ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Helicopter parenting better for pets than for kids
• Are all rattlesnakes created equal? No, maybe not
• Correcting estimates of sea level rise
• Renewable resources reach their limits
• Rainfall can release aerosols, study finds
• DNA 'smart glue' could someday be used to build tissues, organs
• Chemical analysis of ancient rocks reveals earliest record yet of Earth's atmosphere: Isotopic memory of atmospheric persistence
• Climate, friends influence young corals choice of real estate
• Levels of 'Molly,' aka ecstasy, spike in rivers near music festival
• Early protection, fungicide effectively reduce downy mildew in basil
• Native grasses identified for use in western US urban landscapes
• Jaw mechanics of a shell-crushing Jurassic fish revealed
• New restoration focus for western dry forests
• Anatomy of petal drop in sunflowers
• Sweet potato leaves a good source of vitamins
• Root hydraulic conductance linked to trees' post-transplant recovery
• New contaminants found in oil, gas wastewater
• Stone Age humans weren't necessarily more advanced than Neanderthals
• Cone snail venom holds promise for medical treatments for cancer, addiction
• Possible treatments identified for highly contagious stomach virus
• Captive breeding alters snail behavior
• Urban stormwater management: Permeable pavements to reduce run-off from parking lots
• Testing for Bovine Tuberculosis is more effective than badger culls at controlling the disease
• How cells communicate
• Pitcher plants 'switch off' traps to capture more ants
• Bacteria as individual as people? Study of rhizobium from plant roots suggests yes
• New device allows for manipulation of differentiating stem cells
• Crush those clinkers while they're hot
• A breakthrough approach to addressing the causes of biodiversity loss

Helicopter parenting better for pets than for kids Posted: 14 Jan 2015 01:28 PM PST Helicopter parenting may not be the best strategy for raising independent kids. But a healthy measure of overprotectiveness could actually be advantageous when raising dogs and cats, according to a new study that compares 'dog people' to 'cat people' and correlates neuroticism with better pet care.

Are all rattlesnakes created equal? No, maybe not Posted: 14 Jan 2015 11:05 AM PST New research by a team of biologists has revealed that creating antivenom is a bit tricky. That's because the type of venom a snake produces can change according to where it lives.

Correcting estimates of sea level rise Posted: 14 Jan 2015 11:05 AM PST The acceleration in global sea level from the 20th century to the last two decades has been significantly larger than scientists previously thought, according to a new study. Previous estimates of global sea-level rise from 1900-1990 had been over-estimated by as much as 30 percent, researchers suggest.

Renewable resources reach their limits Posted: 14 Jan 2015 11:04 AM PST Landscape ecologists and plant ecologists analyzed the production and extraction rates of 27 global renewable and non-renewable resources together with economists and sustainability scholars. They examined 20 renewable resources, such as maize, rice, wheat or soya, which represent around 45% of the global calorie intake according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as well as animal products, such as fish, meat, milk and egg. For 18 of these renewable resources the annual growth rate (for example the increase in meat production or in fish catch) reached its peak -- the peak-rate year -- around 2006 a few years ago.

Rainfall can release aerosols, study finds Posted: 14 Jan 2015 08:55 AM PST High-speed imaging captures raindrops releasing clouds of aerosols on impact. In learning this, researchers suspect that in natural environments, aerosols may carry aromatic elements, along with bacteria and viruses stored in soil. These aerosols may be released during light or moderate rainfall, and then spread via gusts of wind.

DNA 'smart glue' could someday be used to build tissues, organs Posted: 14 Jan 2015 08:55 AM PST DNA molecules provide the 'source code' for life in humans, plants, animals and some microbes. But now researchers report an initial study showing that the strands can also act as a glue to hold together 3-D-printed materials that could someday be used to grow tissues and organs in the lab.

Chemical analysis of ancient rocks reveals earliest record yet of Earth's atmosphere: Isotopic memory of atmospheric persistence Posted: 14 Jan 2015 08:52 AM PST Chemical analysis of some of the world's oldest rocks has provided the earliest record yet of Earth's atmosphere. The results show that the air 4 billion years ago was very similar to that more than a billion years later, when the atmosphere -- though it likely would have been lethal to oxygen-dependent humans -- supported a thriving microbial biosphere that ultimately gave rise to the diversity of life on Earth today.

