ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

Common household cleaner can boost effort to harvest fusion energy on Earth

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 04:30 PM PST

Path-setting findings demonstrate for the first time a novel regime for confining heat in stellarators. The demonstration could advance the twisty design as a blueprint for future fusion power plants.

Researchers determine nutritional properties of protein in cricket, locust and silkworm pupae insect powders

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 04:30 PM PST

Animal farming has traditionally fulfilled human nutritional requirements for protein, but insects may serve as an alternative for direct human consumption in the future. Researchers are working to lay a foundation to develop efficient protein isolation techniques by determining the nutritional and functional properties of protein for cricket, locust and silk worm pupae powders.

Using only 100 atoms, electric fields can be detected and changed

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 04:30 PM PST

The body is full of electrical signals. Researchers have now created a new nanomaterial that is capable of both detecting and modulating the electric field. This new material can be used in vitro studies for 'reading and writing' the electric field without damaging nearby cells and tissue. In addition, researchers can use this material to conduct in vitro studies to understand how neurons transmit signals but also to understand how to potentially shut off errant neurons. This may provide critical insights on neurodegeneration.

Ancient Mesopotamian discovery transforms knowledge of early farming

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 12:37 PM PST

Researchers have unearthed the earliest definitive evidence of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) in ancient Iraq, challenging our understanding of humanity's earliest agricultural practices.

Safe drinking water remains out of reach for many Californians

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 12:36 PM PST

An estimated 370,000 Californians rely on drinking water that may contain high levels of arsenic, nitrate or hexavalent chromium, and contaminated drinking water disproportionately impact communities of color in the state, finds a new analysis. Because this study is limited to three common contaminants, results likely underestimate the actual number of Californians impacted by unsafe drinking water.

Biomass burning increases low clouds over southeastern Asia

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 08:20 AM PST

Clouds have significant impact on the energy balance of the Earth system. Low clouds such as Stratocumulus, Cumulus and Stratus cover about 30 percent of the Earth surface and have a net cooling effect on our climate. What counteracts global warming, can have economic consequences: a persistently dense and low cloud cover over land can reduce agricultural production and the solar-power generation. Understanding the factors governing low cloud cover is not only important for regional weather forecasting and global climate prediction but also for their socioeconomic effects.

Overcoming a bottleneck in carbon dioxide conversion

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 08:19 AM PST

A new study reveals why some attempts to convert carbon dioxide into fuel have failed, and offers possible solutions.

Hidden order in windswept sand

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 07:00 AM PST

Researchers have analyzed an extensive collection of sand samples from so-called megaripple fields around the world and gained new insights into the composition of these sand waves. These could help settle debates about the mechanistic origin of some recently discovered enigmatic extraterrestrial sand structures and improve our ability to infer information about past weather and climate events from sediment records.

Within a dinosaur’s head: Ankylosaur was sluggish and deaf

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 07:00 AM PST

Scientists took a closer look at the braincase of a dinosaur from Austria. The group examined the fossil with a micro-CT and found surprising new details: it was sluggish and deaf.

Researchers switch off gene to switch on ultraviolet in butterfly wings

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:49 PM PST

Researchers have identified a gene that determines whether ultraviolet iridescence shows up in the wings of butterflies. The team showed that removing the gene in butterflies whose wings lack UV coloration leads to bright patches of UV iridescence in their wings. According to the researchers, the gene plays a critical role in the evolutionary process by which species become distinct from one another.

Coastal ecosystem being destabilized by climate change

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:49 PM PST

Ecological communities on the Oregon coast are being subtly destabilized by the pressures of climate change despite giving an appearance of stress resistance, new research shows.

Scientists uncover new information about cellular death process, previously thought to be irreversible

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:48 PM PST

Researchers report a new method for analyzing pyroptosis -- the process of cell death that is usually caused by infections and results in excess inflammation in the body -- and show that the process, long thought to be irreversible once initiated, can in fact be halted and controlled. The discovery means that scientists have a new way to study diseases that are related to malfunctioning cell death processes and infections that can be complicated by out-of-control inflammation.

New research on magnetite in salmon noses illuminates understanding of sensory mechanisms enabling magnetic perception across life

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:48 PM PST

Scientists suggest magnetite crystals that form inside specialized receptor cells of salmon and other animals may have roots in ancient genetic systems that were developed by bacteria and passed to animals long ago through evolutionary genetics.

Researchers discover fossil of new species of pangolin in Europe

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:48 PM PST

Deeper analysis of fossils from one of Eastern Europe's most significant paleontological sites has led to the discovery of a new species of pangolin, previously thought to have existed in Europe during the early Pleistocene but not confirmed until now.

Low oxygen and sulfide in the oceans played greater role in ancient mass extinction

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:48 PM PST

Researchers have new insight into the complicated puzzle of environmental conditions that characterized the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction (LOME), which killed about 85% of the species in the ocean.

Successful transplant of porcine heart into adult human with end-stage heart disease

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:30 PM PST

In a first-of-its-kind surgery, a 57-year-old patient with terminal heart disease received a successful transplant of a genetically-modified pig heart and is still doing well three days later.

