It is thus critical to identify and quantify the most important human-produced sources of VOC emissions to effectively mitigate air pollution and improve human health.
Regulations on sulfur content of automobiles helps improve air quality.
Read more at Scientific American:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-epa-gasoline-rules-help-presidents-climate-agenda/
Existing U.S. regulations on VCPs emphasize mitigating ozone and air toxics
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been shown to have a negative impact on human health, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In October 2018, the EPA announced it would disband its Particulate Matter Review Panel.
Read more in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/11/climate/epa-disbands-pollution-science-panel.html
A gap in emission inventories
When we think of air pollution, automobile exhaust is one of the first images that comes to mind, but other sources of air pollution are also responsible.
Read more at CBS News:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-surprising-source-of-much-us-air-pollution/
Assessments of climate change on species’ ranges need to account for observations across the full extent of species’ latitudinal and thermal limits and explicitly test for interactions with other global change drivers.
This type of assessment is important for determining threat statuses for species, such as International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species (see here to look at an assessment done for the Rusty Patched Bumbebee).
These assessments are also important for planning conservation actions as part of initiatives like the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency's Pollinator Health Task Force, which was established to "[promote] the health of honey bees and other pollinators (including birds, bats, butterflies, and insects)".
Neonicotinoid effects known from individual and colony levels certainly contribute to pollinator declines and could degrade local pollination services.
This was shown again in some recent 2017 studies, find out more in this Science Perspectives piece.
contribute more to these services than bumblebees (Bombus)
Visit the Bumblebee Conservation Trust for more info on what makes bumblebees such great pollinators.
Image of a water-harvesting prototype with activated MOF-801
Watch the prototype in action.
Read and watch more on Berkeley News: http://news.berkeley.edu/2018/06/08/in-desert-trials-next-generation-water-harvester-delivers-fresh-water-from-air/
Although MOFs have already been considered in numerous applications
MOFs are porous materials that can be used to capture and release a variety of ions and small molecules.
Read more and listen to a podcast in Chemistry World: https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/mofs-metalorganic-frameworks-/3007204.article
Two-thirds of the world’s population is experiencing water shortages
Less than 1% of the total water on Earth is drinkable and easily accessible. Due to an uneven distribution, the world is facing a global water crisis, and billions of people do not have regular access to clean drinking water.
Read more on National Geographic: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/world-water-day-water-crisis-explained/
low humidity levels (down to 20%)
In arid areas, where an efficient water-harvesting system is most needed, the relative humidity can go as low as about 20% with extremely large temperature variations.
Read more on Sciencing: https://sciencing.com/humidity-mojave-desert-19526.html
The water in the form of vapor and droplets in the atmosphere, estimated to be about 13 thousand trillion liters
Where is Earth's water? The water contained in the atmosphere represents about 0.001% of the total water on Earth, and about 3% of the accessible freshwater.
Read more on USGS: https://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html
ambient VOC measurements
The VOC measurements were part of a large community-wide effort by atmospheric scientists to better understand issues posed by air pollution and climate change in California. A link to the field study (including a white paper and policy-relevant findings) can be found at: https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/csd/projects/calnex/.
SST and the maximum potential hurricane intensity
According to a CBS News article from 2017:
Numerous studies have "confirmed the importance of sea surface temperature in controlling hurricane maximum intensity, and suggest an increase of 2-3 percent in hurricane strength per 1 Celsius degree increase in sea surface temperature under favorable conditions."
However directly connecting individual storms to the increasing sea surface temperatures related to climate change is still a difficult proposition. This is because "on top of the day-to-day intensity fluctuations due to local environmental conditions, hurricanes may also possess chaotic behaviors that cause their intensity to highly vary."
Read this article at CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/does-climate-change-affect-hurricanes/
increased hurricane frequency to increasing SST
One of the reasons for why it is so difficult to predict a change in hurricane frequency is due to intrinsic biases and assumptions built into the climate models being utilized.
While the 2012 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that tropical hurricanes are likely to decrease in frequency with increasing temperatures, the storms that do form are likely to see increased winds and rainfall.
This article from Climate Central in 2013 details one study by MIT researcher Kerry Emanuel which found that tropical cyclones are likely to become both stronger and more frequent in the years to come, which is contrary to previous findings.
Read the article here: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/study-projects-more-frequent-and-stronger-hurricanes-worldwide-16204
Four of these hurricanes
The year 2004 was the "Year of the Four Hurricanes" when Hurricane Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne made landfall in Florida and caused billions of dollars worth of damages.
Since then there have been improvements to electric grids, shelters, forecasting abilities and the ability to communicate which should hopefully save lives in future hurricanes.
The Florida newsgroup Sun Sentinel reviews these 4 hurricanes, what has been improved since, and what still needs fixing. Read their article here: http://interactive.sun-sentinel.com/2004storms/
Cocaine addiction is a major public health problem that is particularly difficult to treat.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse provides information about treatments for cocaine addiction, including the length of treatment and what makes a treatment successful. It also highlights how drug addiction compares to other chronic illnesses.
Read more at the National Institute on Drug Abuse:
Ileret in Kenya
Read more in Nature.
Homo erectus footprints hint at ancient hunting party. https://www.nature.com/news/homo-erectus-footprints-hint-at-ancient-hunting-party-1.17346
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The area is protected by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, an arm of the Tanzanian government. In 2009, the Ngorongoro Wildlife Conservation Act was passed which limited human settlement and subsistence farming in the area, generating some controversy.
Our results
Hear one of the authors of this paper, Marco Cherin, discuss the findings of this research in the eLife Podcast.
machine learning
A type of computer algorithm which relies on a large amount of input data to make a future decision about a new data point.
How do our brains use machine learning algorithms to make decisions? This article explores how machine learning affects everything from our belief systems to our online shopping habits.
Read more in Forbes magazine: https://www.forbes.com/sites/annapowers/2017/12/31/is-our-mind-a-machine-learning-algorithm/
Biological effects of climate change threaten many species
This has been shown by studies time and time again, and the United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) lists climate change as one of the major threats to the world's biodiversity, along with habitat loss.
Read more about the value of biodiversity, threats to biodiversity, and the coordinated actions the CBD is taking with governments around the world to combat biodiversity loss on the CBD website.
After the lamentable breach in the former international relations existing among men of science, it is with joy and gratefulness that I accept this opportunity of communication with English astronomers and physicists.
Einstein's letter was originally published in the 28 November 1919 issue of The Times, a British daily national newspaper.
During the war, Einstein lived and worked in Berlin, Germany. Communication between England and Germany seems to have been limited during the war, even among scientists in those countries. Because science is a collaborative endeavor that spans countries and cultures, Einstein understandably appreciates the renewed communication between these two important countries.
It was in accordance with the high and proud tradition of English science that English scientific men should have given their time and labor, and that English institutions should have provided the material means, to test a theory that had been completed and published in the country of their enemies in the midst of war.
Einstein published his equations that describe gravity with respect to space and time in 1915 —right in the middle of World War I (1914-1918).
Despite poor political relations during this period, two Englishmen published experimental evidence that supported Einstein's theory. Einstein commended the English scientists and institutions for prioritizing scientific pursuits over politics.
The shifting of spectral lines towards the red end of the spectrum in the case of light coming to us from stars of appreciable mass (not yet confirmed).
In 1959, the Pound–Rebka experiment confirmed that light moving out of a gravitational well is in fact red-shifted.
Read more in The New York Times:
corals
Dr. Rachel Levin and her team of researchers may have found a solution to minimize coral bleaching, which is caused by ocean warming and is a huge threat to coral reefs. She proposed a way to genetically modify Symbiodinum (a group of microalgae in corals) such that they may increase their stress tolerance to changes in ocean temperature and inherently save coral reefs.
Read more in the Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170720095111.htm
native/endemic species
Plants are imperative to the world’s ecosystem, nevertheless, many plant species are largely disappearing. Cycads, palm-like plants, are one of these endangered plants that has been around for more than 300 years. Studies are being conducted on ways to save these plants and the implications its extinction may have.
