ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Monday, August 23, 2010
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Novel 'antisense' therapies protect primates from lethal Ebola and Marburg viruses (August 23, 2010) -- New studies show that treatments targeting specific viral genes protected monkeys infected with deadly Ebola or Marburg viruses. Furthermore, the animals were protected even when therapeutics were administered one hour after exposure -- suggesting the approach holds promise for treating accidental infections in laboratory or hospital settings. ... > full story
Electrifying findings: New ways of boosting healthful antioxidant levels in potatoes (August 23, 2010) -- Scientists in Japan are busy zapping potatoes and, as a result, the fifth most popular food consumed around the world may one day become an even more healthful vegetable. ... > full story
Limiting ocean acidification under global change (August 23, 2010) -- Emissions of carbon dioxide are causing ocean acidification as well as global warming. Scientists have previously used computer simulations to quantify how curbing of carbon dioxide emissions would mitigate climate impacts. New computer simulations have now examined the likely effects of mitigation scenarios on ocean acidification trends. They show that both the peak year of emissions and post-peak reduction rates influence how much ocean acidity increases by 2100. ... > full story
Road signs and traffic signals on DNA: Physical model describes the distribution of nucleosome (August 23, 2010) -- The DNA in the cell nuclei of higher organisms is tightly coiled around protein complexes called nucleosomes, which repress gene expression. Researchers in Germany have now developed a model that explains how nucleosomes are distributed around sites that must remain accessible to transcribing polymerases. ... > full story
Avian influenza virus may persist on feathers fallen from domestic ducks (August 22, 2010) -- Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) may persist on feathers fallen from the bodies of infected domestic ducks and contribute to environmental contamination. ... > full story
New compound may be effective against Chagas' disease (August 22, 2010) -- A new compound may offer an effective drug candidate against the deadly tropical infection, Chagas' disease say researchers from Brazil. ... > full story
Bar-tailed godwit sets record for long-distance flight (August 22, 2010) -- How is it possible to fly 11,000 kilometers without a single break? The record holder for long distance flight outdoes all human-made aircraft. The bar-tailed godwit has very low energy consumption, but this is not enough to explain its success. ... > full story
A tale of two atolls (August 22, 2010) -- To gain new insights on the impact of fishing on coral reefs, marine biologists are taking advantage of an ongoing "natural experiment" at two isolated Pacific atolls -- one inhabited by people, the other off-limits to fishing. ... > full story
Virus may act as 'evolution-proof' biopesticide against malaria (August 21, 2010) -- A naturally occurring virus in mosquitoes may serve as a "late-life-acting" insecticide by killing older adult mosquitoes that are responsible for the bulk of malaria transmission. ... > full story
Big quakes more frequent than thought on San Andreas fault, research shows (August 21, 2010) -- Earthquakes have rocked the powerful San Andreas fault that splits California far more often than previously thought, according to researchers who have charted temblors there stretching back 700 years. ... > full story
Newly identified RNA sequence is key in microRNA processing (August 21, 2010) -- Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that regulates the processing of microRNAs (miRNAs), molecules that regulate cell growth, development, and stress response. The discovery helps researchers understand the links between miRNA expression and chronic disease. ... > full story
Lowering Daisy's emissions: Battle against agricultural climate offenders (August 21, 2010) -- Agriculture accounts for approximately nine per cent of Norway's total emissions of greenhouse gases. Now, researchers are acquiring actual gas measurements and new knowledge about what causes the emissions -- with the aim of mitigating Norwegian agriculture's impact on the climate and environment. In particular, it is emissions of the greenhouse gases methane (CH4, from cattle) and nitrous oxide (N2O, from the soil and fertilisers) that make agriculture such a major climate culprit. This summer Daisy has gone to pasture adorned with some advanced monitoring equipment to help out. ... > full story
Drought drives decade-long decline in plant growth (August 21, 2010) -- Global plant productivity that once was on the rise with warming temperatures and a lengthened growing season is now on the decline because of regional drought, according to a new study of NASA satellite data. ... > full story
Smart fungus disarms plant, animal and human immunity (August 20, 2010) -- Fungal and bacterial pathogens are well capable of infecting plants, animals and humans despite their immune systems. Fungi penetrate leafs, stalks and roots, or skin, intestines and lungs, to infect their hosts. Researchers have now discovered how this is possible. They found that the fungus secretes a protein that makes stray building blocks of the fungal cell wall invisible for the immune system of the plant. In this way infection remains unnoticed. ... > full story
Mapping out pathways to better soybeans (August 20, 2010) -- Agricultural scientists are a step closer to unlocking genetic clues that may lead to packing more protein and oil into soybeans, a move that would boost their value and help US growers compete in international markets. ... > full story
