ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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As Arctic warms, increased shipping likely to accelerate climate change (October 26, 2010) -- As the ice-capped Arctic Ocean warms, ship traffic will increase at the top of the world. And if the sea ice continues to decline, a new route connecting international trading partners may emerge -- but not without significant repercussions to climate, according to a US and Canadian research team. ... > full story
Vaccines could help what's ailing fish (October 26, 2010) -- U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists are developing vaccines to help protect healthy farm-raised catfish against key diseases. ... > full story
Haiti earthquake caused by unknown fault; Blamed fault ready to produce large earthquake (October 26, 2010) -- Researchers found a previously unmapped fault was responsible for the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti and that the originally blamed fault remains ready to produce a large earthquake. The team determined the earthquake's origin is a fault they have named the Leogane fault. The newly discovered fault runs almost parallel to the Enriquillo fault, which was originally thought to be the source of the earthquake. ... > full story
Molecular guardian of cell's RNA identified (October 26, 2010) -- When most genes are transcribed, the nascent RNAs produced are not quite ready to be translated into proteins -- they have to be spliced first, where non-coding sequences are removed and the remaining coding sequences are joined to form a final mRNA. U1, a splicing component, has a second, equally important role in gene expression: To enable sequences to be read out into their transcripts in their entirety, rather than prematurely stopped. ... > full story
Energy saving lamp is eco-winner: Swiss researcher evaluates environmental friendliness of light sources (October 26, 2010) -- In a new study, Swiss researchers have investigated the ecobalances of various household light sources. In doing so, not only did they take into account energy consumption, but also the manufacture and disposal processes. They also evaluated usage with different electrical power mixes. The clear winner is the compact fluorescent lamp, commonly known as the energy saving lamp. ... > full story
Growing crops in the city: Urban agriculture aims at helping Seattle's at-risk youth (October 26, 2010) -- A recent case study examines the challenges one organization faced in maintaining an urban market garden. Seattle Youth Garden Works has employed young homeless individuals or those involved in the juvenile justice system. SYGW offers teens and young adults the opportunity to work, develop social skills, and eventually find stable employment or return to school. ... > full story
Listeria clever at finding its way into bloodstream, causing sickness (October 25, 2010) -- Pathogenic listeria tricks intestinal cells into helping it pass through those cells to make people ill, and, if that doesn't work, the bacteria simply goes around the cells, according to a new study. ... > full story
Pre-Columbian societies in Amazon may have been much larger and more advanced than thought (October 25, 2010) -- The pre-Columbian Indian societies that once lived in the Amazon rainforests may have been much larger and more advanced than researchers previously realized. Together with Brazilian colleagues, archaeologists from Sweden have found the remains of approximately 90 settlements in an area South of the city of Santarém, in the Brazilian part of the Amazon. ... > full story
Global warming to bring more intense storms to Northern Hemisphere in winter and Southern Hemisphere year round (October 25, 2010) -- Weather systems in the Southern and Northern hemispheres will respond differently to global warming, according to an atmospheric scientist's analysis that suggests the warming of the planet will affect the availability of energy to fuel extratropical storms, or large-scale weather systems that occur at Earth's middle latitudes. The resulting changes will depend on the hemisphere and season, the study found. ... > full story
Genetic markers offer new clues about how malaria mosquitoes evade eradication (October 25, 2010) -- An international team of researchers reports the development and first use of a high-resolution microarray that features 400,000 genetic markers for the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, providing a vastly clearer picture of how the insect adapts to human interventions. The SNP array offers a powerful new tool to international efforts to eradicate the disease-carrying mosquito. ... > full story
Beauty from the bottom up: Flamingos add natural 'make-up' to their feathers to attract mates (October 25, 2010) -- Flamingos apply natural make-up to their feathers to stand out and attract mates, according to a new study by scientists in Spain. Their research is the first to demonstrate that birds transfer the color pigments from the secretions of their uropygial gland (situated near the base of the tail) for cosmetic reasons. ... > full story
Daily vibration may help aging bones stay healthy (October 25, 2010) -- A daily dose of whole body vibration may help reduce the usual bone density loss that occurs with age, researchers report. Twelve weeks of daily, 30-minute sessions in 18-month old male mice -- which equate to 55- to 65-year-old humans -- appear to forestall the expected annual loss that can result in fractures, disability and death. ... > full story
