ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Tuesday, November 16, 2010
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Novel ocean-crust mechanism could affect world's carbon budget and climate (November 16, 2010) -- Earth is constantly manufacturing new crust, spewing molten magma up along undersea ridges at the boundaries of tectonic plates. Now, scientists have observed ocean crust forming in an entirely unexpected way -- one that may influence those cycles of life and carbon and, in turn, affect the much-discussed future of the world's climate. ... > full story
Microsensors offer first look at whether cell mass affects growth rate (November 15, 2010) -- Researchers are using a new kind of microsensor to answer one of the weightiest questions in biology -- the relationship between cell mass and growth rate. Each microsensor is a small, suspended platform with a resonance frequency that changes as the cells on it grow heavier. Researchers tacked individual cells' masses and divisions over time and found that the cells they studied did grow faster as they grew heavier, rather than growing at the same rate throughout the cell cycle. ... > full story
Modern humans mature more slowly than Neanderthals did, analysis of teeth suggests (November 15, 2010) -- A sophisticated new examination of teeth from 11 Neanderthal and early human fossils shows that modern humans are slower than our ancestors to reach full maturity. The finding suggests that our characteristically slow development and long childhood are recent and unique to our own species, and may have given early humans an evolutionary advantage over Neanderthals. ... > full story
Stomach hormone can fuel or suppress rats’ sugar cravings: Chemical associated with appetite also activates the brain’s pleasure center (November 15, 2010) -- Researchers have found that rats either seek out sweets or lose interest, depending on the action of a stomach hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin is one of many chemicals in the body that tell the brain when to trigger hunger or fullness. ... > full story
New large squid found in southern Indian Ocean (November 15, 2010) -- A new species of squid has been discovered by scientists analyzing 7,000 samples gathered during a seamounts cruise in the southern Indian Ocean last year. ... > full story
Oxytocin and social contact reduce anxiety: Hormone may be less effective at relieving stress for isolated animals (November 15, 2010) -- Oxytocin reduces anxiety in stressed animals, according to new research, but only if they recover in the presence of a friend. ... > full story
Prehistoric winged reptiles 'pole-vaulted' into flight (November 15, 2010) -- Controversial claims that enormous prehistoric winged beasts could not fly have been refuted by the most comprehensive study to date which asserts that giant pterosaurs were skilled in flight. The study contradicts recent assertions that the creatures were flightless and explains how they took to the air. ... > full story
New DNA sequencing reveals hidden communities (November 15, 2010) -- A mug full of sand from an unassuming beach in Scotland has revealed a far richer and more complex web of microscopic creatures living within the tiny 'ecosystem' than have previously been identified. A new study shows how this was achieved using a new method that allows DNA sequencing for large samples of meiofaunal (small animals living in marine sediments). ... > full story
Bat brains offer clues as to how we focus on some sounds and not others (November 15, 2010) -- How do you know what to listen to? In the middle of a noisy party, how does a mother suddenly focus on a child's cry, even if it isn't her own? One researcher is turning to mustached bats to help her solve this puzzle. ... > full story
A new read on DNA sequencing (November 15, 2010) -- A new technique for reading the DNA code relies on a fundamental property of matter known as quantum tunneling, which operates at the subatomic scale. Single bases inside a DNA chain can indeed be read with tunneling, without interference from neighboring bases, pointing the way to low cost, rapid DNA sequencing, according to new research. ... > full story
Less salt in teenagers' diet may improve heart health in adulthood (November 15, 2010) -- Small decreases in salt consumption among teens could reduce high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke in adulthood. Processed foods and fast foods, pose high salt hazards to families and teens. Researchers say food manufacturers should continue to reduce salt levels in their products. ... > full story
Embryonic stem cell culturing grows from art to science (November 15, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a fully defined culture system that promises a more uniform and, for cells destined for therapy, safer product. ... > full story
How diving leatherback turtles regulate buoyancy (November 15, 2010) -- Virtually nothing has been known about leatherback turtle diving strategies, but now scientists have discovered that leatherbacks regulate their buoyancy by varying the amount of air they inhale before they dive. Fitting nesting leatherbacks with triaxial accelerometers, temperature and pressure gauges, the team was able to make the first detailed recordings of leatherback turtle diving behavior. ... > full story
Satellites provide up-to-date information on snow cover (November 15, 2010) -- The European Space Agency's GlobSnow project, led by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, uses satellites to produce up-to-date information on global snow cover. The new database gives fresh information on the snow situation right after a snowfall. Gathering this kind of information was not previously possible when only land-based observations were available. ... > full story
Extensive natural recovery after spinal cord injury uncovered in primate study (November 15, 2010) -- A new study shows unexpected and extensive natural recovery after spinal cord injury in primates. The findings may one day lead to the development of new treatments for patients with spinal cord injuries. ... > full story
Rare cold water coral ecosystem discovered off coast of Mauritania (November 15, 2010) -- A rare cold water coral reef with living animals has been discovered off the coast of Mauritania. In the middle of the enormous rock formation of the undersea canyon area, scientists also stumbled across the giant deep sea oyster, a Methuselah among sea creatures. ... > full story
Researchers develop light technology to combat hospital infections (November 15, 2010) -- A pioneering lighting system that can kill hospital superbugs -- including MRSA and C. difficile -- has been developed by researchers in Scotland. The technology decontaminates the air and exposed surfaces by bathing them in a narrow spectrum of visible-light wavelengths, known as HINS-light. ... > full story
Invasive species pose major threat to fish in Mediterranean basin, large-scale study finds (November 15, 2010) -- An international team has carried out the first large-scale study of the threats facing freshwater fish in the Mediterranean basin. Invasive species, along with over-exploitation of water resources, are the most important pressures, and those that expose fish to the greatest risk of extinction. ... > full story
