ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Carbon stored in worlds soils more vulnerable to climate change than expected
• Tree frogs speed up their life cycle when becoming lunch
• 'Clear' choice for clearing 3-D cell cultures
• New discovery could help turn antibiotic into antimalarial drug
• Wide gap in compensation from '07 South Korean oil spill
• Wind energy cuts the electricity bill
• Global snapshot of infectious canine cancer shows how to control disease
• Brown marmorated stink bug biology, management options
• Estrogen increases cannabis sensitivity, study shows
• How much may German beers be contaminated by microplastics?
• Central biobank for drug research
• Ethanol fireplaces: The underestimated risk
• Allergic reaction to antibiotic residues in foods? You may have to watch what your fruits and veggies eat
• Cockatoos go to carpentry school
• Household air pollution puts more than one in three people worldwide at risk of ill health, early death
• Scientists' work may lead to mission to find out what's inside asteroids
• Uphill climb for mountain species?
• Taxes, subsidies could encourage healthier diet, lower healthcare costs
• Extinctions during human era one thousand times more than before
• Oceans apart: Study reveals insights into evolution of languages
• Carbon emissions of downloaded PlayStation 3 games revealed
• Oil spills and marine snow: Changing microbial dynamics in the wake of the Macondo blowout
• Ocean Mappers Discover Seamount in Pacific Ocean
• Understanding, improving body's fight against pathogens
• Computer simulations visualize ion flux
• Key to first cell differentiation in mammals found
• Underwater grass comeback bodes well for Chesapeake Bay
• Over-the-counter pain reliever may restore immune function in old age
• Hidden infection route of major bacterial pathogen uncovered
• Renewable fossil fuel alternative created using bacteria
• So ... do you know what's in your water?
• Can a stack of computer servers survive an earthquake?
• Scientists sequence complete genome of E. coli strain responsible for food poisoning
• Quality of U.S. diet improves, gap widens for quality between rich and poor
• Ride-sharing could cut cabs' road time by 30 percent
• Low-carb vs. low-fat diets: Clinicians weigh in
• Fruit consumption cuts cardiovascular disease risk by up to 40 percent

Carbon stored in worlds soils more vulnerable to climate change than expected Posted: 03 Sep 2014 10:33 AM PDT The response of soil microbial communities to changes in temperature increases the potential for more carbon dioxide to be released from the world's soils as global temperatures rise, scientists have revealed.

Tree frogs speed up their life cycle when becoming lunch Posted: 03 Sep 2014 09:19 AM PDT Think again if you've always believed that events in the life cycle of animals happen consistently, almost rigidly, as part of the natural rhythm of nature. Studies show that Mother Nature is much more flexible than you might think.

'Clear' choice for clearing 3-D cell cultures Posted: 03 Sep 2014 09:18 AM PDT Scientists have hailed recent demonstrations of chemical technologies for making animal tissues see-through, but a new study is the first to evaluate three such technologies side-by-side for use with engineered 3-D tissue cultures.

New discovery could help turn antibiotic into antimalarial drug Posted: 03 Sep 2014 07:58 AM PDT Researchers are making progress towards new antimalarial drugs, after revealing how an antibiotic called emetine blocks the molecular machinery that produces the proteins required for malaria parasite survival.

Wide gap in compensation from '07 South Korean oil spill Posted: 03 Sep 2014 07:58 AM PDT Scholars have found a considerable gap between the economic loss claimed by residents and the compensation they received after the Hebei Spirit oil spill. Only 11 percent of the claims were approved for compensation.

Wind energy cuts the electricity bill Posted: 03 Sep 2014 07:56 AM PDT The promoting of renewable energy is at the heart of the current debate on energy policy. From an economic perspective, the question focuses on determining the cost of the feed-in tariff systems. A new study tackles this question empirically, and concludes that wind energy continues to produce greater savings than what its incentives amount to, while photovoltaic solar technologies are still in the development phase.

Global snapshot of infectious canine cancer shows how to control disease Posted: 03 Sep 2014 06:22 AM PDT While countries with dog control policies have curbed an infectious and gruesome canine cancer, the disease is continuing to lurk in the majority of dog populations around the world, particularly in areas with many free-roaming dogs, researchers report.

Brown marmorated stink bug biology, management options Posted: 03 Sep 2014 06:22 AM PDT Management options for the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) are outlined in a new article, as well as information about its origin and spread, its pest status in other invaded regions, descriptions of its life stages and biology, its chemical ecology, and the types of damage it does to various host plants.

Estrogen increases cannabis sensitivity, study shows Posted: 03 Sep 2014 06:21 AM PDT Smoking today's concentrated pot might be risky business for women, according to new research. Thanks to their estrogen levels, female rats are at least 30 percent more sensitive than males to the pain-relieving qualities of THC -- the key active ingredient in cannabis, research shows. Females also develop tolerance to THC more quickly. These sensitivities could increase vulnerability to negative side effects like anxiety, paranoia and addiction.

