ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Wednesday, November 12, 2008
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Evolution's New Wrinkle: Proteins With 'Cruise Control' Act Like Adaptive Machines (November 12, 2008) -- Scientists has discovered that chains of proteins found in most living organisms act like adaptive machines, possessing the ability to control their own evolution. The research, which appears to offer evidence of a hidden mechanism guiding the way biological organisms respond to the forces of natural selection, provides a new perspective on evolution, the scientists said. ... > full story
Rocket Launching To Investigate The Northern Lights (November 12, 2008) -- Airplanes that fly over the northern polar region can risk losing radio contact for several hours when the northern lights are at their most active in the skies. In the near future a professor from the University of Oslo will launch a Norwegian rocket to find the explanation for this. The aim is to set up reliable warning routines. ... > full story
Loggerhead Turtle Release To Provide Vital Information To Scientific Community (November 12, 2008) -- Biologists will release two juvenile loggerhead sea turtles raised in captivity into the Indian River Lagoon near Sebastian Inlet. Dubbed Milton and FeeBee, the turtles were part of a sex ratio study. ... > full story
Annual Plants Converted Into Perennials (November 11, 2008) -- Scientists have succeeded in converting annual plants into perennials. They discovered that the deactivation of two genes in annuals led to the formation of structures that converted the plant into a perennial. This was most likely an important mechanism in plant evolution, initiating the formation of trees. ... > full story
Southern Wall Of Jerusalem That Dates To Time Of Hasmonean Dynasty Discovered On Mount Zion (November 11, 2008) -- An exciting discovery in Jerusalem constituting extraordinary remains of the wall of the city from the time of the Second Temple (second century BCE-70 CE) that was built by the Hasmonean kings and was destroyed during the Great Revolt, and also the remains of a city wall from the Byzantine period (324-640 CE) which was built on top of it, were uncovered in an extensive excavation that is currently underway on Mount Zion. ... > full story
Scientific Community Called Upon To Resolve Debate On ‘Net Energy’ Once And For All (November 11, 2008) -- “Net energy is a (mostly) irrelevant, misleading and dangerous metric,” says the editor-in-chief of Biofuels, Bioresources and Biorefining. ... > full story
Top Scientific Meeting Urges Coordinated Response To Economic And Environmental Crises (November 11, 2008) -- A fix for the economy must address ecological threats, a top international scientific meeting here has urged. Human society is moving dangerously beyond the planet's natural limits in a striking parallel to the financial debt crisis. "We're running the planet like a subprime loan," Dr. Johan Rockstrom of the Stockholm Resilience Center said. A coordinated response would reduce the risks of both kinds of crises in the future. ... > full story
Gold Earring 2,000 Years Old Discovered In Excavations In Jerusalem (November 11, 2008) -- A 2,000 year old gold earring inlaid with pearls and precious stones was discovered in excavations that the Israel Antiquities Authority is conducting in the Giv'ati car park at the City of David, in the "Walls around Jerusalem National Park". The earring, which is made of a coiled gold hoop, has a large inlaid pearl in its center. ... > full story
Without Enzyme, Biological Reaction Essential To Life Takes 2.3 Billion Years (November 11, 2008) -- All biological reactions within human cells depend on enzymes. Their power as catalysts enables biological reactions to occur usually in milliseconds. But how slowly would these reactions proceed spontaneously, in the absence of enzymes -- minutes, hours, days? And why even pose the question? ... > full story
Forced Evolution: Can We Mutate Viruses To Death? (November 11, 2008) -- Can scientists create a designer drug that forces viruses to mutate themselves out of existence? A new study by bioengineers could help make it happen. The study offers the most comprehensive mathematical analysis to date of the mechanisms that drive evolution in viruses and bacteria, and it could help scientists who are looking to add "lethal mutagenesis" to medicine's disease-fighting arsenal. ... > full story
New Approach In Tsunami-early Warning System (November 11, 2008) -- The newly implemented Tsunami Early Warning System for the Indian Ocean, German Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System, goes into operation November 10 and with this, the system enters its final phase of optimization. ... > full story
