ScienceDaily: Environment - November 24, 2023
Top environment research news
New clues into the head-scratching mystery of itch
Scientists show for the first time that bacteria can cause itch by activating nerve cells in the skin. The findings can inform new therapies to treat itch that occurs in inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis.
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Revolutionary breakthrough in the manufacture of photovoltaic cells
Engineers have achieved a world first by manufacturing the first back-contact micrometric photovoltaic cells.
Neanderthals were the world's first artists, research reveals
Recent research has shown that engravings in a cave in La Roche-Cotard (France), which has been sealed for thousands of years, were actually made by Neanderthals. The findings reveal that the Neanderthals were the first humans with an appreciation of art.
High temperatures may have caused over 70,000 excess deaths in Europe in 2022
The burden of heat-related mortality during the summer of 2022 in Europe may have exceeded 70,000 deaths according to a new study. The authors of the study revised upwards initial estimates of the mortality associated with record temperatures in 2022 on the European continent.
Curators and cavers: How a tip from a citizen scientist led to deep discoveries in Utah's caves
Scientists and colleagues from Utah's caving community have published the first research from their collaborative fieldwork effort deep in Utah's caves. The journal's feature article reveals why caves make such compelling research archives; what was uncovered in Boomerang Cave in northern Utah; why skeletal remains provide new access to hard-to-get data from the recent past; and offers a new zoological baseline for mammalian changes in an alpine community.
Sophisticated swarming: Bacteria support each other across generations
When bacteria build communities, they cooperate and share nutrients across generations. Researchers have been able to demonstrate this for the first time using a newly developed method. This innovative technique enables the tracking of gene expression during the development of bacterial communities over space and time.
Trilobites rise from the ashes to reveal ancient map
Ten newly discovered species of trilobites, hidden for 490 million years in a little-studied part of Thailand, could be the missing pieces in an intricate puzzle of ancient world geography.
Looking for 'LUCA' and the timing of cellular evolution
LUCA, the 'last universal common ancestor' of all living organisms, lived 4.32 to at most 4.52 billion years ago. What LUCA looked like is unknown, but it must have been a cell with among others ribosomal proteins and an ATP synthase.
Certain skin bacteria can inhibit growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Researchers have found a bacteriocin that can help inhibit the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Laser-powered 'tweezers' reveal universal mechanism viruses use to package up DNA
Researchers have used laser-powered ‘optical tweezers’ to reveal a universal motor mechanism used by viruses for packaging their DNA into infectious particles.
Massive Antarctic ozone hole over past four years: What is to blame?
Despite public perception, the Antarctic ozone hole has been remarkably massive and long-lived over the past four years; researchers believe chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) aren't the only things to blame.
Could eating turkey ease colitis?
According to data in mice, extra tryptophan could reduce the risk of future colitis flares.
Outlook on scaling of carbon removal technologies
The research makes it clear that ensuring the sustained well-being of our planet requires a more serious commitment toward new carbon dioxide removal technologies, and a faster scale-up of their production.
Bacteria store memories and pass them on for generations
Scientists have discovered that bacteria can create something like memories about when to form strategies that can cause dangerous infections in people, such as resistance to antibiotics and bacterial swarms when millions of bacteria come together on a single surface. The discovery -- which has potential applications for preventing and combatting bacterial infections and addressing antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- relates to a common chemical element bacterial cells can use to form and pass along these memories to their progeny over later generations.
Forest modeling shows which harvest rotations lead to maximum carbon sequestration
Forest modeling shows that a site's productivity -- an indicator of how fast trees grow and how much biomass they accumulate -- is the main factor that determines which time period between timber harvests allows for maximum above-ground carbon sequestration.
'Woman the hunter': Studies aim to correct history
New research combined both physiological and archaeological evidence to argue that not only did prehistoric women engage in the practice of hunting, but their female anatomy and biology would have made them intrinsically better suited for it.
AI finds formula on how to predict monster waves
Using 700 years' worth of wave data from more than a billion waves, scientists have used artificial intelligence to find a formula for how to predict the occurrence of these maritime monsters. Long considered myth, freakishly large rogue waves are very real and can split apart ships and even damage oil rigs.
