The Science Daily: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Saturday, December 18, 2010

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Saturday, December 18, 2010

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Small islands in the Pacific: Duel between freshwater and sea water (December 17, 2010) -- It is said that the first refugees of climate change will come from the Pacific. In the midst of this ocean’s tropical regions are scattered 50,000 small islands, 8,000 of them inhabited. They are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of global warming. These effects include rising sea-water levels, drought and diminishing stocks of freshwater. ... > full story

More than 100 new species described by California Academy of Sciences in 2010 (December 17, 2010) -- In an effort to address the critical need for data about the diversity of life on Earth, scientists from the California Academy of Sciences have spent the past year exploring some of the planet's most diverse habitats, searching for new species and creating comprehensive biodiversity maps. In 2010, they have added 113 new relatives to our family tree: 83 arthropods, 20 fishes, four corals, two sea slugs, two plants, one reptile, and one fossil mammal. ... > full story

Beetroot juice could help people live more active lives (December 17, 2010) -- New research into the health benefits of beetroot juice suggests it's not only athletes who can benefit from its performance enhancing properties -- its physiological effects could help the elderly or people with heart or lung-conditions enjoy more active lives. ... > full story

An answer to green energy could be in the air (December 17, 2010) -- In Mark Moore's world, long nanotubes reach into the clouds, serving at once to tether a turbine-vehicle flying at 2,000 feet, or 10,000 feet, or 30,000 feet (610, 3,050 and 9,150 meters); and also to conduct the power that vehicle can harvest from the wind back to Earth. Aloft might be a funnel-shaped blimp with a turbine at its back; or a balloon with vanes that rotate; a truss-braced wing; a parachute; a kite. Any and all of them are ideas being considered by nascent renewable energy industry that is flexing its imagination. ... > full story

Proximity to freeway associated with autism (December 17, 2010) -- Living near a freeway may be associated with increased risk of autism, according to a new study. The study examined the locations where the children's families' lived during the first, second and third trimesters of their mothers' pregnancies, and at the time of the baby's birth and looked at the proximity of these homes to a major road or freeway. ... > full story

Molecular fossil: Crystal structure shows how RNA, one of biology's oldest catalysts, is made (December 17, 2010) -- In today's world of sophisticated organisms proteins are the stars. But long, long ago ribonucleic acid (RNA) reigned supreme. Now researchers have produced an atomic picture that shows how two of these very old molecules interact with each other. The scientists are the first to show the atomic details of how ribonuclease P recognizes, binds and cleaves transfer RNA. ... > full story

Tiny 3-D images shed light on origin of Earth's core (December 17, 2010) -- A new method of capturing detailed, three-dimensional images of minute samples of material under extreme pressures is shedding light how Earth's interior evolved. Early results suggest that the early Earth did not have to be entirely molten to separate into the rocky crust and iron-rich core it has today. ... > full story

High-tech software, umanned planes allow scientists to keep tabs on Arctic seals (December 17, 2010) -- A novel project using cameras mounted on unmanned aircraft flying over the Arctic is serving double duty by assessing the characteristics of declining sea ice and using the same aerial photos to pinpoint seals that have hauled up on ice floes. ... > full story

Why humans are more sensitive to certain viruses: Primate immune system differences identified (December 17, 2010) -- The greater susceptibility of humans to certain infectious diseases when compared to other primates could be explained by species-specific changes in immune signaling pathways, a new study finds. The first genome-wide, functional comparison of genes regulated by the innate immune system in three primate species discovers potential mediators of differences in disease susceptibility among primates. ... > full story

Snail fever: Scientists pinpoint key defense against parasite infection (December 17, 2010) -- Scientists have made a significant discovery about how the body defends itself against snail fever, a parasitic worm infection common in developing countries. ... > full story

How pollinators sculpt flowers (December 17, 2010) -- For the past 10 years, researchers in Spain have used complex geometric analysis to study how insect pollinators influence the evolution of flower shape. ... > full story

Faster method of engineering zinc-finger nucleases developed (December 17, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a faster way to engineer synthetic enzymes that target specific DNA sequences for inactivation, repair or alteration. The method is a highly effective but less labor-intensive way to generate powerful tools called zinc-finger nucleases. ... > full story

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