New concept in microscopy: Self-reconstructing laser beams (October 25, 2010) -- Researchers are developing a microscope with illuminating beams that actively refocus in a light-scattering medium. The new method not only provides novel insights into the physics of complex light scattering, but it also enables, for example, to look about 50 percent deeper into human skin tissue than with conventional laser beams. ... > full story
Tiny brained bees solve a complex mathematical problem (October 25, 2010) -- Bumblebees can find the solution to a complex mathematical problem which keeps computers busy for days. Scientists in the UK have discovered that bees learn to fly the shortest possible route between flowers even if they discover the flowers in a different order. Bees are effectively solving the 'Traveling Salesman Problem', and these are the first animals found to do this. ... > full story
Sterilizing with fluorescent lights: New surface may kill antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria with fluorescent light (October 25, 2010) -- Scientists in New Mexico are working on a new type of antimicrobial surface that won't harm people or animals but is inhospitable to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- the bacterial cause of an estimated 19,000 deaths and -4 billion in health-care costs per year in the US. ... > full story
Black truffles challenge convention wisdom, exhibiting sexual reproduction between opposite mating types (October 25, 2010) -- They are one of the most highly prized delicacies in the culinary world, and now scientists have discovered that black truffles -- unlike many other fungi that reproduce themselves -- rely on sexual reproduction between opposite mating types. The research represents a breakthrough in the understanding of truffle cultivation and distribution. ... > full story
Synthetic FlexBone could help speed bone transplant recovery (October 25, 2010) -- With a failure rate as high as 50 percent, bone tissue grafts pose a significant obstacle to orthopedic surgeons attempting to repair complex fractures. Current synthetic substitutes rarely possess the bone-like properties needed for successful grafting and are often difficult for surgeons to manipulate in the operating room. In response to these challenges, researchers have developed a synthetic bone material called FlexBone. ... > full story
Chain reactions identified within the brain (October 25, 2010) -- As anyone who as ever picked up a guitar or a tennis racket knows, precise timing is often an essential part of performing complex tasks. Now, by studying the brain circuits that control bird song, researchers have identified a "chain reaction" of brain activity that appears to control the timing of song. ... > full story
Discovery may help scientists boost broccoli’s cancer-fighting power (October 25, 2010) -- A new study has shown for the first time that sulforaphane, the powerful cancer-fighting agent in broccoli, can be released from its parent compound by bacteria in the lower gut and absorbed into the body. This discovery raises the possibility that scientists will be able to enhance the activity of these bacteria in the colon, increasing broccoli's cancer-preventive power. ... > full story
Plant-based plastics not necessarily greener than oil-based relatives, researchers find (October 25, 2010) -- Researchers analyzed plant and petroleum-derived plastics and found that biopolymers may not necessarily be better for the environment than petroleum-based plastics. While biopolymers are the more eco-friendly material, traditional plastics can be less environmentally taxing to produce. ... > full story
Eye test for neurological diseases in livestock developed (October 25, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that the eyes of sheep infected with scrapie return an intense, almost-white glow when they're hit with blue light. That finding suggests technologies can be developed to quickly and non-invasively test for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, progressive and fatal neurological diseases such as mad cow disease. ... > full story
Everglades show improvement in water quality (October 25, 2010) -- Researchers have published a report regarding the trends in water quality feeding into Everglades National Park showing that the overall levels of both nitrogen and phosphorus have declined since the 1970s. This indicates that the water quality is improving as a result of the restoration methods completed in the areas surrounding the park. ... > full story
Coccolithophore blooms in the southwest Atlantic (October 25, 2010) -- Researchers can now explain the formation of huge phytoplankton blooms off the southeast coast of South America during the austral summer (December-January). The region supports the highly productive Patagonian Shelf marine ecosystem, which includes a globally important fishery. ... > full story
Bacteria gauge cold with molecular measuring stick (October 25, 2010) -- Scientists are offering a new answer for how bacteria respond to cold temperatures: They use a measuring stick. Their study finds the species Bacillus subtilis senses the cold with a specialized protein that measures the thickness of the bacteria's outer cell wall. The protein sends a signal when falling temperatures cause the cell wall to thicken. ... > full story
