ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Wednesday, August 3, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Wednesday, August 3, 2011

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Why diets don't work: Starved brain cells eat themselves, study finds (August 3, 2011) -- A new report might help to explain why it's so frustratingly difficult to stick to a diet. When we don't eat, hunger-inducing neurons in the brain start eating bits of themselves. That act of self-cannibalism turns up a hunger signal to prompt eating. ... > full story

Special software helps researchers identify individual animals when studying behavior in the wild (August 3, 2011) -- With the aim of better protecting endangered species, game wardens are studying the behavior of surviving great apes in the wild. This is often painstaking work because it is difficult to distinguish between different individuals. A new software system will make things easier by analyzing the animals' faces for individual identification. ... > full story

Some plants duplicate their DNA to overcome adversity (August 3, 2011) -- Whatever does not kill a plant may actually make it stronger. After being partially eaten by grazing animals, for example, some plants grow bigger and faster and reproduce more successfully than they otherwise would. In a new study, researchers report that one secret to these plants' post-traumatic triumph lies in their ability to duplicate their chromosomes -- again and again -- without undergoing cell division. ... > full story

New freeze-dry method good for processing fish (August 3, 2011) -- A quicker freeze-dry technique used to process salmon cubes could potentially be applied to add value to meat components considered to be less appealing, according to a researcher. ... > full story

First true view of global erosion (August 2, 2011) -- Two Vermont geologists have created the first-ever standardized view of pre-human erosion rates for the whole planet. Their study is part of an effort to create a model that can predict global patterns of erosion -- and how these patterns will respond to climate change. ... > full story

Mice point to a therapy for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (August 2, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a mouse model for Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) neuropathy, a hereditary disease of the peripheral nervous system. They also found a potential therapy for this incurable disease. The treatment not only halted the damage to the nerves and the atrophy of the muscles, it even succeeded in reversing the symptoms. ... > full story

Avoiding Nemesis: Does impact rate for asteroids and comets vary periodically with time? (August 2, 2011) -- Is Earth more likely or less likely to be hit by an asteroid or comet now as compared to, say, 20 million years ago? Several studies have claimed to have found periodic variations, with the probability of giant impacts increasing and decreasing in a regular pattern. Now a new analysis shows those simple periodic patterns to be statistical artifacts. The results indicate either that Earth is as likely to suffer a major impact now as it was in the past, or that there has been a slight increase impact rate events over the past 250 million years. ... > full story

Researchers help find natural products potential of frankia bacteria (August 2, 2011) -- Soil-dwelling bacteria of the genus Frankia have the potential to produce a multitude of natural products, including antibiotics, herbicides, pigments, anticancer agents, and other useful products, according to a new article. ... > full story

Solar cells get a boost from bouncing light (August 2, 2011) -- A new twist on an old solar cell design sends light ricocheting through layers of microscopic spheres, increasing its electricity-generating potential by 26 percent. ... > full story

Ancient tides quite different from today -- some dramatically higher, some lower (August 2, 2011) -- The ebb and flow of the ocean tides, generally thought to be one of the most predictable forces on Earth, are actually quite variable over long time periods, in ways that have not been adequately accounted for in most evaluations of prehistoric sea level changes. Due to phenomena such as ice ages, plate tectonics, land uplift, erosion and sedimentation, tides have changed dramatically over thousands of years and may change again in the future, a new study concludes. ... > full story

New study identifies emergence of multidrug-resistant strain of salmonella (August 2, 2011) -- A new study has identified the recent emergence of a multidrug-resistant strain of Salmonella that has a high level resistance to ciprofloxacin, a common treatment for severe Salmonella infections. ... > full story

Minority microbes in the colon mapped (August 2, 2011) -- They make up less than one-hundredth of 1 percent of the microbes that live in the colon, but the bacteria and archaea that sop up hydrogen in the gut are fundamental to colon health. In a new study, researchers take a first look at these "hydrogenotrophic" microbes, mapping where they live and how abundant they are in different parts of the lower intestine. ... > full story

