ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Thursday, July 1, 2010
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Warmer ecosystems could absorb less atmospheric carbon dioxide (July 1, 2010) -- A predicted rise in global temperature of 4 C by 2100 could lead to a 13 percent reduction in ecosystems' ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, new research suggests. ... > full story
'Balanced' ecosystems seen in organic agriculture better at controlling pests, research finds (July 1, 2010) -- There really is a balance of nature, but as accepted as that thought is, it has rarely been studied. Now, researchers have found that more balanced animal and plant communities typical of organic farms work better at fighting pests and growing a better plant. ... > full story
Stability and utility of floating wind turbines shown in new study (July 1, 2010) -- While offshore wind turbines have already have been constructed as a renewable energy solution, they've traditionally been situated in shallow waters, where the tower extends directly into the seabed. Now a group of researchers in California has studied the feasibility of placing wind turbines on floating platforms. ... > full story
System that controls sleep may be same for most mammals (June 30, 2010) -- In a novel mathematical model that reproduces sleep patterns for multiple species, an international team of researchers has demonstrated that the neural circuitry that controls the sleep/wake cycle in humans may also control the sleep patterns of 17 different mammalian species. ... > full story
Chromosomal variations found in early passage female embryonic stem cells (June 30, 2010) -- Scientists have uncovered that variations in X chromosome inactivation take place in very early passages of female human embryonic stem cells lines, information that will play an important role in ensuring the safety of cells grown for therapeutic use and a discovery that also may have implications in the development of cancer. ... > full story
Feast and famine: MRI reveals secrets of animal anatomy (June 30, 2010) -- Scientists have used Computer Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI to reveal, for the first time noninvasively, how a snake adapts its internal organs in preparation for a big meal and during digestion, until it has disappeared completely. The images could be valuable supplements to traditional textbook sketches, diminishing the need for invasive research and dissections. ... > full story
Key mechanism links virgin olive oil to protection against breast cancer (June 30, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have discovered a key mechanism by which virgin olive oil, in contrast to other vegetable oils, protects the body against breast cancer. ... > full story
Climate change scientists turn up the heat in Alaska (June 30, 2010) -- Scientists are planning a large-scale, long-term ecosystem experiment to test the effects of global warming on the icy layers of arctic permafrost. ... > full story
Zapping Titan-like atmosphere with UV rays creates life precursors (June 30, 2010) -- The first experimental evidence showing how atmospheric nitrogen can be incorporated into organic macromolecules is being reported by researchers. The finding indicates what organic molecules might be found on Titan, the moon of Saturn that scientists think is a model for the chemistry of pre-life Earth. Earth and Titan are the only known planetary-sized bodies that have thick, predominantly nitrogen atmospheres. ... > full story
Putting muscle into birdsong: Wide range of pitch is due to vocal muscles more than air pressure (June 30, 2010) -- Female zebra finches don't sing but make one-note, low-pitch calls. Males sing over a wide range of frequencies. Scientists discovered how: The males' stronger vocal muscles, not the pressure of air flowing through their lungs, lets them sing from the B note above middle C all the way to a whistle beyond the high end of a piano keyboard. ... > full story
Nitrate in beetroot juice lowers blood pressure, study finds (June 30, 2010) -- The nitrate content of beetroot juice is the underlying cause of its blood pressure lowering benefits, research reveals. A new study finds that blood pressure was lowered within 24 hours in people who took nitrate tablets, and people who drank beetroot juice. ... > full story
Olympic gold? A new effect of caffeine boosts performance (June 30, 2010) -- UK scientists show for the first time that high doses of caffeine directly increase muscle power and endurance during sub-maximal activities, which in humans ranges from everyday activities to running a marathon. With no current regulations in place, the scientists believe their findings may have implications for the use of caffeine in sport to improve performance. ... > full story
Hunting weapon 10,000 years old found in melting ice patch (June 30, 2010) -- A researcher has discovered a 10,000-year-old atlatl dart that had melted out of an ice patch in the Rocky Mountains. Climate change has increased global temperatures and accelerated melting of permanent ice fields, exposing organic materials that have long been entombed in the ice. ... > full story
Desert bats reveal the secret of their survival (June 30, 2010) -- Desert bats reduce water loss by changing the make-up of their skin, allowing them to thrive in some of the world's most inhospitable environments. This is surprising given the anatomy of bats and the energy they expend in flight and may provide significant insight into how bats might respond to a future changing climate. ... > full story
Mystery unraveled: How asbestos causes cancer (June 30, 2010) -- More than 20 million people in the US, and many more worldwide, who have been exposed to asbestos are at risk of developing mesothelioma, a malignant cancer of the membranes that cover the lungs and abdomen that is resistant to current therapies. Moreover, asbestos exposure increases the risk of lung cancer among smokers. For the past 40 years researchers have tried to understand why asbestos causes cancer. ... > full story
