ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Monday, December 13, 2010
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Shoo, fly! Catnip oil repels bloodsucking flies (December 13, 2010) -- Catnip, the plant that attracts domestic cats like an irresistible force, has proven 99 percent effective in repelling the blood-sucking flies that attack horses and cows, causing billion in annual loses to the cattle industry. ... > full story
Shrubby crops can help fuel Africa's green revolution (December 13, 2010) -- Crop diversification with shrubby legumes mixed with soybean and peanuts could be the key to sustaining the green revolution in Africa, according to a new study. The study states that diversifying crops would boost production of nutrient-enriched grain by 12 percent to 23 percent. ... > full story
Fire disaster in Israel is a typical example of expected climate change effects in the Mediterranean (December 13, 2010) -- The fire disaster in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa is a typical example of climate change effect and a taste of the future, says a researcher. Ten years ago he had warned of expected climatic fluctuations, heat events, decreased rainfall and delayed late winter rainfall, all of which would lead to increased risk of intense forest fires. ... > full story
Cellular protein hobbles HIV-1 (December 13, 2010) -- A cellular protein called BST-2 had already been known to interfere with the spread of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), by inhibiting the release of its progeny particles from infected cells. Now scientists show that in addition, each progeny virion's ability to cause infection is severely impaired. ... > full story
How natural drug, abscisic acid, fights inflammation (December 12, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered how abscisic acid, a natural plant hormone with known beneficial properties for the treatment of disease, helps fight inflammation. ... > full story
Tigers and polar bears are highly vulnerable to environmental change (December 12, 2010) -- Large predators are much more vulnerable than smaller species to environmental changes, such as over-hunting and habitat change, because they have to work so hard to find their next meal, according to a new study. ... > full story
Synchrotron study shows how nitric oxide kills (December 12, 2010) -- Nitric oxide is a toxic pollutant, but the human body also creates it and uses it to attack invading microbes and parasites. A new study by researchers in the U.S. and the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute shows how nitric oxide, attacks an important group of proteins critical to cell survival. ... > full story
Tiny protozoa may hold key to world water safety (December 12, 2010) -- Biologists have developed a sensor that employs one-celled protozoa to detect toxins in water sources. The new technique works by introducing protozoa into small chambers with water samples taken from municipal, industrial, or military water sources and comparing them to control samples. Any alteration of the protozoa's swimming mechanics is a sign that water conditions have changed and chemical or biological contaminants -- pesticides, industrial chemicals, or biological warfare agents -- may be present. ... > full story
Blue whale-sized mouthfuls make foraging super efficient (December 12, 2010) -- How much can a blue whale eat in a single mouthful and how much energy do they burn while foraging? Researchers discovered that blue whales can swallow almost 2,000,000kJ (almost 480,000kcalories) in a single mouthful of krill, and eat 90 times as much energy as they burn during a dive. ... > full story
Drug-resistant HIV genes identified (December 12, 2010) -- New, groundbreaking research by a biomedical engineer significantly advances our understanding of HIV and how to treat it. They studied approximately 15,000 different versions of the virus -- something that has never been done before. This information has allowed them to locate the specific genes of the virus that were resistant to the drugs -- knowledge that could ultimately help researchers develop more effective treatments for HIV. ... > full story
'Green' water treatments may not kill bacteria in large building cooling systems (December 12, 2010) -- Non-chemical water treatment systems -- touted as environmentally conscious stand-ins for such chemicals as chlorine -- may allow dangerous bacteria to flourish in the cooling systems of hospitals, commercial offices and other water-cooled buildings. The study is the first to thoroughly investigate the ability of nonchemical treatment devices to control the growth of bacteria in water-based air-conditioning systems found in many large buildings. ... > full story
Thought for food: Imagining food consumption reduces actual consumption (December 11, 2010) -- A new study shows that when you imagine eating a certain food, it reduces your actual consumption of that food. This landmark discovery changes the decades-old assumption that thinking about something desirable increases cravings for it and its consumption. ... > full story
Bering Sea chill yields fatter plankton, pollock diet changes (December 11, 2010) -- Despite a 30-year warming trend, the last three years in the Bering Sea have been the coldest on record. An Alaska scientist says that the cold temperatures have helped produce larger zooplankton in the Bering Sea, which may affect the way Walleye pollock feed. ... > full story
Simulations aim to unlock nature's process of biomineralization (December 11, 2010) -- Researchers are leveraging advanced modeling and simulation resources to study the process of biomineralization, nature's ability to form complex structures, such as bones, teeth and mollusk shells. This natural phenomenon, if harnessed, could lead to the design of composite materials and devices for such applications as bone replacement, sensing systems, efficient energy generation and treatment of diseases. ... > full story
Bizarre reptile challenges notion of crocodiles as 'living fossils' (December 10, 2010) -- We all know that crocodiles are reptiles with long snouts, conical teeth, strong jaws and long tails. But, new discoveries show we don't know what we thought we knew. Rather, some crocodiles possessed a dazzling array of adaptations that resulted in unique and sometimes bizarre anatomy, including blunt, pug-nosed snouts, pudgy bodies and short tails. ... > full story