Consumers, florists differ on floral arrangements
Consumers don't necessarily pay attention to florists' arrangement design elements. And consumer love roses -- a lot.
Protect delicate polar ecosystems by mapping biodiversity
Concerted action is required to mitigate the impact of warming on polar ecosystems and sustainably manage these unique habitats.
New percussion method to detect pipeline elbow erosion
An engineering research team is pioneering a new method, based on percussion, to detect pipeline elbow erosion to prevent economic losses, environmental pollution and other safety issues.
Massive 2022 eruption reduced ozone layer levels
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano changed the chemistry and dynamics of the stratosphere in the year following the eruption, leading to unprecedented losses in the ozone layer of up to 7% over large areas of the Southern Hemisphere.
Urban environmental exposures drive increased breast cancer incidence
An analysis of breast cancer showed that the state’s urban counties had higher overall incidences of disease than rural counties, especially at early stages upon diagnosis.
New approaches in the fight against drug resistance in malaria
Malaria is one of the most widespread and deadly infectious diseases worldwide. New compounds are continuously required due to the risk of malaria parasites becoming resistant to the medicines currently used. A team of researchers has now combined the anti-malaria drug artemisinin with coumarin, which, like artemisinin, is also found in plants, and developed an auto-fluorescent compound from both bioactive substances.
AI: Researchers develop automatic text recognition for ancient cuneiform tablets
A new artificial intelligence (AI) software is now able to decipher difficult-to-read texts on cuneiform tablets. Instead of photos, the AI system uses 3D models of the tablets, delivering significantly more reliable results than previous methods. This makes it possible to search through the contents of multiple tablets to compare them with each other. It also paves the way for entirely new research questions.
Coastal river deltas threatened by more than climate change
Worldwide, coastal river deltas are home to more than half a billion people, supporting fisheries, agriculture, cities, and fertile ecosystems. In a unique study covering 49 deltas globally, researchers have identified the most critical risks to deltas in the future. The research shows that deltas face multiple risks, and that population growth and poor environmental governance might pose bigger threats than climate change to the sustainability of Asian and African deltas, in particular.
Why do some people get headaches from drinking red wine?
Researchers think that a flavanol found naturally in red wines can interfere with the proper metabolism of alcohol and can lead to a headache.
Innovative aquaculture system turns waste wood into nutritious seafood
Innovative aquaculture system turns waste wood into nutritious seafood. Researchers hoping to rebrand a marine pest as a nutritious food have developed the world's first system of farming shipworms, which they have renamed 'Naked Clams'.
Microbiome development: Bacteria lay the foundations for their descendants
The microbiome (the symbiotic community of microbial organisms of a host) is of existential importance for the functioning of every plant and animal, including human beings. A research team has now used the example of the sea anemone Nematostella vectenis to investigate how the microbiome develops together with the host. The researchers describe that the bacterial community is primarily controlled by the host organism during the early stages of life, while bacteria-bacteria interactions play the lead role in subsequent development.
New computer code for mechanics of tissues and cells in three dimensions
Biological materials are made of individual components, including tiny motors that convert fuel into motion. This creates patterns of movement, and the material shapes itself with coherent flows by constant consumption of energy. Such continuously driven materials are called 'active matter'. The mechanics of cells and tissues can be described by active matter theory, a scientific framework to understand shape, flows, and form of living materials. The active matter theory consists of many challenging mathematical equations. Scientists have now developed an algorithm, implemented in an open-source supercomputer code, that can for the first time solve the equations of active matter theory in realistic scenarios. These solutions bring us a big step closer to solving the century-old riddle of how cells and tissues attain their shape and to designing artificial biological machines.
Feeding dogs raw meat increases the risk of antibiotic-resistant E. coli
Feeding dogs raw (uncooked) meat increases their risk of excreting E. coli that cannot be killed by a widely used antibiotic -- ciprofloxacin -- researchers have found from a study of 600 healthy pet dogs.
