ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

More intense roasting of cocoa beans lessens bitterness, boosts chocolate liking

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 03:03 PM PST

Confection makers who want to develop products containing 100% chocolate and no sugar for health-conscious consumers can reduce bitterness and optimize flavor acceptance by roasting cocoa beans longer and at higher temperatures.

Discovery of ancient underwater landslide could help Middle Eastern nations realize tsunami hazards

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 03:03 PM PST

An earth scientist has discovered evidence of an ancient underwater landslide and associated tsunami in the Gulf of Aqaba, a subsidiary of the Red Sea, that should serve as a warning for many nations in the Middle East.

Interaction with lung cells transforms asbestos particles

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 01:17 PM PST

Asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer and other diseases, often multiple decades following exposure. Many researchers have sought to elucidate disease mechanisms, but a new study took the opposite approach, using a high-tech microscope to look at how the mineral changed upon interaction with lung cells. Their findings suggest that the mineralogical transformations inside the cells may play a role in triggering disease.

Transparent ultrasound chip improves cell stimulation and imaging

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 01:15 PM PST

Ultrasound scans -- best known for monitoring pregnancies or imaging organs -- can also be used to stimulate cells and direct cell function. A team of researchers has developed an easier, more effective way to harness the technology for biomedical applications.

Anti-tumor drug promotes weight loss in mice

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 11:08 AM PST

An anti-tumor drug promotes weight loss in mice at low doses by activating a natural hunger-suppressing pathway, according to a new study. The results provide a promising new avenue for development of anti-obesity treatments.

Chemical synthesis yields potential antibiotic

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 11:08 AM PST

Chemists developed a new way to synthesize himastatin, a natural compound that has shown potential as an antibiotic. A new strategy for producing a natural compound could also be used to generate variants with even stronger antimicrobial activity.

Largest ever human family tree: 27 million ancestors

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 11:08 AM PST

Researchers have taken a major step towards mapping the entirety of genetic relationships among humans: a single genealogy that traces the ancestry of all of us.

Stem cell signaling: Molecular morse code in stem cells encrypting differentiation information

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 11:08 AM PST

Divide, differentiate or die? Making decisions at the right time and place is what defines a cell's behavior and is particularly critical for stem cells of an developing organisms. Decision making relies on how information is processed by networks of signaling proteins. Scientists have now revealed that ERK, a key player in stem cell signaling, processes information through fast activity pulses. The duration of the pulsing interval, might encode information essential for divergent fate decision in stem cell cultures.

Farms following soil-friendly practices grow healthier food, study suggests

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 09:52 AM PST

An experiment conducted on 10 farms across the U.S. suggests that crops from farms following soil-friendly practices for at least five years have a healthier nutritional profile than the same crops grown on neighboring, conventional farms. Researchers believe soil microbes and fungi boost certain beneficial minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals in the crops.

Antibacterial bioactive glass doubles down on microbial resistance to antibiotics

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 09:52 AM PST

Infections linked to medical devices such as catheters, dental implants, orthopaedics and wound dressings could be dramatically reduced using a simple technique, according to new research.

Student's device enables researchers to easily track elusive insects

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 09:06 AM PST

With some home security software and a little ingenuity, researchers have developed an inexpensive device that will allow them to study the behavior and activity of insects in regions of the world where they're most diverse.

Ridgecrest shows how earthquakes damage Earth’s crust

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

In July 2019, a series of earthquakes including two major shocks of magnitude 6.4 and 7.1 a day apart struck near Ridgecrest, CA, between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. For local residents, it was a violent interruption to the Fourth of July holiday. For seismologists, it was a rare opportunity to study how earthquakes damage the Earth's crust.

Mycorrhizal fungi promote greater tree species diversity

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

Researchers have found that mycorrhizas promote greater tree species diversity in North American forests.

Discovery of new Hendra virus variant a lesson in emerging disease surveillance

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

New research has uncovered an unrecognized variant of the Hendra virus, prompting re-evaluation of spillover risk from horses and their carers to other humans.

Cancer: When viruses and bacteria cooperate

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:26 AM PST

Infections with several pathogens simultaneously increase the risk of cervical cancer, according to a new study conducted on artificial 3D tissue models.

Earth’s coldest forests are shifting northward with climate change

Posted: 24 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

New research shows rising temperatures are causing Earth's coldest forests to shift northward, raising concerns about biodiversity, an increased risk of wildfires and mounting impacts of climate change on northern communities.

Low-meat and meat-free diets associated with lower overall cancer risk

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:28 PM PST

Eating meat five times or less per week is associated with a lower overall cancer risk, according to two studies.

Factors that shaped the massive Cauca River Canyon in the tropical Andes

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 01:46 PM PST

A team of researchers recently embarked on a research expedition to the Tropical Andes of Colombia to study the massive Cauca River canyon. The team's objective was to determine the age of formation of the Cauca River canyon and then compare that with known tectonic and climatic processes that happened in the region during the past 10 million years to figure out what caused its incision. The team concluded that erosion in the Cauca River canyon was driven by tectonic processes.

Older Japanese dog owners may face lower risk of disability than non-dog owners, study finds

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 11:33 AM PST

An analysis of data from more than 11,000 older Japanese adults suggests that seniors who own a dog may be at lower risk of disability than those who have never been dog owners.

Smelly ocelot habitats may scare off seed-dispersing rodents

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:13 AM PST

An experiment in Panama's Parque Natural Metropolitano and Gamboa revealed that agoutis were less likely to disperse and pilfer seeds in sites where ferocious felines roam.

(Bio)sensing protein interactions

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 07:48 AM PST

Researchers have designed a highly sensitive sensor capable of identifying proteins in solution down to a single molecule.