ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Friday, October 24, 2008
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Naturally Produced 'Rotten Egg' Gas Helps Control Blood Pressure In Body, Researchers Find (October 24, 2008) -- Anyone with a nose knows the rotten-egg odor of hydrogen sulfide, a gas generated by bacteria living in the human colon. Now scientists have discovered that cells inside the blood vessels of mice -- as well as in people, no doubt -- naturally make the gassy stuff, and that it controls blood pressure. Researchers have discover that hydrogen sulfide is a major regulator of blood pressure. ... > full story
When Under Attack, Plants Can Signal Microbial Friends For Help (October 24, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered that when the leaf of a plant is under attack by a pathogen, it can send out an S.O.S. to the roots for help, and the roots will respond by secreting an acid that brings beneficial bacteria to the rescue. ... > full story
Extinction Risks High For Social Species Such As The African Wild Dog (October 24, 2008) -- Because African wild dogs face bigger competitors like lions, whose larger stomachs handle large irregular meals, the African wild dog evolved a runner's metabolism (lithe, smaller stomachs) and formed large packs. In packs they reduce costs and ensure a regular supply of food. But in packs less than five, they end up in poverty traps, less well fed, less able to have pups, and spiral downward. This study reveals an extinction risk for social species. ... > full story
Getting To Grips With The Complexity Of Disease Proteins (October 24, 2008) -- New research into how proteins in human cells interact and 'talk' to each other is leading to a better understanding of how drug molecules work and should result in more effective therapies, according to scientist. ... > full story
Fisheries Management And Environmental Conditions: Win-win For Baltic Cod (October 24, 2008) -- Politics have played a critical role in the increase of the cod stock in the Baltic Sea, but environmental conditions are equally important. Only the synergies from these two factors have resulted in a stock increase that exceeds the sums of both factors. The study is highly relevant for the management decision on Baltic cod, which will be taken by the Council of Ministers on October 27th 2008. ... > full story
Building A Better Bee (October 23, 2008) -- A researcher known for her honey bee line "New World Carniolans" has crossed her bees with their Old World counterparts to enhance their positive characteristics. ... > full story
World's Most Advanced Microscope Unveiled (October 23, 2008) -- The most advanced and powerful electron microscope on the planet -- capable of unprecedented resolution -- has been installed in the new Canadian Center for Electron Microscopy at McMaster University. It is so powerful it can probe the spaces between atoms. ... > full story
Rare Corals Breed Their Way Out Of Trouble (October 23, 2008) -- Rare corals may be smarter than we thought. Faced with a dire shortage of mates of their own kind, new research suggests they may be able to cross-breed with certain other coral species to breed themselves out of a one-way trip to extinction. This finding has raised hopes for the ability of the world's corals to withstand the rigors of changing climates and human impacts. ... > full story
Nanomaterials May Have Large Environmental Footprint (October 23, 2008) -- Environmental gains derived from the use of nanomaterials may be offset in part by the process used to manufacture them, according to research published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology. ... > full story
Florida's 'Worm Grunters' Collect Bait Worms By Inadvertently Imitating Mole Sounds (October 23, 2008) -- Vanderbilt biologist Ken Catania has discovered the secret of "worm grunting" -- the Florida practice of driving a wooden stake into the ground and rubbing it with a long piece of steel to produce a grunting sounds that drives nearby earthworms to the surface where they can be collected for bait. The worm grunters are unknowingly mimicking the sounds that the worm's arch-enemy the mole causes while burrowing. ... > full story
Sugar Plays Key Role In How Cells Work (October 23, 2008) -- Scientists were dubious in the early 1980s when they stumbled on small sugar molecules lurking in the centers of cells; not only were they not supposed to be there, but they certainly weren't supposed to be repeatedly attaching to and detaching from proteins, effectively switching them on and off. ... > full story
Impacts Of Climate Change On Lakes (October 23, 2008) -- Climate change will have different effects on lakes in warmer and colder regions of the globe. This is the conclusion reached by Japanese and German researchers following studies of very deep caldera lakes in Japan. ... > full story
