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ScienceDaily: Top Environment News |
| Posted: 24 Jun 2021 01:16 PM PDT Researchers were able to clearly connect declining levels of human mobility during regional shelter-in-place orders with pumas' increased willingness to utilize more urban habitat areas. |
| Researchers find health benefits of Connecticut-grown sugar kelp Posted: 24 Jun 2021 12:26 PM PDT Researchers have reported significant findings supporting the nutritional benefits of Connecticut-grown sugar kelp. They found brown sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) inhibits hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in a mouse model of diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a fatty liver disease. |
| A new type of Homo unknown to science Posted: 24 Jun 2021 11:15 AM PDT The bones of an early human, unknown to science, who lived in the Levant at least until 130,000 years ago, were discovered in excavations at the Nesher Ramla site, near the city of Ramla. Recognizing similarity to other archaic Homo specimens from 400,000 years ago, found in Israel and Eurasia, the researchers reached the conclusion that the Nesher Ramla fossils represent a unique Middle Pleistocene population, now identified for the first time. |
| When did the first COVID-19 case arise? Posted: 24 Jun 2021 11:15 AM PDT Using methods from conservation science, a new analysis suggests that the first case of COVID-19 arose between early October and mid-November, 2019 in China, with the most likely date of origin being November 17. |
| Versatile, fast and reliable SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay Posted: 24 Jun 2021 10:55 AM PDT During the continued progression of the coronavirus pandemic, rapid, inexpensive, and reliable tests will become increasingly important to determine whether people have the associated antibodies -- either through infection or vaccination. Researchers have now developed such a rapid antibody test. It provides the result in only eight minutes; the aim is to further reduce the process time to four minutes. |
| An enzyme prevents the formation of multiple heads and axes in freshwater polyp Hydra Posted: 24 Jun 2021 09:17 AM PDT In the animal kingdom, specific growth factors control body axis development. They are produced by a small group of cells at one end of the embryo to be distributed in a graded fashion toward the opposite pole. Through this, discrete spatial patterns arise that determine the correct formation of the head-foot axis. Researchers have discovered an enzyme in the freshwater polyp Hydra that shapes this process by limiting the activity of certain growth factors. |
| 'Subterranean estuaries' crucial to sustainable fishing and aquaculture industries Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:45 AM PDT Pioneering research suggests 'subterranean estuaries' may be critical in managing sustainable fishing and aquaculture -- two growing industries of global importance. |
| Comet strike may have sparked key shift in human civilization Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:45 AM PDT A cluster of comet fragments believed to have hit Earth nearly 13,000 years ago may have shaped the origins of human civilization, research suggests. |
| Crops: Mixed cultures for a greater yield Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:45 AM PDT What holds true for meadows would seem to apply to arable land, too: mixed cultures are more fruitful than monocultures. |
| Immunologists discover new trick used by MRSA superbug -- may aid vaccine development Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT New research has uncovered a novel trick employed by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus to thwart the immune response, raising hopes that a vaccine that prevents deadly MRSA infections is a little closer on the horizon. |
| Chemicals from human activities in transplanted oysters far from population centers Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT Wastewater treatment facilities clean the water that goes down our sinks and flushes our toilets, but they do not remove everything. A recent study detected low levels of pharmaceuticals and personal care product chemicals in oysters the team deployed at various distances from wastewater effluent pipes along the Oregon and Washington coast. |
| Research team discovers Arctic dinosaur nursery Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT Images of dinosaurs as cold-blooded creatures needing tropical temperatures could be a relic of the past. Scientists have found that nearly all types of Arctic dinosaurs, from small bird-like animals to giant tyrannosaurs, reproduced in the region and likely remained there year-round. |
| Marmoset study identifies brain region linking actions to their outcomes Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT The 'anterior cingulate cortex' is key brain region involved in linking behaviors to their outcomes. When this region was temporarily silenced, monkeys did not change behavior even when it stopped having the expected outcome. The finding is a step towards targeted treatment of human disorders involving compulsive behavior, such as OCD and eating disorders, thought to involve impaired function in this brain region. |
| Nanotech and AI could hold key to unlocking global food security challenge Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT 'Precision agriculture' where farmers respond in real time to changes in crop growth using nanotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) could offer a practical solution to the challenges threatening global food security, a new study reveals. |
| Ultralight material withstands supersonic microparticle impacts Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT Engineers find 'nanoarchitected' materials designed from precisely patterned nanoscale structures may be a promising route to lightweight armor, protective coatings, blast shields, and other impact-resistant materials. |
| Water vole genome will help boost conservation of one of UK's most endangered mammals Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT A new tool to help conserve one of the UK's most threatened mammals has been released today, with the publication of the first high-quality reference genome for the European water vole. |
| Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT Scientists with an interest in protoliving technologies, have published research which paves the way to building new semi-autonomous devices with potential applications in miniaturized soft robotics, microscale sensing and bioengineering. |
| Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows more rapidly in warm phases Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT Our planet's strongest ocean current, which circulates around Antarctica, plays a major role in determining the transport of heat, salt and nutrients in the ocean. An international research team led by the Alfred Wegener Institute has now evaluated sediment samples from the Drake Passage. |
| New knowledge of Earth's mantle helps to explain Indonesia's explosive volcanoes Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT Indonesia's volcanoes are among the world's most dangerous. Why? Through chemical analyses of tiny minerals in lava from Bali and Java, researchers have found new clues. They now understand better how the Earth's mantle is composed in that particular region and how the magma changes before an eruption. |
| Throwing shade: Measuring how much trees, buildings cool cities Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:43 AM PDT When the summer sun blazes on a hot city street, our first reaction is to flee to a shady spot protected by a building or tree. A new study is the first to calculate exactly how much these shaded areas help lower the temperature and reduce the 'urban heat island' effect. |
| New protein engineering method could accelerate the discovery of COVID-19 therapeutics Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:43 AM PDT Researchers have found a simple method for identifying nanobodies with drug-like properties suitable for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections. They demonstrated the approach by generating nanobodies that neutralized the SARS-CoV-2 virus more potently than an antibody isolated from an infected patient and a nanobody isolated from an immunized animal. |
| Newly sequenced genome of extinct giant lemur sheds light on animal's biology Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:43 AM PDT Using an unusually well-preserved subfossil jawbone, a team of researchers has sequenced for the first time the nuclear genome of the koala lemur (Megaladapis edwardsi), one of the largest of the 17 or so giant lemur species that went extinct on the island of Madagascar between about 500 and 2,000 years ago. |
| Streptococcus pneumoniae sticks to dying lung cells, worsening secondary infection following flu Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:43 AM PDT Researchers have found a further reason for the severity of dual infection by influenza and Streptococcus pneumonia -- a new virulence mechanism for a surface protein on the pneumonia-causing bacteria S. pneumoniae. This insight comes 30 years after discovery of that surface protein, called pneumococcal surface protein A. This mechanism had been missed in the past because it facilitates bacterial adherence only to dying lung epithelial cells, not to living cells. |
| Scientists may need to rethink which genes control aging, study suggests Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:43 AM PDT Researchers fed fruit flies antibiotics and monitored the lifetime activity of hundreds of genes that scientists have traditionally thought control aging. To their surprise, the antibiotics not only extended the lives of the flies but also dramatically changed the activity of many of these genes. Their results suggested that only about 30% of the genes traditionally associated with aging set an animal's internal clock while the rest reflect the body's response to bacteria. |
| Preventing the break-in of the toxoplasmosis parasite Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:43 AM PDT Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite which, to survive, must absolutely penetrate its host's cells. Understanding how the parasite manages to enter host cells offers opportunities to develop more prevention. A team has now identified the key role of RON13, which is essential for the invasion process. The three-dimensional structure and the site of action of this enzyme are atypical, thus offering the possibility of designing specific inhibitors to stop the infection. |
| Plant Protector: How plants strengthen their light-harvesting membranes against environmental stress Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:43 AM PDT An international study has revealed the structure of a membrane-remodeling protein that builds and maintains photosynthetic membranes. These fundamental insights lay the groundwork for bioengineering efforts to strengthen plants against environmental stress, helping to sustaining human food supply and fight against climate change. |
| Cyclone study improves climate projections Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:43 AM PDT Migrating storms and local weather systems known as cyclones and anticyclones were thought to contribute to behaviors and properties of our global weather system. However, the means to probe cyclones and anticyclones were limited. Researchers demonstrated a new three-dimensional analytical methodology that can quantify the way individual cyclones and anticyclones impact broader weather systems. This study aids longer-term circulation and climate studies, including how storm characteristics may change in the future. |
| Roadmap to HIV eradication via stem cell therapy Posted: 23 Jun 2021 04:40 PM PDT A groundbreaking study found that stem cells reduce the amount of virus causing AIDS, boost the body's antiviral immunity, and restore the gut's lymphoid follicles damaged by HIV. It provided a roadmap for multi-pronged HIV eradication strategies. |
| Coral offspring physiology impacted by parental exposure to intense environmental stresses Posted: 23 Jun 2021 04:40 PM PDT Adult corals that survive high-intensity environmental stresses, such as bleaching events, can produce offspring that are better suited to survive in new environments. Results from a series of experiments are deepening scientists' understanding of how the gradual increase of sea surface temperatures and other environmental disturbances may influence future coral generations. This study's experimental design provides a unique perspective on how multiple types of thermal events accumulate over time and have lasting consequences across generations. |
