ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Tuesday, May 17, 2011

2:23 AM |

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Tuesday, May 17, 2011

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Smoke-related chemical discovered in the atmosphere could have health implications (May 17, 2011) -- Cigarette smoking, forest fires and woodburning can release a chemical that may be at least partly responsible for human health problems related to smoke exposure, according to a new study. "We found isocyanic acid in a number of places, from air in downtown Los Angeles and air downwind of a Colorado wildfire, to cigarette smoke," said the lead author. ... > full story

Zebrafish regrow fins using multiple cell types, not identical stem cells (May 17, 2011) -- What does it take to regenerate a limb? Biologists have long thought that organ regeneration in animals like zebrafish and salamanders involved stem cells that can generate any tissue in the body. But new research suggests that cells capable of regenerating a zebrafish fin do not revert to stem cells that can form any tissue. Instead, the individual cells retain their original identities and only give rise to more of their own kind. ... > full story

Third of tested plastic products found to leach toxic substances in Swedish study (May 17, 2011) -- Many plastic products contain hazardous chemicals that can leach to the surroundings. In studies conducted in Sweden, a third of the tested plastic products released toxic substances, including five out of 13 products intended for children. ... > full story

Striking ecological impact on Canada's Arctic coastline linked to global climate change (May 16, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered startling new evidence of the destructive impact of global climate change on North America's largest Arctic delta. ... > full story

Secrets of plague unlocked with stunning new imaging techniques (May 16, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a super-resolution microscopy technique that is answering long-held questions about exactly how and why a cell's defenses fail against some invaders, such as plague, while successfully fending off others like E.coli. The approach is revealing never-before-seen detail of the cell membrane, which could open doors to new diagnostic, prevention and treatment techniques. ... > full story

When is it worth remanufacturing? Sometimes it saves energy, sometimes it doesn’t — and sometimes it makes things worse (May 16, 2011) -- It seems like a no-brainer: Remanufacturing products rather than making new ones from scratch -- widely done with everything from retread tires to refilled inkjet cartridges to remanufactured engines -- should save a lot of energy, right? Not so fast, says a new study. ... > full story

Biophysics of snakebites: How do venomous snakes inject venom into victim's wound? (May 16, 2011) -- Most snakes do not inject venom into their victims bodies using hollow fangs, contrary to common misconceptions. The fact is that most snakes and many other venomous reptiles have no hollow fangs. Physicists have now uncovered the tricks these animals use to force their venom under the skin of their victims. ... > full story

Patterns of ancient croplands give insight into early Hawaiian society, research shows (May 16, 2011) -- A pattern of earthen berms, spread across a northern peninsula of the big island of Hawaii, is providing archeologists with clues to exactly how residents farmed in paradise long before Europeans arrived at the islands. The findings suggest that simple, practical decisions made by individual households were eventually adopted by the ruling class as a means to improve agricultural productivity. ... > full story

Penguins continue diving long after muscles run out of oxygen (May 16, 2011) -- Emperor penguins routinely dive for tens of minutes before returning to the surface, but about 5.6 minutes into a dive, the birds switch from oxygen-fueled aerobic metabolism to anaerobic metabolism. So what causes this change? Researchers show that emperor penguins' dive muscles trigger the switch to anaerobic metabolism and set the aerobic dive limit when they run out of oxygen. ... > full story

Energy harvesters transform waste into electricity (May 16, 2011) -- Billions of dollars lost each year as waste heat from industrial processes can be converted into electricity with a new technology under development. ... > full story

First habitable exoplanet? Climate simulation reveals new candidate that could support Earth-like life (May 16, 2011) -- The planetary system around the red dwarf Gliese 581, one of the closest stars to the Sun in the galaxy, has been the subject of several studies aiming to detect the first potentially habitable exoplanet. Two candidates have already been discarded, but a third planet, Gliese 581d, can be considered the first confirmed exoplanet that could support Earth-like life, according to a team of scientists in France. ... > full story

Seaports need a plan for weathering climate change, researchers say (May 16, 2011) -- A warming planet could mean a rising ocean and more storm activity, but seaports are not prepared for the expensive construction they will need to protect themselves, according a global survey of ports. Researchers have just created a computer model that will help ports with their planning. ... > full story

