ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Tuesday, November 1, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Tuesday, November 1, 2011

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Vaccine for cattle offers hope to poorest farmers (November 1, 2011) -- A new approach to vaccinating cattle could help farmers worldwide, research suggests. Scientists have developed a technique using a harmless parasite, which lives in cows but has no effect on their health, to carry medicines into the animals' bloodstream. ... > full story

Savannas and forests in a battle of the biomes (November 1, 2011) -- Climate change, land use and other human-driven factors could pit savannas and forests against each other by altering the elements found by researchers to stabilize the two. Without this harmony, the habitats, or biomes, could increasingly encroach on one other to the detriment of the people and animals that rely on them. ... > full story

From tropics to poles: Study reveals diversity of life in soils (October 31, 2011) -- Microscopic animals that live in soils are as diverse in the tropical forests of Costa Rica as they are in the arid grasslands of Kenya, or the tundra and boreal forests of Alaska and Sweden, according to new research. Scientists have generally accepted that a wider range of species can be found above ground at the equator than at Earth's poles. But this study proves for the first time that the same rules don't apply to the nematodes, mites and springtails living underground. ... > full story

How major signaling pathways are wired to our genome gives new insight into disease processes (October 31, 2011) -- Scientists have determined that master transcription factors determine the genes regulated by key signaling pathways. In this way, signaling pathways are targeted to genes that are most relevant to each cell type and tailor gene expression to control cell state, growth, differentiation, and death. By manipulating signaling pathways, scientists may find new therapies for cancer and other diseases or ways to push cells into more specialized states, such as neurons to treat nerve damage or insulin-producing beta cells for diabetes. ... > full story

Meerkats recognize each other from their calls (October 31, 2011) -- Wild meerkats living in the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa recognize group members from their calls, behavior researchers have established for the first time. The researchers assume that meerkats can tell the individual group members apart. ... > full story

CSI-style investigation of meteorite hits on Earth (October 31, 2011) -- Volcanologists have forensically reconstructed the impact of a meteorite on Earth and how debris was hurled from the crater to devastate the surrounding region. ... > full story

Healthy mouth bacteria provide ideal conditions for gum disease (October 31, 2011) -- Gum disease can only develop with the help of normal bacteria living in the mouth, new research has revealed. ... > full story

Researchers build largest protein interaction map to date (October 31, 2011) -- Researchers have built a map that shows how thousands of proteins in a fruit fly cell communicate with each other. This is the largest and most detailed protein interaction map of a multicellular organism, demonstrating how approximately one third of the proteins cooperate to keep life going. ... > full story

Florida Keys ecosystem threatened by multiple stressors (October 31, 2011) -- Scientists have found that pressure from increasing coastal populations, ship and boat groundings, marine debris, poaching, and climate change are critically threatening the health of the Florida Keys ecosystem. ... > full story

Natural killer cells could be key to anthrax defense (October 31, 2011) -- Researchers have found new allies for the fight against anthrax. Known as natural killer cells, they're a part of the immune system normally associated with eliminating tumor cells and cells infected by viruses. But natural killer cells also attack bacteria -- including anthrax, according to a new study. ... > full story

Elaborate bird plumage due to testosterone? (October 31, 2011) -- In many bird species males have a more elaborate plumage than females. This elaborate plumage is often used to signal body condition, to intimidate rivals or to attract potential mates. In many cases plumage colouration also depends on the hormone testosterone. Researchers have now investigated whether this also holds true for sex role-reversed bird species. ... > full story

Human-caused climate change major factor in more frequent Mediterranean droughts (October 31, 2011) -- Wintertime droughts are increasingly common in the Mediterranean region, and human-caused climate change is partly responsible, according to a new analysis. In the last 20 years, 10 of the driest 12 winters have taken place in the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. ... > full story

Study analyzes only known footage of the largest woodpecker that ever lived (October 31, 2011) -- Most believe the imperial woodpecker faded unseen into history in the late 20th century in the high mountains of Mexico. But now the largest woodpecker that ever lived can be seen once more in an 85-second flight that offers us a lesson its behavior, and ours. ... > full story

