ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Thursday, December 31, 2009
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Natural variability led to extra-cold 2008, research finds (December 31, 2009) -- An especially cold year in North America in 2008 led some members of the public and the media to question the scientific consensus on human-induced global warming. In addition, the cool global temperatures during the past decade may appear to contrast with the warming expected due to human influence. New research finds that the anthropogenic forcing in 2008 did contribute to temperatures warmer than would otherwise have occurred but that those human-induced effects were overwhelmed by a particularly strong bout of natural cooling . ... > full story
Consumers choose locally grown and environmentally friendly apples (December 31, 2009) -- When asked to compare apples to apples, consumers said they would pay more for locally grown apples than genetically modified (GMO) apples. But in a second questionnaire consumers preferred GMO apples -- that is, when they were described, not as GMO, but as having a Reduced Environmental Impact. The research demonstrated that product labeling makes a difference when it comes to consumer acceptance. ... > full story
Handful of iron beads offer clues to solve mystery of ancient iron forges (December 31, 2009) -- When archaeologist Ruth Iren Øien noticed a cluster of tiny iron beads in the ground, she knew she was onto something. She did not know, however, that her team had stumbled upon Scandinavia’s oldest and most complex group of iron forges. ... > full story
Continental roots stress Earth's surface (December 31, 2009) -- The Earth's rigid lithosphere varies laterally in thickness and strength. Areas of thicker, older lithosphere known as continental roots penetrate deeper into the mantle in some places under continents. Because these continental roots are in contact with deeper, more viscous mantle, the shear traction at the base of the lithosphere in those areas is increased by up to a factor of 4 compared with a model lithosphere without continental roots. ... > full story
Researchers demonstrate nanoscale X-ray imaging of bacterial cells (December 30, 2009) -- An ultra-high-resolution imaging technique using X-ray diffraction is a step closer to fulfilling its promise as a window on nanometer-scale structures in biological samples. Researchers report progress in applying an approach to "lensless" X-ray microscopy that they introduced one year ago, with the potential to yield insights for evolutionary biology and biotechnology. They have produced the first images, using this technique, of biological cells -- specifically the intriguing polyextremophile Deinococcus radiourans. .. . > full story
New acoustic tools may reduce ship strikes on whales (December 30, 2009) -- Over the past decade, researchers have developed a variety of reliable real-time and archival instruments to study sounds made or heard by marine mammals and fish. These new sensors are now being used in research, management and conservation projects around the world with some very important practical results. Among them is improved monitoring of endangered North Atlantic right whales in an effort to reduce ship strikes, a leading cause of their deaths. ... > full story
'Spaghetti' Scaffolding Could Help Grow Skin In Labs (December 30, 2009) -- Scientists are developing new scaffolding technology which could be used to grow tissues such as skin, nerves and cartilage using 3D spaghetti-like structures. ... > full story
Dominant Chemical That Attracts Mosquitoes To Humans Identified (December 30, 2009) -- Scientists have identified the dominant odor naturally produced in humans and birds that attracts the blood-feeding Culex mosquitoes, which transmits West Nile virus and other life-threatening diseases. The groundbreaking research explains why mosquitoes shifted hosts from birds to humans and paves the way for key developments in mosquito and disease control. ... > full story
Heme channel found: shuttles vital but vulnerable heme molecule across biological membranes (December 30, 2009) -- Heme, a crucial component of the biomachinery that squeezes energy out of food and stores it for later use, must be transported across membranes but without exposing its central iron atom to oxidation. New research shows how it is done. ... > full story
Fish with attitude: Some like it hot (December 30, 2009) -- Coral reef fish can undergo a personality change in warmer water, according to an intriguing new study suggesting that climate change may make some species more aggressive. ... > full story
Evolution experiments with flowers (December 30, 2009) -- Evolution uses every chance it gets to try something new. Researchers have now investigated how petunia flowers are formed and discovered that nature is even more varied than the naked eye can spot. The genes involved in flower formation can function differently in different species. Evolution has discovered a system that works, but within that system it continues to innovate. ... > full story
Scientists discover a controller of brain circuitry (December 30, 2009) -- By combining a research technique that dates back 136 years with modern molecular genetics, a neuroscientist has been able to see how a mammal's brain shrewdly revisits and reuses the same molecular cues to control the complex design of its circuits. ... > full story
Learning From Insects: The Race Is On For New 'Bio-Resources' (December 30, 2009) -- Unseen and unheard, insects are all around us. And with more than a million different species, each one perfectly adapted to its environment, no other form of animal life comes close to matching insects for diversity. Scientists now want to exploit this diversity to develop and test new medicines, new methods of pest control, new industrial enzymes and even bionic systems. ... > full story
Ginkgo biloba does not appear to slow rate of cognitive decline (December 30, 2009) -- Older adults who used the herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba for several years did not have a slower rate of cognitive decline compared to adults who received placebo, according to a new study. ... > full story