Researchers develop comprehensive genetic map for bison, discover gene responsible for albinism
Researchers have determined the gene mutation responsible for an observable trait in bison -- albinism.
Half of tested caviar products from Europe are illegal, and some aren't even caviar
Wild caviar, a pricey delicacy made from sturgeon eggs, has been illegal for decades since poaching brought the fish to the brink of extinction. Today, legal, internationally tradeable caviar can only come from farmed sturgeon, and there are strict regulations in place to help protect the species. However, by conducting genetic and isotope analyses on caviar samples from Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine -- nations bordering the remaining wild sturgeon populations -- a team of sturgeon experts found evidence that these regulations are actively being broken. Their results show that half of the commercial caviar products they sampled are illegal, and some don't even contain any trace of sturgeon.
New research paints an uncharacteristically upbeat picture for the planet. This is because more realistic ecological modelling suggests the world's plants may be able to take up more atmospheric CO2 from human activities than previously predicted.
Deep dive on sea level rise: New modelling gives better predictions on Antarctic ice sheet melt
Using historical records from around Australia, an international team of researchers have put forward the most accurate prediction to date of past Antarctic ice sheet melt, providing a more realistic forecast of future sea level rise. The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest block of ice on earth, containing over 30 million cubic kilometers of water. Hence, its melting could have a devasting impact on future sea levels. To find out just how big that impact might be, the research team turned to the past.
Idai vs. Impalas: New study shows in real-time what helps mammals survive a natural disaster
After a massive cyclone transformed the ecosystem of Gorongosa National Park, researchers studied the immediate and knock-on impacts to garner lessons for wildlife managers around the world.
Study reveals surprising link between malnutrition and rising antibiotic resistance
Researchers have uncovered startling connections between micronutrient deficiencies and the composition of gut microbiomes in early life that could help explain why resistance to antibiotics has been rising across the globe. The team investigated how deficiencies in crucial micronutrients such as vitamin A, B12, folate, iron, and zinc affected the community of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes that live in the digestive system. They discovered that these deficiencies led to significant shifts in the gut microbiome of mice -- most notably an alarming expansion of bacteria and fungi known to be opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, mice with micronutrient deficiencies also exhibited a higher enrichment of genes that have been linked to antibiotic resistance.
Putting an end to plastic separation anxiety
Bio-based plastics often end up in recycling streams because they look and feel like conventional plastic, but the contamination of these compostable products makes it much harder to generate functional material out of recycled plastic. Scientists have now developed a biology-driven process to convert these mixtures into a new biodegradable material that can be used to make fresh products. The scientists believe the process could also enable a new field of biomanufacturing wherein valuable chemicals and even medicines are made from microbes feeding off of plastic waste.
A deep-sea fish inspired researchers to develop supramolecular light-driven machinery
Chemists have developed a bioinspired supramolecular approach to convert photo-switchable molecules from their stable state into metastable one with low-energy red light. Their work enables fast, highly selective, and efficient switching, providing new tools for energy storage, activation of drugs with light, and sensing applications.
Scientists have solved the damselfly color mystery
For over 20 years, a research team has studied the common bluetail damselfly. Females occur in three different color forms -- one with a male-like appearance, something that protects them from mating harassment. In a new study, an international research team found that this genetic color variation that is shared between several species arose through changes in a specific genomic region at least five million years ago.
Following a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of cognitive decline in older people
Old people who follow a Mediterranean diet are at a lower risk of cognitive decline, according to a new study. The study provides new evidence for a better understanding of the biological mechanisms related to the impact of the diet on cognitive health in the aging population.
Shedding light on unique conduction mechanisms in a new type of perovskite oxide
The remarkable proton and oxide-ion (dual-ion) conductivities of hexagonal perovskite-related oxide Ba7Nb3.8Mo1.2O20.1 are promising for next-generation electrochemical devices. The unique ion-transport mechanisms they unveiled will hopefully pave the way for better dual-ion conductors, which could play an essential role in tomorrow's clean energy technologies.