'Superbugs' On The Rise In Canadian Hospitals, New Study Shows (November 11, 2008) -- Although infection control has been substantially ramped up in Canadian hospitals since the SARS crisis of 2003, the number of resistant bacterial infections post-SARS have multiplied even faster, a new study shows. ... > full story
Limb Loss In Lizards: Evidence For Rapid Evolution (November 11, 2008) -- Small skink lizards, Lerista, demonstrate extensive changes in body shape over geologically brief periods. New research shows that several species of these skinks have rapidly evolved an elongate, limbless body form. ... > full story
Web-spinning Spiders And 'Wannabe Butterflies' Head To Space Shuttle (November 11, 2008) -- A NASA space shuttle mission carrying a payload of web-spinning spiders and wannabe butterflies will be closely monitored by hundreds of K-12 students from Colorado's Front Range after Endeavour launches from Florida for the International Space Station Nov. 14. ... > full story
Protein 'Tubules' Free Avian Flu Virus From Immune Recognition (November 11, 2008) -- A protein found in the virulent avian influenza virus strain called H5N1 forms tiny tubules in which it "hides" the pieces of double-stranded RNA formed during viral infection, which otherwise would prompt an antiviral immune response from infected cells, researchers report. ... > full story
Revegetation Of Native Flora More Successful If Genetically Diverse Seed Added (November 11, 2008) -- The answer to successful revegetation of native flora is in sourcing genetically diverse seed not necessarily relying on remnant local native vegetation to provide seed. ... > full story
In The Absence Of Sexual Prospects, Parasitic Male Worms Go Spermless (November 11, 2008) -- When females aren't around, one species of parasitic nematode worm doesn't even bother to make any sperm, reveals a new report. ... > full story
Bacteria In Mouth Help Make Certain Foods Tasty (November 11, 2008) -- Scientists in Switzerland are reporting that bacteria in the human mouth play a role in creating the distinctive flavors of certain foods. They found that these bacteria actually produce food odors from odorless components of food, allowing people to fully savor fruits and vegetables. ... > full story
Deep Sea Expedition Sets Sail (November 11, 2008) -- Researchers are embarking upon an extreme adventure, plunging deep into the sea to study hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor. They'll share the experience with 20,000-plus school children through interactive sessions. ... > full story
Clouds Can Predict Climate Changes (November 11, 2008) -- The properties of clouds can be a key to predicting coming climate changes. The earth's climate field is regulated by the balance between incoming solar radiation and outbound heat radiation. The aerosol content of the atmosphere, that is, the proportion of particles in the air, functions as a regulator: cooling off by reflecting incoming light, warming up by absorbing the outbound heat radiation. But clouds also impact the climate. ... > full story
1918 Spanish Flu Records Could Hold The Key To Solving Future Pandemics (November 11, 2008) -- Ninety years after Australian scientists began their race to stop the spread of Spanish flu in Australia, University of Melbourne researchers are hoping records from the 1918 epidemic may hold the key to preventing future deadly pandemic outbreaks. ... > full story
Important Steps Towards Development Of Human Vaccine Against Malaria (November 11, 2008) -- Every day 2000 children die from malaria in Africa alone. The infection is transmitted from human to human by biting mosquitoes and remains one of the world's most devastating diseases. Despite many years of effort a vaccine is still not available but is urgently needed. ... > full story
Astonishing Life In Ocean's Depths: Major Progress Made Towards Historic Census Of Marine Life (November 10, 2008) -- In a report on progress toward the first Census of Marine Life, more than 2,000 scientists from 82 nations announce astonishing examples of recent new finds from the world's ocean depths. Among revelations in fourth interim global highlights report are the Antarctic ancestry of many octopus species and the discovery of Behemoth bacteria, colossal sea stars and mammoth mollusks. ... > full story
Modeling Ice Cream Production In The Search For Innovation (November 10, 2008) -- The production of ice cream, a seemingly simple product, brings into play a variety of complex hydrodynamic and thermic processes, with as yet poorly known interactions. To assist industry in making new products, Cemagref scientists have developed a simulator, the size of a yogurt cup, capable of miming the entire production chain. ... > full story
