ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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Expanding croplands chipping away at world's carbon stocks (November 2, 2010) -- Nature's capacity to store carbon, the element at the heart of global climate woes, is steadily eroding as the world's farmers expand croplands at the expense of native ecosystem such as forests. A group of universities is releasing a study on the topic. ... > full story
If GMO genes escape, how will the hybrids do? Fitness and growth of sorghum, shattercane, and its wild-crop hybrid in Nebraska (November 2, 2010) -- Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may raise concerns of genes escaping from crops and having unknown effects on natural, wild species. But what is the real risk that traits associated with GMOs will actually migrate to and persist in their wild relatives? Interest in plant ecology, crop production and weed management led researchers to investigate how gene flow from a cultivated crop to a weedy relative would influence the ecological fitness of a cropwild hybrid offspring. ... > full story
New way of removing excess nitrogen from the environment (November 2, 2010) -- Excess nitrogen from agricultural and urban lands is contaminating groundwater, streams, lakes and estuaries, where it causes harmful algal blooms and contributes to fish kills. Cost-effective approaches to removing this nitrogen from croplands and urban stormwater runoff before it reaches sensitive water bodies have been elusive. But simple and inexpensive technologies are on the horizon. A recent scientific workshop on denitrification brought together ecologists, engineers and policy experts to find answers. ... > full story
Mandatory curbs on food salt content 20 times more effective than voluntary curbs, study finds (November 2, 2010) -- Imposing statutory limits on the salt content of processed foods could be 20 times more effective than voluntary curbs by industry, new research finds. ... > full story
Lead poisoning maps in Rhode Island reveal huge disparities, guide cleanup (November 1, 2010) -- Rhode Islanders under six years of age who lived in the state's lowest income areas or in neighborhoods with lots of pre-1950 housing faced a threat of lead poisoning several times higher than average, according to a new study of data from 1993 through 2005. Mapping cases of lead poisoning is helping to focus cleanup efforts on areas where the problem is worst. ... > full story
'Cloud seeding' not effective at producing rain as once thought, new research shows (November 1, 2010) -- Recent research in Israel reveals that the common practice of cloud seeding with materials such as silver iodide and frozen carbon dioxide may not be as effective as it had been hoped. In the most comprehensive reassessment of the effects of cloud seeding over the past fifty years, new findings have dispelled the notion that seeding is an effective mechanism for precipitation enhancement. ... > full story
One egg yolk worse than some fast-food meals when it comes to cholesterol, Canadian physicians say (November 1, 2010) -- Three leading physicians in Canada have published a review warning about the danger of dietary cholesterol for those at risk of a heart attack or stroke. And they say one of the worst offenders is the egg yolk which, depending on size, can contain 215 to 275 mg of cholesterol. Some fast-food meals can contain as much as 150 mg of cholesterol. ... > full story
Microfluidics-imaging platform detects cancer growth signaling in minute biopsy samples (November 1, 2010) -- Researchers have developed an in vitro method to assess kinase activity in minute patient samples. The method involves an integrated microfluidics and imaging platform that can reproducibly measure kinase enzymatic activity from as few as 3,000 cells. The new method will enable faster and more efficient screening and analysis for improved diagnostics of rare cell populations. ... > full story
Males more considerate than imagined -- at least, in nematode worms (November 1, 2010) -- Male worms plug females after copulation as a form of 'gift', rather than to prevent them from mating again, as had previously been thought. Researchers found that plugged females mated just as often and were just as attractive as those who were unplugged, and that plugging ultimately improved female fitness. ... > full story
Common stomach bacteria may fight off inflammatory bowel disease caused by Salmonella (November 1, 2010) -- Helicobacter pylori, a common stomach bacterium, reduced the severity of inflammation of the colon caused by Salmonella in mice, according to new research. ... > full story
Mystery of 'alien pod' solved: Colony of freshwater bryozoans (November 1, 2010) -- Researchers in Virginia have identified an "alien pod" discovered in a local freshwater lake as a very large colony of freshwater bryozoans -- aka "moss animals." ... > full story
