ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Wednesday, August 25, 2010
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True causes for extinction of cave bear revealed: More human expansion than climate change (August 25, 2010) -- The cave bear started to become extinct in Europe 24,000 years ago, but until now the cause was unknown. An international team of scientists has analyzed mitochondrial DNA sequences from 17 new fossil samples, and compared these with the modern brown bear. The results show that the decline of the cave bear started 50,000 years ago, and was caused more by human expansion than by climate change. ... > full story
New evidence on how cranberry juice fights bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (August 25, 2010) -- Scientists report new evidence on the effectiveness of that old folk remedy -- cranberry juice -- for urinary tract infections. ... > full story
Cactus genes connect modern Mexico to its prehistoric past (August 25, 2010) -- In prehistoric times farmers across the world domesticated wild plants to create an agricultural revolution. As a result the ancestral plants have been lost, causing problems for anyone studying the domestication process of modern-day varieties, but that might change. ... > full story
Disasters especially tough on people with disabilities, mental disorders (August 25, 2010) -- Psychologists have analyzed decades of research and found that disaster response strategies should address the needs of the population affected, specifically those with disabilities and mental disorders. ... > full story
High-born hyena sons benefit their entire life (August 25, 2010) -- High-ranking mothers provide their sons with a privileged upbringing and this increases their son's success after leaving home. This was now demonstrated for the first time in a social mammal, the spotted hyena. ... > full story
New mechanism behind cellular energy conversion discovered (August 25, 2010) -- Researchers have enhanced our understanding of the mechanism by which cells achieve energy conversion, the process in which food is converted into the energy required by cells. ... > full story
Salmon baby food? Babies need omega-3s and a taste for fish, scientist says (August 24, 2010) -- Has your toddler eaten fish today? A food science professor has two important reasons for including seafood in your young child's diet, reasons that have motivated her work in helping to develop a tasty, nutritious salmon baby food for toddlers. ... > full story
LEDs promise brighter future, not necessarily greener (August 24, 2010) -- Solid-state lighting pioneers long have held that replacing the inefficient Edison light bulb with more efficient solid-state light-emitting devices (LEDs) would lower electrical usage worldwide, not only "greenly" decreasing the need for new power plants but even permitting some to be decommissioned. But, in a new paper, leading LED researchers argue for a shift in that view. ... > full story
Fires and floods key to dinosaur island secrets (August 24, 2010) -- Fires and floods which raged across the Isle of Wight some 130 million years ago made the island the richest source of pick ’n’ mix dinosaur remains of this age anywhere in the world. A new study has revealed the Island’s once violent weather explains why thousands of tiny dinosaur teeth and bones lie buried alongside the huge bones of their gigantic relatives. ... > full story
RNA snippets control protein production by disabling mRNAs (August 24, 2010) -- Short pieces of RNA, called microRNAs, control protein production primarily by causing the proteins' RNA templates (known as messenger RNA or mRNA) to be disabled by the cell, according to scientists. ... > full story
Sea level to rise even with aggressive geo-engineering and greenhouse gas control, study finds (August 24, 2010) -- Sea level will likely be 30-70 centimeters higher by 2100 than at the start of the century, even if all but the most aggressive geo-engineering schemes are undertaken to mitigate the effects of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions are stringently controlled, according to new findings by international research group of scientists from England, China and Denmark. ... > full story
Widely used herbicide, atrazine, causes prostate inflammation in male rats and delays puberty (August 24, 2010) -- A new study shows that male rats prenatally exposed to low doses of atrazine, a widely used herbicide, are more likely to develop prostate inflammation and to go through puberty later than non-exposed animals. The research adds to a growing body of literature on atrazine, an herbicide predominantly used to control weeds and grasses in crops such as corn and sugar cane. Atrazine and its byproducts are known to be relatively persistent in the environment, potentially finding their way into water supplies. ... > full story
Gene responsible for neurodegenerative disease in dogs, possibly in humans, discovered (August 24, 2010) -- Researchers have located and identified a gene responsible for a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects American Staffordshire terriers. This same gene may be responsible for a similar rare, fatal disease in humans. ... > full story
