ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Wednesday, September 7, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Wednesday, September 7, 2011

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Hospitalized children who carry MRSA at risk for full-blown infections (September 7, 2011) -- A study of more than 3,000 hospitalized children shows that those colonized but not sick with the antibiotic-resistant bacterium MRSA are at considerable risk for developing full-blown infections. ... > full story

'Proton flux hypothesis' offers new explanation for effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs (September 7, 2011) -- A researcher in Hawaii has come up with a new explanation for the effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs: the "proton flux hypothesis" is that calcification of coral skeletons are dependent on the passage of hydrogen ions between the water column and the coral tissue. ... > full story

When it comes to speaking out, cells wait their turn: Revealing how cells communicate, research could lead to new cancer drugs and more (September 7, 2011) -- New research has uncovered the mechanism that allows cells to switch from sender to receiver mode, inhibiting their own signals while receiving information from other cells. With this knowledge, researchers may be able to develop new cancer drugs that specifically target these transactions, potentially stopping cancer's uncontrollable proliferation. ... > full story

Pretreatment, proper harvest time boost ethanol from switchgrass (September 7, 2011) -- Adding a pretreatment step would allow producers to get more ethanol from switchgrass harvested in the fall, according to a new study. ... > full story

Microbes generate electricity while cleaning up nuclear waste (September 6, 2011) -- Researchers have unraveled the mystery of how microbes generate electricity while cleaning up nuclear waste and other toxic metals. The implications could eventually benefit sites forever changed by nuclear contamination. ... > full story

Circadian clocks in a blind fish (September 6, 2011) -- Do animals that have evolved underground, completely isolated from the day-night cycle, still "know" what time it is? Does a normal circadian clock persist during evolution under constant darkness? A new study tackles these questions by investigating a species of cavefish which has lived for 2 million years beneath the Somalian desert, finding that it has an unusual circadian clock; it ticks with a period of up to 47 hours, and is completely blind. ... > full story

Study sharpens picture of how much oil and gas flowed in Deepwater Horizon spill (September 6, 2011) -- In a detailed assessment of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, researchers have determined that the blown-out Macondo well spewed oil at a rate of about 57,000 barrels a day, totaling nearly 5 million barrels of oil released from the well between Apr. 20 and July 15, 2010, when the leak was capped. In addition, the well released some 100 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas. ... > full story

In more socially engaging environment, white fat turns to brown, mouse study suggests (September 6, 2011) -- When mice are given a more engaging place to live with greater opportunities for social stimulation, some of their energy-storing white fat is transformed to energy-burning brown fat. As a result, the animals expend more energy and lose weight even as they eat more. The findings point to the powerful effect that animals' social and physical environments can have on their metabolisms. ... > full story

Adaptation secrets of the 'desert bacterium' (September 6, 2011) -- Scientists have analyzed the genome of the bacterium Ramlibacter tataouinensis TTB310, also known as the "desert bacterium". Decoding of the genome revealed the presence of kaiC, a gene with a function that had previously been found only in certain photosynthetic bacteria. ... > full story

A step toward a saliva test for cancer (September 6, 2011) -- A new saliva test can measure the amount of potential carcinogens stuck to a person's DNA -- interfering with the action of genes involved in health and disease -- and could lead to a commercial test to help determine risks for cancer and other diseases, scientists report. ... > full story

Crowd-sourcing the E. coli O104:H4 outbreak (September 6, 2011) -- Ten variants of the deadly Escherichia coli strain that hit Germany in May 2011 have been sequenced across the world. The unprecedented level of collaboration across the scientific community should give insight into how the outbreak arose, say scientists. ... > full story

Ancient humans were mixing it up: Anatomically modern humans interbred with more archaic hominin forms while in Africa (September 6, 2011) -- Anatomically modern humans interbred with more archaic hominin forms even before they migrated out of Africa, a team of researchers has found. The discovery suggests genetic exchange with their more morphologically diverged neighbors was more widespread than previously thought and all humans today may carry genes from now-extinct Homo species. ... > full story

