ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Thursday, September 23, 2010
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Genomic 'haircut' makes world's tiniest genome even smaller (September 23, 2010) -- The world's tiniest nuclear genome appears to have "snipped off the ends" of its chromosomes and evolved into a lean, mean, genome machine that infects human cells, according to new research. ... > full story
Searching in the microbial world for efficient ways to produce biofuel (September 23, 2010) -- With the help of genetic materials from a cow's rumen, scientists are developing new ways to break down plant fibers for conversion into biofuel. ... > full story
Ecologists find new clues on climate change in 150-year-old pressed plants (September 23, 2010) -- Plants picked up to 150 years ago by Victorian collectors and held by the million in herbarium collections across the world could become a powerful -- and much needed -- new source of data for studying climate change, according to new research. ... > full story
New computer-tomography method visualizes nano-structure of bones (September 23, 2010) -- A novel nano-tomography method opens the door to computed tomography examinations of minute structures at nanometer resolutions. Three-dimensional detailed imaging of fragile bone structures becomes possible. ... > full story
China tops world in catch and consumption of fish (September 23, 2010) -- China leads the world in tonnage of fish caught annually as well as the amount of fish consumed, according to new findings. The research ranks the top 20 nations that have the greatest impact on ocean ecosystems through catching or consuming marine wildlife. ... > full story
New drug could help stop the spread of disease from coughs, researchers believe (September 22, 2010) -- What if there was a drug that could completely eliminate airborne disease transmission that occurs when someone coughs? Researchers in Canada believe they have found a way to achieve this. ... > full story
Structure of dangerous bacteria's powerful multidrug resistance pump revealed (September 22, 2010) -- Scientists have detailed the structure of a member of the only remaining class of multidrug resistance transporters left to be described. The work has implications for combating dangerous antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, as well as for developing hardy strains of agricultural crops. ... > full story
Experiments decipher key piece of the ‘histone code’ in cell division (September 22, 2010) -- Reproduce or perish. That's the bottom line for genes. Because nothing lives forever, reproduction is how life sustains itself, and it happens most fundamentally in the division and replication of the cell, known as mitosis. Now new research has detailed a key role in mitosis for a chemical modification to histone proteins that package lengthy strings of DNA into compact chromosomes. The experiments, recently published in Science, add to an increasingly intricate picture of the precisely timed events that separate new copies of chromosomes to opposite ends of a cell just before the cell divides, one of the most fundamental processes involved in the reproduction of life. ... > full story
Higher dairy calcium intake and increased serum vitamin D are related to greater diet-induced weight loss, Israeli study finds (September 22, 2010) -- A new study conducted by researchers in Israel reveals that higher dairy calcium intake and increased serum vitamin D are related to greater diet-induced weight loss. ... > full story
Working from home and online shopping can increase carbon emissions, UK report claims (September 22, 2010) -- Shopping on the Internet or working from home could be increasing carbon emissions rather than helping to reduce them, a new report claims. The research reveals that people who shop online must order more than 25 items otherwise the impact on the environment is likely to be worse than traditional shopping. ... > full story
Researchers crack cuckoo egg mystery (September 22, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that cuckoo eggs are internally incubated by the female bird for up to 24 hours before birth, solving for the first time the mystery as to how a cuckoo chick is able to hatch in advance of a host's eggs and brutally evict them. ... > full story
Seagulls harbor antibiotic resistant bacteria (September 22, 2010) -- Analysis of seagull droppings has revealed that one in ten carry "superbug" bacteria, resistant to the last-resort antibiotic Vancomycin. Researchers investigated 57 migratory seagull samples recovered from an island off the coast of Portugal. ... > full story
Man’s best friend keeps children on the move (September 22, 2010) -- Children whose families own dogs are more active than those without, according to new research. ... > full story
Amazing horned dinosaurs unearthed on 'lost continent'; New discoveries include bizarre beast with 15 horns (September 22, 2010) -- Discovery of two new horned dinosaurs in southern Utah are part of an entirely new assemblage of dinosaurs found in the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument, and which confirm that dinosaurs living in the area called Laramidia were divided into at least northern and southern provinces. ... > full story
Cocaine and ecstasy detected in waters of the L'Albufera in Valencia, Spain (September 22, 2010) -- The water in the canals and irrigation channels in the L'Albufera Natural Park in Valencia contain cocaine, ecstasy and a further six drugs. Researchers have issued a warning about the continued presence of these substances on wildlife and human health. ... > full story
Stroke gene discovered (September 22, 2010) -- Medical researchers have discovered that an enzyme is responsible for the death of nerve cells after a stroke. The enzyme NOX4 produces hydrogen peroxide, a caustic molecule also used in bleaching agents. Inhibition of NOX4 by an experimental new drug in mice with stroke dramatically reduces brain damage and preserves brain functions, even when given hours after the stroke. ... > full story
Superconception: European brown hares, while pregnant with one litter, can start a new pregnancy (September 22, 2010) -- European brown hares can develop a second pregnancy whilst the previous litter is not delivered. This superconception increases their reproductive success. ... > full story
