ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Tuesday, April 26, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Tuesday, April 26, 2011

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Global catastrophic amphibian declines have multiple causes, no simple solution (April 26, 2011) -- Amphibian declines around the world have forced many species to the brink of extinction, are much more complex than realized and have multiple causes that are still not fully understood, researchers conclude in a new report. ... > full story

Tuberculosis discovery paves way for drugs that prevent lung destruction (April 26, 2011) -- Scientists have identified a key enzyme responsible for destroying lung tissue in tuberculosis. Drugs that inhibit this enzyme are already available, meaning that the finding could lead quickly to new treatments. ... > full story

Understanding how crops deal with stress -- yield's biggest enemy (April 26, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new arm of the pathway by which plants activate a response to environmental stress caused by adverse environmental conditions, such as drought, flood and heat. These stresses affect yield more than crop pests and diseases. Finding a way to maintain high yields for plants under stress is a goal of plant breeders and other agriculture stakeholders. ... > full story

Lollipops with side effects: A plant's sugary offering betrays caterpillars to predatory ants (April 26, 2011) -- Trichomes, hair-like projections on leaves, of wild tobacco contain acyl sugars, which are composed of sucrose, bound to branched chain aliphatic acids. Hatched caterpillars consume these sweet secretions. This has unwanted side effects for the insects: the caterpillars develop a distinctive odor. Scientists discovered that ants recognize the caterpillar's odor to locate the larvae on the plants and carry them back to their nests to feed their young and co-workers. ... > full story

Discovery identifies elaborate G-protein network in plants (April 26, 2011) -- The most elaborate heterotrimeric G-protein network known to date in the plant kingdom has just been identified. ... > full story

Cheaper hydrogen fuel cells: Utility of non-precious-metal catalysts documented (April 25, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a way to avoid the use of expensive platinum in hydrogen fuel cells, the environmentally friendly devices that might replace current power sources in everything from personal data devices to automobiles. Scientists have developed a platinum-free catalyst for use in the cathode of a hydrogen fuel cell. ... > full story

Fruit flies on meth: Study explores whole-body effects of toxic drug (April 25, 2011) -- A new study in fruit flies offers a broad view of the potent and sometimes devastating molecular events that occur throughout the body as a result of methamphetamine exposure. The study tracks changes in the expression of genes and proteins throughout the body in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) exposed to meth. ... > full story

'Going off the grid' helps some bacteria hide from antibiotics (April 25, 2011) -- Call them the Jason Bournes of the bacteria world. Going "off the grid," like rogue secret agents, some bacteria avoid antibiotic treatments by essentially shutting down and hiding until it's safe to come out again. ... > full story

Phage hunting students find new bacteriophages in soils of St. Louis suburbs (April 25, 2011) -- Twelve students who had participated in an unusual biology course as freshmen have found two bacteriophages, viruses that prey exclusively on bacteria, in the soil of two suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri. As the finders, they had the naming rights; the new phages are called Angelica and Uncle Howie. ... > full story

Radar checks buildings after earthquakes (April 25, 2011) -- Recent advances in ground-penetrating radar could be used to help structural engineers and conservationists assess the stability of historic buildings or buildings affected by earthquakes that otherwise appear sound. ... > full story

Beetle bling: Researchers discover optical secrets of 'metallic' beetles (April 25, 2011) -- Brilliant gold- (and silver-colored beetles have given optics researchers new insights into the way biology can recreate the appearance of some of nature's most precious metals, which in turn may allow researchers to produce new materials based on the natural properties found in the beetles' coloring. ... > full story

How do you get a fruit fly to exercise? (April 25, 2011) -- A professor puts his fruit flies through a grueling daily workout in a quest to understand how their genes respond to exercise and to uncover clues that may one day help people stay healthier and more active into their advanced years. ... > full story

Ozone hole linked to climate change all the way to the equator (April 25, 2011) -- The ozone hole, which is located over the South Pole, has affected the entire circulation of the Southern Hemisphere all the way to the equator, according to new research. This is the first time that ozone depletion, an upper atmospheric phenomenon confined to the polar regions, has been linked to climate change from the Pole to the equator. ... > full story

Breed-specific causes of death in dogs revealed in landmark study (April 25, 2011) -- Dog owners and veterinarians have long relied on a mix of limited data and anecdotal evidence to assess which breeds are at risk of dying from various conditions, but a new study provides a rare and comprehensive look at causes of death in more than 80 breeds. ... > full story

RNA dynamics deconstructed (April 25, 2011) -- RNA plays a critical role in directing the creation of proteins, but there is more to the life of an RNA molecule than simply carrying DNA's message. Researchers have developed an approach that offers many windows into the lifecycle of these essential molecules. Their approach offers high resolution and a comprehensive scope. ... > full story

Researcher use trees to detect contaminants and health threats (April 25, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a method to detect the presence of soil and groundwater contamination without turning a shovel or touching the water. Instead, they're using trees. ... > full story

