ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, August 5, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, August 5, 2011

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

Targeting innate immunity in malaria: Novel DNA sensing pathway linked to increased susceptibility to malaria (August 5, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered a novel DNA-sensing pathway important to the triggering of an innate immune response for malaria. Activation of this pathway appears to stimulate production of an overabundance of type-1 interferon by the immune system that may contribute to inflammation and fever in malaria patients and could play a part in susceptibility for the most common and lethal form of malaria known as plasmodium falciparum. ... > full story

Earliest image of Egyptian ruler wearing 'white crown' of royalty brought to light (August 5, 2011) -- The earliest known image of an Egyptian ruler wearing the "White Crown" associated with Egyptian dynastic power has been brought to light by archaeologists. ... > full story

Tools to imagine the forest of the future (August 5, 2011) -- Can we predict the future regeneration of a forest given that at time T, a volume V of wood is extracted? What effects will the cut have on the competition between young and old trees in their efforts to gain access to light? Researchers are developing simulation models to anticipate the impact of future management decisions over different time scales in order to ensure the long-term balance between wood-production systems and other forest functions. ... > full story

Large variations in Arctic sea ice: Polar ice much less stable than previously thought, study finds (August 4, 2011) -- For the last 10,000 years, summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has been far from constant. For several thousand years, there was much less sea ice in The Arctic Ocean -- probably less than half of current amounts, according to a new study. ... > full story

Surprising condition occurs in lungs after an invasion of mold, study shows (August 4, 2011) -- Researchers have found a surprising condition that occurs in the lungs after an invasion of a common, but potentially dangerous, mold. ... > full story

Are pet owners healthier and happier? Maybe not (August 4, 2011) -- For many people, Fido and Fluffy are more than just pets, they're true and equal members of the family. And it's not hard to see why. Our pets greet us at the door after a long day of work, settle in our laps while we're watching TV, or 'sing' along when we hum a tune. They provide companionship and even a sense of comfort. Yet according to new research there simply isn't strong evidence for the general claim that living with a pet makes for a happier, healthier or longer life. ... > full story

Fossils of forest rodents found in highland desert (August 4, 2011) -- Two new rodent fossils were discovered in the arid highlands of southern Bolivia. An online article describes the new species, a possible third, and two known species that are new inhabitants to that location. ... > full story

La Nina's distant effects in East Africa: Droughts and floods are remote-controlled climate effects (August 4, 2011) -- For 20,000 years, climate variability in East Africa has been following a pattern that is evidently a remote effect of the ENSO phenomenon (El Nino Southern Oscillation) known as El Nino/La Nina. During the cold phase of La Nina, there is marginal rainfall and stronger winds in East Africa, while the El Nino warm phase leads to weak wind conditions with frequent rain. ... > full story

Cells die so defensive organs can live (August 4, 2011) -- A new study demonstrates the trade-off between the development of defensive organs and the regression of mouth parts during termite evolution. Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that programmed cell death - a process by which cells deliberately destroy themselves - is involved in mandibular regression in termites. And it appears this regression may be the price to pay for the formation of termites' defensive organs. ... > full story

Bellybutton microbiomes: Ecological research on the human biome (August 4, 2011) -- Human skin is teeming with microbes -- communities of bacteria, many of which are harmless, live alongside the more infamous microbes sometimes found on the skin. Researchers recently set out to dispel the myth that all bacteria on the skin are disease-causing germs. ... > full story

Aggressive drug therapy aids superbug evolution, research finds (August 4, 2011) -- New research raises troubling concerns about the use of aggressive drug therapies to treat a wide range of diseases such as MRSA, C. difficile, malaria and even cancer. ... > full story

Researchers develop fully cooked food-aid product (August 4, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a fully cooked food-aid product called Instant Corn Soy Blend that supplements meals, particularly for young children. ... > full story

Mold exposure during infancy increases asthma risk, study finds (August 4, 2011) -- Infants who live in "moldy" homes are three times more likely to develop asthma by age 7 -- an age that children can be accurately diagnosed with the condition, according to a new study. ... > full story

A wise man's treatment for arthritis: Frankincense? (August 4, 2011) -- The answer to treating painful arthritis could lie in an age old herbal remedy -- frankincense, according to scientists. They have been examining the potential benefits of frankincense to help relieve and alleviate the symptoms of the condition. ... > full story

What steers vampire bats to blood: Heat-detecting molecules on noses discovered (August 4, 2011) -- Scientists have known for years that when vampire bats tear through an animal's skin with their razor-sharp teeth, their noses guide them to the best spots -- where a precise bite will strike a vein and spill forth nourishing blood. But nobody knew exactly how bats knew where to bite. ... > full story

Human hearts respond differently than mouse hearts to two cardiovascular drugs (August 4, 2011) -- Two recent research studies have found differences between the distribution of potassium-ion-channel variants in the mouse heart and in the human heart. In the mouse, the ion channels in the atria are different from those in the ventricles. In people there is no such chamber specificity. The difference is crucially important for the development of safe and effective cardiovascular drugs. ... > full story

Rising carbon dioxide could reverse drying effects of higher temperatures on rangelands (August 4, 2011) -- Rising carbon dioxide levels can reverse the drying effects of predicted higher temperatures on semi-arid rangelands, according to a new study by a team of US Department of Agriculture and university scientists. ... > full story