Read more here: https://news.mongabay.com/2017/05/saving-the-most-endangered-plants-in-the-world/
genetic diversity and erosion
Gene diversity in a species of plants is imperative to its survival when its environment is either degrading or constantly changing. If genetic erosion occurs, the fitness of this species decreases and it is at a much higher risk of extinction which is the case for Pulsatilla patens, a plant species from East Central Europe.
Read more about it: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0151730
nearest neighbors
A "nearest neighbors" search takes a specific item and looks for other nearby items that are similar to it. This is a very common problem in everyday life (for example, a business owner who wants to find other coffee shops near hers, or a dating profile that wants to find compatible suitors nearby). But how exactly do nearest neighbors searches work? And how difficult are they to implement?
Read more in Quanta Magazine: https://www.quantamagazine.org/universal-method-to-sort-complex-information-found-20180813/
Electric discharges (EODs) generated by a specialized electric organ (EO) within the body cause electric current to flow in the surrounding water.
An exhibit dedicated to electric fish has opened at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The exhibit includes a life-sized electric eel model and lights powered by eel-generated electricity to enable visitors to see and understand how these creatures work.
For more information on this exhibit, visit https://nationalzoo.si.edu/news/new-electric-fishes-exhibit-opens-smithsonians-national-zoo
the generation and detection of electric currents
This paper goes in-depth on how different kinds of fish use their electrical currents to detect different objects and sense their location. They also use electrical discharge as a way of exposing who they are, similar to how humans can recognize other people are by looking at their faces.
For more information into another use for these fish's electrical discharge visit, https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/wuis-jic041511.php
The spread velocity of cane toads
In recent years, traps for adult toads and nets for tadpoles were set in order to limit this invasive population in Australia. While successful in slowing spread in the West, expansion of cane toad territory in northern Australia is only expanding.
Read more in ABC Science: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2003/02/28/793049.htm
Although fossil fuels remain important sources of urban air pollution, exposure to ambient PM2.5 is increasingly from chemical products as the transportation sector becomes cleaner.
Learn about the air quality index from the Environmental Protection Agency and monitor the air quality in your area. Learn about air quality index
mismatch between shorter-tongued bees and the longer-tubed plants they once pollinated.
As this research has presented, due to rising temperatures, bees have began to favor generalist foraging. A recent news story shows how honey bees have started pollinating blueberry plants, which are not very easily accessible for other bees.
Read more: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/honeybees-fumble-their-way-blueberry-pollination
Mutualisms evolve through the matching of functional traits between partners
Mutualistic relationships between bees and flowers have resulted in both to coevolve with one another. Bees are essential to the pollination of flowers, because of this recent headlines about their possible endangerment could be catastrophic.
By preying on seabirds, foxes reduced nutrient transport from ocean to land, affecting soil fertility and transforming grasslands to dwarf shrub/forb-dominated ecosystems.
The effects of foxes on the Aleutian islands are both direct and indirect in nature. The presence of foxes directly affects the seabirds by decreasing their population due to them being easy prey. Indirectly the islands plant composition is affected by the reduced populations of birds distributing fewer nutrients needed by the vegetation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been reducing fox populations in order to restore the seabirds and have the islands support more plant life. To read more go to USGS: https://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/05/research.html
hurricane season
According to the National Weather Service, the official hurricane season starts on June 1 for the Atlantic and May 15 for the Pacific, both ending on Nov. 30. August through November are peak months with a high storm likelihood.
For information about the 2018 hurricane season, check out this article from LiveScience: https://www.livescience.com/57671-hurricane-season.html
To visualize translation of a single RNA in real-time
For a synopsis of the present study, see Science Daily:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160505144850.htm
Zika infection disrupts the binding of MSI1 to its endogenous targets
Zika virus is dangerous for fetuses, but in adults the virus may eradicate cancerous brain tumors.
Read more about how Zika virus affects brain tumors here: https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/zika-virus-kills-brain-cancer-stem-cells/
A recent outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil
Zika is type of virus called a flavivirus, a family of viruses that is transmitted by mosquitoes and includes yellow fever, West Nile, and dengue virus.
In May 2015, Brazil was the first to associate Zika virus infection with microcephaly in newborns.
Watch the following video for more about the history of Zika: https://youtu.be/FOcSe0LtoTg
adaptation policies in the Mediterranean region, notably with respect to land-use systems and the conservation of biodiversity
How are local communities responding to reports like this one about the impacts of climate change in their region?
Read about how communities in the Maghreb region of North Africa are working to keep desert oasis ecosystems from disappearing at Yale Environment 360: http://e360.yale.edu/features/a_drive_to_save_sahran_oases_as_climate_change_takes_a_toll_cop22
similar species conservation issues.
Medicinal Plant Trade in Sierra Leone: Threats and Opportunities for Conservation (Jusu and Sanchez 2014)
conservation
Other strategies used for conservation include seed banking and establishing new protected areas.
Orchid conservation in the biodiversity hotspot of southwestern China (Lia et al. 2015) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12584/full)
Many more nature reserves were established at the provincial and lower government levels.
In 2016 the Chinese government announced that they plan to establish 30 to 50 nature reserves across China by 2020.
Read more in "China to establish up to 50 new nature reserves in next 5 years" http://www.ecns.cn/2016/11-03/232694.shtml
Dendrobium plants available in recent years have largely come from neighboring Vietnam and Laos
In Thailand there is a large network of illegal trading for endangered species of orchids to be used for medicinal purposes in China. These trades are done without domestic harvest permits or CITES permit which violates state and international restrictions on wild orchid harvest.
Read More: "Unseen harvest: Southeast Asia’s illegal orchid trade"
http://www.traffic.org/home/2015/11/24/unseen-harvest-southeast-asias-illegal-orchid-trade.html
conservation success
Read more:
A more recent look at diversity in the region.
Tropical China Plant Diversity, Ecology and Conservation – a Glimpse at the Current State (Liu et al 2017, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12229-017-9180-7)
In 2012, two projects were implemented to increase H. a. ponceanus population:
Authors obtained this information from the following News
Daniels JC (2014) Conservation matters: status and conservation of the federally endangered Schaus swallowtail butterfly. News of the Lepidopterists’. Society 56:138–139
Recent studies using the Ednrb antagonist bonsentan suggest that the use of Ednrb antagonists may prove useful for the treatment of melanoma.
Ednrb antagonists could potentially be used for the treatment of melanoma. Read more: www.theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/20/10/1121.full.pdf
drug-addicted individuals, who fail to stop taking drugs
Why is it that some people use drugs without becoming addicted, while others will continue to abuse a substance despite consequences such as jail time and health problems?
Read more at the Association for Psychological Science:
The discharge of plastic from at-sea vessels has since been banned
There is international recognition that plastic pollution in the ocean is a global problem, and policy decisions by governments have worked to address it.
widely documented
The Jambeck et al. paper focuses on sources of plastic waste entering the oceans. A 2018 publication from Lebreton et al. presents research on the size of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of plastic waste floating halfway between California and Hawaii. The patch contains about 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, collectively weighing 88,000 tons (more than 500 jumbo jets) and covering an area more than 600,000 square miles (more than twice the size of Texas) in extent. The plastic is "collected" by winds and ocean currents.
For more information, see these links: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/science/2018/03/22/great-pacific-garbage-patch-grows/446405002/ and https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w
role of the ocean as being critical to understanding the variability of Earth's climate system.
"The Ocean is essential to life on Earth. Most of Earth's water is stored in the ocean. Although 40 percent of Earth's population lives within, or near coastal regions- the ocean impacts people everywhere. Without the ocean, our planet would be uninhabitable."
Check out this NASA's Goddard video about the ocean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vgvTeuoDWY
Modeling studies are required even to be able to attempt such a partition.
"Underneath all the complexity of a big climate model lies a simple bedrock fact: In the long run, the Earth must balance its energy budget. However much incoming solar radiation the planet absorbs, the same amount must eventually be radiated back into space. The planet warms or cools as needed to satisfy this rule."
