ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.
Bacteria In Mouth Help Make Certain Foods Tasty (November 11, 2008) -- Scientists in Switzerland are reporting that bacteria in the human mouth play a role in creating the distinctive flavors of certain foods. They found that these bacteria actually produce food odors from odorless components of food, allowing people to fully savor fruits and vegetables. ... > full story
Deep Sea Expedition Sets Sail (November 11, 2008) -- Researchers are embarking upon an extreme adventure, plunging deep into the sea to study hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor. They'll share the experience with 20,000-plus school children through interactive sessions. ... > full story
Clouds Can Predict Climate Changes (November 11, 2008) -- The properties of clouds can be a key to predicting coming climate changes. The earth's climate field is regulated by the balance between incoming solar radiation and outbound heat radiation. The aerosol content of the atmosphere, that is, the proportion of particles in the air, functions as a regulator: cooling off by reflecting incoming light, warming up by absorbing the outbound heat radiation. But clouds also impact the climate. ... > full story
1918 Spanish Flu Records Could Hold The Key To Solving Future Pandemics (November 11, 2008) -- Ninety years after Australian scientists began their race to stop the spread of Spanish flu in Australia, University of Melbourne researchers are hoping records from the 1918 epidemic may hold the key to preventing future deadly pandemic outbreaks. ... > full story
Important Steps Towards Development Of Human Vaccine Against Malaria (November 11, 2008) -- Every day 2000 children die from malaria in Africa alone. The infection is transmitted from human to human by biting mosquitoes and remains one of the world's most devastating diseases. Despite many years of effort a vaccine is still not available but is urgently needed. ... > full story
Astonishing Life In Ocean's Depths: Major Progress Made Towards Historic Census Of Marine Life (November 10, 2008) -- In a report on progress toward the first Census of Marine Life, more than 2,000 scientists from 82 nations announce astonishing examples of recent new finds from the world's ocean depths. Among revelations in fourth interim global highlights report are the Antarctic ancestry of many octopus species and the discovery of Behemoth bacteria, colossal sea stars and mammoth mollusks. ... > full story
Modeling Ice Cream Production In The Search For Innovation (November 10, 2008) -- The production of ice cream, a seemingly simple product, brings into play a variety of complex hydrodynamic and thermic processes, with as yet poorly known interactions. To assist industry in making new products, Cemagref scientists have developed a simulator, the size of a yogurt cup, capable of miming the entire production chain. ... > full story
How 'Molecular Machines' Kick Start Gene Activation Revealed (November 10, 2008) -- How "molecular machines" inside cells swing into action to activate genes at different times in a cell's life is revealed in new research published in Molecular Cell. ... > full story
Untangling DNA Regulation: Biologists Theorize Role For DNA Packaging In Stem Cell Development (November 10, 2008) -- Biologists have discovered that the organization of DNA's packing material plays a critical role in directing stem cells to become different types of adult cells. ... > full story
World Needs Climate Emergency Backup Plan, Says Expert (November 10, 2008) -- In submitted testimony to the British Parliament, climate scientist said that while steep cuts in carbon emissions are essential to stabilizing global climate, there also needs to be a backup plan. Geoengineering solutions such as injecting dust into the atmosphere are risky, but may become necessary if emissions cuts are insufficient to stave off catastrophic warming. He urged that research into the pros and cons of geoengineering be made a high priority. ... > full story
Small Water Fleas Help Ecologists Understand Population Dynamics (November 10, 2008) -- A study of populations of tiny water fleas is helping ecologists to understand population dynamics, which may lead to predictions about the ecological consequences of environmental change. ... > full story
Global Warming Predicted To Hasten Carbon Release From Peat Bogs (November 10, 2008) -- Billions of tons of carbon sequestered in the world's peat bogs could be released into the atmosphere in the coming decades as a result of global warming, according to a new analysis of the interplay between peat bogs, water tables, and climate change. ... > full story
DNA Provides 'Smoking Gun' In The Case Of The Missing Songbirds (November 10, 2008) -- DNA evidence shows conclusively that males from a North American warbler species interbred with females from a related species and took over a large part of the other species' range. ... > full story
