ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Thursday, November 6, 2008
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Gene Against Bacterial Attack Unraveled (November 6, 2008) -- Researchers have unraveled a genetic defense mechanism against the lethal bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei. The research is the next step towards a vaccine against this bacterium suitable for bioweapons. ... > full story
West Nile's North American Spread Described (November 6, 2008) -- Most affected bird species have not yet recovered from the rapid spread of West Nile virus in North America after 1999, and the long-term ecological implications of the pathogen seem likely to be substantial. Annual outbreaks continue, and more research is needed to identify predictive factors that could lead to stepped-up countermeasures in vulnerable areas. ... > full story
DNA Chunks, Chimps And Humans: Marks Of Differences Between Human And Chimp Genomes (November 6, 2008) -- Researchers have carried out the largest study of differences between human and chimpanzee genomes, identifying regions that have been duplicated or lost during evolution of the two lineages. The study, the first to compare many human and chimpanzee genomes in the same fashion, shows that particular types of genes are more commonly involved in gain or loss. It also provides new evidence for a gene associated with susceptibility to infection by HIV. ... > full story
1,000 Tags Reveal Mysteries Of Giant Bluefin Tuna (November 6, 2008) -- A 1,250-pound giant bluefin tuna caught in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada had the honor of being released with the 1000th electronic tracking tag placed on this depleted species by the Tag-A-Giant campaign. ... > full story
Bare Bones Of Crystal Growth: Biomolecules Enhance Metal Contents In Calcite (November 6, 2008) -- A finding that a hydrophilic peptide significantly enhances the magnesium-content of calcite is especially meaningful for geologists because Mg-content in carbonates is used as a 'paleo thermometer'. The findings also offer new insights for materials synthesis. ... > full story
Extreme Weather Postpones Flowering Time Of Plants (November 5, 2008) -- Extreme weather events have a greater effect on flora than previously presumed. A one-month drought postpones the time of flowering of grassland and heathland plants in Central Europe by an average of 4 days. With this a so-called 100-year drought event equates to approximately a decade of global warming. ... > full story
Biosynthetics Production With Detours (November 5, 2008) -- Scientists have achieved an important advance in better understanding metabolic pathways in bacteria. Using computer models, they calculated the genetic changes that are necessary for increasing the production of biosynthetics in the Pseudomonas putida bacteria. ... > full story
Dried Mushrooms Slow Climate Warming In Northern Forests (November 5, 2008) -- The fight against climate warming has an unexpected ally in mushrooms growing in dry spruce forests covering Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and other northern regions, a study finds. These findings could influence global climate change predictions and policy. ... > full story
Seizures Following Parasitic Infection Associated With Brain Swelling (November 5, 2008) -- A new study provides strong evidence associating seizures with areas of brain tissue swelling in people infected by a parasitic tapeworm. The swellings, called perilesional edemas, form around dead, calcified cysts that result when larvae of Taenia solium tapeworms lodge in the brain. The illness caused by T. solium infection -- neurocysticercosis -- is the most common cause of adult-onset seizures and epilepsy in developing countries where the tapeworm is endemic. ... > full story
Measuring 'Inaudible' Sounds To Detect Illegal Nuclear Tests, And Analyze Atmosphere (November 5, 2008) -- By measuring 'inaudible' sounds, events like illegal nuclear tests can be detected. This 'infrasound' can also help us understand more about the upper atmosphere, according to new research. ... > full story
Skeleton Of 12,000-Year-Old Shaman Discovered Buried With Leopard, 50 Tortoises And Human Foot (November 5, 2008) -- The skeleton of a 12,000 year-old Natufian Shaman has been discovered in northern Israel by archaeologists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The burial is described as being accompanied by "exceptional" grave offerings -- including 50 complete tortoise shells, the pelvis of a leopard and a human foot. The shaman burial is thought to be one of the earliest known from the archaeological record and the only shaman grave in the whole region. ... > full story
Genes That Prevent Changes In Physical Traits Due To Environmental Changes Identified (November 5, 2008) -- Biologists have identified genes that prevent physical traits from being affected by environmental changes. The research, which studied the genetic makeup of baker's yeast, appears in the Public Library of Science's journal, PloS Biology. ... > full story