Discovery of controlled swarm in bacteria: Could help design new strategies to increase sensitivity to antibiotics (June 30, 2010) -- Researchers have described one of the mechanisms in which pathogenic bacteria populations control the way they spread over the surface of the organs they infect and stop when they detect the presence of an antibiotic, only to resume again when the effect wears off. The star of this process is the RecA protein, which significantly increases its concentration at the start of the bacteria DNA repair mechanism. ... > full story
Returning farmland to wilderness in Tanzania (June 30, 2010) -- The Swiss wanted to rear cattle in Tanzania and in so doing completely disturbed the ecosystem: the example of the Mkwaja Ranch shows how dependent agriculture is on a functioning ecosystem. And what a serious effect its encroachment can have on a sensitive balance. ... > full story
Depressed mice could aid research on drug-resistant depression in humans (June 30, 2010) -- New research shows that a unique strain of laboratory mice has behavioral, hormonal, and neurochemical characteristics that are similar to those of human patients with drug-resistant forms of depression. The mice -- which have a defect in a gene -- are expected to be useful as a new model organism in the effort to develop more effective medications for specific forms of depression. ... > full story
Viral protein structure study offers HIV therapy hope (June 30, 2010) -- A new research project is helping further the understanding of HIV viral protein structure which could lead to new molecular medicines. ... > full story
When two parts of the Earth's crust break apart, this does not always cause massive volcanic eruptions (June 30, 2010) -- New research reveals that when two parts of the Earth's crust break apart, this does not always cause massive volcanic eruptions. The study explains why some parts of the world saw massive volcanic eruptions millions of years ago and others did not. ... > full story
Smarter lunchrooms lead kids to eat more salad (June 30, 2010) -- In a year-long study in an upstate New York middle school, researchers examined the effect of moving the salad bar to a more prominent location in the cafeteria. Results show that sales of certain salad bar items increased by 250-300 percent. ... > full story
Arctic climate may be more sensitive to warming than thought, says new study (June 30, 2010) -- A new study shows the Arctic climate system may be more sensitive to greenhouse warming than previously thought, and that current levels of Earth's atmospheric carbon dioxide may be high enough to bring about significant, irreversible shifts in Arctic ecosystems. ... > full story
Engineered antibodies directed against a promising therapeutic target on ovarian cancer cells (June 30, 2010) -- Stealthy and stubborn, ovarian cancer is a particularly vexing malignancy, difficult to diagnose in early stages and difficult to treat once it progresses further. However, research is now focusing on one of the most promising new approaches to dealing with the disease -- using engineered antibodies to target tumor cells while leaving healthy cells intact. ... > full story
Whiter clouds could mean wetter land (June 29, 2010) -- One proposed emergency fix for global warming is to seed clouds over the ocean to make them more reflective, reducing the solar radiation absorbed by the Earth. But the scheme could also change global rainfall patterns, raising concerns of water shortages on land. A new study suggests that the scheme could actually increase monsoonal rains and cause continents to become wetter, not drier, on average. ... > full story
Is this the perfect prawn? (June 29, 2010) -- After 10 years of careful breeding and research, scientists have developed what could be the world's most perfect prawn. ... > full story
Science uncovers the hidden secrets of world-famous paintings (June 29, 2010) -- The hidden secrets of some of the world's most famous paintings have been revealed, thanks to a partnership between the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the National Gallery. ... > full story
Conscious choice of food can substantially mitigate climate change, research finds (June 29, 2010) -- Reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products and improving agricultural practices could decrease global greenhouse gas emissions substantially. By 2055 the emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from agriculture could be cut by more than eighty percent, researchers have found in a new modeling study. ... > full story
Delta bulrush plant could help ease oil spill crisis, botanist says (June 29, 2010) -- A botanist who first profiled and named the delta bulrush says the plant has natural properties that could help reduce the impact of the Gulf oil spill on the Mississippi delta. ... > full story
Embryonic cell and adult pig islet transplants cure diabetes in rats (June 29, 2010) -- In a step toward curing diabetes in humans, scientists have alleviated the disease in rats using transplants from both embryonic and adult pigs. ... > full story
Bees help to beat MRSA bugs (June 29, 2010) -- Bees could have a key role to play in urgently needed new treatments to fight the virulent MRSA bug, according new research from Scotland. ... > full story
Even the midnight sun won't convince bees to work nights (June 29, 2010) -- Bees observe a strict working day, even in conditions of 24-hour sunlight. Researchers tagged worker bumblebees with a radio identifier, similar to an Oyster Card, which was used to monitor their movements during the constant light of the Arctic summer. ... > full story
Biologically inspired technology produces sugar from photosynthetic bacteria (June 29, 2010) -- Researchers have engineered photosynthetic bacteria to produce simple sugars and lactic acid. This innovation could lead to new, environmentally friendly methods for producing commodity chemicals in bulk. It could also lead to reduced carbon dioxide emissions, greater availability of biodegradable plastics, and the capture of harmful CO2 emissions from power plants and industrial facilities. ... > full story
