ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Friday, August 13, 2010
Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.
Antibiotics for the prevention of malaria (August 13, 2010) -- If mice are administered an antibiotic for three days and are simultaneously infected with malaria, no parasites appear in the blood and life-threatening disease is averted. In addition, the animals treated in this manner also develop robust, long-term immunity against subsequent infections, according to new research. ... > full story
Shared phosphoproteome links remote plant species (August 13, 2010) -- Researchers have shown that even the most widely-varying species of plants share remarkable similarities in the composition of proteins in them that undergo phosphorylation, a regulatory mechanism involved in various cellular phenomena. A database released by the group, with information on over three thousand phosphorylated proteins and phosphorylation sites in rice, opens new doors in the study and engineering of plants. ... > full story
Federal nuclear waste panel overlooks public mistrust, experts say (August 13, 2010) -- According to 16 social science researchers from across the country, a renewed federal effort to fix the nation's stalled nuclear waste program is focusing so much on technological issues that it fails to address the public mistrust hampering storage and disposal efforts. ... > full story
Scientists test Australia's Moreton Bay as coral 'lifeboat' (August 13, 2010) -- An international team of scientists has been exploring Australia's Moreton Bay, close to Brisbane, as a possible 'lifeboat' to save corals from the Great Barrier Reef at risk of extermination under climate change. In a new research paper, they say that corals have been able to survive and flourish in the Bay, which lies well to the south of the main GBR coral zones, during about half of the past 7000 years. ... > full story
An ancient Earth like ours: Geologists reconstruct Earth's climate belts between 460 and 445 million years ago (August 12, 2010) -- An international team of scientists has reconstructed the Earth's climate belts of the late Ordovician Period, between 460 and 445 million years ago. The findings show that these ancient climate belts were surprisingly like those of the present. ... > full story
Greenhouse gas calculator connects farming practices with carbon credits (August 12, 2010) -- Using a web-based greenhouse gas calculator, researchers demonstrate how farming practices can influence greenhouse gas emissions. ... > full story
Scientists outline a 20-year master plan for the global renaissance of nuclear energy (August 12, 2010) -- Scientists outline a 20-year master plan for the global renaissance of nuclear energy that could see nuclear reactors with replaceable parts, portable mini-reactors, and ship-borne reactors supplying countries with clean energy, in new research. ... > full story
One type of stem cell creates a niche for another type in bone marrow (August 12, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered the precise source of hematopoietic stem cell maintenance and regulation within the bone marrow. In a new study, they report that the HSCs retain their unique features of multipotency and self-renewal in response to signals from another stem cell population, the mesenchymal stem cells, which create a supportive niche for the HSCs. ... > full story
How algae 'enslavement' threatens freshwater bodies (August 12, 2010) -- How toxic, blue-green algae out-compete other organisms through a form of selfish "enslavement" -- and by so doing proliferate dangerously in freshwater bodies -- has been described by a researcher. ... > full story
Charcoal takes some heat off global warming: Biochar can offset 1.8 billion metric tons of carbon emissions annually (August 12, 2010) -- As much as 12 percent of the world's human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be sustainably offset by producing biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from plants and other organic materials. That's more than what could be offset if the same plants and materials were burned to generate energy, concludes a new study. ... > full story
Key step in body's ability to make red blood cells discovered (August 12, 2010) -- Researchers have uncovered a key step in the creation of new red blood cells in an animal study. They found that a tiny fragment of ribonucleic acid (RNA), a chemical cousin of DNA, prompts stem cells to mature into red blood cells. The researchers also created an artificial RNA inhibitor to block this process. ... > full story
Clues to gut immunity evolution: Research reveals similarities between fish and humans (August 12, 2010) -- New research has identified the function of one of the earliest antibodies in the animal kingdom, an ancient immunoglobulin that helps explain the evolution of human intestinal immune responses. It was discovered to play a predominant role in the guts of fish and paves the way for a better understanding of human gut immunity as well as for safer, healthier approaches to keeping fish from pathogen infections. ... > full story