Climate, friends influence young corals choice of real estate Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:18 AM PST Where baby corals choose to settle is influenced by ocean temperature and the presence of their symbiotic algae in the water, researchers have found.

Levels of 'Molly,' aka ecstasy, spike in rivers near music festival Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:17 AM PST The illicit drug called 'Molly' or ecstasy is a serious concern for parents, law enforcement and now for environmentalists. Scientists report that a major music festival in Taiwan coincides with a spike in the drug's levels in nearby rivers. Not only does this highlight drug abuse at the concert, but the scientists say it also focuses attention on potential effects the substance could have on aquatic life.

Early protection, fungicide effectively reduce downy mildew in basil Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:17 AM PST Production of sweet basil has been drastically affected by downy mildew caused by the foliar disease Peronospora belbahrii. Scientists evaluated two- to seven-week-old basil plants for susceptibility to downy mildew and analyzed the effect of pre-inoculation applications of acibenzolar-S-methyl for controlling the disease. Results indicated two- to three-week-old basil plants need to be protected, and ASM should be applied before pathogen infection on five- to seven-week-old plants to reduce downy mildew.

Native grasses identified for use in western US urban landscapes Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:17 AM PST Researchers assessed the phenotypic and genotypic attributes of a native fine-leaved Festuca collection in Montana by cloning 270 FEID 9025897 plants and evaluating them for genetic diversity and plant morphology for two years. The selections were evaluated for plant height, width, biomass, relative vigor, persistence, and regrowth after clipping. Nineteen plants from the collection were identified for their ornamental characteristics and potential for use in urban horticultural applications.

Jaw mechanics of a shell-crushing Jurassic fish revealed Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:17 AM PST The feeding habits of an unusual 200-million-year-old fish have been uncovered by an undergraduate in a groundbreaking study. The Jurassic fish, Dapedium, known from the Lower Lias rocks of the Dorset coast around Lyme Regis, was one of many new groups of fishes that came on the scene 200 million years ago. These included ancestors of the modern teleost fishes -- the group of 30,000 species of salmon, cod, seahorses, and perch -- that dominate the waters today.

New restoration focus for western dry forests Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:16 AM PST The most significant current threat to western dry forests is from insect outbreaks and droughts, not wildfires, research shows. Historically abundant small trees offer the greatest hope for forest survival and recovery after these events, authors say.

Anatomy of petal drop in sunflowers Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:16 AM PST Anatomical analysis of two sunflower cultivars revealed a differentiated region at the junction of the flowers' petal and achene. Cell division at the abscission zone of the short-lived cultivar occurred earlier than in the long-lived cultivar, indicating that the tempo of development differed; the abscission layer reached full maturity sooner in Procut Bicolor, resulting in earlier petal drop, than in Procut Yellow Lite. Vase life was also correlated to flower color.

Sweet potato leaves a good source of vitamins Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:16 AM PST A study designed to determine the ascorbic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin B6 content in foliar tissues of sweet potato confirmed that mature and young sweet potato leaves can be a good source of multiple water-soluble vitamins in the human diet. Young leaves contained the highest ascorbic acid content, followed by mature leaves and buds.

Root hydraulic conductance linked to trees' post-transplant recovery Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:16 AM PST A study of two Quercus species investigated whether root hydraulic conductance is related to post-transplant recovery. Researchers compared root hydraulic conductance after transplanting using a number of variables including root pruning, caliper size, and transplant timing. Hydraulic conductance in fine roots was related to recovery of the species after transplanting. Stem diameter growth after transplanting was greater for small-caliper Quercus bicolor trees than Quercus macrocarpa.

New contaminants found in oil, gas wastewater Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:16 AM PST High levels of two potentially hazardous contaminants, ammonium and iodide, have been documented in wastewater being discharged into streams and rivers from oil and gas operations in Pennsylvania. Levels of contamination were just as high in wastewater coming from conventional oil and gas wells as from hydraulically fractured shale gas wells.

Stone Age humans weren't necessarily more advanced than Neanderthals Posted: 14 Jan 2015 07:15 AM PST A multi-purpose bone tool dating from the Neanderthal era has been discovered by researchers, throwing into question our current understanding of the evolution of human behavior. It was found at an archaeological site in France.

