ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, August 12, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, August 12, 2011

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Flatworms provide new insight into organ regeneration and the evolution of mammalian kidneys (August 12, 2011) -- Our bodies are perfectly capable of renewing billions of cells every day but fail miserably when it comes to replacing damaged organs such as kidneys. Using the flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea -- famous for its capacity to regrow complete animals from minuscule flecks of tissue -- as an eloquent example, researchers have demonstrated how our distant evolutionary cousins regenerate their excretory systems from scratch. ... > full story

El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake was simple on surface, complicated at depth, new data show (August 12, 2011) -- Like scars that remain on the skin long after a wound has healed, earthquake fault lines can be traced on Earth's surface long after their initial rupture. Typically, this line of intersection between the area where the fault slips and the ground is more complicated at the surface than at depth. But a new study of the April 4, 2010, El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake in Mexico reveals a reversal of this trend. ... > full story

Route for eliciting HIV-neutralizing antibodies mapped (August 12, 2011) -- Researchers have traced in detail how certain powerful HIV neutralizing antibodies evolve, a finding that generates vital clues to guide the design of a preventive HIV vaccine, according to a new study. ... > full story

New approach to sustain 'forage' fishing (August 12, 2011) -- Reduced catches of small oceanic "forage" fish like sardines and anchovies may be required in some ocean areas in order to protect the larger predators that rely on these species for food. ... > full story

Researchers fight cholera with computer forecasting (August 12, 2011) -- Just as the rainy season is driving a new surge of cholera cases in Haiti, a new computational model could forecast where outbreaks are likely to occur. Researchers hope to target anti-cholera efforts where they are most needed in the earthquake-ravaged country. ... > full story

Genomes sequenced: Bugs within mealybugs; and bugs within bugs within mealybugs (August 11, 2011) -- In the case of sap-feeding insects, intimate associations with microbes offer a source for essential nutrients that their sugary diets just don't include. Now, researchers have new insight into organisms that have taken this symbiotic lifestyle to the extreme; they have sequenced the genomes of two species of bacteria that live together, one inside of the other, inside mealybugs. ... > full story

Software predicted risk in California West Nile virus epidemic (August 11, 2011) -- A computer model of the spread of West Nile virus was able to predict areas where human cases would be concentrated, especially around Sacramento in 2005. The success of the model, say researchers, depended on its focus on biological factors and on a high volume of reports from members of the public. ... > full story

Hidden soil fungus, now revealed, is in a class all its own (August 11, 2011) -- A type of fungus that's been lurking underground for millions of years, previously known to science only through its DNA, has been cultured, photographed, named and assigned a place on the tree of life. ... > full story

Urban impacts on phosphorus in streams (August 11, 2011) -- Scientists have investigated the link between human sources of phosphorus and phosphorus concentrations in rivers draining into California's Central Valley. ... > full story

Scientists discover how molecular motors go into 'energy save mode' (August 11, 2011) -- The transport system inside living cells is a well-oiled machine with tiny protein motors hauling vital cargo around the cell. A new study describes how the motors save energy, when their transport services aren't required. The solution to this molecular puzzle provides new insight into how molecular motor proteins are regulated, and may open new avenues for the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's. ... > full story

Researchers decode workings of mysterious, but critical TB drug (August 11, 2011) -- A new study suggests that PZA binds to a specific protein named RpsA and inhibits trans-translation, a process that enables the TB bacteria to survive under stressful conditions. ... > full story

New technology could capture ammonia from liquid manure (August 11, 2011) -- A new method of extracting ammonium from liquid animal manure could be exciting news for both confined animal operations and environmental groups, according to an engineer. The method uses gas-permeable membrane technology that tests have shown could remove 50 percent of the dissolved ammonium in liquid manure in 20 days. ... > full story