Mapping Nutrient Distributions Over The Atlantic Ocean (December 30, 2009) -- Large-scale distributions of two important nutrient pools -- dissolved organic nitrogen and dissolved organic phosphorus have been systematically mapped for the first time over the Atlantic Ocean in a new study. The findings have important implications for understanding nitrogen and phosphorus biogeochemical cycles and the biological carbon pump in the Atlantic Ocean. ... > full story
Drought Resistance Explained: Protein Structure Reveals How Plants Respond To Water Shortages (December 30, 2009) -- Scientists have discovered that the key to plants' responses to drought lies in the structure of a protein called PYR1 and how it interacts with the plant hormone abscisic acid. Their study could open up new approaches to increasing crops' resistance to water shortage. ... > full story
First molars provide insight into evolution of great apes, humans (December 29, 2009) -- Scientists have gained new insights into the timing of molar emergence and its relation to growth and reproduction in apes. "We can use the same techniques to calculate ages at first molar emergence from the fossils of early hominids that just happened to die while their first molars were erupting," researchers report. ... > full story
Disinfectants may promote growth of superbugs (December 29, 2009) -- Using disinfectants could cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics as well as the disinfectant itself, according to new research. The findings could have important implications for how the spread of infection is managed in hospital settings. ... > full story
How calorie-restricted diets fight obesity and extend life span (December 29, 2009) -- Scientists searching for the secrets of how calorie-restricted diets increase longevity are reporting discovery of proteins in the fat cells of human volunteers that change as pounds drop off. The proteins could become markers for monitoring or boosting the effectiveness of calorie-restricted diets -- the only scientifically proven way of extending life span in animals. ... > full story
Exposure to tobacco smoke in childhood home associated with early emphysema in adulthood (December 29, 2009) -- Children regularly exposed to tobacco smoke at home were more likely to develop early emphysema in adulthood. The finding suggests that the lungs may not recover completely from the effects of early-life exposures to tobacco smoke. ... > full story
Molecular chaperone keeps bacterial proteins from slow-dancing to destruction (December 29, 2009) -- Just like teenagers at a prom, proteins are tended by chaperones whose job it is to prevent unwanted interactions among immature clients. And at the molecular level, just as at the high school gym level, it's a job that usually requires a lot of energy. ... > full story
Lighting can influence how wine tastes (December 29, 2009) -- Researchers demonstrate that the color of ambient lighting can have an effect on how a wine is judged. ... > full story
Mystery solved: How fine particulates are formed in the air (December 29, 2009) -- Particulates make us ill, and particulates affect the climate. The direct combustion of wood and other fuels is only partially responsible for producing fine particulates – the rest evolve from a variety of substances, within the atmosphere itself. ... > full story
Divide and conquer: Splitting fluorescent protein helps image clusters in live cells (December 29, 2009) -- Half a protein is better than none, and in this case, it's way better than a whole one. Researchers have discovered that dividing a particular fluorescent protein and using it as a tag is handy for analyzing the workings of live cells, particularly in the way they employ iron-sulfur clusters. ... > full story
Cockroaches offer inspiration for running robots (December 29, 2009) -- The sight of a cockroach scurrying for cover may be nauseating, but the insect is also a biological and engineering marvel, and is providing researchers with what they call "bioinspiration" in a quest to build the world's first legged robot that is capable of running effortlessly over rough terrain. ... > full story< /a>
Climate Wizard makes large databases of climate information visual, accessible (December 29, 2009) -- A Web tool that generates color maps of projected temperature and precipitation changes using 16 of the world's most prominent climate-change models is being demonstrated in Copenhagen, Denmark, in conjunction with the climate summit underway there. It also is the subject of a presentation Tuesday, Dec. 15, at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. ... > full story
Accurate taste perception relies on a properly functioning olfactory system (December 29, 2009) -- As anyone suffering through a head cold knows, food tastes wrong when the nose is clogged, an experience that leads many to conclude that the sense of taste operates normally only when the olfactory system is also in good working order. Evidence that the taste system influences olfactory perception, however, has been vanishingly rare -- until now. ... > full story
Scientists isolate new antifreeze molecule in Alaska beetle (December 29, 2009) -- Scientists have identified a novel antifreeze molecule in a freeze-tolerant Alaska beetle able to survive temperatures below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike all previously described biological antifreezes that contain protein, this new molecule, called xylomannan, has little or no protein. It is composed of a sugar and a fatty acid and may exist in new places within the cells of organisms. ... > full story
Deep sea anchors for offshore installations (December 29, 2009) -- A 13 meter-long, 80-ton anchor is currently being tested as a new mooring concept for offshore installations. ... > full story
Seeing how evolutionary mechanisms yield biological diversity (December 28, 2009) -- A international team of scientists has discovered how changes in both gene expression and gene sequence led to the diversity of visual systems in African cichlid fish. ... > full story
Adjusting acidity with impunity (December 28, 2009) -- How do individual cells or proteins react to changing pH levels? Researchers have now developed a technique for ‘gently’ adjusting pH: in other words, without damaging biomolecules. This should soon allow them to measure the activity of a single enzyme as a function of pH. ... > full story