A hot topic: Radioactive decay is key ingredient behind Earth's heat, research shows (August 2, 2011) -- Nearly half of the Earth's heat comes from the radioactive decay of materials inside, according to physicists. ... > full story

Exposure to magnetic fields in pregnancy increases asthma risk, study suggests (August 2, 2011) -- Women with high exposure to magnetic fields during pregnancy may have a higher risk of asthma in their children, according to a new study. ... > full story

Bear bile chemical could help keep hearts in rhythm (August 2, 2011) -- A synthesized compound which is also found in bear bile could help prevent disturbances in the heart's normal rhythm, according to new research. ... > full story

Microbial study reveals sophisticated sensory response (August 2, 2011) -- All biological sensory systems, including the five human senses, have something in common: when exposed to a sustained change in sensory input, the sense eventually acclimates and notices subsequent changes without comparing them with the initial condition. This autonomous tuning of perceptions, known as sensory adaptation, has been recognized for more than a century. A new study demonstrates that even microbes have sensory adaptation so precise that their behavior remains identical in ever-changing background conditions. ... > full story

A new catalyst for ethanol made from biomass: Potential renewable path to fuel additives, rubber and solvents (August 2, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new catalyst material that could replace chemicals currently derived from petroleum and be the basis for more environmentally friendly products including octane-boosting gas and fuel additives, bio-based rubber for tires and a safer solvent for the chemicals industry. ... > full story

Ancient glacial melting shows that small amount of subsurface warming can trigger rapid collapse of ice shelves (August 2, 2011) -- An analysis of prehistoric "Heinrich events" that happened many thousands of years ago, creating mass discharges of icebergs into the North Atlantic Ocean, make it clear that very small amounts of subsurface warming of water can trigger a rapid collapse of ice shelves. The results are important due to concerns that warmer water could cause a comparatively fast collapse of ice shelves in Antarctica or Greenland. ... > full story

US sets drought monitor's 'exceptional drought' record in July (August 2, 2011) -- The percent of contiguous US land area experiencing the worst form of drought reached the highest levels in the history of the US Drought Monitor in July, officials said. ... > full story

Researchers 'genetically fingerprinting' E. coli from watersheds (August 2, 2011) -- Researchers have been collecting water samples at 30 river sites -- 15 in the Lampasas River watershed and 15 in the Leon River watershed -- monthly since February. They've also been taking fecal samples from all over the watersheds of known possible sources: home septic systems, wildlife, livestock, pets and water-treatment plants. The samples are then "genetically fingerprinted" to determine exactly what the source of E. coli is. ... > full story

NASA satellite tracks severity of African drought (August 2, 2011) -- Northeast Africa continues to reel from the effects of the worst drought to strike the region in decades. ... > full story

Menu labels in university canteens do not influence meal choices (August 2, 2011) -- Menu labels with nutrition information on canteen meals do not influence students’ meal choices and nutrient intakes, concludes a new study. The study results appear just now that cities such as New York and Philadelphia require fast-food restaurants and vending machines to include nutrition information. ... > full story

The last great wilderness: Human impact on the deep sea (August 1, 2011) -- Over 20 deep-sea experts participating in the Census of Marine Life project SYNDEEP conducted a semi-quantitative analysis of the most important anthropogenic impacts that affect deep-sea habitats at the global scale in past, present and future scenarios. Which deep-sea habitats are at highest risk in the short and mid-term, as well as what will be the main anthropogenic impacts affecting these areas are identified in a new paper. ... > full story

Aerosols affect climate more than satellite estimates predict (August 1, 2011) -- Aerosol particles, including soot and sulfur dioxide from burning fossil fuels, essentially mask the effects of greenhouse gases and are at the heart of the biggest uncertainty in climate change prediction. New research shows that satellite-based projections of aerosols' effect on Earth's climate significantly underestimate their impacts. ... > full story

