ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Thursday, October 7, 2010
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Deep-sea coral reefs discovered in Mediterranean (October 7, 2010) -- The exploration vessel Nautilus has discovered for the first time an area of reefs with deep-sea corals in the Mediterranean, offshore of Israel. This area apparently stretches over a few kilometers, 700 meters under the surface and some 30-40 km off the coast. ... > full story
Decline in Sun's activity does not always mean that Earth becomes cooler, study shows (October 7, 2010) -- The Sun's activity has recently affected Earth's atmosphere and climate in unexpected ways, according to a new study. The research shows that a decline in the sun's activity does not always mean that Earth becomes cooler. ... > full story
Children, males and blacks are at increased risk for food allergies, study finds (October 7, 2010) -- A new study estimates that 2.5 percent of the United States population, or about 7.6 million Americans, have food allergies. Food allergy rates were found to be higher for children, non-Hispanic blacks, and males, according to the researchers. The odds of male black children having food allergies were 4.4 times higher than others in the general population. ... > full story
Breakthrough test rapidly identifies river blindness (October 6, 2010) -- Scientists have developed the first screening method that rapidly identifies individuals with active river blindness, a parasitic disease that afflicts an estimated 37 million people. The test could change the current strategy of mass treatment in areas where river blindness, also known as onchocerciasis, is suspected. ... > full story
New role for master regulator in cell metabolism, response to stress: Clinical implications for obesity, diabetes and cancer research (October 6, 2010) -- Biologists have been studying how AMPK works for several decades and know that once it is activated, AMPK turns on a large number of genes by passing the "make more energy" message through numerous signaling cascades in the cell. What was not known, until now, was that AMPK also works via an epigenetic mechanism to slow down or stop cell growth. ... > full story
Doppler radars help increase monsoon rainfall prediction accuracy (October 6, 2010) -- Doppler weather radar will significantly improve forecasting models used to track monsoon systems influencing the monsoon in and around India, according to researchers. ... > full story
New fossil suggests dinosaurs not so fierce after all (October 6, 2010) -- A new species of dinosaur discovered in Arizona suggests dinosaurs did not spread throughout the world by overpowering other species, but by taking advantage of a natural catastrophe that wiped out their competitors. ... > full story
Bee pastures may help pollinators prosper (October 6, 2010) -- Beautiful wildflowers might someday be planted in "bee pastures," floral havens created as an efficient, practical, environmentally friendly, and economically sound way to produce successive generations of healthy young bees. The pesticide-free pastures could be simple to establish, and -- at perhaps only a half-acre each -- easy to tend. ... > full story
Maggot art used to educate youngsters (October 6, 2010) -- Typically, most people don't warm up to the idea of handling blow fly larvae, known better as maggots. But for one biologist and entomologist, the wiggling insect larvae are tools that are an integral part of crime scene investigation and, for children, a basic introduction into the life cycle of insects and the valuable role they play in nature. ... > full story
Air pollution alters immune function, worsens asthma symptoms, study finds (October 6, 2010) -- Exposure to dirty air is linked to decreased function of a gene that appears to increase the severity of asthma in children, according to a new study. While air pollution is known to be a source of immediate inflammation, this new study provides one of the first pieces of direct evidence that explains how some ambient air pollutants could have long-term effects. ... > full story
New class of objects encoded within the genome: Non-coding RNA molecules function similar to gene enhancer elements (October 6, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered the ability of long non-coding RNA (ncRNA), encoded within our genome, to promote gene expression. The researchers believe these long ncRNA molecules may represent so-called gene enhancer elements -- short regions of DNA that can increase gene transcription. While scientists have known about gene enhancers for decades, there has been no consensus about how these enhancers work. ... > full story
Possible green replacement for asphalt derived from petroleum to be tested on Iowa bike trail (October 6, 2010) -- Christopher Williams was just trying to see if adding bio-oil to asphalt would improve the hot- and cold-weather performance of pavements. What he found was a possible green replacement for asphalt derived from petroleum. ... > full story
Oldest evidence of dinosaurs in footprints: Dinosaur lineage emerged soon after massive Permian extinction (October 6, 2010) -- Scientists have found the oldest evidence of the dinosaur lineage -- fossilized tracks. Just one or two million years after the massive Permian-Triassic extinction, an animal smaller than a house cat walked across fine mud in what is now Poland. ... > full story
Climate change affects horseshoe crab numbers (October 6, 2010) -- Having survived for more than 400 million years, the horseshoe crab is now under threat -- primarily due to overharvest and habitat destruction. However, climatic changes may also play a role, according to a new study. ... > full story
Geothermal mapping project reveals large, green energy source in West Virginia (October 6, 2010) -- New research suggests that the temperature of Earth beneath the state of West Virginia is significantly higher than previously estimated and capable of supporting commercial baseload geothermal energy production. ... > full story
