The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Sunday, March 4, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Sunday, March 4, 2012

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The future of plant science: A technology perspective (March 2, 2012) -- Plant science is key to addressing the major challenges facing humanity in the 21st Century, according to experts. Researchers argue that the development of new technology is key to transforming plant biology in order to meet human needs. ... > full story

Unexpected crustacean diversity discovered in northern freshwater ecosystems (March 2, 2012) -- Freshwater ecosystems in northern regions are home to significantly more species of water fleas than traditionally thought, adding to evidence that regions with vanishing waters contain unique animal life. ... > full story

When our eyes serve our stomach (March 2, 2012) -- Our senses aren't just delivering a strict view of what's going on in the world; they're affected by what's going on in our heads. A new study finds that hungry people see food-related words more clearly than people who've just eaten. ... > full story

Gasoline worse than diesel when it comes to some types of air pollution (March 2, 2012) -- The exhaust fumes from gasoline vehicles contribute more to the production of a specific type of air pollution-secondary organic aerosols -than those from diesel vehicles, according to a new study. ... > full story

Helping protect vulnerable birds from impacts of climate change (March 2, 2012) -- Scientists have completed an innovative study of the effects of climate change on bird species of greatest concern. This novel study prioritizes which birds are most at risk and will help guide conservation measures in California. Endangered species and wetland birds are two highly vulnerable groups. ... > full story

Cocoa may enhance skeletal muscle function (March 2, 2012) -- A small clinical trial found that patients with advanced heart failure and type 2 diabetes showed improved mitochondrial structure after three months of treatment with epicatechin-enriched cocoa. Epicatechin is a flavonoid found in dark chocolate. ... > full story

Effects of environmental toxicants reach down through generations (March 2, 2012) -- Scientists have now demonstrated that a variety of environmental toxicants can have negative effects on not just an exposed animal but the next three generations of its offspring. The animal's DNA sequence remains unchanged, but the compounds change the way genes turn on and off -- the epigenetic effect, according to molecular biologists. The researchers saw females reaching puberty earlier, increased rates in the decay and death of sperm cells and lower numbers of ovarian follicles that later become eggs. ... > full story

Protecting living fossil trees (March 2, 2012) -- Scientists are working to protect living fossil trees in Fiji from the impact of climate change with cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology. ... > full story

Nearby chimpanzee populations show much greater genetic diversity than distant human populations (March 2, 2012) -- Chimpanzee populations living in relatively close proximity are substantially more different genetically than humans living on different continents, according to a new study. The study suggests that genomics can provide a valuable new tool for use in chimpanzee conservation, with the potential to identify the population of origin of an individual chimpanzee or the provenance of a sample of bush meat. ... > full story

Artificial 'womb' unlocks secrets of early embryo development (March 2, 2012) -- Pioneering work has helped reveal for the first time a vital process in the development of the early mammalian embryo. ... > full story

When one side does not know about the other one: Specialization and cooperation of the brain hemispheres (March 2, 2012) -- Whenever we are doing something, one of our brain hemispheres is more active than the other one. However, some tasks are only solvable with both sides working together. Researchers are investigating, how such specializations and co-operations arise. Based on a pigeon-model, they are showing for the first time in an experimental way, that the ability to combine complex impressions from both hemispheres, depends on environmental factors in the embryonic stage. ... > full story

Fukushima one year on: poor planning hampered Fukushima response (March 2, 2012) -- One year after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011, an independent investigation panel has highlighted the country’s failures in disaster planning and crisis management for the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The article shows that agencies were thoroughly unprepared for the cascading nuclear disaster, following a tsunami that should have been anticipated. ... > full story

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