Microbes consumed oil in Gulf slick at unexpected rates, study finds (August 1, 2011) -- In the first published study to explain the role of microbes in breaking down the oil slick on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, researchers have found that bacterial microbes inside the slick degraded the oil at a rate five times faster than microbes outside the slick -- accounting in large part for the disappearance of the slick some three weeks after Deepwater Horizon's Macondo well was shut off. ... > full story

Nobel Prize winner’s unfinished symphony (August 1, 2011) -- When Robert Burns Woodward passed away in 1979 he left 699 pages of handwritten notes. Because R.B. Woodward was a Nobel Laureate (Chemistry, 1965) his family had carefully preserved his notes for posterity. An extensive study has now uncovered hidden treasures in these notes. ... > full story

Greenhouse gas impact of hydroelectric reservoirs downgraded (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have amassed the largest data set to date on greenhouse gas emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs. Their analysis posits that these human-made systems emit about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide and methane previously attributed to them. ... > full story

Physics could be behind the secrets of crop-circle artists (August 1, 2011) -- Researchers takes a serious, objective look at a topic that critics might claim is beyond scientific understanding -- crop circles. ... > full story

Chemists transform acids into bases: Research offers vast family of new catalysts for use in drug discovery, biotechnology (August 1, 2011) -- Chemists have accomplished in the lab what until now was considered impossible: transform a family of compounds which are acids into bases. Their research shows it is possible to replace phosphorus ligands in catalysts with boron ligands. While phosphorus is toxic, boron is not. The research makes possible a vast array of chemical reactions -- such as those used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, manufacturing new materials and research academic institutions. ... > full story

Without competition, island frogs evolve rapidly (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have documented the rapid evolution of new fanged frog species on the island of Sulawesi, near the Philippines. ... > full story

New duck-billed dinosaur gives scientists clues to evolution of head ornamentation and provinciality (August 1, 2011) -- A new genus and species of hadrosaur (duck-billed) dinosaur -- the oldest duck-billed dinosaur known from North America -- has been named by scientists who expect the discovery to shed new light on dinosaur evolution. ... > full story

Pathogens and insecticides: A lethal cocktail for honeybees (August 1, 2011) -- For over 15 years, bee colonies have been plagued by a strange disease that causes the disappearance of thousands of colonies every year and is poorly understood by beekeepers and scientists. Researchers have now found that infection by Nosema ceranae, a parasite that causes Nosema disease, results in higher mortality among honeybees when they are exposed to low doses of insecticides. ... > full story

Evolution in the back yard: Census of 750,000 banded snails leads to surprising results (August 1, 2011) -- Thousands of members of the public across Europe have taken part in one of the largest evolutionary studies ever, by observing banded snails in their gardens and open public spaces. ... > full story

Rainforest plant developed 'sonar dish' to attract pollinating bats (August 1, 2011) -- How plants sound as well as how they look helps them to attract pollinators, a new study has found. Researchers discovered that a rainforest vine, pollinated by bats, has evolved dish-shaped leaves with such conspicuous echoes that nectar-feeding bats can find its flowers twice as fast by echolocation. ... > full story

Researchers map long-range migrations and habitats of leatherback sea turtles in the Pacific Ocean (August 1, 2011) -- Endangered leatherback sea turtles migrate and forage across vast areas of the Pacific Ocean and Indo-Pacific seas and require greater international collaboration for their protection, according to a recent study. The study is based on data from 126 leatherbacks tracked by satellite and supports continuing research to improve conservation efforts for this endangered species by better understanding how oceanographic features influence their migration and foraging behavior. ... > full story

New discoveries on gene regulation in the evolution of the vertebrate brain (August 1, 2011) -- Alternative splicing of RNA transcripts is a process leading to differential gene expression and the production of different proteins, which is the key to cell differentiation and a foundation of many diseases. Researchers have now described the generation of a gene network regulated by the splicing factor NOVA1 during the development of the central nervous system in vertebrates. ... > full story

