ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Tuesday, June 14, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Tuesday, June 14, 2011

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New clues about aging: Genetic splicing mechanism triggers both premature aging syndrome and normal cellular aging (June 14, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a new pathway that sets the clock for programmed aging in normal cells. The study provides insights about the interaction between a toxic protein called progerin and telomeres, which cap the ends of chromosomes like aglets, the plastic tips that bind the ends of shoelaces. ... > full story

Life-history traits of extinct species may be discoverable, large-scale DNA sequencing data suggest (June 14, 2011) -- Large-scale DNA sequencing data have been used to investigate a long-standing evolutionary assumption -- that DNA mutation rates are influenced by such life-history traits as the time between an individual's birth and the birth of its offspring. One of the implications of this research is that life-history traits of extinct species now could be discoverable. ... > full story

Undernourishment in pregnant, lactating females found key to next generation's disease (June 14, 2011) -- A study in primates establishes the critical role that undernourishment in mothers-to-be and lactating females has in creating Type 2 diabetes in offspring. ... > full story

Controlling starch in sugar factories (June 14, 2011) -- Factory trials have led to recommendations for controlling or preventing starch buildup in processed raw sugars and products made with those sugars. ... > full story

The energy debate: Coal vs. nuclear (June 14, 2011) -- A new study of consumers' attitudes toward coal and nuclear energy sources finds that factors other than global warming and the potential for nuclear power plant accidents figure into consumers' preferences. These factors include ecological degradation for coal and waste management, fuel transport and uranium mining for nuclear. ... > full story

Clever tool use in parrots and crows (June 13, 2011) -- The kea, a New Zealand parrot, and the New Caledonian crow are members of the two most intelligent avian families. Researchers have investigated their problem solving abilities as well as their innovative capacities. ... > full story

Dengue virus circulating between monkeys and mosquitoes could emerge to cause human outbreaks (June 13, 2011) -- Sylvatic dengue continues to flourish in Southeast Asia and West Africa, cycling between non-human primates and the mosquitoes that feed on them. Since the 1970s, the virus has received little scientific attention -- a situation that badly needs to be remedied, according to experts. ... > full story

Birdsong independent of brain size: Sex difference in the brain varies according to social status (June 13, 2011) -- The brains of all vertebrates display gender-related differences. In songbirds, for example, the size of the brain areas that control their singing behaviour could be linked to the size of their song repertoires. In many songbird species, only the males sing and indeed, they do have larger song control areas in the brain than females. However, even species where both sexes sing identically, display the same sex differences in their brain structure. Researchers in Germany have now demonstrated for the first time in the white-browed sparrow weaver, an African songbird, that the extent of these sex differences in the brain varies according to social status, and cannot be explained by singing behaviour as previously thought. ... > full story

New study of storm generation could improve rainfall prediction in West Africa (June 13, 2011) -- A new study of how storms are generated could improve rainfall prediction in dry regions of Africa, where drought and short growing seasons are common. A team of scientists from the UK, France and Australia used satellite observations of the Sahel region of West Africa to demonstrate that brief changes in soil moisture over areas of just tens of kilometers can affect storm generation. ... > full story

Tiny marine animals found to share 'diver's weight belt' technique with whales (June 13, 2011) -- A deep-sea mystery has been solved with the discovery that copepods -- tiny 3-millimeter-long marine animals eaten by herring, cod and mackerel -- use the same buoyancy control as whales. ... > full story

Single GFP-expressing cell is basis of living laser device (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a device in which a single cell genetically engineered to express green fluorescent protein is used to amplify the light particles called photons into nanosecond-long pulses of laser light. ... > full story

In very narrow spaces, liquids behave more like gels (June 13, 2011) -- Three molecules thick, or two, or one: how does an extremely thin layer of trapped liquid behave when we make it even thinner? Measurements made using the atomic force microscope show that the forces of friction increase with each step. Liquids begin to behave more like a gel, according to new research. ... > full story

