ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Thursday, October 21, 2010
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Philippines may have more unique bird species than thought, biologist says (October 21, 2010) -- Recent research suggests that the Philippines, considered by biologists to be a "biodiversity hotspot," could have more unique species of birds than previously thought. If that proves to be the case, it could have important ramifications for conservation practices there. ... > full story
Worst coral death strikes at Southeast Asia (October 21, 2010) -- International marine scientists say that a huge coral death which has struck Southeast Asian and Indian Ocean reefs over recent months has highlighted the urgency of controlling global carbon emissions. Many reefs are dead or dying across the Indian Ocean and into the Coral Triangle following a bleaching event that extends from the Seychelles in the west to Sulawesi and the Philippines in the east. ... > full story
Climate change tipping points for populations, not just species: Survival, reproduction of thousands of arctic and alpine plants measured (October 21, 2010) -- As Earth's climate warms, species are expected to shift their geographical ranges away from the equator or to higher elevations. While scientists have documented such shifts for many plants and animals, the ranges of others seem stable. When species respond in different ways to the same amount of warming, it becomes more difficult for ecologists to predict future biological effects of climate change -- and to plan for these effects. ... > full story
Eating mostly whole grains, few refined grains linked to lower body fat (October 20, 2010) -- People who consume several servings of whole grains per day while limiting daily intake of refined grains appear to have less of a type of fat tissue thought to play a key role in triggering cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. ... > full story
Disease in rural China linked to polluted coal (October 20, 2010) -- In remote, rural areas of southwestern China, villagers cook and dry their clothes by burning pieces of coal they pick up off the ground. This fuel releases a toxin that may be poisoning millions of people, according to an ongoing investigation by researchers in New York and China. ... > full story
Measuring changes in rock: Research looks at effect of captured and stored carbon dioxide on minerals (October 20, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a way to study the effects of super-critical carbon dioxide on minerals commonly found in potential underground storage sites, helping to evaluate one strategy for minimizing the impacts of greenhouse gases on global warming. ... > full story
New sensor derived from frogs may help fight bacteria and save wildlife; Sensor uses frog peptides to test for drug and medical device contamination (October 20, 2010) -- Engineers have developed a sensor that may revolutionize how drugs and medical devices are tested for contamination, and in the process also help ensure the survival of two species of threatened animals. ... > full story
Progress toward treating infections by silencing microbes' 'smart phones' (October 20, 2010) -- So disease-causing bacteria in the body finally have multiplied to the point where their numbers are large enough to cause illness. What's next? They get out their "smart phones" and whisper "Let's roll!" That's how a new review describes the substances -- "smart phones of the microbial world" -- that bacteria use to transmit chemical signals that launch infections and monitor their environment. The authors describe progress toward understanding and blocking this biochemical chitchat. ... > full story
Desperate female spiders fight by different rules (October 20, 2010) -- In most animals the bigger, better fighter usually wins. But a new study of the jumping spider Phidippus clarus suggests that size and skill aren't everything -- what matters for Phidippus females is how badly they want to win. ... > full story
Small is beautiful in hydroelectric power plant design: Invention could enable renewable power generation at thousands of unused sites (October 20, 2010) -- Imagine a hydroelectric power plant barely visible above water that eases the passage of fish in both directions; so simple and cost-efficient that it makes economic sense in sites with a one- or two-meter drop in water height; that could therefore subsidize ecologically motivated dam modifications with local, renewable energy; and which could bring economical, ecological hydroelectric power to developing regions. Researchers at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen did, and developed it: the shaft power plant. ... > full story
Biodegradable foam plastic substitute made from milk protein and clay (October 20, 2010) -- Amid ongoing concern about plastic waste accumulating in municipal landfills, and reliance on imported oil to make plastics, scientists are reporting development of a new ultra-light biodegradable foam plastic material made from two unlikely ingredients: The protein in milk and ordinary clay. The new substance could be used in furniture cushions, insulation, packaging, and other products, they report. ... > full story