Switchgrass lessens soil nitrate loss into waterways, researchers find (August 12, 2010) -- Researchers have found that by planting switchgrass and using certain agronomic practices, farmers can significantly reduce the amount of nitrogen and nitrates that leach into the soil. ... > full story
Free statins with fast food could neutralize heart risk, scientists say (August 12, 2010) -- Fast food outlets could provide statin drugs free of charge so that customers can neutralize the heart disease dangers of fatty food, researchers suggest in a new study. ... > full story
Popping cells surprise living circuits creators (August 12, 2010) -- Under the microscope, researchers found that bacteria start dividing normally, two cells become four and then eight and so on. But then individual cells begin "popping," like circus balloons being struck by darts. Researchers believe the accidental finding of a circuit they call "ePop" can help increase the efficiency and power of future synthetic biology circuits. ... > full story
Arctic rocks offer new glimpse of primitive Earth (August 12, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a new window into the Earth's violent past. Geochemical evidence from volcanic rocks collected on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic suggests that beneath it lies a region of the Earth's mantle that has largely escaped the billions of years of melting and geological churning that has affected the rest of the planet. Researchers believe the discovery offers clues to the early chemical evolution of the Earth. ... > full story
'Linc-ing' a noncoding RNA to a central cellular pathway (August 12, 2010) -- The recent discovery of more than a thousand genes known as large intergenic noncoding RNAs (or "lincRNAs") opened up a new approach to understanding the function and organization of the genome. That surprising breakthrough is now made even more compelling with the finding that dozens of these lincRNAs are induced by p53, the most commonly mutated gene in cancer. ... > full story
Faster DNA analysis at room temperature (August 12, 2010) -- Researchers in Canada have combined DNA microarrays with microfluidic devices, which are used for the precise control of liquids at the nanoscale. ... > full story
Biodiversity hot spots more vulnerable to global warming than thought (August 12, 2010) -- Global warming may present a threat to animal and plant life even in biodiversity hot spots once thought less likely to suffer from climate change, according to a new study. ... > full story
Texas petrochemical emissions down, but still underestimated, says study (August 12, 2010) -- A thick blanket of yellow haze hovering over Houston as a result of chemical pollution from petroleum products may be getting a little bit thinner, according to a new study. But the new findings -- which have implications for petrochemical-producing cities around the world -- come with a catch, says a team of scientists who participated in the research. ... > full story
Key mechanisms of cell division in plants identified (August 12, 2010) -- Scientists have developed new technology that may contribute to the increase of crop yields in agriculture. The technology platform based on "tandem affinity purification" was developed to map the basic machinery of cell division in plants much faster than the existing techniques. ... > full story
Constant overlap: Scientists identify molecular machinery that maintains important feature of cell's spindle (August 12, 2010) -- Scientists in Germany have uncovered the molecular mechanism that determines the size of anti-parallel microtubule overlaps in a cell's spindle. In a new study, they were able to reconstruct such overlaps in vitro, and identify two proteins which are sufficient to control the formation and size of this important spindle feature. ... > full story
Rate of health care associated MRSA infections decreasing, study finds (August 12, 2010) -- An analysis of data from 2005 through 2008 of nine metropolitan areas in the US indicates that health care-associated invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections decreased among patients with infections that began in the community or in the hospital, according to a new study. ... > full story
Proteins linked with Alzheimer's, other neurodegenerative diseases found to clump in normal aging (August 11, 2010) -- In neurodegenerative diseases, clumps of insoluble proteins appear in patients' brains. These aggregates contain proteins that are unique to each disease, such as amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease, but they are intertwined with small amounts of many other insoluble proteins that are normally present in a soluble form in healthy young individuals. For years, these other proteins were thought to be accidental inclusions in the aggregates, much as a sea turtle might be caught in a net of fish. Now, in a surprising new finding, researchers report that many of the proteins present as minor components of disease aggregates actually clump together as a normal part of aging in healthy individuals. ... > full story