Tiny variation in one gene may have led to crucial changes in human brain (May 16, 2011) -- The human brain has yet to explain the origin of one its defining features -- the deep fissures and convolutions that increase its surface area and allow for rational and abstract thoughts. Scientists may have just discovered humanity's beneficiary -- a tiny variation within a single gene that determines the formation of brain convolutions. ... > full story

Seals sense shapes using their whiskers to feel wakes (May 16, 2011) -- Seals whiskers are remarkably sensitive. They can even pick up a fish's trail up to 35 seconds after it passed. Now a team of scientists in Germany has discovered that seals can tell differently shaped objects apart by sensing the objects' wake structures with their whiskers. This ability could help seals to identify prey before investing in a costly pursuit. ... > full story

Foot and mouth disease may spread through shedding skin cells (May 16, 2011) -- Skin cells shed from livestock infected with foot and mouth disease could very well spread the disease. A scientist has proposed that virus-infected skin cells could be a source of infectious foot and mouth disease virus aerosols. His proposal is based on the facts that foot and mouth disease virus is found in skin and that airborne skin cells are known to transmit other diseases. ... > full story

Evolutionary adaptations can be reversed, but rarely (May 16, 2011) -- Physicists' study of evolution in bacteria shows that adaptations can be undone, but rarely. Ever since Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution in 1859, scientists have wondered whether evolutionary adaptations can be reversed. Answering that question has proved difficult, partly due to conflicting evidence. In 2003, scientists showed that some species of insects have gained, lost and regained wings over millions of years. But a few years later, a different team found that a protein that helps control cells' stress responses could not evolve back to its original form. ... > full story

Marine ecosystems of Antarctica under threat from human activity (May 16, 2011) -- A team of scientists has warned that the native fauna and unique ecology of the Southern Ocean, the vast body of water that surrounds the Antarctic continent, is under threat from human activity. ... > full story

Oklahoma graduate student developing solutions for water problems in Ethiopia (May 16, 2011) -- A University of Oklahoma environmental science graduate student will travel to Ethiopia in June to test materials she has been investigating as possible solutions to fluorosis -- a widespread problem in the Rift Valley, where high levels of fluoride in the drinking water result in dental and skeletal disease. ... > full story

Crowdsourcing science: Researcher uses Facebook to identify thousands of fish (May 15, 2011) -- During a survey on Guyana's Cuyuni River, researcher Devin Bloom utilized Facebook to help identify thousands of fish specimens in less than 24 hours. ... > full story

Vitamins may one day hitch a protected ride on corn starch (May 15, 2011) -- Vitamins and medications may one day take rides on starch compounds creating stable vitamin-enriched ingredients and cheaper controlled-release drugs, according to food scientists. ... > full story

Same fungus, different strains: A comparative genomics approach for improved 'green' chemical production (May 15, 2011) -- Aspergillus niger is an integral player in the carbon cycle, it possesses an arsenal of enzymes that can be deployed in breaking down plant cell walls to free up sugars that can then be fermented and distilled into biofuel, a process being optimized by US Department of Energy researchers. This well-understood fungal fermentation process that could inform the development of a biorefinery where organic compounds replace the chemical building blocks normally derived from petroleum. ... > full story

Sense of smell: Single giant interneuron in locusts controls activity in 50,000 neurons, enabling sparse codes for odours (May 14, 2011) -- The brain is a coding machine: it translates physical inputs from the world into visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile perceptions via the mysterious language of its nerve cells and the networks which they form. Neural codes could in principle take many forms, but in regions forming bottlenecks for information flow (e.g., the optic nerve) or in areas important for memory, sparse codes are highly desirable. Scientists have now discovered a single neuron in the brain of locusts that enables the adaptive regulation of sparseness in olfactory codes. ... > full story

New algorithm offers ability to influence systems such as living cells or social networks (May 14, 2011) -- A new computational model can analyze any type of complex network -- biological, social or electronic -- and reveal the critical points that can be used to control the entire system. Potential applications of this work include reprogramming adult cells and identifying new drug targets. ... > full story

