ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Monday, January 17, 2011
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100-year-old specimens at California museum help determine when avian pox hit Galapagos (January 16, 2011) -- A research team from across the United States and Ecuador has pinpointed 1898 as the year the avipoxvirus, or avian pox, hit the Galapagos Islands and started infecting its birds. This estimation is vital to understanding avian diseases that affect today's Galapagos birds. ... > full story
99% of pregnant women in US test positive for multiple chemicals including banned ones, study suggests (January 16, 2011) -- The bodies of virtually all US pregnant women carry multiple chemicals, including some banned since the 1970s and others used in common products such as non-stick cookware, processed foods and personal care products, according to a new study. ... > full story
Warming climate means red deer rutting season arrives early (January 16, 2011) -- Wild red deer on the Isle of Rum are rutting earlier in the year, a study shows. Scientists believe the annual rutting season on the Isle of Rum could be changing because of warming spring and summer temperatures. The study shows that the rutting and calving seasons are now up to two weeks earlier on average compared with 30 years ago. ... > full story
Flipper bands hinder king penguins (January 16, 2011) -- Over a ten year period, flipper-banded penguins have a 16% lower survival rate and produce 39% fewer chicks than non-banded birds, new research shows. ... > full story
Extent of corruption in countries around the world tied to earthquake fatalities (January 16, 2011) -- A new assessment of global earthquake fatalities over the past three decades indicates that 83 percent of all deaths caused by the collapse of buildings during earthquakes occurred in countries considered to be unusually corrupt. ... > full story
Dramatic ocean circulation changes caused a colder Europe in the past (January 15, 2011) -- The unusually cold weather in Europe this winter has been caused by a change in the winds. Instead of the typical westerly winds warmed by Atlantic surface ocean currents, cold northerly Arctic winds are influencing much of Europe. However, scientists have long suspected that far more severe and longer-lasting cold intervals have been caused by changes to the circulation of the warm Atlantic ocean currents themselves. ... > full story
Bioactive compounds in berries can reduce high blood pressure (January 15, 2011) -- Eating blueberries can guard against high blood pressure, according to new research. ... > full story
Laser sheds light on tracking source of microbial contamination on beach (January 15, 2011) -- A simple, automated method of tracking E. coli uses a laser to detect and monitor the microbe in potentially contaminated bodies of water or waterways. The technique could reduce the incidence of waterborne disease outbreaks. ... > full story
Improving plants: New software quantifies leaf venation networks, enables plant biology advances (January 15, 2011) -- Plant biologists are facing pressure to breed plants that can respond to changing environments. One method of monitoring the response of plants to different environments is by studying their vein network patterns. To help address the challenge of how to quickly examine a large quantity of leaves, researchers have developed a user-assisted software tool that extracts macroscopic vein structures directly from leaf images. ... > full story
New farming method reduces greenhouse gases, increases farm yields (January 15, 2011) -- Researchers have found methods to help farmers reduce nitrous oxide emissions while also increasing corn grain production. ... > full story
Living cells used to create 'biotic' video games (January 14, 2011) -- The digital revolution has triggered a wild proliferation of video games, but what of the revolution in biotechnology? Does it have the potential to spawn its own brood of games? A physicist has begun developing "biotic games" involving paramecia and other living organisms. He hopes the games will lead to advances in education and crowd-sourcing of laboratory research while helping to raise the level of public discourse on bio-related issues. ... > full story
Early development of anti-HIV neutralizing antibodies (January 14, 2011) -- New findings are bringing scientists closer to an effective HIV vaccine. Researchers report findings showing new evidence about broadly-reactive neutralizing antibodies, which block HIV infection. ... > full story
Putting the dead to work: Conservation paleobiologists dig deep to solve today's ecological, evolutionary questions (January 14, 2011) -- Conservation paleobiologists -- scientists who use the fossil record to understand the evolutionary and ecological responses of present-day species to changes in their environment -- are putting the dead to work. A new review of the research in this emerging field provides examples of how the fossil record can help assess environmental impacts, predict which species will be most vulnerable to environmental changes, and provide guidelines for restoration. ... > full story
Airborne pathogens can induce mad cow disease, new findings suggest (January 14, 2011) -- Airborne prions are also infectious and can induce mad cow disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disorder, new findings suggest. Researchers recommend precautionary measures for scientific labs, slaughterhouses and animal feed plants. ... > full story
Trapped sunlight cleans water (January 14, 2011) -- High energy costs are one drawback of making clean water from waste effluents. Now a new system that combines two different technologies proposes to break down contaminants using the cheapest possible energy source, sunlight. ... > full story
Fruit fly nervous system provides new solution to fundamental computer network problem (January 14, 2011) -- The fruit fly has evolved a method for arranging the tiny, hair-like structures it uses to feel and hear the world that's so efficient a team of scientists says it could be used to more effectively deploy wireless sensor networks and other distributed computing applications. ... > full story