New strain of 'high-runner' rats uniquely resistant to disease (November 1, 2010) -- Everybody knows that if you're physically fit, you're less likely to get a wide range of diseases. What most people don't know is that some people are "naturally" in better shape than others, and this variation in conditioning makes it difficult to test for disease risk and drug effectiveness in animal models. A new research paper started out as a study to explain the strong statistical link between low aerobic exercise capacity and common diseases, but ultimately led to an animal model that breaks through the limitations of current systems that target single disease pathways. ... > full story
Pregnant women who eat peanuts may put infants at increased risk for peanut allergy, study finds (November 1, 2010) -- Researchers have found that allergic infants may be at increased risk of peanut allergy if their mothers ingested peanuts during pregnancy. ... > full story
New portable radiation detector can assess safety of potentially contaminated areas (November 1, 2010) -- The UK's National Physical Laboratory has developed a new portable radiation detector that can assess the safety of potentially contaminated areas far quicker than current methods. The prototype was inspired by the aftermath of the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London 2006. ... > full story
Tracks of a running bipedal baby brontosaur? Baby sauropod footprints discovered in Colorado (November 1, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered infant dinosaur footprints in the foothills west of Denver, Colorado, near the town of Morrison. Dating from the Late Jurassic, some 148 million years ago, these tracks were made before the Rocky Mountains rose, when the area was a broad savanna full of dinosaurs. ... > full story
Antibiotics have long-term impacts on gut flora (November 1, 2010) -- Short courses of antibiotics can leave normal gut bacteria harbouring antibiotic resistance genes for up to two years after treatment, say scientists in a new study. The researchers believe that this reservoir increases the chances of resistance genes being surrendered to pathogenic bacteria, aiding their survival and suggesting that the long-term effects of antibiotic therapy are more significant than previously thought. ... > full story
Discus fish parent young like mammalian mothers (November 1, 2010) -- Most fish abandon their young at hatching, but not discus fish. Researchers have discovered that discus fish parent like mammalian mothers. Not only do the parents feed their young from mucus secreted on their surfaces, but the nutritional and immunological content of the mucus changes as the young develop, much like mammalian milk. ... > full story
Did Neanderthals make jewellery after all? (November 1, 2010) -- The theory that later Neanderthals might have been sufficiently advanced to fashion jewelery and tools similar to those of incoming modern humans has suffered a setback. A new radiocarbon dating study has found that an archaeological site that uniquely links Neanderthal remains to sophisticated tools and jewelery may be partially mixed. ... > full story
Speed installation of system to monitor vital signs of global ocean, scientists urge (November 1, 2010) -- As oceans grow saltier, hotter, more acidic and less diverse biologically, world governments urgently need to help complete a full global ocean observing system, the value of which to society would dwarf the investment required, according to scientists. ... > full story
Size of protein aggregates, not abundance, drives spread of prion-based disease (November 1, 2010) -- In a study that challenges the conventional wisdom about infections caused by proteins called prions, researchers report that the size of protein structures, rather than their abundance, determines their transmission among cells. ... > full story
Scientists prepare for confined field trials of life-saving drought-tolerant transgenic maize (November 1, 2010) -- Crop specialists in Kenya and Uganda have laid the groundwork for confined field trials to commence later this year for new varieties of maize genetically modified to survive recurrent droughts that threaten over 300 million Africans for whom maize is life. ... > full story
Great apes might be misunderstood (November 1, 2010) -- Great apes might be much more similar to us – and just as smart – than science has led us to believe. A new study will examine the extent to which common designs of comparative psychology research, which rates humans as more advanced than apes, are fatally flawed. ... > full story
Human immune system assassin's tricks visualized for the first time (November 1, 2010) -- Scientists have seen the human immune system's assassin -- a protein called perforin -- in action for the first time. The researchers used powerful electron microscopes to study the mechanism that perforin uses to punch holes in rogue cells. ... > full story