Neanderthals more advanced than previously thought: They innovated, adapted like modern humans, research shows (September 22, 2010) -- For decades scientists believed Neanderthals developed "modern" tools and ornaments solely through contact with Homo sapiens, but new research now shows these sturdy ancients could adapt, innovate and evolve technology on their own. ... > full story
First explanation of how cells rapidly repair and maintain structure (September 22, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that a protein, zyxin, is necessary for the maintenance and repair of the cell's cytoskeleton, or internal framework, which serves as the muscle and bone of the cell. ... > full story
New fluorescence technique opens window to protein complexes in living cells (September 22, 2010) -- Fluorescent microscopy makes use of molecules, such as green fluorescent protein, or GFP, that emit colored light when illuminated with light of a specific wavelength. Molecules like GFP can be used to label proteins of interest and can reveal information about the relationships of molecules within cells. Fluorescence polarization, also known as anisotropy, is specific parameter of fluorescence that can provide additional information about the properties of individual molecules. ... > full story
Child rearing practices of distant ancestors foster morality, compassion in kids (September 22, 2010) -- Three new studies show a relationship between child rearing practices common in foraging hunter-gathering societies (how we humans have spent about 99 percent of our history) and better mental health, greater empathy and conscience development, and higher intelligence in children. ... > full story
Learning to live on land: How some early plants overcame an evolutionary hurdle (September 22, 2010) -- Diversity of life would be impossible if the ancestors of modern plants had stayed in the water with their green algal cousins. Moving onto dry land required major changes to adapt to this new "hostile" environment, and helped change global climate and atmospheric conditions. By absorbing carbon while making food, and releasing oxygen, early plants shaped ecosystems into a more hospitable environment. New research suggests reasons for incorporating evolutionary/paleontological information into global carbon cycling models. ... > full story
First observation of the folding of a nucleic acid (September 22, 2010) -- Scientists have been able to describe for the first time the folding process of a small DNA hairpin in water and with atomic resolution. ... > full story
Your body recycling itself -- captured on film (September 21, 2010) -- Proteins are made up of a chain of amino acids, and scientists have known since the 1980s that first one in the chain determines the lifetime of a protein. Researchers have finally discovered how the cell identifies this first amino acid -- and caught it on camera. ... > full story
Art of dividing: Researchers decode function and protein content of the centrosome (September 21, 2010) -- A basic requirement for growth and life of a multicellular organism is the ability of its cells to divide. Chromosomes in the cells duplicate and are then distributed among the daughter cells. This distribution is organized by a protein complex made up of several hundred different proteins, called the centrosome. In cancer cells, the centrosome often assumes an unnatural shape or is present in uncontrolled numbers. The reasons for this were previously largely unknown. Scientists in Germany have now investigated the functions of the different centrosomal components and report their findings. ... > full story
Risk of beetle outbreaks rise, along with temperature, in the warming West (September 21, 2010) -- The potential for outbreaks of spruce and mountain pine beetles in western North America's forests is likely to increase significantly in the coming decades, according to a study conducted by USDA Forest Service researchers and their colleagues. Their findings represent the first comprehensive synthesis of the effects of climate change on bark beetles. ... > full story
Parting the waters: Computer modeling applies physics to Red Sea escape route (September 21, 2010) -- New research shows the extent to which such sustained winds can dramatically lower water levels. The research suggests that such a "wind setdown" event could have led to a parting of waters similar to the description in the biblical account of the Red Sea. ... > full story
Higher than predicted human exposure to the toxic chemical bisphenol A or BPA, new study indicates (September 21, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that women, female monkeys and female mice have major similarities when it comes to how bisphenol A is metabolized, and they have renewed their call for governmental regulation when it comes to the estrogen-like chemical found in many everyday products. ... > full story
Muscle gene may provide new treatments for obesity and diabetes (September 21, 2010) -- Skeletal muscle enables us to walk, run or play a musical instrument, but it also plays a crucial role in controlling disease. Scientists have now shown how a specific molecule in skeletal muscle regulates energy expenditure, a finding that may lead to new treatments for certain muscle diseases as well as diabetes, obesity and heart disease. ... > full story
Marine scientists unveil mysteries of life on undersea mountains (September 21, 2010) -- They challenge the mountain ranges of the Alps, the Andes and the Himalayas in size yet surprisingly little is known about seamounts, the vast mountains hidden under the world's oceans. Now in a special issue of Marine Ecology, scientists uncover the mystery of life on these submerged mountain ranges and reveal why these under studied ecosystems are under threat. ... > full story
Geckos inspire new method to print electronics on complex surfaces (September 21, 2010) -- Geckos are masters at sticking to surfaces of all kinds and easily unsticking themselves. Inspired by these lizards, a team of engineers has developed a reversible adhesion method for printing electronics on a variety of tricky surfaces such as clothes, plastic and leather. The stamp can easily pick up electronic devices from a silicon surface and print them on a curved surface. ... > full story