Best way to pour champagne? 'Down the side' wins first scientific test (August 11, 2010) -- In a study that may settle a long-standing disagreement over the best way to pour a glass of champagne, scientists in France are reporting that pouring bubbly in an angled, down-the-side way is best for preserving its taste and fizz. The study also reports the first scientific evidence confirming the importance of chilling champagne before serving to enhance its taste, the scientists say. ... > full story
Rain contributes to cycling patterns of clouds: Researchers demonstrate how honeycomb clouds exhibit self-organization (August 11, 2010) -- Like shifting sand dunes, some clouds disappear in one place and reappear in another. New research shows why: Air movement due to rain forms patterns in low clouds that remain cohesive structures even while appearing to shift about the sky, due to a principle called self-organization. These clouds cover much of the open ocean. Understanding how their patterns evolve will eventually help scientists build better models for predicting climate change. ... > full story
When chimpanzees attack humans: Loss of habitat may lead to increased conflict (August 11, 2010) -- Scientists from Japan, studying chimpanzees in Guinea, have published research revealing why nonhuman primates attack humans and what preventive measures can be taken. The study suggests that while rare, attacks by primates on humans may increase as wild habitat is increasingly converted for agriculture. ... > full story
Oldest evidence of stone tool use and meat-eating among human ancestors discovered: Lucy's species butchered meat (August 11, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered evidence that human ancestors were using stone tools and consuming meat from large mammals nearly a million years earlier than previously documented. Two fossilized bones with cut marks and percussion marks were unearthed in Ethiopia. The bones are about 3.4 million years old and provide the first evidence that Australopithecus afarensis used stone tools and consumed meat. ... > full story
Deathstalker scorpion venom could improve gene therapy for brain cancer (August 11, 2010) -- An ingredient in the venom of the "deathstalker" scorpion could help gene therapy become an effective treatment for brain cancer, scientists are reporting. The substance allows therapeutic genes -- genes that treat disease -- to reach more brain cancer cells than current approaches, according to a new study. ... > full story
'New' human adenovirus may not make for good vaccines, after all (August 11, 2010) -- In a new study of four adenovirus vectors, researchers show that a reportedly rare human adenovirus, AdHu26, is not so rare, after all, and would not be optimal as a vaccine carrier. As previous research has shown, a viral vector may be ineffective if the virus it is based on is common. The study supports the use of chimpanzee adenoviruses as vaccine vectors, since humans have little exposure to these viruses. ... > full story
Send in the clouds: NASA's CloudSat sees clouds' effect on climate by studying them from space (August 11, 2010) -- Gaze up at a cloud-filled sky, and you may spot the white, fluffy shape of a dragon, fish or elephant. Looking at the same sky, Graeme Stephens sees a different vision -- a possible future for Earth's climate. ... > full story
Dogs' physical traits controlled by small number of genetic regions, researcher finds (August 11, 2010) -- Next time you gaze soulfully into a dog's eyes or scratch behind its ears, take note of the length of his nose or the size of his body. Although such attributes can vary wildly among different breeds, a team of researchers has found that they are determined by only a few genetic regions. ... > full story
Bacteria from hot springs reveal clues to evolution of early life and to unlock biofuels' potential (August 11, 2010) -- Bacteria that lives in hot springs in Japan may help solve one of the mysteries of the early evolution of complex organisms, according to a new study. It may also be the key to 21st century biofuel production. ... > full story
Indonesian ice field may be gone in a few years, core may contain secrets of Pacific El Nino events (August 11, 2010) -- Glaciologists who drilled through an ice cap perched precariously on the edge of a 16,000-foot-high Indonesian mountain ridge say that the ice field could vanish within in the next few years, another victim of global climate change. ... > full story
Deep ocean floor research yields promising results for microbiologists (August 11, 2010) -- Research by microbiologists is revealing how marine microbes live in a mysterious area of the Earth: the realm just beneath the deep ocean floor. The ocean crust may be the largest biological reservoir on our planet. ... > full story
Drugs to treat cocaine abuse? Effectiveness may depend on how one uses cocaine (August 11, 2010) -- A new study explores pharmacological strategies for reducing cocaine self-administration in animals that may have implications for treating cocaine dependence in humans. ... > full story