XDR-TB: Deadlier And More Mysterious Than Ever (November 10, 2008) -- New research has found that extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis is increasingly common and more deadly than previously known. Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis is a growing public health threat that is only just beginning to be understood by medical and public health officials. ... > full story
Plant Virus Spreads By Making Life Easy For Crop Pests (November 10, 2008) -- In 752, Japanese Empress Koken wrote a short poem about the summertime yellowing of a field in what is thought to be the first account of a viral plant disease. More than 1,250 years later, scientists concluded that the virus Koken described was part of the particularly insidious geminivirus family that continues to decimate tomato, tobacco and cotton crops worldwide. ... > full story
How Evolution Learns From Past Environments To Adapt To New Environments (November 10, 2008) -- The evolution of novel characteristics within organisms can be enhanced when environments change in a systematic manner, according to a new study. Researchers suggest that in environments that vary over time in a non-random way, evolution can learn the rules of the environment and develop organisms that can readily generate novel useful traits with only a few mutations. ... > full story
Project Virtually Rebuilds Lost Architecture Of The Shakers (November 10, 2008) -- The Shakers, a religious group that built 19 communities in the United States during the 1800s, had a prolific and distinct architectural construction and design style. Much of that architecture has been lost; however, a new research project aims to rebuild it -- virtually. ... > full story
When It Comes To Sea Level Changing Glaciers, New NASA Technique Measures Up (November 10, 2008) -- Scientists have used satellite data to make the most precise measurements to date of changes in the mass of mountain glaciers in the Gulf of Alaska, a region expected to be a significant contributor to global sea level rise over the next 50-100 years. ... > full story
Research Sheds Light On Key Trigger Of Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation (November 10, 2008) -- Clusters of mouse embryonic stem cells called embryoid bodies more closely approximate true embryos in organization and structure than previously thought, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. ... > full story
New Hybrid Plants Could Prompt More Prodigious Pepper Production In Southwest (November 10, 2008) -- To help Southwestern US pepper producers perk up pepper production, scientists and agriculture experts are developing several new adapted pepper plant hybrids. ... > full story
Polarized Light Guides Cholera-carrying Midges That Contaminate Water Supplies (November 10, 2008) -- Midges harbor the lethal Vibrio cholerae bacteria that spreads cholera, contaminating water supplies with the infection when they lay their eggs. What guides the midges to select particular watercourses when laying their eggs? Scientists have found that the midges are attracted by polarized light reflections from water and suggest that polarized light could be used to control cholera transmission and reduce midge numbers. ... > full story
Emerging Carbon Finance Market Will Play Critical Role In Addressing Climate Change, Experts Say (November 10, 2008) -- Climate change is an unprecedented global problem and an emerging carbon finance market will play a critical role in addressing it, asserts a newly published Yale report. ... > full story
Red-eyed Treefrog Embryos Actively Avoid Asphyxiation Inside Their Eggs (November 9, 2008) -- Red-eyed treefrog embryos react to environmental oxygen concentration before they have blood or muscular movement. These initial responses to the environment may be critical to the frogs' long-term survival. ... > full story
Smaller Mosquitoes Are More Likely To Be Infected With Viruses Causing Human Diseases (November 9, 2008) -- An entomologist says smaller mosquitoes are more likely to be infected with viruses that cause diseases in humans. ... > full story
Paper Mill Waste May Be Just Right For Reclaiming Mineland (November 9, 2008) -- Paper mill waste can safely be applied at a rate three times higher than the typical rate in Ohio, to reclaim soils of surface-coal mined areas. ... > full story
Consumers Not Ready For Tailor-made Nutrition? (November 9, 2008) -- In the near future it will be possible to customize the food we eat to individual needs, based on the genetic profile of the individual. Researchers suggest that the consumer market is not yet ready for this so-called nutrigenomics. They conclude that many obstacles must be overcome before products based on nutrigenomics become a reality. ... > full story