Malaria research begins to bite: Molecular switches pinpointed in control of malaria parasite's life cycle (October 25, 2010) -- Scientists have pin-pointed the 72 molecular switches that control the three key stages in the life cycle of the malaria parasite and have discovered that over a third of these switches can be disrupted in some way. Their research is a significant breakthrough in the search for cheap and effective vaccines and drugs to stop the transmission of a disease which kills up to a million children a year. Until now little has been known about the cellular processes involved in the development of this deadly disease. The research involved the very first comprehensive functional analysis of protein kinases in any malaria parasite. It is also the largest gene knock-out study in Plasmodium berghei -- a malaria parasite infecting rodents. ... > full story
Falkland Islands radar study impacts climate research: New equipment will monitor activity which creates the ‘Southern Lights’ (October 25, 2010) -- Physicists and engineers have installed a radar system on the Falkland Islands to monitor the upper atmosphere activity which creates the 'Southern Lights'. The new radar joins a network of 22 such radars, the international Super Dual Auroral Radar Network or SuperDARN. Data from SuperDARN is made available across the internet in real time, monitoring the upper atmosphere to understand its link with the lower atmosphere, where our weather is, and the impact of the Sun's 'solar wind' on our environment. ... > full story
Changes in energy R&D needed to combat climate change, experts say (October 25, 2010) -- A new assessment of future scenarios that limit the extent of global warming cautions that unless current imbalances in research and development portfolios for the development of new, efficient, and clean energy technologies are redressed, greenhouse gas emission reduction targets are unlikely to be met, or met only at considerable costs. ... > full story
Even turtles need recess: Many animals -- not just dogs, cats, and monkeys -- need a little play time (October 24, 2010) -- Seeing a child or a dog play is not a foreign sight. But what about a turtle or even a wasp? Apparently, they play, too. New psychology research defines "play" in people and also in species not previously thought capable of play, such as fish, reptiles and invertebrates. ... > full story
Swine flu variant linked to fatal cases might disable clearing mechanism of lungs, study suggests (October 24, 2010) -- A variant of last year's pandemic influenza linked to fatal cases carried a mutation that enabled it to infect a different subset of cells lining the airway, according to new research. The study suggests that the mutant virus could have impaired the lungs' ability to clear out germs. The researchers said the findings highlight the potential for deadlier strains of flu to emerge and spread. ... > full story
Major component in turmeric enhance effect of chemotherapy drug in head and neck cancer (October 24, 2010) -- Curcumin, the major component in the spice turmeric, when combined with the drug cisplatin enhances the chemotherapy's suppression of head and neck cancer cell growth, researchers have found. ... > full story
Electron billiards in nanoscale circuits (October 24, 2010) -- In solar cells, solar radiation boosts electrons to higher energy states, thereby releasing them from their atomic bonds as electricity begins to flow. Scientists have now developed a novel method to analyze the way photogenerated electrons move in the smallest photodetectors. ... > full story
Evidence is weak for tropical rainforest 65 million years ago in Africa's low latitudes, paleobotanist says (October 24, 2010) -- Central Africa 65 million years ago was a low-elevation tropical belt, but still undetermined is whether the region's mammals lived beneath a lush rainforest canopy. Evidence is weak and unconvincing, says a paleobotanist. A review of the literature shows Cenozoic paleobotanical data for Africa are generally meager and uneven, and fossil pollen from Central and West Africa provide no definitive evidence for communities of rainforest trees. ... > full story
Efforts underway to rescue vulnerable bananas, giant swamp taro, other Pacific Island crops (October 23, 2010) -- Hoping to save the vulnerable varieties of bananas painted by the artist Paul Gauguin, rare coconuts, and 1,000 other unique varieties of staple fruit and vegetable crops across the Pacific, crop specialists from nine islands have launched a major effort to preserve the indigenous diversity of foods that are deemed critical to combating diet-related health problems. ... > full story
Scientists open electrical link to living cells (October 23, 2010) -- The Terminator. The Borg. The Six Million Dollar Man. Science fiction is ripe with biological beings armed with artificial capabilities. In reality, however, the clunky connections between living and non-living worlds often lack a clear channel for communication. Now scientists have designed an electrical link to living cells engineered to shuttle electrons across a cell's membrane. This direct channel could yield cells that can read and respond to electronic signals, or efficiently transfer sunlight into electricity. ... > full story