'Magnetic Death Star' Fossils: Earlier Global Warming Produced A Whole New Form Of Life (October 23, 2008) -- An international team of scientists has discovered microscopic, magnetic fossils resembling spears and spindles, unlike anything previously seen, among sediment layers deposited during an ancient global-warming event along the Atlantic coastal plain of the United States. ... > full story
Seemingly Suicidal Stunt Is Normal Rite Of Passage For Immune Cells (October 23, 2008) -- Researchers have shown that self-induced breaks in the DNA of immune cells known as lymphocytes activate genes that cause the cells to travel from where they're made to where they help the body fight invaders. The new finding is the first to link such serious DNA damage to activation of genes not directly involved in the cells' attempts to either fix the harm or self-destruct to stop themselves from becoming cancerous. ... > full story
Which Grass Is Greener? Study To Select Northeast Grasses That Can Power The Bioenergy Era (October 23, 2008) -- Talk about a field of dreams. Cornell bioenergy plant experts are learning which field grasses are the best candidates for "dedicated energy" crops in the Northeast, considering the region's climate and soil conditions. ... > full story
LCDs Improved With 3-D Nanoimaging Process (October 23, 2008) -- Professors of physics and macromolecular science have developed a method of 3-D optical imaging of anisotropic fluids such liquid crystals, with volumetric resolution one thousand times smaller than existing techniques. ... > full story
Cross-protective Vaccine May Treat Broad Spectrum Of Bacterial Diseases (October 23, 2008) -- Doctors have always hoped that scientists might one day create a vaccination that would treat a broad spectrum of maladies. They could only imagine that there might be one vaccine that would protect against, say, 2,500 strains of Salmonella. And what if that same vaccine could help protect the elderly? ... > full story
Chronic Inflammation Can Help Nurture Skin Cancer, Study Shows (October 23, 2008) -- Inflammation, a frontline defense against infection or disease, can help nurture skin cancer, researchers have found. IDO, an enzyme that works like a firefighter to keep inflammation under control, can be commandeered to protect early malignant cells, say researchers studying an animal model of chronic inflammation and skin cancer. ... > full story
Ecosystem-level Consequences Of Frog Extinctions (October 23, 2008) -- Streams that once sang with the croaks, chirps and ribbits of dozens of frog species have gone silent. They're victims of a fungus that's decimating amphibian populations worldwide. Such catastrophic declines have been documented for more than a decade, but until recently scientists knew little about how the loss of frogs alters the larger ecosystem. A new study has found that tadpoles play a key role keeping the algae at the base of the food chain productive. ... > full story
New TB Test Reveals Patients At Risk, Says Study (October 23, 2008) -- A recently introduced blood test can reveal which patients may develop active tuberculosis much more precisely than the 100-year old TB skin test, according to a new study published today in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Around a third of the world's population is infected with the TB bacteria and approximately 9 million new cases of active TB are diagnosed around the world each year, according to World Health Organization estimates. The majority of those infected live in the developing world. ... > full story
Scientists Go Cloud-hopping In The Pacific To Improve Climate Predictions (October 23, 2008) -- A 20-strong -team of cloud and climate experts from the UK’s National Centre for Atmospheric Science are setting off for Chile to investigate how massive swathes of clouds that hang over the Pacific are affecting climate and weather all round the world. This new project aims to reduce some of the largest errors currently in our climate models and thus greatly improve predictions of future climate change. ... > full story
Archaeologists Find Unique, Early US Relic Of African Worship (October 23, 2008) -- Archaeologists have dug up what they believe to be one of the earliest US examples of African spirit practices. The researchers say it's the only object of its kind ever found by archaeologists in North America -- a clay "bundle" filled with small pieces of common metal, placed in what had been an Annapolis street gutter three centuries ago. ... > full story