Introducing Robofish: Leading the crowd in studying group dynamics (June 29, 2010) -- Scientists have created the first convincing robotic fish that shoals will accept as one of their own. The innovation opens up new possibilities for studying fish behavior and group dynamics, which provides useful information to support freshwater and marine environmental management, to predict fish migration routes and assess the likely impact of human intervention on fish populations. ... > full story
Teeth of cadavers reveal their identity (June 29, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have shown that a person's dental patterns can be used as proof of their identity with the same degree of reliability as DNA testing, the method that forensic police use to reveal the identity of dead bodies. The researchers came to their conclusion after analyzing the dental patterns of more than 3,000 people. ... > full story
Manure provides higher returns than chemical fertilizers, economist says (June 29, 2010) -- No significant differences in corn yield were found between organic and chemical sources of nutrients, but a new study suggests that manure generates higher economic returns than anhydrous ammonia. ... > full story
Gene leads to longer shelf life for tomatoes, possibly other fruits (June 29, 2010) -- A researcher has found a sort of fountain of youth for tomatoes that extends their shelf life by about a week. Adding a yeast gene increases production of a compound that slows aging and delays microbial decay in tomatoes, and the results likely would transfer to most fruits. ... > full story
Outliving the Ice Age: Tale of a rhinoceros (June 29, 2010) -- Species extinction is a fundamental part of evolution: the best adapted species survive, while others die out. A new study shows why, after 800,000 years of successful survival, a species of rhinoceros suddenly disappeared. ... > full story
Western Mediterranean has warmed for more than a century, study finds (June 29, 2010) -- The longest sequences of temperature and salinity data analyzed (from 1900 to present) have confirmed the gradual warming of the waters of the western Mediterranean, according to new research. ... > full story
Science historian cracks the 'Plato code' (June 29, 2010) -- A science historian in the UK has cracked the "Plato Code" -- the long disputed secret messages hidden in the great philosopher's writings. The findings may revolutionize the history of the origins of Western thought. ... > full story
North America's first peoples more genetically diverse than thought, mitochondrial genome analysis reveals (June 29, 2010) -- The initial peopling of North America from Asia occurred approximately 15,000-18,000 years ago. However, estimations of the genetic diversity of the first settlers have remained inaccurate. In a new study, researchers have found that the diversity of the first Americans has been significantly underestimated, underscoring the importance of comprehensive sampling for accurate analysis of human migrations. ... > full story
Climate changes in the Atlantic can affect drought in distant regions (June 29, 2010) -- Cyclical changes in atmospheric pressure and sea surface temperature in the North Atlantic Ocean affect drought in the Sahel region on the southern Sahara rim. ... > full story
Competition matters: New study challenges long-held assumption about competition in disturbed ecosystems (June 29, 2010) -- Hurricanes, wildfires and influxes of pollutants create disturbances that can put ecological systems under extreme stress. Ecologists had believed that at times like these, competition between species becomes less important as all struggle to survive. But a new laboratory study of microscopic organisms subjected to varying degrees of acoustic disturbance now challenges that assumption -- and could lead ecologists to reconsider how organisms compete during challenging times. ... > full story
Cycad pest uses small size to hide from predators: Researchers look for small control organism (June 29, 2010) -- One way to keep from getting eaten is to run. But recent research shows that sometimes it's better to just hide. ... > full story
NOAA-supported scientists predict 'larger than average' Gulf dead zone (June 29, 2010) -- The northern Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone, an underwater area with little or no oxygen known commonly as the "dead zone," could be larger than the recent average, according to a forecast by a team of NOAA-supported scientists. ... > full story
US approach to farming should change to meet new challenges, expanding needs, report says (June 29, 2010) -- U.S. farmers are under pressure to produce more, pollute less, fulfill consumer preferences, and make a living -- all with increasingly scarce natural resources and the uncertain effects of climate change, says a new report from the National Research Council. To help U.S. agriculture evolve to meet these demands, the report concludes, national agricultural policies and research programs should look beyond focusing only on low costs and high production and adopt a holistic perspective to farming that encompasses multiple end goals. ... > full story
Physics of the 'bends': New study helps explain decompression sickness (June 28, 2010) -- As you go about your day-to-day activities, tiny bubbles of nitrogen come and go inside your tissues. This is not a problem unless you happen to experience large changes in pressure, as scuba divers and astronauts may. During large, fast pressure drops, bubbles can grow, causing "the bends." A new study may provide a physical basis for the existence of these bubbles and help explain decompression sickness. ... > full story
Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure, research finds (June 28, 2010) -- For people with hypertension, eating dark chocolate can significantly reduce blood pressure. Researchers combined the results of 15 studies into the effects of flavanols, the compounds in chocolate which cause dilation of blood vessels, on blood pressure. ... > full story
'Velcro' effect in Guianese ants (June 28, 2010) -- In Guiana, symbiosis between Azteca ants and the Cecropia tree (or trumpet tree) is frequent. However, a surprising discovery has been made: one species of ant (Azteca andreae) uses the 'Velcro' principle to cling on firmly to the leaves of Cecropia and thus capture very large prey. ... > full story
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