ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Friday, November 26, 2010
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Carbon emission reduction strategies may undermine tropical biodiversity conservation, conservationists warn (November 26, 2010) -- Conservationists have warned that carbon emission reduction strategies such as REDD may undermine, not enhance, long-term prospects for biodiversity conservation in the tropics. Their warning comes only days ahead of the Cancun COP 16 climate change talks. ... > full story
How cannabis suppresses immune functions: Cannabis compounds found to trigger unique immune cells which promote cancer growth (November 26, 2010) -- Immunologists studying the effects of cannabis have discovered how smoking marijuana can trigger a suppression of the body's immune functions. The research reveals why cannabis users are more susceptible to certain types of cancers and infections. ... > full story
New guidance issued for first responders collecting suspected biothreat agents (November 26, 2010) -- The US National Institute of Standards and Technology and a coalition of federal, state and local agencies and other organizations have updated a standard and provided overall guidance and recommendations to help the nation's first responders and law enforcement agencies deal with collecting and managing samples of suspicious powders. ... > full story
How people perceive sour flavors: Proton current drives action potentials in taste cells (November 25, 2010) -- Tart cranberry sauce is part of Thanksgiving, and a new study reveals a surprising mechanism for how we perceive sourness: a proton current in taste cells. ... > full story
Ancient insects preferred warmer climates (November 25, 2010) -- For millions of years, insects and plants have coevolved -- leaf-eaters adapting to the modifications of their hosts and plants changing to protect themselves from herbivory. The abundance and diversity of both insects and plants have varied depending on changes in climate. However, abnormally high global temperatures have historically lead to a greater diversity and abundance of insects, separate from plant diversity and adaptations. ... > full story
Haiti cholera outbreaks: Experts urge US to create emergency cholera vaccine stockpile for humanitarian use (November 25, 2010) -- In the wake of devastating cholera outbreaks in refugee camps in earthquake-wracked Haiti, a group of leading experts has urged the United States to create an emergency stockpile of cholera vaccines for future humanitarian use. ... > full story
New imaging technique accurately finds cancer cells, fast (November 25, 2010) -- The long, anxious wait for biopsy results could soon be over, thanks to a new tissue-imaging technique. Researchers have demonstrated the novel microscopy technique, called nonlinear interferometric vibrational imaging, on rat breast-cancer cells and tissues. It produced easy-to-read, color-coded images of tissue, outlining clear tumor boundaries, with more than 99 percent confidence -- in less than five minutes. ... > full story
Can cacti 'escape' underground in high temperatures? How a certain species will potentially handle global warming (November 25, 2010) -- In the scorching summer heat of the Chihuahuan Desert in southwest Texas, air temperatures can hover around 97°F (36°C) while at the surface of the soil temperatures can exceed 158°F (70°C). Encountering these extreme temperatures, plants must utilize creative methods to not only survive but thrive under these difficult and potentially lethal conditions. New research sheds light on how one desert resident, the cactus Ariocarpus fissuratus, copes with the effects of high temperatures. ... > full story
Optimizing large wind farms (November 25, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a model to calculate the optimal spacing of wind turbines for the very large wind farms of the future. ... > full story
Stem cells from amniotic fluid: Reprogrammed amniotic fluid cells can generate all types of body cells (November 25, 2010) -- High hopes rest on stem cells: one day, they may be used to treat many diseases. To date, embryos are the main source of these cells, but this raises ethical problems. Scientists have now managed to convert amniotic fluid cells into pluripotent stem cells. These amniotic fluid-derived iPS cells are hardly distinguishable from embryonic stem cells. However, they "remember" where they came from. ... > full story
Spice of life: Variety is also good for hares (November 25, 2010) -- Since 1871, when Charles Darwin wrote The Descent of Man, it has been widely accepted that "Variability is the necessary basis for the action of selection." Variability is associated with the ability to adapt, which is clearly beneficial at a species level. But there is increasing evidence that genetic variability may also give rise to advantages at the level of the individual. ... > full story
City of Vancouver sets transportation records during 2010 Winter Games (November 25, 2010) -- Vancouver residents and visitors set records for sustainable travel during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, more than doubling the number of trips typically taken by public transit, biking or walking, according to a new study completed for the City of Vancouver. ... > full story
Polar bears unlikely to survive in warmer world, biologists say (November 24, 2010) -- Polar bears are not likely to survive in a warmer world, biologists report. As polar bears lose habitat due to global warming, these biologists say, they will be forced southward in search of alternative sources of food, where they will increasingly come into competition with grizzly bears. ... > full story
How pathogens hijack host plants (November 24, 2010) -- Infestation by bacteria and other pathogens result in global crop losses of over 0 billion annually. A research team has developed a novel trick for identifying how pathogens hijack plant nutrients to take over the organism. They discovered a novel family of pores that transport sugar out of the plant. Bacteria and fungi hijack the pores to access the plant sugar for food. ... > full story
