ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, September 23, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, September 23, 2011

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Bioengineers reprogram muscles to combat degeneration (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers have turned back the clock on mature muscle tissue, coaxing it back to an earlier stem cell stage to form new muscle. Moreover, they showed in mice that the newly reprogrammed muscle stem cells could be used to help repair damaged tissue. The research could lead to new treatments to combat muscle degeneration. ... > full story

Aquarius yields NASA's first global map of ocean salinity (September 23, 2011) -- NASA's new Aquarius instrument has produced its first global map of the salinity of the ocean surface, providing an early glimpse of the mission's anticipated discoveries. Aquarius, which is aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas) observatory, is making NASA's first space observations of ocean surface salinity variations -- a key component of Earth's climate. Salinity changes are linked to the cycling of freshwater around the planet and influence ocean circulation. ... > full story

Novel technique reveals both gene number and protein expression simultaneously (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a method to simultaneously measure gene number and protein expression in individual cells. The fluorescence microscopy technique could permit a detailed analysis of the relationship between gene status and expression of the corresponding protein in cells and tissues, and bring a clearer understanding of cancer and other complex diseases. ... > full story

New metal hydride clusters provide insights into hydrogen storage (September 23, 2011) -- A new study has shed light on a class of heterometallic molecular structures whose unique features point the way to breakthroughs in the development of lightweight fuel cell technology. The structures contain a previously-unexplored combination of rare-earth and d-transition metals ideally suited to the compact storage of hydrogen. ... > full story

Evolutionary tree of life for mammals greatly improved (September 23, 2011) -- Biologists have released a large and robust DNA matrix that has representation for all mammalian families. The matrix -- the culmination of about five years of painstaking research -- has representatives for 99 percent of mammalian families, and covers not only the earliest history of mammalian diversification but also all the deepest divergences among living mammals. ... > full story

BPA alters development of in vitro ova and could increase risk of Down syndrome, study suggests (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers in Spain analysed the effects of bisphenol A (BPA), a polymer widely used to manufacture plastics, in an in vitro culture of ovaries. The research demonstrated that exposure to this substance gravely altered the development of oocytes and future ova, possibly diminishing the fertility of a woman's offspring and at the same time increasing the risk of Down Syndrome in following generations. ... > full story

El Niño and the tropical Eastern Pacific annual cycle run to the same beat (September 23, 2011) -- The interaction between El Niño events and the seasonal cycle of sea surface temperature in the eastern equatorial Pacific can be described through a nonlinear phase synchronization mechanism, according to a study by researchers in Hawaii. The findings are expected to improve prediction of El Niño events. ... > full story

Spiral constriction: How dynamin mediates cellular nutrient uptake (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers have determined the molecular structure of dynamin -- a "wire-puller" that mediates nutrient uptake into the cell. Since pathogens such as HIV can also enter the body's cells in this way, understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms can potentially open up new approaches for medical applications. ... > full story

Close up look at a microbial vaccination program (September 22, 2011) -- Researchers, using a combination of cryo-electron microscopy and 3-D image reconstruction, determined the structure of Cascade, a protein complex that plays a key role in the microbial immune system by detecting and inactivating the nucleic acid of invading pathogens. Microbial immune systems in the human microbiome play a critical role in preserving the health of their human host. ... > full story

Religion and ecology among China's Blang people (September 22, 2011) -- Fieldwork conducted by two researchers could help develop culturally appropriate conservation efforts and environmental education programs in a remote mountainous area of southwest China where deforestation is a major environmental issue. ... > full story

Aquarium fishes are more aggressive in reduced environments, new study finds (September 22, 2011) -- Fish in a cramped, barren space turn mean, a new study has found. With nearly 183 million ornamental fishes in tanks across the US, that's a big deal. ... > full story

New technique for dating silk (September 22, 2011) -- For the first time, scientists have developed a fast and reliable method to date silk. This new technique, which is based on capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry, has great potential to improve the authentication and dating of the priceless silk artifacts held in museum and other collections around the world. ... > full story