New way to explain the leading cause of kidney failure (October 6, 2010) -- New research offers a completely new explanation for why people with diabetes account for more than half of all patients requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation. It appears that insulin has a significant influence on the structure and proper function of a particular group of very specialized cells, known as podocytes, that are integral to the kidney's ability to do its job filtering blood. ... > full story
Antarctic sea ice increase not linked to ozone hole, new research shows (October 6, 2010) -- While sea ice extent has declined dramatically in the Arctic in recent years, it has increased slightly in the Antarctic. Some scientists have suggested that increased Antarctic sea ice extent can be explained by the ozone hole over Antarctica. Previous simulations have indicated that the ozone hole induces a large change in atmospheric circulation in austral summer and that this change in circulation could contribute to the changing Antarctic sea extent. ... > full story
Rare oasis of life discovered near geothermal vents on floor of Yellowstone Lake (October 6, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a rare oasis of life in the midst of hundreds of geothermal vents at the bottom of Yellowstone Lake. ... > full story
Nano design, just like in nature (October 6, 2010) -- Researchers in Austria are using biological principles as the inspiration to develop a new bionic fuel cell. ... > full story
Key reproductive hormone in oldest living vertebrate identified (October 6, 2010) -- Researchers have identified the first reproductive hormone of the hagfish -- a gonadatropin -- representing a significant step toward unraveling the mystery of hagfish reproduction. At 500 million years old, hagfish are the oldest living vertebrate, predating the dinosaurs. ... > full story
Study examines ICU outbreak of staph aureus with resistance to methicillin and linezolid (October 6, 2010) -- An outbreak of infection due to linezolid and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LRSA) in 12 intensive care unit patients in Spain was associated with transmission within the hospital and extensive usage of the antibiotic linezolid, often used for the treatment of serious infections, with reductions in linezolid use and infection-control measures associated with resolution of the outbreak, according to a new study. ... > full story
Invasive tallowtree spreading rapidly across Gulf coast (October 6, 2010) -- The numbers of nonnative Chinese tallowtree in Louisiana, Mississippi and east Texas have grown by about 370 percent over a 16-year period. The spread of the invasive plant may create problems for plants and wildlife along the Gulf coast. ... > full story
Novelty and complexity are result of small evolutionary changes (October 5, 2010) -- By reconstructing an ancient protein and tracing how it subtly changed over vast periods of time to produce scores of modern-day descendants, scientists have shown how evolution tinkers with early forms and leaves the impression that complexity evolved many times. ... > full story
Limited number of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes cause most invasive pneumococcal disease (October 5, 2010) -- Contrary to current thinking, the group of serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae responsible for most invasive pneumococcal disease worldwide is conserved across regions, according to new research. ... > full story
Earth's rotation affects flows in submarine channels (October 5, 2010) -- Coriolis forces due to Earth's rotation deflect winds and ocean flows to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. In sinuous submarine channels, Coriolis forces can drive secondary circulation of turbidity currents and determine where erosion and sediment deposition occur. Researchers conducted laboratory experiments with a channel in a rotating tank to study the conditions under which Coriolis forces dominate the channel flow and to investigate how these forces affect sediment deposition in large-scale submarine channels. ... > full story
Geoengineering solutions could prevent irreversible climate crisis, study finds (October 5, 2010) -- Geoengineering could prevent the potentially catastrophic climate-change tipping points that loom just ahead, according to a new study. ... > full story
Newly discovered DNA repair mechanism (October 5, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a fundamentally new way that DNA-repair enzymes detect and fix damage to the chemical bases that form the letters in the genetic code. ... > full story
Mice with human body's defenses (October 5, 2010) -- Therapeutic antibodies can be an efficient alternative when common drugs do not work anymore. However, antibodies obtained from blood of animals such as mice could not be used: The human immune system recognizes them as foreign and rejects them. Scientists have now succeeded in developing a promising approach to solve this problem. ... > full story
Wind farms extend growing season in certain regions (October 5, 2010) -- Wind power is likely to play a large role in the future of sustainable, clean energy, but wide-scale adoption has remained elusive. Now, researchers have found wind farms' effects on local temperatures and proposed strategies for mediating those effects, increasing the potential to expand wind farms to a utility-scale energy resource. ... > full story
Invaders could devastate Florida avocado industry (October 5, 2010) -- Florida's lucrative avocado industry could face a serious blow from a duo of deadly new invaders. Together, the invasive fungus called "laurel wilt disease" and the redbay ambrosia beetle, which carries laurel wilt, represent a significant economic threat to the industry. Direct losses from the invasion could range from 3 million to a remarkable high of 6 million. ... > full story
Neanderthals had feelings too, say researchers (October 5, 2010) -- New research by archaeologists in the UK suggests that Neanderthals belied their primitive reputation and had a deep seated sense of compassion. ... > full story
New language identified in remote corner of India; One of thousands of endangered tongues around world (October 5, 2010) -- Linguists reporting from a National Geographic expedition to India's remote northeast corner have identified a language completely new to science. ... > full story
