Complex bacterial challenge in fight against deadly amphibian disease
Manchester, UK (SPX) Apr 09, 2015 -
New research from The University of Manchester and the Institute of Zoology has shed light on the complex challenge facing scientists battling one of the world's most devastating animal diseases.
Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) is thought to be behind the decline or extinction of at least 200 species of frogs. It is also one of the reasons why 31% of amphibian species are c ...
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Fishing amplifies forage fish collapses
Pullman WA (SPX) Apr 09, 2015 -
A new study shows for the first time that fishing likely worsens population collapses in species of forage fish, including herring, anchovies and sardines. Some of the largest fisheries in the world target these species, and these "baitfish" are also a key source of food for larger marine animals, including salmon, tuna, seabirds and whales.
Scientists have long known about wide fluctuatio ...
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Climate change, plant roots may accelerate carbon loss from soils
Corvallis OR (SPX) Apr 09, 2015 -
Soil, long thought to be a semi-permanent storehouse for ancient carbon, may be releasing carbon dioxide to the atmosphere faster than anyone thought, according to Oregon State University soil scientists.
In a study published in this week's online edition of the journal Nature Climate Change, the researchers showed that chemicals emitted by plant roots act on carbon that is bonded to miner ...
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Next-gen temperature sensor to measure ocean dynamics
Lincoln NB (SPX) Apr 09, 2015 -
UNL engineers and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory have designed a next-generation temperature sensor set to improve the measurement of oceanic dynamics that shape marine biology, climate patterns and military operations.
The fiber-optic sensor can register significantly smaller temperature changes at roughly 30 times the speed of existing commercial counterparts, said co-designer Ming H ...
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Living mulch, organic fertilizer tested on broccoli
Durham NH (SPX) Apr 09, 2015 -
Cover crops provide many benefits to agricultural production systems, including soil and nutrient retention, resources and habitat for beneficial organisms, and weed suppression. In regions where short growing seasons can hinder the establishment of productive cover crops between cash crop growing periods, living mulch systems may provide vegetable crop growers with opportunities to establish co ...
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Northern coastal marshes more vulnerable to nutrient pollution
Durham NC (SPX) Apr 09, 2015 -
Salt marshes at higher latitudes, such as those in densely populated coastal regions of New England and northern Europe, are more vulnerable to the effects of nutrient pollution, a new Duke University study finds.
"The heavy flow of nitrogen and phosphorus into these marshes from upstream cities and farms can trigger a chain reaction that can lead to intense overgrazing by marsh herbivores ...
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X-raying the past: New insights into the life of extinct marine creatures
Bochum, Germany (SPX) Apr 09, 2015 -
Using state-of-the-art imaging techniques, palaeontologists at the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) have been examining extinct marine creatures. Quantitative analyses provide new evidence that ammonites were able to swim using their shell - very much like the recent nautilus. For the purpose of the study, the researchers, together with partners from the industry, developed an evaluation process fo ...
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Lizards are larger and retain heat longer in high-altitude habitats
Granada, Spain (SPX) Apr 09, 2015 -
Scientists at the University of Granada (UGR) have found that the long-tailed lizard, Psammodromus algirus, is larger when living at high altitude-with a cold climate-than at a lower, and therefore warmer, altitude. In addition, lizards living at over 2000 meters retain heat longer because they are larger.
The study, published in the prestigious Journal of Evolutionary Biology, confirms fo ...
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We can fix the Great Barrier Reef
Brisbane, Australia (SPX) Apr 09, 2015 -
Leading coral reef scientists say Australia could restore the Great Barrier Reef to its former glory through better policies that focus on science, protection and conservation. In a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the authors argue that all the stressors on the Reef need to be reduced for it to recover.
An Australian Government report into the state of the Great Barri ...
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The rest of the brain gets in the way
Philadelphia PA(SPX) Apr 09, 2015 -
Why do some people learn a new skill right away, while others only gradually improve? Whatever else may be different about their lives, something must be happening in their brains that captures this variation.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Johns Hopkins University have taken a network science approach to this question. In a ...
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Fifth new Coast Guard cutter readied for acceptance trials
Pascagoula, Miss. (UPI) Apr 8, 2015 -
A new National Security Cutter for the U.S. Coast Guard begins acceptance trials later this month following successful builder's trials in the Gulf of Mexico.
The vessel is the James (WMSL 754), the fifth Legend-class cutter, which is replacing 1960s-era Hamilton-class cutters. It was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries.
"Our Ingalls/Coast ...
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Honeywell emergency signal tracking system passes testing
Ottawa (UPI) Apr 9, 2015 -
A global tracking system from Honeywell has passed final acceptance tests for use in the European Space Agency's Galileo search-and-rescue satellite program.
Honeywell said its solution reduces the time it takes for an emergency signal from a distress beacon to be detected and processed - from several hours to a few minutes.
"Our Medium Earth Orbit-based search-and-rescue soluti ...
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Canadian, U.S. contracts for DRS Technologies
Rome (UPI) Apr 9, 2015 -
DRS Technologies is supplying electronic equipment to Canadian and U.S. military services under three separate contracts with a combined worth of $540 million.