Carbon Dioxide Levels Already In Danger Zone, Revised Theory Shows (November 9, 2008) -- If climate disasters are to be averted, atmospheric carbon dioxide must be reduced below the levels that already exist today, according to a new study in Open Atmospheric Science Journal. ... > full story
Record High Performance With New Solar Cells (November 9, 2008) -- Researchers in China and Switzerland are reporting the highest efficiency ever for a promising new genre of solar cells, which many scientists think offer the best hope for making the sun a mainstay source of energy in the future. The photovoltaic cells, called dye-sensitized solar cells or Grätzel cells, could expand the use of solar energy for homes, businesses, and other practical applications, the scientists say. ... > full story
How Plant Cells Synthesize Pharmaceutical Compounds (November 9, 2008) -- A Finnish researcher's work on two plants -- tobacco and Egyptian henbane -- is yielding new information about the functions of genes involved with the biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites. The results can be used in developing production of valuable pharmaceuticals in plant cell cultures. ... > full story
New Role For Critical DNA Repair Molecule In Immune System (November 9, 2008) -- The human immune system is a brilliantly adaptable weapon against foreign invaders. But it all depends on the work of specialized cells called lymphocytes that have made a risky evolutionary gambit to mutate their own DNA. New research published in Nature shows for the first time that a molecule devoted to DNA repair plays a broader role in this genetic reshuffling -- called recombination -- than scientists had thought. ... > full story
Sea Snakes Seek Out Freshwater To Slake Thirst (November 8, 2008) -- Sea snakes may slither in saltwater, but they sip the sweet stuff. It has been the "long-standing dogma" that the roughly 60 species of venomous sea snakes worldwide satisfy their drinking needs by drinking seawater, with internal salt glands filtering and excreting the salt. Experiments with three species of captive sea kraits captured near Taiwan, however, found that the snakes refused to drink saltwater even if thirsty -- and then would drink only freshwater or heavily diluted saltwater. ... > full story
Tale Of Two Snails Reveals Secrets About The Biochemistry Of Evolution (November 8, 2008) -- Researchers in Spain are reporting deep new insights into how evolution changes the biochemistry of living things, helping them to adapt to new environments. Their study, based on an analysis of proteins produced by two populations of marine snails, reveals chemical differences that give one population a survival-of-the fittest edge for life in its cold, wave-exposed environment. ... > full story
Overfishing Threatens European Bluefin Tuna (November 8, 2008) -- Bluefin tuna disappeared from Danish waters in the 1960s. Now the species could become depleted throughout the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean, according to new research. Bluefin tuna is a treasured delicacy, particularly as sushi. The species in the Mediterranean Sea and northeast Atlantic is caught by fishermen from many countries, particularly France, Spain and Italy. ... > full story
Paleontologists Doubt 'Dinosaur Dance Floor' (November 8, 2008) -- Potholes or tracks? A group of paleontologists visited the northern Arizona wilderness site nicknamed a "dinosaur dance floor" and concluded there were no dinosaur tracks there, only a dense collection of unusual potholes eroded in the sandstone. So the scientist who leads the University of Utah's geology department says she will team up with the skeptics for a follow-up study. ... > full story
Protein-printing Technique Gives Snapshots Of Immune System Defense (November 8, 2008) -- A new technique lets researchers, for the first time, look at single white blood cells and measure specific characteristics of the set of antibodies they produce when the body is under attack. The ability to measure antibodies from many individual immune cells may aid vaccine research and allow innovative medical tests. ... > full story
Unraveling Lion's Natural History Using Host And Virus Population Genomics (November 7, 2008) -- The lion is one of the world's most charismatic carnivores. In a new study, researchers provide insights into the genetic structure and history of lion populations. Their work refutes the hypothesis that African lions consist of a single, randomly breeding population. It also indicates the importance of preserving populations in decline as opposed to prioritizing larger-scale conservation efforts. ... > full story