Details of microbe's extraordinary maintenance and repair system revealed (December 10, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered how a network of repair proteins enables bacteria to prioritize the repair of the most heavily used regions of the DNA molecules that carry the instructions necessary for living cells to function. ... > full story
There's a new 'officer' in the infection control army (December 10, 2010) -- Scientists have identified a previously unrecognized step in the activation of infection-fighting white blood cells, the main immunity troops in the body's war on bacteria, viruses and foreign proteins. ... > full story
35,000 new species ‘sitting in cupboards’ (December 10, 2010) -- Of the estimated 70,000 species of flowering plants yet to be described by scientists, more than half may already have been collected but are lying unknown and unrecognized in collections around the world, a new study suggests. ... > full story
Ice-age reptile extinctions provide a glimpse of likely responses to human-caused climate change (December 10, 2010) -- A wave of reptile extinctions on the Greek islands over the past 15,000 years may offer a preview of the way plants and animals will respond as the world rapidly warms due to human-caused climate change, according ecologists. ... > full story
Massive gene loss linked to pathogen's stealthy plant-dependent lifestyle (December 10, 2010) -- An international team of scientists has cracked the genetic code of a plant pathogen that causes downy mildew disease. Downy mildews are a widespread class of destructive diseases that cause major losses to crops as diverse as maize, grapes and lettuce. ... > full story
Cholera strain in Haiti matches bacteria from south Asia (December 10, 2010) -- Researchers have determined that the strain of cholera erupting in Haiti matches bacterial samples from South Asia and not those from Latin America. The scientists conclude that the bacteria introduced into Haiti most likely came from an infected human, contaminated food or other item from outside of Latin America. ... > full story
Bioengineers develop bacterial strain to increase ethanol biofuel production (December 10, 2010) -- Bioengineers have modified a strain of bacteria to increase its ability to produce ethanol. The research reveals how adaptation and metabolic engineering can be combined for strain improvement, a positive development for the biofuel industry. ... > full story
Cloud 'feedback' affects global climate and warming (December 10, 2010) -- Changes in clouds will amplify the warming of the planet due to human activities, according to a breakthrough study that shows that warming due to increases in greenhouse gases will cause clouds to trap more heat, which will lead to additional warming. ... > full story
Genome of barley disease reveals surprises (December 10, 2010) -- Scientists have sequenced the genome of a major fungal disease that affects barley and other cereal crops, a breakthrough that could lead to significant advances in our understanding of how plant diseases evolve. The research suggests that parasites within the genome of the fungus help the disease to adapt and overcome the plant's defenses. ... > full story
New insights into formation of Earth, the Moon, and Mars (December 10, 2010) -- New research reveals that the abundance of so-called highly siderophile, or metal-loving, elements like gold and platinum found in the mantles of Earth, the moon and Mars were delivered by massive impactors during the final phase of planet formation over 4.5 billion years ago. The predicted sizes of the projectiles, which hit within tens of millions of years of the giant impact that produced our moon, are consistent with current planet formation models. They predict that the largest of the late impactors on Earth -- at 1,500 to 2,000 miles in diameter -- potentially modified Earth's obliquity by approximately 10 degrees, while those for the Moon, at approximately 150-200 miles, may have delivered water to its mantle. ... > full story
Gene hunters tackle crop diseases (December 10, 2010) -- Scientists are on the trail of some of the most economically damaging organisms that infect crops worldwide. Their latest targets are the parasitic water fungus that causes powdery mildew and the water molds that cause late blight in potatoes and tomatoes and downy mildew in cruciferous vegetables and other crops. ... > full story
Stricter testing for federal ground beef program may not lead to safer meat (December 9, 2010) -- A new National Research Council report finds no scientific basis that more stringent testing of meat purchased through the government's ground beef purchase program and distributed to various federal food and nutrition programs -- including the National School Lunch Program -- would lead to safer meat. ... > full story
Double-edged sword of dominance: Top chimps tend to suffer from more parasites (December 9, 2010) -- A study of chimpanzees has revealed that dominant animals with higher testosterone levels tend to suffer from an increased burden of parasites. Researchers observed the primates' behavior and studied their droppings to draw the link between dominance and infection status. ... > full story
Viable female and male mice from two fathers produced using stem cell technology (December 9, 2010) -- Researchers report that they have used stem cell technology to produce mice from two fathers, an achievement that may open new opportunities in reproductive science, including the intriguing possibility of same-sex couples having their own genetic offspring. ... > full story
Greenland ice sheet flow driven by short-term weather extremes, not gradual warming, research reveals (December 9, 2010) -- Sudden changes in the volume of meltwater contribute more to the acceleration -- and eventual loss -- of the Greenland ice sheet than the gradual increase of temperature, according to a new study. ... > full story
Influenza virus strains show increasing drug resistance and ability to spread (December 9, 2010) -- Two new studies raise public health concerns about increasing antiviral resistance among certain influenza viruses, their ability to spread, and a lack of alternative antiviral treatment options. ... > full story