Proteins in motion: World’s largest video database of proteins for the pharmaceutical industry published (November 15, 2010) -- After four years of conducting intensive supercomputer calculations, scientists in Spain have presented the world’s largest database of protein motions. Called MoDEL, this new database holds more than 1,700 proteins and is partially accessible through the Internet to researchers worldwide. MoDEL has been developed to study the basic biology of proteins and to accelerate and facilitate the design of new pharmaceutical agents. ... > full story
Synchrotron reveals human children outpaced Neanderthals by slowing down (November 15, 2010) -- Human childhood is considerably longer than chimpanzees, our closest-living ape relatives. A multinational team of specialists, applied cutting-edge synchrotron X-ray imaging to resolve microscopic growth in 10 young Neanderthal and Homo sapiens fossils. ... > full story
Redeeming role for a common virus: Ability to kill cancer (November 14, 2010) -- A common virus that can cause coughing and mild diarrhea appears to have a major redemptive quality: the ability to kill cancer. Harnessing that power, researchers are conducting a clinical trial to see if the virus can target and kill certain tumor types. ... > full story
Seeing meat makes people significantly less aggressive (November 14, 2010) -- Seeing meat appears to make human beings significantly less aggressive, contrary to what researchers expected. ... > full story
Genomes of lyme disease bacteria sequenced (November 14, 2010) -- Scientists have determined the complete genetic blueprints for 13 different strains of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The achievement should lead to a better understanding of how genetic variations among strains may result in different courses of illness in people with Lyme disease, the most common tickborne disease in North America. The wealth of new genetic data will also help scientists develop improved ways to diagnose, treat and prevent Lyme disease. ... > full story
Mathematical equation calculates cost of walking for first time (November 14, 2010) -- Why do tall people burn less energy per kilogram when walking than shorter ones do, and how much energy does walking require? These are basic questions that doctors, trainers, fitness buffs and weight-watchers would all like to have answered, and now researchers from Texas have derived a fundamental equation to calculate how much energy walkers use, based simply on height and weight, which has direct applications across all walks of life. ... > full story
Catastrophic drought looms for capital city of Bolivia (November 14, 2010) -- Catastrophic drought is on the near-term horizon for the capital city of Bolivia, according to new research into the historical ecology of the Andes. If temperatures rise more than 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius (3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit) above those of modern times, parts of Peru and Bolivia will become a desert-like setting. ... > full story
Natural selection on not-so-natural plants (November 14, 2010) -- New research shows that while a genetically modified squash plant may be resistant to common virus transmitted by aphids, it's no match for bacteria transmitted by beetles. ... > full story
New explanation for the origin of high species diversity in Amazon (November 14, 2010) -- An international team of scientists has reset the agenda for future research in the highly diverse Amazon region by showing that the extraordinary diversity found there is much older than generally thought. ... > full story
Discovery could reveal secrets of ancient Martian and terrestrial atmospheres (November 13, 2010) -- Chemists have uncovered a new chemical reaction on tiny particulates in the atmosphere that could allow scientists to gain a glimpse from ancient rocks of what the atmospheres of the Earth and Mars were like hundreds of millions years ago. ... > full story
Researchers unlock a secret of bacteria's immune system (November 13, 2010) -- Researchers have unlocked a secret of bacteria's immune system. The discovery may eventually make it possible to prevent certain bacteria from developing resistance to antibiotics. The scientists showed that this mechanism, called CRISPR/Cas, works by selecting foreign DNA segments and inserting them into very specific locations in a bacterium's genome. ... > full story
New ocean acidification study shows added danger to already struggling coral reefs (November 13, 2010) -- Over the next century recruitment of new corals could drop by 73 percent, as rising carbon dioxide levels turn the oceans more acidic. New research findings reveal a new danger to the already threatened Caribbean and Florida reef Elkhorn corals. ... > full story
Keeping the daily clock ticking in a fluctuating environment: Hints from a green alga (November 13, 2010) -- Researchers have uncovered a mechanism which explains how biological clocks accurately synchronize to the day/night cycle despite large fluctuations in light intensity during the day and from day to day. ... > full story
Oceanography researchers discover toxic algae in open water (November 13, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered toxic algae in vast, remote regions of the open ocean for the first time. Harmful algal blooms are reported as increasing both geographically and in frequency along populated coastlines. This latest research shows that the ubiquitous diatom Pseudo-nitzschia -- an alga that produces the neurotoxin, domoic acid, or DA, in coastal regions -- actually also produces DA at many locations in the open Pacific. ... > full story
Decisions made by communities of bacteria trump game theory (November 13, 2010) -- A scientist has outlined how decisions made by communities of bacteria trump game theory. "When human beings make a decision," he says, "they think they're being rational." Bacteria, he explains, are both simpler and more sophisticated -- they can more effectively control the superfluous noise around decision making and make group decisions that contribute to the well-being of the entire bacterial colony. ... > full story
Selected hens give new genetic insights (November 13, 2010) -- Studies of heavy, fast-growing hens and small, slow-growing hens provide important new knowledge on the origin of the genetic variation that has enabled them to adapt rapidly to new extreme environments. ... > full story
Overcoming the 'tragedy of the commons': Conditonal cooperation helps in forest preservation (November 13, 2010) -- According to the standard prediction large-scale cooperation in the management of commons is impossible, mainly because of free-riders. Yet, extensive field evidence indicates that many communities are able to manage their commons. Now an analysis of a major forest commons management program in Ethiopia provides first-time evidence that conditional cooperation which has been identified in many laboratory experiments before plays a key role. ... > full story
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
New vaccine hope in fight against pneumonia and meningitis (November 12, 2010) -- A dramatic advance in understanding of how the body fights bacteria paves the way for more effective vaccines. ... > full story
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