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ScienceDaily: Top Environment News |
| Researchers use CRISPR technology to modify starches in potatoes Posted: 25 May 2022 01:37 PM PDT Humble potatoes are a rich source not only of dietary carbohydrates for humans, but also of starches for numerous industrial applications. Scientists are learning how to alter the ratio of potatoes' two starch molecules -- amylose and amylopectin -- to increase both culinary and industrial applications. |
| Bat brains organized for echolocation and flight Posted: 25 May 2022 12:17 PM PDT A new study shows how the brains of Egyptian fruit bats are highly specialized for echolocation and flight, with motor areas of the cerebral cortex that are dedicated to sonar production and wing control. |
| Artificial cilia could someday power diagnostic devices Posted: 25 May 2022 10:12 AM PDT Researchers have now designed a micro-sized artificial cilial system using platinum-based components that can control the movement of fluids at such a scale. The technology could someday enable low-cost, portable diagnostic devices for testing blood samples, manipulating cells or assisting in microfabrication processes. |
| Archaeologists reveal pre-Hispanic cities in Bolivia with laser technology Posted: 25 May 2022 08:09 AM PDT Several hundred settlements from the time between 500 and 1400 AD lie in the Bolivian Llanos de Mojos savannah and have fascinated archaeologists for years. Researchers have now visualized the dimensions of the largest known settlement of the so-called Casarabe culture. Mapping with the laser technology LIDAR indicates that it is an early urbanism with a low population density -- the only known case so far from the Amazon lowlands. The results shed new light on how globally widespread and diverse early urban life was and how earlier societies lived in the Amazon. |
| Climate change reveals unique artifacts in melting ice patches Posted: 25 May 2022 08:09 AM PDT Norwegian mountains are full of time capsules. Thousands of years of human and ecological history are preserved in remnant patches of ice. Now this treasure trove of information threatens to melt away, unless we take action. |
| High air pollution from fracking in Ohio county Posted: 25 May 2022 08:09 AM PDT Residents of Belmont County in eastern Ohio have long suffered from health problems they suspected were the result of air pollution from fracking facilities, but regulators dismissed and downplayed their concerns. With technical assistance from volunteer scientists, local advocacy groups set up their own network of low-cost sensors. They found that the region's three EPA sensors were not providing an accurate picture: The sensors revealed concerning levels of air pollution, and correlations between local spikes and health impacts. |
| Silicone wristbands track firefighters' exposures to harmful chemicals Posted: 25 May 2022 08:09 AM PDT Researchers have used silicone wristbands to track firefighters' exposures to 134 potentially carcinogenic chemicals. Analysis of the chemicals absorbed by the wristbands over a six-day shift show that while some exposures are linked to being at the scene of a fire, others aren't. This suggests that just being a firefighter means you are exposed to more of these compounds than the average adult, regardless of whether you respond to a fire. |
| Chemists' HAT trick for greener chemical synthesis Posted: 25 May 2022 08:08 AM PDT A technique used in chemical synthesis is called hydrogen atom transfer, or HAT. It's a potentially powerful and versatile chemical tool, but technical constraints have limited its use. Now chemists have borrowed a technique from the chemistry of energy storage to accomplish HAT with fewer chemicals and less cost. |
| Hot-blooded T. rex and cold-blooded Stegosaurus: Chemical clues reveal dinosaur metabolisms Posted: 25 May 2022 08:08 AM PDT There's a new method for determining whether dinosaurs were hot- or cold-blooded, using clues in their bones that indicated how much the individual animals breathed in their last hour of life. The study shows that the bird-hipped dinosaurs like T. rex and Brachiosaurus were hot-blooded, while the lizard-hipped dinosaurs like Triceratops and Stegosaurus were cold-blooded. |
| Genetic roots of 3 mitochondrial diseases ID'd via new approach Posted: 25 May 2022 08:08 AM PDT Researchers have identified the genetic causes of three mitochondrial diseases by figuring out what dozens of poorly understood mitochondrial proteins do. The functions of hundreds more mitochondrial proteins remain unknown, indicating that this approach could be a promising path to finding better ways to diagnose and treat the bewildering array of conditions linked to malfunctioning mitochondria. |
| Mice choose best escape route without ever experiencing threat Posted: 25 May 2022 08:08 AM PDT Escaping imminent danger is essential for survival. Animals must learn a new environment fast enough for them to be able to choose the shortest route to safety. But how do they do this without ever having experienced threat in the new environment? |
| Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Researchers have outlined a powerful new tool for monitoring trade of rare and endangered fish species in Hong Kong wet markets. Using environmental DNA (eDNA) present in the drain runoff water of fish markets, researchers were able to extract and sequence enough DNA to identify over 100 species of fish that had passed through the market. |
| Astrophysics student discovers link between global warming and locally unstable weather Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Climate change gives rise to more unstable weather, local droughts and extreme temperature records, but a coherent theory relating local and global climate is still under active development. Now an astrophysics student has used a mathematical approach -- inspired by research in the Universe's light -- to unveil how global temperature increase engenders locally unstable weather on Earth. |
| First Australians ate giant eggs of huge flightless birds, ancient proteins confirm Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Scientists settle debate surrounding species that laid eggs exploited by early Australian people around 50,000 years ago. Shell proteins point to Genyornis, which was among the 'mega-fauna' to go extinct a few thousand years after humans arrived on the continent. |
| Secrets of tree hyraxes in Kenya uncovered with new research techniques Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT In addition to audio recordings and laser scanning, a thermal imaging camera has been adopted for use in research focused on threatened mammals that hide from poachers in Kenya's Taita Hills. |
| When male buddies become less important than female mating partners Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Close friendships among males are rare in the animal kingdom, as males usually compete for rank and access to females. However, male friendships can also be beneficial for male reproduction, as friends can provide support in climbing the rank ladder or defending females from other males. Scientists have now investigated the benefits of male friendships in wild Guinea baboons in Senegal. |
| Researchers develop new biobattery for hydrogen storage Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT A team of microbiologists has succeeded in using bacteria for the controlled storage and release of hydrogen. This is an important step in the search for carbon-neutral energy sources in the interest of climate protection. |
| New research on tidal flats is 'wake up call' for US coastal communities Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT About 41 million people in live in U.S. Atlantic coastline counties. There isn't an effective way to identify the impact of urban growth on tidal flats -- the guardians of beachfront communities. Researchers have developed a new way to quantify these impacts from a geographic lens focused on place and space using data over three decades. Analyzing the annual dynamics of three highly urbanized coastal counties in the southeastern U.S., results show that tidal flats in these three counties urgently need a sustainable plan of management in response to the rapid expansion of urban areas. Importantly, their new technique can be revised and applied to the entire U.S. as research now is limited to individual cities. |
| Some nomadic birds look for social cues to stop migrating Posted: 25 May 2022 05:05 AM PDT A study of nomadic pine siskins, a type of finch often seen on backyard feeders, found that when male migratory siskins were paired with a settled male bird in captivity, they started exhibiting signs of ending migration too. They stopped restless flying and lost body mass, fat stores and muscle size, compared to a control group placed in solo enclosures. The apparent reliance on social cues for the end of migration has implications for other nomadic animals as well. |
| The road to success when it comes to mitigating flood disasters Posted: 25 May 2022 05:04 AM PDT As Australia continues to mop up after one of the wettest years on record, councils might want to consider a new flood mitigation strategy -- permeable pavements to suit specific soil and rainfall conditions. |
| How anesthetics affect brain functions Posted: 24 May 2022 08:06 AM PDT Researchers have used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the precise spatial distribution of synchronously working brain regions in anesthetized humans, long-tailed macaques, common marmosets and rats. The scientists were able to show that the areas where burst-suppression is evident differ significantly in primates and rodents. |
| Horses and pigs sense harsh speaking tones Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT How we speak matters to animals. Horses, pigs and wild horses can distinguish between negative and positive sounds from their fellow species and near relatives, as well as from human speech. The study provides insight into the history of emotional development and opens up interesting perspectives with regards to animal welfare. |
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