Using duck eggs to track climate change (April 25, 2011) -- Julie DeJong can't set foot on the ground of an Oregon marsh to gather duck eggs on a spring day in 1875. But Charles Bendire did. And thanks to a research project that is the next best thing to time travel, DeJong is measuring the duck eggs in several museum collections. When her project is done, DeJong will have assembled and analyzed a metrics database on perhaps 60,000 duck eggs representing at least 40 species and subspecies of ducks found in North America. ... > full story

Missing link in plant defense against fungal disease found (April 25, 2011) -- Scientists report on a discovery in a key component in the signaling pathway that regulates the production of phytoalexins to kill the disease-causing fungus Botrytis cinerea. ... > full story

Development in fog harvesting process may make water available to the world’s poor (April 25, 2011) -- An engineer and aspiring entrepreneur works on fog harvesting, the deployment of devices that, like the beetle, attract water droplets and corral the runoff. This way, poor villagers could collect clean water near their homes, instead of spending hours carrying water from distant wells or streams. ... > full story

Fossil sirenians, related to today's manatees, give scientists new look at ancient climate (April 24, 2011) -- What tales they tell of their former lives, these old bones of sirenians, relatives of today's dugongs and manatees. And now, geologists have found, they tell of the waters in which they swam. While researching the evolutionary ecology of ancient sirenians -- commonly known as sea cows -- scientists unexpectedly stumbled across data that could change the view of climate during the Eocene Epoch, some 50 million years ago. ... > full story

Evolution can cause a rapid reduction in genome size (April 24, 2011) -- It would appear reasonable to assume that two closely related plant species would have similar genetic blueprints. However, scientists have now decoded, for the first time, the entire genome of the lyre-leaved rock cress (Arabidopsis lyrata), a close relative of the thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), the model plant used by geneticists. They discovered that the genome of the lyre-leaved rock cress is fifty percent bigger than that of the thale cress. Moreover, these changes arose over a very short period in evolutionary terms. ... > full story

Brown recluse spider: Range could expand in N. America with changing climate (April 23, 2011) -- One of the most feared spiders in North America -- the brown recluse -- is the subject a new study that aims to predict its distribution and how that distribution may be affected by climate changes. Researchers believe that the range may expand northward, potentially invading previously unaffected regions. Newly influenced areas may include parts of Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. ... > full story

Starting a new metabolic path: New technique will help metabolic engineering (April 23, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that speeds up and improves the identification and quantification of proteins within a cell or micoorganism. Called "targeted proteomics," the new technique is expected to be an important new tool for the fields of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. ... > full story

How molecules get to the right place at the right time (April 23, 2011) -- Active transport processes in cells ensure that proteins with specialized local functions reach their intracellular destinations. Impaired transport causes cellular dysfunction or even cell death. Scientists have now revealed how such a transport complex recognizes its cargo and assembles. ... > full story

New approach to defeating flu shows promise (April 23, 2011) -- New research on mice has shown that pulmonary administration of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) significantly reduces flu symptoms and prevents death after a lethal dose influenza virus. While GM-SCF therapy for humans as a flu prophylaxis or treatment may be years away, the study results were striking: All of the mice treated with GM-SCF survived after being infected with the influenza virus, whereas untreated mice all died from the same infection. ... > full story

C. difficile colonization accompanied by changes in gut microbiota: Study hints at probiotics as treatment (April 23, 2011) -- Asymptomatic colonization by Clostridium difficile, absent the use of antibiotics, is common in infants and when it happens changes occur in the composition of the gut microbiota, according to new research. ... > full story

Democrats and Republicans increasingly divided over global warming, study finds (April 23, 2011) -- Despite the growing scientific consensus that global warming is real, Americans have become increasingly polarized on the environmental problem, according to a first-of-its-kind study. ... > full story

Parasite strategy offers insight to help tackle sleeping sickness (April 22, 2011) -- Fresh insight into the survival strategy of the parasite that causes sleeping sickness could help inform new treatments for the disease. ... > full story

Lawn of native grasses beats traditional lawn for lushness, weed resistance (April 22, 2011) -- A lawn of regionally native grasses would take less resources to maintain while providing as lush a carpet as a common turfgrass used in the South, according to a new study. ... > full story

Jurassic spider from China is largest fossil specimen discovered (April 22, 2011) -- With a leg span of more than five inches, a recently named Jurassic period spider from China is the largest fossil specimen discovered, and one that has modern relatives in tropical climates today. ... > full story

Clouds, clouds, burning bright (April 22, 2011) -- High up in the sky near the poles some 50 miles above the ground, silvery blue clouds sometimes appear, shining brightly in the night. These are noctilucent or "night shining" clouds. Since 2007, a NASA mission called Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) has shown that the cloud formation is changing year to year, a process they believe is intimately tied to the weather and climate of the whole globe. ... > full story

Photovoltaic systems boost the sales price of California homes (April 22, 2011) -- New research finds strong evidence that homes with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems sell for a premium over homes without solar systems. The research is the first to empirically explore the existence and magnitude of residential PV sales price impacts across a large number of homes and over a wide geographic area. ... > full story

