Loading...
ScienceDaily: Top Environment News |
| Producing ammonia through electrochemical processes could reduce carbon dioxide emissions Posted: 08 Apr 2022 11:30 AM PDT Ammonia is commonly used in fertilizer because it has the highest nitrogen content of commercial fertilizers, making it essential for crop production. However, two carbon dioxide molecules are made for every molecule of ammonia produced, contributing to excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. |
| Dynamic rivers contributed to Amazon's rich bird diversity Posted: 08 Apr 2022 11:29 AM PDT One of the most contentious questions in evolutionary biology is, how did the Amazon become so rich in species? A new study focused on birds examines how the movements of rivers in the Amazon have contributed to that area's exceptional biological diversity. The researchers found that as small river systems change over time, they spur the evolution of new species. The findings also reveal previously unknown bird species in the Amazon that are only found in small areas next to these dynamic river systems, putting them at high risk. |
| What shapes gut microbiomes of Alaska's brown bears? Location, location, location Posted: 08 Apr 2022 11:29 AM PDT A recent study of Alaskan brown bears (Ursus arctos) finds that there is significant variation in the gut microbiome of bear populations, depending on where the bears live. The finding advances our understanding of the relationship between wildlife habitat, diet and gut microbiome diversity. |
| Air pollution responsible for 180,000 excess deaths in tropical cities Posted: 08 Apr 2022 11:29 AM PDT Around 180,000 avoidable deaths over 14 years in fast-growing tropical cities were caused by a rapid rise in emerging air pollution, a study has revealed. |
| Key to success of drug-resistant bacteria Posted: 08 Apr 2022 10:17 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered how Gram-negative bacteria -- which cause a variety of drug-resistant infections -- build their protective outer layer, which could lead to more effective treatments. |
| Better, faster, energy efficient predictions Posted: 08 Apr 2022 07:31 AM PDT Researchers have combined reinforcement learning with numerical methods to compute turbulent flows, one of the most complex processes in engineering. The researchers also used machine learning algorithms to accelerate predictions in simulations of complex processes that take place over long periods of time. |
| Old skins cells reprogrammed to regain youthful function Posted: 08 Apr 2022 05:39 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new technique for rejuvenating skin cells. This technique has allowed researchers to rewind the cellular biological clock by around 30 years according to molecular measures, significantly longer than previous reprogramming methods. The partially rejuvenated cells showed signs of behaving more like youthful cells in experiments simulating a skin wound. This research, although in early stages, could eventually have implications for regenerative medicine, especially if it can be replicated in other cell types. |
| New resource could provide clues on the past, present, and future of clownfish Posted: 08 Apr 2022 05:38 AM PDT Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University have produced a comprehensive genome of the false clownfish, which could be used to answer a myriad of biological questions. |
| Human gene variant produces attention deficit disorder-like problems in mice Posted: 07 Apr 2022 01:19 PM PDT Mutant mice are providing scientists with a new neurobiological framework to understand the brain changes observed in distractible humans who carry a common gene variant whose frequency has been associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The scientists demonstrate that mice that express the variant adopt an inattentive phenotype similar to that seen in humans. |
| Cell biology: How mitochondria report stress Posted: 07 Apr 2022 11:19 AM PDT Researchers have discovered the mechanism by which the protein DELE1 detects organelle stress. This offers a possible new approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases. |
| The role of genes in prenatal responses to air pollution Posted: 07 Apr 2022 11:19 AM PDT Exposure to pollution during pregnancy can have many adverse effects in infants and children that can even extend into adulthood. For example, air pollution exposure is associated with increased risk of low birth weight, preterm birth and risk for developing asthma later in life. Much of this is due to the fast pace of fetal growth and development; however, the exact ways pollutants have these effects and the roles of genes related to immune function and stress response are not fully understood. |
| High-ranking naked mole-rats are more resilient Posted: 07 Apr 2022 11:19 AM PDT Naked mole-rats are full of surprises. The latest is that higher-ranked mole-rats most likely have an immunological advantage over animals with lower social status. |
| Evidence in mice that bacteria in tumors help cancer cells metastasize Posted: 07 Apr 2022 11:19 AM PDT Bacteria promote cancer metastasis by bolstering the strength of host cells against mechanical stress in the bloodstream, promoting cell survival during tumor progression, researchers report. |