Is the ice in the Arctic Ocean getting thinner? (August 20, 2010) -- The extent of the sea ice in the Arctic will reach its annual minimum in September. Forecasts indicate that it will not be as low as in 2007, the year of the smallest area covered by sea ice since satellites started recording such data. Nevertheless, sea ice physicists are concerned about the long-term equilibrium in the Arctic Ocean. ... > full story
Geologists revisit Earth's Great Oxygenation Event: More like the 'Great Redox Evolution' (August 20, 2010) -- Recent work with geochemical proxies for oxygen levels suggests that oxygen levels continued to fluctuate long after the Great Oxygenation Event 2.7 billion years ago, and that the oceans were many different flavors of anoxic right up until the Edicaran period, 600 million years ago. What happened in the intervening 2 billion years will be contested until scientists have more data, says a geochemist. ... > full story
How flies set their cruising altitude (August 20, 2010) -- Insects in flight must somehow calculate and control their height above the ground, and researchers have new insight into how fruit flies do it. The answer is simpler than expected. ... > full story
Italian youths who drink with meals are less often adult problem-drinkers (August 20, 2010) -- Italian youths whose parents allowed them to have alcohol with meals while they were growing up are less likely to develop harmful drinking patterns in the future, according to a new study. ... > full story
Widespread floating plastic debris found in the western North Atlantic Ocean (August 20, 2010) -- Despite growing awareness of the problem of plastic pollution in the world's oceans, little solid scientific information existed to illustrate the nature and scope of the issue. Now, a team of researchers has published a study of plastic marine debris based on data collected over 22 years by undergraduate students. ... > full story
Old drug holds promise against opportunistic lung bug (August 20, 2010) -- A drug to treat inflammation plays a surprising role reducing the level of infection caused by an opportunistic bug that is deadly for AIDS and cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems. The drug, sulfasalazine, spurs the body to get rid of the bug that causes Pneumocystis pneumonia by enhancing its ability to chew up the bug instead of leaving the debris to litter the lungs, where it would provoke more inflammation. ... > full story
Stomach bacteria need vitamin to establish infection, research finds (August 20, 2010) -- Scientists have determined that Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes peptic ulcers and some forms of stomach cancer, requires the vitamin B6 to establish and maintain chronic infection, according to new research. This finding, along with the identification of the enzyme the microbe requires to utilize the vitamin, could lead to the development of an entirely new class of antibiotics. ... > full story
Green leafy vegetables reduce diabetes risk, study finds (August 20, 2010) -- Eating more green leafy vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, new research finds. ... > full story
Deep plumes of oil could cause dead zones in the Gulf (August 20, 2010) -- A new simulation of oil and methane leaked into the Gulf of Mexico suggests that deep hypoxic zones or "dead zones" could form near the source of the pollution. The research investigates five scenarios of oil and methane plumes at different depths and incorporates an estimated rate of flow from the Deepwater Horizon spill, which released oil and methane gas into the Gulf from April to mid July of this year. ... > full story
Brain gene expression changes when honey bees go the distance (August 20, 2010) -- Tricking honey bees into thinking they have traveled long distance to find food alters gene expression in their brains, researchers report. ... > full story
Scientists pry new information from disease-causing, shellfish-borne bacterium (August 20, 2010) -- Researchers have uncovered a key weapon in the molecular arsenal the infectious bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. para) uses to kill cells and cause food poisoning in its human host. ... > full story
How the storehouses of plant cells are formed (August 20, 2010) -- Researchers have shown for the first time that a specific protein plays an indispensable role in the formation of vacuoles, by far the largest organelles in plant cells. Enveloped by a membrane, vacuoles store substances vital for the plant cell and in many cases important to humans as well. Until now, scientists have only vaguely understood how these vacuoles are formed or how the substances stored inside them get there. ... > full story
Scientist IDs genes that promise to make biofuel production more efficient, economical (August 20, 2010) -- Metabolic engineers have taken the first step toward the more efficient and economical production of biofuels by developing a strain of yeast with increased alcohol tolerance. Overexpression of a particular gene increased ethanol volume by more than 70 percent and ethanol tolerance by more than 340 percent compared to the control strain. ... > full story
Human neural stem cells restore motor function in mice with chronic spinal cord injury (August 20, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated that human neural stem cells can restore mobility in cases of chronic spinal cord injury, suggesting the prospect of treating a much broader population of patients. ... > full story
New ways to chart our maritime past (August 20, 2010) -- By combining meteorology and archaeology, scientists may discover old sea routes and mooring sites, and boost our knowledge of ancient maritime culture. ... > full story
Scientists map and confirm origin of large, underwater hydrocarbon plume in Gulf (August 19, 2010) -- Scientists have detected a plume of hydrocarbons that is at least 22 miles long and more than 3,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, a residue of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ... > full story