Fleshing out the life histories of dead whales (December 9, 2010) -- Dead whales that sink down to the seafloor provide a feast for deep-sea animals that can last for years. Previous research suggested that such "whale falls" hosted unique animals that lived nowhere else. However, after sinking five whale carcasses in Monterey Canyon, researchers found that most of the animals at these sites were not unique to whale falls, but were common in other deep-sea environments as well. ... > full story
Children who attend group child care centers get more infections then, but fewer during school years (December 9, 2010) -- Children who attend large group child care facilities before age 2 and a half appear to develop more respiratory and ear infections at that age, but fewer such illnesses during elementary school years, according to a new study. ... > full story
Redrawing the map of Great Britain based on human interaction (December 9, 2010) -- A group of researchers have used one of the world's largest databases of telecommunications records to redraw the map of Great Britain. The research is based on the analysis of 12 billion anonymized records representing more than 95% of Great Britain's residential and business landlines. ... > full story
Mastermind steroid found in plants (December 9, 2010) -- Scientists have known how important plant steroids called brassinosteroids are for regulating plant growth and development. But until now, they did not know how extensive their reach is. Now researchers have identified about a thousand brassinosteroid target genes showing links between the steroid and numerous cellular functions and other hormonal chain reactions. The study is the first comprehensive action map for a plant hormone and will help accelerate basic plant science and crop research. ... > full story
Eutrophication makes toxic cyanobacteria more toxic (December 9, 2010) -- Continued eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, combined with an ever thinner ozone layer, is favouing the toxic cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena, reveals new research. ... > full story
Study assesses nuclear power assumptions (December 9, 2010) -- A broad review of current research on nuclear power economics has been published. The report concludes that nuclear power will continue to be a viable power source but that the current fuel cycle is not sustainable. ... > full story
'Greener' climate prediction shows plants slow warming (December 9, 2010) -- A new NASA computer modeling effort has found that additional growth of plants and trees in a world with doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide levels would create a new negative feedback -- a cooling effect -- in the Earth's climate system that could work to reduce future global warming. ... > full story
How do DNA components resist damaging UV exposure? (December 9, 2010) -- The genetic material of DNA contains shielding mechanisms to protect itself from the exposure to the UV light emitted by the sun. This is of crucial importance, since without photostability – i.e. without "programmed" defense mechanisms against UV irradiation – there would be a rapid degradation of DNA and RNA. ... > full story
Fledgling ecosystem in former open-pit coal mine in Germany lets scientists observe how soil, flora and fauna develop (December 9, 2010) -- How do ecosystems develop? A unique project could provide answers. In a former open-pit coal mining area in Brandenburg, Germany, a surface of six hectares was partitioned off and then left to its own resources. Scientists are studying the development of soil, flora, and fauna there. With this research they aim to establish the factors that have a particularly strong influence on developing ecosystems. ... > full story
Cranberry juice not effective against urinary tract infections, study suggests (December 8, 2010) -- Drinking cranberry juice has been recommended to decrease the incidence of urinary tract infections, based on observational studies and a few small clinical trials. However, a new study suggests otherwise. ... > full story
Parents' influence on children's eating habits is limited (December 8, 2010) -- Parents are often believed to have a strong influence on children's eating behaviors. However, previous findings on parent-child resemblance in dietary intakes are mixed. ... > full story
Extending the life of oil reserves: Greener, cheaper more efficient oil extraction made possible (December 8, 2010) -- Scientists have come up with a new way to treat carbon dioxide, so that it can be used in efficient and environmentally friendly methods for extracting oil. These new CO2 soluble additives can also be used to reduce the environmental damage caused by every day industrial processes such as food processing and the manufacture of electronics. ... > full story
'Logic gates' made to program bacteria as computers (December 8, 2010) -- Researchers have engineered E. coli with the key molecular circuitry that will enable genetic engineers to program cells to communicate and perform computations. ... > full story
Lost civilization under Persian Gulf? (December 8, 2010) -- A once fertile landmass now submerged beneath the Persian Gulf may have been home to some of the earliest human populations outside Africa, according to a new article. ... > full story
Soaring is better than flapping for birds big and small (December 8, 2010) -- Small migrating birds save energy as they fly. Large birds, such as storks, save energy on the flight to their wintering grounds by soaring through the air on thermal currents. Until now, however, we knew nothing about the flight patterns of small migrating songbirds, such as whether they flap their wings or soar and whether these styles of flight allow them to save energy. ... > full story
Blueberries and other purple fruits to ward off Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's (December 8, 2010) -- Eating purple fruits such as blueberries and drinking green tea can help ward off diseases including Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's, a report claims. ... > full story
Duelling dipoles: In search of a new theory of photosynthetic energy transfer (December 8, 2010) -- Chemists have refuted a basic postulate of Förster theory, which describes energy transfers between pigment molecules, such as those that underlie photosynthesis. A revised version of the theory could have an impact on the design of optical computers and improve the efficiency of solar cells. ... > full story
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