ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Tuesday, September 27, 2011
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New method cleans up textile industry’s most dangerous chemicals (September 27, 2011) -- Textile dying is one of the most environmentally hazardous aspects of the textile industry. During dying, harmful chemicals that are difficult to break down are released, all too often into rivers and agricultural land. However, a researcher in Sweden has developed a new, environmentally friendly purification process which leaves only clean water. ... > full story
Wind power: Long-term wind speed changes estimated (September 27, 2011) -- Scientists are taking the first steps to improve estimates of long-term wind speed changes for the fast-growing wind energy sector. The research is intended to identify the risks for generators in a changing climate. ... > full story
Fossil of an armored dinosaur hatchling: Youngest nodosaur ever discovered (September 27, 2011) -- Researchers with help from an amateur fossil hunter have described the fossil of an armored dinosaur hatchling. It is the youngest nodosaur ever discovered, and a founder of a new genus and species that lived approximately 110 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous Era. Nodosaurs have been found in diverse locations worldwide, but they've rarely been found in the United States. ... > full story
Plant 'body clock' observed in tropical rainforest; Research to aid ozone pollution predictions (September 27, 2011) -- Predictions of the ground-level pollutant ozone may be more accurate in the future, thanks to new research into plant circadian rhythms. Ozone is formed in the atmosphere when volatile organic compounds like isoprene -- which is emitted by some plants - react with nitrogen oxides from car engines or industry. Ozone at ground level is very harmful to human health, may decrease crop yields, and is a greenhouse gas. Researchers have now found that the rate at which plants emit isoprene is influenced by their body clock or circadian rhythm. ... > full story
Bimetallic nanoantenna separates colors of light (September 26, 2011) -- Researchers have built a very simple nanoantenna that directs red and blue colors in opposite directions, even though the antenna is smaller than the wavelength of light. The findings can lead to optical nanosensors being able to detect very low concentrations of gases or biomolecules. ... > full story
Salty water and gas sucked into Earth's interior helps unravel planetary evolution (September 26, 2011) -- An international team of scientists has provided new insights into the processes behind the evolution of the planet by demonstrating how salty water and gases transfer from the atmosphere into the Earth's interior. ... > full story
Glow-in-the-dark millipede says 'stay away' (September 26, 2011) -- Entomologists have unraveled the mystery of the world's only millipedes that glow in the dark. Using a clever field study approach, the research team was able to show that emitting a greenish glow helps the multi-legged, nocturnal arthropods fend off natural enemies. ... > full story
Poisonous effect of intestinal bacteria explained: Researchers identify site of action of cytotoxin produced by 'hypervirulent' intestinal flora (September 26, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered the cell receptor for the toxin CDT of the bacterium Clostridium difficile. These germs often cause an inflammation of the colon in patients who have recently received a treatment with antibiotics. ... > full story
Cheap and efficient solar cell made possible by linked nanoparticles (September 26, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated that electrons can move freely in layers of linked semiconductor nanoparticles under the influence of light. This new knowledge will be very useful for the development of cheap and efficient quantum dot solar cells. ... > full story
Climatic fluctuations drove key events in human evolution, researchers find (September 26, 2011) -- Researchers have found that periods of rapid fluctuation in temperature coincided with the emergence of the first distant relatives of human beings and the appearance and spread of stone tools. ... > full story
Structure of a molecular copy machine: How mitochondrial genes are transcribed (September 26, 2011) -- Mitochondria are compartments within cells and have their own DNA. The key protein required for the expression of the genetic information in this DNA is the mitochondrial RNA polymerase enzyme. Its three-dimensional structure has now been determined in atomic detail. ... > full story
Feathered friends are far from bird-brained when building nests (September 26, 2011) -- Nest-building is not just instinctive but is a skill that birds learn from experience, research suggests. Scientists filmed male Southern Masked Weaver birds in Botswana as they built multiple nests out of grass during a breeding season. Their findings contrast with the commonly-held assumption among scientists that nest-building is an innate ability. ... > full story
Invasion of genomic parasites triggered modern mammalian pregnancy, study finds (September 26, 2011) -- Genetic parasites invaded the mammalian genome more than 100 million years ago and dramatically changed the way mammals reproduce -- transforming the uterus in the ancestors of humans and other mammals from the production of eggs to a nurturing home for developing young, a new study has found. ... > full story