Read more about climate models at the American Scientist: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/clarity-in-climate-modeling
stimulated at nutrient concentrations that are now common
A city releases water contaminated by agriculture which will have an adverse effect on local ecosystems.
Read more in Lawrence-Journal World: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2017/nov/15/short-notice-citys-release-nitrogen-contaminated-w/
phosphorus (P) additions
The levels of phosphorus in Lake Coeur d’Alene have doubled since the 1990's. This worries authorities about the potential growth of algae and increase in heavy metals in the lake.
Read more in The Spokesman-Review: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/nov/15/phosphorus-pollution-flowing-into-lake-coeur-dalen/
Nutrients stimulate microbial processing of POC, which results in increased losses of CO2 to the atmosphere
William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science are studying oysters to see if they could be used to reduce nitrogen levels.
Read more in the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily: https://wydaily.com/2017/11/05/study-suggests-oysters-offer-hot-spot-for-reducing-nutrient-pollution-tek/
Nutrient pollution
Nutient pollution is affecting the production of fisheries in the ocean by creating dead zones in the ocean where there are low levels of oxygen.
Read more in the Iowa Public Radio: http://iowapublicradio.org/post/farmers-sea-say-livelihood-dying-midwest-ag-pollution#stream/0
An evolutionary route to such novelty is the assembly of existing components in new combinations or contexts, a process that has been called genetic or evolutionary “tinkering”
Evolutionary 'tinkering' is responsible for novel adaptations throughout the tree of life from fish to apes.
Read more in Science Daily: Distantly related fish find same evolutionary solution to dark water
And Cosmos: How did our brains get so big?
we analyzed the light organs both of animals that had been colonized by the symbiont at hatching and of those that had not been colonized
Bacterial symbionts play an important role in the in the morphogenesis (progression from one developmental stage to the next) of the light organ in the Hawaiian bobtail squid.
Read more in Science: Mysteries in Development- How Do Microbes Shape Animal Development?
The unusual flowers of the Apocynaceae vary in floral mechanisms (Endress and Bruyns 2000), and insects are the major floral visitors of Apocynaceae s.l.
The following conducted on Angadenia berteroi, a flower from the Apocynaceae family native to south Florida describe the pollination patterns of butterflies and bees.
http://2014.botanyconference.org/engine/search/index.php?func=detail&aid=116
The natural geographic range of the genus in the New World is from northern Mexico to northern Argentina.
A new Piper species called Piper kelleyj was found in Equador by University of Cincinnati botanist Eric Tepe. The plant is now commonly known as "pink belly" pepper. This is because of the rosy underside of its leaves. It hosts 40 different species of insects (at least).
http://magazine.uc.edu/editors_picks/recent_features/herbarium.html
Finally, we assessed the degree to which Piperphylogenetic relationships are related to differences in secondary chemical composition and community assembly.
http://www.amjbot.org/content/102/2/273.long
The research by Martinez and his colleagues used fossil from Piper and compared them to angiosperm species (a plant that has flowers and produces seeds) in order to evaluate the age divergence of the taxa. The divergence was estimated at thirty millions years.
biodiversity crisis
Biodiversity entails all form of life and ecosystems in the planet. The planet needs this biodiversity to support the existence of all life on earth. However, over the last couple of years humans have greatly reduced the Earth’s biodiversity leading to the extinction of whole species and the endangerment of others. If we want to continue existing on this planet is important to work towards protecting biodiversity on our planet.
Read more about it: https://www.bgci.org/plant-conservation/why_conserve/
Extraocular photoreceptors are widespread across the animal kingdom.
Extraocular photoreceptors range from simple to complex and are essential for many functions, including circadian entrainment (syncing of internal biological clock to environmental signals such as light and dark) and phototaxis (movement toward light, such as what is seen in many plants).
Read more in Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/seeing-without-eyes1/
Previous studies have shown HRM as a more effective option
An extension of High-Resolution Melting (HRM) known as a LunaProbe, was used with LCGreen Plus dye to genotype anonymous blood samples. This eradicated the need for costly probes that could fluorescence, or emit light.
Read more in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News: https://www.genengnews.com/gen-articles/assay-high-resolution-melting-unlabeled-probes/1986
(HRM) analysis is a closed-tube, rapid and sensitive technique able to detect DNA variations. It relies on the fluorescencemelting curves that are obtained from the transition of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) to singlestranded DNA (ssDNA) as a result of temperature increase.
Melting curves are compared through HRM analysis in order to detect the different sequences in various strains of DNA. There are many new methods and sequence based studies with HRM including gene dosage quantification, mutation identification, gene scanning, to name a few.
Read more in Biocompare: http://www.biocompare.com/Editorial-Articles/41779-High-Resolution-Melt/
reports of reduced striatal dopamine function in CUD
This article covers how constant cocaine use affects areas of the brain such as the amygdala, which is associated with the stimulus and response/feeling after drug consumption. Cocaine exposure also alters the prefrontal cortex, which help individuals to select or take an action base on negatively- or positively-associated outcomes. It also discusses N-acetylcysteine, a treatment that was not entirely successful in human trials, but was helpful to individuals in the decision to refrain from drug use.
Read more at Neuroscience News and Research:
Ground-based phenological observations of individual plant species and growth forms have the potential to improve our understanding of the mechanisms behind the vegetation response to climate warming.
Climate change brings about higher temperature which means more snow will melt in the arctic tundras. This might impact the growth of new plants in this environment.
Read more in Livescience https://www.livescience.com/28406-arctic-tundra-turning-green.html
Watch a video from National Geographic. https://voices.nationalgeographic.org/2016/11/17/climate-and-the-dividing-line-between-forest-and-tundra/
South Florida
Given that bees are being shown to be very important pollinators, it is relevant that South Florida is currently undergoing efforts to preserve bee populations.
global environmental change
Despite the clear evidence of invasive species and altering ecosystems on global ecosystem sustenance, Kevin Esvelt conceived a technology called a gene drive that could suppress the growth of entire wild populations. Despite outside development, Esvelt has since begun opposing gene drives, arguing they could function in a way similar to introducing invasive species.
Read more in Pacific Standard: https://psmag.com/environment/should-we-fight-invasive-species-with-genetic-engineering
At the core of each dynamic is the spread of populations across landscapes fragmented by natural
Many species are becoming threatened or endangered as the result of habitat fragmentation combined with climate change. These include both plant and animal species. When plant species go extinct, valuable genetic diversity is lost which could have helped breed disease or drought resistance in the future.
Read more in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/05/red-list-thousands-of-species-at-risk-of-extinction-due-to-human-activity
Why can’t we tickle ourselves (2)
This article discusses how researchers are exploring why humans can't tickle themselves.
Read more about self-tickling in Discover: http://discovermagazine.com/2014/sept/2-tickle-yourself-elmo
To address such questions, we need a better understanding of the neural correlates of ticklishness.
The authors set out to determine which regions of the brain are involved in rat ticklishness and how ticklishness is impacted by mood. The articles below provide short summaries of this work.
Read more in Science: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/11/watch-these-ticklish-rats-laugh-and-jump-joy
Read more in Smithsonian: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ticklish-rats-get-giggles-when-theyre-good-mood-180961061/
Read more in Popular Science: http://www.popsci.com/rats-are-ticklish-when-they-are-in-good-mood?dom=rss-default&src=syn
Bumble bee mutualism
With new research on the effects of climate change on bumble bee pollination and the decline in pollinators, new man-made developments have risen. We can see the start to a new possible era of man-made pollinators. This could help the declining rate of pollinators but can drastically affect the coevolution of flowers and their pollinators.
Read more in CNN Tech: http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/15/technology/bee-drone-pollination/index.html
References and Notes
This article by Hungate et. al applies its findings to the Conservation Reserve Program, attempting to estimate species richness of CRP. This article ( D. L. Carter, J. M. Blair, Recovery of native plant community characteristics on a chronosequence of restored prairies seeded into pastures in West-Central Iowa. Restor. Ecol. 20, 170–179 (2012). ) is cited, yet this cited paper specifically does not use CRP grasslands, suggesting an error on the part of Hungate et al.