Sound of the underground: New acoustic early warning system for landslide prediction (October 23, 2010) -- A new type of sound sensor system has been developed to predict the likelihood of a landslide. Thought to be the first system of its kind in the world, it works by measuring and analyzing the acoustic behavior of soil to establish when a landslide is imminent so preventative action can be taken. ... > full story
NOAA lists population of spotted seals as threatened (October 23, 2010) -- NOAA has listed the southern distinct population segment (DPS) of the spotted seal as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, strictly regulating importation of the animal or its parts into the U.S. ... > full story
Chemical engineers use gold to discover breakthrough for creating biorenewable chemicals (October 23, 2010) -- Chemical engineers have uncovered the key features that control the high reactivity of gold nanoparticles in a process that oxidizes alcohols in water. The research is an important first step in unlocking the potential of using metal catalysts for developing biorenewable chemicals. The scientific discovery could one day serve as the foundation for creating a wide range of consumer products from biorenewable carbon feedstocks, as opposed to the petroleum-based chemicals currently being used as common building blocks for commodities such as cosmetics, plastics, pharmaceuticals and fuels. ... > full story
Plants play larger role than thought in cleaning up air pollution, research shows (October 22, 2010) -- Vegetation plays an unexpectedly large role in cleansing the atmosphere, a new study finds. The research uses observations, gene expression studies, and computer modeling to show that deciduous plants absorb about a third more of a common class of air-polluting chemicals than previously thought. ... > full story
Succimer found ineffective for removing mercury (October 22, 2010) -- Succimer, a drug used for treating lead poisoning, does not effectively remove mercury from the body, according to new research. Some families have turned to succimer as an alternative therapy for treating autism. ... > full story
Value-added sulfur scrubbing: Converting acid rain chemicals into useful products (October 22, 2010) -- Power plants that burn fossil fuels remain the main source of electricity generation across the globe. Modern power plants have scrubbers to remove sulfur compounds from their flue gases, which has helped reduce the problem of acid rain. Now, researchers in India have devised a way to convert the waste material produced by the scrubbing process into value-added products. ... > full story
Another winter of extremes in store for U.S. as La Niña strengthens (October 22, 2010) -- The Pacific Northwest should brace for a colder and wetter than average winter, while most of the South and Southeast will be warmer and drier than average through February 2011, according to the annual Winter Outlook released by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. A moderate to strong La Niña will be the dominant climate factor influencing weather across most of the U.S. this winter. ... > full story
Scorpion has welcome sting for heart bypass patients (October 22, 2010) -- A toxin found in the venom of the Central American bark scorpion (Centruroides margaritatus) could hold the key to reducing heart bypass failures, according to new research. ... > full story
Arctic Report Card: Region continues to warm at unprecedented rate (October 22, 2010) -- The Arctic region, also called the "planet's refrigerator," continues to heat up, affecting local populations and ecosystems as well as weather patterns in the most populated parts of the Northern Hemisphere, according to a team of 69 international scientists. The findings were released in the Arctic Report Card, a yearly assessment of Arctic conditions. ... > full story
Scary chupacabras monster is as much victim as villain (October 22, 2010) -- As Halloween approaches, tales of monsters and creepy crawlies abound. Among the most fearsome is the legendary beast known as the chupacabras. ... > full story
From bees to coral reefs: Mutualisms might be more important to global ecosystem than previously thought (October 22, 2010) -- Relationships among organisms, or mutualisms, might be more important to global ecosystem health than previously thought, new research shows. ... > full story
Key difference in how TB bacteria degrade doomed proteins (October 22, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a key difference in the way human cells and Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause TB, deliver unwanted proteins to their respective cellular recycling factories. This critical difference may help scientists design new anti TB drugs. ... > full story
Taking a closer look at plaque (October 22, 2010) -- Scientists are using the technique of Raman spectroscopy to study two common dental plaque bacteria, Streptococcus sanguis and mutans. The relative balance of the two may be an indicator of a patient's oral health and risk for tooth decay -- Streptococcus sanguis is associated with "healthy" plaque, while mutans is associated with tooth decay. ... > full story
Old logging practices linked to high erosion rates (October 22, 2010) -- Clear-cut logging and related road-building in the 1950s and 1960s in southern Oregon's Siskiyou Mountains disrupted soil stability and led to unprecedented soil erosion made worse during heavy rainstorms, researchers report. ... > full story
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