How spiders breathe under water: Spider's diving bell performs like gill extracting oxygen from water (June 13, 2011) -- Water spiders spend their entire lives under water, only venturing to the surface to replenish their diving bell air supply. Yet no one knew how long the spiders could remain submerged until Roger Seymour and Stefan Hetz measured the bubble's oxygen level. They found that the diving bell behaves like a gill sucking oxygen from the water and the spiders only need to dash to the surface once a day to supplement their air supply. ... > full story

First wood-digesting enzyme found in bacteria could boost biofuel production (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers have identified an enzyme in bacteria which could be used to make biofuel production more efficient. ... > full story

Deciding to stay or go is a deep-seated brain function, monkey-watching researchers find (June 13, 2011) -- Foraging creatures decide at some point that the food source they're working on is no richer than the rest of the patch and that it's time to move on and find something better. Researchers have now found an area of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) that seems to be integral to this decision, firing with increasing activity until a threshold is reached, whereupon the animal decides it's time to move on. ... > full story

We are all mutants: First direct whole-genome measure of human mutation predicts 60 new mutations in each of us (June 13, 2011) -- How many new mutations does a child have and did most of them come from mum or dad? The first answer is that each of us typically receives 60 new mutations from our parents. Remarkably, the number of mutations passed on from a parent to a child varies between parents by as much as tenfold. These striking answers come from the first-ever direct measure of new mutations using whole human genomes. ... > full story

New evidence of genetic 'arms race' against malaria (June 13, 2011) -- For tens of thousands of years, the genomes of malaria parasites and humans have been at war with one another. Now, geneticists have developed a new picture of one way that the human genome has fought back. ... > full story

Widespread stream biodiversity declines at low levels of urban development (June 13, 2011) -- Biology researchers have found that there are consistent and widespread declines in stream biodiversity at lower levels of urban development more damaging than what was previously believed. ... > full story

Tuning 'metasurface' with fluid in new concept for sensing and chemistry (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated a unique fluid-tuned "metasurface," a concept that may be useful in biomedical sensors and microwave-assisted chemistry. ... > full story

Silver from the Americas may have entered the Spanish economy later than thought (June 13, 2011) -- European metal dominated Spanish silver coinage up until the reign of Philippe III (1578-1621) and it was only in the 18th century that it was completely replaced by Mexican metal. Using mass spectrometry analyses, researchers have succeeded in determining the provenance of coinage circulating in Spain after 1492. These results call into question the hypothesis according to which the massive influx of metals from the New World was directly responsible for the inflation that occurred in Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries. ... > full story

Walking microdroplets collect viruses and bacteria (June 13, 2011) -- A barely visible, electric field-controlled droplet moves on an appropriately prepared surface, harvesting viruses, bacteria and protein molecules deposited on it. This is how a novel method of collecting bioparticles looks like in real life. The method has been for the first time successfully tested by a team of researchers Poland and France. The results of the tests have implications for the development of microsystems for chemical analyses, especially those dedicated to monitoring bioparticles present in the air. ... > full story

How prehistoric Native Americans of Cahokia made copper artifacts (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers ditched many of their high-tech tools and turned to large stones, fire and some old-fashioned elbow grease to recreate techniques used by Native American coppersmiths who lived more than 600 years ago. ... > full story

Chemistry with sunlight: Combining electrochemistry and photovoltaics to clean up oxidation reactions (June 12, 2011) -- Researchers can make the oxidation reactions used in the synthesis of organic molecules cleaner by hitching photovoltaics to electrochemistry. The idea is simple and yet it has huge implications. To underscore the simplicity of the idea, researchers used a solar cell sold on the Internet and intended to power toy cars to run a variety of chemical reactions. If their suggestion were widely adopted by the chemical industry, it would eliminate the toxic byproducts currently produced by a class of reactions commonly used in chemical synthesis -- and with them the environmental and economic damage they cause. ... > full story

Non-alcoholic wheat beer boosts athletes' health, sport doctors say (June 12, 2011) -- Amateur athletes have long suspected what sports medicine researchers in Germany have now made official: evidence, gathered during the world's largest study of marathons, that consumption of non-alcoholic weissbier, or wheat beer, has a positive effect on athletes' health. ... > full story