Faster CARS, less damage: Chemical microscopy shows potential for cell diagnostics (November 1, 2010) -- Recent research may breathe new life into the use of a powerful -- but tricky -- diagnostic technique for cell biology. A new paper demonstrates that with improved hardware and better signal processing, a powerful form of molecular vibration spectroscopy can quickly deliver detailed molecular maps of the contents of cells without damaging them. ... > full story
Scientists 'watch' formation of cells' protein factories, ribosomes, for first time (November 1, 2010) -- Scientists have revealed the first-ever pictures of the formation of cells' "protein factories." In addition to being a major technical feat on its own, the work could open new pathways for development of antibiotics and treatments for diseases tied to errors in ribosome formation. In addition, the techniques developed in the study can now be applied to other complex challenges in the understanding of cellular processes. ... > full story
Helping fish get rid of the 'Ich' (November 1, 2010) -- Copper sulfate has emerged as an effective treatment for Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, also known as "Ich," a protozoan parasite that appears as white spots on infected fish, according to a scientist. ... > full story
Shifting forms: How variations of same protein affect immune response (November 1, 2010) -- How a T cell decides to make protein X, Y or Z can have profound effects for fighting foreign invaders or staving off dire autoimmune reactions. Researchers have identified the steps that control how different forms of an immune cell protein called CD45, which is critical for activating the immune system when faced with pathogens, are controlled in the arc of a body's immune response. ... > full story
Atlantic sea turtle population threatened by egg infection (October 31, 2010) -- Mycologists and ecologists studying Atlantic sea turtles at Cape Verde have discovered that the species is under threat from a fungal infection which targets eggs. The research reveals how the fungus Fusarium solani may have played a key role in the 30-year decline in turtle numbers. ... > full story
The 'Rodney Dangerfield' of Halloween Icons (October 31, 2010) -- While many people will be pursuing the latest pop culture icons as Halloween costumes this year, one of the annual icons of Halloween might be viewed as the Rodney Dangerfield of Halloween symbols. The legendary comedian based his career on the line "I get no respect," which might also apply to the misunderstood flying mammal known as bats. The animals often carry a negative connotation that doesn't reflect the respective role bats play in biological ecosystems. ... > full story
World's largest, most complex marine virus is major player in ocean ecosystems (October 31, 2010) -- Researchers have identified the world's largest marine virus -- an unusually complex "mimi-like virus" that infects an ecologically important and widespread planktonic predator. ... > full story
Dracula orchids and goblin spiders (October 31, 2010) -- Observation of fruit flies pollinating Dracula orchids and discovery of over two dozen new goblin spiders: two recent publications from invertebrate zoologists provide a timely bit of natural history. ... > full story
'Goldilocks' of DNA self-assembly discovered (October 31, 2010) -- Researchers have found a way to optimize the development of DNA self-assembling materials, which hold promise for technologies ranging from drug delivery to molecular sensors. The key to the advance is the discovery of the "Goldilocks" length for DNA strands used in self-assembly -- not too long, not too short, but just right. ... > full story
Avoiding CO<sub>2</sub> capture health risks is possible, Norwegian experts say (October 31, 2010) -- Experts in Norway believe it is possible to develop efficient CO2 capture technologies without generating harmful emissions. ... > full story
Tagged narwhals track warming near Greenland (October 30, 2010) -- Scientists reported the southern Baffin Bay off West Greenland has continued warming since wintertime ocean temperatures were last effectively measured there in the early 2000s. Temperatures in the study were collected by narwhals, medium-sized toothed Arctic whales. ... > full story
New software eases analysis of insect in motion (October 30, 2010) -- Researchers are using two high-speed cameras and a computer program they developed to quickly and accurately analyze the simultaneous movement of all 26 leg joints in a walking cockroach. They have made the program free and open-source for other insect researchers to use. ... > full story
