ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Tuesday, November 9, 2010
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Dangerous chemicals in food wrappers likely migrating to humans (November 9, 2010) -- Scientists have found that chemicals used to line junk food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags are migrating into food and being ingested by people where they are contributing to chemical contamination observed in blood. ... > full story
TB-drugome provides new targets for anti-tuberculosis drug discovery (November 9, 2010) -- Researchers have linked hundreds of federally approved drugs to more than 1,000 proteins in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), opening new avenues to repurpose these drugs to treat TB. ... > full story
Overweight children have eating patterns different from those of normal weight children, Norwegian study finds (November 9, 2010) -- Overweight children reported more frequent intake of healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables, fish, brown bread and potatoes as well as low-energy cheese and yogurt compared with normal weight children, a Norwegian study has found. ... > full story
Climate change: Regional differences in water reservoir glaciers (November 9, 2010) -- Glaciers of large mountain regions contribute, to some extent considerably, to the water supply of certain populated areas. However, a recent study has shown that there are important regional differences. ... > full story
Were our tetrapod ancestors deaf? (November 8, 2010) -- Researchers have shown that the closest living relatives of the tetrapods -- the lungfish -- are insensitive to sound pressure but sensitive to vibrations. ... > full story
Fish oil component given up to 5 hours after stroke limits brain damage, study finds (November 8, 2010) -- A new study shows that a component of fish oil is a powerful therapeutic agent that can protect brain tissue in a model of stroke, even when treatment is delayed by five hours. These findings not only target a new stroke treatment approach, but also provide vital information about the length of the therapeutic window. ... > full story
Nanoparticles' journey from lungs into body chronicled: Insights into pulmonary drug delivery, air pollution control (November 8, 2010) -- Using a novel, real-time imaging system, scientists have tracked a group of near-infrared fluorescent nanoparticles from the airspaces of the lungs, into the body and out again, providing a description of the characteristics and behavior of these minute particles which could be used in developing therapeutic agents to treat pulmonary disease, as well as offering a greater understanding of the health effects of air pollution. ... > full story
World's oldest ground-edge implement discovered in northern Australia (November 8, 2010) -- The oldest ground-edge stone tool in the world has been discovered in northern Australia, dating to 35,000 years ago. ... > full story
King crab distributions limited by temperature in the Southern Ocean (November 8, 2010) -- Invasions of voracious predatory crabs due to global warming could threaten the unique continental-shelf ecosystems of Antarctica, according to newly published findings. ... > full story
Low blood levels of vitamin D linked to chubbier kids, faster weight gain (November 8, 2010) -- Kids who are deficient in vitamin D accumulated fat around the waist and gained weight more rapidly than kids who got enough vitamin D, a new study suggests. ... > full story
Beetles offer effective weed control, but native vegetation hard to re-establish (November 8, 2010) -- With the help of the weed-eating flea beetle, researchers significantly reduced infestations of a non-native plant, leafy spurge, on Montana rangeland. The good news is that this biological method of weed control worked effectively over the course of a 9-year study. The bad news is that rather than native plants returning to flourish in the absence of leafy spurge, other non-native species became dominant in its place. ... > full story
New insect birth control strategy zaps cotton pests (November 8, 2010) -- Combining genetically engineered cotton plants that kill caterpillars with the controlled release of sterile moths from airplanes has produced a new and highly successful approach to dramatically reducing pesticide use and pest damage, scientists show. The first large-scale effort of its kind has virtually rid Arizona of one the world's most damaging cotton pests, the pink bollworm. ... > full story
Scientists turn skin cells directly into blood cells, bypassing middle pluripotent step (November 8, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered how to make human blood from adult human skin. The discovery could mean that in the foreseeable future people needing blood for surgery, cancer treatment or treatment of other blood conditions like anemia will be able to have blood created from a patch of their own skin to provide transfusions. ... > full story
Basic understanding of cell division reshaped (November 8, 2010) -- By tracking the flow of information in a cell preparing to split, scientists have identified a protein mechanism that coordinates and regulates the dynamics of shape change necessary for division of a single cell into two daughter cells. ... > full story
Fire fuels flowers success (November 8, 2010) -- The high incidence of fire during the Cretaceous Period, 120 to 65 million years ago, was responsible for the spread of the earliest flowering plants, new research suggests. ... > full story
Spontaneous GMOs in nature: Researchers show how a genetically modified plant can come about (November 8, 2010) -- Genetically modified plants can come about by natural means. A research group in Sweden has now described the details of such an event among higher plants. It is likely that the gene transfer was mediated by a parasite or a pathogen. ... > full story
How physical environment influences stem cell development (November 8, 2010) -- Recent research reveals how physical qualities -- and not only chemical ones – may have an influence in determining how adult stem cells from the bone marrow develop into differentiated ones. The finding represents an important step in understanding the mechanisms that direct and regulate the specialization of stem cells from their undefined state. ... > full story
Free as a bird? Human development affects bird flight patterns and populations (November 8, 2010) -- It may seem like birds have the freedom to fly wherever they like, but researchers have shown that what's on the ground has a great effect on where a bird flies. This information could be used by foresters and urban planners to improve bird habitats that would help maintain strong bird populations. ... > full story