How much may German beers be contaminated by microplastics? Posted: 03 Sep 2014 06:19 AM PDT If you're going to Oktoberfest next month to enjoy the delights of German beer, you might get more than you bargained for. New research has revealed the extent to which German beers may be contaminated by foreign substances, most notably, microplastics.

Central biobank for drug research Posted: 03 Sep 2014 06:17 AM PDT For the development of new drugs it is crucial to work with stem cells, as these allow scientists to study the effects of new active pharmaceutical ingredients. But it has always been difficult to derive enough stem cells of the right quality and in the right timeframe. A central biobank is about to remedy the situation.

Ethanol fireplaces: The underestimated risk Posted: 03 Sep 2014 06:17 AM PDT Ethanol fireplaces are becoming more and more popular. However, they are not only  highly combustible -- in the past, severe accents have occurred repeatedly with decorative fireplaces. The devices also pollute the air in the rooms.

Allergic reaction to antibiotic residues in foods? You may have to watch what your fruits and veggies eat Posted: 03 Sep 2014 06:14 AM PDT People with food allergies always have to watch what they eat. Now, they may have to watch what their fruits and vegetables eat, as it seems it's possible to have an allergic reaction to antibiotic residues in food.

Cockatoos go to carpentry school Posted: 02 Sep 2014 05:53 PM PDT Goffin's cockatoos can learn how to make and use wooden tools from each other, a new study has found. The discovery is thought to be the first controlled experimental evidence for the social transmission of tool use in any bird species.

Household air pollution puts more than one in three people worldwide at risk of ill health, early death Posted: 02 Sep 2014 05:52 PM PDT Household air pollution, caused by the use of plant-based or coal fuel for cooking, heating, and lighting, is putting nearly three billion people worldwide at risk of ill health and early death, according to a new article.

Scientists' work may lead to mission to find out what's inside asteroids Posted: 02 Sep 2014 05:51 PM PDT Future asteroid mining operations and how we deal with an impending strike could be influenced by research on a potential NASA mission.

Uphill climb for mountain species? Posted: 02 Sep 2014 02:11 PM PDT A history of scientific research on mountain ecosystems has been provided in a new article, whic looks at the issues threatening wildlife in these systems, and sets an agenda for biodiversity conservation throughout the world's mountain regions.

Taxes, subsidies could encourage healthier diet, lower healthcare costs Posted: 02 Sep 2014 02:11 PM PDT A team of researchers call for the implementation of taxes and subsidies to improve dietary quality in the United States. Over time, the size of the tax could be on a sliding scale depending on nutritional quality, a tactic the authors hope would prompt restaurants and food manufacturers to produce healthier products.

Extinctions during human era one thousand times more than before Posted: 02 Sep 2014 12:11 PM PDT The gravity of the world's current extinction rate becomes clearer upon knowing what it was before people came along. A new estimate finds that species die off as much as 1,000 times more frequently nowadays than they used to. That's 10 times worse than the old estimate of 100 times.

Oceans apart: Study reveals insights into evolution of languages Posted: 02 Sep 2014 11:42 AM PDT A new study provides evidence that physical barriers formed by oceans can influence language diversification. "Charles Darwin would have been amused by a study like this, because it confirms his hypothesis that languages, like species, are the product of evolution," said the study's lead author.

Carbon emissions of downloaded PlayStation 3 games revealed Posted: 02 Sep 2014 11:42 AM PDT It's not always true that digital distribution of media will have lower carbon emissions than distribution by physical means, at least when file sizes are large.

Oil spills and marine snow: Changing microbial dynamics in the wake of the Macondo blowout Posted: 02 Sep 2014 11:42 AM PDT Following the oil spill caused by the blowout at the Macondo wellhead in 2010, Gulf of Mexico microbial population dynamics shifted rapidly as numbers of oil degraders quickly increased. In addition, the spill provided an opportunity to study the newly described phenomenon of microbe-derived marine snow.

Ocean Mappers Discover Seamount in Pacific Ocean Posted: 02 Sep 2014 11:32 AM PDT Scientists on a seafloor mapping mission have discovered a new seamount near the Johnson Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The summit of the seamount rises 1,100 meters from the 5,100-meter-deep ocean floor. The seamount's impact remains unknown -- for now. It's too deep (its summit lies nearly 4,000 meters beneath the surface of the ocean) to be a navigation hazard or to provide rich fisheries. "It's probably 100 million years old," Gardner says, "and it might have something in it we may be interested in 100 years from now."

Understanding, improving body's fight against pathogens Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:50 AM PDT The crucial role of two signalling molecules, DOK3 and SHP1, in the development and production of plasma cells has been uncovered by researchers. These discoveries advance the understanding of plasma cells and the antibody response, and may lead to optimization of vaccine development and improved treatment for patients with autoimmune diseases such as lupus and tumors such as multiple myeloma.