Carnivorous plant inspires coating that resists just about any liquids (September 22, 2011) -- Adopting the pitcher plant's slick prey-catching strategy, a group of applied scientists have created a material that repels just about any type of liquid, including blood and oil, and does so even under harsh conditions like high pressure and freezing temperatures. The bio-inspired liquid repellence technology should find applications in biomedical fluid handling, fuel transport, and anti-fouling and anti-icing technologies. It could even lead to self-cleaning windows and improved optical devices. ... > full story

Model provides successful seasonal forecast for the fate of Arctic sea ice (September 22, 2011) -- Relatively accurate predictions for summer sea ice extent in the Arctic can be made the previous autumn, but forecasting more than five years into the future requires understanding of the impact of climate trends on the ice pack. ... > full story

Bionic bacteria may help make new drugs, biofuels: Artificially enhanced bacteria capable of producing new kinds of synthetic chemicals (September 22, 2011) -- A strain of genetically enhanced bacteria developed by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies may pave the way for new synthetic drugs and new ways of manufacturing medicines and biofuels, according to a new paper. ... > full story

Steep increase in global CO<sub>2</sub> emissions despite reductions by industrialized countries with binding Kyoto targets (September 22, 2011) -- Global emissions of carbon dioxide -- the main cause of global warming -- increased by 45% between 1990 and 2010, and reached an all-time high of 33 billion tonnes in 2010. Increased energy efficiency, nuclear energy and the growing contribution of renewable energy are not compensating for the globally increasing demand for power and transport, which is strongest in developing countries, according to a new report. ... > full story

Scientists induce hibernation at will: Discovery puts scientists closer to human application (September 22, 2011) -- Hibernation is an essential survival strategy for some animals and scientists have long thought it could also hold promise for human survival. But how hibernation works is largely unknown. Scientists have successfully induced hibernation at will, showing how the process is initiated. ... > full story

Queen bee or worker bee? New insights into honeybee society caste system (September 22, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting deep new insights into whys and hows of the famous caste system that dominates honey bee societies, with a select few bee larvae destined for royalty and the masses for worker status. ... > full story

From protein to planes and pigskin: Discovery in insects' skin points to improved pest control, new bioplastics technology (September 22, 2011) -- The discovery that a protein in insect skin is responsible for protecting the insect as it molts its skin opens the possibilities for selective pest control and new biomaterials like football padding or lightweight aircraft components. It also debunks a more than 50-year-old belief about the protective shell of insects. ... > full story

Genetic 'GPS' system to comprehensively locate and track inhibitory nerve cells created (September 22, 2011) -- Neuroscientists have succeeded in creating what amounts to a GPS system for locating and tracking GABA inhibitory neurons, a vital class of brain cells that until now has eluded comprehensive identification, particularly in living animals. 20 mouse lines provide views of cortical GABA neurons not previously possible. ... > full story

U.S. Civil War took bigger toll than previously estimated, new analysis suggests (September 22, 2011) -- The Civil War -- already considered the deadliest conflict in American history -- in fact took a toll far more severe than previously estimated. That's what a new analysis of census data reveals. ... > full story

Smells may help birds find their homes, avoid inbreeding; Research may bring help to endangered species (September 22, 2011) -- Birds may have a more highly developed sense of smell than researchers previously thought, contend scholars who have found that penguins may use smell to determine if they are related to a potential mate. Smell may help guide them to their homes as well as avoid inbreeding, they say. ... > full story

Chinese researchers identify insect host species of a famous Tibetan medicinal fungus (September 22, 2011) -- Based on an extensive survey of the literature pertaining to the Chinese caterpillar fungus, a fungus with high medicinal and economic values, researchers investigated a total of 91 insect species and found 57 of these to be potential hosts to the fungus. ... > full story

Scientists sequence genome of man who was Aboriginal Australian (September 22, 2011) -- Researchers have for the first time sequenced the genome of a man who was an Aboriginal Australian. They have shown that modern day Aboriginal Australians are the direct descendents of the first people who arrived on the continent some 50,000 years ago and that those ancestors left Africa earlier than their European and Asian counterparts. ... > full story