Asia was settled in multiple waves of migration, DNA study suggests (September 26, 2011) -- Researchers studying DNA patterns from modern and archaic humans has found that the Denisovans, a recently discovered hominin group, contributed genes to several populations in Asia and that modern humans settled Asia in more than one migration. ... > full story
Scientists find H1N1 flu virus prevalent in animals in Africa (September 26, 2011) -- Life scientists have discovered the first evidence of the H1N1 virus in animals in Africa. In one village in northern Cameroon, a staggering 89 percent of the pigs studied had been exposed to the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu. ... > full story
Nitrate levels rising in northwestern Pacific Ocean (September 26, 2011) -- Changes in the ratio of nitrate to phosphorus in the oceans off the coasts of Korea and Japan caused by atmospheric and riverine pollutants may influence the makeup of marine plants and influence marine ecology, according to researchers from Korea and the US. ... > full story
Hog waste producing electricity and carbon offsets (September 26, 2011) -- A pilot waste-to-energy system constructed by Duke University and Duke Energy this week garnered the endorsement of Google Inc., which invests in high-quality carbon offsets from across the nation to fulfill its own carbon neutrality goals. The system, on a hog finishing facility 25 miles west of Winston-Salem, converts hog waste into electricity and creates carbon offset credits. ... > full story
Targeting HIV's sugar coating: New microbicide may block AIDS virus from infecting cells (September 26, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new class of compounds that stick to the sugary coating of the AIDS virus and inhibit it from infecting cells -- an early step toward a new treatment to prevent sexual transmission of the virus. ... > full story
Strong solar storm reaching Earth (September 26, 2011) -- NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center -- the nation's official source of warnings and alerts about space weather and its impacts on Earth -- issued a warning for a strong, G3 geomagnetic storm on Earth resulting from a significant explosion from the sun's corona Saturday morning (Sept. 24, 2011). G-scale solar storms range from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). ... > full story
Sunspot 1302 continues to turn toward Earth (September 26, 2011) -- A strong-to-severe (Kp=8) geomagnetic storm is in progress following the impact of a coronal mass ejection (CME) at approximately 8:15a.m. EDT (12:15 UT) on Sept. 26. The Goddard Space Weather Lab reported a strong compression of Earth's magnetosphere. Simulations indicate that solar wind plasma has penetrated close to geosynchronous orbit starting at 9am. Geosynchronous satellites could therefore be directly exposed to solar wind plasma and magnetic fields. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras after nightfall. ... > full story
Complete map of mouse genetic variation (September 26, 2011) -- The laboratory mouse has been widely used for research on a variety of diseases and genetic studies to understand which genes are involved in various illnesses. However, actual variations in past sequences of genes were unknown. Researchers have now sequenced a nearly complete map of mouse genetic variation. Cataloging the full set of variants is a first step in identifying the actual variants affecting disease. ... > full story
Amphibians beware: Beware young beetles' deadly 'siren call' (September 26, 2011) -- Biologists say that beetle larvae "trick" toads into believing that they're really a delicious snack. More than an explanation for an evolutionary quirk, an understanding of this biological survival mechanism will have a significant impact on environmental risk assessments. ... > full story
Many roads lead to Asia: Modern humans may have populated Asia in more than one migration wave (September 26, 2011) -- The discovery by Russian archaeologists of the remains of an extinct prehistoric human during the excavation of Denisova Cave in Southern Siberia in 2008 was nothing short of a scientific sensation. The sequencing of the nuclear genome taken from an over 30,000-year-old finger bone revealed that Denisova man was neither a Neanderthal nor modern human, but a new form of hominin. Minute traces of the Denisova genome are still found in some individuals living today. The comparisons of the DNA of modern humans and prehistoric human species provide new indications of how human populations settled in Asia over 44,000 years ago. ... > full story
New water quality science paves the way for improving river health in the UK (September 26, 2011) -- A new river monitoring system to assist local communities to improve water quality of the River Eden and its tributaries goes online today. Researchers have installed 10 river monitoring stations to collect valuable data on river water quality that is available to farmers, local communities and anyone interested. ... > full story
New EU-South America research on Amazon die-back, climate and deforestation starts in October (September 26, 2011) -- Deforestation in the Amazon has been decreasing over the last 6 years, but it appears that the downward trend may have stopped, this year. Apart from deforestation, the Amazon rainforests are also reported to be sensitive to climate change. In turn, the forests play an important role in regulating climate, rainfall and South-American water supply. Are the Amazon forests, its waters, climate and society are under threat of degradation over the coming decades because of global climate change and regional deforestation? ... > full story