Reshaping the gut microbiome could herald new treatments for bowel diseases (August 24, 2010) -- A healthy human body contains at least tenfold more bacteria cells than human cells. The most abundant and diverse microbial community resides in the intestine, and changes to the gut microbiota are linked with diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. In a new study, researchers have analyzed the long-term effects of gut bacterial transplantation in rats, revealing crucial insight that will aid in the development of new treatments. ... > full story
Americans using less energy, more renewables (August 24, 2010) -- Americans are using less energy overall and making more use of renewable energy resources. The United States used significantly less coal and petroleum in 2009 than in 2008, and significantly more wind power. There also was a decline in natural gas use and increases in solar, hydro and geothermal power, according to the most recent energy flow charts. ... > full story
Health diagnosis made simpler: Bioengineers design device to help detect diseases quickly (August 24, 2010) -- Researchers have developed and tested instrumentation they say will make disease diagnosis technically simpler, quicker and less costly. Using the shape of a drop biological fluid to focus a beam from a light-emitting diode, the device enables diagnosis of infectious diseases and unhealthy levels of protein. ... > full story
Bug with bifocals baffles biologists (August 24, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a bug with bifocals -- such an amazing finding that it initially had the researchers questioning whether they could believe their own eyes. ... > full story
Could the answer to cleaning up the Gulf Coast oil spill lie in geometry? (August 24, 2010) -- Researchers are studying how naturally occurring microbes can best be used to eat away remaining crude oil spilled in the Gulf of Mexico. Their choice of weapon: Geometry. ... > full story
Historic buildings may be better protected from climate change with new forecast method (August 24, 2010) -- Some of the nation's most historic buildings and monuments may be better protected from decay in future, following a development by engineers. Researchers have devised a method of forecasting damage caused by the weather to stone buildings -- including statues, monuments and other historic sites, as well as modern masonry buildings. ... > full story
Eating berries may activate the brain's natural housekeeper for healthy aging (August 24, 2010) -- Scientists report the first evidence that eating blueberries, strawberries, and acai berries may help the aging brain stay healthy in a crucial but previously unrecognized way. Their study concludes that berries, and possibly walnuts, activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline. ... > full story
Dogs may not be' man’s best friend' during hay fever season (August 24, 2010) -- Ragweed allergy season can be even more miserable for those with dog, cat or dust mite allergies, according to new research. These year-round allergies appear to "pre-prime" the immune system so symptoms hit harder, according to a new study. ... > full story
Plants give up some deep secrets of drought resistance (August 24, 2010) -- In a study that promises to fill in the fine details of the plant world's blueprint for surviving drought, a team of researchers has identified in living plants the set of proteins that help them withstand water stress. ... > full story
Potential HIV drug keeps virus out of cells (August 24, 2010) -- Following up a pioneering 2007 proof-of-concept study, biochemists have developed a promising new anti-HIV drug candidate, PIE12-trimer, that prevents HIV from attacking human cells. ... > full story
Tropically speaking, NASA investigates precipitation shapes, sizes for severity (August 24, 2010) -- Rain drops are fat and snowflakes are fluffy, but why does it matter in terms of predicting severe storms? ... > full story
New analysis weighs lost trade, costs to control invasive species against economic damages (August 24, 2010) -- Bugs, plants, animals and viruses travel the globe, invading new territory and wreaking havoc as they upset the balance of nature, destroy agriculture and damage human health. Biological alien invaders are often introduced via international trade, forcing policymakers to regulate the movement of goods to stop them. Economists now examine which trade measures make good economic sense -- from restrictions to full protection. ... > full story
Polyphenol antioxidants inhibit iron absorption (August 23, 2010) -- Health benefits from polyphenol antioxidants -- substances found in many fruits and vegetables -- may come at a cost to some people. Nutritional scientists found that eating certain polyphenols decreased the amount of iron the body absorbs, which can increase the risk of developing an iron deficiency. ... > full story
Function of proteins can enhance the progression of viruses and cancer cells (August 23, 2010) -- In a discovery that has implications for developing treatments against cancer and potentially deadly viruses, researchers have discovered the function of proteins that can enhance the progression of certain viruses and cancer cells. ... > full story
