ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Sunday, November 28, 2010
Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.
Whale sharks use geometry to avoid sinking (November 27, 2010) -- They are the largest fish species in the ocean, but the majestic gliding motion of the whale shark is, scientists argue, an astonishing feat of mathematics and energy conservation. Marine scientists now reveal how these massive sharks use geometry to enhance their natural negative buoyancy and stay afloat. ... > full story
Diabetes drug could work against Alzheimer's, animal study suggests (November 27, 2010) -- The diabetes drug metformin has an effect against one of the main causes of the Alzheimer's disease, according to new research in animal models. ... > full story
Oldest salt mine known to date located in Azerbaijan (November 27, 2010) -- Archeologists have recently shown that the Duzdagi salt deposits, situated in the Araxes Valley in Azerbaijan, were already being exploited from the second half of the 5th millennium BC. This is the most ancient exploitation of rock salt attested to date. And, to the researchers' surprise, intensive salt production was carried out in this mine at least as early as 3500 BC. ... > full story
Sewage water bacteria: 'Missing link' in early evolution of life on Earth? (November 27, 2010) -- A common group of bacteria found in acid bogs and sewage treatment plants has provided scientists with evidence of a 'missing link' in one of the most important steps in the evolution of life on Earth -- the emergence of cells with a nucleus containing DNA (eukaryotic cells). ... > full story
Finger-trap tension stabilizes cells' chromosome-separating machinery (November 27, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered an amazingly simple way that cells stabilize their machinery for forcing apart chromosomes. ... > full story
Size of mammals exploded after dinosaur extinction, researchers confirm (November 26, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated that the extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago made way for mammals to get bigger -- about a thousand times bigger than they had been, as well as confirming the dramatic growth in mammalian size after the dinosaurs. The study also showed that the ecosystem is able to reset itself relatively quickly. ... > full story
Female fish -- and humans? -- lose interest when their male loses a slugfest (November 26, 2010) -- If you see your special someone lose a competition, your subconscious may start whispering, "He's a loser," even as you insist your love is unaffected, according to researchers studying African cichlid fish. When female cichlids saw a favored suitor lose a fight with another male, the females showed marked changes in relatively primitive parts of their brains. Humans have those same primitive brain areas, suggesting we may subconsciously react in much the same way. ... > full story
Weather affects children's injury rate: Each 5-degree temperature rise boosts kids' hospital admissions for serious injury by 10 percent (November 26, 2010) -- Every 5 degree Celsius rise in maximum temperature pushes up the rate of hospital admissions for serious injuries among children, reveals one of the largest studies of its kind. ... > full story
Erythromycin A produced in E. coli for first time: Biosynthetic breakthrough paves way for other pharmaceuticals (November 26, 2010) -- For the first time, researchers have made the antibiotic erythromycin A, and two variants, using E. coli as the production host. This is a cost-effective way to make erythromycin A and new drugs to combat antibiotic resistant pathogens. The E. coli host also offers next-generation engineering opportunities for other products with complex biosynthetic pathways. ... > full story
A high-yield biomass alternative to petroleum for industrial chemicals (November 26, 2010) -- Chemical engineers report that they have developed a way to produce high-volume chemical feedstocks including benzene, toluene, xylenes and olefins from pyrolytic bio-oils, the cheapest liquid fuels available today derived from biomass. The new process could reduce or eliminate industry's reliance on fossil fuels to make industrial chemicals worth an estimated 0 billion annually. ... > full story
More protein, less refined starch important for dieting, large study shows (November 26, 2010) -- If you want to lose weight or avoid gaining weight, you should cut down on finely refined starch calories such as white bread and white rice and instead eat a diet that is high in proteins with more lean meat, low-fat dairy products and beans, large scale study suggests. ... > full story
New tool detects Ebola, Marburg quickly, easily (November 26, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a simple diagnostic tool that can quickly identify dangerous viruses like Ebola and Marburg. The biosensor, which is the size of a quarter and can detect viruses in a blood sample, could be used in developing nations, airports and other places where natural or man-made outbreaks could erupt. ... > full story
Copyright 1995-2010 © ScienceDaily LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
|
 To update/change your profile click here  |