| New evidence suggests California's environmental policies preferentially protect whites Posted: 07 Apr 2022 11:19 AM PDT Asian and Hispanic communities experience significantly more air pollution from economic activity compared to predominantly white neighborhoods across the state of California, according to new research. |
| Turbulence from spawning fish keeps a healthy circulation in coastal waters Posted: 07 Apr 2022 11:18 AM PDT A new study has shown how fish influence ocean ecosystems in coastal regions, revealing for the first time how they circulate nutrients and oxygen around the waters when they spawn. This process is key to keeping the ecosystems running. |
| Private protected areas help conserve overlooked and threatened regions Posted: 07 Apr 2022 11:18 AM PDT New research shows that private protected areas help conserve underrepresented biomes and highly threatened regions. Researchers have assessed 17,561 privately protected areas in 15 countries across five continents. Their findings reveal that compared to state protected areas, PPAs are twice as likely to be in areas with the greatest human disturbance, such as regions used for agriculture and mining. They are three times more likely to be in biomes with almost no established conservation reserves and protect 1.2% of key biodiversity areas. |
| Ocean water samples yield treasure trove of RNA virus data Posted: 07 Apr 2022 11:18 AM PDT Ocean water samples collected around the world have yielded a treasure trove of new data about RNA viruses, expanding ecological research possibilities and reshaping our understanding of how these small but significant submicroscopic particles evolved. |
| Sustainable strategies to treat urban runoff Posted: 07 Apr 2022 07:11 AM PDT Researchers call for cities to better manage and treat urban runoff to protect sources of drinking water and reduce the impacts on aquatic ecosystems. |
| Uranium detectable in two-thirds of US community water system monitoring records Posted: 07 Apr 2022 07:11 AM PDT A study on metal concentrations in U.S. community water systems (CWS) and patterns of inequalities, researchers found that metal concentrations were particularly elevated in CWSs serving semi-urban, Hispanic communities independent of location or region, highlighting environmental justice concerns. These communities had the highest levels of uranium, selenium, barium, chromium, and arsenic concentrations. Even at low concentrations, uranium in particular represents an important risk factor for the development of chronic diseases. |
| Virtual cooking class improves children's nutrition knowledge Posted: 07 Apr 2022 07:10 AM PDT Amid parental concerns regarding poor nutrition and lack of cooking skills among youth in Flint, Michigan, a team of local dietitians, chefs, and researchers created Flint Families Cook during the COVID-19 pandemic, a program for families with children ages 8-18 years old, delivered virtually to children and families in their homes. |
| Chemical compound promotes healthy aging, study finds Posted: 07 Apr 2022 07:10 AM PDT A recently discovered chemical compound helped elderly mice with obesity lose fat and weight, add muscle and strength, reduce age-related inflammation and increase physical activity, a new study shows. |
| Selective breeding sustainably protects honey bees from Varroa mite Posted: 07 Apr 2022 07:10 AM PDT A new breed of honey bees provides a major advance in the global fight against the parasitic Varroa mite, new research shows. |
| How mountain streams signal climate change Posted: 07 Apr 2022 07:10 AM PDT A new tool can better assess an important but overlooked indicator of global warming: the variety of bugs, worms, and snails living in high mountain streams. |
| Surfer science supports seawater study Posted: 07 Apr 2022 07:10 AM PDT Seawater samples taken from a surfboard have helped scientists understand microscopic life in the waves, new research shows. |
| Amazon rainforest foliage gases affect the Earth’s atmosphere Posted: 06 Apr 2022 02:20 PM PDT Researchers have uncovered a plant-derived process that leads to the formation of aerosol particles over the Amazon rainforest and potentially other forested parts of the world. |
| Where storm surges are increasing the most Posted: 06 Apr 2022 02:20 PM PDT Extreme storms, like Sandy or Xaver, don't happen often but when they do, cities need to be prepared. That's why researchers have developed a new method to determine where extreme events, like 100-year storm floods, are more likely to occur, whether the likelihood of such extremes is changing over time and why. |
| Turmeric compound helps grow engineered blood vessels and tissues Posted: 06 Apr 2022 01:06 PM PDT Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and is known to suppress angiogenesis in malignant tumors. Bioengineers have now discovered that when delivered through magnetic hydrogels into stem cell cultures this versatile compound paradoxically also promotes the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, that helps vascular tissues grow. |
| To save California's whales, put overlooked threats into policy Posted: 06 Apr 2022 01:06 PM PDT Current whale-protection policies in California rarely address the overlapping, compounding stressors facing whale populations. |