Slowing climate change by targeting gases other than carbon dioxide (August 4, 2011) -- Carbon dioxide remains the undisputed king of recent climate change, but other greenhouse gases measurably contribute to the problem. A new study shows that cutting emissions of those other gases could slow changes in climate that are expected in the future. ... > full story

New paper examines future of seawater desalinization (August 4, 2011) -- Researchers have made a critical review of the state of seawater desalination technology. ... > full story

East Africa's climate under the spell of El Niño since the last Ice Age (August 4, 2011) -- The current severe drought in East Africa is being attributed to La Niña conditions that prevailed in the Pacific until May 2011. The waxing and waning of rainfall in eastern tropical Africa in unison with El Niño-Southern Oscillation is not unusual and existed already 20,000 years ago, though the region's last 3,000 years have seen a less stable climate, according to a study published by an international group of scientists on August 5 in Science. ... > full story

Learning to live with fire (August 4, 2011) -- European forests are regularly attacked by fire with often disastrous ecological, economic and social consequences. The most common reaction has been to fight fires at all costs. Today, a new concept for managing fire is emerging, taking into account its positive aspects. ... > full story

Protection against falling rock (August 4, 2011) -- In the mountains, rock falls occur at the end of fall and beginning of spring, when thermal variation is the greatest. Rockfall nets and other types of structures can be installed to protect the buildings and roads below. However, field observations have revealed that mountain forests play a protective role. They slow and can even stop the downward progression of rocks, thus constituting an ecological and economic alternative to man-made structures. ... > full story

Better flood forecasting is possible (August 4, 2011) -- A number of disasters are there to remind us of the vulnerability of life and property to floods. Scientists have now developed better forecasting tools to warn the public and the authorities and enable zones at risk to prepare. ... > full story

Six million years of savanna: Grasslands, wooded grasslands accompanied human evolution (August 3, 2011) -- Scientists have used chemical isotopes in ancient soil to measure prehistoric tree cover -- in effect, shade -- and found that grassy, tree-dotted savannas prevailed at most East African sites where human ancestors and their ape relatives evolved during the past 6 million years. ... > full story

Scientists find way to identify synthetic biofuels in atmosphere (August 3, 2011) -- Chemists have discovered a technique to track urban atmospheric plumes, thanks to a unique isotopic signature found in vehicle emissions. ... > full story

One species of pathogen can produce two distinct biofilms (August 3, 2011) -- Many medical devices, ranging from artificial hip joints to dentures and catheters, can come with unwelcome guests -- complex communities of microbial pathogens called biofilms that are resistant to the human immune system and antibiotics, thus proving a serious threat to human health. However, researchers may have a new way of looking at biofilms, thanks to a new study. ... > full story

Natural killer cells participate in immune response against HIV (August 3, 2011) -- A new study shows for the first time that natural killer cells, which are part of the body's first-line defense against infection, can contribute to the immune response against HIV. ... > full story

Carbon hitches a ride from field to market: Agriculture's mobile nature makes predicting regional greenhouse gas impacts more complex (August 3, 2011) -- New research that tracked carbon's movement in US crop production found that regional carbon sinks and sources are created because agricultural crops are consumed far away from where they're grown. ... > full story

Cape Cod Bay holds hidden risk for dining North Atlantic right whales (August 3, 2011) -- Tracking their dinner may be the best way to help North Atlantic right whales in Cape Cod Bay avoid being hit by recreational and commercial boats, according to a team of researchers who studied the whales for two years. ... > full story

Cooked green vegetables, dried fruit, legumes, and brown rice associated with fewer colon polyps (August 3, 2011) -- Eating legumes at least three times a week and brown rice at least once a week was linked to a reduced risk of colon polyps by 33 percent and 40 percent respectively, according to new research. High consumption of cooked green vegetables and dried fruit was also associated with greater protection, the study shows. ... > full story

Simulated atmosphere research to help NASA interpret data from Juno mission to Jupiter (August 3, 2011) -- In August of 2016, when NASA's Juno Mission begins sending back information about the atmosphere of the planet Jupiter, research done by engineers using a 2,400-pound pressure vessel will help scientists understand what the data means. ... > full story

Plant biologists dissect genetic mechanism enabling plants to overcome environmental challenge (August 3, 2011) -- Plant biologists have discovered at the genetic level how a vitally important species of grass plant -- maize, or corn -- responds to the challenge to growth posed by shade. Central to this work is the team's identification of the role played by a gene called grassy tillers1, or gt1, whose expression, they confirmed, is controlled by light signaling. ... > full story

Ethanol-loving bacteria accelerate cracking of pipeline steels (August 3, 2011) -- US production of ethanol for fuel has been rising quickly. Researchers now caution that ethanol, and especially the bacteria sometimes found in it, can dramatically degrade pipelines. ... > full story

Breeding crops with deeper roots could 'slash CO<sub>2</sub> levels' (August 3, 2011) -- Breeding crops with roots a meter deeper in the ground could lower atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dramatically, with significant environmental benefits, according to new research. ... > full story

African rodent uses 'poison arrow' toxin to deter predators: First known mammal to use plant poison in defense (August 3, 2011) -- Woe to the clueless predator trying to make a meal of the African crested rat, a rodent that applies poisonous plant toxin to sponge-like hairs on its flanks, researchers have discovered. ... > full story

Scientists probe the energy transfer process in photosynthetic proteins (August 3, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new method to probe the fundamental workings of photosynthesis. The new experimental technique could help scientists better understand the nitty-gritty details of nature's amazingly efficient sunlight-to-fuel conversion system. ... > full story

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