ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Monday, May 23, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Monday, May 23, 2011

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Movement without muscles: Zoologists on trail of evolution of body contractions (May 23, 2011) -- All animals move -- cheetahs faster, snails more slowly. Muscle contractions are the basis of movement in many, but not all, species. Some animal groups don't have any muscles at all, as they branched off from the evolutionary path before muscle cells evolved. Yet these animal groups -- for instance, the sea sponges -- are not incapable of movement. Sponges are able to contract without muscles. But which cells in sponges are actually contracting? ... > full story

Scientists observe single gene activity in living cells in detail for first time (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have for the first time observed the activity of a single gene in living cells. In an unprecedented study, scientists were able to follow, in real time, the process of gene transcription, which occurs when a gene converts its DNA information into molecules of messenger RNA that go on to make the protein coded by the gene. ... > full story

Livestock also suffer traffic accidents during transport (May 23, 2011) -- A Spanish study has analyzed traffic accidents involving cattle being transported for human consumption in the country for the first time. Despite the "relatively" low mortality rate, animals suffer high-risk situations that cause pain and stress. The scientists say that specific protocols for action are needed with regard to these accidents, and to prepare the emergency services to deal with them. ... > full story

'Death anxiety' prompts people to believe in intelligent design, reject evolution, study suggests (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have found that people's 'death anxiety' can influence them to support theories of intelligent design and reject evolutionary theory. ... > full story

Oceanic land crab extinction linked to colonization of Hawaii (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have described a new species of land crab that documents the first crab extinction during the human era. The loss of the crab likely greatly impacted the ecology of the Hawaiian Islands, as land crabs are major predators, control litter decomposition and help in nutrient cycling and seed dispersal. Their disappearance was caused by the arrival of humans to the islands and resulted in large-scale changes in the state's ecosystem. ... > full story

Evolutionary conservation of fat metabolism pathways (May 23, 2011) -- A new study recently revealed just how similarly mammals and insects make critical metabolic adjustments when food availability changes, either due to environmental catastrophe or everyday changes in sleep/wake cycles. Those findings may suggest novel ways to treat metabolic conditions such as obesity and type II diabetes. ... > full story

Emissions trading doesn't cause pollution 'hot spots,' study finds (May 23, 2011) -- Critics worry that trading emissions allowances will create heavily polluted "hot spots" in low-income and minority communities. But a new study finds the problem hasn't materialized. ... > full story

Freedom in the swamp: Unearthing the secret history of the Great Dismal Swamp (May 23, 2011) -- Anthropologists have been researching maroons (African-Americans who permanently escaped enslavement) and other communities in the Great Dismal Swamp's approximately 200 square miles of densely wooded wetlands in southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina. ... > full story

Out of Africa: How the fruit fly made its way in the world (May 22, 2011) -- The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster used to be found only in sub-Saharan Africa, but about 10,000 years ago it began to colonize Asia and Europe. This period saw the start of human agriculture and the domestication of cats and oxen, but we have no evidence to suggest that early agricultural practices were associated with significant global warming. So, the fly's northerly spread is thought to relate to genetic factors rather than to environmental changes. Now researchers in Austria offer an intriguing clue to the mechanism. ... > full story

Embryonic cells: Predicting fate of personalized cells may be next step toward new therapies (May 22, 2011) -- Discovering the step-by-step details of the path embryonic cells take to develop into their final tissue type is the clinical goal of many stem cell biologists. To that end, researchers looked at immature cells called progenitors and found a way to potentially predict their fate. They base this on how the protein spools around which DNA winds -- called histones -- are marked by other proteins. ... > full story

Chinese herbal paste may help prevent exacerbations of COPD (May 22, 2011) -- A traditional Chinese herbal paste known as Xiao Chuan, or XCP, may help reduce winter exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a new study conducted by researchers in Beijing. The paste has been used to treat breathing difficulties in China for more than a thousand years. ... > full story