| Food protein can eliminate pungency and bitterness of extra virgin olive oil Posted: 23 Jun 2021 04:40 PM PDT Researchers have shown that the presence of certain food proteins, such as those in egg yolk, suppresses extra virgin olive oil's purported less desirable sensory qualities, such as bitterness and pungency. |
| Shifting sands, creeping soils, and a new understanding of landscape evolution Posted: 23 Jun 2021 04:40 PM PDT A new study finds that piles of sand grains, even when undisturbed, are in constant motion. These experimental results challenge existing theories in both geology and physics about how soils and other types of disordered materials behave. |
| Tree pollen carries SARS-CoV-2 particles farther, facilitates virus spread, study finds Posted: 23 Jun 2021 04:40 PM PDT A study on the role of microscopic particles in virus transmission suggests pollen is nothing to sneeze at. In a new study, researchers investigate how pollen facilitates the spread of an RNA virus like the COVID-19 virus. The study draws on cutting-edge computational approaches for analyzing fluid dynamics to mimic the pollen movement from a willow tree, a prototypical pollen emitter. Airborne pollen grains contribute to the spread of airborne viruses, especially in crowded environments. |
| US beekeepers continue to report high colony loss rates, no clear improvement Posted: 23 Jun 2021 04:39 PM PDT US beekeepers lost 45.5% of their managed honey bee colonies from April 2020 to April 2021, according to preliminary results of the 15th annual nationwide survey. These losses mark the second highest loss rate the survey has recorded since it began in 2006. The survey results highlight the continuing high rates of honey bee colony turnover. |
| Being Anglo-Saxon was a matter of language and culture, not genetics Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:49 AM PDT Archaeologists have provided important new evidence to answer the question 'who exactly were the Anglo-Saxons?' New findings based on studying skeletal remains clearly indicates the Anglo-Saxons were a melting pot of people from both migrant and local cultural groups and not one homogenous group from Western Europe. |
| Cat-borne parasite Toxoplasma induces fatally bold behavior in hyena cubs Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:17 AM PDT Best known for its presence in house cats and a tendency to infect and alter the behaviors of rodents and humans, the parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is also associated with bold behavior among wild hyena cubs and risk of death during interactions with lions, finds new research. |
| East Antarctic summer cooling trends caused by tropical rainfall clusters Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:17 AM PDT A study uncovers a new mechanism linking climate trend in Antarctica to rainfall occurrences in the tropics. |
| Pandemic air quality due to weather, not just lockdowns, study finds Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:17 AM PDT Using a diverse set of tools, researchers show how the pandemic did -- or didn't -- affect fine particulate matter concentrations during COVID lockdowns. |
| 'Multi-kingdom dialogue' between internal, external microbiota Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:17 AM PDT Scientists have identified an internal communication network in mammals that may regulate tissue repair and inflammation, providing new insights on how diseases such as obesity and inflammatory skin disorders develop. |
| Dieting and its effect on the gut microbiome Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:16 AM PDT Researchers were able to show for the first time that a very low calorie diet significantly alters the composition of the microbiota present in the human gut. The researchers report that dieting results in an increase of specific bacteria - notably Clostridioides difficile, which is associated with antibiotic-induced diarrhea and colitis. |
| Harvesting drinking water from humid air around the clock Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:16 AM PDT Researchers have developed a condenser for countries where water is in short supply. Theirs is a zero-energy solution for harvesting water from the atmosphere throughout the 24-hour daily cycle. It relies on a self-cooling surface and a special radiation shield. |
| 3,000-year-old shark attack victim Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:16 AM PDT Researchers reveal their discovery of a 3,000-year-old victim - attacked by a shark in the Seto Inland Sea of the Japanese archipelago. |
| Western high-fat diet can cause chronic pain, according to new study Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:16 AM PDT A typical Western high-fat diet can increase the risk of painful disorders common in people with conditions such as diabetes or obesity, according to a new study. |
| Wild bees need deadwood in the forest Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:16 AM PDT Researchers conducted a joint restoration experiment with the Black Forest National Park. |
| Greater Yellowstone area expected to become warmer, drier Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:16 AM PDT Temperature significantly increased and snowfall decreased in the iconic Greater Yellowstone Area since 1950 because of climate change, and these trends will likely continue through the rest of the century, according to a new climate report. |
| These sea anemones have a diverse diet. And they eat ants Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:07 AM PDT A new study provides an in-depth look into the rich diversity of prey that giant plumose anemones consume. This includes a surprising menu item: ants. And the occasional spider. |
| Sneeze cam reveals best fabric combos for cloth masks Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:07 AM PDT Researchers have used high-speed videos of a person sneezing to identify the optimal cloth mask design. |