Cone snail venom holds promise for medical treatments for cancer, addiction Posted: 14 Jan 2015 06:08 AM PST While considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, snails have found a more intriguing use to scientists and the medical profession offering a plethora of research possibilities. Cone snails are marine mollusks, just as conch, octopi and squid, but they capture their prey using venom. The venom of these marine critters provides leads for detection and possible treatment of some cancers and addictions.

Possible treatments identified for highly contagious stomach virus Posted: 14 Jan 2015 06:08 AM PST Antibiotics aren't supposed to be effective against viruses. But new evidence in mice suggests antibiotics may help fight norovirus, a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus, report scientists. Outbreaks of norovirus are notoriously difficult to contain and can spread quickly on cruise ships and in schools, nursing homes and other closed spaces.

Captive breeding alters snail behavior Posted: 14 Jan 2015 05:39 AM PST Rearing snails in the laboratory can cause important changes in their behavior, researchers have found. "We found that great pond snails follow the slime trails laid down by other snails as they move. What we found really surprising was that rearing the snails in the laboratory changed this behaviour relative to wild snails. This difference between wild and laboratory reared snails only occurred when they had been socially isolated for a week before we tested them," authors say.

Urban stormwater management: Permeable pavements to reduce run-off from parking lots Posted: 14 Jan 2015 04:27 AM PST Scientists have developed permeable pavements to reduce the problems caused by storm and runoff water in urban areas. The project also aims to prepare for the higher volumes of rainfall and more intense storms that can be expected in the future. The pavement solutions developed in the project are well suited for areas with low traffic volume, such as car parks, pavements, courtyards, fields and squares.

Testing for Bovine Tuberculosis is more effective than badger culls at controlling the disease Posted: 14 Jan 2015 04:27 AM PST The only effective potential Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) control strategies are badger culling, cattle testing, controlling cattle movement, and ceasing the practice of housing farm cattle together during winter. New modelling has found that in a region containing about 1.5m cows of which 3000 to 15,000 might have TB, badger culling could account for a reduction of 12 in the number of infected cattle. While reducing the testing interval by one month could reduce the number of those infected by 193.

How cells communicate Posted: 14 Jan 2015 04:27 AM PST During embryonal development of vertebrates, signaling molecules inform each cell at which position it is located. In this way, the cell can develop its special structure and function. For the first time now, researchers have shown that these signaling molecules are transmitted in bundles via long filamentary cell projections.

Pitcher plants 'switch off' traps to capture more ants Posted: 13 Jan 2015 05:43 PM PST Insect-eating pitcher plants temporarily 'switch off' their traps in order to lure more prey into danger, new research has found. "The plant's key trapping surface is extremely slippery when wet but not when dry. For up to eight hours during dry days, these traps are 'switched off' and do not capture any of their insect visitors," a scientist explained. The researchers conducted experiments in which they artificially kept the trapping surfaces wet all the time. They found that wetted plants no longer captured large 'batches' of ants.

Bacteria as individual as people? Study of rhizobium from plant roots suggests yes Posted: 13 Jan 2015 05:41 PM PST Bacteria are as individual as people, new research suggests. Bacteria are essential to health, agriculture and the environment, and new research tools are starting to shed more light on them. The team extracted the bacteria from plant roots and established 72 separate strains. They determined the DNA sequence of the genome of each strain. Their research shows that each of those 72 strains is unique -- each has different genes and is capable of growing on different food sources.

New device allows for manipulation of differentiating stem cells Posted: 13 Jan 2015 12:40 PM PST A new device creates nanopores in adherent cell membranes, allowing researchers to deliver molecules directly into the cells during differentiation. "The ability to deliver molecules into adherent cells without disrupting differentiation is needed for biotechnology researchers to advance both fundamental knowledge and the state-of-the-art in stem cell research," one researcher notes.

Crush those clinkers while they're hot Posted: 13 Jan 2015 12:40 PM PST Clinkers pulverized to make cement should be processed right out of the kiln to save the most energy. The environmentally friendly advice is the result of a recent computational study.

A breakthrough approach to addressing the causes of biodiversity loss Posted: 13 Jan 2015 11:52 AM PST A simplified framework of the interactions between nature and people could potentially change the manner in which biodiversity assessments will be conducted in the future.

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