Computer simulations visualize ion flux Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:49 AM PDT Pharmacologists have investigated how ion flux through a voltage gated sodium ion channel works in detail. Since this process is incredibly fast -- up to 100 million ions per seconds -- computer simulations were performed to visualize sodium flux 'in slow motion.'

Key to first cell differentiation in mammals found Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:49 AM PDT The key to the appearance of the first differentiated cell types in mammalian embryos has been uncovered by researchers. This differentiation event occurs even before the formation of the embryo proper, during the developmental stage known as the blastocyst.

Underwater grass comeback bodes well for Chesapeake Bay Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:47 AM PDT The Susquehanna Flats, a large bed of underwater grasses in the upper Chesapeake Bay, virtually disappeared after Tropical Storm Agnes more than 40 years ago. The grasses mysteriously began to come back in the early 2000s. Today the bed is one of the biggest and healthiest in the Bay, spanning some 20 square miles. Scientists are figuring out what's behind the comeback.

Over-the-counter pain reliever may restore immune function in old age Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:47 AM PDT New research involving mice suggests that the key to more youthful immune function might already be in your medicine cabinet. Scientists have shown that macrophages from the lungs of old mice had different responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis than macrophages from young mice, but these changes were reversed by ibuprofen.

Hidden infection route of major bacterial pathogen uncovered Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:46 AM PDT The pattern of infection of the bacterium responsible for causing severe lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis has been uncovered by scientists. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is usually harmless to humans, but in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) or who have weakened immune systems -- such as those who have had an operation or treatment for cancer -- it can cause infections that are resistant to antibiotics.

Renewable fossil fuel alternative created using bacteria Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:46 AM PDT Researchers have engineered the harmless gut bacteria E. coli to generate renewable propane. Propane is an appealing source of cleaner fuel because it has an existing global market. used Escherichia coli to interrupt the biological process that turns fatty acids into cell membranes. The researchers used enzymes to channel the fatty acids along a different biological pathway, so that the bacteria made engine-ready renewable propane instead of cell membranes. Their ultimate goal is to insert this engineered system into photosynthetic bacteria, so as to one day directly convert solar energy into chemical fuel.

So ... do you know what's in your water? Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:42 AM PDT Fifty percent of the population taste threshold for manganese II in water, the simplest ionic manganese oxide, is estimated to be more than 1000 times the current EPA allowable level. With this knowledge, researchers are now looking into possible secondary pollution issues with the release of manganese in air through its use in humidifiers.

Can a stack of computer servers survive an earthquake? Posted: 02 Sep 2014 08:42 AM PDT In high-seismic regions, new facilities often are engineered with passive protective systems that provide overall seismic protection. But often, existing facilities are conventional fixed-base buildings in which seismic demands on sensitive equipment located within are significantly amplified. In such buildings, sensitive equipment needs to be secured from these damaging earthquake effects.

Scientists sequence complete genome of E. coli strain responsible for food poisoning Posted: 02 Sep 2014 06:43 AM PDT The first complete genome sequencing of a strain of E. coli that is a common cause of outbreaks of food poisoning in the United States has been sequenced by scientists. Although the E. coli strain EDL933 was first isolated in the 1980s, it gained national attention in 1993 when it was linked to an outbreak of food poisoning from Jack-in-the-Box restaurants in the western United States.

Quality of U.S. diet improves, gap widens for quality between rich and poor Posted: 01 Sep 2014 06:15 PM PDT The quality of the U.S. diet showed some modest improvement in the last decade in large measure because of a reduction in the consumption of unhealthy trans fats, but the gap in overall diet quality widened between the rich and the poor.

Ride-sharing could cut cabs' road time by 30 percent Posted: 01 Sep 2014 06:15 PM PDT Cellphone apps that find users car rides in real time are exploding in popularity. What if the taxi-service app on your cellphone had a button on it that let you indicate that you were willing to share a ride with another passenger? How drastically could cab-sharing reduce traffic, fares, and carbon dioxide emissions? Analysis suggests that ride-sharing could cut taxis' road time by 30 percent.

Low-carb vs. low-fat diets: Clinicians weigh in Posted: 01 Sep 2014 06:14 PM PDT Two articles recently published review and compare the low-carb and low-fat diets. A low-carbohydrate diet is more effective for weight loss and reducing cardiovascular risk factors than a low-fat diet, they conclude.

Fruit consumption cuts cardiovascular disease risk by up to 40 percent Posted: 01 Sep 2014 09:35 AM PDT Daily fruit consumption cuts the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by up to 40 percent, according to research. The findings from the seven-year follow-up study of nearly a half million people in the China Kadoorie Biobank found that the more fruit people ate, the more their risk of CVD declined.

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