Heart repair via neuroimmune crosstalk
Unlike humans, zebrafish can completely regenerate their hearts after injury. They owe this ability to the interaction between their nervous and immune systems, as researchers now report.
New method to help with analysis of single cell data
CITE-seq (cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes) is an RNA sequencing-based method that simultaneously quantifies cell surface protein and transcriptomic data within a single cell readout. The ability to study cells concurrently offers unprecedented insights into new cell types, disease states or other conditions. While CITE-seq solves the problem of detecting a limited number of proteins while using single-cell sequencing in an unbiased way, one of its limitations is the high levels of background noise that can hinder analysis.
Heat tolerant coral may trade fast growth for resilience
Algae living within the soft tissue of coral supply much of the energy needed by their hosts, and some symbiotic algae help coral withstand warmer water better than others. Researchers have now found that there was a tradeoff for corals dominated by the thermally sensitive algae -- they have higher growth, but only in cooler water.
Nature photographers posting to social media help with protecting biodiversity
Nature photographers posting to social media are helping improve biodiversity conservation mapping in South Asia, and the method could go global.
Rediscovery of rare marine amoeba Rhabdamoeba marina
Researchers have rediscovered and successfully cultivating Rhabdamoeba marina -- a rare marine amoeba that has only been reported in two cases in the past century. Using this culture strain, they performed a comprehensive analysis of its genetic sequence, revealing for the first time the phylogenetic position of this enigmatic amoeba, and proposed a novel taxonomic classification based on their research findings.
Scientists have leveraged artificial intelligence models to enhance dam operations.
Research in Lake Superior reveals how sulfur might have cycled in Earth's ancient oceans
A scientists has sulfur on her mind. The yellow element is a vital macronutrient, and she's trying to understand how it cycles through the environment. Specifically, she's curious about the sulfur cycle in Earth's ancient ocean, some 3 billion years ago.
Study proposes new framework to identify keystone microbial species
Microbial communities are thought to contain keystone species, which can disproportionately affect the stability of the communities, even if only present in low abundances. Identifying these keystone species can be challenging, especially in the human gut, since it is not feasible to isolate them through systematic elimination. Researchers have designed a new data-driven keystone species identification (DKI) framework that uses machine learning to resolve this difficulty.
Genomic tug of war could boost cancer therapy
Researchers have discovered a 'genomic tug of war' in animal studies that could influence how well certain patients -- or certain cancers -- respond to decitabine, a drug used to treat myelodysplastic syndromes that is plagued by drug resistance issues. For the first time, researchers show that decitabine causes coding and non-coding regions of DNA to engage in a tug of war for a gene activator, called H2A.Z. Typically, deticabine draws this gene activator away from coding DNA, causing gene expression to grind to a halt and cells to die. However, many types of cancer have very high levels of H2A.Z, which may help them overcome this decitabine-induced tug of war, allowing the cancer to grow.
How cell identity is preserved when cells divide
A new theoretical model helps explain how epigenetic memories, encoded in chemical modifications of chromatin, are passed from generation to generation. Within each cell's nucleus, researchers suggest, the 3D folding patterns of its genome determines which parts of the genome will be marked by these chemical modifications.
Much more than waste: Tiny vesicles exchange genetic information between cells in the sea
Researchers take a look at data that has so far been mostly discarded as contamination, revealing the previously underestimated role of extracellular vesicles (EVs). These are important for the exchange of genetic information between cells and thus for the microbial community in the sea.
Pushing the boundaries of eco-friendly chemical production
A team of pioneering researchers has made a significant leap forward in the complex world of molecular chemistry. Their focus? Azaarenes, unique molecular puzzle pieces crucial to many everyday products, from eco-friendly agrochemicals to essential medicines. The team developed an innovative way to modify these molecules using light-powered enzymes -- a groundbreaking discovery that holds promise for new industrially relevant chemical reactions and sustainable energy solutions.
Temperature variability reduces nesting success
Many songbirds are nesting earlier in spring because of warmer temperatures brought about by climate change. But the shift brings another danger that is especially deadly for nestlings: greater exposure to temperature variability in the form of cold snaps and heat waves.
