ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Wednesday, August 18, 2010
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Can cloned plants live forever? (August 18, 2010) -- Despite the many cosmetic products, surgical treatments, food supplements, and drugs designed specifically to reverse the biological effects of aging in humans, long-lived aspen clones aren't so lucky. Researchers have shown that as long-lived male aspen clones age, their sexual performance declines. ... > full story
Studying yeast to better understand male infertility (August 18, 2010) -- Men and yeast have something in common: they use the same molecular process to ensure the integrity of their gene pool during reproduction, according to researchers in France. The scientists are studying yeast in order to shed light on the numerous cases of male infertility related to the malfunction of this process during spermatogenesis ... > full story
Powering Australia with waves (August 18, 2010) -- Researchers have provide new estimates of the wave-energy potential of Australia's near-shore regions. They also calculate how much of Australia's energy needs could be obtained from wave energy alone. ... > full story
Secrets of a vanished English landscape: Geologists examine 5,000-year-old 'fossilized' landscape (August 18, 2010) -- A team of scientists in the UK has published new research on a fossilized landscape, providing insights into how an ancient environment functioned. ... > full story
How to reduce UK transport carbon emissions by 76 per cent by 2050 (August 18, 2010) -- Researchers in the UK have achieved a significant breakthrough in climate change policy by showing how to make drastic cuts in carbon dioxide emissions from transport. The study goes beyond the science and paints a picture of what a low carbon transport future would look like. What emerges is vision of a less stressful, quieter, healthier, more resilient and confident society. ... > full story
Moderate chocolate consumption linked to lower risks of heart failure, study finds (August 17, 2010) -- Middle-aged and elderly Swedish women who regularly ate a small amount of chocolate had lower risks of heart failure risks, according to a new study. ... > full story
Saving the brain's white matter with mutated mice (August 17, 2010) -- Scientists are developing laboratory mice which carry the Vanishing White Matter (VWM) mutation. This important new development allows for new research on VWM diseases such as multiple sclerosis, leading to a deeper understanding of the condition. ... > full story
Single cell injections (August 17, 2010) -- Bubbles created with pairs of laser pulses lead to needle-sharp jets that can inject material into a single cell. ... > full story
New insights could mean better fish feeds (August 17, 2010) -- A better understanding of what happens in a fish's body when it eats could lead to the production of better fish feeds. Researchers in Sweden are hoping to contribute to more energy-efficient aquaculture. In the long term, this could increase the supply of farmed fish and so provide more food for the Earth's burgeoning population. ... > full story
Warmest year-to-date global temperature on record (August 17, 2010) -- The combined global land and ocean surface temperature made this July the second warmest on record, behind 1998, and the warmest averaged January-July on record. The global average land surface temperature for July and January-July was warmest on record. The global ocean surface temperature for July was the fifth warmest, and for January-July 2010 was the second warmest on record, behind 1998. ... > full story
Possible discovery of earliest animal life pushes back fossil record (August 17, 2010) -- In findings that push back the clock on the scientific world's thinking about when animal life appeared on Earth, scientists may have discovered the oldest fossils of animal bodies, suggesting that primitive sponge-like creatures were living in ocean reefs about 650 million years ago. The shelly fossils, found beneath a 635 million-year-old glacial deposit in South Australia, represent the earliest evidence of animal body forms in the current fossil record by at least 70 million years. ... > full story
Major hurdle cleared for organic solar cells (August 17, 2010) -- The basis for solar energy is absorbing light and then effectively disassociating electrical charges. Researchers report that conjugated polymers are excellent materials for such a system, thanks to their light absorption and conduction properties. ... > full story
'Mitochondrial Eve': Mother of all humans lived 200,000 years ago (August 17, 2010) -- The most robust statistical examination to date of our species' genetic links to "mitochondrial Eve" -- the maternal ancestor of all living humans -- confirms that she lived about 200,000 years ago. The study was based on a side-by-side comparison of 10 human genetic models that each aim to determine when Eve lived using a very different set of assumptions about the way humans migrated, expanded and spread across Earth. ... > full story
Sundews just want to be loved (August 17, 2010) -- Why do some insect-eating plants like sundews keep their flowers so far away from their traps? New research suggests that it isn't a clever trick to keep pollinators safe, it's about getting pollinated. ... > full story
Many Americans are still clueless on how to save energy (August 17, 2010) -- Many Americans believe they can save energy with small behavior changes that actually achieve very little, and severely underestimate the major effects of switching to efficient, currently available technologies, says a new survey of Americans in 34 states. The study quizzed people on what they perceived as the most effective way to save energy. ... > full story