Microbes in our gut regulate genes that control obesity and inflammation (January 14, 2011) -- If you are looking to lose weight in the coming year, you may need help from an unexpected place: the bacteria in your gut. That's because scientists have discovered that the bacteria living in your intestines may play a far more significant role in weight loss and gastrointestinal problems than ever imagined. ... > full story
2010 tied for warmest year on record, NASA research finds (January 14, 2011) -- Global surface temperatures in 2010 tied 2005 as the warmest on record, according to an analysis by researchers at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York. ... > full story
Risks associated with second-hand smoke in cars carrying children (January 14, 2011) -- While the evidence is incomplete there is enough available to support legislation against letting people smoke in cars with children, according to a new article. ... > full story
Suicide risk greater for people living at higher elevations, study finds (January 14, 2011) -- Twenty years of mortality data from counties across the United States led to the striking discovery that living at higher altitudes may be a risk factor for suicide, according to a provocative study. ... > full story
Genetically modified chickens that don't transmit bird flu developed; Breakthrough could prevent future bird flu epidemics (January 14, 2011) -- Chickens genetically modified to prevent them spreading bird flu have been produced by researchers in the UK. ... > full story
Rotational motion in living cells: New tool for cell research may help unravel secrets of disease (January 14, 2011) -- Advancements in understanding rotational motion in living cells may help researchers shed light on the causes of deadly diseases, such as Alzheimer's, according to researchers. ... > full story
New evidence for climate impacts on ancient societies (January 14, 2011) -- Annual-resolved European summer climate has, for the first time ever, been reconstructed over the past 2,500 years. Tree rings reveal possible links between past climate variability and changes in human history. Climate change coincided with periods of socioeconomic, cultural and political turmoil associated with the Barbarian Migrations, the Black Death and Thirty Years' War. ... > full story
Virus might fight brain tumors better if armed with bacterial enzyme, study shows (January 14, 2011) -- New research shows that oncolytic viruses, which are engineered to destroy cancer cells, might be more effective in treating deadly brain tumors if equipped with an enzyme that helps them penetrate the tumor. The enzyme removes sugar chains that branch from proteins that fill the narrow spaces between cells. By cutting away these branches, the enzyme clears a path that enables the virus to spread through the tumor. ... > full story
Is 'breast only' for first six months best? (January 14, 2011) -- Current guidance advising mothers in the UK to exclusively breast feed for the first six months of their baby's life is being questioned by child health experts. ... > full story
Earth's hot past could be prologue to future climate (January 14, 2011) -- The magnitude of climate change during Earth's deep past suggests that future temperatures may eventually rise far more than projected if society continues its pace of emitting greenhouse gases, a new analysis concludes. Building on recent research, the study examines the relationship between global temperatures and high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere tens of millions of years ago. ... > full story
Deep genomics: In the case of DNA, the package can be as important as its contents, new work with fruit flies reveals (January 14, 2011) -- The modENCODE project is a massive ongoing effort to map all the elements in model organisms that affect whether genes are silenced or expressed. The research is part of the burgeoning new field of epigenetics and the eventual goal in the words of the Washington University team leader is "to put flesh on the bones" of the Human Genome Project. ... > full story
Technique allows researchers to identify key maize genes for increased yield (January 14, 2011) -- Scientists have identified the genes related to leaf angle in corn (maize) -- a key trait for planting crops closer together, which has led to an eight-fold increase in yield since the early 1900s. ... > full story
What gives frogs a face? Zoologists clarify role of FOXN3 gene in development of clawed frog (January 13, 2011) -- Zoologists in Germany have analyzed the central factor for the development of morphologically distinctive features of tadpoles. The researchers were able to show that it is mostly the FOXN3 gene that influences the development of the cartilages in the oral region and the gills. These structures in particular belong to the evolutionary new developments typical of frogs. ... > full story
New way to calculate age of Earth's crust (January 13, 2011) -- A new way to calculate the age of Earth's crust has been developed by researchers in the UK. ... > full story
New predator 'dawn runner' discovered in early dinosaur graveyard (January 13, 2011) -- A team of paleontologists and geologists from Argentina and the United States have discovered a lanky dinosaur that roamed South America in search of prey as the age of dinosaurs began, approximately 230 million years ago. Sporting a long neck and tail and weighing only 10 to 15 pounds, the new dinosaur has been named Eodromaeus -- the "dawn runner." ... > full story
Courtship affects gene expression in flies, study finds (January 13, 2011) -- Biologists have made an important step toward understanding human mating behavior by showing that certain genes become activated in fruit flies when they interact with the opposite sex. Their research shows that courtship behaviors may be far more influenced by genetics than previously thought. In addition, this new understanding as to why and how these genes become activated within social contexts may also lead to insight into disorders such as autism. ... > full story
Measles virus, a weapon against cancer? (January 13, 2011) -- Scientists believe that modified measles viruses can be "re-targeted" to attack only tumor cells, and thus transformed into a powerful new therapy for cancer. ... > full story
