ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Monday, October 25, 2010
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Everglades show improvement in water quality (October 25, 2010) -- Researchers have published a report regarding the trends in water quality feeding into Everglades National Park showing that the overall levels of both nitrogen and phosphorus have declined since the 1970s. This indicates that the water quality is improving as a result of the restoration methods completed in the areas surrounding the park. ... > full story
Coccolithophore blooms in the southwest Atlantic (October 25, 2010) -- Researchers can now explain the formation of huge phytoplankton blooms off the southeast coast of South America during the austral summer (December-January). The region supports the highly productive Patagonian Shelf marine ecosystem, which includes a globally important fishery. ... > full story
Bacteria gauge cold with molecular measuring stick (October 25, 2010) -- Scientists are offering a new answer for how bacteria respond to cold temperatures: They use a measuring stick. Their study finds the species Bacillus subtilis senses the cold with a specialized protein that measures the thickness of the bacteria's outer cell wall. The protein sends a signal when falling temperatures cause the cell wall to thicken. ... > full story
Malaria research begins to bite: Molecular switches pinpointed in control of malaria parasite's life cycle (October 25, 2010) -- Scientists have pin-pointed the 72 molecular switches that control the three key stages in the life cycle of the malaria parasite and have discovered that over a third of these switches can be disrupted in some way. Their research is a significant breakthrough in the search for cheap and effective vaccines and drugs to stop the transmission of a disease which kills up to a million children a year. Until now little has been known about the cellular processes involved in the development of this deadly disease. The research involved the very first comprehensive functional analysis of protein kinases in any malaria parasite. It is also the largest gene knock-out study in Plasmodium berghei -- a malaria parasite infecting rodents. ... > full story
Falkland Islands radar study impacts climate research: New equipment will monitor activity which creates the ‘Southern Lights’ (October 25, 2010) -- Physicists and engineers have installed a radar system on the Falkland Islands to monitor the upper atmosphere activity which creates the 'Southern Lights'. The new radar joins a network of 22 such radars, the international Super Dual Auroral Radar Network or SuperDARN. Data from SuperDARN is made available across the internet in real time, monitoring the upper atmosphere to understand its link with the lower atmosphere, where our weather is, and the impact of the Sun's 'solar wind' on our environment. ... > full story
Even turtles need recess: Many animals -- not just dogs, cats, and monkeys -- need a little play time (October 24, 2010) -- Seeing a child or a dog play is not a foreign sight. But what about a turtle or even a wasp? Apparently, they play, too. New psychology research defines "play" in people and also in species not previously thought capable of play, such as fish, reptiles and invertebrates. ... > full story
Swine flu variant linked to fatal cases might disable clearing mechanism of lungs, study suggests (October 24, 2010) -- A variant of last year's pandemic influenza linked to fatal cases carried a mutation that enabled it to infect a different subset of cells lining the airway, according to new research. The study suggests that the mutant virus could have impaired the lungs' ability to clear out germs. The researchers said the findings highlight the potential for deadlier strains of flu to emerge and spread. ... > full story
Major component in turmeric enhance effect of chemotherapy drug in head and neck cancer (October 24, 2010) -- Curcumin, the major component in the spice turmeric, when combined with the drug cisplatin enhances the chemotherapy's suppression of head and neck cancer cell growth, researchers have found. ... > full story
Electron billiards in nanoscale circuits (October 24, 2010) -- In solar cells, solar radiation boosts electrons to higher energy states, thereby releasing them from their atomic bonds as electricity begins to flow. Scientists have now developed a novel method to analyze the way photogenerated electrons move in the smallest photodetectors. ... > full story
Evidence is weak for tropical rainforest 65 million years ago in Africa's low latitudes, paleobotanist says (October 24, 2010) -- Central Africa 65 million years ago was a low-elevation tropical belt, but still undetermined is whether the region's mammals lived beneath a lush rainforest canopy. Evidence is weak and unconvincing, says a paleobotanist. A review of the literature shows Cenozoic paleobotanical data for Africa are generally meager and uneven, and fossil pollen from Central and West Africa provide no definitive evidence for communities of rainforest trees. ... > full story