Bacteria can have a 'sense of smell' (August 17, 2010) -- Bacteria are well-known to be the cause of some of the most repugnant smells on earth, but now scientists have revealed this lowest of life forms actually has a sense of smell of its own. A team of marine microbiologists has discovered that bacteria have a molecular "nose". ... > full story
SPF on your plate: Researcher connects the Mediterranean diet with skin cancer prevention (August 17, 2010) -- New research shows that a diet rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, like the diet eaten in Mediterranean regions where melanoma rates are extremely low, can help protect us from skin cancer. A researcher in Israel has a simple prescription: "go Greek" with foods such as olive oil, fish, yogurt and colorful fruits and vegetables to fight the oxidizing effect of the sun. ... > full story
Measuring salt shine to improve climate understanding (August 17, 2010) -- From Aug. 14-25, 2010, scientists from around the world will gather in Southern Turkey to measure the spectral reflectance of a few square kilometers of salt. These measurements will have a major impact on the future of satellite based Earth observation, and will ultimately improve our understanding of the Earth's climate. ... > full story
Studies pinpoint key targets for MRSA vaccine (August 17, 2010) -- Two studies point to a new way to a vaccinate against drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- also known as MRSA -- the leading US cause of skin, soft tissue, bloodstream and lung infections, as well as deaths from infectious disease. One counteracts the bacteria's tools for evading the immune system; the other disrupts the germ's tissue-damaging mechanism. Each approach reduced the microbe's virulence in mice. The combination may protect people from MRSA and provide lasting immunity. ... > full story
Health impact of Gulf Coast oil spill hazardous but improving (August 17, 2010) -- The oil spill along the United States Gulf Coast poses health risks to volunteers, fishermen, clean-up workers and members of coastal communities, according to a new commentary by researchers who spent time in the region and are among the first to look into health problems caused by the oil spill. ... > full story
Scientists map epigenetic changes during blood cell differentiation; Potential application for stem cell therapies (August 17, 2010) -- Having charted the occurrence of a common chemical change that takes place while stem cells decide their fates and progress from precursor to progeny, scientists have produced the first-ever epigenetic landscape map for tissue differentiation. ... > full story
Massive coral mortality following bleaching in Indonesia (August 17, 2010) -- Initial field observations indicate that a dramatic rise in the surface temperature in Indonesian waters has resulted in a large-scale bleaching event that has devastated coral populations. ... > full story
Arsenic in field runoff linked to poultry litter (August 17, 2010) -- Fields amended with poultry litter can accumulate significant levels of arsenic, according to new studies. These findings provide key information about the agricultural pollutants that can build up in agricultural soils over time -- and possibly migrate into nearby streams and rivers. ... > full story
MRSA policies differ among hospitals, study shows (August 17, 2010) -- Acute care hospitals in the United States varied in their policies and practices of screening and treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections, but most were consistent with national guideline recommendations, according to researchers. ... > full story
Resolving the paradox of the Antarctic sea ice (August 16, 2010) -- While Arctic sea ice has been diminishing in recent decades, the Antarctic sea ice extent has been increasing slightly. Researchers provide an explanation for the seeming paradox of increasing Antarctic sea ice in a warming climate. ... > full story
Scared snails opt for single parenthood rather than wait for a mate (August 16, 2010) -- Solitary snails in search of a mate put off parenthood as long as possible in the hopes that a partner will appear. But when Physa acuta snails smell predators, they don't wait as long for a mate. Scared snails settle for single parenthood much sooner than their calm counterparts, says a new study. ... > full story
Embryonic heart paced with laser (August 16, 2010) -- Scientists have found that pulsed infrared light can pace contractions in an avian embryonic heart, with no apparent damage to the tissue. ... > full story
Solution to beading-saliva mystery has practical purposes (August 16, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered precisely why strands of some fluids containing long molecules called polymers form beads when stretched, findings that could be used to improve industrial processes and for administering drugs in "personalized medicine." ... > full story
Trojan Horse attack on native lupine: Tiny mice advance under of invasive beachgrass to feast on seeds of endangered plant (August 16, 2010) -- At Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, Calif., a fierce battle is taking place between an invasive plant and a native plant, but one with a new twist. European beachgrass provides cover that allows a timid deer mouse to get close enough to the lupine to snip off stalks of lupine fruits without being nabbed by overflying birds. The two plants aren't in direct competition, but the beachgrass in this indirect way threatens the lupine's ability to survive. ... > full story
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
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