ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Monday, November 3, 2008
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Arctic Sea Ice Is Suddenly Getting Thinner As Well As Receding (November 3, 2008) -- Last winter, the thickness of sea ice in large parts of the Arctic fell by nearly half a meter (19 per cent) compared with the average thickness of the previous five winters. This followed the dramatic 2007 summer low when Arctic ice extent dropped to its lowest level since records began. ... > full story
Indonesian Mud Volcano Triggered By Drilling Of Nearby Gas Exploration Well, Scientists Conclude (November 3, 2008) -- Two years' of global public debate over the cause of the Java mud volcano, Lusi, has concluded. World scientists conclude that drilling, not an earthquake, was the cause of east Java mud volcano at recent international debate on issue. ... > full story
NASA-enhanced Dust Storm Predictions To Aid Health Community (November 3, 2008) -- NASA satellite data can improve forecasts of dust storms in the American Southwest in ways that can benefit public health managers. ... > full story
Coral Bleaching Disturbs Structure Of Fish Communities (November 3, 2008) -- There is no longer any shadow of a doubt about the impact of global warming on coral reefs. A rise of a few degrees in sea surface temperature induces the expulsion of essential microscopic algae which live in symbiosis with the coral. This process is the cause of coral bleaching and is well known to scientists, but few large-scale studies have dealt with its effects on the structure of communities of hundreds of species of reef-colonizing fish. ... > full story
Systems Biology And Glycomics Applied To Study Of Human Inflammatory Diseases (November 3, 2008) -- An innovative systems biology approach to understanding the carbohydrate structures in cells is leading to new ways to understand how inflammatory illnesses and cardiovascular disease develop in humans. ... > full story
Biologists Discover Motor Protein That Rewinds DNA (November 2, 2008) -- Biologists have discovered the first of a new class of cellular motor proteins that "rewind" sections of the double-stranded DNA molecule that become unwound, like the tangled ribbons from a cassette tape, in "bubbles" that prevent critical genes from being expressed. ... > full story
Researcher Grows Roots On Upper Part Of Plant (November 2, 2008) -- Researchers have succeeded in growing roots on plants at places where normally leaves would grow. This important step in plant modification can be highly beneficial for improving crop yields and efficiency in agriculture. ... > full story
Magnetic Portals Connect Sun And Earth (November 2, 2008) -- During the time it takes you to read this article, something will happen high overhead that until recently many scientists didn't believe in. A magnetic portal will open, linking Earth to the sun 93 million miles away. Tons of high-energy particles may flow through the opening before it closes again, around the time you reach the end of the page. ... > full story
Bumblebee Colonies Which Are Fast Learners Are Also Better Able To Fight Off Infection (November 2, 2008) -- Like humans, bees' ability to learn appears reduced when they are ill. The prediction was that good learners would be worse at fighting infections -- but surprisingly, this was not the case. ... > full story
Recent Hurricane History Provides Diverging Interpretations On Future Of Hurricane Activity (November 2, 2008) -- Scientists have analyzed hurricane data observed over the past 50 years. A new study in Science explores the relationship between sea surface temperatures and seasonal hurricane activity, and show how differing interpretations of the record can imply vastly different futures for Atlantic hurricane activity due to global warming. ... > full story
Beyond Recognizing Odors, Single Neuron Controls Reactions In Worm (November 2, 2008) -- Babies will smile when they catch the scent of vanilla, but a whiff of rotting meat will send them into fits. From people to mice and flies to worms, animals of all kinds are born with likes and dislikes thanks to the evolutionary wisdom collected in their genes. But new research shows that some preferences are still surprisingly flexible at even the most basic level -- that of the sensory neuron itself -- and that our nervous system may be even more adaptable than we thought. ... > full story
Cleaning Heavily Polluted Water At A Fraction Of The Cost (November 2, 2008) -- A European research project has succeeded in developing a water treatment system for industrial oil polluted water at a tenth of the cost of other commercially available tertiary treatments, leaving water so clean it can be pumped safely back out to sea without endangering flora or fauna. ... > full story