Rice hulls a sustainable drainage option for greenhouse growers (November 8, 2010) -- Greenhouse plant growers can substitute rice hulls for perlite in their media without the need for an increase in growth regulators, according to a new study. ... > full story
Earth's first great predator wasn't: Carnivorous 'shrimp' not so fierce, 3-D model shows (November 8, 2010) -- The meters-long, carnivorous "shrimp" from hell that once ruled the seas of Earth a half billion years ago may have been a real softy, it turns out. A new 3-D modeling of the mouth parts of the Anomalocaris, along with evidence that these parts were not hard like teeth, but flexible, shows that the famed predator could not have been munching on the hard shells of trilobites and other such creatures of the early seas. ... > full story
Mathematical model may result in better environment measures for the Baltic (November 8, 2010) -- Eutrophication of the Baltic Sea has clear negative effects, such as dead bottoms and massive blooms of cyanobacteria. But high plankton production can also have positive effects on acidification. Researchers in Sweden have shown that it is possible to work out the aggregate effects of various environmental measures. ... > full story
New player in innate immunity? Class of biomolecules triggered in response to respiratory virus infection (November 7, 2010) -- For the first time, scientists have discovered that long, non-protein coding RNAs produced in a mammal's cells during a respiratory virus attack may influence the outcome of infection. Researchers used new techniques to read a cell's library of RNA transcripts, which reflects gene activity and changing conditions inside and outside the cell. Scientists can now catalog and compare the appearance and activity of long, non-protein coding RNAs during an infection. Distinctive activity rates are linked to fatal infection. ... > full story
Unexpectedly small effects of mutations in bacteria bring new perspectives (November 7, 2010) -- Most mutations in the genes of the Salmonella bacterium have a surprisingly small negative impact on bacterial fitness. And this is the case regardless whether they lead to changes in the bacterial proteins or not. ... > full story
Water purification: Is colloidal silver necessary for bacteria removal? (November 7, 2010) -- Scientists traveled to Guatemala twice in the past year to conduct research on ceramic pot filters that are used locally to remove bacteria from water. They found that silver may not be necessary to effectively remove bacteria from source water. ... > full story
Heavy metals may influence moose health (November 7, 2010) -- Moose in southern Norway are in significantly worse health than those further north and in eastern Norway. An analysis of roughly 600 moose livers, combined with information such as carcass weights and ages, shows that Norway’s southernmost herds are afflicted with kidney problems and osteoporosis -- which may be due to heavy metals. ... > full story
'Prima donna' protein doesn't work well in pairs (November 6, 2010) -- Bioengineers have found that the workhorse proteins that move cargo inside living cells behave like prima donnas. These molecular-scale machines called kinesin are two-legged mechanical motor proteins. Using an especially sensitive set of tools, scientists measured the pulling power of kinesin both singly and in pairs. It seems that kinesins don't work well together -- in part because they are so effective on their own. ... > full story
DNA fingerprinting traces global path of plague (November 6, 2010) -- Scientists have traced major plague pandemics such as the Black Death back to their roots using DNA fingerprinting analysis. ... > full story
Luminous cells from jellyfish could diagnose cancers deep within human body (November 6, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a process that uses the luminous cells from jellyfish to diagnose cancer tumors deep within the human body. The researchers have used an altered form of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) so that it shows up as red or blue, rather than its original green. Color is important in disease diagnosis, as most colors in the spectrum are rapidly absorbed, and tumors deep within the body become invisible. ... > full story
To prevent inbreeding, flowering plants have evolved multiple genes, research reveals (November 6, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a large suite of genes in the petunia plant that acts to prevent it from breeding with itself or with its close relatives, and to promote breeding with unrelated individuals. In much the same way that human inbreeding sometimes results in genetic disease and inferior health, some inbred plants also experience decreased fitness, and therefore, have developed mechanisms to ensure that their offspring benefit from hybrid vigor -- the mix that results when genetically distinct members of the same species breed. ... > full story
Potential new virus in switchgrass discovered (November 6, 2010) -- Researchers have confirmed the first report of a potential new virus belonging to the genus Marafivirus in switchgrass, a biomass crop being evaluated for commercial cellulosic ethanol production. ... > full story
New statistical model moves human evolution back three million years (November 5, 2010) -- Evolutionary divergence of humans and chimpanzees likely occurred some 8 million years ago rather than the 5 million year estimate widely accepted by scientists, a new statistical model suggests. ... > full story
New fish feeds made from fish byproducts (November 5, 2010) -- Fish byproducts may be a new source of fish feed. The scientists are taking fish parts that would normally be discarded-head, tail, bone, skin and internal organs-and fashioning them into feeds for shrimp and fish. ... > full story
Hard work improves the taste of food, study shows (November 5, 2010) -- It's commonly accepted that we appreciate something more if we have to work hard to get it, and a new study bears that out, at least when it comes to food. The study seems to suggest that hard work can even enhance our appreciation for fare we might not favor, such as the low-fat, low calorie variety. ... > full story
Insects learn to choose the right mate (November 5, 2010) -- Researchers have shown that damselflies learn how to choose the right mate when two species co-exist locally. The choice of mate is not only a matter of genetic and instinctive behavior, as has often been assumed for such small and short-lived creatures. ... > full story