Bedrock nitrogen may help forests buffer climate change, study finds (September 6, 2011) -- For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that forest trees have the ability to tap into nitrogen found in rocks, boosting the trees' growth and their ability to pull more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If trees can access more nitrogen than previously thought, that could lead to more storage of carbon on land and less carbon remaining in the atmosphere. ... > full story

Stomach bacterium damages human DNA; Risk factor for gastric cancer (September 6, 2011) -- The stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori is one of the biggest risk factors for the development of gastric cancer, the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Molecular biologists in Switzerland have now identified a mechanism of H. pylori that damages the DNA of cells in the gastric mucosa and sets them up for malignant transformation. ... > full story

Scientists discover secret life of chromatin: DNA/histone combination, a destination for cell signals, also talks to other proteins (September 6, 2011) -- Chromatin -- the intertwined histone proteins and DNA that make up chromosomes -- constantly receives messages that pour in from a cell's intricate signaling networks: Turn that gene on. Stifle that one. But chromatin also talks back, scientists report, issuing orders affecting a protein that has nothing to do with chromatin's central role in gene transcription -- the first step in protein formation. ... > full story

All for the grandkids: Promiscuity in female birds results in genetic 'trade-up,' more offspring, research finds (September 6, 2011) -- It's all about the grandkids! That's what a team of biologists has learned about promiscuous female birds and why they mate outside their social pair. ... > full story

Breast cancer risk drops when diet includes walnuts, researchers find (September 6, 2011) -- The risk of breast cancer dropped significantly in mice when their regular diet included a modest amount of walnut, researchers report in a new study. ... > full story

Scientists discover switch that turns white fat brown (September 6, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a biological switch that gives energy-storing white fat the characteristics of energy-burning brown fat. The findings could lead to new strategies for treating obesity. The change is induced by activating a nerve and biochemical pathway that begins in the brain and ends in white fat cells. The study suggests that the transformation can potentially be induced by changes in lifestyle or by pharmacologically activating this brain-fat pathway. ... > full story

New map shows where tastes are coded in the brain (September 5, 2011) -- Each taste, from sweet to salty, is sensed by a unique set of neurons in the brains of mice, new research reveals. The findings demonstrate that neurons that respond to specific tastes are arranged discretely in what the scientists call a 'gustotopic map.' This is the first map that shows how taste is represented in the mammalian brain. ... > full story

Sparing or sharing? Protecting wild species may require growing more food on less land (September 5, 2011) -- In parts of the world still rich in biodiversity, separating natural habitats from high-yielding farmland could be a more effective way to conserve wild species than trying to grow crops and conserve nature on the same land, according to a new study. ... > full story

Mystery of disappearing bird digit solved? (September 5, 2011) -- What is the origin of digits in birds? The question has long puzzled evolutionary biologists. Using genomic analysis, researchers have now solved a key part of this mystery. ... > full story

Potential vaccine readies immune system to kill tuberculosis in mice (September 5, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a potential vaccine against tuberculosis that completely eliminates tuberculosis bacteria from infected tissues in some mice. The vaccine was created with a strain of bacteria that, due to the absence of a few genes, are unable to avoid its host's first-line immune response. Once this first-line defense has been activated, it triggers the more specific immune response that can protect against future infections. ... > full story

Harmless soil-dwelling bacteria successfully kill cancer (September 5, 2011) -- A bacterial strain that specifically targets tumors could soon be used as a vehicle to deliver drugs in frontline cancer therapy. The strain is expected to be tested in cancer patients in 2013. ... > full story

Growth hormone helps repair the zebrafish ear (September 5, 2011) -- Loud noise, especially repeated loud noise, is known to cause irreversible damage to the hair cells inside the cochlea and eventually lead to deafness. In mammals this is irreversible. However, both birds and fish are able to re-grow the damaged hair cells and restore hearing. New research shows that growth hormone is involved in this regeneration in zebrafish. ... > full story