Cracking The Case Of Recycled Gadgets (October 23, 2008) -- Recycling devices built with plastic cases and other components, such as mobile phones, mp3 players, and personal digital assistants, is difficult and requires repetitive manual labor. However, a new approach to creating the fastenings and tabs for such devices based on the shape-memory effect in plastics could mean that disassembling such devices at end of life could be automated. ... > full story
Plant-eating Predator To Fight Superweed Is Not Magic Bullet, According To Japanese Knotweed Expert (October 22, 2008) -- Plans to introduce plant-eating predators to fight a superweed spreading throughout Britain should not be seen as a 'magic bullet', says a world expert on Japanese knotweed. ... > full story
Ancient Bone Tool Sheds Light On Prehistoric Midwest (October 22, 2008) -- A prehistoric bone tool just discovered by archeologists is the oldest such artifact ever documented in Indiana, researchers say. ... > full story
Turtle Doves Commit Adultery (October 22, 2008) -- A biologist has shown that bastard doves can fend for themselves. Despite having a strange coo, hybrid offspring are still able to defend their territory. This is necessary for further reproduction. ... > full story
Study Of Polar Dinosaur Migration Questions Whether Dinosaurs Were Truly The First Great Migrators (October 22, 2008) -- A recently released study of northern and southern polar dinosaur migration indicates that some species may have migrated nearly 3,000 km in a six month period- far short of the distance needed to reach warmer climes. What's more, the study also revealed that other species would have been forced to endure polar winters and exhibited characteristics similar to today's nonmigratory animals when dealing with hibernating, foraging and even burrowing. ... > full story
Evolution Of Genes That Trigger The Body's Immune Response To Viral Infection (October 22, 2008) -- Researchers have traced the evolutionary origin of two genes that serve as primary cellular sensors of infection with RNA viruses, such as influenza, polio virus, West Nile virus, and HIV, which may ultimately provide researchers with insight into a possible new pathway for the development of innate immunity. ... > full story
Fertilizers: A Growing Threat To Sea Life (October 22, 2008) -- A rise in carbon emissions is not the only threat to the planet. Changes to the nitrogen cycle, caused in large part by the widespread use of fertilizers, are also damaging both water quality and aquatic life. These concerns are highlighted in a historical review of landscape changes around Chesapeake Bay. ... > full story
Contact Lenses Are Home To Pathogenic Amoebae (October 22, 2008) -- Contact lenses increase the risk of infection with pathogenic protozoa that can cause blindness. New research shows that a high percentage of contact lens cases in Tenerife are contaminated with Acanthamoeba that cannot be killed by normal contact lens solution. ... > full story
Egg Whites Solve The 3-D Problem (October 22, 2008) -- The real world is three-dimensional. That's true even in the laboratory, where scientists have to grow cells to study how they develop and what happens when their growth is abnormal. More and more laboratories are seeking to develop three-dimensional cell culture systems that allow them to test their new techniques and drugs in a system that more closely mimics the way in which cells grow. However, a big sticking point is the cost of commercial media for growing such cultures. ... > full story
Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus Reveals Its Access Code (October 22, 2008) -- Biologists have identified an amino acid switch that flaviviruses flip to gain access to cells. Flaviviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), yellow fever, and dengue are dangerous human pathogens. ... > full story
Amphibian Diversity Decreases Chances Of Parasitic Disease, Study Shows (October 22, 2008) -- A new study showing that American toads who pal around with gray tree frogs reduce their chances of parasitic infections known to cause limb malformations has strong implications for the benefits of biodiversity on emerging wildlife diseases. ... > full story
Fitness In A Changing World: Genetics And Adaptations Of Alaskan Stickleback Fish (October 22, 2008) -- The stickleback fish, Gasterosteus aculeatus, is one of the most thoroughly studied organisms in the wild, and has been a particularly useful model for understanding variation in physiology, behavior, life history and morphology caused by different ecological situations in the wild. ... > full story
Out Of Mesopotamia: Evolutionary History Of Tuberculosis (October 22, 2008) -- The evolutionary timing and spread of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), one of the most successful groups of bacterial pathogens, remains largely unknown. Using mycobacterial tandem repeat sequences as genetic markers, scientists show that the MTBC consists of two independent clades, one composed exclusively of M. tuberculosis lineages from humans and the other composed of both animal and human isolates. ... > full story