Eating protein throughout the day preserves muscle and physical function in dieting postmenopausal women, study suggests (August 11, 2011) -- Dieting postmenopausal women who want to avoid losing muscle as they lose fat should pay attention to a new study. Adding protein throughout the day not only holds hunger pangs at bay so that dieters lose more weight, it keeps body composition -- the amount of fat relative to muscle -- in better proportion. ... > full story

Hydrogen-powered symbiotic bacteria found in deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussels (August 11, 2011) -- While intensive research efforts have gone into developing ways to harness hydrogen energy to fuel our everyday lives, a natural example of a living hydrogen-powered 'fuel cell' has gone unnoticed. Researchers have now discovered hydrogen-powered symbiotic bacteria in deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussels. ... > full story

How a particular gene makes night vision possible (August 11, 2011) -- Scientists have determined how a particular gene makes night vision possible. The study focuses on a gene called nyctalopin. Mutations in the gene result in inherited "night blindness," a loss of vision in low-light environments. ... > full story

Genetically engineered spider silk for gene therapy (August 11, 2011) -- Genetically engineered spider silk could help overcome a major barrier to the use of gene therapy in everyday medicine, according to a new study. ... > full story

Red meat linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes (August 11, 2011) -- Researchers have found a strong association between the consumption of red meat -- particularly when the meat is processed -- and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The study also shows that replacing red meat with healthier proteins, such as low-fat dairy, nuts, or whole grains, can significantly lower the risk. ... > full story

Why vertebrate intestines are so predictably loopy: Gut coils with help from its elastic neighbor (August 11, 2011) -- Between conception and birth, the human gut grows more than two meters long, looping and coiling within the tiny abdomen. Within a given species, the developing vertebrate gut always loops into the same formation -- however, until now, it has not been clear why. ... > full story

Early evidence suggests that TB jab could help fight cancer (August 11, 2011) -- Scientists have found a potential new mechanism to stimulate the body’s own ability to fight cancer using the germ commonly used to inoculate against tuberculosis. ... > full story

Antioxidant spices, like turmeric and cinnamon, reduce negative effects of high-fat meal (August 11, 2011) -- Eating a diet rich in spices, like turmeric and cinnamon, reduces the body's negative responses to eating high-fat meals, according to new research. ... > full story

Carbon sink: Up-and-coming forests replacing aging forests of Upper Great Lakes (August 11, 2011) -- The aging forests of the Upper Great Lakes could be considered the baby boomers of the region's ecosystem. The decline of trees in this area is a cause for concern among policymakers and ecologists who wonder whether the end of the forests' most productive years means they will no longer offer the benefits they are known for: cleansed air, fertile soil, filtered water and, most important to climate change analysts, carbon storage that offsets greenhouse gas emissions. Now researchers say that coming up right underneath the old forests is a new generation of native trees that are younger, more diverse and highly competitive. ... > full story

Engineers reverse E. coli metabolism for quick production of fuels, chemicals (August 11, 2011) -- In a biotechnological tour de force, engineering researchers have now unveiled a new method for converting simple glucose into biofuels and petrochemical substitutes that is up to 10 times faster than previously reported methods. Researchers have reversed one of the most efficient of all metabolic pathways -- the beta oxidation cycle -- to engineer bacteria that make biofuel at a breakneck pace. ... > full story

How an antibiotic-producing organism controls resistance to its own antibiotic (August 11, 2011) -- Working out the structure of a complex formed when a protein binds to DNA has proved to be key in understanding how an antibiotic-producing organism controls resistance to its own antibiotic, and may be an example of how other antibiotic producers regulate export to prevent self-toxicity. ... > full story

Did global methane level-off because of less dependency on oil or new farming practices? (August 11, 2011) -- Two new articles reach markedly different conclusions about why methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas, unexpectedly leveled off near the end of the 20th century. ... > full story

Poultry farms that go organic have significantly fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria (August 11, 2011) -- Poultry farms that have transitioned from conventional to organic practices and ceased using antibiotics have significantly lower levels of drug-resistant enterococci bacteria. The findings suggest that removing antibiotic use from large-scale US poultry farms can result in immediate and significant reductions in antibiotic resistance for some bacteria. ... > full story