| Cryo-EM imaging of STING protein reveals new binding pocket Posted: 06 Apr 2022 01:05 PM PDT Imaging at near-atomic resolution of a key immune protein commonly known as STING has revealed a previously unrecognized binding site that appears to be pivotal for launching immune attacks, scientists report. The findings could lead to new ways of manipulating STING to prompt stronger immune responses or stem its action in autoimmune diseases. |
| Most U.S. dog owners don't follow FDA pet food handling guidelines, study finds Posted: 06 Apr 2022 01:05 PM PDT A new analysis suggests that most U.S. dog owners are unaware of -- and do not follow -- guidelines on safe pet food and dish handling from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but that better education and implementation of the guidelines could reduce contamination. |
| Injured dinosaur left behind unusual footprints Posted: 06 Apr 2022 01:05 PM PDT A set of dinosaur footprints in Spain has unusual features because the dinosaur that made the tracks had an injured foot, according to a new study. |
| Reducing air pollution by changing the way we dry our laundry Posted: 06 Apr 2022 01:05 PM PDT A new study has revealed that tumble drying a load of laundry releases almost the same amount of potentially harmful microfibers into the air as those released down the drain during machine washing of the same load. |
| Florida's state shell at higher risk of extinction than previously thought Posted: 06 Apr 2022 01:05 PM PDT Unregulated commercial harvesting and recreational live collection are pushing Florida horse conch populations closer to collapse. |
| Antibiotic and antiretroviral drug effects on breast milk are explored for mothers living with HIV Posted: 06 Apr 2022 10:24 AM PDT Infants carry a vast assemblage of bacteria, viruses and fungi in their guts. Combined, these microbes make up a complex ecology known as the gut microbiome, which plays a major role in health and disease throughout life. The initial source of these billions of microbes is the mother's breast milk. Scientists have now used next-generation sequencing to investigate the breast milk microbiome from HIV positive women in Kenya. |
| Good parenting evolved multiple times in moss animals Posted: 06 Apr 2022 10:24 AM PDT The spindly filaments and coral-like colonies of the ancient phylum of marine animals known as bryozoans likely aren't the first thing that come to mind when you envision safe and protective child care. But a new study on the 600-million-year history of these obscure animals highlights the important role good parenting has played in their enduring success. In one of the largest genetic analyses of invertebrate marine organisms to date, researchers sequenced DNA from hundreds of alcohol-preserved specimens stored in more than 20 museums around the world. |
| Posted: 06 Apr 2022 10:24 AM PDT Researchers evaluated whether dietary fiber intake was associated with a decrease in inflammation in older adults and if fiber was inversely related to cardiovascular disease. The results showed that total fiber, and more specifically cereal fiber but not fruit or vegetable fiber, was consistently associated with lower inflammation and lower CVD incidence. Until now there had been limited data on the link between fiber and inflammation among older adults, who have higher levels of inflammation compared with younger adults. |
| In 'Plant Armor' crop cover, insects have to navigate textile maze Posted: 06 Apr 2022 10:24 AM PDT Researchers designed a textile 'Plant Armor' that forces insects to navigate a maze-like path if they try to reach a plant. The design was more effective at blocking insects from reaching cabbage plants in multiple experiments, as compared with an alternative crop cover. |
| Vegetarian birds more sociable than insect eaters, shows research Posted: 06 Apr 2022 10:24 AM PDT Research shows a statistical link between diet, habitat, social behavior and mating systems in birds. |
| How a narrow-spectrum antibiotic takes aim at C. Diff Posted: 06 Apr 2022 10:24 AM PDT New study reveals at a molecular level how fidaxomicin selectively targets C. Diff bacteria while sparing the innocent bacterial bystanders of the gut microbiome. |
| New study shows robust increases in atmospheric thirst across much of U.S. during past 40 years Posted: 06 Apr 2022 10:23 AM PDT In arid Western states, the climate is growing warmer and drier, leading to increased demand for water resources from humans and ecosystems. Now, the atmosphere across much of the U.S. is also demanding a greater share of water than it used to, according to a new study. |
| Researchers look to licorice for promising cancer treatments Posted: 06 Apr 2022 10:20 AM PDT A research review into molecular insights of a licorice-derived substance called glycyrrhizin for preventing or treating cancer suggests further research could lead to specific agents for clinical use. |
