ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Tuesday, May 31, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Global warming may increase the capacity of trees to store carbon (May 31, 2011) -- One helpful action anyone can take in response to global warming is to plant trees and preserve forests. Trees and plants capture carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, thereby removing the most abundant greenhouse gas from the atmosphere and storing some of it in their woody tissue. New research shows that global warming may affect the capacity of trees to store carbon by altering the forest nitrogen cycling. A field experiment showed that warmer temperatures stimulated the gain of carbon stored in trees as woody tissue. ... > full story

Dietary inorganic nitrate may reduce heart dysfunction caused by powerful anti-cancer drug (May 31, 2011) -- Researchers have found that nutrient supplementation, like the kind that is found in leafy greens, spinach and lettuce, may reduce the damage to the heart caused by a powerful anti-cancer drug. ... > full story

Mating rivalry among furred and feathered: Variety is spice of life (May 31, 2011) -- Birds do it. Bees do it. Fish, lobsters, frogs and lizards do it, too. But when it comes to securing a mate in the animal world, variety is literally the spice of life. A group of scientists has found flexibility in mating rituals is the key to reproductive success when males outnumber females. ... > full story

Cover crop seeder pulls triple duty for small farms (May 31, 2011) -- Farmers using a cover crop seeder developed by agricultural scientists may eventually need only a single trip across the field to accomplish what takes most farmers three passes and several pieces of equipment to do. ... > full story

More focus needed on mental health triage in disaster preparedness, bioethicists urge (May 31, 2011) -- Bioethicists say disaster-response planning has overlooked the needs of people who suffer from pre-existing, serious mental conditions. Survivors already diagnosed with schizophrenia, dementia, addictions and bipolar disorder are vulnerable long before disaster strikes, they point out. ... > full story

Scientists discover the largest assembly of whale sharks ever recorded (May 30, 2011) -- Whale sharks are often thought to be solitary behemoths that live and feed in the open ocean. However, scientists have now found that this is not necessarily the case, finding that whale sharks can be gregarious and amass in the hundreds to feed in coastal waters. ... > full story

Assessing the influence of Alaska glaciers is slippery work (May 30, 2011) -- With an estimated 34,000 square miles of ice, an area about the size of Maine, Alaska's multitude of glaciers have a global impact. Scientists have now outlined the complexity and influence of Alaska glaciers in the journal Science. ... > full story

Can you hear me now? Songbirds tweak their tunes in different ways to cope with clamor (May 30, 2011) -- Some birds that live near noisy sites can alter their songs to deal with din. But closely related species with similar songs may tweak their tunes in different ways, says a new study. ... > full story

Flexible films for photovoltaics (May 30, 2011) -- Displays that can be rolled up and flexible solar cells -- both are potential future markets. Barrier layers that protect thin-film solar cells from oxygen and water vapor and thus increase their useful life are an essential component. ... > full story

New synchrotron technique could see hidden building blocks of life (May 30, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new synchrotron X-ray technique that may revolutionize the chemical analysis of rare materials like meteoric rock samples or fossils. ... > full story

Sewage-derived nitrogen increasingly polluting Caribbean ecosystems (May 30, 2011) -- A new study finds that while fertilizer has been the dominant source of nitrogen pollution in Caribbean coastal ecosystems for the past 50 years, such pollution is on the decline. But now, sewage-derived nitrogen is increasingly becoming the top source of such pollution in those areas. ... > full story

Ocean acidification will likely reduce diversity, resiliency in coral reef ecosystems (May 30, 2011) -- Ocean acidification, along with increased ocean temperatures, will likely severely reduce the diversity and resilience of coral reef ecosystems within this century, new research suggests. ... > full story

What is a laboratory mouse? (May 30, 2011) -- Scientists have created a genome-wide, high-resolution map of most of the inbred mouse strains used today. Their conclusion: Most of the mice in use today represent only limited genetic diversity, which could be significantly expanded with the addition of more wild mouse populations. ... > full story