Global warming target to stay below 2 degrees requires more action this decade, scientists say (October 31, 2011) -- Climate scientists say the world's target to stay below a global warming of 2 degrees, made at the United Nations conference in Copenhagen in 2009 and Cancun 2010 will require decisive action this decade. ... > full story

Different paths to drug resistance in Leishmania: Evolution by changes in gene, region and chromosome number, not by mutation in genes (October 31, 2011) -- Two remarkable discoveries have been revealed by researchers into genome analysis of Leishmania parasites. These results uncovered a surprising level of variation at the genome structure level. ... > full story

Yeast model connects Alzheimer's disease risk and amyloid beta toxicity (October 31, 2011) -- In a development that sheds new light on the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a team of scientists has identified connections between genetic risk factors for the disease and the effects of a peptide toxic to nerve cells in the brains of AD patients. ... > full story

Tropical rainforests original generators of biodiversity (October 31, 2011) -- The tropical rainforests harbor a multitude of living resources. Where, when and how did this wealth of biodiversity appear? To find answers to these fundamental questions, biologists have realized the first evolutionary history of a family of plants characteristic of this ecosystem: palms (Arecaceae or Palmae). ... > full story

Prehistoric greenhouse data from ocean floor could predict Earth's future, study finds (October 30, 2011) -- New research indicates that Atlantic Ocean temperatures during the greenhouse climate of the Late Cretaceous Epoch were influenced by circulation in the deep ocean. These changes in circulation patterns 70 million years ago could help scientists understand the consequences of modern increases in greenhouse gases. ... > full story

Intestinal stem cells respond to food by supersizing the gut (October 30, 2011) -- Many organs, from muscles and intestines to the liver, change size during adulthood. A new study shows that adult stem cells are key to these changes. Working with fruit flies, biologists discovered that after eating, the gut secretes insulin that activates stem cells into overdrive to grow the gut. In flies, the midgut can quadruple in size within four days. The finding could have implications for diabetes and obesity in humans. ... > full story

Novel strategy stymies SARS and other viruses: Versatile inhibitor prevents viral replication (October 30, 2011) -- Broad-spectrum antiviral drugs are urgently needed but have so far eluded discovery. Researchers have now identified a new point of attack. Moreover, they show that targeting of this molecule inhibits the growth of a wide range of viruses, including the SARS virus – at least in cell culture. ... > full story

'New paradigm' in the way drugs can be manufactured: New method to build important heparin drug (October 30, 2011) -- Researchers working to change forever the way some of the most widely used drugs in the world are manufactured have announced an important step toward making this a reality. ... > full story

Python study may have implications for human heart health (October 29, 2011) -- A surprising new study shows that huge amounts of fatty acids circulating in the bloodstreams of feeding pythons promote healthy heart growth, results that may have implications for treating human heart disease. ... > full story

How motherhood behavior is influenced by alterations in brain function (October 29, 2011) -- Instinctive mothering behavior towards care of newborns has long been recognized as a phenomenon in humans and animals, but now research has shown that motherhood is associated with the acquisition of a host of new behaviors that are driven, at least in part, by alterations in brain function. ... > full story

Specific gene linked to cold sore susceptibility, study finds (October 28, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a human chromosome containing a specific gene associated with susceptibility to herpes simplex labialis, the common cold sore. The study looks at how several genes may affect the severity of symptoms and frequency of this common infection. The findings, if confirmed, could have implications for the development of new drugs to treat outbreaks. ... > full story

Simple nerve cells regulate swimming depth of marine plankton (October 28, 2011) -- As planktonic organisms the larvae of the marine annelid Platynereis swim freely in the open water. They move by activity of their cilia, thousands of tiny hair-like structures forming a band along the larval body and beating coordinately. With changing environmental conditions the larvae swim upward and downward to their appropriate water depth. Scientists have now identified some signalling substances in the larval nervous system regulating swimming depth of the larvae. These substances influence the ciliary beating and thus hold the larvae in the preferred water depth. The scientists discovered a very simple circuitry of nerve cells underlying this regulation, reflecting an early evolutionary state of the nervous system. ... > full story