Engineers scale up process that could improve economics of ethanol production (May 22, 2011) -- Engineers have built a pilot plant to test a process designed to improve ethanol production. They're growing fungi on some of ethanol's leftovers to make a quality animal feed and to clean water so it can be recycled back into fuel production. The researchers think the fungi could also be developed into a low-cost nutritional supplement for people. ... > full story

Octopuses make some pretty good moves (May 22, 2011) -- In case you thought that octopuses were smart only in guessing the outcome of soccer matches (remember the late Paul the octopus in Germany who picked all the right winners in last year's world cup matches in Johannesburg?), scientists have now shown that not only are they smart, they can make some pretty good moves as well. ... > full story

How retinas develop: Scientists make strides in vision research (May 22, 2011) -- New research is contributing to the basic biological understanding of how retinas develop. In two new studies, scientists document how they used mice as a research model organism to show that the size of different populations of retinal neurons display wide-ranging variability among individuals. ... > full story

Scientists discover switch to speed up stem cell production (May 22, 2011) -- A team of scientists from Singapore have shown how proteins involved in controlling genes work together to carry out their functions in stem cells and demonstrated for the very first time, how they can change interaction partners to make other types of cells. ... > full story

New method of unreeling cocoons could extend silk industry beyond Asia (May 22, 2011) -- The development and successful testing of a method for unreeling the strands of silk in wild silkworm cocoons could clear the way for establishment of new silk industries not only in Asia but also in vast areas of Africa and South America. ... > full story

How ants tame the wilderness: Rainforest species use chemicals to identify which plants to prune (May 22, 2011) -- Survival in the depths of the tropical rainforest not only depends on a species' ability to defend itself, but can be reliant on the type of cooperation researchers discovered between ants and tropical trees. The research reveals how the ants use chemical signals on their host tree to distinguish them from competing plant species. Once a competing plant is recognized the ants prune them to defend their host. ... > full story

Wildlife in trouble from oil palm plantations, researchers say (May 22, 2011) -- Palm oil plantations are having a catastrophic effect on the sustainability of a variety of plant and animal species, scientists in the UK have discovered. ... > full story

New strategy aims to reduce agricultural ammonia (May 22, 2011) -- Scientists report how natural plant compounds known as tannins can reduce both the amount of nitrogen cows excrete in urine, and the action of a microbial enzyme in manure that converts the nitrogen into ammonia on the barn floor. ... > full story

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

From gene to protein: Control is mainly in the cytoplasm, not cell nucleus (May 20, 2011) -- How do genes control us? This fundamental question still remains elusive despite decades of research. Genes are blueprints for proteins, but it is the proteins that actually carry out vital functions. But how is protein production controlled? Researchers have now comprehensively quantified gene expression for the first time and found out that control mainly occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell and not in the cell nucleus. ... > full story

Building a better mouse model to study depression (May 20, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a mouse model of major depressive disorder (MDD) that is based on a rare genetic mutation that appears to cause MDD in the majority of people who inherit it. The findings could help clarify the brain events that lead to MDD and contribute to new and better means of treatment and prevention. ... > full story

Archaeologists uncover oldest mine in the Americas (May 20, 2011) -- Archaeologists have discovered a 12,000-year-old iron oxide mine in Chile that marks the oldest evidence of organized mining ever found in the Americas, according to a new article. ... > full story

Sniff sniff: Smelling led to smarter mammals, researchers say (May 20, 2011) -- A rose by any other name would smell as sweet; the saying is perhaps a testament to the acute sense of smell that is unique to mammals. Paleontologists have now discovered that an improved sense of smell jumpstarted brain evolution in the ancestral cousins of present-day mammals. ... > full story

Localizing fruit, vegetable consumption doesn't necessarily solve environmental, health issues, study suggests (May 20, 2011) -- To an environmental studies professor it seemed as though Santa Barbara County would be a great example of what many are advocating as a solution to the problems of a conventional agrifood network -- a local food system. ... > full story