Read more at PrarieBotanist: https://prairiebotanist.com/2017/04/11/a-brief-comment-on-the-economic-value-of-grassland-species-for-carbon-storage/
If, as a result of increased plant species richness, carbon storage by grasslands rises
Grasslands with greater biodiversity were found to feature greater biomass than grasslands with fewer species diversity.
Read more in ScienceDaily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170419091536.htm
Valuation of the estimated annual marginal changes in carbon storage as species richness increases was then estimated using the social costs of carbon
The economic value of grassland species for carbon storage is one of the first papers to monetarily quantify the gain or loss of a species from an ecosystem. Even slight additions (as little as one additional species) to the current U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve program could save hundreds of millions of dollars.
Read more in Michigan News: http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/24732-diversity-dividends-the-economic-value-of-grassland-species-for-carbon-storage
1.Boggs CL (2009) Understanding insect life histories and senescence through a resource allocation lens. Functional Ecology 23: 27–37.
Mosquitoes carrying Zika can contaminate and spread the disease in the human population in a second. Zika is a yellow fever. This 2017 news relates to the article because if mosquito populations are controlled by hormone regulation, then genetically modifying a suppressor can develop a method to prevent the disease from spreading.
Integrated quantitative analyses will play an important role going forward in elucidating the mechanisms of oocyte colonization by Wolbachia.
Uncovering the mechanism of Wolbachia invasion may open doors to eradicating viral diseases like Zika and dengue virus.
Read more on the world mosquito program: http://www.eliminatedengue.com/program
The impact of dietary sugars on oocyte Wolbachia titer is currently best explained through nutritional impacts on the host.
Female mosquitoes with sugar-fed diets survive longer than those without sugar-diets. Wolbachia titer size is affected by levels of sugar in the host's diet, which may show correlation between mosquito life expectancy and Wolbachia titer size from dietary sugars.
Read more on Oxford Academic: https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/12/2/220/2219171
From the perspective of Wolbachia endosymbiosis, this study suggests that dietary sugars induce different classes of mechanistic responses.
This could be a new mechanism affecting Wolbachia interaction with host, similar to recently discovered mechanism affecting sperm in flies using Wolbachia.
Read more on BIOmed central: https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-3305-6-36
The limitations of DEET have fueled a search for alternatives.
DEET, like other pesticides and insecticides, comes with its own cost to the human health and environement.
Read more about it here: http://www.environmentalhealth.ca/spring03hazards.html
Drosophila behavior suggested that DEET inhibited odor detection via the OR pathway
Interestingly, scientists have found another repellant that could be much more effective than DEET. This repellant, known as VUAA1 triggers Orco directly rather than specific OR regions.
Read more about it here: https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-05/new-insect-repellent-thousands-times-more-effective-deet
screened more than 7,000 compounds over a 5-year period to develop insecticides
With the evolutionary mechanism of natural selection, some mosquitoes have become resistant to insecticides such as DEET. This resistance could be inherited by a dominant gene. The development of such a resistance could become a problem in the future since as DEET is one of the strongest insect repellents to date.
Read more about it here: http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100503/full/news.2010.216.html
we show for the first time
To read a popular science version of this paper, check out Motherboard's article, which includes quotes from the author.
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/hairy-humans-and-scaly-lizards-have-more-in-common-than-you-think
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement of December 2015 aims “to hold the increase in the global average temperature to below 2°C above preindustrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.…”
The Paris Agreement includes specific actions like the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) each country identifies and reports; these include target national emission rates over time, and whether these have been achieved. The Paris Agreement has been ratified, but related work continues.
For more information on the details of the Paris Agreement, read more in the UNFCCC's Paris Agreement Hub: http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php
For updates about the Paris Agreement, read more in the UNFCCC's Paris Agreement Newsroom: http://newsroom.unfccc.int/paris-agreement/
A recent outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil
Zika is known to be a flavivirus that is transmitted by mosquitoes such as yellow fever, West Nile, and dengue virus. In May 2015, Brazil was the first to associate Zika virus infection with microcephaly in newborns.
Watch more about the history of Zika virus at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOcSe0LtoTg
Zika infection disrupts the binding of MSI1 to its endogenous targets
Zika virus is dangerous for fetuses, but in adults the virus may eradicate cancerous brain tumors.
Read more about the Zika virus uses for brain tumors here: https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/zika-virus-kills-brain-cancer-stem-cells/
ZIKV is highly neurotropic and interferes specifically with fetal brain development, causing microcephaly, cortical malformations, and intracranial calcifications (7–10). We hypothesized that the single-stranded RNA flavivirus ZIKV may hijack RNA-binding factors present in the developing central nervous system (11). Host RNA-binding proteins are known to interact with untranslated regions (UTRs) to regulate replication, translation, and stabilization of viral genomes
Zika is known to have the ability to reinfect other humans because it is known to be found in the blood and continuously be transmitted by mosquitos. Zika virus utilizes host cellular machinery to replicate, and symptoms may emerge a few days to a week after infection.
Watch more about the symptoms, pathology, and outbreak at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGNxGlltnOs
A recent survey of recreational SCUBA divers in the Caribbean found that shark sightings are quite rare, except for some places that have shark conservation regulations or large marine reserves in place
According to the NOAA, the removal of shark fins is prohibited by federal law. This practice, coined "shark finning" has been abolished in the United States since 2000. For further information on government involvement in shark regulations and management, visit this NOAA page
Furthermore, the Caribbean Reef and Caribbean Sharpnose sharks are both prohibited from being harvested, as this Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission site shows shows. -Sindy
They are considered “Near Threatened” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, with a range-wide population trend listed as “Decreasing”
The Caribbean reef shark is considered near threatened due to the increased consumption of shark fin delicacies and the selling of shark fins on the black market. This is precisely the reason that no-take marine reserves are crucial to the preservation of Caribbean Reef sharks. -Sindy
and this response is associated with adverse effects
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170921161236.htm
Now that researchers have found that people are adapting to high altitudes, few have explored the adverse effects such as chronic mountain sickness. A research team of University of California is expanding their knowledge on both the adaptation and the adverse effects.
Many present-day Tibetan populations are thought to be descendants of people who have occupied the Tibetan Plateau since the mid-Holocene, between 7000 and 5000 years ago
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/07/tibetans-inherited-high-altitude-gene-ancient-human
According to news reports, Tibetans have inherited a "superathlete" gene that allows them to live in high altitudes. The gene has been acquired from interbreeding which has been shown to help humans in today's environment.
Sharks are currently experiencing intense fishing pressure worldwide, largely due to the Asian shark fin trade
The Asian shark fin trade has been detrimental to the shark population and according to the The National, a Marine Conservation group called Sea Sheppard Global is campaigning for shark conservation and cleaner oceans in the Middle East. Finning is one of if not the greatest threat to sharks. It entails the process of cutting of the sharks fin and leaving its body in the sea to bleed to death or be eaten by other fish. The point of finning is to make shark fin soup which is an Asian delicacy or to sell for price ranged between $10,000-$20,00. In 2016, congress passed the Shark Fin Trade Elimination act which banned the shark fin trade. Despite this, Shark fins are still being trafficked to the country. https://www.thenational.ae/uae/environment/marine-conservation-group-launches-in-middle-east-1.673006 -Sindy
1.Boggs CL (2009) Understanding insect life histories and senescence through a resource allocation lens. Functional Ecology 23: 27–37.