Edible carbon dioxide sponge: All-natural nanostructures could address pressing environmental problem (September 25, 2011) -- A year ago chemists published a recipe for a new class of nanostructures made of sugar, salt and alcohol. Now, the same team has discovered the edible compounds can efficiently detect, capture and store carbon dioxide. The porous crystals -- known as metal-organic frameworks -- are made from all-natural ingredients and simple to prepare, giving them a huge advantage over other MOFs, which are usually prepared from materials derived from crude oil. ... > full story
Monkeys also reason through analogy, study shows (September 24, 2011) -- Recognizing relations between relations is what analogy is all about. What lies behind this ability? Is it uniquely human? A new study has shown that monkeys are capable of making analogies. ... > full story
Nature shows the way: Self-healing membranes (September 24, 2011) -- The plant liana, whose stabilization rings of woody cells heal spontaneously after suffering damage, serves as a natural example to bionic experts of self-repairing membranes. Such membranes could find use, for example, in rubber dinghies. Researchers have borrowed this trick from nature and developed a polymer foam surface coating with a closed cell construction which not only reduces the pressure loss after the membrane is damaged but also makes the inflatable structure more resistant and giving it a longer operational life. ... > full story
NASA's UARS satellite re-enters Earth's atmosphere (September 24, 2011) -- NASA's decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) fell back to Earth between 11:23 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m. Sept. 24, 20 years and nine days after its launch on a 14-year mission that produced some of the first long-term records of chemicals in the atmosphere. The precise re-entry time and location of debris impacts have not been determined. During the re-entry period, the satellite passed from the east coast of Africa over the Indian Ocean, then the Pacific Ocean, then across northern Canada, then across the northern Atlantic Ocean, to a point over West Africa. The vast majority of the orbital transit was over water, with some flight over northern Canada and West Africa. ... > full story
Nature offers key lessons on harvesting solar power, say chemists (September 24, 2011) -- Clean solutions to human energy demands are essential to our future. While sunlight is the most abundant source of energy at our disposal, we have yet to learn how to capture, transfer and store solar energy efficiently. According to a new study, the answers can be found in the complex systems at work in nature. ... > full story
Fluid equilibrium in prehistoric organisms sheds light on a turning point in evolution (September 24, 2011) -- Maintaining fluid balance in the body is essential to survival. By researching recent genomic data, researchers have found genetic evidence that links this intricate process to a turning point in evolution. ... > full story
Aboriginal Australians: The first explorers (September 23, 2011) -- In an exciting development, researchers have, for the first time, pieced together the human genome from an Aboriginal Australian. The results re-interpret the prehistory of our species. ... > full story
No harm to mice testes from BPA in utero: Data on female mice less encouraging (September 23, 2011) -- Male mice whose mothers were exposed to either moderate or high levels of bisphenol A while pregnant did not grow up to show any adverse effects to their reproductive systems by several measures, according to a new study. Data on female mice is still forthcoming but less encouraging. ... > full story
Ecologists use power of network science to challenge long-held theory (September 23, 2011) -- For decades, ecologists have toiled to nail down principles explaining why some habitats have many more plant and animal species than others. Much of this debate is focused on the idea that the number of species is determined by the productivity of the habitat. Shouldn't a patch of prairie contain a different number of species than an arid steppe or an alpine tundra? Maybe not, says an international team of scientists that pooled its resources to re-evaluate the relationship between species numbers and habitat productivity. ... > full story
Mother’s occupation while pregnant can increase risk of asthma in children (September 23, 2011) -- Mothers who are exposed to particular agents during pregnancy could give birth to children with a higher risk of asthma, according to new research. ... > full story
Unprecedented role reversal: Ground beetle larvae lure amphibians and prey upon them (September 23, 2011) -- Usually it's the frog that catches the unsuspecting bug for a tasty snack, but in an unprecedented predator-prey role reversal, a certain group of ground beetle larvae are able to lure their amphibious would-be predators and consume them with almost 100% success. In a new study, researchers begin to describe how these larvae are able to pull off this feat. ... > full story