Researchers discover how 'promiscuous parasites' hijack host immune cells (September 21, 2011) -- Researchers recently discovered how T. gondii evades our defenses by hacking immune cells, making it the first known parasite to control its host's immune system. A new study describes a forced partnership between parasite and host that challenges common conceptions of how pathogens interact with the body. ... > full story

Researchers' chance viewing of river cutoff forming provides rare insight (September 21, 2011) -- For two river researchers, new insight into river cutoffs was a case of being in the right place at the right time. That serendipity gave the researchers a rare view of a dynamic, little-understood river process that changed the local landscape and deposited so much sediment into the river system that it closed the Ohio River. ... > full story

Using human genomes to illuminate the mysteries of early human history (September 21, 2011) -- Researchers are utilizing the complete genome sequences of people alive today to shed light on events at the dawn of human history, such as the times of divergence of early human populations and of the "out of Africa" migration of the ancestors of modern Europeans, Asians and other non-African groups. ... > full story

New 'smart window' system with unprecedented performance (September 21, 2011) -- A new "smart" window system has the unprecedented ability to inexpensively change from summer to winter modes, darkening to save air conditioning costs on scorching days and returning to crystal clarity in the winter to capture free heat from the sun, scientists are reporting. ... > full story

Scientists discover rare theropod dinosaur wounded in action in southern Utah (September 21, 2011) -- Raptor dinosaurs like the iconic Velociraptor from the movie franchise Jurassic Park are renowned for their "fear-factor." Their terrifying image has been popularized in part because members of this group possess a greatly enlarged talon on their foot -- analogous to a butcher's hook. Yet the function of the highly recurved claw on the foot of raptor dinosaurs has largely remained a mystery to paleontologists. Scientists have now unveiled a new species of raptor dinosaur discovered in southern Utah that sheds new light on this and several other long-standing questions in paleontology, including how dinosaurs evolved on the "lost continent" of Laramidia (western North America) during the Late Cretaceous -- a period known as the zenith of dinosaur diversity. ... > full story

New insight into immune tolerance furthers understanding of autoimmune disease (September 21, 2011) -- The mechanisms that underlie immune activation and tolerance are not completely understood. Now, a new research study provides intriguing insight into the complex immune regulatory mechanisms that underlie immune tolerance. ... > full story

Crystal structure shows how motor protein works (September 21, 2011) -- The crystal structure of the dynamin protein -- one of the molecular machines that makes cells work -- has been revealed, bringing insights into a class of molecules with a wide influence on health and disease. ... > full story

Proton-based transistor could let machines communicate with living things (September 21, 2011) -- Human devices, from light bulbs to iPods, send information using electrons. Human bodies and all other living things, on the other hand, send signals and perform work using ions or protons. Materials scientists have built a novel transistor that uses protons, creating a key piece for devices that can communicate directly with living things. ... > full story

Fast-evolving genes control developmental differences in social insects (September 21, 2011) -- A new study found that genes involved in creating different sexes, life stages and castes of fire ants and honeybees evolved more rapidly than genes not involved in these processes. The fast-evolving genes also exhibited elevated rates of evolution before they were recruited for development. ... > full story

Extreme summertime temperatures to become a regular occurrence, researcher predicts (September 21, 2011) -- In a new article, researchers have estimated the impact near-term increases in global-mean temperatures will have on summertime temperatures in the US and around the globe. ... > full story

Nanoparticles cause brain injury in fish (September 21, 2011) -- Scientists have shown, for the first time in an animal, that nanoparticles have a detrimental effect on the brain and other parts of the central nervous system. ... > full story

Vacuum-like device makes cellular exploration easier (September 21, 2011) -- Imagine a microscopic jet vacuum cleaner, the size of a pen nib that hovers over cell surfaces without ever touching them. Then imagine that the soap in the cleaning solution is replaced with various molecules that can be selectively delivered to the cells. This gives you a sense of a new device that researchers believe will serve as a powerful tool to study the behavior of living cells and a range of crucial cellular processes. ... > full story

