ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, March 30, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, March 30, 2012

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Scientists reveal genetic mutation depicted in van Gogh's sunflower paintings (March 29, 2012) -- Scientists reveal the mutation behind the distinctive, thick bands of yellow "double flowers" that Vincent van Gogh painted more than 100 years ago. ... > full story

Electricity and carbon dioxide used to generate alternative fuel (March 29, 2012) -- Imagine being able to use electricity to power your car and it's not an electric vehicle. Researchers have for the first time demonstrated a method for converting carbon dioxide into liquid fuel isobutanol using electricity. ... > full story

New seismic hazard assessment for Central America (March 29, 2012) -- A new study evaluates the seismic hazards for the entire Central America, including specific assessments for six capital cities, with the greatest hazard expected for Guatemala City and San Salvador, followed by Managua and San Jose, and notably lower in Tegucigalpa and Panama City. ... > full story

Increasing water scarcity in California's Bay-Delta will necessitate trade-offs; 'Hard decisions' needed to balance various environmental risks (March 29, 2012) -- Simultaneously attaining a reliable water supply for California and protecting and rehabilitating its Bay-Delta ecosystem cannot be realized until better planning can identify how trade-offs. ... > full story

Carbon dioxide was hidden in the ocean during last Ice Age (March 29, 2012) -- Why did the atmosphere contain so little carbon dioxide during the last Ice Age 20,000 years ago? Why did it rise when the Earth's climate became warmer? Processes in the ocean are responsible for this, says a new study based on newly developed isotope measurements. ... > full story

Compounds dramatically alter biological clock and lead to weight loss, animal study suggests (March 29, 2012) -- Scientists have synthesized a pair of small molecules that dramatically alter the core biological clock in animal models, highlighting the compounds' potential effectiveness in treating a remarkable range of disorders -- including obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and serious sleep disorders. ... > full story

Plant research reveals new role for gene silencing protein (March 29, 2012) -- A DICER protein, known to produce tiny RNAs in cells, also helps complete an important step in gene expression, according to research on Arabidopsis thaliana. The expression of a gene requires activation via a promoter or an external trigger. Plant research to be published in Science helps to show that later stages of transcription are just as important. This is likely to apply to other organisms, including humans. ... > full story

Simple 3-D grid structure underlying complexity of primate brain (March 29, 2012) -- How do you build a brain? Scientists how present a surprising answer, reporting their discovery of a remarkably simple organizational structure in the brains of humans and other primates. Employing sophisticated mathematical analysis of advanced imaging data, they found that the pathways carrying neural signals through the brain are arranged not in a disorganized tangle but in a curved, three-dimensional grid. ... > full story

Weakness can be an advantage in surviving deadly parasites, a new study shows (March 29, 2012) -- When battling an epidemic of a deadly parasite, less resistance can sometimes be better than more. A new study suggests that a lake's ecological characteristics influence how freshwater zooplankton Daphnia dentifera evolve to survive epidemics of a virulent yeast parasite Metschnikowia bicuspidate. The study found that Daphnia populations evolved either enhanced resistance or susceptibility to infection depending on the nutrient concentration and predation levels in the lake. ... > full story

How bees are harmed by common crop pesticides (March 29, 2012) -- A widely used insecticide can threaten the health of bumblebee colonies and interfere with the homing abilities of honeybees, according to a pair of new studies. Researchers have proposed multiple causes for these declines, including pesticides, but it's been unclear exactly how pesticides are inflicting their damage. ... > full story

On the path to age-defying therapies (March 29, 2012) -- The drug rapamycin extends lifespan in lab animals, yet it's linked to two hallmarks of diabetes. By teasing apart its activity, researchers have determined that inhibiting only the protein cluster known as mTORC1 prolongs life in mice without adversely affecting glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity. ... > full story

Titanium paternity test fingers Earth as moon's sole parent (March 29, 2012) -- A new chemical analysis of lunar material collected by Apollo astronauts in the 1970s conflicts with the widely held theory that a giant collision between Earth and a Mars-sized object gave birth to the moon 4.5 billion years ago. ... > full story

Forest-destroying avalanches on the rise due to clear-cut logging (March 29, 2012) -- Scientists have been studying the impact of clear-cut logging on avalanche terrain in British Columbia. Understanding avalanche behavior and its destructive potential is an important factor in assessing risk of clear-cut logging of mature forest timber. A new article presents data collected from locations where avalanches have been released due to clear-cut logging; These data demonstrate the adverse effects of poor logging practices. ... > full story

Divergent evolution illuminated: Light shed on reasons behind genome differences between species (March 29, 2012) -- A new study explains the divergent evolution of the genomes of different groups of species. The connection between the function of enzymes and the composition of the genomes shed light on the evolution and structure of genes, and explains differences between archaebacteria, bacteria and eukaryotes. ... > full story