Mosquitoes carrying Zika can contaminate and spread the disease in the human population in a second. Zika is a yellow fever. This 2017 news relates to the article because if mosquito populations are controlled by hormone regulation, then genetically modifying a suppressor can develop a method to prevent the disease from spreading. - NAJ
Whereas RNAi reduces protein expression by targeting RNA, GeCKO introduces loss-of-function mutations into genomic DNA
For more on the differences between RNAi and CRISPR, see this article in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News:
we designed a single lentiviral vector to deliver Cas9, a sgRNA, and a puromycin selection marker into target cells (lentiCRISPR)
For more on how lentiviral vectors aid in the use of CRISPR, see this article in Science
we tested the feasibility of conducting genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout (GeCKO) screening with a pooled lentiCRISPR library
See AddGene for more information about designing sgRNAs and genome-scale sgRNA libraries (including the GeCKO library):
the promise of genome-scale screening with Cas9
For more on possible future uses of CRISPR-Cas9, see this article in Science Daily:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160811142643.htm
glymphatic clearance.
A video describing the glymphatic system, a paravascular pathway that facilitates the clearance of waste and solutes from the cerebrospinal fluid and interstitial fluid of the brain.
the restorative function of sleep
The brain uses sleep to wash away the waste toxins built up during a hard day's thinking, researchers have shown.
natural sleep or anesthesia are associated with a 60% increase in the
Brain may flush out toxins during sleep
A NIH-funded study suggests sleep clears brain of damaging molecules associated with neurodegeneration
(such as experience and expertise)
The expertise of researchers conducting the replication attempts has been the topic of much debate.
In a recent study, Protzko and Schooler have conducted a study on the question whether researchers' "caliber" influences their success in reproducing studies.
Read more in PsyArXiv Preprints:
insufficient specification of the conditions necessary or sufficient to obtain the results (12–23)
Making an experimental setup transparent and reproducible can be quite difficult, because undetected but theoretically relevant variations to the study protocol could produce different results. However, there are some new ideas about how such transparency could be achieved.
Read more in The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/how-methods-videos-are-making-science-smarter
psychology or other disciplines
Reproducibility has become the focus of attention in many areas of science. So far, you have read about examples from cancer research and biology, as well as pharmaceutical research. Another scientific discipline that has recently begun addressing the topic of reproducibility is the field of economics. In their approach to evaluating the reproducibility of studies in experimental economics, Camerer and colleagues have also used a somewhat different methodology.
Read more in Science:
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6280/1433.full.pdf+html
(such as experience and expertise)
The expertise of researchers conducting the replication attempts has been the topic of much debate.
In a recent study, Protzko and Schooler have questioned whether researchers' "caliber" influences their success in reproducing studies.
Read more in PsyArXiv Preprints: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/4vzfs/?t=1&cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjc18y&iid=c229da44ef46429fb9c1547524d11052&uid=1158994320&nid=244+276893704
In the last half-century, while Port Royal on the south coast experienced 11 hurricanes, Discovery Bay on the north has seen only four; the last severe hurricane was in 1917 (12).
Since this study was published, hurricanes have been increasing in both frequency and intensity in the North Atlantic. We may begin to see shifts in coral reef communities toward something more like Port Royal.
Read more from the U.S. Global Change Research Program:
http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/our-changing-climate/changes-hurricanes
because hurricanes occur irregularly and comparatively rarely, it is hard to assess their relative importance.
For a broad overview of the effects of hurricanes on coral reefs, see the following news report from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/jan/24/climatechange
Deep dive: Hurricanes and their Effects on Coral Reefs, a report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network:<br> https://www.coris.noaa.gov/activities/caribbean_rpt/SCRBH2005_03.pdf
, both directly and through its influence on biological interactions.
Communities in the ocean are often strongly influenced by the physical environment around them, and coral reefs are usually found in clear water. This is why scientists were surprised to discover a coral and sponge reef in the less-than-ideal conditions of the plume of the Amazon river in 2016.
View newly released photos of this reef in National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/01/photos-amazon-coral-reef-discovery-research-science/
Read the original article in Science Advances: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/4/e1501252.full
Arabidopsis thaliana
The use of Arabidopsis thaliana has been vital for plant science research.
Learn more about the importance of this plant in this podcast by Professor Kathy Willis on BBC Radio 4.
rapid environmental change
Many locations in the world are facing rapid environmental change.
Read more about environmental change in Greenland in the Independent
severely damaging its reefs
Coral reefs continue to face threats of increasing severity, which could spell disaster if compounded.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef recently experienced its most severe coral bleaching event in history as a result of the combined effects of ocean warming and an El Niño event.
Read more from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/media-room/latest-news/coral-bleaching/2016/the-facts-on-great-barrier-reef-coral-mortality
gene regulatory networks
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160728110501.htm
The Institute for Basic Science research team explained the use of a technique, mTAIL-seq, to study the regulation of translation through the presence and length of the poly-A tail.
A basic background of the process of transcribing DNA into RNA and translating RNA into proteins is given in the article to show the importance of each step of the central dogma.
The IBS research team was able to use their technique to show that the regulation of the messenger RNAs controls what proteins are being expressed in the cell controlling the phenotype of the individual: hair color, height, etc.
with MS2 to image single mRNA translation kinetics in live cells
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/352/6292/1430
Bin Wu lead a group of researchers in developing molecular techniques which would allow translation elongation and initiation rates to be observed and quantified. Form Wu’s research, the SunTag epitope was developed and combined with MS2 tagging, which was the first experiment that allowed movement of mRNA, translation, and protein migration to be observed in a living cell.
Wu’s research on translation kinetics helped lay the foundation for Morisaki’s research and the development of nascent chain tracking.
cytoplasmic binding partners
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160804102311.htm
It is traditionally thought that proteins that are involved in the regulation of translation and transcription are in two different categories. However, researchers at Umea University in Sweden and Inserm in France have now discovered that there is a gray area when discussing regulation of genetic expression at different levels.
The researchers have discovered that some proteins, specifically p53, have the ability to control the expression of the MDMX gene at both transcription and translation. By mutating the region of the p53 gene that encodes the DNA binding domain of the protein (making the translated p53 protein unable to bind to DNA) researchers observed that the control MDMX gene expression was still being regulated by p53 during translation.
From this discovery we can draw the conclusion that protein regulation of genetic expression is even more complex than previously thought.
an inhibitor of translation
http://www.pnas.org/content/70/12/3866.full.pdf
Puromycin is an inhibitor of protein synthesis. This article explains why the researchers were unable to see the KDM5B protein after the addition of puromycin. Puromycin causes a premature release of protein chains. The ribosome falls off of the mRNA before translation is complete. The ribosome dissociates into its subunits.
Many of these effects are likely to become even stronger in the future because of the expanding human population and economic activity. Most land change processes reduce natural vegetation or they seal or degrade the soils, representing additional effects on ecosystems, which will enhance, rather than dampen, the biome shifts toward a drier state than estimated by this analysis.
Farming is one type of land use that is both heavily impacted by and contributes to changes in the environment. Learn more about how drought conditions in Spain are affecting and affected by farming in NPR Parallels: http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/07/02/534746211/drought-threatens-crops-wildlife-along-spains-guadalquivir-river-delta?ft=nprml&f=%20NPR
Our results provide compelling evidence linking blast exposure to long-lasting brain injury. Specifically, our study raises concern that blast exposure may increase risk for later development of CTE and associated neurobehavioral sequelae.
This study received a lot of attention not only in the scientific community, but from the media, veterans advocacy groups, military medicine decisionmakers, and policymakers. It has brought new life to the debate surrounding connections between blast exposure, traumatic brain injury, and the long-term health outcomes and risks for military veterans exposed to blasts.
For some selected news coverage, see the Related science news tab in the sidebar.
Neuropathological hallmarks of CTE
In February 2015, the National Institutes of Health NIH organized a meeting of pathologists in Boston to come up with criteria for postmortem diagnosis of CTE.
Read the report from the meeting here: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Current-Research/Focus-Research/Traumatic-Brain-Injury/NIH-Chronic-Traumatic-Encephalopathy
applicants from elite institutions
All that separates individual investors is access to the best ideas and powerful research tools.
See this MarketWatch article about how social media is present in our daily lives and how much it can create a connection between the ideas and investors:
Electrical stimulation in various brain areas is known to evoke laughter
Doctors can directly stimulate the brains of conscious patients in order to identify and avoid critical regions of the brain during surgery. This technique is also allowing scientists to learn more about the functions of the human brain.