Study on emissions from BP/Deepwater Horizon controlled burns completed (September 21, 2011) -- During the 2010 Gulf oil spill, an estimated one of every 20 barrels of spilled oil was deliberately burned to reduce surface oil slick size and minimize impacts of oil on sensitive shoreline ecosystems and marine life. The black smoke from those controlled burns pumped more than 1 million pounds of black carbon (soot) pollution into the atmosphere, according to a new study by NOAA and CIRES researchers. ... > full story

Primitive birds shared dinosaurs' fate (September 21, 2011) -- A new study puts an end to the longstanding debate about how archaic birds went extinct, suggesting they were virtually wiped out by the same meteorite impact that put an end to dinosaurs 65 million years ago. ... > full story

Human body rids itself of damage when it really matters (September 21, 2011) -- Although the body is constantly replacing cells and cell constituents, damage and imperfections accumulate over time. Cleanup efforts are saved for when it really matters. Researchers in Sweden are able to show how the body rids itself of damage when it is time to reproduce and create new life. ... > full story

Captive breeding could transform the saltwater aquarium trade and save coral reefs, biologists say (September 21, 2011) -- Marine biologists are developing means to efficiently breed saltwater aquarium fish, seahorses, plankton and invertebrates in captivity in order to preserve the biologically rich ecosystems of the world's coral reefs. These scientists believe their efforts, and those of colleagues around the world, could help shift much of the billion marine ornamental industry toward entrepreneurs who are working sustainably to raise fish for the aquarium trade. ... > full story

Observations of fallout from the Fukushima reactor accident in San Francisco Bay area rainwater (September 21, 2011) -- Researchers report that Japan's power plant accident fallout extended as far as the San Francisco Bay area, resulting in elevated levels of radioactive material that were nonetheless very low and posed no health risk to the public. ... > full story

Air quality has continued to improve in Finnish Lapland (September 21, 2011) -- Long-term observations indicate a positive trend in the quality of air in Lapland during the past 10-20 years. This favorable trend may be threatened by increased marine transport emissions from the Arctic Ocean, which may remain free of ice owing to climate change. ... > full story

Did the orientation of the continents hinder ancient settlement of the Americas? (September 21, 2011) -- In an intriguing original look at the history of the first Americans, a new study finds evidence that the north-south orientation of the American continents slowed the spread of populations and technology, compared to the east-west axis of Eurasia. ... > full story

Epigenetic changes often don’t last, probably have limited effects on long-term evolution, research finds (September 20, 2011) -- The first comprehensive inventory of epigenetic changes over several generations shows that these often do not last and therefore probably have limited effects on long-term evolution, according to scientist in Germany. ... > full story

Uncertain climate models impair long-term climate strategies: New calibration satellite required to make accurate predictions, say scientists (September 20, 2011) -- A new paper explains weaknesses in our understanding of climate change and how we can fix them. These issues mean predictions vary wildly about how quickly temperatures will rise, resulting in serious implications for long-term political and economic planning, experts argue. ... > full story

Continents influenced ancient human migration, spread of technology (September 20, 2011) -- New research pieces together ancient human migration in North and South America. Researchers have found that technology spread more slowly in the Americas than in Eurasia. Population groups in the Americas have less frequent exchanges than groups that fanned out over Europe and Asia. ... > full story

Shaping up: Controlling a stem cell's form can determine its fate (September 20, 2011) -- New research reinforces the idea that stem cells can be induced to develop into specific types of cells solely by controlling their shape. The results may be important to the design of materials to induce the regeneration of lost or damaged tissues in the body. ... > full story

Natural therapies: Cardiologists examine alternatives to halt high blood pressure (September 20, 2011) -- More and more, patients show up to appointments with hypertension experts carrying bags full of "natural" products that they hope will help lower their blood pressure. And like most physicians, hypertension experts don't always know if these products will do any good, or if they will cause any harm. To better educate physicians and patients, researchers have now conducted the most comprehensive review to date of the evidence behind a range of non-drug interventions. ... > full story