Chronic high cholesterol diet produces brain damage (November 24, 2010) -- A chronic high fat cholesterol diet in rats is linked to pathologies similar to Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Coffee and a sweet treat to think better? Caffeine and glucose combined improves the efficiency of brain activity (November 24, 2010) -- The combination of caffeine and glucose can improve the efficiency of brain activity, according to a recent study in which functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to identify the neural substrate for the combined effects of these two substances. ... > full story
Jellyfish-inspired pumps: Researchers investigate next-generation medical and robotic devices (November 24, 2010) -- To some researchers, the undulations of the simple invertebrate jellyfish hold secrets that may make possible a new generation of tiny pumps for medical applications and soft robotics. ... > full story
Secrets of sharks' success: Flexible scales enable fast turning (November 24, 2010) -- New research suggests that one of the evolutionary secrets of the shark hides in one of its tiniest traits -- flexible scales on their bodies that allow them to change directions while moving at full speed. ... > full story
Muscle cells point the finger at each other (November 24, 2010) -- A new study reveals that muscle cells fuse together during development by poking "fingers" into each other to help break down the membranes separating them. ... > full story
Battle of the sexes: Researchers change 'femaleness' or 'maleness' of fruit flies (November 24, 2010) -- Researchers found that they could change the "femaleness" or "maleness" of fruit flies, providing windows on the sensory and behavioral cues underlying aggressive behavior in these animals. ... > full story
Environmental toxin may play important role in multiple sclerosis: Hypertension drug possible treatment (November 24, 2010) -- Researchers have found evidence that an environmental pollutant may play an important role in causing multiple sclerosis and that a hypertension drug might be used to treat the disease. ... > full story
Salmonella test makes food safer, reduce recalls (November 24, 2010) -- Earlier this year, an outbreak of salmonella caused by infected eggs resulted in thousands of illnesses before a costly recall could be implemented. Now researchers have created a new test for salmonella in poultry and eggs that will produce faster and more accurate results than most currently available tests. The new test could have prevented the contaminated eggs from being shipped to stores. ... > full story
Plant-derived scavengers prowl the body for nerve toxins (November 24, 2010) -- A biochemist has shown that human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), a so-called bioscavenging molecule, can be produced synthetically -- from plants. Further, researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of plant-derived BChE in protecting against both pesticide and nerve agent organophosphate poisoning. ... > full story
Bacteria help infants digest milk more effectively than adults (November 24, 2010) -- Infants are more efficient at digesting and utilizing nutritional components of milk than adults due to a difference in the strains of bacteria that dominate their digestive tracts. Researchers now report on genomic analysis of these strains identifying the genes that are most likely responsible for this difference. ... > full story
For HIV-positive patients, delayed treatment a costly decision (November 24, 2010) -- HIV-infected patients whose treatment is delayed not only become sicker than those treated earlier, but also require tens of thousands of dollars more in care over the first several years of their treatment. ... > full story
Developing countries often outsource deforestation, study finds (November 24, 2010) -- In many developing countries, forest restoration at home has led to deforestation abroad, according to researchers. The authors say their findings could have significant implications for ongoing efforts to protect the world's remaining forests. ... > full story
Heavy metals in seafood: Satisfactory results of interlaboratory comparison (November 24, 2010) -- A new study which benchmarks the abilities of laboratories around the world to measure heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, methylmercury and inorganic arsenic) in seafood has been published. The outcome of the exercise was generally positive, with 80-96 percent of laboratories obtaining satisfactory scores, depending on the heavy metal considered. This result corroborates seafood consumers' protection in the European Union, where the levels of lead, cadmium and total mercury are regulated by law. ... > full story
Excess fructose may play role in diabetes, obesity and other health conditions (November 23, 2010) -- More and more people have become aware of the dangers of excessive fructose in diet. A new review on fructose indicates just how dangerous this simple sugar may be. ... > full story
Aerobic exercise may reduce excessive cocaine use (November 23, 2010) -- Aerobic exercise may protect against binge-like patterns of cocaine use, suggests a new study. Rats allowed access to running wheels self-administered less cocaine than did rats that were not. ... > full story
DNA uncovers one of the world's rarest birds (November 23, 2010) -- Researchers have identified a new, critically endangered species of ground parrot in Western Australia. ... > full story
Hybrid tugboat cuts emissions (November 23, 2010) -- A new study of what is believed to be the world's only hybrid electric tugboat found that the vessel is effective in reducing emissions at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. ... > full story