The first contract, worth $100 million, was signed with General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada for production of surveillance systems for the Canadian Army's LAV 6.0 armored vehicles. The surveillance systems include mast-mounted, ...
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Raytheon expects production okay for AMRAAM systems
Tucson (UPI) Apr 9, 2015 -
The newest variants of Raytheon's Advanced Medium Range Air-to-air Missile and Small Diameter Bomb II are moving toward Milestone C production decisions.
The decisions, which will move the weapon systems from the engineering and development phase to production and deployment, are expected next month and follow the successful passing of milestone testing by the company and the U.S. Air F ...
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Coalition air strikes hit Yemen defence ministry: witnesses
Sanaa (AFP) April 9, 2015 -
Air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition on Thursday hit Yemen's defence ministry in the capital Sanaa which is controlled by Shiite rebels and allied troops, witnesses said.
Three explosions were heard as warplanes hit the building in central Sanaa and thick smoke billowed over the area, the witnesses said.
The attack was part of raids that struck positions across the capital, including a ...
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New submarine maintenance deal for Boustead DCNS Naval Corp.
Paris (UPI) Apr 9, 2015 -
The Malaysian Navy's 2000-type Scorpene conventional submarines are to continue to receive through-life support services from Boustead DCNS Naval Corporation.
DCNS, the French naval company that is a partner in the joint venture business with Malaysia's Boustead Heavy Industries Corp., said the maintenance support contract was signed last month and will remain in force for a period of t ...
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A new breakthrough in thermoelectric materials
Seoul, South Koera (SPX) Apr 08, 2015 -
French physicist Jean Charles Athanase Peltier discovered a key concept necessary for thermoelectric (TE) temperature control in 1834. His findings were so significant, TE devices are now commonly referred to Peltier devices. Since his work, there have been steady advancements in materials and design. Despite the technological sophistication Peltier devices, they are still less energy efficient ...
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FLIR Systems settles SEC charges
Washington (UPI) Apr 9, 2015 -
Defense contractor FLIR Systems Inc. is paying the U.S. government more than $9.5 million to settle charges it violated Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said FLIR Systems had earned more than $7 million in profits from sales that were influenced by improper travel and gifts to Saudi Arabian government officials.
"FLIR's deficient financia ...
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New safety-related work on Orion by Orbital ATK
Dulles, Va. (UPI) Apr 7, 2015 -
An attitude control motor for a system to enable astronauts to escape the Orion spacecraft in an emergency during launch is being built by Orbital ATK Inc.
The motor will provide steering control to the Lunch Abort System through the use of a solid propellant gas generator with eight valves around its 3-foot diameter to steer Orion as it moves away from the launch vehicle.
The mo ...
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NASA Selects Companies to Develop Super-Fast Deep Space Engine
Moscow (Sputnik) Apr 08, 2015 -
NASA announced it will partner with a variety of companies in new attempts to create more advanced space technology - including a new engine that could get humans to Mars in less than 40 days.
The Texas-based Ad Astra Rocket company, a member of NASA's 12 Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextStep), boasted their VASIMR engine can get humans to Mars in 39 days.
Th ...
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Space Launch System to Boost Science with Secondary Payloads
Huntsville AL (SPX) Apr 08, 2015 -
When NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS) launches on its first flight, it will be doing some serious multi-tasking. Not only will Exploration Mission-1 test the performance of SLS and its integration with the Orion spacecraft - the agency plans to use its massive lift capability to carry nearly a dozen nano-satellites to conduct science experiments beyond low Earth orbit.
NASA's newest ro ...
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Russia to Launch Nine Rockets Into Space in April-June
Moscow (Sputnik) Apr 08, 2015 -
Seven of the launches will take place from the Baikonur space launch facility in Kazakhstan with various payloads and the remaining two, which are for Russian military purposes, will be launched from the Plesetsk facility in northwestern Russia.
On May 15, Russia will launch a Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket for the Russian military and a Soyuz-2.1b with space equipment for Russia's military wil ...
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N. Korea parliament vows continued push for nuclear program
Seoul (AFP) April 9, 2015 -
North Korea on Thursday vowed to continue its push to develop nuclear weapons as well as ease chronic food and energy shortages during a rare parliamentary session that was closely watched by observers.
The announcement made following the meeting - one of the few opportunities to gauge the mood inside the reclusive nation - stuck closely to a New Year's speech by leader Kim Jong-Un which s ...
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NATO tests rapid reaction forces in Czech, Dutch drills
Chrudim, Czech Republic (AFP) April 9, 2015 -
NATO tested its newly forged rapid reaction forces for the first time Thursday with drills in both the Czech Republic and the Netherlands involving some 1,500 troops, an alliance official said.
Some 900 German and 200 Dutch troops have been deployed in exercises in the Netherlands while in the Czech Republic some 150 national troops are involved, as well as soldiers in other countries, sai ...
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US military worries about losing hi-tech edge
Washington (AFP) April 9, 2015 -
The US military is in danger of losing its technological advantage unless it invests in research and finds ways to build innovative weapons much faster, top officials said Thursday.
The Pentagon unveiled an initiative to streamline its bureaucracy and tap into technological breakthroughs in the private sector amid growing anxiety that American forces' longtime hi-tech edge is slipping away. ...
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