Read more in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2016/feb/26/a-cooler-way-to-evaluate-brain-surgery-patients
Tickling sensations can be differentiated into laughter-inducing “gargalesis” and non–laughter-inducing light touch, “knismesis” (1)
There are a range of animals that produce sounds that may be evolutionarily linked to human laughter. However, it can be difficult to interpret the emotions of animals.
Read more from the BBC: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170518-why-humans-chimpanzees-and-rats-enjoy-being-tickled
Other investigators may develop alternative indicators to explore further the role of expertise and quality in reproducibility on this open data set.
In a later approach to estimating how researchers assess the reproducibility of science, a large-scale survey was conducted with more than 1500 researchers answering questions such as "Have you failed to reproduce an experiment?"
Read more in Nature: http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/1.19970!/menu/main/topColumns/topLeftColumn/pdf/533452a.pdf
improve the quality and credibility of the scientific literature.
Improving the quality and credibility of scientific literature can be accomplished by improving the daily practices involved in the research process. Improved reporting and registering hypotheses and sample sizes are some ideas for such changes.
Read more in Nature Human Behavior: http://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-016-0021
research community is taking action
An important part of taking action to advance psychological research is establishing an open discussion and dialogue about the direction the field could take. In the course of this movement, several researchers' blogs have become an increasingly popular medium for such debate.
Read more on the topic of reproducibility in Andrew Gelman's blog:
http://andrewgelman.com/?s=reproducibility
and in Uri Simonsohn's Blog Data Colada:
Scientific incentives
Incentives for working in scientific research often differ greatly by country and institution. In the UK, for instance the allocation of research funding and institutional positions depends on the number of published papers which are rated as highly original, significant, and rigorously conducted.
Read more in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2016/oct/17/why-is-so-much-research-dodgy-blame-the-research-excellence-framework
interfaith organizations
Examples of faith-based initiatives include EcoFaith Recovery and Interfaith Power and Light.
TORCHS
What are TORCHS factors? Learn more by reading the following links:
http://www.medicineonline.com/articles/t/2/torch-infections.html
Because research outcomes are often skewed, with many low-quality or incremental contributions and relatively few ground-breaking discoveries
One critique about peer reviewing is that peer review may not identify pioneering research.
This report highlights the possible disadvantages of peer review:
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1334826-does-peer-review-pick-the-best-science/
In 2014, the combined budgets of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the European Research Council totaled almost $40 billion.
In 2016, the combined budgets totaled $41.7 billion. The following resources indicate that the research budget continues to increase (as of December 2016).
https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/budget http://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2016/ https://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/facts-and-figures
Clinical symptoms of CTE include progressive affective lability, irritability, distractability, executive dysfunction, memory disturbances, suicidal ideation, and in advanced cases, cognitive deficits and dementia.
Recently, scientists have recognized that blast-related traumatic brain injury suffered during military service can have a negative impact on veterans' lives. It has been shown to impair many brain functions (concentration, memory, cognition) and negatively affect mood (irritability, suicidal ideation).
In 2012, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order to improve access to mental health care for veterans: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/31/executive-order-improving-access-mental-health-services-veterans-service
future of humanity—and indeed, all life on Earth—depends on it
Though humans are largely driven by self-interest, we do organize ourselves into formal and informal groups that have made us a force of nature on the planet. Some argue that our shared imagination is our strength.
Read more at TED: http://ideas.ted.com/why-humans-run-the-world/
urban dwellers need access to nature in order to rediscover their interdependence with it and deepen their sense of place
Access to nature has been especially limited for African Americans partially because of a seterotype that they "don't do nature." One woman has developed a network of leaders who now take groups of African Americans hiking, birding, biking, and camping. So far this effort has touched over 7000 urbanites.
Read more at National Public Radio: http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/07/12/421533481/outdoor-afro-busting-stereotypes-that-blacks-dont-hike-or-camp
Pew Research Center. Global concern about climate change, broad support for limiting emissions
This poll explored global regional differences in the perception of the threat posed by climate change. Around the world, around 51% of those polled said that climate change is already harming people. Globally, the poll found that a majority of people think their countries should limit greenhouse gas emissions and that the world needs an international agreement to curb emissions.
Within the United States, Canada, Australia, and Germany, large differences in concern about climate change were found between followers of right-of-center parties, who were less concerned, and followers of left-of-center parties, who were more concerned.
Individuals whose actions are informed by a deeper understanding of how the planet really works
Ecoliteracy is understanding how healthy natural systems operate. This includes principles such as:
Ecologically-inspired principles such as these are critical for creative and appropriate changes to the transportation, food, and energy systems that humans design.
Learn more at the Center for Ecoliteracy: https://www.ecoliteracy.org/article/ecological-worldview-hearing-cries-world
increasingly incorporating green features such as community gardens, walking and biking paths, and green roofs
Adding a variety of types of green spaces in cities—including lining streets with trees and constructing buildings with plants on their roofs—can provide benefits for ecological systems (e.g., providing food and refuge for migrating animals). Humans also benefit from city designs that include natural features. We feel better physically and mentally, and we develop more accurate knowledge and more positive attitudes about nature.
Read more in Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160604051012.htm
Ray Anderson often spoke of the “Spear in the Heart” moment when he realized his business was endangering future generations
The late Ray Anderson turned a petroleum-intense process of making carpet into a sustainable business model.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/15/local/la-me-ray-anderson-20110815
have the capacity to move in new, ecologically sound directions
Organizations can facilitate engaging all of their members in the work of sustainability by making it part of everyone's job to be a sustainability champion and providing resources to support new ideas.
Read more in the Stanford Social Innovation Review: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/engaging_employees_to_create_a_sustainable_business
schools often fail to prepare graduates to understand ecology
Ecological literacy is the understanding of how complex natural systems make life on Earth possible and the use of this understanding to guide daily choices.
This is a relatively new idea, set forth in the late 1980s. So, even if middle school and high school science teachers took ecology courses in college, many have had no formal training about climate science. This makes it very challenging to teach students about climate change.
Read more at National Public Radio: http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/02/19/467206769/why-science-teachers-are-struggling-with-climate-change
set machine defaults to efficiency modes
You may be familiar with sleep mode on your computer, or you might have seen a printer that defaults to double-sided printing. This type of resource- and energy-saving default mode helps people behave more sustainably without taking any action at all.
Hotels are now installing energy-saving devices that turn off lights and turn down heat when guests leave the room. The guests do not have to do anything to save energy—the devices to it for them.
Read more at the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/10/business/hotel-energy-efficiency-carbon-footprint.html
prioritize vendors that meet sustainability criteria
Most organizations that purchase supplies and equipment have rules about who they buy them from, often based on cost or quality. Purchasing rules have only recently included environmental requirements. One such example is the Environmentally Preferrable Purchasing Program for purchases by the United States federal government.
Read more at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: https://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts/about-environmentally-preferable-purchasing-program
creating a shared wind farm
Offshore wind farms represent a large—and growing—source of renewable energy.
Read more at Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/america-rsquo-s-first-commercial-offshore-wind-farm-goes-live/
incremental improvements in systemic processes and infrastructure
City buildings are a large source of greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable building designs that include use of natural light, alternative energy sources, and better insulation reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 30%.
Read more at National Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/green-buildings/benefits-of-green-buildings-human-health-economics-environment/
urban structures built for living, working and playing
Structures such as sidewalks allow people to safely walk to school, shops, or grocery stores rather than drive a car.
Read more at Access Magazine: http://www.accessmagazine.org/articles/spring-2010/vibrant-sidewalks-united-states-re-integrating-walking-quintessential-social-realm/
generating energy
A fact sheet from the U.S. Energy Information Administration lists all sources of United States energy and what percentage each comprises of total energy use.
Read more at EIA: https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3
growing and transporting food
Jonathan Foley summarized the problems with our current food system—and the potential solutions—a few years ago.
