ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, May 27, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, May 27, 2011

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Structure formed by strep protein can trigger toxic shock (May 27, 2011) -- Strep can turn deadly when a protein found on its surface triggers a widespread inflammatory reaction. The protein links with a host protein that is normally involved in blood clotting to form scaffolds. These assemble into dense superstructures that immune cells mistake for blood clots and overreact, leading to sepsis, shock, organ failure and death. ... > full story

Orphan chimpanzees successfully released into the wild using advanced GPS technology (May 27, 2011) -- The 2008 release of 12 orphan chimpanzees into the wild using sophisticated GPS tracking technology has been deemed a success by the project team. The release was the first of its kind to use VHF-GPS store-on-board ARGOS tracking collars to monitor the progress of the chimpanzees. It is also only the second time that rehabilitated chimpanzees have been released back into the wild in an area where other wild chimpanzees live. ... > full story

Medicines from plants (May 27, 2011) -- Some people think of herbal teas, others of tobacco when they hear the buzzword 'medicines from plants'. One research team succeeded in producing biopharmaceuticals -- such as an antibody against HIV, for example -- in tobacco plants. ... > full story

High risk of Parkinson's disease for people exposed to pesticides near workplace: Pesticide ziram implicated as possible cause for disease (May 26, 2011) -- Researchers have found that exposure to certain pesticides increased the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) by three-fold, for non-farm workers who simply lived near fields being sprayed. Further, the study also implicates the pesticide ziram in the pathology of PD. ... > full story

Fossil of giant ancient sea predator discovered (May 26, 2011) -- Paleontologists have discovered that a group of remarkable ancient sea creatures existed for much longer and grew to much larger sizes than previously thought, thanks to extraordinarily well-preserved fossils discovered in Morocco. The giant fossilized anomalocaridid measures one meter in length and dates back to the Ordovician period, suggesting these animals existed for 30 million years longer than previously realized. ... > full story

Two gene classes linked to new prion formation (May 26, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered two classes of yeast genes that may hold clues as to why proteins take on the misfolded prion form, a condition associated with several neurodegenerative diseases, such as "mad cow." ... > full story

Estimating landfill gas potential (May 26, 2011) -- Research suggests that landfill gas-recovery projects should be implemented quickly if the maximum amount of methane gas is to be retrieved from organic waste in as short as time as possible, according to a new study. ... > full story

Scientists detect Earth-equivalent amount of water within the moon (May 26, 2011) -- The moon has much more water than previously thought, a scientific team has discovered. First-time measurements of lunar melt inclusions show that some parts of the lunar mantle have as much water as the Earth's upper mantle. The results may change the prevailing theory about the Moon's origin as well as shed new light on the origin of water at the lunar poles. Results appear in Science Express. ... > full story

Antibiotics overused for children with asthma and urinary tract infections, studies suggest (May 26, 2011) -- Some antibiotics may be overused for children with asthma and urinary tract infections, new research suggests. The findings raise concerns around breeding drug resistance in children and underscore the need for pediatricians to take a more prudent approach when prescribing antibiotic medications. In the case of asthma, the findings have led to a new trial, in which the value of targeted antibiotics is being tested. ... > full story

Fungi reduce need for fertilizer in agriculture (May 26, 2011) -- The next agricultural revolution may be sparked by fungi, helping to greatly increase food-production for the growing needs of the planet without the need for massive amounts of fertilizers according to new research. ... > full story

Scientists debunk theory on end of 'Snowball Earth' ice age (May 26, 2011) -- Scientists report that the rocks on which much of a theory on how the "Snowball Earth" ice age ended was based were formed millions of years after the ice age ended, and were formed at temperatures so high there could have been no living creatures associated with them. ... > full story

Monkeys can play Monday morning quarterback, too (May 26, 2011) -- Regret has long been viewed as an exclusively human thought, one which helps prevent us from repeating bad choices but becomes debilitating when it triggers obsessive thoughts about past actions. Now a new study shows that monkeys also can be Monday morning quarterbacks and visualize alternative, hypothetical outcomes. ... > full story