Tree-killing pathogen traced back to California (September 5, 2011) -- California has emerged as the top suspect as the source of a pathogen responsible for a global pandemic of cypress canker disease. The genetic detective work by researchers in the U.S. and in Italy spotlights the hazards of planting trees and other vegetation in regions where they are not native. ... > full story

First stem cells from endangered species (September 5, 2011) -- Starting with normal skin cells, scientists have produced the first stem cells from endangered species. Such cells could eventually make it possible to improve reproduction and genetic diversity for some species, possibly saving them from extinction, or to bolster the health of endangered animals in captivity. ... > full story

U.S. high school science standards in genetics are 'inadequate,' according to experts (September 5, 2011) -- More than 85 percent of states have genetics standards that are inadequate for preparing America's high school students for participation in a society and health care system that will be increasingly impacted by genetics-based personalized medicine, according to experts. ... > full story

Rock rafts could be 'cradle of life' (September 4, 2011) -- Floating rafts of volcanic pumice could have played a significant role in the origins of life on Earth, scientists from have suggested. ... > full story

Sporulation may have given rise to the bacterial outer membrane (September 4, 2011) -- Bacteria can generally be divided into two classes: those with just one membrane and those with two. Now researchers have used a powerful imaging technique to find what they believe may be the missing link between the two classes, as well as a plausible explanation for how the outer membrane may have arisen. ... > full story

Climate in the past million years determined greatly by dust in the Southern Ocean (September 4, 2011) -- Scientists have quantified dust and iron fluxes deposited in the Antarctic Ocean during the past 4 million years. The research study shows evidence of the close relation between the maximum contributions of dust to this ocean and climate changes occurring in the most intense glaciation periods of the Pleistocene period, some 1.25 million years ago. Data confirms the role of iron in the increase in phytoplankton levels during glacial periods, intensifying the function of this ocean as a carbon dioxide sink. ... > full story

Manipulating plants' circadian clock may make all-season crops possible (September 3, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a key genetic gear that keeps the circadian clock of plants ticking, a finding that could have broad implications for global agriculture. ... > full story

Researchers investigate new mechanism for predicting how diseases spread (September 3, 2011) -- Researchers have investigated the outcomes of a previously ignored mechanism in modeling how humans travel. By challenging a long-held assumption, they hope to create models that can more accurately predict the spread of disease and the spread of human-mediated bioinvasions. ... > full story

Elusive prey: Selection pressures imposed by predator fungi have shaped escape behavior in microscopic worms (September 3, 2011) -- New research offers evidence that for the first time illuminates a biological and ecological path that links genes to molecule to neural circuit to behavior to environment. ... > full story

Attractive dads have more grandchildren, zebra finch study shows (September 3, 2011) -- A study of zebra finches has shown that males' attractiveness influences the number and size of eggs their daughters produce -- not genetically but through the effect of their attractiveness on their mate's behavior. ... > full story

Aquarius makes first ocean salt measurements (September 3, 2011) -- NASA's Aquarius instrument has successfully completed its commissioning phase and is now "tasting" the saltiness of Earth's ocean surface, making measurements from its perch in near-polar orbit. ... > full story

Climatic benefits from carbon sequestration are largely offset by increased nitrous oxide emissions, study finds (September 3, 2011) -- Recent studies have shown that human nitrogen additions to terrestrial ecosystems increase the terrestrial carbon dioxide uptake from the atmosphere. A new study reports now that the climatic benefits from carbon sequestration are largely offset by increased nitrous oxide emissions, a further side-effect of human nitrogen additions to terrestrial ecosystems. ... > full story

Powerful antioxidant resveratrol prevents metabolic syndrome in lab tests, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers in Canada have discovered that resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant found in common foods, prevents a syndrome in some offspring that could lead to later health issues such as diabetes. Resveratrol is found in fruits, nuts and red wine, and has been shown to extend the lifespan of many species. ... > full story