Sea Urchin Yields Key Secret Of Biomineralization (November 1, 2008) -- The teeth and bones of mammals, the protective shells of mollusks, and the needle-sharp spines of sea urchins and other marine creatures are made-from-scratch wonders of nature. ... > full story
Inland Ants Often Prefer Salt Over Sugar, Implying Salt May Be A Limitation On Their Activity (November 1, 2008) -- Mammals are limited by the availability of salt, and now researchers have shown that ants are too. In experiments in North, Central and South American, researchers have shown that plant-eating and omnivorous ants living more than 60 miles inland are more interested in salt than sugar, with the preference greater the farther they live from the coast. Carnivorous ants show no such preference. ... > full story
Grapes And Grape Extracts May Lower Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Review Article Suggests (November 1, 2008) -- A growing body of research data suggests that consuming foods rich in polyphenols from grapes, including red wine, helps reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a review article in Nutrition Research. ... > full story
Last Of His Kind? Researchers Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of Ancient Mummy, The Tyrolean Iceman (November 1, 2008) -- Researchers have revealed the complete mitochondrial genome of one of the world's most celebrated mummies, known as the Tyrolean Iceman or Ötzi. The sequence represents the oldest complete DNA sequence of modern humans' mitochondria. It is highly unlikely that the Iceman has any modern day relatives, according to researchers. ... > full story
Soft Rubber Harness Enables Researchers To Study Leatherback Turtles In Captivity For Years (November 1, 2008) -- A Canadian researcher has pioneered a soft rubber harness and a recipe that enabled him to raise and study leatherback turtles in captivity for more than two years -- a feat only one other team of scientists have achieved. ... > full story
Wildflower Declines In Thoreau's Concord Woods Are Due To Climate Changes (November 1, 2008) -- Drawing on records dating back to the journals of Henry David Thoreau, scientists have found that different plant families near Walden Pond have borne the effects of climate change in strikingly different ways. Some of the plant families hit hardest by global warming have included beloved species like lilies, orchids, violets, roses, and dogwoods. ... > full story
Conditions That Initiate Erosion Identified (November 1, 2008) -- Engineers have demonstrated that sustained spikes in turbulence are responsible for dislodging particles, whether on land or in the water. ... > full story
New Model Predicts A Glacier's Life (October 31, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a numerical model that can re-create the state of Switzerland's Rhône Glacier as it was in 1874 and predict its evolution until the year 2100. This is the longest period of time ever modeled in the life of a glacier, involving complex data analysis and mathematical techniques. The work will serve as a benchmark study for those interested in the state of glaciers and their relation to climate change. ... > full story
Extinct Sabertooth Cats Were Social, Found Strength In Numbers, Study Shows (October 31, 2008) -- The sabertooth cat, one of the most iconic extinct mammal species, was likely to be a social animal, living and hunting like lions today, according to new scientific research. The species is famous for its extremely long canine teeth, which reached up to seven inches in length and extended below the lower jaw of the cat. ... > full story
Over-use Of Organic Fertilizers In Agriculture Could Poison Soils, Study Finds (October 31, 2008) -- Excessive doses of organic residues in agricultural fields could be dangerous for plants, invertebrates and micro-organisms living in the soil. This is the finding of a new study that shows that the use of appropriate levels of fertilizers would prevent this toxic impact on the soil biota. ... > full story
By Imaging Live Cells, Researchers Show How Hepatitis C Replicates (October 31, 2008) -- The hepatitis C virus is a prolific replicator, able to produce up to a trillion particles per day in an infected person by hijacking liver cells in which to build up its viral replication machinery. Now new research -- in which scientists have for the first time used fluorescent proteins to image hepatitis C virus replication in live cells -- shows that the microscopic viral factories are a diverse mix of big, immobile structures and tiny replication complexes that zip zanily around inside the cell. ... > full story
