ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Sunday, May 22, 2011 ~ techdeck

Minggu, 22 Mei 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Sunday, May 22, 2011

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ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Sunday, May 22, 2011

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Young graphite in old rocks challenges the earliest signs of life (May 21, 2011) -- Carbon found laced within rock formations has helped establish a timeline for the emergence of life on the planet. But a new study contends such carbon deposits may be millions of years younger than the rock they inhabit, fueling a reassessment of the first appearance of the earth's earliest biosphere, according to a team of US researchers. ... > full story

The wetter the better for daddy longlegs -- and birds (May 21, 2011) -- Keeping moorland soils wet could prove vital in conserving some of Britain's important upland breeding bird species -- by protecting the humble daddy longlegs, according to new research. In spring, thousands of adult crane-flies (daddy longlegs) emerge from the peat soils of UK mountains and moorland, providing a vital food source for breeding birds, such as Golden Plover, and their chicks. ... > full story

Traditional remedy bitter cumin is a great source antioxidant plant phenols, study suggests (May 21, 2011) -- Bitter cumin is used extensively in traditional medicine to treat a range of diseases from vitiligo to hyperglycemia. It is considered to be antiparasitic and antimicrobial and science has backed up claims of its use to reduce fever or as a painkiller. New research shows that this humble spice also contains high levels of antioxidants. ... > full story

Errors in protein structure sparked evolution of biological complexity (May 21, 2011) -- A new comparison of proteins shared across species finds that complex organisms, including humans, have accumulated structural weaknesses that may have actually launched the long journey from microbe to man. The study suggests that the random introduction of errors into proteins, rather than traditional natural selection, may have boosted the evolution of biological complexity. ... > full story

Herbal remedies offer hope as the new antibiotics (May 21, 2011) -- Cancer treatments often have the side effect of impairing the patient's immune system. This can result in life-threatening secondary infections from bacteria and fungi, especially since bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus, are becoming multi-drug resistant. New research investigates the potency of Indian wild plants against bacterial and fungal infections in the mouths of oral cancer patients. ... > full story

Proboscis monkeys regurgitating their food, like cows (May 21, 2011) -- A previously unknown behavior pattern is only observed in a large animal very rarely – which is why new videos are nothing short of a sensation: They show proboscis monkeys regurgitating, chewing and gulping back down food they’ve swallowed – just like ruminating cows. ... > full story

Artificial tissue promotes skin growth in wounds (May 21, 2011) -- Improved tissue grafts designed by scientists that promote vascular growth could hasten healing, encourage healthy skin to invade the wounded area and reduce the need for surgeries. ... > full story

The way to (kill) a bug's heart is through its stomach (May 21, 2011) -- A new study has revealed a potential new way for plants to fend off pests -- starvation. A biochemistry and molecular biology professor cites this defense mechanism as just one example of a veritable evolutionary arms race between plants and herbivores. ... > full story

Work with RNA silencing and plant stem cells may lead to controlling fruit, seed and leaves (May 20, 2011) -- Research on controlling the stem cells of plants could eventually lead to learning how to make them produce more fruit, seed and leaves, according to researchers. ... > full story

Long reach of the deep sea: Oceanographers document effect of equatorial deep currents on West African rainfall (May 20, 2011) -- Our climate is affected by the ocean in many ways. The most prominent example is the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific, a well-documented interannual climate signal. Oceanographers from Germany and the United States have recently documented the effect of deep equatorial currents in the Atlantic on rainfall and climate over West Africa. ... > full story

Wolbachia bacteria reduce parasite levels and kill the mosquito that spreads malaria (May 20, 2011) -- Researchers found that artificial infection with different Wolbachia bacteria strains can significantly reduce levels of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. The investigators also determined that one of the Wolbachia strains rapidly killed the mosquito after it fed on blood. According to the researchers, Wolbachia could potentially be used as part of a strategy to control malaria if stable infections can be established in Anopheles. ... > full story

Record efficiency of 18.7 percent for flexible solar cells on plastics, Swiss researchers report (May 20, 2011) -- Swiss scientists have further boosted the energy conversion efficiency of flexible solar cells made of copper indium gallium (di)selenide (also known as CIGS) to a new world record of 18.7 percent -- a significant improvement over the previous record of 17.6 percent achieved by the same team in June 2010. The measurements have been independently certified. ... > full story