Unique canine tooth from 'Peking man' found in Swedish museum collection (May 26, 2011) -- Fossils from so-called Peking man are extremely rare, as most of the finds disappeared during World War II. A unique discovery has been made at the Museum of Evolution at Uppsala University -- a canine tooth from Peking Man, untouched since it was dug up in the 1920s in China. ... > full story

Teaching algae to make fuel: New process could lead to production of hydrogen using bioengineered microorganisms (May 26, 2011) -- Many kinds of algae and cyanobacteria, common water-dwelling microorganisms, are capable of using energy from sunlight to split water molecules and release hydrogen, which holds promise as a clean and carbon-free fuel for the future. One reason this approach hasn't yet been harnessed for fuel production is that under ordinary circumstances, hydrogen production takes a back seat to the production of compounds that the organisms use to support their own growth. ... > full story

Northern abalone: Endangered gourmet sea snail could be doomed by increasing ocean acidity (May 26, 2011) -- Increasing levels of ocean acidity could spell doom for British Columbia's already beleaguered northern abalone, according to the first study to provide direct experimental evidence that changing sea water chemistry is negatively affecting an endangered species. ... > full story

Substance in tangerines fights obesity and protects against heart disease, research suggests (May 26, 2011) -- A substance in tangerines not only helps to prevent obesity, but also offers protection against type 2 diabetes, and even atherosclerosis, the underlying disease responsible for most heart attacks and strokes, new research suggests. ... > full story

'Sweet wheat' for tastier and more healthful baking (May 26, 2011) -- "Sweet wheat" has the potential for joining that summertime delight among vegetables -- sweet corn -- as a tasty and healthful part of the diet, the scientific team that developed this mutant form of wheat concludes in a new study. ... > full story

Long-term study of swine flu viruses shows increasing viral diversity (May 25, 2011) -- Although swine influenza viruses usually sicken only pigs, potentially one might also spark a pandemic in people, as occurred with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Because few long-term studies have surveyed flu viruses in swine, however, gaps exist in what is known about the evolution of swine influenza viruses and the conditions that enable a swine virus to infect humans and cause disease. Increased transportation of live pigs appears to have driven an increase in the diversity of swine influenza viruses found in the animals in Hong Kong over the last three decades, according to a new study. ... > full story

2020 vision of vaccines for malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS (May 25, 2011) -- In a new article, experts discuss recent advances in vaccine development. New tools including systems biology and structure-based antigen design could lead to a deeper understanding of mechanisms of protection and illuminate the path to rational vaccine development to lift the burden of the world's most devastating infectious diseases. ... > full story

Smallest insect filmed in flight (May 25, 2011) -- Scientists have taken high-speed camera footage of parasitic wasps with about a one mm wingspan. The team made films of the tiny flying insects at 22,000 frames per second. That is almost 900 times faster than a TV-screen can show. In the time between two TV images, the wasp has beaten its wings 14 times. ... > full story

Using microbes to generate electricity? (May 25, 2011) -- Using bacteria to generate energy is a significant step closer following a breakthrough discovery. Researchers now demonstrate for the first time the exact molecular structure of the proteins which enable bacterial cells to transfer electrical charge. ... > full story

Improving health assessments with a single cell: Portable microchip for immune monitoring and clinical applications (May 25, 2011) -- There's a wealth of health information hiding in the human immune system. Accessing it, however, can be very challenging, as the many and complex roles that the immune system plays can mask the critical information that is relevant to addressing specific health issues. Now, research has shown that a new generation of microchips can quickly and inexpensively assess immune function. ... > full story

Chlorine and childhood cancer (May 25, 2011) -- A significant positive association between the risk of childhood leukemia and levels of chlorine-containing chemicals in the atmosphere has been found by researchers in Portugal. ... > full story

NASA's TRMM satellite saw heavy rainfall in supercell that spawned Joplin, Missouri tornado (May 25, 2011) -- On Sunday May 22, 2011, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured an image of the rainfall rate in the supercell thunderstorm that generated the deadly twister that struck Joplin, Missouri. ... > full story

