ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Wednesday, October 27, 2010
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Newly discovered snub-nosed monkey sneezes in the rain (October 27, 2010) -- Primatologists have discovered a new species of monkey in Northern Myanmar. Rhinopithecus Strykeri, a species of snub-nosed monkey, has an upturned nose which causes it to sneeze when it rains. ... > full story
Tracking golden eagles by satellite; Impact of large-scale wind farms studied (October 27, 2010) -- Large-scale wind farm establishment may have a negative effect on Sweden’s golden eagles. In a unique project in northern Sweden, scientists are trapping adult golden eagles and fitting them with satellite transmitters. ... > full story
Risk of cancer due to radiation exposure in middle age may be higher than previously estimated (October 27, 2010) -- Contrary to common assumptions, the risk of cancer associated with radiation exposure in middle age may not be lower than the risk associated with exposure at younger ages, according to a new study. ... > full story
How H1N1 differs from other viruses as a respiratory illness (October 27, 2010) -- The 2009/2010 Influenza A (H1N1) is one of several viruses responsible for respiratory-related infections. A new study examined patients with viruses and found distinguishing characteristics of the H1N1 virus in how it affects respiratory illness. ... > full story
Third of shark and ray species are threatened, study suggests (October 27, 2010) -- A global study suggests that 33 percent of shark, skate, and ray species are threatened with extinction. The work is part of a major new study of vertebrates around the world by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. ... > full story
Emissions from consumption outstrip efficiency savings in UK (October 27, 2010) -- Emissions from consumption growth have exceeded carbon savings from efficiency improvements in the global supply chain of products consumed in the UK, according to new research. ... > full story
Nature's backbone at risk: World's vertebrates face an extinction crisis, assessment finds (October 26, 2010) -- The most comprehensive assessment of the world's vertebrates confirms an extinction crisis with one-fifth of species threatened. However, the situation would be worse were it not for current global conservation efforts, according to a study launched today at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD, in Nagoya, Japan. ... > full story
WHO pesticide regulations should be based on toxicity in humans, not rats, experts say (October 26, 2010) -- Current WHO pesticide classifications are based on toxicity in rats, but basing regulation on human toxicity will make pesticide poisoning less hazardous and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths globally without compromising agricultural needs, according to a new study. ... > full story
Tornado warnings are too often ignored, researcher says (October 26, 2010) -- With big storms ripping across the Midwest, Bob Drost is hoping people are paying attention to the severe weather and tornado warnings. Unfortunately, Drost knows that many times those warnings are ignored, according to his research. "Only 63 percent understood that a warning is the most urgent National Weather Service statement during severe weather," he said. ... > full story
Scented consumer products shown to emit many unlisted chemicals (October 26, 2010) -- Even "green" fragranced products give off many chemicals that are not listed on the label, including some that are classified as toxic. A study of 25 of the most popular scented products showed they emit 133 different chemicals, of which only two are listed anywhere. ... > full story
Eggshells could help combat climate change, research suggests (October 26, 2010) -- The food industry generates a lot of waste products, but one of these -- eggshells -- could help combat climate change, according to new research. ... > full story
Consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids may lower the incidence of gum disease (October 26, 2010) -- Periodontitis, a common inflammatory disease in which gum tissue separates from teeth, leads to accumulation of bacteria and potential bone and tooth loss. In a new study, researchers found that dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids like fish oil, known to have anti-inflammatory properties, shows promise for the effective treatment and prevention of periodontitis. ... > full story
Stable way to store the sun's heat: Storing thermal energy in chemical could lead to advances in storage and portability (October 26, 2010) -- Researchers have revealed exactly how a molecule called fulvalene diruthenium, which was discovered in 1996, works to store and release heat on demand. This understanding should make it possible to find similar chemicals based on more abundant, less expensive materials than ruthenium, and this could form the basis of a rechargeable battery to store heat rather than electricity. ... > full story
MicroRNAs dictate the Epstein-Barr virus' elaborate waiting game, cancer formation (October 26, 2010) -- Epstein-Barr virus is a champion hider, and has been linked to many diseases that affect people long after the initial infection takes place, including some forms of cancer. Scientists describe how viral microRNA allows EBV to hide within cells and evade the immune system. The scientists believe their findings may one day enable physicians to flush EBV out of hiding, allowing a healthy immune system to rid the body of the virus. ... > full story