Biological circuits for synthetic biology (May 29, 2011) -- Using the tools of synthetic biology, researchers have engineered the first RNA-based regulatory system that can independently control the transcription activities of multiple targets in a single cell. This is a significant advance for the design and construction of programmable genetic networks. ... > full story

Iron-ferrying protein may be 'universal Achilles heel' for parasitic worms (May 29, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a tiny protein without which the soil and lab-dwelling worm C. elegans can't deliver iron-rich heme taken in from their diets to the rest of their bodies or to their developing embryos. The finding offers important insight into the transport of the essential ingredient in worms and other animals, including humans. ... > full story

Reindeer see a weird and wonderful world of ultraviolet light (May 29, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that the ultraviolet (UV) light that causes the temporary but painful condition of snow blindness in humans is life-saving for reindeer in the Arctic. ... > full story

Combo method reveals cells' signal systems (May 29, 2011) -- Our understanding of what differentiates cancer cells from normal cells is limited by a lack of methods for studying the complex signal systems of individual cells. By combing two different methods, researchers have now provided the research world with a tool for studying signal paths on several levels at the same time. ... > full story

New software tool helps evaluate natural cooling options for buildings (May 29, 2011) -- A new, free software tool could prove to be a breath of fresh air for architects and designers of ventilation systems for "green" commercial buildings. ... > full story

Stars help researchers track space junk (May 29, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a method to track the movement of geostationary objects using the position of the stars, which could help to monitor space debris. The technique can be used with small telescopes and in places that are not very dark. ... > full story

Mapping ocean surface currents: West coast radar network is world's largest (May 29, 2011) -- A network of high-frequency radar systems designed for mapping ocean surface currents now provides detail of coastal ocean dynamics along the US West Coast never before available. ... > full story

Scientists argue against conclusion that bacteria consumed Deepwater Horizon methane (May 29, 2011) -- New research casts doubt on a widely publicized study that concluded that a bacterial bloom in the Gulf of Mexico consumed the methane discharged from the Deepwater Horizon well. ... > full story

Significant role played by oceans in ancient global cooling (May 28, 2011) -- Thirty-eight million years ago, tropical jungles thrived in what are now the cornfields of the American Midwest and furry marsupials wandered temperate forests in what is now the frozen Antarctic. A debate has long been raging in the scientific community on what changes in our global climate system led to such a major shift from the more tropical, greenhouse climate of the Eocene to the modern and much cooler climates of today. Researchers have now found some of the strongest evidence to date that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) played a key role in the major shift in the global climate that began approximately 38 million years ago. ... > full story

Cystic fibrosis-associated bacteria could help fight back against antibiotic resistance (May 28, 2011) -- A bacteria which infects people with cystic fibrosis could help combat other antibiotic-resistant microbes, according to new research. Scientists have discovered antibiotics from Burkholderia are effective against MRSA and even other cystic fibrosis infecting bacteria. ... > full story

Better viewing through fluorescent nanotubes when peering into innards of a mouse (May 28, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a way to see deeper -- and more clearly -- into bodily organs of laboratory mice used in studies of medications. Fluorescent carbon nanotubes, injected into the mice, provide clearer images. ... > full story

Climate change and marine mammals: Winners and losers (May 28, 2011) -- Current hotspots of marine mammal diversity are concentrated in the temperate waters of the southern hemisphere, and the number of cetacean and pinniped species will likely remain highest in these areas in the coming 40 years -- regardless of climate change. However, on the level of individual species the picture may be different: Whereas about half the species of marine mammals will experience some loss in their habitat, distributional ranges of the other half may increase by up to 40 percent. ... > full story

Human impacts of rising oceans will extend well beyond coasts (May 28, 2011) -- Estimates that are based on current, static population data can greatly misrepresent the true extent -- and the pronounced variability -- of the human toll of climate change, researchers say. ... > full story