Children's best friend: Dogs help autistic children adapt, study shows (October 20, 2010) -- Dogs may not only be man's best friend, they may also have a special role in the lives of children with special needs. According to a new study, specifically trained service dogs can help reduce the anxiety and enhance the socialization skills of children with autism syndrome disorders. The findings may be a relatively simple solution to help affected children and their families cope with these challenging disorders. ... > full story
Mounting research shows increased health risks from volcanic air pollution (October 20, 2010) -- Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano has been erupting since 1983. But, in March 2008, an additional eruption vent opened at the volcano's summit, resulting in triple the amount of sulfur dioxide gas emissions drifting to the local community of Ka'u, raising health concerns over the risks associated with exposure to "vog," volcanic air pollution. ... > full story
Why the leopard got its spots (October 20, 2010) -- Why do leopards have rosette-shaped markings but tigers have stripes? Rudyard Kipling suggested that it was because the leopard moved to an environment "full of trees and bushes and stripy, speckly, patchy-blatchy shadows," but is there any truth in this just-so story? ... > full story
Early pregnancy in spring linked to child's susceptibility to food allergies, Finnish study suggests (October 20, 2010) -- A child's likelihood of developing food allergies can be traced back to the season during which he or she completes their first three months of life in the womb, new research from Finland suggests. ... > full story
Improved antibiotic coatings: Research aims to make medical devices safer by preventing biofilms (October 20, 2010) -- A research group in Australia is working on techniques to permanently bind antibacterial coatings to medical devices by binding them to a polymer layer. ... > full story
Old bees' memory fades; Mirrors recall of humans and other mammals (October 20, 2010) -- Humans aren't the only ones whose memory fades with age. Scientists examined how aging impacts the ability of honey bees to find their way home. While bees are typically impressive navigators, able to wend their way home through complex landscapes after visits to flowers far removed from their nests, aging impairs the bees' ability to extinguish the memory of an unsuitable nest site even after the colony has settled in a new home. ... > full story
More than 200 new snails of the same genus described in a single study (October 20, 2010) -- Two world experts in micro mollusks have made an unprecedented description in a scientific publication of a combined total of 209 snail species. Commissioned by the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, the study was unveiled in September in the French capital, and it covers the most new species from a single genus of any study to date. ... > full story
Protein highways keep tissues organized (October 20, 2010) -- Precise regulation of tissue architecture is critical for organ function. Single cells build up a tissue by communicating with their environment and with other cells, thereby receiving instructions on whether to divide, change shape or migrate. Researchers have now identified a mechanism by which skin cells organize their interior architecture as a response to signals from their surroundings. ... > full story
Don't blame dairy cows for (greenhouse) gas emissions, new study shows (October 19, 2010) -- Forget all the tacky jokes about cow flatulence causing climate change. A new study reports that the dairy industry is responsible for only about 2.0 percent of all US greenhouse gas emissions. ... > full story
Bioelectrical signals turn stem cells' progeny cancerous; Newly discovered 'instructor cells' can deliver deadly directions (October 19, 2010) -- Biologists have found that a change in membrane voltage in newly identified "instructor cells" can cause stem cells' descendants to trigger melanoma-like growth in pigment cells a considerable distance away. This metastatic transformation is due to changes in serotonin transport. Discovery of this novel bioelectric signal and cell type could help prevent and treat diseases like cancer and vitiligo as well as birth defects. ... > full story
Rotten experiments help to create picture of our early ancestors (October 19, 2010) -- An innovative experiment that involved studying rotting fish has helped to create a clearer picture of what our early ancestors would have looked like. The scientists wanted to examine the decaying process in order to understand the decomposition of soft-body parts in fish. This in turn will help them reconstruct an image of creatures that existed 500 million years ago. ... > full story