Read more at National Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/feeding-9-billion/
CBSM has been used to address sustainable behavior in communities
Students at Oberlin College used Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) to identify which behaviors to change, what the barriers and benefits were to students, and which interventions to plan.
Read more at Oberlin College & Conservatory Office of Environmental Sustainability: http://new.oberlin.edu/office/environmental-sustainability/programs/community-based-social-marketing/
behavior-change interventions
Behavior-change interventions using social and behavioral science have been used successfully to encourage a range of behaviors, including water purification, energy use, and HIV testing.
Read more at the New York Times: https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/peer-pressure-can-be-a-lifesaver/
creating incentives that increase the short-term rewards of a sustainable action
There are many different kinds of incentives, ranging from praise to pizza parties, that can be used to encourage sustainable behavior in workplaces.
Read more at GreenBiz.com: https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2012/05/21/engage-employees-sustainability-programs
framing information about an issue such as climate change to emphasize current and local impacts
Worldwatch Institute promotes research and outreach to "accelerate the transition to a sustainable world." In addition to monitoring the Earth's "vital signs," they post information about current impacts of climate change.
For instance, you can read about contemporary changes in the Rocky Mountains in World Watch Magazine: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6160
humans meet their needs and wants in ecologically disruptive ways
Human impact on the planet is often represented by how many people are living and what they are consuming (e.g. food, clothes, energy, cars, etc.).
Read more at Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131114193245.htm
Individuals—informal and formal leaders, decision makers, workers, volunteers, and members—are the underlying force
Change begins with an individual. But that is not enough. An individual needs to step forth with an idea for change and then others need to be the first followers. Social science researchers have developed a model for how new ideas turn into a social movement. It begins with an innovator, early adopters see the innovation and try it, then others see the early adopters and copy what they do. Eventually the remaining people join because they don't want to miss out.
can be found in urban areas as well
Humans who live in cities benefit from being able to interact with nature. Two different ways to accomplish this interaction include urban parks, and windows that can open to let in fresh air.
Read more at the University of Washington's UWToday: http://www.washington.edu/news/2016/06/03/finding-connections-to-nature-in-cities-is-key-to-healthy-urban-living/
founded an initiative
The Heroic Imagination Project applies findings from social psychology to help people overcome negative social influence and act positively in their everyday lives.
Read more at: http://heroicimagination.org/
faith-based communities
Pope Francis made a statement about humanity's moral responsibility to respond to climate change.
Read more at The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lloyd-steffen/religion-and-climate-change_b_8900316.html
when individuals realize they are not alone in their beliefs about a contentious issue, they become willing to speak out
The internet is a powerful tool for finding people with similar views and interests. Thus it is potentially a helpful tool for helping people build up courage to speak out about issues they are concerned about, such as support for scientific research.
Read more at the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/01/science/march-for-science-washington-date.html
producing goods
Global consumerism is resulting in an increasing demand for luxuries, which threatens human health and the environment.
Read more at National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/01/0111_040112_consumerism.html
consensus of grave risk has grown in the scientific community
The public relies more on political affiliation and ideology than science on topics such as climate change.
Read more at Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/big-gap-between-what-scientists-say-and-americans-think-about-climate-change/
strong emotional reactions to threats of rejection
Social exclusion causes physiological reactions in the brain and body that are similar to the pain experienced from a physical injury. Psychologists consider this biological, visceral response to be indicative of an innate need for social connection and inclusion.
Read more at the American Psychological Association Monitor: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/04/rejection.aspx
Dire environmental news
More frequent and intense storms resulting from climate change create hazards like floods and landslides. These extreme events affect topsoil in the landscape and quality of watersheds.
Read more at Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcasts/
can at first be intimidating, making individuals feel uncertain, incompetent, or fearful of others’ disapproval or rejection
We all have a need to feel competent. Trying something new can be discouraging when we haven't seen others doing it, we haven't learned how to do it in school, or we think others won't approve of the activity. It is common for people to resist trying these new behaviors until they develop the appropriate skills and feel socially comfortable.
Read more at The Chicago Tribune:[http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/home/sc-cons-0710-finds-20140710-story.html]
humans’ ancient origins
Ancient human societies developed for a variety of reasons like safety and food security. Some emerging anthropological evidence suggests that early humans also needed each others' help with challenges such as childrearing, lending support for the proverb "it takes a village to raise a child."
Read more at National Public Radio: http://www.npr.org/2011/01/10/132745952/big-babies-helped-shape-early-human-societies
systems that encourage, support, and reinforce overly consumptive, wasteful, and polluting lifestyles
Neighborhoods are an example of complex systems that help us live, travel, work, and play. Suburbs built after World War II tend to be designed around the use of cars. For instance, building homes that are far away from commercial districts containing offices, retail, and entertainment encourages more driving. These systems also include large, single-family homes which use more energy to heat and cool.
Read more at Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/location-location-lifestyle-determines-global-warming-pollution/
materialistic
Roughly one-half of Americans admit to using "retail therapy" to manage anxiety.
Read more in the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/simple-thrifty-living/can-shopping-help-anxiety_b_5936748.html
soothe their anxiety
The term "eco-anxiety" was coined to describe the stress associated with learning and worrying about climate change and other environmental issues. Potential solutions include cognitive behavioral therapy and connecting with nature.
Read more at: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/stories/eco-anxiety
messages about predicted environmental catastrophes
More and more frequently, daily news describes emerging evidence of how Earth's systems are rapidly changing. These changes in weather events and resource shortages are on such a large and overwhelming scale that humans will have a hard time adjusting to their consequences.
Here are a few examples:
The Guardian reports catastrophic consequences of Arctic ice melting: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/25/arctic-ice-melt-trigger-uncontrollable-climate-change-global-level
NBC News covers the ramifications of a global drought: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/global-drought-threatens-water-food-supplies-get-used-it-n196841
ecological systems upon which humans rely for life support are in crisis
What comes to mind when you think of ecological crises? Perhaps you think of air and water pollution, species extinctions, or global climate change.
Read more about the planet's "vital signs" at http://vitalsigns.worldwatch.org/
The Natural Step
The Natural Step is a process that helps organizations of people, ranging from businesses to communities, plan environmentally sustainable policies and practices.
Read more at SustainableBusiness.com: http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/building-sustainable-citiesscandinavia39s-34eco-municipalities34-show-the-way-26145/
Distal blastemal cells are converted to more proximal cells by exposure to retinoic acid or other retinoids
Retinoic acid (a major component of vitamin A) and derived compounds are often used to treat acne. Many of these drugs, however, are known to cause major birth defects at the dosages effective for treating acne. The drug isotretnoin (brand name Accutane®) is in particular known to cause severe birth defects.
As a result, there is heavy regulation of this drug including mandatory birth control. This, unfortunately, was not always the case and resulted in many children born with birth defects. See this article in The New York Times for more:
http://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/11/us/acne-drug-accutane-linked-to-severe-birth-deformities.html
Although development is not regeneration, retinoic acid's role in causing defects in both these processes does highlight shared similarities. Retinoic acid does not disrupt every biology process, you need vitamin A to live of course!
Because retinoic acid is capable of disrupting both these processes this does suggest some link between the two.
both directly and through its influence on biological interactions
Communities in the ocean are often strongly influenced by the physical environment around them. This is why scientists were surprised to find a never-before-seen coral and sponge reef in the less-than-ideal conditions of the plume of the Amazon river in 2016.
View newly released photos of this reef in National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/01/photos-amazon-coral-reef-discovery-research-science/
Read the original article in Science Advances: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/4/e1501252.full
severely damaging its reefs
Coral reefs continue to face threats of increasing severity, which could spell disaster for reefs if compounded. Australia's Great Barrier Reef recently experienced its most severe coral bleaching event in history as a combined result from ocean warming and an El Niño event.
Read more from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/media-room/latest-news/coral-bleaching/2016/the-facts-on-great-barrier-reef-coral-mortality
In the last half-century, while Port Royal on the south coast experienced 11 hurricanes, Discovery Bay on the north has seen only four; the last severe hurricane was in 1917 (12).