Eucalyptus tree genome deciphered: Key to new possibilities for renewable bioproducts (May 14, 2011) -- A team of international researchers has completed the genome sequence for the forest tree species Eucalyptus grandis. The completed genome sequence, which unlocks new possibilities for biofuels and forestry, is available on the Internet. ... > full story

New pathway affecting lifespan identified: Discovery advances study of diet and longevity (May 14, 2011) -- A research team has identified a new role for a biological pathway that not only signals the body's metabolic response to nutritional changes, but also affects lifespan. ... > full story

Massive tornado onslaught raises questions about building practices, code enforcement (May 14, 2011) -- There is no practical, economic way to build structures that could stand up to the savagery of EF5 tornadoes like those that ripped through the South in late April, experts say, but damage from lesser storms could be reduced by better building practices and better enforcement of existing codes. ... > full story

Scientists design new anti-flu virus proteins using computational methods (May 14, 2011) -- Scientists have demonstrated the use of computational methods to design new antiviral proteins not found in nature, but capable of targeting specific surfaces of flu virus molecules. Such designer proteins may have diagnostic and therapeutic potential in identifying and fighting viral infections. The researchers created a protein that disabled the part of the 1918 pandemic flu virus involved in invading respiratory tract cells. It did so by preventing segment from reconfiguring. This same protein also disabled a similar section of an avian flu virus. ... > full story

Satellite images display extreme Mississippi River flooding from space (May 14, 2011) -- Recent Landsat satellite data captured by the USGS and NASA on May 10 shows the major flooding of the Mississippi River around Memphis, Tenn., and along the state borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and Arkansas as seen from 438 miles above the Earth. ... > full story

How do honeybees control their flight speed to avoid obstacles? (May 13, 2011) -- Unlike humans bees have a dorsal visual field that enables them to avoid obstacles above their heads. Until now, it was not known whether this helped them to control their flight speed. Recent research confirms that it does. ... > full story

Discovery of DNA silencing mechanism reveals how plants protect their genome (May 13, 2011) -- Researchers in Japan have clarified a key epigenetic mechanism by which an enzyme in the model plant Arabidopsis protects cells from harmful DNA elements. The finding contributes to advancing our understanding of a broad range of biological processes in both plants and animals, opening the door to applications in cancer therapy and agriculture. ... > full story

On prehistoric supercontinent of Pangaea, latitude and rain dictated where species lived (May 13, 2011) -- More than 200 million years ago, mammals and reptiles lived in their own separate worlds on the supercontinent Pangaea, despite little geographical incentive to do so. Mammals lived in areas of twice-yearly seasonal rainfall; reptiles stayed in areas where rains came just once a year. Mammals lose more water when they excrete, and thus need water-rich environments to survive. ... > full story

Nuclear desalination: Fresh water from waste heat of power plants (May 13, 2011) -- Nuclear desalination uses the excess heat from a nuclear power plant to evaporate sea water and to condense the pure water. A research team from India and Italy argues that despite public concerns, the low energy costs and convenience of this latter process make it the preferred option. ... > full story

Risking one's neck for better grog: Mutinies reveal tipping points for collective unrest (May 13, 2011) -- Films depicting the 1787 mutiny aboard the HMS Bounty show sailors living cheek by jowl, being forced to dance, enduring storm-ridden Cape of Good Hope crossings to satisfy the ship captain's ego and being flogged for trivial reasons. We may not think that these harsh conditions have much relevance today. But sociologists are studying naval records of mutinies as a way to see how modern-day ill-treatment toward subordinates can lead to violence. ... > full story

Last Neanderthals near the Arctic Circle? (May 13, 2011) -- Remains found near the Arctic Circle characteristic of Mousterian culture have recently been dated at over 28,500 years old, which is more than 8,000 years after Neanderthals are thought to have disappeared. This unexpected discovery challenges previous theories. ... > full story

Bacterium found to kill malaria in mosquitoes (May 13, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a bacterium in field-caught mosquitoes that, when present, stops the development of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria in humans. According to the study, the Enterobacter bacterium is part of the naturally occurring microbial flora of the mosquito's gut and kills the parasite by producing reactive oxygen species (or free radical molecules). ... > full story

