ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Monday, August 16, 2010
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Shape matters: The corkscrew twist of H. pylori enables it to 'set up shop' in the stomach (August 16, 2010) -- The bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which lives in the human stomach and is associated with ulcers and gastric cancer, is shaped like a corkscrew, or helix. For years researchers have hypothesized that the bacterium's twisty shape is what enables it to survive -- and thrive -- within the stomach's acid-drenched environment, but until now they have had no proof. ... > full story
Evidence of new solar activity from observations of aurora in New Zealand (August 16, 2010) -- Scientists have obtained sub-visual evidence of the onset of a new cycle of solar-terrestrial activity. The key results being reported deal with the fact that recent auroral displays at high latitudes (ones visible to the naked eye) were accompanied by far less luminous glows in the atmosphere at lower latitudes. ... > full story
Climate change affects geographical range of plants, study finds (August 16, 2010) -- Researches in Sweden have shown how climate change many million years ago has influenced the geographical range of plants by modeling climate preferences for extinct species. The method can also be used to predict what effects climate change of today and tomorrow will have on future distributions of plants and animals. ... > full story
Green tea extract appears to keep cancer in check in majority of CLL patients (August 16, 2010) -- An extract of green tea appears to have clinical activity with low toxicity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who used it in a Phase II clinical trial. ... > full story
Combination of biological and chemical pesticides more effective than expected on malaria mosquitoes (August 16, 2010) -- A combination of fungal spores and chemical insecticides are effective in combating insecticide-resistant malaria mosquitoes. Researchers have shown that the effect of using a combination of both is greater than the sum of using the two methods separately. ... > full story
Dangerous bacterium hosts genetic remnant of life's distant past (August 15, 2010) -- Within a dangerous stomach bacterium, researchers have discovered an ancient but functioning genetic remnant from a time before DNA existed. ... > full story
Carbon nanotubes form ultrasensitive biosensor to detect proteins (August 15, 2010) -- A cluster of carbon nanotubes coated with a thin layer of protein-recognizing polymer form a biosensor capable of using electrochemical signals to detect minute amounts of proteins, which could provide a crucial new diagnostic tool for the detection of a range of illnesses, researchers report. ... > full story
Gene discovery could help to boost crop yields (August 15, 2010) -- A discovery of a vital feature of a plant's temperature sensing and growth mechanism could help to increase yields from crops. Researchers have found a gene that plays a significant role in the growth rate of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. ... > full story
Ocean's color affects hurricane paths (August 14, 2010) -- A change in the color of ocean waters could have a drastic effect on the prevalence of hurricanes, new research indicates. In a simulation of such a change in one region of the North Pacific, the study finds that hurricane formation decreases by 70 percent. ... > full story
Scientists clarify structural basis for biosynthesis of mysterious 21st amino acid (August 14, 2010) -- Researchers in Japan have clarified the structural basis for the biosynthesis of selenocysteine (Sec), an amino acid whose encoding mechanism offers clues about the origins of the genetic alphabet. The findings deepen our understanding of protein synthesis and lay the groundwork for advances in protein design. ... > full story
Human noise pollution in ocean can lead fish away from good habitats and off to their death (August 13, 2010) -- The growing amount of human noise pollution in the ocean could lead fish away from good habitat and off to their death. ... > full story
New sporadic prion protein disease: Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy shares genotype characteristics with Creutzfeldt-Jakob (August 13, 2010) -- A new sporadic prion protein disease has been discovered. Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy, as it has been named, is the second type of complete sporadic disease to be identified since Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was reported in the 1920s. ... > full story
New nanoscale transistors allow sensitive probing inside cells (August 13, 2010) -- Chemists and engineers have fashioned nanowires into a new type of V-shaped transistor small enough to be used for sensitive probing of the interior of cells. The new device is smaller than many viruses and about one-hundredth the width of the probes now used to take cellular measurements, which can be nearly as large as the cells themselves. ... > full story
Extended solar minimum linked to changes in sun's conveyor belt (August 13, 2010) -- A new analysis of the unusually long solar cycle that ended in 2008 suggests that one reason for the long cycle could be a stretching of the sun's conveyor belt, a current of plasma that circulates between the sun's equator and its poles. The results should help scientists better understand the factors controlling the timing of solar cycles and could lead to better predictions. ... > full story
Selected cells from blood or bone marrow may provide a route to healing blood vessels (August 13, 2010) -- When envisioning cell therapy for cardiovascular disease, a team of scientists is focusing on cells that nourish blood vessels, rather than on rare stem cells. In experiments with mice, CD31 positive cells from the blood or bone marrow can effectively treat hindlimb ischemia -- a model of peripheral artery disease. This approach has the potential to be safer and less arduous than experimental therapies involving the isolation of stem cells from bone marrow. ... > full story
Fires around Moscow: Satellite perspective reveals startling images of massive smoke clouds (August 13, 2010) -- Space scientists in the UK have released satellite images of vast plumes of smoke emanating from the peat bog fires which are currently sweeping across central and western Russia. ... > full story
Immune system overreaction may enable recurrent urinary tract infections (August 13, 2010) -- The immune system may open the door to recurrent urinary tract infections by overdoing its response to an initial infection, researchers have found. ... > full story
Industrial production of biodiesel feasible within 15 years, researchers predict (August 13, 2010) -- Within 10 to 15 years, it will be technically possible to produce sustainable and economically viable biodiesel from micro-algae on a large scale. Technological innovations during this period should extend the scale of production by a factor of three, while at the same time reducing production costs by 90%. Two researchers from the Netherlands believe this to be possible. ... > full story
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
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