Raising giant insects to unravel ancient oxygen (October 30, 2010) -- The giant dragonflies of ancient Earth with wingspans of up to 70 centimeters (28 inches) are generally attributed to higher oxygen atmospheric levels in the atmosphere in the past. New experiments in raising modern insects in various oxygen-enriched atmospheres have confirmed that dragonflies grow bigger with more oxygen, or hyperoxia. ... > full story
Shuttle mice to boost disease research: Experiment on last flight of Discovery will probe spaceflight-induced immune-system impairment (October 30, 2010) -- When the space shuttle Discovery lifts off on its final flight Nov. 2, its six astronauts will be joined by 16 mice -- part of a long-term NASA effort aimed at understanding why spaceflight makes humans more vulnerable to infection by viruses and bacteria. ... > full story
Low elevations hold climate surprises for mountain plants (October 30, 2010) -- Contrary to expectations, climate change has had a significant effect on mountain plants at low elevations, says a new study. ... > full story
Paradise lost -- and found: Researchers unearth ancient water secrets at royal garden dig (October 30, 2010) -- Researchers in Israel have uncovered an ancient royal garden at the site of Ramat Rachel near Jerusalem, and are leading the first full-scale excavation of this type of archaeological site anywhere in the pre-Hellenistic Levant. The dig is an unparalleled look into the structure and function of ancient gardens. ... > full story
Spice in curry could prevent liver damage (October 30, 2010) -- The chemical in curry could prevent or treat liver fibrosis, according to new research. ... > full story
Seagrass faring better than world's vertebrate species (October 30, 2010) -- A major new study that sounds a conservation alarm for the world's vertebrate species notes that the world's seagrass species are faring somewhat better, say researchers. ... > full story
Papyrus research provides insights into 'modern concerns' of ancient world (October 30, 2010) -- New research on papyri sheds light on an ancient world with surprisingly modern concerns: including hoped-for medical cures, religious confusion and the need for financial safeguards. ... > full story
Newly discovered gene enables fish to 'disappear' (October 29, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a new member of a gene family that has powerful influences on pigmentation and the regulation of body weight. The new gene, an agouti family gene called agrp2, has been found exclusively in bony fish, including zebrafish, trout and salmon. The protein it encodes enables fish to change color dramatically to match their surroundings, the researchers report. ... > full story
Researchers use math, maps to plot malaria elimination plan (October 29, 2010) -- An international team of researchers has used mathematical models and maps to estimate the feasibility of eliminating malaria from countries that have the deadliest form of the disease. ... > full story
Troubled islands: Hurricanes, oil spill and sea level rise (October 29, 2010) -- The islands flanking the outlet of the Mississippi River are not only facing losses due to sea level rise and local subsidence, according to one study, but new unknown impacts from oil recovery operations, say researchers working on another project. Some islands could disappear entirely in coming decades, exposing huge swaths of marshland to the waves of the open sea. ... > full story
Is the shape of a genome as important as its content? (October 29, 2010) -- The complex associations between genes may be defined in part by the three-dimensional structure of the all of the chromosomes form together: the shape of the genome, according to researchers. By mapping out the structure of the fission yeast genome, they demonstrate how this non-random arrangement positions groups of genes together. This structure is not merely the shape of the genome, but also a key to how it works. ... > full story
Is South Pole ice melting? Gravity field satellites observe Antarctic ice mass fluctuations due to El Niño (October 29, 2010) -- The change in the ice mass covering Antarctica is a critical factor in global climate events. Scientists in Germany have now found that the year by year mass variations in the western Antarctic are mainly attributable to fluctuations in precipitation, which are controlled significantly by the climate phenomenon El Niño. ... > full story
Scientists uncover evolution of new virus, closely related to poliovirus (October 29, 2010) -- Scientists have completed the first major review of diagnostic methods and treatments for a rapidly evolving virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease in children. The virus, called enterovirus 71, is closely related to poliovirus, and was first detected in California in the 1960s. Since then the virus has spread across Asia, affecting mostly children and some adults. Serious cases of the disease can include neurological disorders such as meningitis, paralysis and encephalitis. ... > full story
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