How 'Molecular Machines' Kick Start Gene Activation Revealed (November 10, 2008) -- How "molecular machines" inside cells swing into action to activate genes at different times in a cell's life is revealed in new research published in Molecular Cell. ... > full story
Untangling DNA Regulation: Biologists Theorize Role For DNA Packaging In Stem Cell Development (November 10, 2008) -- Biologists have discovered that the organization of DNA's packing material plays a critical role in directing stem cells to become different types of adult cells. ... > full story
World Needs Climate Emergency Backup Plan, Says Expert (November 10, 2008) -- In submitted testimony to the British Parliament, climate scientist said that while steep cuts in carbon emissions are essential to stabilizing global climate, there also needs to be a backup plan. Geoengineering solutions such as injecting dust into the atmosphere are risky, but may become necessary if emissions cuts are insufficient to stave off catastrophic warming. He urged that research into the pros and cons of geoengineering be made a high priority. ... > full story
Small Water Fleas Help Ecologists Understand Population Dynamics (November 10, 2008) -- A study of populations of tiny water fleas is helping ecologists to understand population dynamics, which may lead to predictions about the ecological consequences of environmental change. ... > full story
Global Warming Predicted To Hasten Carbon Release From Peat Bogs (November 10, 2008) -- Billions of tons of carbon sequestered in the world's peat bogs could be released into the atmosphere in the coming decades as a result of global warming, according to a new analysis of the interplay between peat bogs, water tables, and climate change. ... > full story
DNA Provides 'Smoking Gun' In The Case Of The Missing Songbirds (November 10, 2008) -- DNA evidence shows conclusively that males from a North American warbler species interbred with females from a related species and took over a large part of the other species' range. ... > full story
XDR-TB: Deadlier And More Mysterious Than Ever (November 10, 2008) -- New research has found that extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis is increasingly common and more deadly than previously known. Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis is a growing public health threat that is only just beginning to be understood by medical and public health officials. ... > full story
Plant Virus Spreads By Making Life Easy For Crop Pests (November 10, 2008) -- In 752, Japanese Empress Koken wrote a short poem about the summertime yellowing of a field in what is thought to be the first account of a viral plant disease. More than 1,250 years later, scientists concluded that the virus Koken described was part of the particularly insidious geminivirus family that continues to decimate tomato, tobacco and cotton crops worldwide. ... > full story
How Evolution Learns From Past Environments To Adapt To New Environments (November 10, 2008) -- The evolution of novel characteristics within organisms can be enhanced when environments change in a systematic manner, according to a new study. Researchers suggest that in environments that vary over time in a non-random way, evolution can learn the rules of the environment and develop organisms that can readily generate novel useful traits with only a few mutations. ... > full story
Project Virtually Rebuilds Lost Architecture Of The Shakers (November 10, 2008) -- The Shakers, a religious group that built 19 communities in the United States during the 1800s, had a prolific and distinct architectural construction and design style. Much of that architecture has been lost; however, a new research project aims to rebuild it -- virtually. ... > full story
When It Comes To Sea Level Changing Glaciers, New NASA Technique Measures Up (November 10, 2008) -- Scientists have used satellite data to make the most precise measurements to date of changes in the mass of mountain glaciers in the Gulf of Alaska, a region expected to be a significant contributor to global sea level rise over the next 50-100 years. ... > full story
Research Sheds Light On Key Trigger Of Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation (November 10, 2008) -- Clusters of mouse embryonic stem cells called embryoid bodies more closely approximate true embryos in organization and structure than previously thought, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. ... > full story