In Decision To Grow, Bacteria Follow The Crowd (October 31, 2008) -- When it comes to the decision to wake up and grow, bacterial spores "listen in" to find out what their neighbors are doing and then they follow the crowd, according to a new report. ... > full story
'Living Fossil' Tree Contains Genetic Imprints Of Rain Forests Under Climate Change (October 31, 2008) -- A "living fossil" tree species is helping a researcher understand how tropical forests responded to past climate change and how they may react to global warming in the future. ... > full story
Grapes May Aid A Bunch Of Heart Risk Factors, Animal Study Finds (October 31, 2008) -- Could eating grapes help fight high blood pressure related to a salty diet? And could grapes calm other factors that are also related to heart diseases such as heart failure? A new study performed in animals suggests so. ... > full story
Evidence Of Tsunamis On Indian Ocean Shores Long Before 2004 (October 31, 2008) -- A quarter-million people were killed when a tsunami inundated Indian Ocean coastlines the day after Christmas in 2004. Now scientists have found evidence that the event was not a first-time occurrence. ... > full story
Pneumococcal Vaccine Could Prevent Numerous Deaths, Save Costs During A Flu Pandemic, Model Predicts (October 31, 2008) -- A new predictive model shows that vaccinating infants with 7 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine -- the current recommendation--not only saves lives and money during a normal flu season by preventing related bacterial infections; it also would prevent more than 357,000 deaths during an influenza pandemic, while saving billion in costs. ... > full story
Predicting Evolution’s Next Best Move With Simulator (October 31, 2008) -- Biologists today are doing what Darwin thought impossible. They are studying the process of evolution not through fossils but directly, as it is happening. Now, by modeling the steps evolution takes to build, from scratch, an adaptive biochemical network, biophysicists have gone one step further. Instead of watching evolution in action, they show that they can predict its next best move. ... > full story
Local Retail Meat Safe From Antibiotic-resistant Organisms, Study Suggests (October 31, 2008) -- Rhode Island Hospital researchers report that findings from a new study of retail meat in the Providence, RI area indicate little to no presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The study, prompted by the identification of such organisms in retail meat in Canada, Europe and Asia, is among the first in this country to look at the possible spread of infection through retail meat. ... > full story
Mysterious Bat Disease Decimates Colonies: Newly Identified Fungus Implicated In White-nose Syndrome (October 31, 2008) -- White-nose syndrome in bats is a disease that is decimating bat populations in the northeast U.S. A previously undescribed, cold-loving fungus has been linked to white-nose syndrome, a condition associated with the deaths of over 100,000 hibernating bats in the northeastern United States. ... > full story
One In 17 Men In Mediterranean Basin May Have A Phoenician As Direct Male-line Ancestor (October 31, 2008) -- The Phoenicians gave the world the alphabet and a love of the color purple, and a new study shows that they left some people their genes as well. The study finds that as many as one in 17 men in the Mediterranean basin may have a Phoenician as a direct male-line ancestor. ... > full story
EPA's Stormwater Program Needs Significant Overhaul (October 31, 2008) -- Radical changes to the US Environmental Protection Agency's stormwater program are necessary to reverse degradation of fresh water resources and ensure progress toward the Clean Water Act's goal of "fishable and swimmable" waters, says a new report. Increased water volume and pollutants from stormwater have degraded water quality and habitats in virtually every urban stream system. ... > full story
Probing Antarctic Glaciers For Clues To Past And Future Sea Level (October 30, 2008) -- Scientists believe the barely observed Aurora Subglacial Basin, which lies in East Antarctica, could represent the weak underbelly of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, the largest remaining body of ice on Earth, holding clues about how Earth's climate changed in the past and how future climate change will affect global sea level. ... > full story
Eating Red Meat Sets Up Target For Disease-causing Bacteria, Study Finds (October 30, 2008) -- Offering another reason why eating red meat could be bad for you, researchers have uncovered the first example of a bacterium that causes food poisoning in humans when it targets a non-human molecule absorbed into the body through red meats such as lamb, pork and beef. ... > full story