Pandemic Flu Models Help Determine Food Distribution And School Closing Strategies (October 22, 2008) -- Pandemic flu models can help organizations improve their food distribution and school closing strategies in the event of such an emergency. The models are flexible so that multiple scenarios can be investigated to see which options meet an organization's specific goal. ... > full story
New Hope For The Red Squirrel (October 22, 2008) -- Study says free-living red squirrels are mounting an immune response to the squirrelpox viral disease. ... > full story
Squeezing More Synthetic Fuel From Abundant Supplies Of Coal (October 21, 2008) -- Scientists in Italy are reporting that a new process could eliminate key obstacles to expanded use of coal gasification to transform that abundant domestic energy resource into synthetic liquid fuels for cars and trucks. ... > full story
Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Governor's Palace In Turkey (October 21, 2008) -- Archaeologists have unearthed parts of a Neo-Assyrian governor's palace dating back to the 9th to 7th century BCE in an excavation program amongst the ruins on Ziyaret Tepe. The discoveries were extraordinary. The site in the south-east of Turkey (Diyarbakir province) is at risk from the construction of the Ilisu Dam. ... > full story
Cleaning Up Iraqi Nuclear Facilities, Radioactive Waste (October 21, 2008) -- Sandia scientists are helping train Iraqi scientists and technicians to clean up radioactively contaminated sites and safely dispose of the radioactive wastes as part of the Iraqi Nuclear Facility Dismantlement and Disposal Program. ... > full story
Pesticide Concentrations Decreasing (October 21, 2008) -- The use of pesticides in the United States has been widespread for decades, and a new study shows the effects they have had as a contaminant in the nation's groundwater. The researchers took samples from over 300 wells and examined different contaminants that have been used over the years, with encouraging results as to the levels of concentration that the samples have measured. ... > full story
Man's Best Friend Recruited In Hunt For Disease Genes (October 21, 2008) -- For centuries man has had a uniquely close relationship with dogs -- as a working animal, for security and, perhaps most importantly, for companionship. Now, dogs are taking on a new role -- they are helping in the hunt for genetic mutations that lead to diseases in humans. ... > full story
Alternative Fuels May Drain Dwindling Water Supplies (October 21, 2008) -- As the search for new fuels intensifies, researchers in Texas report that switching to certain alternative fuels to power cars, trucks, and SUVs may require the use of much more water than conventional petroleum-based gasoline and diesel. The findings suggest that producing alternative fuels could strain already limited water supplies in some regions of the country. ... > full story
Diatom Genome Helps Explain Success In Trapping Excess Carbon In Oceans (October 21, 2008) -- Diatoms have profound influence on climate, producing 20 percent of the oxygen we breathe by capturing atmospheric carbon and countering the greenhouse effect. These photosynthetic wonders have come to acquire advantageous genes from bacterial, animal and plant ancestors enabling them to thrive in today's oceans. ... > full story
Producing New U.S. Energy Crops By The Barrel (October 21, 2008) -- Scientists have produced oils of camelina, canola, Cuphea, lesquerella, milkweed and pennycress by the barrelful in a commercial-scale pilot plant. ... > full story
Earth In Midst Of Sixth Mass Extinction: 50% Of All Species Disappearing (October 21, 2008) -- The Earth is in the midst of the sixth mass extinction of both plants and animals, with nearly 50 percent of all species disappearing, scientists say. Which plants should be a top priority to conserve? Researchers say the most genetically unique species are the ones that have the greatest importance in an ecosystem. ... > full story
Ripening Bananas Glow An Intense Blue Under Black Light (October 21, 2008) -- Under UV light, ripening bananas appear in a bright blue color, which is is connected to the degradation of chlorophyll. ... > full story
New Study Claims Acne Is Not Associated With Yet-Uncultured Bacteria (October 21, 2008) -- In a new study researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark found bacteria in the follicles of acne patients and healthy individuals to be those of previously known species, disputing the theory that acne is caused by some yet-to-be-identified bacteria. ... > full story
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