Sunlight Has More Powerful Influence On Ocean Circulation And Climate Than North American Ice Sheets (November 7, 2008) -- A study reported in Nature disputes a longstanding picture of how ice sheets influence ocean circulation during glacial periods. ... > full story
Drivers Beware: Wildlife Specialist Offers Hints For Avoiding Deer-vehicle Crashes (November 7, 2008) -- In November, when it comes to avoiding deer collisions, it's not the one you see crossing the road that's likely to get you, according to a wildlife expert. "It's the one that's chasing her," said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Texas AgriLife Extension Service fisheries and wildlife specialist. ... > full story
Hybrid Materials For Future Solar Cells Under Development (November 7, 2008) -- Scientists are developing composite materials based on semiconductor nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes for use in efficient light emitting diodes and photovoltaic devices. ... > full story
Without Glial Cells, Animals Lose Their Senses (November 7, 2008) -- Scientists show that while neurons play the lead role in detecting sensory information, a second type of cell, the glial cell, pulls the strings behind the scenes. The findings, point to a mechanism that may explain not only how glia are required for bringing sensory information into the brain but also how glia may influence connections between neurons deep within in it. ... > full story
Social Interactions Can Alter Gene Expression In Brain, And Vice Versa (November 7, 2008) -- Our DNA determines a lot about who we are and how we play with others, but recent studies of social animals (birds and bees, among others) show that the interaction between genes and behavior is more of a two-way street than most of us realize. ... > full story
Epic Voyage To Discover Origins And Migration Routes Of Ancestors Of Ancient Polynesians And Their Animals (November 7, 2008) -- Scientists are embarking on a 6000-kilometer trip following the migration route of ancient Pacific cultures. This is the first ever expedition to sail in two traditional Polynesian boats -- ethnic double canoes -- which attempts to re-trace the genuine migration route of the ancient Austronesians. The researchers will also be examining the local wildlife. ... > full story
Reducing Pollution: Green Future For Scrap Iron (November 7, 2008) -- Engineers have shown that the biological treatment of industrial wastewater can be dramatically enhanced by pretreating the waste with non-oxidized iron. Researchers use zero valent iron to detoxify pollutants in industrial wastewater. ... > full story
Ancient China: Lack Of Rainfall Could Have Contributed To Social Upheaval And Fall Of Dynasties (November 7, 2008) -- Chinese history is replete with the rise and fall of dynasties, but researchers now have identified a natural phenomenon that may have been the last straw for some of them: a weakening of the summer Asian Monsoons. A lack of rainfall could have contributed to social upheaval and the fall of dynasties. Such weakening accompanied the fall of three dynasties and now could be lessening precipitation in northern China. ... > full story
Bacteria Manage Perfume Oil Production From Grass (November 7, 2008) -- Scientists in Italy have found bacteria in the root of a tropical grass whose oils have been used in the cosmetic and perfumery industries. ... > full story
'Unprecedented' Warming Drives Dramatic Ecosystem Shifts In North Atlantic, Study Finds (November 7, 2008) -- While Earth has experienced numerous changes in climate over the past 65 million years, recent decades have experienced the most significant climate change since the beginning of human civilized societies about 5,000 years ago, says a new Cornell University study. ... > full story
Protecting Soils And Producing Biofuel With Corn Stover (November 7, 2008) -- Those lonely cornstalks--called corn stover--left behind in the fields after the grain harvest is complete could someday become valuable raw material for the production of cellulosic ethanol. In the meantime, ) soil scientists are determining which portion of the plant would work best for cellulosic ethanol production. ... > full story
Earthworm Activity Can Alter Forests' Carbon-carrying Capabilities (November 6, 2008) -- Earthworms can change the chemical nature of the carbon in North American forest litter and soils, potentially affecting the amount of carbon stored in forests. Scientists want to determine the earthworms' effect on forest chemistry by comparing carbon composition in forests that vary in earthworm activity. ... > full story
| This message was sent from ScienceDaily to babylakes.postaction@blogger.com. It was sent from: ScienceDaily, 2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 700, Chevy Chase, MD 20815. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below. |  | |
To update/change your account click here 
No comments:
Post a Comment