'Reaper' protein strikes at mitochondria to kill cells (October 26, 2010) -- Many billions of cells in the human body kill themselves every day, as the old and decrepit make way for the new and healthy. This process of programmed cell death, called apoptosis, is crucial in early development and in the routine maintenance of life. New research indicates a technique that could allow for highly efficient, targeted killing of problematic cells such as those that drive the uncontrolled growth of tumors. ... > full story
Plant stem cells could be fruitful source of low-cost cancer drug (October 26, 2010) -- A popular cancer drug could be produced cheaply and sustainably using stem cells derived from trees, a new study suggests. ... > full story
Fire-Breathing Storm Systems (October 26, 2010) -- Pyrocumulonimbus is the fire-breathing dragon of clouds. A cumulonimbus without the "pyre" part is imposing enough -- a massive, anvil-shaped tower of power reaching five miles (8 km) high, hurling thunderbolts, wind and rain. Add smoke and fire to the mix and you have pyrocumulonimbus, an explosive storm cloud actually created by the smoke and heat from fire, and which can ravage tens of thousands of acres. And in the process, "pyroCb" storms funnel their smoke like a chimney into Earth's stratosphere, with lingering ill effects. Researchers believe these intense storms may be the source of what previously was believed to have been volcanic particles in the stratosphere. ... > full story
Vast amber deposit from India: New trove of fossils suggests global distribution of tropical forest ecosystems in the Eocene (October 26, 2010) -- A vast new amber deposit in India has yielded 100 fossil spiders, bees, and flies that date to the Early Eocene, or 52-50 million years ago. These arthropods are not unique -- as would be expected on an island (which India was at that time) -- but have close evolutionary relationships with fossils from the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The amber is also the oldest evidence of a tropical broadleaf rainforest in Asia. ... > full story
Clues about carbon dioxide patterns at end of Ice Age (October 26, 2010) -- New research puts to rest the mystery of where old carbon was stored during the last glacial period. It turns out it ended up in the icy waters of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. ... > full story
Odor coding in mammals is more complex than previously thought (October 26, 2010) -- The contribution of odorant receptors to olfactory response in mammals is much more complex than previously thought, with important consequences for odorant encoding and information transfer about odorants to the brain. ... > full story
Immune cells deploy traps to catch and kill pathogens (October 26, 2010) -- A new study reveals that two enzymes help immune cells deploy pathogen-killing traps by unraveling and using the chromatin (DNA and its associated proteins) contained in the cells' nuclei to form defensive webs. The study appears online on Oct. 25 in the Journal of Cell Biology. ... > full story
Mouse brain seen in sharpest detail ever (October 26, 2010) -- The most detailed magnetic resonance images ever obtained of a mammalian brain are now available to researchers in a free, online atlas of an ultra-high-resolution mouse brain. The interactive images in the atlas will allow researchers worldwide to evaluate the brain from all angles and assess and share their mouse studies against this reference brain in genetics, toxicology and drug discovery. ... > full story
Substantial consumption of fluoride increases chance of mild fluorosis, research finds (October 26, 2010) -- Young children who consume substantial amounts of fluoride through infant formula and other beverages mixed with fluoridated water or by swallowing fluoride toothpaste have an increased chance of developing mild enamel fluorosis, according to new research. However, experts say, children can continue using fluoridated water and fluoride toothpaste because fluoride has been proven to prevent tooth decay, and mild fluorosis does not negatively affect dental health or quality of life. ... > full story
How to avoid fraud in biometric identification (October 26, 2010) -- Scientists in Spain are analyzing possible attempts at fraud in various biometric identification systems in order to improve the security of facial, iris, fingerprint or vascular recognition, among other types. ... > full story
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
Fifth of world's vertebrates are currently threatened, major study finds (October 26, 2010) -- A new assessment conducted by 174 scientists from around the world underscores a growing concern about the health of the world's biodiversity, quantifying the rate of decline among vertebrate species on a global scale for the first time. The study reveals that nearly 20 percent of all vertebrate species are currently classified as Threatened, and an average of 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. ... > 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
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