Celestial compass obscured by urban light pollution for some nocturnal animals (October 28, 2011) -- Urban light pollution has been shown to reduce the visibility of not only the stars, but also of an important navigational signal for some nocturnal animals. During clear moonlit nights, a compass-like pattern of polarized light that is invisible to the human eye stretches across the sky. The nighttime skyglow over major cities renders this celestial compass unobservable over large areas, according to a new study. ... > full story

Do bacteria age? Biologists discover the answer follows simple economics (October 28, 2011) -- When a bacterial cell divides into two daughter cells and those two cells divide into four more daughters, then 8, then 16 and so on, the result, biologists have long assumed, is an eternally youthful population of bacteria. Bacteria, in other words, don't age -- at least not in the same way all other organisms do. But a study questions that longstanding paradigm. Researchers conclude that not only do bacteria age, but that their ability to age allows bacteria to improve the evolutionary fitness of their population by diversifying their reproductive investment between older and more youthful daughters. ... > full story

Rising to a global health challenge, students coax yeast cells to add vitamins to bread (October 28, 2011) -- Any way you slice it, bread that contains critical nutrients could help combat malnutrition in impoverished regions. That is the goal of a group of undergraduate students who are enhancing common yeast so that it makes vitamin-producing bread. ... > full story

Governments must plan for migration in response to climate change, researchers say (October 28, 2011) -- Governments around the world must be prepared for mass migrations caused by rising global temperatures or face the possibility of calamitous results, say scientists. ... > full story

Insects are scared to death of fish (October 28, 2011) -- The mere presence of a predator causes enough stress to kill a dragonfly, even when the predator cannot actually get at its prey to eat it, say biologists. The scientists suggest that their findings could apply to all organisms facing any amount of stress, and that the experiment could be used as a model for future studies on the lethal effects of stress. ... > full story

New drug targets revealed from giant parasitic worm genome sequence (October 28, 2011) -- Scientists have identified the genetic blueprint of the giant intestinal roundworm, Ascaris suum, revealing potential targets to control the devastating parasitic disease ascariasis, which affects more than one billion people in China, South East Asia, South America and parts of Africa, killing thousands of people annually and causing chronic effects in young children. ... > full story

Ancient depiction of childbirth discovered at Etruscan site in Tuscany (October 28, 2011) -- An archaeological excavation at Poggio Colla, the site of a 2,700-year-old Etruscan settlement in Italy's Mugello Valley, has turned up a surprising and unique find: two images of a woman giving birth to a child. Researchers who oversee the Poggio Colla excavation site some 20 miles northeast of Florence, discovered the images on a small fragment from a ceramic vessel that is more than 2,600 years old. ... > full story

Study offers clues as to why some patients get infections from cardiac implants (October 28, 2011) -- New research suggests that some patients develop a potentially deadly blood infection from their implanted cardiac devices because bacterial cells in their bodies have gene mutations that allow them to stick to the devices. Patients with implants can develop infections because of a biofilm of persistent bacterial bugs on the surfaces of their devices. ... > full story

Building better HIV antibodies: Biologists create neutralizing antibody that shows increased potency (October 28, 2011) -- Using highly potent antibodies isolated from HIV-positive people, researchers have recently begun to identify ways to broadly neutralize the many possible subtypes of HIV. Now, a team of biologists has built upon one of these naturally occurring antibodies to create a stronger version they believe is a better candidate for clinical applications. ... > full story

Glaciers in southwest China feel the brunt of climate change (October 28, 2011) -- Significant increases in annual temperatures are having a devastating effect on glaciers in the mountainous regions of southwestern China, potentially affecting natural habitats, tourism and wider economic development. ... > full story

Additional investments in youth needed as world population tops 7 billion, states United Nations report (October 28, 2011) -- In five days, world population is projected to reach 7 billion. How we respond now will determine whether we have a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future or one that is marked by inequalities, environmental decline and economic setbacks, according to The State of World Population 2011 report, published Oct. 26, 2011 by the United Nations Population Fund. ... > full story

Progeria: Promising results from new gene therapy on animals (October 28, 2011) -- Huge progress has been made over the last few years in scientific research into progeria, a disease that leads to premature aging in children. In 2003, a team directed by Nicolas Lévy discovered the gene, and, in 2008, 12 children were able to begin clinical trials in which two molecules were combined to slow down the characteristic effects of the disease: premature aging. Researchers are continuing their efforts in an attempt to counter the consequences of the genetic defect that causes progeria. ... > full story