| Milk protein could help boost blueberries' healthfulness Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:07 AM PDT Pairing blueberry pie with a scoop of ice cream is a nice summer treat. Aside from being tasty, this combination might also help people take up more of the 'superfruit's' nutrients, such as anthocyanins. Researchers show that a protein found in cow's milk helped rats absorb more blueberry anthocyanins and their byproducts, boosting accessibility to these good-for-you nutrients. |
| Seeking a treatment for IBS pain in tarantula venom Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:07 AM PDT For patients who have inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), the condition is literally a pain in the gut. Chronic -- or long-term -- abdominal pain is common, and there are currently no effective treatment options for this debilitating symptom. In a new study, researchers identify a new potential source of relief: a molecule derived from spider venom. In experiments with mice, they found that one dose could stop symptoms associated with IBS pain. |
| A novel energy storage solution featuring pipes and anchors Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:06 AM PDT What do pipes and anchors have to do with storing energy? More than you might think! A new study explored the potential of a lesser known, but promising sustainable energy storage system called Buoyancy Energy Storage. |
| Rare genetic defect replicated in fish model Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:06 AM PDT A rare genetic defect that affects the so-called ALG2 gene can cause serious metabolic diseases in humans. Until now, its rareness and complexity made it difficult to study this congenital glycosylation disorder. A research team has finally succeeded in introducing the underlying mutation in the ALG2 gene in a fish model, allowing the causes of these complex diseases to be studied at the molecular level. |
| Machine learning aids earthquake risk prediction Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:06 AM PDT Soil liquefaction was a major feature of the 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake that killed 185 people. Researchers developed a machine learning model to predict the amount of lateral movement that can be expected from liquefaction during a natural hazard event. Their model, trained on Christchurch data, was 70% accurate at determining the amount of displacement that occurred. |
| New research reveals remarkable resilience of sea life in the aftermath of mass extinctions Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:39 AM PDT Pioneering research has shown marine ecosystems can start working again, providing important functions for humans, after being wiped out much sooner than their return to peak biodiversity. |
| Study reveals agriculture-related injuries more numerous than previously known Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:39 AM PDT A new study by researchers, who looked at emergency room admissions across the US over a recent five-year period in a novel way, suggests that the agriculture industry is even more dangerous than previously believed. |
| Pleistocene sediment DNA from Denisova Cave Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT Researchers have analyzed DNA from 728 sediment samples from Denisova Cave. Their study provides unprecedented detail about the occupation of the site by both archaic and modern humans over 300,000 years. The researchers detected the DNA of Neandertals and Denisovans, the two forms of archaic hominins who inhabited the cave, and the DNA of modern humans who appeared around the time of the emergence of an archaeological culture called the Initial Upper Paleolithic around 45,000 years ago. |
| Asian elephants do more than just trumpet -- they buzz their lips to squeak Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT Communication is crucial for elephants that live in complex multi-tiered social systems. Apart from their iconic trumpets uttered through the trunk, Asian elephants also produce species-specific squeaks by buzzing their lips. This demonstrates once again the elephant's flexibility in sound production. |
| Earth-like biospheres on other planets may be rare Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT A new analysis of known exoplanets has revealed that Earth-like conditions on potentially habitable planets may be much rarer than previously thought. The work focuses on the conditions required for oxygen-based photosynthesis to develop on a planet, which would enable complex biospheres of the type found on Earth. |
| The origins of farming insects more than 100 million years ago Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT A beetle bores a tree trunk to build a gallery in the wood in order to protect its lay. As it digs the tunnel, it spreads ambrosia fungal spores that will feed the larvae. When these bore another tree, the adult beetles will be the transmission vectors of the fungal spores in another habitat. This mutualism among insects and ambrosia fungi could be more than 100 million years old, more than what was thought to date. |
| Tuckered out: Early Antarctic explorers underfed their dogs Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:52 AM PDT New research analyzing a century-old dog biscuit suggests early British Antarctic expeditions underfed their dogs. |
| River flow: New machine learning methods could improve environmental predictions Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:12 AM PDT Machine learning algorithms do a lot for us every day -- send unwanted email to our spam folder, warn us if our car is about to back into something, and give us recommendations on what TV show to watch next. Now, we are increasingly using these same algorithms to make environmental predictions for us. |
| Songbirds and humans share some common speech patterns Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:12 AM PDT If you listen to songbirds, you will recognize repeated melodies or phrases. Each phrase is made up of distinct sounds, strung together. A study has found that the song phrases of many songbird species follow patterns that are similar to those used in human speech. At least in some respects. |
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