ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Thursday, September 8, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Thursday, September 8, 2011

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Jumping gene's preferred targets may influence genome evolution (September 8, 2011) -- Our genetic blueprint contains numerous entities known as transposons, which have the ability to move from place to place on the chromosomes within a cell. An astounding 50 percent of human DNA comprises both active transposon elements and the decaying remains of former transposons. Every time a plant or animal cell prepares to divide, the chromosome regions richest in transposon-derived sequences are among the last to duplicate. New research provides potential insight into both these enigmas. ... > full story

Flaxseed no help for hot flashes during breast cancer or menopause, study finds (September 8, 2011) -- A new study has found that flaxseed provided no benefit in easing hot flashes among breast cancer patients and postmenopausal women. ... > full story

Clouds don't cause climate change, study shows (September 8, 2011) -- Clouds only amplify climate change, says a professor in a study that rebuts recent claims that clouds are actually the root cause of climate change. ... > full story

Smartphones as helpers during disasters: Software for autonomous smartphone network developed (September 8, 2011) -- Scientists have developed software, with which smartphones can automatically and autonomously organize an energy-efficient, ad-hoc network. Rapid organization of such a communications network can be vital in the event of disasters where normal communications infrastructures have been destroyed, since smartphones could then exchange, e.g., environmental-sensor data. ... > full story

New cellular surprise may help scientists better understand human mitochondrial diseases (September 7, 2011) -- A surprising new discovery regarding the division of tiny "power plants" within cells known as mitochondria has implications for better understanding a wide variety of human diseases and conditions due to mitochondrial defects. ... > full story

How the mole got its twelve fingers (September 7, 2011) -- Polydactyly is a hereditary anomaly that is relatively common in both humans and animals. Moles also have additional fingers. In their case, however, the irregularity compared to the five-finger formula of land vertebrates is the norm. An international team of researchers has now uncovered the background to the development of the mole's extra "thumb": A bone develops in the wrist that stretches along the real thumb, giving the paw a bigger surface area for digging. ... > full story

The geophysicist's guide to striking it rich (September 7, 2011) -- Combining a number of surveying techniques for the first time, experts say their integrated surveying techniques can be applied to any region in the world to more accurately identify riches beneath the earth's surface -- before expensive drilling and mining are necessary. ... > full story

First global portrait of greenhouse gases emerges from pole-to-pole flights (September 7, 2011) -- A three-year series of research flights from the Arctic to the Antarctic has produced an unprecedented portrait of greenhouse gases. The HIPPO project is enabling researchers to generate the first detailed mapping of the global distribution of gases and particles that affect Earth's climate. ... > full story

Evidence for a persistently iron-rich ocean changes views on Earth's early history (September 7, 2011) -- Researchers report that the ancient deep ocean was not only devoid of oxygen but also rich in iron, a key biological nutrient, for nearly a billion years longer than previously thought -- right through a key evolutionary interval that culminated in the first rise of animals. "We will need to rethink all of our models for how life-essential nutrients were distributed in the ocean through time and space," the authors say. ... > full story

Baker’s yeast substance can aid healing, Norwegian researchers show (September 7, 2011) -- Can wounds be helped to heal faster? Yes, says a Norwegian company whose product’s active ingredient, beta-glucans, comes from common baker’s yeast. Beta-glucans have been called nature's super-medicine. Norwegian researchers have been pioneers in producing these substances from the cell walls of everyday baker's yeast. Beta-glucans are now widely used in the aquaculture industry and veterinary medicine, as well as in dietary supplements and cosmetics. ... > full story

New type of solar cell retains high efficiency for long periods (September 7, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development of a new genre of an electrolyte system for solar cells that breaks the double-digit barrier in the efficiency with which the devices convert sunlight into electricity. ... > full story

Scientists create mammalian cells with single chromosome set (September 7, 2011) -- Researchers have created mammalian cells containing a single set of chromosomes for the first time. The technique should allow scientists to better establish the relationships between genes and their function. ... > full story

Evidence suggests La Niña will return this winter (September 7, 2011) -- A return of La Nina, which historically delivers dry conditions, is increasingly likely, according to scientists. ... > full story

Expert calls for change in trans fat labelling (September 7, 2011) -- Not all trans fats are created equal and it's time for nutritional labels to reflect that reality, says a Canadian nutrition expert. According to a recent scientific review, natural trans fats produced by ruminant animals such as dairy and beef cattle are not detrimental to health. In fact, they show significant positive health effects and some evidence even links these natural trans fats to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. ... > full story

Growing meat in the lab: Scientists initiate action plan to advance cultured meat (September 7, 2011) -- An international group of scientists recently took a step closer to their goal to produce cultured meat, during a workshop in Sweden. Many technology components are now coming into place in order to realize the concept of cultured meat. This includes a cell source that is possible to use, several alternative processes to turn these cells into muscle cells for meat, and nutrients free of animal components which can be produced from sunlight and carbon dioxide. ... > full story

Prenatal exposure to phthalates linked to decreased mental and motor development (September 7, 2011) -- A new study heightens concerns over the potential health effects on children of a group of ubiquitous chemicals known as phthalates, a class of chemicals that are known to disrupt the endocrine system, and are widely used in consumer products. This is the first study to examine prenatal phthalate exposure and the prevalence of mental, motor and behavioral problems in children who are in the preschool years. ... > full story

Scientists pinpoint shape-shifting mechanism critical to protein signaling (September 7, 2011) -- Scientists have shown that changes in a protein's structure can change its signaling function and they have pinpointed the precise regions where those changes take place. The new findings could help provide a much clearer picture of potential drugs that would be both effective and highly specific in their biological actions. ... > full story

Scientists develop new technologies for understanding bacterial infections (September 7, 2011) -- Understanding how bacteria infect cells is crucial to preventing countless human diseases. In a recent breakthrough, scientists have discovered a new approach for studying molecules within their natural environment, opening the door to understanding the complexity of how bacteria infect people. ... > full story

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

Where does all Earth's gold come from? (September 7, 2011) -- Ultra high precision analyses of some of the oldest rock samples on Earth provides clear evidence that the planet's accessible reserves of precious metals are the result of a bombardment of meteorites more than 200 million years after the Earth was formed. ... > full story

Evolution's past is modern human's present: DNA evidence of ancient interbreeding inside Africa (September 7, 2011) -- That seems to be the takeaway from new research that concludes "archaic" humans, somewhere in Africa during the last 20-60 thousand years, interbred with anatomically modern humans and transferred small amounts of genetic material to their offspring who are alive today. University of Arizona geneticist Michael Hammer and a team of evolutionary biologists, geneticists and mathematicians report the finding in today's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ... > full story

'TF beacons' may light path to new cancer tests and drugs (September 7, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development of a long-sought new way to detect the activity of proteins that bind to the DNA in genes, often controlling the activity of genes in ways that make cells do everything from growing normally to becoming cancerous. ... > 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