Could Life Have Started In Lump Of Ice? Very Cold Ice Films In Laboratory Reveal Mysteries Of Universe (November 5, 2008) -- The universe is full of water, mostly in the form of very cold ice films deposited on interstellar dust particles, but until recently little was known about the detailed small scale structure. Now the latest quick freezing techniques coupled with sophisticated scanning electron microscopy techniques, are allowing physicists to create ice films in cold conditions similar to outer space and observe the detailed molecular organization, yielding clues to fundamental questions including possibly the origin of life. ... > full story
Clue Discovered In Spread Of 'Superbugs' (November 5, 2008) -- Scientists are one step closer to finding a defense against dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria, sometimes called "superbugs." Researchers have obtained the first visual evidence of a key piece in the puzzle of how deadly superbugs spread antibiotic resistance in hospitals and throughout the general population. ... > full story
Ecologists Say Metabolism Accounts For Why Natural Selection Favors Only Some Species (November 5, 2008) -- Why are some species of plants and animals favored by natural selection? And why does natural selection not favor other species similarly? According to a new study, the answer lies in the rate of metabolism of a species - how fast a species consumes energy, per unit mass, per unit time. ... > full story
New Device Controls, Measures Dynamics Of Chemicals In Live Tissue (November 5, 2008) -- The "chemistrode," a droplet-base microfluidic device, provides new exciting opportunities to study stimulus-response dynamics in chemistry and biology. It will help researchers study any surface that responds to chemical stimulation (cells, tissue, biofilms, catalytic surfaces, etc.). It may also help neurologists, cardiologists, and endocrinologists study and diagnose diseases. Researchers have already used it to measure how a single murine islet responds to glucose. They have applied for a patent on the device. ... > full story
Light Weight Hydrogen 'Tank' Could Fuel Hydrogen Economy (November 5, 2008) -- Researchers have shown that an alloy of the metals magnesium, titanium and nickel is excellent at absorbing hydrogen. This light alloy brings us a step closer to the everyday use of hydrogen as a source of fuel for powering vehicles. A hydrogen ‘tank’ using this alloy would have a relative weight that is sixty percent less than a battery pack. ... > full story
'Junk' DNA Proves Functional; Helps Explain Human Differences From Other Species (November 5, 2008) -- In a new study, scientists in Singapore report that what was previously believed to be "junk" DNA is one of the important ingredients distinguishing humans from other species. ... > full story
Rising Carbon Dioxide Levels 'Will Hit Coral Reefs Harder' (November 5, 2008) -- Rising carbon dioxide levels in the world's oceans could deliver a disastrous blow to the ability of coral reefs to withstand climate change. A major new investigation by Australian scientists has revealed that acidification of the oceans from human carbon dioxide emissions has the potential to worsen the impact of the bleaching and death of reef-building organisms expected to occur under global warming. ... > full story
Hurricane Ike Caused Underwater Damage To Galveston (November 5, 2008) -- A rapid response research mission after Hurricane Ike found the hurricane significantly reshaped the seafloor and likely carried an enormous amount of sand and sediment out into the Gulf, changes that could help coastal communities gauge the effectiveness of their sometimes controversial efforts to replenish eroding sand along shorelines. ... > full story
Cattle Fed Distiller's Grains Maintain Flavor And Tenderness Of Beef (November 5, 2008) -- The availability and use of wet distiller's grains in beef finishing diets continues to increase as the ethanol industry expands, and some Texas AgriLife Research scientists are trying to determine if that will affect consumers' meat purchases. While much of the research focus has been on the energy value of the distiller's grains relative to the corn it replaces, recent questions have been posed on how they may affect beef quality, said Dr. Jim MacDonald, AgriLife Research ruminant nutritionist. ... > full story
Coral Reefs Found Growing In Cold, Deep Ocean (November 5, 2008) -- Imagine descending in a submarine to the ice-cold, ink-black depths of the ocean, 800 meters under the surface of the Atlantic. Here the tops of the hills are covered in large coral reefs. Researchers have been studying the formation of these unknown cold-water relatives of the better-known tropical corals. ... > full story
Fungus Pitted Against Apple Pest (November 5, 2008) -- A cocktail of gaseous compounds emitted by a beneficial fungus may offer a way to biologically fumigate stored apples, ridding them of codling moth larvae. ... > full story