Artificial thymus tissue enables maturation of immune cells (March 29, 2012) -- The thymus plays a key role in the body's immune response. It is here where the T lymphocytes or T cells, a major type of immune defence cells, mature. Different types of T cells, designated to perform specific tasks, arise from progenitor cells that migrate to the thymus from the bone marrow. Researchers have now generated artificial thymus tissue in a mouse embryo to enable the maturation of immune cells. In this process, they discovered which signalling molecules control the maturation of T cells. Their results represent the first step towards the production of artificial thymus glands that could be used to replace or augment the damaged organ. ... > full story

Rare animal-shaped mounds discovered in Peru (March 29, 2012) -- For more than a century and a half, scientists and tourists have visited massive animal-shaped mounds, such as Serpent Mound in Ohio, created by the indigenous people of North America. But few animal effigy mounds had been found in South America until an anthropology professor recently identified numerous earthen animals rising above the coastal plains of Peru, a region already renowned for the Nazca lines, the ruined city of Chan Chan, and other cultural treasures. ... > full story

Tiny electrical sensors could signal faster MRSA diagnosis (March 29, 2012) -- A simple test to identify MRSA in wounds could identify the superbug quickly and help prevent infection from spreading. Scientists have developed the test to show whether wounds or lesions are infected with bacteria and if MRSA is present. ... > full story

Why some animals live longer than others (March 29, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a new method to detect proteins associated with longevity, which helps further our understanding into why some animals live longer than others. ... > full story

New insights into how cells duplicate their DNA (March 29, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered new insights into how cells duplicate their DNA. They used an imaging method known as cryo-electron microscopy to take extremely high resolution images of how the right proteins come together at the right point on the DNA strands, forming a structure called an "origin recognition complex" (ORC). The lab's first-of-a-kind images (taken using yeast cells, which are also eukaryotes), showed how the shape of the complex changes as it sets the DNA up for duplication. ... > full story

Genetic regulators hijacked by avian and swine flu viruses identified (March 29, 2012) -- Researchers have identified a number of tiny but powerful "genetic regulators" that are hijacked by avian and swine flu viruses during human infection. ... > full story

Scientists clone 'survivor' elm trees (March 29, 2012) -- Scientists have found a way to successfully clone American elm trees that have survived repeated epidemics of their biggest killer -- Dutch elm disease. The breakthrough is the first known use of in vitro culture technology to clone buds of mature American elm trees. ... > full story

Culprit behind unchecked angiogenesis identified (March 29, 2012) -- Researchers have unraveled a critical regulatory mechanism controlling blood vessel growth that might help solve drug resistance problems in the future. ... > full story

Mites form friendly societies: Predatory mites who stick with familiar individuals are more efficient at finding food (March 29, 2012) -- For plant-inhabiting predatory mites, living among familiar neighbors reduces stress. This allows individuals to focus on other tasks and be more productive, in particular while they are foraging. The new study supports the theory that so-called 'social familiarity' reduces the cognitive, physiological and behavioral costs of group-living, leading to increased efficiency in other tasks. ... > full story

Dolphins cultivate loose alliances (March 29, 2012) -- Dolphins behave uniquely. On the one hand, male dolphins form alliances with others; on the other hand, they live in an open social structure. Anthropologists from the University of Zurich detected this unusual behavior in the animal kingdom in dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia. ... > full story

Current chemical testing missing low-dosage effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (March 29, 2012) -- Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) —- such as BPA —- can show tangible effects on health endpoints at high dosage levels, yet those effects do not predict how EDCs will affect the endocrine system at low doses, according to a recent study. ... > full story

Met office to provide space weather warnings for planet Earth and forecasts for exoplanets (March 28, 2012) -- The UK Met Office’s weather and climate model is being adapted to help understand space weather at Earth and the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars. ... > full story

Two-in-one device uses sewage as fuel to make electricity and clean the sewage (March 28, 2012) -- Scientists have described a new and more efficient version of an innovative device the size of a washing machine that uses bacteria growing in municipal sewage to make electricity and clean up the sewage at the same time. Commercial versions of the two-in-one device could be a boon for the developing world and water-short parts of the U.S. ... > full story

With you in the room, bacteria counts spike -- by about 37 million bacteria per hour (March 28, 2012) -- A person's mere presence in a room can add 37 million bacteria to the air every hour -- material largely left behind by previous occupants and stirred up from the floor -- according to new research. ... > full story

New layer of genetic information helps determine how fast proteins are produced (March 28, 2012) -- A hidden and never before recognized layer of information in the genetic code has been uncovered by a team of scientists, thanks to a new technique called ribosome profiling, which enables the measurement of gene activity inside living cells. ... > full story

Novel compound halts tumor spread, improves brain cancer treatment in animal studies (March 28, 2012) -- By stopping the spread of cancer cells into normal brain tissue in animal models, researchers have developed a new strategy for treating brain cancer that could improve clinical outcomes. The researchers treated animals possessing an invasive tumor with a novel molecule called imipramine blue, followed by conventional doxorubicin chemotherapy. The tumors ceased their invasion of healthy tissue and the animals survived longer than animals treated with chemotherapy alone. ... > full story