The ‘surprisingly simple’ arithmetic of smell

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 11:53 AM PST

Researchers studying locusts have found that the presence of smell can be determined by simply adding and subtracting the presence of certain neurons.

Fishers facing pressure from wildfires, salvage logging

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 11:52 AM PST

The recovery of the fisher, a charismatic, long-tailed forest carnivore, will likely be hindered by the increasing frequency and intensity of future wildfires, new research indicates.

New study links gut fungi to intestinal inflammation in Crohn’s disease patients

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 11:52 AM PST

Results of a new study represent a step toward improving our understanding of Crohn's disease and the factors that cause its intestinal inflammation.

Higher olive oil intake associated with lower risk of CVD mortality

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 11:52 AM PST

Consuming more than 7 grams (>1/2 tablespoon) of olive oil per day is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer mortality, neurodegenerative disease mortality and respiratory disease mortality, according to a new study. The study found that replacing about 10 grams/day of margarine, butter, mayonnaise and dairy fat with the equivalent amount of olive oil is associated with lower risk of mortality as well.

Gauging the resilience of complex networks

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 10:27 AM PST

Whether a transformer catches fire in a power grid, a species disappears from an ecosystem, or water floods a city street, many systems can absorb a certain amount of disruption. But how badly does a single failure weaken the network? And how much damage can it take before it tips into collapse?

Water scarcity may spur improvements at manufacturing facilities

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 08:41 AM PST

As climate change continues and the incidences of drought rise, water is increasingly becoming scarce for manufacturing. But a new study suggests that there is a silver lining -- companies that use water may pivot to become efficient and more eco-friendly during periods of water scarcity.

Unexpected benefits from food competitors

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 08:41 AM PST

A research team has found that gravid tobacco hawkmoths (Manduca sexta) show an unusual preference for Datura plants that are already infested with leaf beetles when laying their eggs. The beetles and their larvae actually compete with tobacco hornworms, the larvae of Manduca, for food. Plants infested by beetles change their odor profile and increase the production of the substance alpha-copaene, making them, however, more attractive to tobacco hawkmoths. Despite food competition, tobacco hornworms seem to benefit from their mothers' choice of such host plants because in the presence of beetles and their larvae they are better protected from parasitic wasps that avoid beetle-infested plants. The researchers were also able to identify the tobacco hawkmoths' olfactory receptor that controls this behavior.

Recent growth and sudden declines in Antarctic sea ice to be unique changes since the early 20th century

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 08:41 AM PST

Researchers show that the increase of sea ice surrounding Antarctica since 1979 is a unique feature of Antarctic climate since 1905 -- an observation that paints a dramatic first-ever picture for weather and climate implications on the world's southernmost continent.

Chemists use DNA to build the world’s tiniest antenna

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:33 AM PST

An easy-to-use device promises to help scientists better understand natural and human-designed nanotechnologies -- and identify new drugs.

Pheasants lose their cool after fighting

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:33 AM PST

Pheasants' heads cool rapidly as they prepare to fight -- then heat up afterwards, new research shows.

How triclosan, found in many consumer products, is triggered to harm the gut

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:32 AM PST

Increasingly, research links triclosan, an antimicrobial found in thousands of consumer products, with the gut microbiome and gut inflammation. A new study looks at the potential for combating damage to the intestine. The findings suggest new approaches for improving the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

A crowning achievement in understanding head development

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:32 AM PST

To understand how cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs) help form many more body parts than the skull and facial skeleton, scientists from the lab of Gage Crump created a series of atlases over time to understand the molecular decisions by which CNCCs commit to forming specific tissues in developing zebrafish. The researchers labeled and tracked CNCCs throughout the lifetime of zebrafish. With the help of a new computational analysis they created, they identified genetic signs that point to the specific tissues CNCCs were destined to form. The researchers also identified many of the potential switches that allow CNCCs to form these very different cell types.

Cancer therapy using on-site synthesis of anticancer drugs

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:32 AM PST

Researchers have successfully treated cancer in mice using metal catalysts that assemble anticancer drugs together inside the body. This study is the first report of therapeutic in vivo synthetic chemistry being used to make anticancer substances where they are needed simply by injecting their ingredients through a vein. Because this technique avoids indiscriminate tissue damage, it is expected to have a significant impact on cancer treatment.

Medieval warhorses were surprisingly small in stature

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:32 AM PST

Medieval warhorses are often depicted as massive and powerful beasts, but in reality many were no more than pony-sized by modern standards, a new study shows.

New bacteria in UK waters as temperatures rise

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:32 AM PST

Rising temperatures are causing a 'growing diversity' of Vibrio bacteria in the sea around the UK, new research shows.

Scientists reduce all-solid-state battery resistance by heating

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 05:44 AM PST

All-solid-state batteries are now one step closer to becoming the powerhouse of next-generation electronics as researchers introduce a strategy to restore their low electrical resistance. They also explore the underlying reduction mechanism, paving the way for a more fundamental understanding of the workings of all-solid-state lithium batteries.