Ladder-walking locusts use vision to climb, show big brains aren't always best (December 28, 2009) -- Scientists have shown for the first time that insects, like mammals, use vision rather than touch to find footholds. They made the discovery thanks to high-speed video cameras that they used to film desert locusts stepping along the rungs of a miniature ladder. The study sheds new light on insects' ability to perform complex tasks, such as visually guided limb control, usually associated with mammals. ... > full story
Microbes help mothers protect kids from allergies (December 28, 2009) -- A pregnant woman's exposure to microbes may protect her child from developing allergies later in life. Researchers in Germany find that exposure to environmental bacteria triggers a mild inflammatory response in pregnant mice that renders their offspring resistant to allergies. ... > full story
As the world churns: Earth's liquid outer core is slowly 'stirred' in a series of decades-long waves (December 28, 2009) -- A new study confirms theories that Earth's liquid outer core is slowly "stirred" in a series of regularly occurring waves of motion that last for decades. Measurements of Earth's magnetic field from observatory stations on land and ships at sea were combined with satellite data to determine common patterns of movement within Earth's core. The findings give scientists new insights into Earth's internal structure, the mechanisms that generate its magnetic field, and its geology. ... >&nb sp;full story
Whiteflies sabotage alarm system of plant in distress (December 28, 2009) -- When spider mites attack a bean plant, the plant produces odors attracting predatory mites. These mites then exterminate the spider mite population, thus acting as a type of "bodyguard" for the plant. However, if the plant is simultaneously attacked by whiteflies, insects that are related to aphids, the plant becomes less attractive to the mites and therefore more vulnerable to spider mites, say entomologists. ... > full story
Some birds listen, instead of look, for mates (December 28, 2009) -- Looks can be deceiving, but certain bird species have figured out that a voice can tell them most of what they need to know to find the right mate. Researchers found that the higher the pitch of a male bird's song, the more genetic diversity that bird has, making him a better mate for breeding. ... > full story
Scientists argue for a new type of climate target (December 28, 2009) -- In order to avoid dangerous consequences for the earth's ecosystems, global emissions must peak around 2015, and they need to be cut by half between the peak and 2030, according to new findings. ... > full story
Spider Mite Predators Serve As Biological Control (December 28, 2009) -- The control of spider mites, which damage tree leaves, reduce fruit quality and cost growers millions of dollars in the use of pesticide and oil spraying, is being biologically controlled in Pennsylvania apple orchards with two tiny insects known to be natural predators. ... > full story
How can evolutionary responses to climate change be measured? (December 28, 2009) -- As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists are presented with the complex challenge of understanding how species respond and adapt. ... > full story
Orchids' sexual trickery explained: Leads to more efficient pollinating system (December 28, 2009) -- A new study reveals the reason why orchids use sexual trickery to lure insect pollinators. The study finds that sexual deception in orchids leads to a more efficient pollinating system. ... > full story
Phragmites partners with microbes to plot native plants' demise (December 28, 2009) -- Researchers have uncovered a novel means of conquest employed by the common reed, Phragmites australis, which ranks as one of the world's most invasive plants. ... > full story
Wet Ethanol Production Process Yields More Ethanol And More Co-products (December 28, 2009) -- Using a wet ethanol production method that begins by soaking corn kernels rather than grinding them, results in more gallons of ethanol and more usable co-products, giving ethanol producers a bigger bang for their buck -- by about 20 percent. ... > full story
Helping vegetable plants make a less stressful transition from the greenhouse to the field (December 27, 2009) -- Plant physiologists have been investigating ways to help vegetable plants make a less stressful transition from the greenhouse to the field. ... > full story
Happy Flies Look For A Place Like Home (December 27, 2009) -- A happy youth can influence where a fruit fly chooses to live as an adult, according to new research. The study provides new insight into how animals choose places to live and raise their young. ... > full story
Glacier melt adds ancient edibles to marine buffet (December 27, 2009) -- Glaciers along the Gulf of Alaska are enriching stream and near shore marine ecosystems from a surprising source -- ancient carbon contained in glacial runoff. ... > full story
Milk thistle herb protects cancer patients from chemotherapy-associated liver toxicity (December 27, 2009) -- A new study finds that the herb milk thistle may help treat liver inflammation in cancer patients who receive chemotherapy. The study indicates that the herb could allow patients to take potent doses of chemotherapy without damaging their liver. ... > full story
Exposure to young triggers new neuron creation in females exhibiting maternal behavior (December 27, 2009) -- Maternal behavior itself can trigger the development of new neurons in the maternal brain independent of whether the female was pregnant or has nursed, according to a new study. The study was performed in adult, virgin rats. ... > full story
Flowering powers genetic understanding (December 27, 2009) -- New research on how plants adapt their flowering to climate is also helping to unravel some of the mysteries of how genes are controlled. Studies on a gene in Arabidopsis that controls flowering time are providing potential roles for non-coding RNA. ... > full story
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