Drought may threaten much of globe within decades, analysis predicts (October 19, 2010) -- The United States and many other heavily populated countries face a growing threat of severe and prolonged drought. The analysis concludes that warming temperatures associated with climate change will likely create increasingly dry conditions across much of the globe in the next 30 years, possibly reaching a scale in some regions by the end of the century that has rarely, if ever, been observed in modern times. ... > full story
New biological sensor detects and analyses DNA sequences (October 19, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have created a new DNA-based biological sensor that has potential applications in the field of genetic diagnostics. The sensors are able to use logical rules to autonomously run logical inference processes on genetic input signals and reach accurate diagnoses. ... > full story
Genomic comparison of ocean microbes reveals East-West divide in populations (October 19, 2010) -- Much as an anthropologist can study populations of people to learn about their physical attributes, their environs and social structures, some marine microbiologists read the genome of microbes to glean information about the microbes themselves, their environments and lifestyles. ... > full story
Mutation over 100 million years ago led flowers to make male and female parts differently (October 19, 2010) -- Research by plant scientists has uncovered a snapshot of evolution in progress, by tracing how a gene mutation over 100 million years ago led flowers to make male and female parts in different ways. ... > full story
Earth's deep water cycle needs revision, geophysicists claim (October 19, 2010) -- A popular view among geophysicists is that large amounts of water are carried from the oceans to the deep mantle in subduction zones -- boundaries where the Earth's crustal plates converge, with one plate riding over the other. But now a group of geophysicists present results that contradict this view. They compare seismic and experimental evidence to argue that subducting slabs do not carry water deeper than about 400 kilometers. ... > full story
Study of Haiti quake yields surprising results (October 19, 2010) -- The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused more than 200,000 casualties and devastated Haiti's economy in January resulted not from the Enriquillo fault, as previously believed, but from slip on multiple faults -- primarily a previously unknown, subsurface fault -- according to a new study. ... > full story
When vertebrae cross dress: How sloths got their long neck (October 19, 2010) -- By examining the development of bones in the vertebral column, limbs and ribcage, scientists have discovered how sloths evolved their unique neck skeleton. ... > full story
Western diet exacerbates sepsis, mouse study suggests (October 19, 2010) -- High-fat diets cause a dramatic immune system overreaction to sepsis, a condition of systemic bacterial infection. An experimental study in mice has shown that a diet high in saturated fat, sugars and cholesterol greatly exaggerates the inflammatory response to sepsis. ... > full story
Underwater robot to explore ice-covered ocean and Antarctic ice shelf (October 19, 2010) -- Researchers in Canada are deploying an underwater robot to survey ice-covered ocean in Antarctica. The mission will study the effect of ice shelves on the mixing of sea water. ... > full story
Planted, unplanted artificial wetlands are similar at year 15, and function as effective carbon sinks (October 19, 2010) -- A 15-year experiment in an outdoor "laboratory" shows that naturally colonizing wetlands can offer just as many, if not more, ecological services as will wetlands planted by humans. Researchers have been comparing the behavior of two experimental marshes on the campus, one that was planted in 1994 with wetland vegetation and another that was left to colonize plant and animal life on its own. ... > full story
More than a century after the Gold Rush, mining an historical park’s lichen diversity (October 19, 2010) -- Alaska may be staking out yet another claim to a natural treasure, but one which does not immediately meet the eye. Now, a team of researchers from Austria, Norway, Spain and the United States reports the highest diversity of lichens found anywhere on the North American continent from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. ... > full story
Tropics in decline as natural resources exhausted at alarming rate (October 18, 2010) -- New analysis shows populations of tropical species are plummeting and humanity's demands on natural resources are sky-rocketing to 50 per cent more than the earth can sustain. ... > full story
NASA technology could aid in interpretation of mammograms, ultrasound, other medical imagery (October 18, 2010) -- NASA software used to enhance Earth Science Imagery could one day aid in the interpretation of mammograms, ultrasounds and other medical imagery. ... > full story