Seven billion people are not the issue: Human development is what counts (October 28, 2011) -- As the global media speculate on the number of people likely to inhabit the planet on October 31 an international team of population and development experts argue that it is not simply the number of people that matters but more so their distribution by age, education, health status and location that is most relevant to local and global sustainability. ... > full story

NASA launches multi-talented Earth-observing satellite (October 28, 2011) -- NASA's newest Earth-observing satellite soared into space early Oct. 28, 2011 aboard a Delta II rocket after liftoff at 5:48 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. ... > full story

The scars of slavery (October 28, 2011) -- The diaspora of Afro-descendants in Mexico and Central America takes on many guises, as reflected in names used such as Colonial Blacks, Afro-Antilleans, Garifuna. Status and levels of social recognition and integration are highly diverse and this distinguishes the countries of this region from the rest of the Latin-American continent. Researchers are studying the historical construction of these communities, which developed from successive waves of migrations, and of their identities. ... > full story

Researchers complete mollusk evolutionary tree (October 27, 2011) -- Researchers have compiled the most comprehensive evolutionary tree for mollusks to date. Their analysis surprisingly places two enigmatic groups, cephalopods and monoplacophorans, as sister clades. The team has also shown that there was a single origin for shelled mollusks. ... > full story

Exercise eases arthritis in obese mice even without weight loss (October 27, 2011) -- Adding another incentive to exercise, scientists have found that physical activity improves arthritis symptoms even among obese mice that continue to chow down on a high-fat diet. ... > full story

Quantum dots cast light on biomedical processes (October 27, 2011) -- The light emitted by quantum dots is both more intense and longer lasting than that produced by the fluorescent markers commonly used in medical and biological applications. Yet these nano-scale light sources still suffer from one major drawback: they do not dissolve in water. Researchers in the Netherlands and Singapore have found a way to remedy this. They have developed a coating which allows quantum dots to be used inside the human body, even inside living cells. ... > full story

Antarctic killer whales may seek spa-like relief in the tropics (October 27, 2011) -- In a new study, researchers offer a novel explanation for why a type of Antarctic killer whale performs a rapid migration to warmer tropical waters. One tagged Antarctic killer whale monitored by satellite traveled over 5,000 miles to visit the warm waters off southern Brazil before returning immediately to Antarctica just 42 days later. This was the first long distance migration ever reported for killer whales. ... > full story

Testing geoengineering: Models help determine type of testing that might be effective (October 27, 2011) -- Solar radiation management is a class of theoretical concepts for manipulating the climate in order to reduce the risks of global warming. But its potential effectiveness and risks are uncertain, and it is unclear whether tests could help narrow these uncertainties. Researchers used modeling to determine the type of testing that might be effective in the future. ... > full story

Natural intestinal flora involved in the emergence of multiple sclerosis, study finds (October 27, 2011) -- Multiple sclerosis is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. For a long time, pathogens were believed to be such external influences. According to scientists from Germany, however, it is apparently not harmful bacteria that trigger multiple sclerosis, but beneficial ones -- specifically, the natural intestinal flora, which every human being needs for digestion. The researchers discovered that genetically modified mice develop an inflammation in the brain similar to the human disease if they have normal bacterial intestinal flora. The microorganisms begin by activating the immune system's T cells and, in a further step, the B immune cells. ... > full story

Bio-engineered protein shows promise as new hemophilia therapy (October 27, 2011) -- A genetically engineered clotting factor that controlled hemophilia in an animal study offers a novel potential treatment for human hemophilia and a broad range of other bleeding problems. A research team took the naturally occurring coagulation factor Xa and engineered it into a variant that safely controlled bleeding in mouse models of hemophilia. ... > full story

'Magnetic tongue' ready to help produce tastier processed foods (October 27, 2011) -- The "electronic nose," which detects odors, has a companion among emerging futuristic "e-sensing" devices intended to replace abilities that once were strictly human-and-animal-only. It is a "magnetic tongue" -- a method used to "taste" food and identify ingredients that people describe as sweet, bitter, sour, etc. Scientists report on use of the method to taste canned tomatoes. ... > full story