Citrate key in bone's nanostructure (June 12, 2011) -- Scientists have identified the composition that gives bone its outstanding properties and the important role citrate plays, work that may help science better understand and treat or prevent bone diseases such as osteoporosis. ... > full story

Using waste heat from automobile exhaust (June 12, 2011) -- With the completion of a successful prototype, engineers have made a major step toward addressing one of the leading problems in energy use around the world today -- the waste of half or more of the energy produced by cars, factories and power plants. New technology is being developed to capture and use the low-to-medium grade waste heat that's now going out the exhaust pipe of millions of automobiles, diesel generators, or being wasted by factories and electrical utilities. ... > full story

Eight substances added to U.S. Report on Carcinogens, including formaldehyde, may increase cancer risk (June 12, 2011) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had added eight substances to its Report on Carcinogens, a science-based document that identifies chemicals and biological agents that may put people at increased risk for cancer. The industrial chemical formaldehyde and a botanical known as aristolochic acids are listed as known human carcinogens. Six other substances -- captafol, cobalt-tungsten carbide (in powder or hard metal form), certain inhalable glass wool fibers, o-nitrotoluene, riddelliine, and styrene -- are added as substances that are reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens. ... > full story

Nighttime lights clarify economic activity: Combining lights and statistics may yield high-resolution global economic data (June 12, 2011) -- The glow of lights in a city at night means different things to different people. For some, the amazing hues along Broadway, the Las Vegas Strip or the Sunset Strip in Hollywood mean a fun night out. For an economist, these dazzling lights signify people's pockets are flush with cash; and in fact, a new study confirms it. ... > full story

Researchers link cell division and oxygen levels; Findings also solve long-standing paradox (June 12, 2011) -- Cells grow abundant when oxygen is available, and generally stop when it is scarce. Although this seems straightforward, no direct link ever has been established between the cellular machinery that senses oxygen and that which controls cell division. Now, researchers report that the MCM proteins, which promote cell division, also directly control the oxygen-sensing HIF-1 protein. ... > full story

Chasing EHEC via computer: Scientists in Germany provide free access to enteric pathogen's genetic regulation data (June 12, 2011) -- Just a few genes make enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) extremely dangerous to humans. If it were not for these genes, EHEC would hardly differ from harmless enteric bacteria. Bioinformatics scientists from Germany want to exploit this similarity to find starting points for effective drugs against the EHEC pathogen. In a very short time, the scientists have constructed EhecRegNet, a database and analysis platform that incorporates all known interactions between enteric E. coli genes. Using integrated simulations, genetic switches for the dangerous EHEC genes can be identified much faster and used medically. The virtual laboratory will thus help biomedical scientists and pharmacists all over the world to develop new drugs. ... > full story

Family genetic research reveals the speed of human mutation (June 12, 2011) -- A team of researchers has discovered that, on average, thirty mutations are transmitted from each parent to their child, revising previous estimations and revolutionizing the timescale we use to calculate the number of generations separating us from other species. ... > full story

Photosynthesis mechanics: Tapping into plants is the key to combat climate change, says scientist (June 11, 2011) -- The mechanics behind photosynthesis in plants could be used in the fight against climate change, according to one scientist. ... > full story

Key function of enzyme involved in RNA processing described (June 11, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a cellular mechanism that is critical in maintaining normal cell function. They examined the function of TRAMP, a protein complex involved in the processing of RNA or ribonucleic acid within the cell. They identified a key function for the protein Mtr4p in a process that initiates the degradation of select RNAs, a necessary step in preserving normal cell function. ... > full story

'Super varieties' of wheat expected to boost yields and block deadly threat to food security (June 11, 2011) -- Five years after the launch of a global effort to protect the world's most important food crop from variants of Ug99, a new and deadly form of wheat rust, scientists say they are close to producing super varieties of wheat that will resist the potent pathogen, while boosting yields by as much as 15 percent. ... > full story

Communicating in a crisis: Researchers devise new technique to help rescuers communicate after terrorist attacks (June 11, 2011) -- In the aftermath of the London bombings mobile phones and radios stopped working making the already tricky rescue operation even more difficult. Now experts have developed a solution to ensure breakdowns in communication are a thing of the past for emergency workers responding to disasters. ... > full story