Flying snakes, caught on camera (November 23, 2010) -- New video analysis and mathematical modeling by engineers reveals how certain types of snakes can "fly" by flinging themselves off their perches, flattening their bodies, and sailing from tree to tree. ... > full story
Fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria by treating municipal wastewater at higher temperatures (November 23, 2010) -- New findings by civil engineering researchers show that treating municipal wastewater solids at higher temperatures may be an effective tool in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. ... > full story
The puzzle of biological diversity (November 23, 2010) -- Biologists have long thought that interactions between plants and pollinating insects hasten evolutionary changes and promote biological diversity. However, new findings show that some interactions between plants and pollinators are less likely to increase diversity than previously thought, and in some instances, reduce it. ... > full story
Gene find could lead to healthier food, better biofuel production (November 23, 2010) -- Scientists have found the last undiscovered gene responsible for the production of the amino acid phenylalanine, a discovery that could lead to processes to control the amino acid to boost plants' nutritional values and produce better biofuel feedstocks. ... > full story
Cloud study predicts more global warming (November 23, 2010) -- Global climate models disagree widely in the magnitude of the warming we can expect with increasing carbon dioxide. This is mainly because the models represent clouds differently. A new modeling approach successfully simulates the observed cloud fields in a key region for climate. The study finds a greater tendency for clouds to thin with global warming than in any of the current climate models. This means the expected warming may be greater than currently anticipated. ... > full story
HIV drugs interfere with blood sugar, lead to insulin resistance (November 23, 2010) -- The same powerful drugs that have extended the lives of countless people with HIV come with a price -- insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Now, researchers have determined why that happens. ... > full story
'M8' earthquake simulation breaks computational records, promises better quake models (November 23, 2010) -- Researchers have developed the world's most advanced earthquake shaking simulation. The "M8" simulation represents how a magnitude 8.0 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault will shake a larger area, in greater detail, than previously possible, and advances the state-of-the-art in terms of the speed and efficiency at which such calculations can be performed. ... > full story
Lifeblood of leaves: Vein networks control plant patterns (November 23, 2010) -- New research may have solved the mystery of how leaf vein patterns correlate with use of sunlight, carbon and other nutrients. This knowledge could help scientists better understand the complex carbon cycle that is at the heart of global climate warming. ... > full story
How sunlight shapes daily rhythms (November 23, 2010) -- Fresh insight into how biological clocks adjust to having less sunlight in the winter could help us better understand the impact of jet lag and shift work. ... > full story
Uptake protein acts as zinc's doorway to the cell (November 23, 2010) -- A new study details how zinc, an element fundamental to cell growth, enters the cell via zinc-specific uptake proteins. ... > full story
Cost effectiveness of ecological restoration demonstrated (November 23, 2010) -- New research provides evidence that ecological restoration can provide a cost effective response to environmental degradation. The research focused on the dryland forests of Latin America, and examined the cost effectiveness of ecological restoration techniques such as tree planting and forest regeneration. This was achieved using a novel research approach, which involved mapping the value of different benefits provided by these forests. ... > full story
Researchers kick-start ancient DNA (November 22, 2010) -- Researchers recently revived ancient bacteria trapped for thousands of years in water droplets embedded in salt crystals. ... > full story
Putting the squeeze on fat cells (November 22, 2010) -- Scientists are researching the theory that fat cells, like bone or muscle cells, are influenced by mechanical loads. By recreating the structure of fat cells using a newly developed computer method, researchers can determine how much mechanical load can be tolerated by fat cells, and at what point the cells will begin to disintegrate. The research has direct applications in weight loss programs and the management of chronic diabetes. ... > full story
Simple rubber device mimics complex bird songs (November 22, 2010) -- Scientists have reproduced many of the characteristics of real bird song with a simple physical model made of a rubber tube. ... > full story
Nanoparticles’ effects on plants examined (November 22, 2010) -- Using particles that are 1/100,000 the width of a human hair to deliver drugs to cells or assist plants in fighting off pests may become commonplace in the near future. However, results of studies in animals have also raised concerns about the potential toxicity of nanoparticles. ... > full story
New microscope reveals ultrastructure of cells (November 22, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new X-ray nanotomography microscope. Using their new system, they can reveal the structures on the smallest components of mammalian cells in three dimensions. ... > full story
How hummingbirds fight the wind: Robotic wing may reveal answer (November 22, 2010) -- Hummingbirds rank among the world's most accomplished hovering animals, but how do they manage it in gusty winds? Researchers have built a robotic hummingbird wing to discover the answer. ... > full story
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