ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Thursday, July 8, 2010
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Revolutionary medical dressing uses nanotechnology to fight infection (July 8, 2010) -- Researchers are using nanotechnology to develop a medical dressing which will detect and treat infection in wounds. Scientists in the UK are working together with teams across Europe and Australia to create an advanced wound dressing. The dressing will work by releasing antibiotics from nanocapsules triggered by the presence of disease-causing pathogenic bacteria, which will target treatment before the infection takes hold. ... > full story
Road surface purifies air by removing nitrogen oxides, researchers in the Netherlands find (July 8, 2010) -- Road surfaces can make a big contribution to local air purity. This conclusion can be drawn from the first test results on a road surface of air-purifying concrete. This material reduces the concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 25 to 45 per cent. ... > full story
Cell development: How do plants and animals end up with right number of cells in all the right places? (July 7, 2010) -- How do plants and animals end up with right number of cells in all the right places? For the first time, scientists have gained insight into how this process is coordinated in plants. ... > full story
Thousands of undiscovered plant species face extinction worldwide (July 7, 2010) -- Faced with threats such as habitat loss and climate change, thousands of rare flowering plant species worldwide may become extinct before scientists can even discover them, according to a paper published today by a trio of American and British researchers in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. ... > full story
Isolation a threat to Great Barrier Reef fish (July 7, 2010) -- New research shows that the quiet life is not so great for fish living on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. ... > full story
Brain's energy restored during sleep, suggests animal study (July 7, 2010) -- In the initial stages of sleep, energy levels increase dramatically in brain regions found to be active during waking hours, according to new research. These results suggest that a surge of cellular energy may replenish brain processes needed to function normally while awake. ... > full story
Want to slow aging? New research suggests it takes more than antioxidants (July 7, 2010) -- A new study casts doubt on the theory that oxidative stress shortens lifespan. Researchers have identified mutations in 10 different genes of worms (genes believed to have counterparts in humans) that extend their lifespan without reducing the level of oxidative stress the worms suffer. The results contradict the popular theory that production of toxic reactive oxygen species in tissues is responsible for aging. ... > full story
Deaths in the family cause bacteria to flee (July 7, 2010) -- The deaths of nearby relatives has a curious effect on the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus -- surviving cells lose their stickiness. Biologists report that exposure to the extracellular DNA released by dying neighbors stops the sticky holdfasts of living Caulobacter from adhering to surfaces, preventing cells from joining bacterial biofilms. Less sticky cells are more likely to escape established colonies, out to where conditions may be better. ... > full story
Fetal X-ray exposure interferes with memory in adulthood, monkey study finds (July 7, 2010) -- Learning and memory impairments are important contributors to the disability associated with schizophrenia. These functional impairments emerge long before the onset of other symptoms associated with schizophrenia, suggesting that they are a consequence of a disturbance in brain development. In order to investigate the impact of early life disturbances in brain development upon learning and memory, researchers exposed fetal monkeys to x-rays and then examined their behavior when they were adults, approximately 5 years later. ... > full story
Of moose and men: 50-year study into moose arthritis reveals link with early malnutrition (July 7, 2010) -- It's seen as a sign of getting old, but scientists have discovered that arthritis is not just a human problem as a study lasting 50 years reveals how moose suffer from an identical form of the condition. The research also casts new light on how malnutrition early in life can lead to the disorder in both moose and humans. ... > full story
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
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