First-time analysis of three distinct contributions of forage fish
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:34 PM PDT
A new study provides a first-time analysis of the value of forage fish, which are small, schooling species such as sardines, herring, and anchovies. Three kinds of contributions of forage fish were estimated: as direct catch, as food for other commercially important fish, and as an important link in the food web in marine ecosystems.
Wine for swine: Pig study shows that wine has more cardiovascular benefits than vodka
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 01:15 PM PDT
The next time you call someone a drunken pig, remember this study. Researchers studied the effects of red wine and vodka on pigs with high cholesterol and found that the pigs with a penchant for pinot noir fared better than their vodka swilling swine counterparts.
Starlight and ‘air glow’ give scientists a new way to observe nighttime weather from space
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 12:56 PM PDT
Researchers discovered that a combination of starlight and the upper atmosphere’s own subtle glow can help satellites see Earth’s clouds on moonless nights.
Reversible oxygen-sensing ?switching? mechanism discovered
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 12:16 PM PDT
Bacteria that cause disease in humans have a ?reversible switching mechanism? that allows them to adapt to environments lacking oxygen, scientists have found. The findings provide a new insight into how bacteria sense and adapt to oxygenated atmospheres, and uncover a new ?antioxidant? pathway by which certain types of damaged proteins can be repaired.
Ants have exceptionally ‘hi-def’ sense of smell
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 11:35 AM PDT
The first complete map of the ants’ olfactory system has discovered that the eusocial insects have four to fives more odorant receptors — the special proteins that detect different odors — than other insects.
Eight new cusk-eel species useful for understanding environment
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 11:35 AM PDT
A study describing eight new cusk-eel species provides data for better understanding how disasters like the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill impact biodiversity and the environment.
Predicting wave power could double marine-based energy
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 11:34 AM PDT
A scientist says that his new computer algorithm improves the functioning of Wave Energy Converters used in producing electrical energy from ocean waves. And, with improvements in the converters themselves, it could make marine-based energy more commercially viable.
Scientists aim to put a pox on dog cancer
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 11:34 AM PDT
Researchers report that myxoma — a pox virus that afflicts rabbits but not humans, dogs or any other vertebrates so far studied — infects several different types of canine cancer cells in cell culture while sparing healthy cells. The study is unique in that it focused on spontaneously occurring cancers in dogs, not induced human cancers in mice.
Surprises in evolution of frog life cycles
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 11:26 AM PDT
All tadpoles grow into frogs, but not all frogs start out as tadpoles, reveals a new study on 720 species of frogs. The new study uncovers the surprising evolution of life cycles in frogs.
Salt seeds clouds in the Amazon rainforest: Researchers track down the sources of condensation nuclei
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 09:18 AM PDT
It’s morning, deep in the Amazon jungle. In the still air innumerable leaves glisten with moisture, and fog drifts through the trees. As the sun rises, clouds appear and float across the forest canopy … but where do they come from? Water vapor needs soluble particles to condense on. Airborne particles are the seeds of liquid droplets in fog, mist, and clouds. To learn how aerosol particles form in the Amazon, researchers analyzed samples of naturally formed aerosols collected above the forest floor, deep in the rainforest. Their analysis provided essential clues to the evolution of fine particles around which Amazon clouds and fog condense, beginning with chemicals produced by living organisms. The team found that among the most important initial triggers of the process are potassium salts.
Archaeological dig inches ‘tantalizingly closer’ to possible burial place of King Richard III
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 08:17 AM PDT
The University of Leicester is announcing that the archaeological dig at Greyfriars will continue for a third week as archaeologists get ‘tantalisingly close’ in their search for King Richard III.
Wolf mange part of nature’s cycle, ecologists say
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 05:25 AM PDT
Mange and viral diseases have a substantial, recurring impact on the health and size of reintroduced wolf packs living in Yellowstone National Park, according to ecologists.
High-resolution image of Berlin at night facilitates light pollution research
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 05:23 AM PDT
Researchers from Berlin have published an 878 megapixel aerial mosaic image of Berlin at night. With one pixel per square meter, the resulting map is the highest resolution image ever published of a city at night. The ecologists used the image to measure how much light comes from different types of land use areas, such as streets or parks.
Excavations in Jaffa confirm presence of Egyptian settlement on the ancient city site
Posted: 10 Sep 2012 05:22 AM PDT
Archeologists have conducted excavations on the ancient hill of Jaffa in Israel. The recent excavations have not only shed new light on the destruction of elements of the fortification, but also unearthed evidence pointing towards the presence of an Egyptian population on the site.