Earth from space: A gush of volcanic gas (June 11, 2011) -- A new image shows the huge plume of sulphur dioxide that spewed from Chile’s Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex, which lies in the Andes about 600 km south of Santiago. ... > full story

New constellations of species change ecosystems (June 11, 2011) -- Human activities that are causing global climate changes and destroying habitats in nature are leading to the extinction of many species from Earth's ecosystems. At the same time, many species are expanding the range of their habitat. In a new article, scientists offer suggestions for how research can get better at understanding species loss and the simultaneous gain of new species and how this affects the function of the ecosystem. ... > full story

Biologists uncover regulatory mechanism for gene expression in the visual system (June 10, 2011) -- Biologists have uncovered a key regulatory mechanism used for gene expression in the visual system. Their findings offer new insights into the complexity behind the genetic make-up of biological systems. ... > full story

Two isolates from E. coli outbreak sequenced (June 10, 2011) -- An outbreak of Escherichia coli causing a severe illness called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) began in Germany on May 2, 2011 and has killed more than 20 people and sickened more than 2,000. The organism causing the outbreak has been identified as a strain of E. coli O104:H4 that produces a Shiga toxin and causes an illness similar to infection with E. coli O157:H7. Two isolates from this outbreak have been sequenced. Both strains, TY-2482 and LB226692, have been annotated. ... > full story

Landsat satellite images compare before and after Massachusetts tornado (June 10, 2011) -- Satellites provide a lot of useful information and the Landsat 5 satellite captured an image of the long damage track created on June 1, 2011, when a tornado tracked from Springfield to Sturbridge, Mass. An earlier image is now available from 2010 that enables people to more clearly see the damage path the June 2011 twister created on its eastward track. ... > full story

Fighting oil-spills with air-bubbles (June 10, 2011) -- Curtains of air-bubbles are turning out to be a new method of fighting oil-spills. The bubbles gather up the oil efficiently, even in winds and strong currents, and keep it together in a "pool". ... > full story

New parallelization technique boosts computers' ability to model biological systems (June 10, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new technique for using multi-core chips more efficiently, significantly enhancing a computer's ability to build computer models of biological systems. The technique improved the efficiency of algorithms used to build models of biological systems more than seven-fold, creating more realistic models that can account for uncertainty and biological variation. This could impact research areas ranging from drug development to the engineering of biofuels. ... > full story

NASA's 'Age of Aquarius' dawns with California launch (June 10, 2011) -- NASA's 'Age of Aquarius' has dawned with the launch of an international satellite carrying the agency-built Aquarius instrument that will measure the saltiness of Earth's oceans to advance our understanding of the global water cycle and improve climate forecasts. ... > full story

Venice to suffer fewer storm surges (June 10, 2011) -- Venice -- the "City of Dreams" -- may have one less nightmare to deal with following a finding that the frequency of extreme storm surge events generated by Adriatic Sea tempests could fall by about 30 percent by 2100. ... > full story

Meteorite holds clues to organic chemistry of early Earth (June 10, 2011) -- Carbonaceous chondrites are organic-rich meteorites that contain samples of the materials that took part in the creation of our planets nearly 4.6 billion years ago. The complex suite of organic materials found in carbonaceous chondrites can vary substantially. New research shows that most of these variations are the result of hydrothermal activity that took place within a few million years of the solar system's formation, when the meteorites were still part of larger bodies. ... > full story

How cells' sensing hairs are made (June 10, 2011) -- New research provides insights into how sensory hairs, or cilia, on the surface of cells are assembled. ... > full story

Adjustable valves gave ancient plants the edge (June 10, 2011) -- Controlling water loss is an important ability for modern land plants as it helps them thrive in changing environments. New research shows that water conserving innovations occurred very early in plants' evolutionary history. ... > full story

Chemists devise better way to prepare workhorse molecules (June 10, 2011) -- Scientists report a new environmentally friendly way to make substituted aromatic molecules that can be customized for different industrial needs. ... > full story