ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Wednesday, May 18, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Wednesday, May 18, 2011

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Aquarius to illuminate links between salt, climate (May 18, 2011) -- When NASA's salt-seeking Aquarius instrument ascends to the heavens this June, the moon above its launch site at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base won't be in the seventh house, and Jupiter's latest alignment with Mars will be weeks in the past, in contrast to the lyrics of the song from the popular Broadway musical "Hair." Yet for the science team eagerly awaiting Aquarius' ocean surface salinity data, the dawning of NASA's "Age of Aquarius" promises revelations on how salinity is linked to Earth's water cycle, ocean circulation and climate. ... > full story

Landslides: How rainfall dried up Panama's drinking water (May 18, 2011) -- An aerial survey of landslides has helps scientists evaluate the effect of a prolonged tropical storm on the water supply in the Panama Canal watershed. ... > full story

New strategy for drought tolerance in crops: Shutting down the plant's growth inhibition under mild stress (May 18, 2011) -- Researchers have unveiled a mechanism that can be used to develop crop varieties resistant to mild droughts. It turns out that under non-lethal stress conditions, plants inhibit growth more than necessary. Shutting down this response opens new opportunities for yield improvement. ... > full story

Mass extinction of marine life in oceans during prehistoric times offers warning for future (May 17, 2011) -- The mass extinction of marine life in our oceans during prehistoric times is a warning that the same could happen again due to high levels of greenhouse gases, according to new research. ... > full story

Molecular technique advances soybean rust resistance research (May 17, 2011) -- A new tool is available to select for soybean rust resistance in breeding populations. Researchers successfully used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) assays to assess fungal DNA in soybean leaf tissue to quantify the level of resistance in individual plants with resistance to soybean rust. ... > full story

Ancient Egyptian princess now known to be first person in human history with diagnosed coronary artery disease (May 17, 2011) -- Researchers have used whole body computerized tomography (CT) scanning to visualize the coronary arteries of the Egyptian princess Ahmose-Meryet-Amon, who lived in Thebes (Luxor) between 1580 and 1550 BC. Results show her to be the first person in human history known to have diagnosed coronary artery disease. Surprisingly, she lived on a diet rich in vegetables, fruit and a limited amount of meat from domesticated (but not fattened) animals. Wheat and barley were grown along the banks of the Nile, making bread and beer the dietary staples of this period of ancient Egypt. Tobacco and trans-fats were unknown, and lifestyle was likely to have been active. ... > full story

Vaccine protects from deadly Hendra virus (May 17, 2011) -- Scientists in Australia have shown that a new experimental vaccine helps to protect horses against the deadly Hendra virus. ... > full story

Stem cell study could pave the way to treatment for age-related muscle wasting (May 17, 2011) -- Biologists have nailed the mechanism that causes stem cells in the embryo to differentiate into specialized cells that form the skeletal muscles of animals' bodies. ... > full story

There's no magic number for saving endangered species (May 17, 2011) -- A new study offers hope for species such as the Siberian tiger that might be considered "too rare to save," so long as conservation efforts can target key threats. ... > full story

New cell that attacks dengue virus identified (May 17, 2011) -- Mast cells, which help the body respond to bacteria and pathogens, also apparently sound the alarm around viruses delivered by mosquitoes, according to researchers. ... > full story

Of moose and men: Removal of roadside salt pools can protect salt-toothed moose from crossing roads (May 17, 2011) -- Country roadways can be hazardous for moose and men. According to estimates, millions of vehicles collide with moose, elk and caribou each year. Moose, in particular, venture to roadsides to lick the salt pools after pavement deicing. Because moose are the largest animal in the deer family, with males weighing up to 720 kilograms, their salt cravings pose significant risks to human and vehicle safety. That's why a group of Canadian researchers has investigated ways to encourage moose off roads. ... > full story

Anthropologist discovers new fossil primate species in West Texas (May 17, 2011) -- A physical anthropologist has announced the discovery of a previously unknown species of fossil primate, Mescalerolemur horneri, in the Devil's Graveyard badlands of West Texas. ... > full story

New imaging technology 'sees' camouflaged marine animals in the eyes of their predators (May 17, 2011) -- Despite being colorblind, the cuttlefish can change its skin color to blend into the background with great skill. In a new study, a team of researchers used hyperspectral imaging tools to model what the cuttlefish predator "sees" before and after cuttlefish camouflage. ... > full story

Researchers identify new dental cavity-causing species (May 17, 2011) -- A team of scientists from Boston has confirmed that the bacterium Streptococcus mutans is a primary culprit in early childhood caries (EEC) cavities on the first set of teeth, and has identified a new species of bacterium, Scardovia wiggsiae, which they suspect is also a major contributor. ... > full story

Tarantulas shoot silk from their feet (May 17, 2011) -- Most spiders have no problem holding onto vertical surfaces, but not tarantulas; they are always on the verge of falling. So what helps tarantulas hold tight? Researchers have found that slipping tarantulas shoot silk safety threads from their feet to reattach themselves when they lose hold. ... > full story

Graduation contamination through handshaking? (May 17, 2011) -- Graduations are a celebration of achievement and growth, but could all the pomp and circumstance increase your risk of exposure to harmful bacteria? ... > full story

Genomic archeology reveals early evolution of sex chromosomes (May 17, 2011) -- A team from Sweden is using genomics to shed light on the early evolutionary history of sex chromosomes. Among other things, the genome is a place where the distant past can be investigated. Researchers have used it most notably to trace the relationships among species far more accurately than can be done with conventional methods. ... > full story

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