Pigs susceptible to virulent ebolavirus can transmit the virus to other animals (May 13, 2011) -- A species of ebolavirus from Zaire that is highly virulent in humans can replicate in pigs, cause disease, and be transmitted to animals previously unexposed to the virus, new research shows. ... > full story

Exposing ZnO nanorods to visible light removes microbes, researchers in Thailand show (May 13, 2011) -- The practical use of visible light and zinc oxide nanorods for destroying bacterial water contamination has been successfully demonstrated by researchers in Thailand. ZnO has now been tested under solar light, instead of the traditionally used UV light, suggesting a huge potential for commercial applications. ... > full story

How a flatworm regenerates missing tissues: Pluripotent adult stem cells power planarian regeneration (May 13, 2011) -- Researchers have determined that the planarian flatworm regenerates missing tissues by using pluripotent adult stem cells. Until now, scientists could not determine whether the dividing cells in planarians, called neoblasts, are a mixture of specialized stem cells that each regenerates specific tissues, or if individual neoblasts are pluripotent and able to regenerate all tissues. ... > full story

Irritable bowel syndrome: Common gastrointestinal disorder linked to bacterial overgrowth, food poisoning (May 13, 2011) -- Researchers have reported two advances in the understanding of irritable bowel syndrome, the most common gastrointestinal disorder in the United States, affecting an estimated 30 million people. One study provides further evidence that IBS is linked to an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut. In a separate study, a mathematical model reveals the disease's link to food poisoning and shows that military personnel are at a much higher risk for the disorder than the rest of the population. ... > full story

Ancient gene gives planarians a heads-up in regeneration (May 13, 2011) -- A little-studied gene known as notum plays a key role in the planarian's regeneration decision-making process, according to scientists. At head-facing (anterior) wounds, the gene notum acts as a dimmer switch to dampen the Wnt pathway -- an ancient signaling circuit that operates in all animals -- and promote head regeneration. ... > full story

Why some genes are silenced: Researchers find clue as to how notes are played on the 'genetic piano' (May 13, 2011) -- Scientists report an epigenetic rationale as to how some genes are silenced and others aren't. By reversing this effect, it may be possible to devise therapies for cancer and other diseases. ... > full story

New method for engineering human tissue regeneration (May 13, 2011) -- If clinical trials prove successful, a discovery could represent a leap toward human tissue regeneration and engineering. In a new study, scientists provide evidence to support a paradigm shift from the idea that cells added to a graft before implantation are the building blocks of tissue, to a new belief that engineered tissue constructs can induce or augment the body's own reparative mechanisms, including complex tissue regeneration. ... > full story

Water for Mongolia: How vital resource can be efficiently managed and used (May 13, 2011) -- Clean water is a rare commodity in many countries of the world and governments often face problems ensuring its reliable supply. In Mongolia, an interdisciplinary research team is demonstrating how this vital resource can be efficiently managed and used. Specially developed software help to detect weak points in the supply system. ... > full story

Reforesting rural lands in China pays big dividends, researchers say (May 13, 2011) -- An innovative program to encourage sustainable farming in rural China has helped restore eroded forestland while producing economic gains for many farmers, according to a new study. ... > full story

Extensive methane leaks discovered under streets of Boston (May 13, 2011) -- Earlier this year, researchers conducted a mobile greenhouse gas audit in Boston and found hundreds of natural gas leaks under the streets and sidewalks of Greater Boston. Evidence from other cities indicates that the situation in Boston is likely similar to cities and towns across the United States. ... > full story

Smarter treatment for killer infections (May 12, 2011) -- Sepsis is a major killer in hospital intensive care units. Researchers have found that manipulating a genetic factor that can launch or throttle the body's defenses can improve survival rates during bacterial infection. ... > full story

'Fasting pathway' points the way to new class of diabetes drugs (May 12, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered a novel mechanism that turns up glucose production in the liver when blood sugar levels drop, pointing towards a new class of drugs for the treatment of metabolic disease. ... > full story