Air pollution exposure increases risk of severe COPD (November 5, 2010) -- Long term exposure to low-level air pollution may increase the risk of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to researcher s in Denmark. While acute exposure of several days to high level air pollution was known to be a risk factor for exacerbation in pre-existing COPD, until now there had been no studies linking long-term air pollution exposure to the development or progression of the disease. ... > full story
Evolution by religious selection: Mexican cavefish develop resistance to toxin (November 5, 2010) -- A centuries-old religious ceremony of an indigenous people in southern Mexico has led to small evolutionary changes in a local species of fish, according to researchers from Texas A&M University. ... > full story
Fly stem cells on diet: Scientists discovered how stem cells respond to nutrient availability (November 5, 2010) -- Researchers have revealed that stem cells can sense a decrease in available nutrients and respond by retaining only a small pool of active stem cells for tissue maintenance. When, or if, favorable conditions return, stem cell numbers multiply to accommodate increased demands on the tissue. ... > full story
Decoding the genome of Chlorella microalgae, a promising genus for biofuel production (November 5, 2010) -- The analysis of the complete genome of Chlorella microalgae, a promising genus for biofuel production, has now been completed. The detailed elucidation of the Chlorella genome, also widely used as a food supplement, will make it possible to rationalize its industrial use. This analysis has also brought to light unexpected findings at the fundamental level: it suggests that Chlorella could have a sexual cycle (which had gone unnoticed so far) and that a virus probably gave it the capacity to synthesize chitin-rich cell walls a unique property in algae. ... > full story
Neanderthals were more promiscuous than modern humans, fossil finger bones suggest (November 5, 2010) -- Fossil finger bones of early human ancestors suggest that Neanderthals were more promiscuous than human populations today, researchers have found. ... > full story
Human-specific evolution in battling bugs and building babies (November 5, 2010) -- Researchers have described qualitative killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor differences, acquired after humans and chimpanzees separated 6 million years ago and mainly a consequence of innovation in the human line. These differences open up an exciting avenue for explaining the differential susceptibility of humans and chimpanzees to devastating infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. ... > full story
Volcanoes have shifted Asian rainfall (November 5, 2010) -- Scientists have shown that eruptions also affect rainfall over the Asian monsoon region, where seasonal storms water crops for nearly half of earth's population. Tree-ring researchers showed that big eruptions tend to dry up much of central Asia, but bring more rain to southeast Asian countries including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar -- the opposite of what many climate models predict. ... > full story
To punish or not to punish: Lessons from reef fish and saber-tooth blennies (November 5, 2010) -- Researchers have experimentally shown that some species of reef fish will enact punishment on the parasitic saber-tooth blennies that stealthily attack them from behind and take a bite, even though their behavior offers no immediate gain. The study shows that punishment ultimately serves all members of the reef fish species well. ... > full story
Predictive power of dairy cattle methane models insufficient to provide sound environmental advice, study finds (November 5, 2010) -- Researchers have shown that current equations to predict methane production of cows are inaccurate. Sound mitigation options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of dairy farms require a significant improvement of current methane equations, according to the study. ... > full story
Grad student simulates 100 years of farming to measure agriculture's impact on land and water quality (November 5, 2010) -- A graduate student has used a detailed computer model to simulate, year-by-year, the effects of 100 years of farming on claypan soils. ... > full story
For bats, all smooth, horizontal surfaces are water -- even when they look, smell and feel differently (November 4, 2010) -- For bats, any smooth, horizontal surface is water. That's true even if vision, olfaction or touch tells them it is actually a metal, plastic or wooden plate. Bats therefore rely more on their ears than on any other sensory system. This is due to how smooth surfaces reflect the echolocation calls of bats: they act just like mirrors. Scientists investigated this phenomenon in 15 different species from three big bat families and found that all tried to drink from smooth plates. In addition they found that this acoustic recognition of water is innate. ... > full story
Developmental dynamics of the maize leaf transcriptome (November 4, 2010) -- How developing plants build and regulate their solar reactors is still poorly understood. How many genes are involved, and which are the most important? How are different cell types endowed with specific biochemical capacities? What signals fine-tune how much sugar is produced, and which bioproducts are generated? Complex and multifaceted questions such as these can be addressed using a new approach to measure gene expression using high throughput sequencing. ... > full story
Eight new species discovered in Boliva national parks (November 4, 2010) -- Botanists have described eight new plant species collected in the Madidi National Park and surrounding areas located on the eastern slopes of the Andes in northern Bolivia. The new species are from several different genera and families. ... > full story
Food-allergy fears drive overly restrictive diets, study suggests (November 4, 2010) -- Many children, especially those with eczema, are unnecessarily avoiding foods based on incomplete information about potential food-allergies, according to researchers. The food avoidance poses a nutritional risk for these children, and is often based primarily on data from blood tests known as serum immunoassays. Oral food challenges, a definitive test of food allergy, allowed 125 children to restore 325 foods to their diets. ... > full story
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