Decoding vaccination: Researchers reveal genetic underpinnings of response to measles vaccine (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers are hacking the genetic code that controls the human response to disease vaccination, and they are using this new cipher to answer many of the deep-seated questions that plague vaccinology, including why patients respond so differently to identical vaccines and how to minimize the side effects to vaccination. ... > full story
Archaeologists uncover evidence of large ancient shipyard near Rome (September 23, 2011) -- Archaeologists, excavating Portus - the ancient port of Rome, believe they have discovered a large Roman shipyard. The team has uncovered the remains of a massive building close to the distinctive hexagonal basin or 'harbor', at the center of the port complex. ... > full story
Virus discovery helps scientists predict emerging diseases (September 23, 2011) -- Fresh insight into how viruses such as SARS and flu can jump from one species to another may help scientists predict the emergence of diseases in future. ... > full story
Solar activity can affect re-entry of UARS satellite (September 23, 2011) -- The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is headed toward Earth, but it hasn't been easy to precisely determine the path and pace of UARS because space itself changes over time -- in response to incoming energy and particles from the sun. ... > full story
Cannabinoids after a traumatic experience may prevent post-traumatic stress symptoms, rat study suggests (September 23, 2011) -- Administration of cannabinoids (in the form of synthetic marijuana) after experiencing a traumatic event blocks the development of post-traumatic stress disorder-like symptoms in rats, according to a rat study conducted by researchers in Israel. ... > full story
New targets for the control of HIV predicted using a novel computational analysis (September 23, 2011) -- Over 25 years of intensive research have failed to create a vaccine for preventing HIV. A new computational approach has predicted numerous human proteins that the human immunodeficiency virus requires to replicate itself -- "a powerful resource for experimentalists who desire to discover new targets." ... > full story
Size matters: Length of songbirds’ playlists linked to brain region proportions (September 23, 2011) -- Call a bird 'birdbrained' and they may call 'fowl.' Researchers have proven that the capacity for learning in birds is not linked to overall brain size, but to the relative size and proportion of their specific brain regions. ... > full story
XMRV, related viruses not confirmed in blood of healthy donors or chronic fatigue syndrome patients (September 23, 2011) -- A study supported by the US Department of Health and Human Services could not validate or confirm previous research findings that suggested the presence of one of several viruses in blood samples of people living with chronic fatigue syndrome. The new study also could not find the viruses in blood samples of healthy donors who were previously known to not have the viruses. ... > full story
Springs of life in the Dead Sea: Dense and diverse microbial communities in and around fresh water springs (September 23, 2011) -- The deepest point on the surface of Earth is the Dead Sea in Israel. Now a joint Israeli-German team of scientists found several systems of freshwater springs on the Dead Sea floor. Their presence has been speculated for decades as concentric ripples on the water surface are visible near the shore, but only with divers it was possible to detect this complex system of springs reaching 30 m depth. To locate and study these springs was quite a task for the scientific diving team, as the high salt concentration makes the diving dangerous and difficult. The divers located the springs and took water and sediment samples in which they detected novel microorganisms. ... > full story
Bioengineers reprogram muscles to combat degeneration (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers have turned back the clock on mature muscle tissue, coaxing it back to an earlier stem cell stage to form new muscle. Moreover, they showed in mice that the newly reprogrammed muscle stem cells could be used to help repair damaged tissue. The research could lead to new treatments to combat muscle degeneration. ... > full story
Aquarius yields NASA's first global map of ocean salinity (September 23, 2011) -- NASA's new Aquarius instrument has produced its first global map of the salinity of the ocean surface, providing an early glimpse of the mission's anticipated discoveries. Aquarius, which is aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas) observatory, is making NASA's first space observations of ocean surface salinity variations -- a key component of Earth's climate. Salinity changes are linked to the cycling of freshwater around the planet and influence ocean circulation. ... > full story
Novel technique reveals both gene number and protein expression simultaneously (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a method to simultaneously measure gene number and protein expression in individual cells. The fluorescence microscopy technique could permit a detailed analysis of the relationship between gene status and expression of the corresponding protein in cells and tissues, and bring a clearer understanding of cancer and other complex diseases. ... > full story
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