What fish is on your plate? How new technologies can tackle fishing fraud (May 28, 2011) -- Low-cost catfish fillets sold as expensive sole fillets or cod caught in the North Sea but declared as originating from the Baltic Sea are both examples of types of fraud in the fisheries sector. A new report shows how molecular technologies - based on genetics, genomics, chemistry and forensics - can provide clear answers to questions such as "what species does this fish product come from....where was this fish caught....is it wild or farmed?" ... > full story

Bleach in the Icelandic Volcanic Cloud (May 27, 2011) -- Chlorine in the ash plume of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull attacked atmospheric trace gases. One year after the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland brought European air traffic to a standstill its ash plume revealed a surprising scientific finding: Researchers found that the ash plume contained not only the common volcanic gas sulfur dioxide, but also free chlorine radicals. Chlorine radicals are extremely reactive and even small amounts can have a profound impact on local atmospheric chemistry. The findings give solid evidence of volcanic plume chlorine radical chemistry and allowed calculations of chlorine radical concentrations. ... > full story

Green and lean: Secreting bacteria eliminate cost barriers for renewable biofuel production (May 27, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a process that removes a key obstacle to producing low-cost, renewable biofuels from bacteria. The team has reprogrammed photosynthetic microbes to secrete high-energy fats, making byproduct recovery and conversion to biofuels easier and potentially more commercially viable. ... > full story

Naturally occurring plant alkaloids could slow down Alzheimer's disease, study suggests (May 27, 2011) -- A family of naturally occurring plant compounds could help prevent or delay memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

Secret lives of feral and free-roaming house cats tracked (May 27, 2011) -- Researchers (and some cat-owners) wanted to know: What do feral and free-roaming house cats do when they're out of sight? A two-year study offers a first look at the daily lives of these feline paupers and princes, whose territories overlap on the urban, suburban, rural and agricultural edges of many towns. ... > full story

Nanoengineers invent new biomaterial that more closely mimics human tissue (May 27, 2011) -- A new biomaterial designed for repairing damaged human tissue doesn't wrinkle up when it is stretched. The invention from nanoengineers marks a significant breakthrough in tissue engineering because it more closely mimics the properties of native human tissue. ... > full story

Innate immune system proteins attack bacteria by triggering bacterial suicide mechanisms (May 27, 2011) -- A group of proteins that act as the body's built-in line of defense against invading bacteria use a molecular trick to induce bacteria to destroy themselves, researchers have determined. The research could point the way toward new anti-bacterial treatments that could take on bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. ... > full story

Extensive protein interaction network controls gene regulation (May 27, 2011) -- More than half of your DNA is devoted to regulating how the genes that make proteins -- the workhorses of the cells -- carry out their tasks. A team of scientists have identified and classified virtually all the transcriptional coregulators in a human cells. These coregulators control how and to what degree genes are turned on or off as well as when they are active and for how long. ... > full story

Nuclear radiation affects sex of babies, study suggests (May 27, 2011) -- Ionizing radiation is not without danger to human populations. Indeed, exposure to nuclear radiation leads to an increase in male births relative to female births, according to a new study by researchers in Germany. Their work shows that radiation from atomic bomb testing before the Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963, the Chernobyl accident, and from living near nuclear facilities, has had a long-term negative effect on the ratio of male to female human births (sex odds). ... > full story

'Policing' stops cheaters from dominating groups of cooperative bacteria (May 27, 2011) -- For cooperation to persist in the often violently competitive realm of bacteria, cheaters must be kept in line. Biologists have now learned that in one bacterium, at least, bacterial cooperators can evolve to "police" the cheaters and arrest their bids for dominance. ... > full story

Researchers evaluate red wine compound for treating concussions in pro boxers (May 27, 2011) -- Researchers are engaging the help of professional boxers and trainers to study whether a component in red wine and grapes could help reduce the short- and long-term effects of concussions. ... > full story

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