Pairs Of Cleaner Fish Co-operate And Give Better Service On The Coral Reef (November 4, 2008) -- Co-operation in nature often works as an exchange of goods or services between two different parties. Scientists have studied how certain fish on coral reef keep other species of fish clean. The Bluestreak cleaner wrasse helps other fish species by eating parasites from their skin. The cleaner's favorite food is, however, the nutrient-rich mucus layer that covers the client fish. ... > full story
Biosolids Microbes Pose Manageable Risk To Workers (November 4, 2008) -- Biosolids, a nutrient rich byproduct of sewage produced at wastewater treatment plants that can be applied to land as a fertilizer, has been scrutinized of late for its potential to transport disease-causing microorganisms. A new published study suggests that the pathogen risks associated with biosolids are generally low, as determined by measuring bioaerosol levels at sites where biosolids were applied. ... > full story
New Type Of Diesel Fuel Found In Patagonia Fungus (November 4, 2008) -- Scientists have found a fungus that produces a new type of diesel fuel. One of the researchers calls it "myco-diesel." The discovery may offer an alternative to fossil fuels, according to a professor of plant sciences and plant pathology involved in the research. The find is even bigger, he said, than his 1993 discovery of fungus that contained the anticancer drug taxol. ... > full story
Persistent Bacterial Infection Exploits Killing Machinery Of Immune Cells (November 4, 2008) -- A new study reveals an important and newly discovered pathway used by disease-causing bacteria to evade the host immune system and survive and grow within the very cells meant to destroy them. This discovery may lead to new treatments and vaccines for tuberculosis and certain other chronic bacterial and parasitic infections. ... > full story
Women Have More Diverse Hand Bacteria Than Men (November 4, 2008) -- A new study indicates that not only do human hands harbor far higher numbers of bacteria species than previously believed, women have a significantly greater diversity of microbes on their palms than men. ... > full story
DNA Fingerprinting Method May Thwart False Labeling Of Shark Meat (November 4, 2008) -- Researchers in Spain are reporting that a new DNA identification method could thwart false labeling of shark species used in various seafood products, including the expensive Chinese delicacy known as shark fin soup. ... > full story
Antioxidant Effects From Eating Almonds (November 4, 2008) -- Eating almonds significantly decreased levels of two biomarkers for oxidative stress in a group of 27 male and female volunteers with elevated cholesterol. ... > full story
Snakebites: At Least 421,000 Venom Bites And 20,000 Deaths Occur Each Year, Study Finds (November 4, 2008) -- Snakebites cause considerable death and injury worldwide and pose an important yet neglected threat to public health, says new research in PLoS Medicine. ... > full story
Bacteria Shown To Cause Blood Clots: Bacterial Clotting Depends On Clustering (November 4, 2008) -- Bacteria can directly cause human blood and plasma to clot -- a process previously thought to have been lost during vertebrate evolution. The discovery may lead to new clinical methods for treating serious medical conditions such as sepsis and anthrax. The key to clot formation is the location of the bacteria, rather than the total number of bacteria or their concentration. Coagulation occurs only when a cluster of bacteria forms. ... > full story
Gene That Helps Control Production Of Stomach Acid Discovered (November 4, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a gene that helps control the secretion of acid in the stomach -- information that could one day aid scientists in creating more efficient treatment options for conditions such as acid reflux or peptic ulcers. ... > full story
Tiny DNA Tweezers Can Catch And Release Objects On-demand (November 4, 2008) -- Researchers in China are reporting development of a new DNA "tweezers" that are the first of their kind capable of grasping and releasing objects on-demand. The microscopic tweezers could have several potential uses, the researchers note. Those include microsurgery, drug and gene delivery for gene therapy, and in the manufacturing of nano-sized circuits for futuristic electronics. ... > full story
Solar Power Game-changer: 'Near Perfect' Absorption Of Sunlight, From All Angles (November 4, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered and demonstrated a new method for overcoming two major hurdles facing solar energy. By developing a new antireflective coating that boosts the amount of sunlight captured by solar panels and allows those panels to absorb the entire solar spectrum from nearly any angle, the research team has moved academia and industry closer to realizing high-efficiency, cost-effective solar power. ... > full story
Roads Bring Death And Fear To Forest Elephants (November 4, 2008) -- Why did the elephant cross the road? It didn't according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and Save the Elephants that says endangered forest elephants are avoiding roadways at all costs. ... > full story