Working towards replacing platinum in fuel cells: Performance of iron-based catalysts improved (August 11, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new and improved iron-based catalyst capable of generating even more electric power in fuel cells for transportation applications. Previously, only platinum-based catalysts could produce similar performance. ... > full story

New fungi class formally identified (August 11, 2011) -- Scientists have cultured, characterized and formally named a new class of fungi that previously had only been identified through DNA sequencing from environmental samples. ... > full story

Hydrogen provides energy for bacteria in 'extreme' habitats (August 11, 2011) -- In deep ocean waters, some organisms can thrive in a presumably hostile type of ecosystem: hydrothermal vents, which have been the focus of extensive research for more than 30 years. Today, an international study reveals for the first time that bacteria living in association with hydrothermal mussels are capable of using hydrogen as an energy source to produce organic matter. ... > full story

Bird song-sharing like verbal sparring (August 10, 2011) -- While singing the same songs as your neighbors may sound harmonious, new research suggests that song-sharing amongst song sparrow populations is actually an aggressive behavior, akin to flinging insults back and forth. ... > full story

Deep recycling in Earth faster than thought (August 10, 2011) -- The recycling of Earth's crust in volcanoes happens much faster than scientists have previously assumed. Rock of the oceanic crust, which sinks deep into the earth due to the movement of tectonic plates, reemerges through volcanic eruptions after around 500 million years. ... > full story

Is this how simple life got complicated? (August 10, 2011) -- A new study has created an analog of what researchers think the first multicellular cooperation might have looked like, showing that yeast cells -- in an environment that requires them to work for their food -- grow and reproduce better in multicellular clumps than singly. ... > full story

High energy output found from algae-based fuel, but 'no silver bullet' (August 10, 2011) -- Algae-based fuel is one of many options among the array of possible future energy sources. New research shows that while algae-based transportation fuels produce high energy output with minimal land use, their production could come with significant environmental burdens. ... > full story

Study builds on plausible scenario for origin of life on Earth (August 10, 2011) -- A relatively simple combination of naturally occurring sugars and amino acids offers a plausible route to the building blocks of life, according to a new article. The study shows how the precursors to RNA could have formed on Earth before any life existed. ... > full story

Prenatal pet exposure, delivery mode, race are key factors in early allergy risk, study finds (August 10, 2011) -- Prenatal pet exposure, a mother's delivery mode and race are influential factors in a child's risk of developing allergies by age 2, according to a new study. Researchers found that babies who have indoor prenatal pet exposure have a pattern of lower levels of the antibody Immunoglobulin E, or IgE, between birth and age 2. IgE is linked to the development of allergies and asthma. ... > full story

New eruption discovered at undersea volcano, after successfully forecasting the event (August 10, 2011) -- Scientists just discovered a new eruption of Axial Seamount, an undersea volcano located about 250 miles off the Oregon coast -- and one of the most active and intensely studied seamounts in the world. The event is intriguing because the scientists had forecast the eruption starting five years ago -- the first successful forecast of an undersea volcano. ... > full story

Baker's yeast protects against fatal infections (August 10, 2011) -- Injecting mice with simple baker's yeast protects against the fatal fungal infection, aspergillosis, according to new research. The work could lead to the development of a human vaccine that protects immuno-compromised people against a range of life-threatening fungal infections, for which current therapy often fails. ... > full story

New insights into the how the powerhouse of the cell works (August 10, 2011) -- Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. They are thought to have evolved more than a billion years ago from primitive bacterium which was engulfed by an early eukaryotic cell resulting in endosymbiotic relationships between the host cell and the newly formed organelle. During evolution the vast majority of the mitochondrial genetic material left the organelle and got integrated into the nucleus of the host cell. Hence, most of the mitochondrial proteins are synthesized outside of the organelle and have to be imported into the various internal mitochondrial compartments. ... > full story

