between killer whales, pilot whales and humans -- the only three known species where females stop breeding relatively early in their lifespan. ... > full story
Researchers identify what makes MRSA lethal (July 2, 2010) -- Scientists studying the so-called “superbug” MRSA have identified one of the components responsible for making it so deadly. Scientists have proven for the first time that a protein called FnBP is central to the bacteria's ability to invade the body's organs. ... > full story
New heat-tolerant beans released (July 2, 2010) -- New bean germplasm lines containing heat, drought and disease tolerance are being released by agricultural scientists. ... > full story
Extinction of woolly mammoth, saber-toothed cat may have been caused by human predators (July 1, 2010) -- A new analysis of the extinction of woolly mammoths and other large mammals more than 10,000 years ago suggests that they may have fallen victim to the same type of "trophic cascade" of ecosystem disruption that scientists say is being caused today by the global decline of predators such as wolves, cougars and sharks. ... > full story
Switching off your lights has a bigger impact than you might think, says new study (July 1, 2010) -- Switching off lights, turning the television off at the mains and using cooler washing cycles could have a much bigger impact on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power stations than previously thought, according to a new study. Researchers in the UK show that the figure used by government advisers to estimate the amount of carbon dioxide saved by reducing people's electricity consumption is up to 60 percent too low. ... > full story
Emissions of greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide underestimated, research suggests (July 1, 2010) -- The emission of the greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide has been structurally underestimated, as a result of the measuring methods used, according to new research from the Netherlands. ... > full story
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