ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

Amazon Rainforest birds’ bodies transform due to climate change

Posted: 13 Nov 2021 04:25 AM PST

The most pristine parts of the Amazon rainforest devoid of direct human contact are being impacted by human-induced climate change, according to new research. New analyses of data collected over the past four decades show that not only has the number of sensitive resident birds throughout the Amazon rainforest declined, but the body size and wing length have changed for most studied species. These physical changes in the birds track increasingly hot and dry conditions in the dry season, from June to November.

For stem cells, bigger doesn’t mean better

Posted: 13 Nov 2021 04:25 AM PST

A new study suggests that enlargement of stem cells contributes to age-related decline in function. The researchers found that blood stem cells, which are among the smallest cells in the body, lose their ability to perform their normal function -- replenishing the body's blood cells -- as they grow larger. When the cells were restored to their usual size, they behaved normally again.

DNA analysis confirms 2,000-year-old sustainable fishing practices of Tsleil-Waututh Nation

Posted: 13 Nov 2021 04:24 AM PST

Ancient Indigenous fishing practices can be used to inform sustainable management and conservation today, according to a new study. Working with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and using new palaeogenetic analytical techniques, the results of a new study provides strong evidence that prior to European colonization, Coast Salish people were managing chum salmon by selectively harvesting males.

Capturing a true picture of wolves in Yellowstone: Reevaluating aspen recovery

Posted: 13 Nov 2021 04:24 AM PST

Previous studies evaluated aspen recovery in Yellowstone by measuring the five tallest young aspen within a stand, but sampling only the tallest young aspen estimated a rate of recovery that was significantly faster than was estimated by random sampling of all young aspen within the stand.

Breaking down fungal biofilm defenses provides potential path to treating sticky infections

Posted: 12 Nov 2021 10:47 AM PST

In a new study designed to better understand and combat these structures, scientists identified some of the key proteins in biofilms of the fungus Candida albicans that control both how they resist antifungal drugs and how they become dispersed throughout the body.

Quantum confinement discovered in porous nano-photocatalyst

Posted: 12 Nov 2021 09:25 AM PST

Green hydrogen production from solar water splitting has attracted a great deal of interest in recent years because hydrogen is a fuel of high energy density. A research team discovered the quantum confinement effect in a photocatalyst of a 3D-ordered macroporous structure. The quantum confinement effect was found to enable hydrogen production under visible light. The findings offer an option for addressing energy and environmental challenges.

Microbiome discovery may open new doors to development of treatments for gastrointestinal diseases

Posted: 12 Nov 2021 09:22 AM PST

Researchers probing the gut -- 'the inner tube of life' -- have for the first time discovered specific factors in its workings that in the future may help improve treatment for patients facing gut damage or gastrointestinal disease.

Building bacteria to keep us well

Posted: 12 Nov 2021 09:15 AM PST

Scientists have engineered bacteria that can detect specific molecules in the gut.

Malaria: New knowledge about naturally acquired immunity may improve vaccines

Posted: 12 Nov 2021 09:14 AM PST

When you have become immune to malaria after having contracted the disease, it seems that the body uses a more efficient protection than if you have been vaccinated against the deadly disease. The researchers believe the new findings may be used to improve existing malaria vaccines.

More evidence of an evolutionary ‘arms race’ between genes and selfish genetic elements

Posted: 12 Nov 2021 07:05 AM PST

Researchers discover further evidence of an evolutionary arms race within organisms -- and the mechanisms at play in this arms race -- to combat selfish genetic elements.

Climate change will destroy familiar environments, create new ones and undermine efforts to protect sea life

Posted: 12 Nov 2021 07:05 AM PST

Climate change is altering familiar conditions of the world's oceans and creating new environments that could undermine efforts to protect sea life in the world's largest marine protected areas.

PFAS exposure, high-fat diet drive prostate cells’ metabolism into pro-cancer state

Posted: 11 Nov 2021 12:43 PM PST

A high-fat diet synergizes with exposure to PFAS to change the metabolism of benign and malignant prostate cells, according to a new study in mice.

Coal creation mechanism uncovered

Posted: 11 Nov 2021 12:42 PM PST

The mechanism behind one of the first stages of coal creation may not be what we thought it was, according to a team of researchers who found that microbes were responsible for coal formation and production of methane in these areas, which has implications for methane fuel recovery from some coal fields.

Scientists discover sugar molecule on HIV-infected cell plays role in evading immune system

Posted: 11 Nov 2021 12:42 PM PST

A new study shows how key features on the surface of HIV-infected cells help the disease evade detection by the immune system. It also shows how these features can be disabled.

Sea urchins' ballistic escape from predators

Posted: 11 Nov 2021 10:04 AM PST

New research shows that sea urchins, albeit having a limited and ancestral sensory system, can show a complex behaviour when escaping a predator. These marine invertebrates tend to move slowly and with unpredictable movements, but when they smell a predator, they escape following a ballistic motion -- straightforward, quick and directional -- to escape the threat.

Due to warming of the Mediterranean Sea, marine species are migrating tens of meters deeper into cooler waters to survive

Posted: 11 Nov 2021 10:04 AM PST

A new study shows that there are species of marine animals such as fish, crustaceans and mollusks (for example, squid) that change their habitats and deepen an average of 55 meters across the climatic gradient of the Mediterranean (spanning a range of 6 degrees C).

Gut microbiota differences seen in people with autism may be due to dietary preferences

Posted: 11 Nov 2021 10:03 AM PST

Research suggested that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be at least partly caused by differences in the composition of the gut microbiota, based on the observation that certain types of microbes are more common in people with autism. But a new study suggests that the link may actually work the other way around: the diversity in species found in the guts of children with autism may be due to their restricted dietary preferences associated with autism, rather than the cause of their symptoms.

Sustainable, biodegradable glitter – from your fruit bowl

Posted: 11 Nov 2021 10:03 AM PST

Researchers have developed a sustainable, plastic-free glitter for use in the cosmetics industry -- and it's made from the cellulose found in plants, fruits, vegetables, and wood pulp.

New tests track sources of lead contamination in urban soils and assess its risks

Posted: 10 Nov 2021 10:15 AM PST

Scientists have developed a suite of isotope-based tests that can be used to identify the origin of lead contamination in urban soils and assess the risk it poses to children who inhale or ingest contaminated dirt or dust. The tests can distinguish between contamination from modern sources and contamination from pre-1970s leaded gasoline fumes or leaded paint, making them especially useful for assessing the hidden risks of legacy contamination.

Research uncovers new insights on ALS and points to a potentially promising treatment strategy

Posted: 10 Nov 2021 10:15 AM PST

Investigators have found that an abnormal form of the tau protein is present in brain tissue from deceased patients who had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Cells that were grown in contact with deceased ALS patients' brain tissue that contained abnormal tau exhibited fragmentation of mitochondria and showed signs of oxidative stress. Reducing tau reversed these effects, lowering mitochondrial fragmentation and decreasing oxidative stress.

Biological studies often misinterpret sex-based data, analysis finds

Posted: 10 Nov 2021 07:44 AM PST

An analysis of published studies from a range of biological specialties shows that, when data are reported by sex, critical statistical analyses are often missing and the findings are likely to be reported in misleading ways.