Dogs' family status depends on family's locale (August 19, 2010) -- Man's best friend might just be treated like any other animal depending on where the owners live. A new study found that people who think of animals as children tend to have a city background. ... > full story
New genetic tool helps improve rice (August 19, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a new tool for improving the expression of desirable genes in rice in parts of the plant where the results will do the most good. ... > full story
Paper wasps punish peers for misrepresenting their might (August 19, 2010) -- Falsely advertising one's fighting ability might seem like a good strategy for a wimp who wants to come off as a toughie, but in paper wasp societies, such deception is discouraged through punishment, experiments suggest. ... > full story
Slowing urban sprawl, adding forests curb floods and help rivers (August 19, 2010) -- Controlling urban growth and increasing forested land are the most effective ways to decrease future water runoff and flooding, according to a new study. ... > full story
Targeting hit-and-run cancer viruses (August 19, 2010) -- Viruses that can invade host cells, initiate cancer and then flee from their own trail of destruction could be stopped in their tracks, say researchers. ... > full story
Bees warm up with a drink, too! (August 19, 2010) -- When we venture out on a cool morning, nothing energizes our body like a nice warm drink and new research reveals that bees also use the same idea when they're feeling cold. A new study shows that bees also like to keep winter at bay with a warm drink. ... > full story
Brightness on fluorescent probes used to monitor biological activities of individual proteins increased (August 19, 2010) -- Researchers are turning up the brightness on a group of fluorescent probes that are used to monitor biological activities of individual proteins in real-time. This latest advance enhances their fluormodule technology causing it to glow an order of magnitude brighter than typical fluorescent proteins and five- to seven-times brighter than enhanced green fluorescent protein. ... > full story
Ancient 'terror bird' used powerful beak to jab like an agile boxer (August 19, 2010) -- The ancient "terror bird" Andalgalornis couldn't fly, but it used its unusually large, rigid skull -- coupled with a hawk-like hooked beak -- for a fighting strategy reminiscent of boxer Muhammad Ali. The agile creature repeatedly attacked and retreated, landing well-targeted, hatchet-like jabs to take down its prey, according to a new study. ... > full story
Moderate drinking, especially wine, associated with better cognitive function (August 19, 2010) -- A large prospective study of 5,033 men and women has reported that moderate wine consumption is independently associated with better performance on cognitive tests. ... > full story
Too hot to handle: Impacts of climate change on mussels (August 19, 2010) -- Climate change is causing higher air and water temperatures along the east coast of the United States. These changes have shrunk the geographic region where blue mussels are able to survive, according to new findings. ... > full story
Discovery may aid search for anti-aging drugs: Gene's action may help explain why restricting diet lengthens life in animals (August 19, 2010) -- Scientists have found that suppressing a newly discovered gene lengthens the lifespan of roundworms. The results offer promising early evidence that scientists may succeed at finding targets for anti-aging drugs. ... > full story
Creation of the first frozen repository for Hawaiian coral (August 19, 2010) -- Scientists have created the first frozen bank for Hawaiian corals in an attempt to protect them from extinction and to preserve their diversity in Hawaii. ... > full story
New computer model advances climate change research (August 19, 2010) -- Scientists can now study climate change in far more detail with powerful new computer software released by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The Community Earth System Model will be one of the primary climate models used for the next assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. ... > full story
Thymus cells transform into skin cells in Swiss laboratory (August 19, 2010) -- Taking one type of cell and transforming it into another type is now possible. Cells taken from the thymus have been transformed into skin cells -- a discovery that may have important ramifications for the field of organ regeneration. The findings show that these stem cells change their genetic make-up according to their environment to contribute to the long-term functioning of the skin, even producing hair for up to a year after implantation. ... > full story
New satellite data reveals true decline of world's mangrove forests (August 19, 2010) -- New satellite imagery has given scientists the most comprehensive and exact data on the distribution and decline of mangrove forests from across the world. The research reveals forest distribution is 12.3% smaller than earlier estimates. ... > full story
Deadly Samoa-Tonga earthquake concealed two other quakes, seismic sleuths discover (August 19, 2010) -- A magnitude-8.1 earthquake and tsunami that killed 192 people last year in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga was more complicated than initially thought: The 8.1 "great earthquake" concealed and triggered two major quakes of magnitude 7.8, seismologists report. ... > full story
How genes hide their function (August 19, 2010) -- Researchers in Japan have illuminated mechanisms underlying the genetic robustness of metabolic effects in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Their findings reveal a key balance between the roles played by duplicate genes and metabolic network connectivity in functional compensation. ... > full story
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