Gondwana supercontinent underwent massive shift during Cambrian explosion (August 11, 2010) -- The Gondwana supercontinent underwent a 60-degree rotation across Earth's surface during the Early Cambrian period, according to new evidence uncovered by a team of geologists. The study has implications for the environmental conditions that existed at a crucial period in Earth's evolutionary history called the Cambrian explosion, when most of the major groups of complex animals rapidly appeared. ... > full story
Dying of cold: More heart attacks in cooler weather (August 11, 2010) -- Lower outdoor temperatures are linked to an increase in the risk of heart attacks, according to a new study by scientists in the UK. ... > full story
Deployment of buoys to measure air and sea interactions in typhoons launched from Taiwan (August 11, 2010) -- Scientists and technicians are deploying two buoys that will help us better understand interactions between the ocean and atmosphere during typhoons. ... > full story
Evolutionary surprise: Freedom of neck played major role in human brain evolution, research suggests (August 11, 2010) -- By deciphering the genetics in humans and fish, scientists now believe that the neck -- that little body part between your head and shoulders -- gave humans so much freedom of movement that it played a surprising and major role in the evolution of the human brain, according to neuroscientists. ... > full story
Common orchid gives scientists hope in face of climate change (August 10, 2010) -- A study that focuses on epigenetics in European common marsh orchids has revealed that some plants may be able to adapt more quickly to environmental change than previously thought. The research brings new hope to plant conservation. ... > full story
New insights into how antibodies are made suggests new approach for anti-cancer drug targets (August 10, 2010) -- While investigating how white blood cells known as B cells develop, researchers have discovered that genes from the Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3Ks) family of enzymes are critical in enabling the B cells to produce antibodies in the spleen and lymph nodes. PI3Ks are involved in a diverse range of activities inside cells, generating signalling molecules to control cell growth, proliferation, motility, survival and intracellular trafficking. Faults in these processes can lead to the development of cancer; consequently the PI3Ks are currently among the most hotly pursued drug targets in the pharmaceutical industry. ... > full story
Vitamin B3 as a novel approach to treat fungal infections (August 10, 2010) -- Scientists have identified vitamin B3 as a potential antifungal treatment. Infections by the yeast Candida albicans represent a significant public health problem and a common complication in immunodeficient individuals such as AIDS patients, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and recipients of organ transplants. ... > full story
Mosasaur fossil: Life of 85-million-year-old 'sea monster' illuminated (August 10, 2010) -- One of the ocean's most formidable marine predators, the mosasaur Platecarpus, lived in the Cretaceous Period some 85 million years ago and was thought to have swum like an eel. That theory is debunked in a new article. Scientists have reconceived the animal's morphology, or body plan, based on a spectacular specimen housed at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. ... > full story
Polar bears, glaucous gulls most at risk from contaminants (August 10, 2010) -- Although animals throughout the Arctic are exposed to an alphabet soup of pollutants and contaminants that are carried north from industrialized countries, only polar bears in East Greenland and Svalbard and glaucous gulls in Svalbard appear to be showing any deleterious effects, according to a new report. ... > full story
Human cells can copy not only DNA, but also RNA (August 10, 2010) -- Single-molecule sequencing technology has detected and quantified novel small RNAs in human cells that represent entirely new classes of the gene-translating molecules, confirming a long-held but unproven hypothesis that mammalian cells are capable of synthesizing RNA by copying RNA molecules directly. ... > full story
Stone Age remains are Britain's earliest house (August 10, 2010) -- Archaeologists working on Stone Age remains at a site in North Yorkshire say it contains Britain's earliest surviving house. Archaeologists have revealed that the home dates to at least 8,500 BC -- when Britain was part of continental Europe. ... > full story
Millions of microorganisms reach Spain from the Sahara Desert and the Sahel region -- by flying (August 10, 2010) -- Every day, millions of microorganisms reach Spain from the Sahara Desert and the Sahel region -- by flying. Louis Pasteur demonstrated back in 1861 that germs can move through the air, but it was only recently discovered that bacteria, fungi and viruses can travel thousands of kilometers stuck onto dust particles. Satellite images show clouds that come close to the size of the Iberian Peninsula. ... > full story
Copyright 1995-2010 © ScienceDaily LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
|
 To update/change your profile click here  |