Egg allergy: Not a reason to avoid flu vaccine after all, experts say (October 18, 2010) -- Having an egg allergy is not a reason to avoid getting the 2010-2011 flu vaccination. According to new recommendations by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology website, anyone with a history of suspected egg allergy should first be evaluated by an allergist or immunologist for appropriate testing and diagnosis but can probably receive the vaccination. ... > full story
Intestinal enzyme helps maintain population of beneficial bacteria (October 18, 2010) -- An enzyme that keeps intestinal bacteria out of the bloodstream may also play an important role in maintaining the normal microbial population of the gastrointestinal system. Since the loss of beneficial bacteria that usually results from antibiotic therapy can sometimes lead to serious health problems, a treatment that maintains microbial levels could have significant benefits. ... > full story
Mystery of Italy's Mount Etna explained? (October 18, 2010) -- Geophysicists have developed the first dynamic model to explain the mystery of the largest and most fascinating volcano in Europe, Mount Etna. ... > full story
Gut microbes promote cell turnover by a well-known pathway (October 18, 2010) -- Microbes matter -- perhaps more than anyone realizes -- in basic biological development and, maybe, they could be a target for reducing cancer risks, according to researchers. ... > full story
Mystery solved: How genes are selectively silenced (October 18, 2010) -- Cells read only those genes which are needed at a given moment, while the others are chemically labeled and, thus, selectively turned off. Scientists have now discovered how these labels are placed at exactly the right spot in the genetic material. Important players are regulatory RNA molecules. They form a plait-like triple helix with the DNA serving as a signpost for the labels. ... > full story
Unlike us, honeybees naturally make 'quick switch' in their biological clocks, researcher finds (October 18, 2010) -- Unlike humans, honeybees, when thrown into highly time-altered new societal roles, are able to alter their biological rhythms with alacrity, enabling them to make a successful "quick switch" in their daily routines, according to new research. ... > full story
Alternative fish feeds use less fishmeal and fish oils (October 18, 2010) -- As consumers eat more fish as part of a healthy diet, agriculture scientists are helping producers meet this demand by developing new feeds that support sustainable aquaculture production. ... > full story
Mice that 'smell' light could help scientist better understand olfaction (October 18, 2010) -- Neurobiologists have created mice that can "smell" light, providing a potent new tool that could help researchers better understand the neural basis of olfaction. The work has implications for the future study of smell and of complex perception systems that do not lend themselves to easy study with traditional methods. ... > full story
Scientists find signals that make cell nucleus blow up like a balloon (October 18, 2010) -- The size of a cell's nucleus varies from one species to another, in different cell types and at different stages of development, and even with disease: many cancer cells develop larger nuclei as they become more malignant. Working with the African clawed frog, researchers have discovered two proteins that control the size of the nucleus. One imports lamin to shore up the nuclear envelope; the other controls importation. ... > full story
Newly identified virus may cause pediatric diarrhea (October 18, 2010) -- Klassevirus, a new member of the picornavirus family, has recently been discovered in human stool and more specifically linked with pediatric diarrhea. ... > full story
From biomass to ethanol and methane: New enzyme may lead to cheaper biofuel (October 18, 2010) -- Logging residue, branch clippings and even prawn shells may serve as raw materials for cheaper biofuels -- thanks to a new enzyme that breaks down biomass more quickly. What's more, this could help to curtail the current practice of using valuable food plants for fuel production. ... > full story
Ammonites at ancient methane seeps: New light shed on mollusks that went extinct 65 million years ago (October 18, 2010) -- Although ammonites have been extinct for 65 million years, newly published data based on 35 years of field work and analysis is providing invaluable insights into their paleobiology. Ammonites, shelled mollusks closely related to modern day nautilus and squids, inhabited the oceans for nearly 350 million years. Specimens found in the rock record of the ancient seaway that covered North America during the Cretaceous Period demonstrate that these animals thrived at cold methane seeps at the bottom of the sea, consumed small prey, and often survived predation attempts. ... > full story
Compound in celery, peppers reduces age-related memory deficits (October 18, 2010) -- A diet rich in the plant compound luteolin reduces age-related inflammation in the brain and related memory deficits by directly inhibiting the release of inflammatory molecules in the brain, researchers report. ... > full story
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