Amino acid supplement makes mice live longer (October 5, 2010) -- When mice are given drinking water laced with a special concoction of amino acids, they live longer than your average mouse, according to a new report. The key ingredients in the supplemental mixture are so-called branched-chain amino acids, which account for 3 of the 20 amino acids (specifically leucine, isoleucine, and valine) that are the building blocks of proteins. ... > full story
Ancient Colorado river flowed backwards (October 5, 2010) -- Geologists have found evidence that some 55 million years ago a river as big as the modern Colorado flowed through Arizona into Utah in the opposite direction from the present-day river. They have named this ancient northeastward-flowing river the California River, after its inferred source in the Mojave region of southern California. ... > full story
How rainfall variation can trigger earthquakes (October 5, 2010) -- A new review article explores natural crustal earthquakes associated with the elements of the hydrologic cycle, which describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth, including hurricanes and typhoons. The theory of hydroseismicity, first articulated in 1987, attributes most intraplate and near-intraplate earthquakes, to the dynamics of the hydrological cycle. ... > full story
Identifying enzymes to explode superbugs (October 5, 2010) -- With the worrying rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs like MRSA, scientists from a wide range of disciplines are teaming up to identify alternative therapies to keep them at bay. Now, researchers have developed a pioneering method that can identify lytic enzymes for optimum bacteria killing characteristics. ... > full story
Climate change hits southeast Australia fish species (October 5, 2010) -- Scientists are reporting significant changes in the distribution of coastal fish species in southeast Australia which they say are partly due to climate change. ... > full story
First Census of Marine Life shows ocean life is richer, more connected, more altered than expected (October 5, 2010) -- After a decade of joint work and scientific adventure, marine explorers from more than 80 countries today deliver a historic first global Census of Marine Life. In one of the largest scientific collaborations ever conducted, more than 2,700 census scientists spent over 9,000 days at sea on more than 540 expeditions, plus countless days in labs and archives. Released today are maps, three landmark books, and a highlights summary that crown a decade of discovery. ... > full story
Microbes engineered for low-cost production of anti-cancer drug, Taxol (October 5, 2010) -- Researchers have now engineered E. coli bacteria to produce large quantities of a critical compound that is a precursor to the cancer drug Taxol, originally isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew tree. The tree's bacteria can produce 1,000 times more of the precursor, known as taxadiene, than any other engineered microbial strain. ... > full story
Alarming increase in flow of water into oceans due to global warming, accelerated cycle of evaporation, precipitation (October 5, 2010) -- Freshwater is flowing into Earth's oceans in greater amounts every year, a team of researchers has found, thanks to more frequent and extreme storms linked to global warming. All told, 18 percent more water fed into the world's oceans from rivers and melting polar ice sheets in 2006 than in 1994, with an average annual rise of 1.5 percent. ... > full story
New fisheries system will save about million, researchers find (October 5, 2010) -- Some fisheries in the United States are poised to undergo major changes in the regulations used to protect fish stocks, and researchers have estimated that the new system will be an economic boon to the fishing industry. The two estimated harvesting costs under the old system and compared that to the newly proposed fishing regulations that lift many restrictions that cause inefficiency while still limiting amounts to be harvested. ... > full story
Less invasive method to measure groundwater permeability (October 5, 2010) -- Hydraulic conductivity quantifies how easily water moves through aquifers, a factor important for management of water resources, the design of wells, and remediation of contaminated sites. It typically shows strong spatial fluctuations, so determining hydraulic conductivity usually involves extensive, invasive, and often expensive installation of wells or sampling sites within the aquifer. ... > full story
San Diego Supercomputer Center participates in first 'Census of Marine Life' (October 5, 2010) -- After a decade of joint work involving 2,700 researchers from 80 countries, the world's scientists -- as well as the general public -- can now access the Census of Marine Life, which provides the first in-depth look at the more than 120,000 diverse species which inhabit our oceans. ... > full story
Walnuts, walnut oil, improve reaction to stress (October 4, 2010) -- A diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may prepare the body to deal better with stress, according to a researchers who looked at how these foods, which contain polyunsaturated fats, influence blood pressure at rest and under stress. ... > full story
Powerful supercomputer peers into the origin of life (October 4, 2010) -- Supercomputer simulations are helping scientists unravel how nucleic acids could have contributed to the origins of life. ... > full story
Protecting embryos against microbes (October 4, 2010) -- Scientists have succeeded in deciphering the mechanisms, for the first time, with which embryos of the freshwater polyp Hydra protect themselves against bacterial colonization. ... > full story
Bioenergy choices could dramatically change Midwest, US, bird diversity (October 4, 2010) -- Ambitious plans to expand acreage of bioenergy crops could have a major impact on birds in the Upper Midwest, according to a new study. ... > full story
Physicists control chemical reactions mechanically (October 4, 2010) -- Physicists have taken a significant step in controlling chemical reactions mechanically, an important advance in nanotechnology. ... > full story
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