ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Saturday, November 13, 2010
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Vaccine for urinary tract infections is one step closer (November 12, 2010) -- Scientists are one step closer to a vaccine that could prevent a majority of urinary tract infections, which are caused by E. coli bacteria. The researchers studied how bacteria operate in human hosts and discovered key differences between how E. coli genes behave in women and how they behave in mice used in experiments. ... > full story
Scientists demystify an enzyme responsible for drug and food metabolism (November 12, 2010) -- Scientists have solved a 40-year-old puzzle about the mysterious process by which a critical enzyme metabolizes nutrients in foods and chemicals in drugs such as Tylenol, caffeine and opiates. The discovery may help future researchers develop a wide range of more efficient and less-expensive drugs, household products and other chemicals. ... > full story
Thousands of turtles captured in Madagascar despite ban (November 12, 2010) -- New research has revealed up to 16,000 endangered turtles are being caught each year by villagers in just one region of Madagascar, despite a government ban. Researchers say the figure, thought to be a conservative estimate, is the first direct assessment of turtle exploitation on the island. ... > full story
Modeling autism in a lab dish: Researchers create autistic neuron model (November 12, 2010) -- A collaborative effort between researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the University of California, San Diego, successfully used human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from patients with Rett syndrome to replicate autism in the lab and study the molecular pathogenesis of the disease. ... > full story
Stem cell transplants in mice produce lifelong enhancement of muscle mass (November 12, 2010) -- Specific types of stem cells transplanted into the leg muscles of mice prevented the loss of muscle function and mass that normally occurs with aging, a finding with potential uses in treating humans with chronic, degenerative muscle diseases. ... > full story
Oldest dinosaur embryos give insights into infancy and growth (November 12, 2010) -- After sitting in collections for nearly 30 years, some remarkably well-preserved dinosaur eggs and their contents are offering new insights into the infancy and growth of early dinosaurs. They represent the oldest embryos of any land-dwelling vertebrate ever found. The eggs, found in 1976 in South Africa, date from the early part of the Jurassic Period, 190 million years ago. They belong to Massospondylus, a member of a group of dinosaurs known as prosauropods that are the ancestors to the later sauropods -- the large, four-legged dinosaurs with long necks, typified by the popular ' Brontosaurus' and Diplodocus. ... > full story
'Toxic toy crisis' requires fresh solutions, experts say (November 12, 2010) -- Manufacturer recalls of toys, promotional drinking glasses, and other children's products constitute an ongoing "toxic toys crisis" that requires banning potentially harmful ingredients in these products and other changes in policy and practices, a new analysis concludes. ... > full story
Cats show perfect balance even in their lapping (November 12, 2010) -- Cats' gravity-defying grace and exquisite balance extends even to the way they lap milk, say researchers. They analyzed the way cats lap and found that felines of all sizes take advantage of a perfect balance between two physical forces -- gravity and inertia -- when they drink. Unlike dogs, cats aren't dipping their tongues into the liquid like ladles. Instead, the cat's lapping mechanism is far more subtle and elegant. ... > full story
New ultra-clean nanowires have great potential in solar cell technology and electronics (November 12, 2010) -- New ultra-clean nanowires will have a central role in the development of new high-efficiency solar cells and electronics on a nanometer scale. ... > full story
Why chocolate protects against heart disease (November 12, 2010) -- Numerous studies have shown that cocoa has a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases. The reason for this has now been uncovered by researchers in Sweden. When a group of volunteers devoured a good-sized piece of dark chocolate, it inhibited an enzyme in their bodies that is known to raise blood pressure. ... > full story
Pain gene common to flies, mice and humans, researchers discover (November 12, 2010) -- While it has become clear in recent years that susceptibility to pain has a strong inherited component, very little is known about actual "pain genes" and how they work. In a new study, researchers report on a novel human pain gene. People with minor variations in this gene showed clear differences in susceptibility to acute heat pain and chronic back pain. ... > full story
A love game: Fish courtship more complex than thought (November 12, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that male Australian desert goby fish are surprisingly strategic when it comes to courtship, adapting their tactics depending on the frequency of their contact with females. ... > full story
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