Do bacteria play role in weather events? High concentration of bacteria in center of hailstones, researchers report (May 25, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a high concentration of bacteria in the center of hailstones, suggesting that airborne microorganisms may be responsible for that and other weather events. ... > full story

Bacteria use caffeine as food source (May 25, 2011) -- A new bacterium that uses caffeine for food has been discovered. The bacterium uses newly discovered digestive enzymes to break down the caffeine, which allows it to live and grow. ... > full story

Dual parasitic infections deadly to marine mammals (May 25, 2011) -- A study of tissue samples from 161 marine mammals that died between 2004 and 2009 in the Pacific Northwest reveals an association between severe illness and co-infection with two kinds of parasites normally found in land animals. One, Sarcocystis neurona, is a newcomer to the northwest coastal region of North America and is not known to infect people, while the other, Toxoplasma gondii, has been established there for some time and caused a large outbreak of disease in people in 1995. ... > full story

T. rex leech, Titanic-eating bacterium, batfish that hops and glow-in-the-dark fungi: Scientists list top 10 new species (May 25, 2011) -- A committee of taxonomists from around the world announced their picks for the top 10 new species described in 2010. The May 23 announcement coincided with the anniversary of the birth of Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist who was responsible for the modern system of plant and animal names and classifications. ... > full story

Birch mouse ancestor discovered in Inner Mongolia is new species of rare 'living fossil' (May 25, 2011) -- Fossils from Inner Mongolia are a new species of birch mice, Sicista primus. This significantly extends the geologic history of the rodent family that includes jumping mice. The teeth from sediments 17 million years old distinguish the birch mice genus Sicista as a rare "living fossil" and indicate Sicista migrated from Asia to North America, contrary to what scientists previously hypothesized. ... > full story

Heart failure risk lower in women who often eat baked/broiled fish (May 25, 2011) -- Risk of developing heart failure may be lower for postmenopausal women who frequently eat baked or broiled fish, but higher for those who eat more fried fish, according to researchers. In a recent study, dark fish such as salmon was healthier for the heart than tuna or white fish such as sole. Eating fried fish one or more times per week was associated with a 48 percent higher risk of heart failure in postmenopausal women compared to those who ate it infrequently. ... > full story

Unusual earthquake gave Japan tsunami extra punch, say scientists (May 25, 2011) -- The March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan were generated on a fault that didn't rupture the usual way, according to researchers. The rupture initially shot westward, then slowed and began rupturing rapidly eastward. The "flip-flop" fault motion first shook Honshu violently, then deformed seafloor sediments on the fault plane with such force that they triggered the huge tsunami. What researchers don't know is whether comparable faults could behave in a similar fashion. ... > full story

Healing power of hydrogen peroxide: How injured cells regenerate during wound healing (May 25, 2011) -- New information has come to light explaining how injured skin cells and touch-sensing nerve fibers regenerate during wound healing. It was found that a chemical signal released by wounded skin cells promotes the regeneration of sensory fibers, thus helping to ensure that touch sensation is restored to healing skin. The reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide, which is found at high concentrations at wounds, was found to be a key component of this signal. ... > full story

Beyond the barn: Keeping dairy cows outside is good for the outdoors (May 24, 2011) -- Computer simulation studies suggest that a dairy cow living year-round in the great outdoors may leave a markedly smaller ecological hoofprint than its more sheltered sisters. ... > full story

Population genetics reveals shared ancestries: DNA links modern Europeans, Middle Easterners to Sub-Saharan Africans (May 24, 2011) -- More than just a tool for predicting health, modern genetics is upending long-held assumptions about who we are. A recent study casts new light on the intermingling and migration of European, Middle Eastern and African and populations since ancient times. ... > full story

Rethinking extinction risk? Criteria for assessing risk of extinction in plants should be reconsidered, experts argue (May 24, 2011) -- For over 40 years, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has published the Red List of Threatened Species describing the conservation status of various species of animals. They're now also including plants in their lists and the picture they present is dramatic: according to recent estimates, around 20 percent of flowering plants are at risk of extinction. Now, however, new research suggests that the criteria for assessing extinction risk in plants should be reconsidered. ... > full story

