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Categories: Ecology: General, Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published Shutting down nuclear power could increase air pollution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows that if U.S. nuclear power plants are retired, the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas to fill the energy gap could cause more than 5,000 premature deaths.
Published Solar cells charging forward
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An environmentally friendlier solution to solar cell production with enhanced performance utilizes PEDOT:PSS/silicon heterojunction solar cells. This hybrid type is made of organic-inorganic material, which could potentially ease the production process compared to conventional silicon-only solar cells. It avoids manufacturing solar cells in vacuums and high-temperature processes, which require large and expensive equipment and a great amount of time.
Published Rooting out how plants control nitrogen use
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nitrogen is such a crucial nutrient for plants that vast quantities of nitrogen-containing fertilizers are spread on farmlands worldwide. However, excess nitrogen in the soil and in drainage run-off into lakes and rivers causes serious ecological imbalances. A recent study has uncovered the regulatory mechanisms at work when plants utilize nitrogenous fertilizers in their roots, a positive step in the quest to generate crops that require less fertilizer while still producing the yields needed to feed the world.
Published Engineered plants produce sex perfume to trick pests and replace pesticides
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tobacco plants have been engineered to manufacture an alluring perfume of insect sex pheromones, which could be used to confuse would-be pests looking for love and reduce the need for harmful pesticides.
Published Scientists discover a way Earth's atmosphere cleans itself
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Human activities emit many kinds of pollutants into the air, and without a molecule called hydroxide (OH), many of these pollutants would keep aggregating in the atmosphere.
Published In Florida study, nonnative leaf-litter ants are replacing native ants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new look at decades of data from museum collections and surveys of leaf-litter ants in Florida reveals a steady decline in native ants and simultaneous increase in nonnative ants -- even in protected natural areas of the state, researchers report.
Published Long-forgotten equation provides new tool for converting carbon dioxide
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To manage atmospheric carbon dioxide and convert the gas into a useful product, scientists have dusted off an archaic -- now 120 years old -- electrochemical equation.
Published New pesticide exposure test developed to protect inexperienced cannabis farmers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemists created a more reliable, robust and efficient way to monitor pesticide exposure and help protect the health and safety of agricultural workers, especially for emerging sectors like the cannabis industry.
Published Newly discovered probiotic could protect Caribbean corals threatened by deadly, devastating disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered the first effective bacterial probiotic for treating and preventing stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), a mysterious ailment that has devastated Florida's coral reefs since 2014 and is rapidly spreading throughout the Caribbean. The probiotic treatment provides an alternative to the use of the broad-spectrum antibiotic amoxicillin, which has so far been the only proven treatment for the disease but which runs the risk of promoting antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Published Air pollution may increase risk for dementia
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Exposure to fine particulate air pollutants (PM2.5) may increase the risk of developing dementia, according to a new meta-analysis.
Published Gone for good? California's beetle-killed, carbon-storing pine forests may not come back
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ponderosa pine forests in the Sierra Nevada that were wiped out by western pine beetles during the 2012-2015 megadrought won't recover to pre-drought densities, reducing an important storehouse for atmospheric carbon.
Published Surprising science behind bumblebee superfood
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source It's the spines. New research shows that the spiny pollen from plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) both reduces infection of a common bee parasite by 81 -- 94% and markedly increases the production of queen bumble bees. The research provides much-needed food for thought in one of the most vexing problems facing biologists and ecologists: how to reverse the great die-off of the world's pollinators.
Published Coral skeletons influence reef recovery after bleaching
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Natural disasters can devastate a region, abruptly killing the species that form an ecosystem's structure. But how this transpires can influence recovery. While fires scorch the landscape to the ground, a heatwave leaves an army of wooden staves in its wake. Storm surges and coral bleaching do something similar underwater.
Published Opening a new frontier: PdMo intermetallic catalyst for promoting CO2 utilization
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recently discovered catalyst, can convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into useful methanol at room temperature and low-pressure conditions. This novel compound, which is thermally and chemically stable in air, represents a new milestone in CO2 conversion via hydrogenation and could be key to slow down climate change.
Published New tool shows progress in fighting spread of invasive grass carp in Great Lakes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers created a new way to estimate the abundance of invasive 'sleeper' species in freshwater ecosystems and help guide management strategies.
Published Was plate tectonics occurring when life first formed on Earth?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers used small zircon crystals to unlock information about magmas and plate tectonic activity in early Earth. The research provides chemical evidence that plate tectonics was most likely occurring more than 4.2 billion years ago when life is thought to have first formed on our planet. This finding could prove beneficial in the search for life on other planets.
Published New insights into engineering climate-smart crops for the future
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research in the field of plant sciences has made significant advances towards understanding the underlying reasons behind why certain crops are better at generating more yield than others.
Published Scientists use computational modeling to design 'ultrastable' materials
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers developed a computational approach to predict which metal-organic framework (MOF) structures will be the most stable, and therefore the best candidates for applications such as capturing greenhouse gases.
Published Discovery of crucial clue to accelerate development of carbon-neutral porous materials
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent study has provided a library of those various molecular clusters for future metal building blocks of MOFs, and suggested practical synthetic strategies.
Published Warming Arctic draws marine predators northwards
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Marine predators have expanded their ranges into the Arctic waters over the last twenty years, driven by climate change and associated increases in productivity.