Do Dams Make A Difference? Similar Survival Rates For Pacific Salmon In Fraser And Columbia Rivers (October 30, 2008) -- Canadian and US researchers have made a surprising discovery that some endangered Pacific salmon stocks are surviving in rivers with hydroelectric dams as well as or better than in rivers without dams. ... > full story
Hazardous Levels Of Metal Ions Found In Many Commercial Table Wines, Study Suggests (October 30, 2008) -- Potentially hazardous levels of metal ions are present in many commercially available wines. An analysis of reported levels of metals in wines from 16 different countries found that only those from Argentina, Brazil and Italy did not pose a potential health risk owing to metals. ... > full story
Significant Fossil Discovery In Utah Shows Land Plants Of 200 Million Years Ago (October 30, 2008) -- The importance of a new archeological site in St George, Utah, U.S. was recently highlighted. The site is significant because it is the only early Jurassic land flora known in the western United States. It provides evidence that a variety of land plants were present in the area about 200 million years ago. ... > full story
Powered By Olive Stones? Turning Waste Stones Into Fuel (October 30, 2008) -- Olive stones can be turned into bioethanol, a renewable fuel that can be produced from plant matter and used as an alternative to petrol or diesel. This gives the olive processing industry an opportunity to make valuable use of 4 million tons of waste in olive stones it generates every year and sets a precedent for the recycling of waste products as fuels. ... > full story
Common Cold Symptoms Caused By Immune System -- Not The Cold Virus (October 30, 2008) -- Scientists confirm that it is how our immune system responds, not the rhinovirus itself, that causes cold symptoms. Of more than 100 different viruses that can cause the common cold, human rhinoviruses are the major cause. ... > full story
World's Smallest Hand-held Instrument For Detecting Health And Safety Threats (October 30, 2008) -- Researchers in Indiana are describing development of the world's smallest complete mass spectrometer (MS), a miniature version of a standard lab device -- some of which would dominate a living room -- to identify tiny amounts of chemicals in the environment. ... > full story
Predicting Boom And Bust Ecologies (October 30, 2008) -- While scholars may be a long way from predicting the ins and outs of the economy, biologists have uncovered fundamental rules that may govern population cycles in many natural systems. ... > full story
Methane Gas Levels Begin To Increase Again (October 30, 2008) -- The amount of methane in Earth's atmosphere shot up in 2007, bringing to an end a period of about a decade in which atmospheric levels of the potent greenhouse gas were essentially stable, according new research. ... > full story
Programmable Genetic Clock Made Of Blinking Florescent Proteins Inside Bacteria Cells (October 30, 2008) -- Bioengineers have created the first stable, fast and programmable genetic clock that reliably keeps time by the blinking of fluorescent proteins inside E. coli cells. The clock's blink rate changes when the temperature, energy source or other environmental conditions change, a fact that could lead to new kinds of sensors that convey information about the environment through the blinking rate. ... > full story
New Chemical Key Could Unlock Hundreds Of New Antibiotics (October 30, 2008) -- Chemistry researchers have found a novel signaling molecule that could be a key that will open up hundreds of new antibiotics unlocking them from the DNA of the Streptomyces family of bacteria. ... > full story
Catching Earthquake Details With Ordinary Laptop Computers (October 30, 2008) -- Inside your laptop is a small accelerometer chip, there to protect the delicate moving parts of your hard disk from sudden jolts. It turns out that the same chip is a pretty good earthquake sensor, too -- especially if the signals from lots of them are compared, in order to filter out more mundane sources of laptop vibrations, such as typing. ... > full story
Pervasive Network Discovered Driving Protein Production And Placement In Cells (October 30, 2008) -- Researchers have uncovered what appears to be an extensive, but until now barely noticed, network of regulatory interactions that influence what proteins are made inside a cell, and when and where. ... > full story
Why Some Marine Algae Are Shaped Like Crumpled Paper (October 30, 2008) -- What is the connection between crumpled paper and marine algae? Saddle-like shapes similar to those found in an Elizabethan "ruff" collar, say physicists in a new article. ... > full story
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