Cows clock-in for monitored mealtimes (August 1, 2011) -- Electronic ear tags are being trialled by scientists in a bid to provide farmers with an extra line of defense against diseases such as foot and mouth and TB. ... > full story

Electronic tongue identifies cava wines (August 1, 2011) -- Researchers have developed an electronic tongue which can identify different types of cava wines, thanks to a combination of sensor systems and advanced mathematical procedures. The device automatically produces classifications similar to those of a sommelier and can be useful in detecting defects during the elaboration of these wines. ... > full story

Possible association between maternal exposure to magnetic fields and development of asthma in children (August 1, 2011) -- Children whose mothers had high exposure to magnetic fields (MF) during pregnancy appear to have an increased risk of developing asthma, according to a new study. ... > full story

New insight into silica deposition in horsetail (August 1, 2011) -- Researchers in the UK have found that callose initiated silica formation in undersaturated solutions of silicic acid and catalysed silica formation in saturated solutions of silicic acid. The former is the first example of any biomolecule that has been shown to be capable of inducing silica formation in an undersaturated solution of silicic acid. ... > full story

Researchers target, switch off serotonin-producing neurons in mice; New insights may be relevant to sudden infant death syndrome (July 31, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a toolkit that enables them to turn off targeted cell populations while leaving others unaffected. The group focused on serotonin-producing neurons, observing how mice behave in a normal environment when suddenly their serotonin neurons are turned down. ... > full story

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics: The more they resist, the more they divide (July 31, 2011) -- The number of multiresistant strains of bacteria in hospitals is increasing. Bacteria acquire resistance to antibiotics through mutations in their chromosomes and by incorporating new genes, either from the surrounding environment or from other bacteria. Now, researchers in Portugal have shown that, surprisingly, when both mechanisms of resistance are playing out in the bacterium E. coli, its ability to survive and reproduce is increased. ... > full story

Using a 'systems biology' approach to look under the hood of an aggressive form of breast cancer (July 31, 2011) -- Using a "systems biology" approach -- which focuses on understanding the complex relationships between biological systems -- to look under the hood of an aggressive form of breast cancer, researchers for the first time have identified a set of proteins in the blood that change in abundance long before the cancer is clinically detectable. ... > full story

Soybean genetic treasure trove found in Swedish village (July 31, 2011) -- The first screening of the American ancestors of soybeans for tolerance to ozone and other stresses had an eye-opening result: The world superstars of stress resistance hailed from a little village in far northern Sweden, called Fiskeby. ... > full story

How bats stay on target despite the clutter (July 30, 2011) -- Neuroscientists have learned how bats can remain on target despite obstacles. The key lies in bats' neural response to echoes from their sonar pulses: Differences in delay as short as 3 microseconds between parts of an echo is enough to tell the bat the object may not be its target. The research could lead to more precise targeting by sonar-led vehicles. ... > full story

Warming climate could give exotic grasses edge over natives (July 30, 2011) -- With rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall, California's native grasses will likely suffer at the hands of exotic invasive grasses, which are more equipped to deal with warmer weather. That is the conclusion of researchers who analyzed all exotic and native grasses in the state and predicted their likely range changes with changing climate. ... > full story

Largest-ever map of plant protein interactions (July 30, 2011) -- Researchers have mapped and analyzed thousands of protein-to-protein interactions within the cells of Arabidopsis thaliana -- a variety of mustard plant that is to plant biology what the lab mouse is to human biology. The research promises to enable biologists to make agricultural plants more nutritious and more resistant to drought and diseases. ... > full story

Powerful fluorescence tool lights the way to new insights into RNA of living cells (July 30, 2011) -- The ability to tag proteins with a green fluorescent light to watch how they behave inside cells so revolutionized the understanding of protein biology that it earned the scientific teams who developed the technique Nobel Prizes in 2008. Now, researchers have developed a similar fluorescent tool that can track the mysterious workings of the various forms of cellular RNA. ... > full story

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