Biologists Spy On The Secret Inner Life Of A Cell (November 4, 2008) -- The transportation of antibodies from a mother to her newborn child is vital for the development of that child's nascent immune system. Antibodies help shape a baby's response to foreign pathogens and may influence the later occurrence of autoimmune diseases. Images from Caltech biologists reveal for the first time the complicated process by which antibodies are shuttled from mother's milk, through her baby's gut and into the bloodstream -- offering new insight into the mammalian immune system. ... > full story
Saving The Endangered Tasmanian Devil In Australia (November 4, 2008) -- Zoologists are working on a national project in Australia to help save the endangered Tasmanian devil from extinction. ... > full story
Genetic Evidence For Avian Influenza Movement From Asia To North America Via Wild Birds (November 4, 2008) -- Wild migratory birds may be more important carriers of avian influenza viruses from continent to continent than previously thought, according to new scientific research that has important implications for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus surveillance in North America. ... > full story
Using Living Cells As Nanotechnology Factories (November 4, 2008) -- In the tiny realm of nanotechnology, scientists have used a wide variety of materials to build atomic scale structures. But just as in the construction business, nanotechnology researchers can often be limited by the amount of raw materials. Now, scientists have avoided these pitfalls by using cells as factories to make DNA based nanostructures inside a living cell. ... > full story
Human Genes: Alternative Splicing Far More Common Than Thought (November 4, 2008) -- Scientists have long known that it's possible for one gene to produce slightly different forms of the same protein by skipping or including certain sequences from the messenger RNA. Now, scientists have shown that this phenomenon, known as alternative splicing, is both far more prevalent and varies more between tissues than was previously believed. ... > full story
Large Anthropogenic Nutrient And Pollutant Loads To The Sea From Small Unmonitored Near-coastal Catchment Areas (November 4, 2008) -- A new study shows that the waterborne nutrient and pollutant loads from land to the sea may be larger from small near-coastal areas, which are left without systematic environmental monitoring of their coastal loads, than from the large, systematically monitored main rivers. ... > full story
Parasites And Global Change: Past Patterns, Future Projections (November 3, 2008) -- Throughout history, environmental disturbances and global climate change have strongly influenced how humans are affected by parasites, according to one parasitologist. ... > full story
Antioxidants Can Reduce The Toxic Effects Of Lead, Study Suggests (November 3, 2008) -- A research study shows that administering natural antioxidants can reduce the effects of lead poisoning in animals during the gestation and lactation periods. The study suggests that it could also be effective in humans. ... > full story
Tiny Fungi May Have Sex While Infecting Humans (November 3, 2008) -- A fungus called microsporidia that causes chronic diarrhea in AIDS patients, organ transplant recipients and travelers has been identified as a member of the family of fungi that have been discovered to reproduce sexually. Scientists have proven that microsporidia are true fungi and that this species most likely undergoes a form of sexual reproduction during infection of humans and other host animals. ... > full story
Long-term Stabilization Of Carbon Dioxide In Atmosphere Will Require Major Cuts In Emissions (November 3, 2008) -- Carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that has had the largest impact on our climate, will continue to rise even if current national and international targets for reducing emissions are met, scientists warn. But, they say, strong action taken now – such as the 80% target recently announced by the UK government – will continue to have benefits a long time into the future. ... > full story
Critically Endangered Fruit Bat Make Dramatic Return From Brink Of Extinction (November 3, 2008) -- A once critically endangered bat species, the 'Pemba flying fox', has made a dramatic return from the brink of extinction, according to new research. As recently as 1989, only a scant few individual fruit bats could be observed on the tropical island of Pemba, off Tanzania. Its numbers have since soared to an astounding 22,000 bats in less than 20 years, the new research finds. ... > full story
New Mouse Mutant Contains Clue To Progressive Hearing Loss (November 3, 2008) -- Researchers have defined a mutation in the mouse genome that mimics progressive hearing loss in humans. Scientists have found that mice carrying a mutation called Oblivion displayed problems with the function of hair cells in the inner ear, occurring before clear physical effects are seen. ... > full story
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