New insight in how cells' powerhouse divides (September 2, 2011) -- New research puts an unexpected twist on how mitochondria, the energy-generating structures within cells, divide. The work could have implications for a wide range of diseases and conditions. ... > full story

Up from the depths: How bacteria capture carbon in the 'twilight zone' (September 2, 2011) -- Located between 200 and 1,000 meters below the ocean surface is a "twilight zone" where insufficient sunlight penetrates for microorganisms to perform photosynthesis. Details are now emerging about a microbial metabolic pathway that helps solve the mystery of how certain bacteria capture carbon in the dark ocean, enabling a better understanding of what happens to the carbon that is fixed in the oceans every year. ... > full story

Woolly rhino fossil discovery in Tibet provides important clues to evolution of Ice Age giants (September 2, 2011) -- Fossil discoveries from Tibet offer new insights into the origin of the cold-adapted Pleistocene megafauna. A new research paper posits that the harsh winters of the rising Tibetan Plateau may have provided the initial step towards cold-adaptation for several subsequently successful members of the late Pleistocene mammoth fauna in Europe, Asia, and to a lesser extent, North America. The Tibetan Plateau, therefore, may have been another cradle of the Ice Age giants. ... > full story

Cryptococcus infections misdiagnosed in many AIDS patients, study suggests (September 2, 2011) -- Most AIDS patients, when diagnosed with a fungal infection known simply as cryptococcosis, are assumed to have an infection with Cryptococcus neoformans, but a new study suggests that a sibling species, Cryptococcus gattii, is a more common cause than was previously known. The difference between these strains could make a difference in treatment, clinical course, and outcome. ... > full story

New microscope might see beneath skin in 4-D (September 2, 2011) -- Other devices can take 3-D pictures of tissue below the surface of skin, but a new microscope adds an extra dimension: a spectroscopic "fingerprint" that measures the wavelength (or color) of light reflected off each point within a sample in a single snapshot. Researchers hope this innovation may one day be used for early detection of skin cancer. ... > full story

Biological 'computer' destroys cancer cells: Diagnostic network incorporated into human cells (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers have successfully incorporated a diagnostic biological "computer" network into human cells. This network recognizes certain cancer cells using logic combinations of five cancer-specific molecular factors, triggering cancer cells destruction. ... > full story

First long-term study of WTC workers shows widespread health problems 10 years after Sept. 11 (September 2, 2011) -- In the first long-term study of the health impacts of the World Trade Center (WTC) collapse on Sept. 11, 2001, researchers have found substantial and persistent mental and physical health problems among Sept. 11 first responders and recovery workers. ... > full story

To clear digital waste in computers, 'think green,' researchers say (September 2, 2011) -- A digital dumping ground lies inside most computers, a wasteland where old, rarely used and unneeded files pile up. Such data can deplete precious storage space, bog down the system's efficiency and sap its energy. Computer scientists now propose adapting a real-world approach to the cleanup effort. ... > full story

World Trade Center-exposed NYC firefighters face increased cancer risk, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- In the largest cancer study of firefighters ever conducted, researchers have found that New York City firefighters exposed to the Sept. 11 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster site were at least 19 percent more likely to develop cancer in the seven years following the disaster as their non-exposed colleagues and up to 10 percent more likely to develop cancer than a similar sample from the general population. ... > full story

Feeding cows natural plant extracts can reduce dairy farm odors and feed costs (September 2, 2011) -- With citizens' groups seeking government regulation of foul-smelling ammonia emissions from large dairy farms, scientists report that adding natural plant extracts to cow feed can reduce levels of the gas by one-third while reducing the need to fortify cow feed with expensive protein supplements. ... > full story

Glowing, blinking bacteria reveal how cells synchronize biological clocks (September 2, 2011) -- Biologists have long known that organisms from bacteria to humans use the 24 hour cycle of light and darkness to set their biological clocks. But exactly how these clocks are synchronized at the molecular level to perform the interactions within a population of cells that depend on the precise timing of circadian rhythms is less well understood. ... > full story