Atomic-scale structures of ribosome could help improve antibiotics: How protein-making machine bends without breaking (May 20, 2011) -- In a development that could lead to better antibiotics, scientists have derived atomic-scale resolution structures of the cell's protein-making machine, the ribosome, at key stages of its job. The structures reveal that the ribosome's ability to rotate an incredible amount without falling apart is due to the never-before-seen springiness of molecular widgets that hold it together. ... > full story

Malaria risk reduced by genetic predisposition for cell suicide, study finds (May 20, 2011) -- A human genetic variant associated with an almost 30 percent reduced risk of developing severe malaria has been identified. Scientists reveal that a variant at the FAS locus can prevent an excessive and potentially hazardous immune response in infected children. ... > full story

Can river sediment be used to repair the coast? (May 20, 2011) -- They say that time and tide wait for no man -- well, neither does the mighty Mississippi River. While near record-breaking water levels are expected any day now and safety precautions are being taken, one professor explained how the river's meandering historic path and silty contents might offer a future ray of hope. ... > full story

Peculiar feeding mechanism of the first vertebrates (May 20, 2011) -- A fang-like tooth on double upper lips, spiny teeth on the tongue and a pulley-like mechanism to move the tongue backwards and forwards -- this bizarre bite belongs to a conodont and, thanks to a fresh fossil find, has now been analyzed and reconstructed by paleontologists. Their analysis sheds some light on the evolutionary origin of jaws. Using a 3D animated model, the reconstruction shows for the first time how the first vertebrates fed. ... > full story

Ocean warming detrimental to inshore fish species, Australian scientists report (May 20, 2011) -- Australian scientists have reported the first known detrimental impact of southern hemisphere ocean warming on a fish species. ... > full story

Wireless sensor network monitors microclimate in the forest (May 20, 2011) -- During a forest monitoring operation, forestry scientists measure various environmental values. This is how they obtain indications about how the forests are changing and what can be done to preserve them. However, installing and maintaining the wired measuring stations is complex: Researchers developed a wireless alternative. ... > full story

Japan's 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake: Surprising findings about energy distribution over fault slip and stress accumulation (May 20, 2011) -- When the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and resulting tsunami struck off the northeast coast of Japan on March 11, they caused widespread destruction and death. Using observations from a dense regional geodetic network (allowing measurements of earth movement to be gathered from GPS satellite data), globally distributed broadband seismographic networks, and open-ocean tsunami data, researchers have begun to construct numerous models that describe how the earth moved that day. ... > full story

New understanding of chronic otitis media may inform future treatment (May 20, 2011) -- In most children with chronic otitis media, biofilms laden with Haemophilus influenzae cling to the adenoids, while among a similar population suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, that pathogen is usually absent, according to new research. ... > full story

Studies focus on feed ingredient's effects on levels of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle (May 20, 2011) -- After corn is processed to make ethanol, what's left of the corn looks something like slightly dampened cornmeal, though a somewhat darker yellow, and not as finely ground. Known as "wet distiller's grains with solubles," this byproduct is sometimes used as a cattle feed ingredient. Researchers are studying the pros and cons of that practice. ... > full story

440-year-old document sheds new light on native population decline under Spanish colonial rule (May 20, 2011) -- Analysis of a 440-year-old document reveals new details about native population decline in the heartland of the Inca Empire following Spanish conquest in the 16th century. ... > full story

New level of genetic diversity discovered in human RNA sequences (May 19, 2011) -- A detailed comparison of DNA and RNA in human cells has uncovered a surprising number of cases where the corresponding sequences are not, as has long been assumed, identical. The RNA-DNA differences generate proteins that do not precisely match the genes that encode them. ... > full story

It's not easy being green: Scientists grow understanding of how photosynthesis is regulated (May 19, 2011) -- The seeds sprouting in your spring garden may still be struggling to reach the sun. If so, they are consuming a finite energy pack contained within each seed. Once those resources are depleted, the plant cell nucleus must be ready to switch on a "green" photosynthetic program. Researchers recently showed a new way that those signals are relayed. ... > full story