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Thursday, December 29, 2011

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News


Weather deserves medal for clean air during 2008 Olympics

Posted: 28 Dec 2011 08:17 AM PST

New research suggests that China's impressive feat of cutting Beijing's pollution up to 50 percent for the 2008 Summer Olympics had some help from Mother Nature. Rain just at the beginning and wind during the Olympics likely contributed about half of the effort needed to clean up the skies, scientists found. The results also suggest emission controls need to be more widely implemented than in 2008 if pollution levels are to be reduced permanently.

Improved method for protein sequence comparisons is faster, more accurate, more sensitive

Posted: 25 Dec 2011 04:47 PM PST

Sequence comparisons are an essential tool for the prediction and analysis of the structure and functions of proteins. A new method developed by computational biologists permits sequence comparisons to be performed faster and more accurately than ever before.

A radar for ADAR: Altered gene tracks RNA editing in neurons

Posted: 25 Dec 2011 11:43 AM PST

RNA editing is a key step in gene expression. Scientists now report that they have engineered a gene capable of visually displaying the activity of the key enzyme ADAR in living fruit flies.

Benefits of new U. S. air quality rules greatly outweigh costs

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 11:06 AM PST

Scientists have written an expanded review of six new air quality regulations by the EPA. These include the first national standards in the U.S. for reducing dangerous emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from power plants. Though the cost of implementing is about $195 billion over the next two decades, the economic, environmental and health benefits amount to well over $1 trillion, considerably outweighing the control costs.

To turn up the heat in chilies, just add water

Posted: 21 Dec 2011 06:19 AM PST

Hot chilies growing wild in dry environments produce substantially fewer seeds than non-pungent plants, but they are better protected against a seed-attacking fungus that is more prevalent in moist regions.

Skeletons point to Columbus voyage for syphilis origins

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 10:41 AM PST

Skeletal evidence that reputedly showed signs of syphilis in Europe and other parts of the Old World before Christopher Columbus made his voyage in 1492 does not hold up when subjected to standardized analyses for diagnosis and dating, according to a new appraisal. This is the first time that all 54 previously published cases have been evaluated systematically, and bolsters the case that syphilis came from the New World.

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