Efforts underway to rescue vulnerable bananas, giant swamp taro, other Pacific Island crops (October 23, 2010) -- Hoping to save the vulnerable varieties of bananas painted by the artist Paul Gauguin, rare coconuts, and 1,000 other unique varieties of staple fruit and vegetable crops across the Pacific, crop specialists from nine islands have launched a major effort to preserve the indigenous diversity of foods that are deemed critical to combating diet-related health problems. ... > full story
Scientists open electrical link to living cells (October 23, 2010) -- The Terminator. The Borg. The Six Million Dollar Man. Science fiction is ripe with biological beings armed with artificial capabilities. In reality, however, the clunky connections between living and non-living worlds often lack a clear channel for communication. Now scientists have designed an electrical link to living cells engineered to shuttle electrons across a cell's membrane. This direct channel could yield cells that can read and respond to electronic signals, or efficiently transfer sunlight into electricity. ... > full story
Sound of the underground: New acoustic early warning system for landslide prediction (October 23, 2010) -- A new type of sound sensor system has been developed to predict the likelihood of a landslide. Thought to be the first system of its kind in the world, it works by measuring and analyzing the acoustic behavior of soil to establish when a landslide is imminent so preventative action can be taken. ... > full story
NOAA lists population of spotted seals as threatened (October 23, 2010) -- NOAA has listed the southern distinct population segment (DPS) of the spotted seal as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, strictly regulating importation of the animal or its parts into the U.S. ... > full story
Chemical engineers use gold to discover breakthrough for creating biorenewable chemicals (October 23, 2010) -- Chemical engineers have uncovered the key features that control the high reactivity of gold nanoparticles in a process that oxidizes alcohols in water. The research is an important first step in unlocking the potential of using metal catalysts for developing biorenewable chemicals. The scientific discovery could one day serve as the foundation for creating a wide range of consumer products from biorenewable carbon feedstocks, as opposed to the petroleum-based chemicals currently being used as common building blocks for commodities such as cosmetics, plastics, pharmaceuticals and fuels. ... > full story
Plants play larger role than thought in cleaning up air pollution, research shows (October 22, 2010) -- Vegetation plays an unexpectedly large role in cleansing the atmosphere, a new study finds. The research uses observations, gene expression studies, and computer modeling to show that deciduous plants absorb about a third more of a common class of air-polluting chemicals than previously thought. ... > full story
Succimer found ineffective for removing mercury (October 22, 2010) -- Succimer, a drug used for treating lead poisoning, does not effectively remove mercury from the body, according to new research. Some families have turned to succimer as an alternative therapy for treating autism. ... > full story
Value-added sulfur scrubbing: Converting acid rain chemicals into useful products (October 22, 2010) -- Power plants that burn fossil fuels remain the main source of electricity generation across the globe. Modern power plants have scrubbers to remove sulfur compounds from their flue gases, which has helped reduce the problem of acid rain. Now, researchers in India have devised a way to convert the waste material produced by the scrubbing process into value-added products. ... > full story
Another winter of extremes in store for U.S. as La Niña strengthens (October 22, 2010) -- The Pacific Northwest should brace for a colder and wetter than average winter, while most of the South and Southeast will be warmer and drier than average through February 2011, according to the annual Winter Outlook released by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. A moderate to strong La Niña will be the dominant climate factor influencing weather across most of the U.S. this winter. ... > full story
Scorpion has welcome sting for heart bypass patients (October 22, 2010) -- A toxin found in the venom of the Central American bark scorpion (Centruroides margaritatus) could hold the key to reducing heart bypass failures, according to new research. ... > full story
Arctic Report Card: Region continues to warm at unprecedented rate (October 22, 2010) -- The Arctic region, also called the "planet's refrigerator," continues to heat up, affecting local populations and ecosystems as well as weather patterns in the most populated parts of the Northern Hemisphere, according to a team of 69 international scientists. The findings were released in the Arctic Report Card, a yearly assessment of Arctic conditions. ... > full story
Scary chupacabras monster is as much victim as villain (October 22, 2010) -- As Halloween approaches, tales of monsters and creepy crawlies abound. Among the most fearsome is the legendary beast known as the chupacabras. ... > full story
From bees to coral reefs: Mutualisms might be more important to global ecosystem than previously thought (October 22, 2010) -- Relationships among organisms, or mutualisms, might be more important to global ecosystem health than previously thought, new research shows. ... > full story