New Hybrid Plants Could Prompt More Prodigious Pepper Production In Southwest (November 10, 2008) -- To help Southwestern US pepper producers perk up pepper production, scientists and agriculture experts are developing several new adapted pepper plant hybrids. ... > full story
Polarized Light Guides Cholera-carrying Midges That Contaminate Water Supplies (November 10, 2008) -- Midges harbor the lethal Vibrio cholerae bacteria that spreads cholera, contaminating water supplies with the infection when they lay their eggs. What guides the midges to select particular watercourses when laying their eggs? Scientists have found that the midges are attracted by polarized light reflections from water and suggest that polarized light could be used to control cholera transmission and reduce midge numbers. ... > full story
Emerging Carbon Finance Market Will Play Critical Role In Addressing Climate Change, Experts Say (November 10, 2008) -- Climate change is an unprecedented global problem and an emerging carbon finance market will play a critical role in addressing it, asserts a newly published Yale report. ... > full story
Red-eyed Treefrog Embryos Actively Avoid Asphyxiation Inside Their Eggs (November 9, 2008) -- Red-eyed treefrog embryos react to environmental oxygen concentration before they have blood or muscular movement. These initial responses to the environment may be critical to the frogs' long-term survival. ... > full story
Smaller Mosquitoes Are More Likely To Be Infected With Viruses Causing Human Diseases (November 9, 2008) -- An entomologist says smaller mosquitoes are more likely to be infected with viruses that cause diseases in humans. ... > full story
Paper Mill Waste May Be Just Right For Reclaiming Mineland (November 9, 2008) -- Paper mill waste can safely be applied at a rate three times higher than the typical rate in Ohio, to reclaim soils of surface-coal mined areas. ... > full story
Consumers Not Ready For Tailor-made Nutrition? (November 9, 2008) -- In the near future it will be possible to customize the food we eat to individual needs, based on the genetic profile of the individual. Researchers suggest that the consumer market is not yet ready for this so-called nutrigenomics. They conclude that many obstacles must be overcome before products based on nutrigenomics become a reality. ... > full story
Carbon Dioxide Levels Already In Danger Zone, Revised Theory Shows (November 9, 2008) -- If climate disasters are to be averted, atmospheric carbon dioxide must be reduced below the levels that already exist today, according to a new study in Open Atmospheric Science Journal. ... > full story
Record High Performance With New Solar Cells (November 9, 2008) -- Researchers in China and Switzerland are reporting the highest efficiency ever for a promising new genre of solar cells, which many scientists think offer the best hope for making the sun a mainstay source of energy in the future. The photovoltaic cells, called dye-sensitized solar cells or Grätzel cells, could expand the use of solar energy for homes, businesses, and other practical applications, the scientists say. ... > full story
How Plant Cells Synthesize Pharmaceutical Compounds (November 9, 2008) -- A Finnish researcher's work on two plants -- tobacco and Egyptian henbane -- is yielding new information about the functions of genes involved with the biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites. The results can be used in developing production of valuable pharmaceuticals in plant cell cultures. ... > full story
New Role For Critical DNA Repair Molecule In Immune System (November 9, 2008) -- The human immune system is a brilliantly adaptable weapon against foreign invaders. But it all depends on the work of specialized cells called lymphocytes that have made a risky evolutionary gambit to mutate their own DNA. New research published in Nature shows for the first time that a molecule devoted to DNA repair plays a broader role in this genetic reshuffling -- called recombination -- than scientists had thought. ... > full story
Sea Snakes Seek Out Freshwater To Slake Thirst (November 8, 2008) -- Sea snakes may slither in saltwater, but they sip the sweet stuff. It has been the "long-standing dogma" that the roughly 60 species of venomous sea snakes worldwide satisfy their drinking needs by drinking seawater, with internal salt glands filtering and excreting the salt. Experiments with three species of captive sea kraits captured near Taiwan, however, found that the snakes refused to drink saltwater even if thirsty -- and then would drink only freshwater or heavily diluted saltwater. ... > full story
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