ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Wednesday, November 3, 2010
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Workers hold key to power in nature's oldest societies, ant study shows (November 3, 2010) -- A new ant study analyzing how complex, highly-evolved societies are organized in nature has found that it is workers that play a pivotal role in creating well-ordered societies where conflict is minimized. ... > full story
Mouse model confirms mutated protein's role in dementia (November 3, 2010) -- A team of scientists has created a new mouse model that confirms that mutations of a protein called beta-synuclein promote neurodegeneration. The discovery creates a potential new target for developing treatments of diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. ... > full story
Mediterranean diet helps control cholesterol: Adding monounsaturated fats to a low-cholesterol diet can further improve levels (November 3, 2010) -- The addition of monounsaturated fat to a cholesterol-lowering dietary portfolio in patients with mild to moderate elevated cholesterol levels increased HDL by 12.5 percent and lowered LDL levels by 35 percent, found a new study. ... > full story
DHA 'fish oil' supplements do not seem to slow cognitive, functional decline in Alzheimer's disease (November 3, 2010) -- Patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) who received supplementation with the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid, believed to possibly reduce the risk of AD, did not experience a reduction in the rate of cognitive and functional decline, compared to patients who received placebo, according to a new study. ... > full story
Algae for biofuels: Moving from promise to reality, but how fast? (November 3, 2010) -- The development of cost-competitive algae biofuel production will require much more long-term research, development and demonstration, researchers say. In the meantime, several non-fuel applications of algae could serve to advance the nascent industry. ... > full story
Getting rid of cattle fever ticks (November 3, 2010) -- Scientists at the US Department of Agriculture have developed two strategies to ward off cattle fever ticks that are crossing the border from Mexico into the United States. ... > full story
Global map of the sickle cell gene supports 'malaria hypothesis' (November 2, 2010) -- At a global scale, the sickle cell gene is most commonly found in areas with historically high levels of malaria, adding geographical support to the hypothesis that the gene, while potentially deadly, avoids disappearing through natural selection by providing protection against malaria. ... > full story
New long-range undersea robot goes the distance (November 2, 2010) -- Over the past decade, the undersea robots known as autonomous underwater vehicles have become increasingly important in oceanographic research. Engineers recently demonstrated a new super-efficient AUV that can travel rapidly for hundreds of kilometers, "hover" in the water for weeks at a time, and carry a wide variety of instruments. ... > full story
Antibody locks up West Nile's infection mechanism (November 2, 2010) -- Researchers have learned the structure that results when an antibody binds to the West Nile virus, neutralizing the virus by locking up its infection mechanism. The information could help scientists develop a vaccine against the mosquito-borne disease. ... > full story
BPA levels in US foods 1,000 times less than limits, study finds (November 2, 2010) -- For the first time in the United States, researchers are reporting in a peer-reviewed scientific journal detection of Bisphenol A (BPA) in fresh and canned food as well as food wrapped in plastic packaging. The amounts, however, were almost 1,000 times lower than the "tolerable daily intake" levels set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). ... > full story
Black raspberries may prevent colon cancer, study finds (November 2, 2010) -- Black raspberries are highly effective in preventing colorectal tumors in two mouse models of the disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
Secondary infections were a major cause of death during 1918 flu pandemic, research finds (November 2, 2010) -- Secondary infections with bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, which causes pneumonia, were a major cause of death during the 1918 flu pandemic and may be important in modern pandemics as well, according to a new article. ... > full story
'Evergreen agriculture' boosts crop yields, scientists find (November 2, 2010) -- A unique acacia known as a "fertilizer tree" has typically led to a doubling or tripling of maize yields in smallholder agriculture in Zambia and Malawi, according to new evidence. The findings were central to the arguments of agroforestry experts at the conference, who urged decision makers to spread this technology more widely throughout the African nations most vulnerable to climate change and food shortages. ... > full story
Some city trees may discourage 'shady' behavior; Study explores relationship between urban trees and crime (November 2, 2010) -- Along with energy conservation and storm-water reduction, scientists may soon be adding crime-fighting to the list of benefits that urban trees provide. Researchers have published a new study that suggests that certain types of city trees may help lower property and violent crime rates. ... > full story
Every person emits two tons of carbon dioxide a year through eating, Spanish study finds (November 2, 2010) -- Every person emits the equivalent of approximately two tons of carbon dioxide a year from the time food is produced to when the human body excretes it, representing more than 20 percent of total yearly emissions. That is what a study by researchers in Spain says, confirming for the first time that human excrement contributes to water pollution, primarily with nitrogen and phosphorus. ... > full story
Very large protected areas preserve wilderness but ignore rare species, analysis finds (November 2, 2010) -- A new study analyzes the contribution to conservation of the 63 largest protected areas. These areas preserve wilderness and are important to the conservation of some ecoregions, but they do not overlap greatly with areas of highest conservation concern. ... > full story
Global advance of shrimp virus follows evolutionary biology predictions (November 2, 2010) -- White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) has a devastating impact on shrimp farming throughout the world. What makes the situation even more serious is that the virus seems to become more aggressive as the epidemic spreads, contrary to other viruses, such as flu virus, that gradually die out. Scientists in the Netherlands have discovered that the fitness of the virus increases over time and the genome shrinks, in a pattern similar to theoretical predictions from evolutionary biology. ... > full story
Of 50,000 small molecules tested to fight cancer, two show promise (November 2, 2010) -- A class of compounds that interferes with cell signaling pathways may provide a novel approach to cancer treatment, according to a new study. The compounds, called PITs, limited tumor growth in mice by inducing cell death. ... > full story
UV light nearly doubles vacuum's effectiveness in reducing carpet microbes (November 2, 2010) -- New research suggests that the addition of ultraviolet light to the brushing and suction of a vacuum cleaner can almost double the removal of potentially infectious microorganisms from a carpet's surface when compared to vacuuming alone. Researchers say the findings suggest that incorporating the germicidal properties of UV light into vacuuming might have promise in reducing allergens and pathogens from carpets, as well. ... > full story
Plant's light switch could be used to control cells (November 2, 2010) -- A scientists shines a blue light on yeast and mammalian cells in her lab and the edges of them start to glow. The effect is the result of a light-activated switch from a plant that has been inserted into the cell. Researchers could use this novel "on-off switch" to control cell growth or death, grow new tissue or deliver doses of medication directly to diseased cells. ... > full story
Rabbit's food brings luck in decreasing estrogen levels in wastewater (November 2, 2010) -- New experiments show that rabbit's food (composed of organic vegetable matter) can decrease estrogen levels in wastewater by more than 80 percent. The research could point to inexpensive treatment technologies and materials for reducing estrogen hormones in wastewater. ... > full story
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
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