Polar dinosaur tracks open new trail to past (August 10, 2011) -- Paleontologists have discovered a group of more than 20 polar dinosaur tracks on the coast of Victoria, Australia, offering a rare glimpse into animal behavior during the last period of pronounced global warming, about 105 million years ago. ... > full story

Mosquitoes can't spot a spermless mate (August 10, 2011) -- A female mosquito cannot tell if the male that she has mated with is fertile or 'spermless' and unable to fertilize her eggs, according to a new study. The research could help scientists in their mission to prevent the spread of malaria by interfering with the mosquitoes' ability to reproduce. ... > full story

Waging war on invasive plant species: Effects of invasives persist even after removal (August 10, 2011) -- Invasive species cost an estimated .4 trillion annually in their environmental and economic impacts worldwide and are second only to habitat loss as a threat to biodiversity. As scientists struggle with the challenge of controlling invasive species, the question of why some species are so successful continually arises. ... > full story

Hybrid solar system makes rooftop hydrogen (August 10, 2011) -- While roofs across the world sport photovoltaic solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity, an engineer believes a novel hybrid system can wring even more useful energy out of the sun's rays. Instead of systems based on standard solar panels, an engineer proposes a hybrid option in which sunlight heats a combination of water and methanol in a maze of glass tubes on a rooftop. After two catalytic reactions, the system produces hydrogen much more efficiently than current technology without significant impurities. The resulting hydrogen can be stored and used on demand in fuel cells. ... > full story

Divot resistance in golf course turfgrass (August 10, 2011) -- Scientists have evaluated 12 cultivars of turfgrass with the objective of determining the grasses' divot resistances. Golfers hit golf balls on each cultivar of turfgrass, and the divots created by their shots were rated visually for divot type and severity, and the volume of displaced soil was measured. ... > full story

Solar flares: What does it take to be X-class? Sun emits an X-Class flare on August 9, 2011 (August 9, 2011) -- Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light and high speed particles into space. These flares are often associated with solar magnetic storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The number of solar flares increases approximately every 11 years, and the sun is currently moving towards another solar maximum, likely in 2013. That means more flares will be coming, some small and some big enough to send their radiation all the way to Earth. ... > full story

New insights into biology of germ cells: Machinery for recombination is part of chromosome structure (August 9, 2011) -- During the development of gametes, such as egg and sperm cells in humans, chromosomes are broken and rearranged at many positions. Using state of the art technology, researchers in Austria have analyzed this process at high resolution. The surprising observations regarding the mechanism of meiosis are now published in a new article. ... > full story

Study of abalone yields new insights into sexual reproduction (August 9, 2011) -- In new research that could have implications for increasing fertilization in humans and other mammals, life scientists have studied interactions between individual sperm and individual eggs in the natural habitats of abalone -- a large marine snail -- and made precise chemical measurements and developed physical models of these interactions. They are the first scientists to do so. ... > full story

Flaxseed may be effective in protecting against harmful effects of radiation (August 9, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that flax might have a new use for the 21st century: protecting healthy tissues and organs from the harmful effects of radiation. Researchers have found that a diet of flaxseed given to mice not only protects lung tissues before exposure to radiation, but can also significantly reduce damage after exposure occurs. ... > full story

Archaeologists uncover 3,000-year-old lion adorning citadel gate complex in Turkey (August 9, 2011) -- Archaeologists in southeastern Turkey have unearthed the remains of a monumental gate complex adorned with stone sculptures, including a magnificently carved lion. The gate complex provided access to the citadel of Kunulua, capital of the Neo-Hittite Kingdom of Patina (ca. 950-725 BCE), and is reminiscent of the citadel gate excavated by British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley in 1911 at the royal Hittite city of Carchemish. ... > full story

Connecting the dots: Dental medicine team describes how enamel forms (August 9, 2011) -- Dental medicine researchers are piecing together the process of tooth enamel biomineralization, which could lead to novel nanoscale approaches to developing biomaterials. ... > full story

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