Drugging the undruggable: Advances toward next generation of disease fighters (August 23, 2010) -- After decades of dreaming the drug developer's impossible dream, scientists finally are reporting progress in making drugs that target the "untouchables" among the body's key players in health and disease. They are the hundreds of thousands of proteins that many scientists considered to be "undruggable," meaning that previous efforts to develop a drug against them had failed. ... > full story
What the locals ate 10,000 years ago (August 23, 2010) -- Archaeologists have found a Utah site occupied by humans 11,000 years ago. The researchers documented a variety of dishes the people dined on back then. Grind stones for milling small seeds appeared 10,000 years ago. ... > full story
NASA images show anatomy of Pakistan flood disaster (August 23, 2010) -- In late July 2010, flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains began across several regions of Pakistan. Tens of thousands of villages have been flooded, more than 1,500 people have been killed, and millions have been left homeless. The floodwaters are not expected to recede fully before late August. NASA's CloudSat satellite captured the genesis of the flooding event as it flew over the region on July 28, 2010. ... > full story
Ancient microbes responsible for breathing life into ocean 'deserts' (August 23, 2010) -- Billions of years ago, Earth differed greatly from our modern environment -- the ancient atmosphere contained almost no oxygen. The life-supporting atmosphere we currently enjoy did not develop overnight. On the most basic level, biological activity in the ocean shaped the oxygen concentrations in the atmosphere. New research shows that "oxygen oases" in the surface ocean were sites of significant oxygen production long before the breathing gas began to accumulate in the atmosphere. ... > full story
Rheumatoid arthritis signaling protein reverses Alzheimer's disease in mouse model (August 23, 2010) -- A new study looks at what effect innate immunity gone bad in rheumatoid arthritis may play in protecting against Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found a signaling protein for RA reversed Alzheimer's in a mouse model. ... > full story
Self-cleaning technology from Mars can keep terrestrial solar panels dust free (August 23, 2010) -- Find dusting those tables and dressers a chore or a bore? Dread washing the windows? Imagine keeping dust and grime off objects spread out over an area of 25 to 50 football fields. That's the problem facing companies that deploy large-scale solar power installations, and scientists have now developed a possible solution -- self-dusting solar panels -- based on technology developed for space missions to Mars. ... > full story
Ancient Chinese medicine may help chemotherapy patients (August 23, 2010) -- A centuries-old traditional Chinese medicine may reduce the intestinal side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients by stimulating gut cell division and reducing inflammation, a new study in mice suggests. ... > full story
Study of cell division sheds light on special mechanism in egg cells (August 23, 2010) -- In a study of egg cells using time-lapse microscopy, researchers have discovered an unusual property of meiosis -- cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms. ... > full story
Barbastelle bat uses a sneaky hunting strategy to catch its prey (August 23, 2010) -- Like a stealth fighter plane, the barbastelle bat uses a sneaky hunting strategy to catch its prey. Biologists combined three cutting-edge techniques to uncover the secret of this rare bat's success. ... > full story
Better way to grow stem cells developed (August 23, 2010) -- Chemical engineers, materials scientists and biologists have devised a synthetic surface that includes no foreign animal material and allows stem cells to stay alive and continue reproducing themselves for at least three months. It's also the first synthetic material that allows single cells to form colonies of identical cells, which is necessary to identify cells with desired traits and has been difficult to achieve with existing materials. ... > full story
Delaying fat digestion to curb appetite (August 23, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered an unexpected synergy that helps break down fat. The discovery provides a focus to find ways to slow down fat digestion, and ultimately to create food structures that induce satiety. ... > full story
Researchers advance understanding of enzyme that regulates DNA (August 23, 2010) -- Thanks to a single-molecule imaging technique, researchers have revealed the mechanisms of PcrA helicase, an important DNA-regulating enzyme. To prevent unwanted recombination of a damaged or degraded section of DNA, the enzyme binds at the point of the break, where the double- and single-stranded regions meet. Then, it uses its motor function to "reel in" the tail, like a fisherman pulling in a rope, knocking off recombination proteins along the way. ... > full story
Bottled tea beverages may contain fewer polyphenols than brewed tea (August 23, 2010) -- The first measurements of healthful antioxidant levels in commercial bottled tea beverages has concluded that health-conscious consumers may not be getting what they pay for: healthful doses of those antioxidants, or "poylphenols," that may ward off a range of diseases. ... > full story
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
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