Since this study was published, hurricanes have been increasing in both frequency and intensity in the North Atlantic. We may begin to see shifts in coral reef communities towards something more like Port Royal.
Read more from the U.S. Global Change Research Program: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/our-changing-climate/changes-hurricanes
homozygosity mapping
To improve the quality of results, the authors chose consanguineous families (families that share a very recent ancestor), because of their high risk of having autistic children.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University reasoned that families with multiple females with autism must have special genetic variants for autism that can be more easily identified than when comparing other groups.
heterogeneous disorders
Autism is a "heterogeneous" disorder because not all autistic people have the same genetic anomalies. Autism is difficult to characterize not only because there are many different genes that can cause it, but also because autism sometimes results when several otherwise benign mutations come together in the genome of an individual.
research community is taking action
An important part of taking action to advance psychological research is establishing an open discussion and dialogue about the directions the field could take. In the course of this movement, several researchers' blogs have become an increasingly popular medium for such debate.
Read more on the topic of reproducibility in Andrew Gelman's Blog: http://andrewgelman.com/?s=reproducibility and in Uri Simonsohn's Blog Data Colada: http://datacolada.org/?s=reproducibility .
or other disciplines
Camerer and colleagues conducted a project aimed at evaluating the reproducibility of studies in experimental economics, using a somewhat different methodology.
Read more in Science: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6280/1433.full.pdf+html
Scientific incentives
Incentives for working in scientific research often differ greatly by country and institution. In the UK, for instance the allocation of research funding and institutional positions depends on the number of published papers which are rated as highly original, significant and rigorously conducted.
Read more in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2016/oct/17/why-is-so-much-research-dodgy-blame-the-research-excellence-framework
procedures that are more challenging to execute may result in less reproducible results
Making an experimental setup transparent and reproducible can be quite difficult, because undetected but theoretically relevant variations to the study protocol could produce different results. However, there are some new ideas about how such transparency could be achieved.
Read more in The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/how-methods-videos-are-making-science-smarter
improve the quality and credibility of the scientific literature
Improving the quality and credibility of scientific literature can be accomplished through improving the daily practices involved in the research process. Improved reporting and registering hypotheses and sample sizes are some ideas for such improvements.
Read more in Nature Human Behavior: http://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-016-0021
Other investigators may develop alternative indicators to explore further the role of expertise and quality in reproducibility on this open data set.
In a later approach to estimating how researchers assess the reproducibility of science, a large-scale survey was conducted with more than 1500 researchers answering questions such as "Have you failed to reproduce an experiment?".
Read more in Nature: http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/1.19970!/menu/main/topColumns/topLeftColumn/pdf/533452a.pdf
2013 U.S. Congressional Record
You can browse through daily issues of the Congressional Record here.
permafrost soils contain twice as much C as there is in the atmosphere (7), and they are thawing (8) and releasing C to surface waters and the atmosphere
This link discusses some possible implications of thawing permafrost.
Because research outcomes are often skewed, with many low-quality or incremental contributions and relatively few ground-breaking discoveries
One critique about peer reviewing is that peer review may not identify pioneering research.
This report highlights the possible disadvantages of peer review:
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1334826-does-peer-review-pick-the-best-science/
peer review generates new insights about the scientific quality of grant applications
The effectiveness of peer review has been refuted many times before:
applicants from elite institutions
All that separates individual investors is access to the best ideas and powerful research tools.
See this marketwatch article about how social media is present in our daily lives and how much it can create a connection between the ideas and investors: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/social-medias-next-disruption-the-investment-industry-2016-06-09?siteid=rss&rss=1
In 2014, the combined budgets of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the European Research Council totaled almost $40 billion.
In 2016, the combined budgets totaled $41.7 billion. From this we can see that the research budget continues to increase.
https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/budget http://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2016/ https://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/facts-and-figures
Early attempts to understand electricity made use of electric eels
Both bio-fuel cells and high voltage liquid electrolyte microbatteries have been inspired by the Electric Eel.
More recently a "protocell" was designed by Dr. David LaVan at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland in which the electric charge difference between two cells and the flow of ions through the shared membrane was used to generate electricity much like that generated by the cells of electric Eels.
to read more see: 1- http://www.economist.com/node/14790488
2- Xu, Jian, Fred J. Sigworth, and David A. LaVan. "Synthetic protocells to mimic and test cell function." Advanced Materials 22.1 (2010): 120-127.
acetylcholine gated ion channels at the neuromuscular junction
If you want to know more about acetylcholine gated ion channels leads to the muscular contraction. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21586/
muscle tension
You can check this out if you want to know more about what happens during muscular tension: https://www.boundless.com/biology/textbooks/boundless-biology-textbook/the-musculoskeletal-system-38/muscle-contraction-and-locomotion-218/control-of-muscle-tension-829-12072/
mutant scaleless chicken
http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v36/n5/full/ng0504-443.html
we show for the first time
To read a popular science version of this paper, check out motherelode's article, complete with quotes from the author.
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/hairy-humans-and-scaly-lizards-have-more-in-common-than-you-think
reveal a new evolutionary scenario
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2008/11/so-thats-why-chickens-have-combs
It has also been previously suggested that proteins involved in hair formation are found in reptiles for claw formation and in birds for beak formation. This hinted at the shared ancestry of hair, claws and scales.
de novo
In this article, the authors will focus on patients who inherited long deletions or additions from their parents. However, this is not the only approach to understanding the genetics of autism. Some look directly at the appearance of de novo SNP.
anxiety disorders
Rodents aren't the only animals that show similar stress responses to humans. Check out this interesting story about how crayfish are also being used study anxiety:
http://www.aaas.org/news/science-crayfish-can-be-calmed-anti-anxiety-medication
Understanding the molecular mechanisms that support this extinction-related plasticity could lead to pharmacological approaches
A good summary of this article and its potential implications for the development of drugs to help patients suffering from anxiety disorders:
http://brainblogger.com/2010/09/19/fear-reducing-drugs-an-emerging-science/
ameliorate disorders of learned fear
There is a great need for effective treatments of fear and anxiety disorders.
measles
In 2015, an outbreak of measles at Disneyland resulted in 147 unvaccinated children getting sick. Fortunately, no one died of the disease.
Read more about the outbreak and the threat of not vaccinating children here: [Measles Outbreak Traced to Disneyland Declared Over.]
CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing method
For more about CRISPR, see the following resources:
http://www.nature.com/news/crispr-the-disruptor-1.17673
http://www.nature.com/news/crispr-1.17547
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/347/6228/1300?intcmp=collection-crispr
http://www.sciencemag.org/site/extra/crispr/?intcmp=HP-COLLECTION-PROMO-crispr
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/magazine/the-crispr-quandary.html?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/04/health/a-powerful-new-way-to-edit-dna.html
large potential savings in sewer corrosion costs
Sewer infrastructure maintenance is a costly business:
https://ichemeblog.org/2014/08/31/combating-sewer-corrosion-day-96/
by switching to sulfate-free coagulants
Sack Sulfates to Preserve Sewers:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/sack-sulfates-to-preserve-sewers/
transfection of mammalian Cos 7 cells
Transfection of not cell cultures, but whole organisms is now a possible feat. Often this is done using a virus-based transfection system.
The virus contains the gene you want expressed in the organism and that virus then goes and infects cells. These viruses can be specifically designed to target certain organs like the liver or brain, so that only the organ you want has that DNA and is expressing that protein.
This process is becoming so safe and efficient that it is now being used in extreme circumstances on humans. If a person suffers from a disease caused by a mutation in a gene, a working version of it could theoretically be inserted into their cells using viruses.
Often this concept is lumped together under the broad term "genetic engineering," but is more appropriately termed "gene therapy."
Although this field has been plagued with many past disasters, new advances and better understanding of viral biology is making this a viable treatment for many diseases. The field of gene therapy is still recovering after the death of Jesse Gelsinger, among others.