Spotting suspicious moles (October 22, 2010) -- Most of the spots on our skin are perfectly harmless moles, collections of cells called melanocytes. But occasionally, these melanocytes turn cancerous, creating the potentially deadly skin tumor melanoma. Scientists have now developed a new technique that aims to help doctors distinguish melanomas from harmless moles using high-resolution snapshots of suspicious spots. ... > full story
Key difference in how TB bacteria degrade doomed proteins (October 22, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a key difference in the way human cells and Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause TB, deliver unwanted proteins to their respective cellular recycling factories. This critical difference may help scientists design new anti TB drugs. ... > full story
Taking a closer look at plaque (October 22, 2010) -- Scientists are using the technique of Raman spectroscopy to study two common dental plaque bacteria, Streptococcus sanguis and mutans. The relative balance of the two may be an indicator of a patient's oral health and risk for tooth decay -- Streptococcus sanguis is associated with "healthy" plaque, while mutans is associated with tooth decay. ... > full story
Old logging practices linked to high erosion rates (October 22, 2010) -- Clear-cut logging and related road-building in the 1950s and 1960s in southern Oregon's Siskiyou Mountains disrupted soil stability and led to unprecedented soil erosion made worse during heavy rainstorms, researchers report. ... > full story
Real-time imaging of stroke models (October 22, 2010) -- One of the major impediments to understanding how brain cells die during a stroke and identifying new ways to protect them has been the long-standing inability to image strokes, or "ischemic events" in living tissue. Now researchers have developed methods to induce strokes in animal models and image the events as they unfold. ... > full story
Using PEAT to capture, share and analyze protein experimental data (October 22, 2010) -- Researchers in Ireland have created a novel application that not only facilitates the analysis of experimental data generated in the course of a research project but also ensures that this valuable data is available for future use. ... > full story
Scientists promote soy by currying favor with Indian taste buds (October 22, 2010) -- Scientists think they have solved an interesting problem: how to get protein-deficient Indian schoolchildren to consume soy, an inexpensive and complete vegetable protein. What's more, they've joined forces with an Indian foundation that can get the high-protein soy snack they've developed into the hands of 1.2 million hungry kids who need it. ... > full story
Green Carbon Center takes all-inclusive view of energy (October 22, 2010) -- Rice University has created a Green Carbon Center to bring the benefits offered by oil, gas, coal, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and other energy sources together in a way that will not only help ensure the world's energy future but also provide a means to recycle carbon dioxide into useful products. ... > full story
Operation IceBridge: NASA airborne science campaign begins Antarctic sequel (October 22, 2010) -- Scientists returned this week to the Southern Hemisphere where NASA's Operation IceBridge mission is set to begin its second year of airborne surveys over Antarctica. The mission monitors the region's changing sea ice, ice sheets and glaciers. ... > full story
Poor start in life need not spell doom in adulthood (October 21, 2010) -- A biology graduate student reports that how individuals fare as adults is not simply a passive consequence of the limits that early conditions may impose on them. Studying how adult Trinidadian guppies responded to their early food conditions, researchers found that the guppies had compensated for a poor start to life in unexpected, and potentially adaptive, ways by being flexible in their growth and reproductive strategies. ... > full story
Molecular structure of major cell signaling pathway detailed (October 21, 2010) -- Scientists have reported the exact molecular structure and mechanisms of a major cell signaling pathway that serves a broad range of functions in humans. ... > full story
Malarial mosquitoes are evolving into new species, say researchers (October 21, 2010) -- Two strains of the type of mosquito responsible for the majority of malaria transmission in Africa have evolved such substantial genetic differences that they are becoming different species, according to researchers behind two new studies published today in the journal Science. This means that efforts to control mosquito populations may be effective against one strain of mosquito but not the other. ... > full story
Promising new 'antigene' therapy uses light energy to silence gene activity (October 21, 2010) -- Antigene therapy is a promising new treatment strategy that uses a DNA-based drug to pinpoint light energy to a target gene shutting down its activity. ... > full story