| Study examines if there is something 'fishy' happening with seafood imports Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:18 AM PDT Reducing tariffs on imported goods is meant to remove trade barriers, but it doesn't seem to be helping the seafood industry, which has experienced the same -- if not more -- import rejections and notifications at borders, according to research guided by an agricultural economist. The study, which explored tariff and nontariff barriers in the seafood trade, also documented the reasons for products held at the borders. |
| Like college roommates, vampire bats bond when randomly paired Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:17 AM PDT Social bonding between randomly assigned college roommates is not only a human phenomenon, a new study on vampire bats suggests. Vampire bat pairs that were forced to live together for only one week sustained their friendly relationships for more than two months after they were released into a bigger bat community. |
| New link between greenhouse gasses and sea level rise Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:17 AM PDT Researchers have used advanced ocean modelling techniques to reveal how greenhouse gas emissions contribute to warmer oceans and resulting melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. |
| Simulations explain Greenland’s slower summer warming Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:17 AM PDT Climate changes in the tropical Pacific have temporarily put the brakes on rapid warming and ice melting in Greenland. |
| Neolithic made us taller and more intelligent but more prone to heart disease Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:17 AM PDT After the Neolithic, European populations showed an increase in height and intelligence, reduced skin pigmentation and increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to genetic changes that lowered concentrations of 'good' HDL cholesterol. The changes reflect ongoing evolutionary processes in humans and highlight the impact the Neolithic revolution had on our lifestyle and health. Research of these past events offers interesting starting points for today's science and health care. |
| Researchers rejuvenate mouse organs through cellular reprogramming Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:17 AM PDT Scientists have observed signs of rejuvenation in the pancreas, liver, spleen, and blood of mice after applying one cycle of cell reprogramming. To achieve this, the researchers have characterized rejuvenation by studying molecular marks in the DNA, gene expression, and cell metabolism. |
| Century-old malaria parasite puzzle solved as ape origin traced Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:16 AM PDT Scientists have solved a 100-year-old mystery about the evolutionary links between malaria parasites that infect humans and chimpanzees. |
| Achilles’ heel of dangerous hospital pathogen Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:16 AM PDT Researchers have shed light on the structure of an enzyme important in the metabolism of the pathogenic bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii. The enzyme 'MtlD' is critical for the bacterium's synthesis of the sugar alcohol mannitol, with which it protects itself against water loss and desiccation in dry or salty environments such as blood or urine. Structural analysis has revealed weak spots where it might be possible to inhibit the enzyme and thus attack the pathogen. |
| Earthworms like to eat some plastics, but side effects of their digestion are unclear Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:16 AM PDT Earthworms are a welcome sight for gardeners and farmers because the wriggling invertebrates recycle nutrients from soil, making them more accessible to plants. As worms burrow, they consume almost everything in their path, including microscopic plastic pollution. Now, researchers have observed that earthworms actually prefer soil with some types of microplastics but digest the polymers differently, which the team suggests could impact the animals' health and the ecosystem. |
| Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:16 AM PDT Researchers have created a detailed set of maps examining the flood risk for all farmland in Iowa. The maps show 450,000 acres of crops in areas with a 50% chance of flooding, and losses from flooding averaging $230 million annually. |
| How did visitors experience the domestic space in Pompeii? Posted: 06 Apr 2022 06:53 AM PDT Researchers have used virtual reality and 3D eye-tracking technology to examine what drew the attention of the visitors when entering the stunning environment of an ancient Roman house. The team recreated the House of Greek Epigrams in 3D and tracked the gaze of study participants as they viewed the home. |
| Posted: 05 Apr 2022 11:35 AM PDT The concept of ecosystem services allows researchers to quantify the benefits that nature contributes to people into monetary units. A new study suggests that trees provide greater economic value when used to regulate climate and air quality than the value they produce as wood products, food crops, and Christmas trees. |
| Research discovery a pearl of hope for imperiled oyster reefs Posted: 05 Apr 2022 09:39 AM PDT Despite a greater than 85% population loss worldwide due to overharvesting, collaborative research shows oyster reefs can rebound through restorative efforts. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Loading...
Loading...