Learning to tolerate our microbial self: Bacteria co-opt human immune cells for mutual benefit (April 22, 2011) -- The human gut is filled with 100 trillion symbiotic bacteria which we blissfully live with, although they have many features similar to infectious bacteria we react against. What decides whether we ignore -- or fight? In the case of a common "friendly" gut bacterium, Bacteroides fragilis, researchers have discovered the surprising answer: The decision is not made by us, but by the bacteria, which co-opt cells of the immune system for our benefit ... and theirs. ... > full story

New technique improves sensitivity of PCR pathogen detection (April 22, 2011) -- A new procedure can improve polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods of detecting plant disease organisms. ... > full story

Bacteria interrupted: Disabling coordinated behavior and virulence gene expression (April 22, 2011) -- New research reveals a strategy for disrupting the ability of bacteria to communicate and coordinate the expression of virulence factors. The study may lead to the development of new antibacterial therapeutics. ... > full story

Scotland's first marine reserve already producing benefits (April 22, 2011) -- Scotland's first fully protected marine reserve, and only the second in the UK, is already providing commercial and conservation benefits, according to new research. ... > full story

Prenatal pesticide exposure tied to lower IQ in children, study finds (April 22, 2011) -- A new study has found that prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides -- widely used on food crops -- is related to lower intelligence scores in children. Every tenfold increase in measures of organophosphates detected during a mother's pregnancy corresponded to a 5.5 point drop in overall IQ scores in children at age 7, the researchers found. ... > full story

Salmonella utilize multiple modes of infection: New mechanism that helps with invading host cells discovered (April 22, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a new, hitherto unknown mechanism of Salmonella invasion into gut cells: In this entry mode, the bacteria exploit the muscle power of cells to be pulled into the host cell cytoplasm. Thus, the strategies Salmonella use to infect cells are more complex than previously thought. ... > full story

Genes causing antimalarial drug resistance identified (April 21, 2011) -- Using a pair of powerful genome-search techniques, researchers have identified several genes that may be implicated in the malaria parasite's notorious ability to rapidly evade drug treatments. ... > full story

Biologist illuminates how seedlings regulate growth (April 21, 2011) -- All kinds of organisms, from plants to people, regulate growth via networks of proteins that add on and lop off phosphate molecules. Scientists can now explain key steps that allow seedlings to make it past the surface of the soil. ... > full story

Organic and conventional farming methods compete to eliminate weed seeds in soil (April 21, 2011) -- Weeds are hard to kill; they seem to come back no matter what steps people take to eradicate them. One reason is because of the persistence of weed seeds in the soil. Organic farming and conventional farming systems both have their methods of taking on weed seeds, but does one show better results than the other? ... > full story

Historic church's subterranean secrets revealed (April 21, 2011) -- Researchers have carried out a full scientific survey of an historic churchyard widely believed to be the site of the crowning of at least two Anglo-Saxon kings. The team used an earth resistance meter to survey a graveyard at the site where possibly as many as seven kings were crowned, during the 10th Century, including Athelstan, the first king of a unified England in 925, and Ethelred the Unready in 978-9. ... > full story

Earth recovered from prehistoric global warming faster than previously thought (April 21, 2011) -- Earth may be able to recover from rising carbon dioxide emissions faster than previously thought, according to evidence from a prehistoric event. When faced with high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and rising temperatures 56 million years ago, Earth increased its ability to pull carbon from the air. This led to a recovery that was quicker than anticipated by many models of the carbon cycle. ... > full story

Simple fungus reveals clue to immune system protection (April 21, 2011) -- A discovery about how a single-celled fungus survives in low-oxygen settings may someday help humans whose immune systems are compromised by organ transplants or AIDS. ... > full story

American pikas: Contemporary climate change alters the pace and drivers of extinction (April 21, 2011) -- Local extinction rates of American pikas have increased nearly five-fold in the last 10 years, and the rate at which the climate-sensitive species is moving up mountain slopes has increased 11-fold since the 20th century, according to a new study. ... > full story

Melting ice on Arctic islands a major player in sea level rise (April 21, 2011) -- Melting glaciers and ice caps on Canadian Arctic islands play a much greater role in sea level rise than scientists previously thought, according to a new study, ... > full story

Antimalarial trees in East Africa threatened with extinction (April 21, 2011) -- Research released in anticipation of World Malaria Day finds that plants in East Africa with promising antimalarial qualities -- ones that have treated malaria symptoms in the region's communities for hundreds of years -- are at risk of extinction. Scientists fear that these natural remedial qualities, and thus their potential to become a widespread treatment for malaria, could be lost forever. ... > full story

Fat turns into soap in sewers, contributes to overflows (April 21, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered how fat, oil and grease can create hardened deposits in sewer lines: it turns into soap! The hardened deposits, which can look like stalactites, contribute to sewer overflows. ... > full story