Proton mechanism used by flu virus to infect cells discovered (October 21, 2010) -- Chemists have discovered the shuttle mechanism that relays protons from a healthy cell into a flu virus. The proton movement is an important part of the flu virus life cycle. ... > full story
Energy revolution key to complex life: Depends on mitochondria, cells' tiny power stations (October 21, 2010) -- The evolution of complex life is strictly dependent on mitochondria, the tiny power stations found in all complex cells, according to a new study. ... > full story
Sea levels rising around South Atlantic's Falkland Islands, 19th-century benchmarks reveal (October 21, 2010) -- Sea levels around the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic have risen since the mid-nineteenth century and the rate of sea-level rise has accelerated over recent decades, according to newly published research. The findings are as expected under global warming and consistent with observations elsewhere around the globe. ... > full story
Space weather mystery solved: Link found between electrons trapped in space and upper atmosphere's diffuse aurora (October 21, 2010) -- New research has settled decades of scientific debate about a puzzling aspect of space weather. Researchers have found the final link between electrons trapped in space and the glow of light from the upper atmosphere known as the diffuse aurora. The research promises to further understanding of space weather, with benefits for the satellite, power grid and aviation industries. ... > full story
The world is not flat: Exploring cells and tissues in three dimensions (October 21, 2010) -- Researchers have developed an innovative approach for studying cells in 3-D. They are examining the potential of such research to greatly expand science's understanding of disease onset and progression, particularly the responses of host cells to infectious pathogens. Such work provides fresh insight into the mechanisms of infectious disease and holds the potential for the design of novel or improved therapeutics, more accurate drug screening and improved evaluation of potential vaccine candidates. ... > full story
Microbes may consume far more oil-spill waste than earlier thought (October 21, 2010) -- Microbes living at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico may consume far more of the gaseous waste from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill than previously thought, according to research carried out within 100 miles of the spill site. ... > full story
How parasites react to the mouse immune system may help to shape their control (October 21, 2010) -- How parasites use different life-history strategies to beat our immune systems may also provide insight into the control of diseases, such as elephantiasis and river blindness, which afflict some of the world's poorest communities in tropical Southeast Asia, Africa and Central America. ... > full story
Black rice bran may help fight disease-related inflammation (October 21, 2010) -- Scientists are reporting evidence that black rice -- a little-known variety of the grain that is the staple food for one-third of the world population -- may help soothe the inflammation involved in allergies, asthma, and other diseases. ... > full story
Philippines may have more unique bird species than thought, biologist says (October 21, 2010) -- Recent research suggests that the Philippines, considered by biologists to be a "biodiversity hotspot," could have more unique species of birds than previously thought. If that proves to be the case, it could have important ramifications for conservation practices there. ... > full story
Worst coral death strikes at Southeast Asia (October 21, 2010) -- International marine scientists say that a huge coral death which has struck Southeast Asian and Indian Ocean reefs over recent months has highlighted the urgency of controlling global carbon emissions. Many reefs are dead or dying across the Indian Ocean and into the Coral Triangle following a bleaching event that extends from the Seychelles in the west to Sulawesi and the Philippines in the east. ... > full story
Climate change tipping points for populations, not just species: Survival, reproduction of thousands of arctic and alpine plants measured (October 21, 2010) -- As Earth's climate warms, species are expected to shift their geographical ranges away from the equator or to higher elevations. While scientists have documented such shifts for many plants and animals, the ranges of others seem stable. When species respond in different ways to the same amount of warming, it becomes more difficult for ecologists to predict future biological effects of climate change -- and to plan for these effects. ... > full story
Entire issue of scientific journal devoted to Joint Center for Structural Genomics (October 21, 2010) -- A multi-institutional consortium led by the Scripps Research Institute scientists, the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG), is the sole focus of a special issue of the journal Acta Crystallographica Section F. This is the first time in the history of the monthly journal, which publishes peer-reviewed crystallography and structural biology articles, that an entire issue is devoted to the works of a single scientific center. ... > full story
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