Two Greenland glaciers lose enough ice to fill Lake Erie (May 24, 2011) -- A new study aimed at refining the way scientists measure ice loss in Greenland is providing a "high-definition picture" of climate-caused changes on the island. And the picture isn't pretty. In the last decade, two of the largest three glaciers draining that frozen landscape have lost enough ice that, if melted, could have filled Lake Erie. ... > full story

Cockroach allergens in homes associated with prevalence of childhood asthma in some neighborhoods (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers compared the household presence of cockroach, mouse, cat, dust mite and other allergens in neighborhoods with a high prevalence of asthma to that in low-prevalence neighborhoods. They found that cockroach, mouse and cat allergens were significantly higher in homes located in neighborhoods where asthma is more common and that children in these higher-exposure homes were more likely to be sensitized to cockroach antigens. ... > full story

New way to analyze a bloody crime scene: Chicken wing sauce and trigonometry brought to bear on CSI enigma (May 24, 2011) -- Physicists have worked out a system that can often determine exactly where blood spatters originate, a critical piece of evidence in not only solving a crime but securing a conviction. ... > full story

Common fire retardant harmful to aquatic life (May 24, 2011) -- Environmental health researchers found that zebra fish exposed to several different technical mixtures of polybrominated diphenyl ethers -- a common fire retardant -- during early development can have developmental malformations, changes in behavior and death. ... > full story

Natural product shows pain-killing properties (May 24, 2011) -- Scientists have for the first time accomplished a laboratory synthesis of a rare natural product isolated from the bark of a plant widely employed in traditional medicine. This advance may provide the scientific foundation to develop an effective alternative to commonly prescribed narcotic pain treatments. ... > full story

Scientists find odd twist in slow 'earthquakes': Tremor running backwards (May 24, 2011) -- Scientists find that in an unfelt, weeks-long seismic phenomenon called episodic tremor and slip, the tremor can suddenly reverse direction and travel back through areas of the fault that it had ruptured in preceding days. ... > full story

Mushroom compound suppresses prostate tumors (May 24, 2011) -- A mushroom used in Asia for its medicinal benefits has been found to be 100 percent effective in suppressing prostate tumor development in mice during early trials, new research shows. ... > full story

New device could reduce surgical scarring (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a special wound dressing that they report was able to significantly reduced scar tissue caused by incisions. ... > full story

Mediterranean Sea invaded by hundreds of alien species (May 24, 2011) -- More than 900 new alien species have been encountered in the coastal environments of the eastern Mediterranean Sea in recent decades, including the poisonous pufferfish. The invasion of alien species has had the consequence that the whole food chain is changing, while there is a lack of knowledge on which to base relevant risk assessments, a four-year study shows. ... > full story

Globalization exposes food supply to unsanitary practices, scientists say (May 24, 2011) -- As the United States continues to import increasingly more of its food from developing nations, we are putting ourselves at greater risk of foodborne disease as many of these countries do not have the same sanitary standards as the U.S. for production, especially in the case of seafood and fresh produce, say scientists. In 2010 over 80% of fish and seafood consumed in the United States was imported, and much of that came from Asia. Raw domestic sewage and/or livestock manure are frequently used in fish farming in many Asian countries. In Thailand some chicken coops sit in rows suspended over ponds that hold shrimp and fish that feed on the waste that falls from above. ... > full story

Ants give new evidence for interaction networks (May 24, 2011) -- Social networks may function differently than previously thought, researchers have discovered by taking clues from ant colonies. ... > full story

Scientists identify most proteins made by parasitic worm (May 24, 2011) -- Scientists have completed a large-scale analysis of most of the proteins produced by Brugia malayi, one kind of parasitic worm that causes lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis. The greatly swollen lower limbs that can result from chronic infection with this mosquito-borne parasite can be severely disabling. ... > full story

California's energy future: Aggressive efficiency and electrification needed to cut emissions (May 24, 2011) -- In the next 40 years, California's demand for energy is expected to double. So can it really reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, as required by an executive order? Scientists who authored a new report on California's energy future are optimistic that the target can be achieved, though not without bold policy and behavioral changes as well as some scientific innovation. ... > full story