ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Saturday, September 4, 2010
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Ants take on Goliath role in protecting trees in the savanna from elephants (September 3, 2010) -- Ants are not out of their weight class when defending trees from the appetite of nature's heavyweight, the African elephant, a new study finds. Columns of angered ants will crawl up into elephant trunks to repel the ravenous beasts from devouring tree cover throughout drought-plagued East African savannas, playing a potentially important role in regulating carbon sequestration in these ecosystems. ... > full story
Mechanisms and function of a type of mysterious immune cell discovered (September 3, 2010) -- In two closely related studies, two teams of scientists have discovered the underlying mechanisms that activate a type of immune cell in the skin and other organs. The findings may lead to the development of new therapies to treat inflammation, wounds, asthma and malignant tumors. ... > full story
Giant Greenland iceberg -- largest in the northern hemisphere -- enters Nares Strait (September 3, 2010) -- The European Space Agency's Envisat satellite has been tracking the progression of the giant iceberg that calved from Greenland's Petermann glacier on 4 August 2010. A new animation shows that the iceberg, the largest in the northern hemisphere, is now entering Nares Strait -- a stretch of water that connects the Lincoln Sea and Arctic Ocean with Baffin Bay. ... > full story
Brainy worms: Scientists uncover counterpart of cerebral cortex in marine worms (September 3, 2010) -- Unexpectedly, scientists have now discovered a true counterpart of the cerebral cortex in an invertebrate, a marine worm. Their findings give an idea of what the most ancient higher brain centers looked like, and what our distant ancestors used them for. ... > full story
Capsaicin can act as co-carcinogen, study finds; Chili pepper component linked to skin cancer (September 3, 2010) -- New research links capsaicin, a component of chili peppers, to skin cancer. While the molecular mechanisms of the cancer-promoting effects of capsaicin are not clear and remain controversial, the new research has shown a definite connection to formation of skin cancer through various laboratory studies. ... > full story
Cranberry juice shows promise blocking Staph infections (September 3, 2010) -- Expanding their scope of study on the mechanisms of bacterial infection, researchers have reported the surprise finding from a small clinical study that cranberry juice cocktail blocked a strain of Staphylococcus aureus from beginning the process of infection. ... > full story
Science's policy clout diminished, but oil risk looms large, study finds (September 3, 2010) -- More people are likely to believe scientific studies claiming that oil drilling is riskier, not safer, than was previously thought, according to a new study of attitudes in California. What's more the findings show that scientists' efforts to influence public opinion have a limited effect. ... > full story
Miniature auto differential helps tiny aerial robots stay aloft (September 3, 2010) -- Engineers have created a millionth-scale automobile differential to govern the flight of minuscule aerial robots that could someday be used to probe environmental hazards, forest fires, and other places too perilous for people. Their new approach is the first to passively balance the aerodynamic forces encountered by these miniature flying devices, letting their wings flap asymmetrically in response to gusts of wind, wing damage, and other real-world impediments. ... > full story
Chemists develop simple technique to visualize atomic-scale structures (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have devised a new technique -- using a sheet of carbon just one atom thick -- to visualize the structure of molecules. The technique, which was used to obtain the first direct images of how water coats surfaces at room temperature, can also be used to image a potentially unlimited number of other molecules, including antibodies and other biomolecules. ... > full story
Cigarette smoke may contribute to lung inflammation through a new chemical pathway (September 3, 2010) -- Cigarette smoke shuts off a key enzyme in airways that regulates the body's response to inflammation, according to new findings. Researchers say smoke inhibits the enzyme, called Leukotriene A4 Hydrolase (LTA4H), causing it to fail in its job of shutting down white blood cells following a successful response to inflammation. ... > full story
Scientists listen to faint sounds inside insects using atomic force microscopy (September 3, 2010) -- Scientists are using atomic force microscopy to record sounds emanating from inside living insects like flies, mosquitoes and ladybugs. ... > full story
Serendipity contributes to MRSA susceptibility findings (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have found two genes in mice which might help identify why some people are more susceptible than others to potentially deadly staph infections. ... > full story
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