Old-growth forests are what giant pandas need (January 13, 2011) -- A new study indicates that giant pandas need old-growth forests as much as bamboo forests. This work could assist conservationists in creating strategic plans that help conserve this critically endangered bear species. ... > full story
Biomedical breakthrough: Blood vessels for lab-grown tissues (January 13, 2011) -- Researchers have broken one of the major roadblocks on the path to growing transplantable tissue in the lab; they've found a way to grow the necessary blood vessels and capillaries needed to keep tissues alive. ... > full story
Engineers give solar power a boost (January 13, 2011) -- The growing popularity of solar photovoltaic systems across the United States has made it more important to maximize their power input. That's why environmental engineers are working on technologies and methods that will better predict how much power we can actually harness from the sun. ... > full story
Antifreeze proteins: How one gene becomes two (with different functions) (January 13, 2011) -- Researchers report that they are the first to show in molecular detail how one gene evolved two competing functions that eventually split up -- via gene duplication -- to pursue their separate destinies. The study validates a decades-old hypothesis about a key mechanism of evolution. The study also confirms the ancestry of a family of "antifreeze proteins" that helps the Antarctic eelpout survive in the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean. ... > full story
How seabirds share their habitat (January 13, 2011) -- When different species of seabirds share a habitat with limited sources of food, they must differ in their feeding habits. This specialization is known by biologists as an “ecological niche”. Researchers have investigated how flexible these ecological niches really are. They discovered that the preying habits of diving seabirds are very different, both in location and timing, within species as well as between different species. ... > full story
What is life? New answers to an age-old question in Astrobiology (January 13, 2011) -- Biologists have been unable to agree on a definition of the complex phenomenon known as "life." In a special collection of essays in Astrobiology, leaders in the fields of philosophy, science, and molecular evolution present a variety of perspectives on defining life. ... > full story
Earth is twice as dusty as in 19th century, research shows (January 12, 2011) -- If the house seems dustier than it used to be, it may not be a reflection on your housekeeping skills. The amount of dust in the Earth's atmosphere has doubled over the last century, according to a new study; and the dramatic increase is influencing climate and ecology around the world. ... > full story
Under pressure: Stormy weather sensor for hurricane forecasting (January 12, 2011) -- It's hard to believe that, in this day and age, we don't have a way to measure sea-level air pressure during hurricanes. NASA researchers, however, are working on a system that will improve forecasting of severe ocean weather by doing just that. The device measures sea-level air pressure, a critical component of hurricane formation -- and one that has been extremely difficult to capture. ... > full story
Virus killer gets supercharged: Discovery greatly improves common disinfectant (January 12, 2011) -- Researchers report that adding silicone to titanium dioxide, a common disinfectant, dramatically increases its ability to degrade aerosol- and water-borne viruses. ... > full story
Chemical analysis confirms discovery of oldest wine-making equipment ever found (January 12, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered and dated the oldest complete wine production facility ever found, including grape seeds, withered grape vines, remains of pressed grapes, a rudimentary wine press, a clay vat apparently used for fermentation, wine-soaked potsherds and even cups. Dating 1,000 years before the earliest comparable find, the 4100 B.C. discovery was made in the same mysterious Armenian cave complex as an ancient leather shoe announced last summer. ... > full story
Parents give boys preferential treatment when there is a chronic food shortage (January 12, 2011) -- In situations of chronic food shortage, parents are inclined to give boys a preferential treatment, despite the fact that the health of their daughters suffers more from food insecurity, according to new research. ... > full story
Winter sports threaten indigenous European mountain birds, research finds (January 12, 2011) -- In the winter months, the mountain ranges of central Europe attract thousands of tourists for skiing, snowboarding and other outdoor sports, but conservationists fear this annual invasion may threaten indigenous bird species, including the Capercaillie. New research reveals how the growth of human recreation may be a key factor in the rapidly declining population of these iconic alpine birds. ... > full story
Wake up and smell the willow: 'Pre-roasted' plant matter could be burned in coal-fired power stations (January 12, 2011) -- More plant matter could be burned in coal-fired power stations if this "green" fuel was delivered pre-roasted like coffee beans, according to researchers from UK. ... > full story
New research aims to shut down viral assembly line (January 12, 2011) -- Scientists are studying the intricate formation of coronaviruses. The research may provide fresh insights leading to antiviral agents against viral pathogens like SARS. ... > full story
Study estimates land available for biofuel crops (January 12, 2011) -- Using detailed land analysis, researchers have found that biofuel crops cultivated on available land could produce up to half of the world's current fuel consumption -- without affecting food crops or pastureland. Focusing on marginal land, the team assessed land availability from a physical perspective to identify land around the globe available to produce grass crops for biofuels, with minimal impact on agriculture or the environment. ... > full story
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