Pollution takes its toll on the heart (September 21, 2010) -- The fine particles of pollution that hang in the air can increase the risk for sudden cardiac arrest, according to a new study. ... > full story
Female fish abandoned by males to raise offspring on their own (September 21, 2010) -- Caring for children can be a tough job, particularly if you are a female cichlid fish, with research showing that male cichlid fish have a propensity to desert their mates, leaving them to then look after the young as single parents. ... > full story
Yeast holds clues to Parkinson's disease (September 21, 2010) -- Yeast could be a powerful ally in the discovery of new therapeutic drugs to treat Parkinson's disease. Researchers in Portugal are slowly uncovering the molecular basis of Parkinson's disease by studying the associated human protein in yeast cells. ... > full story
Stress accelerates breast cancer progression in mice, researchers find (September 21, 2010) -- Chronic stress acts as a sort of fertilizer that feeds breast cancer progression, significantly accelerating the spread of disease in animal models, researchers have found. ... > full story
Image sensors for extreme temperatures (September 21, 2010) -- Image sensors which are used as electronic parking aids in cars or for quality control in production systems have to be able to withstand the often very high temperatures that prevail in these environments. Research scientists have produced a CMOS chip which functions even at a temperature of 115 degrees Celsius. ... > full story
Windborne desert dust falls on high peaks, dampens Colorado River runoff (September 21, 2010) -- When the winds are right and the desert is dry, dust blows eastward from the semi-arid regions of the US Southwest. In a dust-up, Western style, small dark particles of the dust fall on the mountains' white snowfields, ultimately affecting the entire Colorado River watershed. ... > full story
Commercial-scale test of new technology to recover coal from sludge successful (September 21, 2010) -- A new technology for removing water from ultrafine coal slurry has been successfully tested at the commercial scale at an operating coal cleaning plant. The technology offers the possibility of reducing the coal slurry impoundment problem from the source. ... > full story
Earth's highest coastal mountain on the move (September 20, 2010) -- The rocks of Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta -- the highest coastal mountain on Earth -- tell a fascinating tale: the mountain collides and then separates from former super-continents. Volcanoes are born and die. The mountain travels from Peru to northern Colombia and finally rotates in a clockwise direction to open up an entirely new geological basin. ... > full story
Biofuel from inedible plant material easier to produce following enzyme discovery (September 20, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered key plant enzymes that normally make the energy stored in wood, straw, and other non-edible parts of plants difficult to extract. The findings can be used to improve the viability of sustainable biofuels that do not adversely affect the food chain. ... > full story
Possible 'persistence' switch for tuberculosis found: Computer model finds probable genetic mechanism for TB dormancy (September 20, 2010) -- A model for the genetic "persistence" switch that toggles tuberculosis bacteria into a dormant state that resists antibiotics and immune system responses is described in a new study. An analysis of stress-response genes in the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis has allowed bioengineers to zero in on a gene network that appears to help the bacteria ward off attacks. ... > full story
Fences could help clean up watercourses (September 20, 2010) -- Building good fences could make our water cleaner, and help us to meet European standards, according to new research. Scientists have created a computer model to investigate the problem of faecal pollution in UK rivers. They found that simple farm-scale solutions are likely to be most effective at reducing the numbers of potentially dangerous organisms entering watercourses – and could work out cheaper both for farmers and consumers. ... > full story
Magnetic attraction for fish, crabs? Study examines whether magnetic fields from aquatic power sources affect animals (September 20, 2010) -- Scientists are examining how aquatic animals behave around electromagnetic fields similar to those created by marine power devices. ... > full story
Apollo discovery tells a new story (September 20, 2010) -- A rare bronze signet ring with the impression of the face of the Greek sun god, Apollo, has been discovered at Tel Dor, in northern Israel. ... > full story
Childhood viral infection may be a cause of obesity (September 20, 2010) -- The emerging idea that obesity may have an infectious origin gets new support in a cross-sectional study researchers who found that children exposed to a particular strain of adenovirus were significantly more likely to be obese. ... > full story
Plague researchers race to beat bioterrorists (September 20, 2010) -- Given the many pressing concerns of the day, fear of plague probably isn't what causes most Americans to lose sleep. But for those whose responsibility it is to combat bioterrorism, plague is among the highest priorities. ... > full story
End of microplates? Novel electronic biosensing technology could facilitate new era of personalized medicine (September 20, 2010) -- The multi-welled microplate, long a standard tool in biomedical research and diagnostic laboratories, could become a thing of the past thanks to new electronic biosensing technology developed by a team of microelectronics engineers and biomedical scientists. ... > full story
Parasitic 'warrior worms' discovered in snails; Scientists see possible biomedical applications (September 20, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a caste of genetically identical "warrior worms" -- members of a parasitic fluke species that invades the California horn snail. ... > full story
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