'Lucy' lived among close cousins: Discovery of foot fossil confirms two human ancestor species co-existed (March 28, 2012) -- Scientists have found a 3.4 million-year-old partial foot fossil in the Afar region of Ethiopia, showing that "Lucy," Australopithecus afarensis, and a much different-looking early hominin lived in the area at the same time. ... > full story

Fossil raindrop impressions imply greenhouse gases loaded early atmosphere (March 28, 2012) -- Evidence from fossilized raindrop impressions from 2.7 billion years ago indicates that an abundance of greenhouse gases most likely caused the warm temperatures on ancient Earth. ... > full story

Making the most of colostrum (March 28, 2012) -- Acquisition of sufficient immunoglobulins from colostrum immediately after birth is the single most important factor in ensuring the health and productivity of the calf.  ... > full story

Circle hooks lower catch rate for offshore anglers, impacting recreational fishing (March 28, 2012) -- Anglers are required to use circle hooks in some fishing tournaments because they are less likely to cause lethal injuries in billfish, such as marlin. However, new research shows that broadening circle hook requirements could adversely impact charter and recreational fishing, since they make it more difficult to catch non-billfish. ... > full story

Locating solid, experimental data about protein interactions (March 28, 2012) -- A new service makes it simple to find solid, experimental data about protein interactions. A new non-redundant experimental dataset will make it much easier for researchers to understand the complex set of protein interactions in cells. ... > full story

Viral disease -- particularly from herpes -- gaining interest as possible cause of coral decline (March 28, 2012) -- As corals continue to decline in abundance around the world, researchers are turning their attention to a possible cause that's almost totally unexplored -- viral disease. It appears that corals harbor many different viruses -- particularly herpes. They also are home to the adenoviruses and other viral families that can cause human colds and gastrointestinal disease. ... > full story

Solar storm seen from inside and outside Earth's magnetosphere (March 28, 2012) -- For the first time, instrumentation aboard two NASA missions operating from complementary vantage points watched as a powerful solar storm spewed a two million-mile-per-hour stream of charged particles and interacted with the invisible magnetic field surrounding Earth. ... > full story

Playing at home energy savings (March 28, 2012) -- An approach to cutting domestic energy consumption based on playing a game - Energy Battle - can lead to household savings of up to 45% on electricity consumption and lead to better energy-saving habits, says a new study. ... > full story

How to save Europe's most threatened butterflies (March 28, 2012) -- New guidelines on how to save some of Europe’s most threatened butterfly species have now been published. The report covers 29 threatened species. The new report will provide crucial information on how to achieve this goal and meet their international biodiversity targets. ... > full story

Exploding dinosaur hypothesis implodes (March 28, 2012) -- A pregnant ichthyosaur female that perished 182 million years ago puzzled researchers for quite some time: The skeleton of the extinct marine reptile is almost immaculately preserved and the fossilized bones of the mother animal lie largely in their anatomical position. The bones of the ichthyosaur embryos, however, are a different story: For the most part, they lie scattered outside the body of the mother. Such peculiar bone arrangements are repeatedly found in ichthyosaur skeletons. According to the broadly accepted scientific doctrine, this is the result of exploding carcasses: Putrefaction gases produced during the decomposition process cause the carcass to swell and burst. However, sedimentologists, paleontologists and forensic scientists have now managed to dispel the myth of exploding dinosaur carcasses.  ... > full story

Odd lipid out may illuminate evolution (March 28, 2012) -- Spectroscopic evidence for the unusual handedness of a mammalian lipid may advance our understanding of evolution. ... > full story

'Resuscitating' antibiotics to overcome drug resistance (March 27, 2012) -- Combining common antibiotics with additional compounds could make previously resistant bacteria more susceptible to the same antibiotics. 'Resuscitation' of existing antibiotics has the potential to make infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria easier to control, reducing antibiotic usage and levels of antimicrobial resistance, say scientists. ... > full story

Thyme may be better for acne than prescription creams (March 27, 2012) -- Herbal preparations of thyme could be more effective at treating skin acne than prescription creams, according to new research. Further clinical testing could lead to an effective, gentler treatment for the skin condition. ... > full story

Bacteria use chat to play the 'prisoner's dilemma' game in deciding their fate (March 27, 2012) -- When faced with life-or-death situations, bacteria -- and maybe even human cells -- use an extremely sophisticated version of "game theory" to consider their options and decide upon the best course of action. Scientists said microbes "play" a version of the classic "Prisoner's Dilemma" game. ... > full story

New evidence that comets deposited building blocks of life on primordial Earth (March 27, 2012) -- New research provides further support for the idea that comets bombarding Earth billions of years ago carried and deposited the key ingredients for life to spring up on the planet. ... > full story

Hot pepper compound could help hearts (March 27, 2012) -- The food that inspires wariness is on course for inspiring even more wonder from a medical standpoint as scientists have reported the latest evidence that chili peppers are a heart-healthy food with potential to protect against the No. 1 cause of death in the developed world. ... > full story

Capsule for removing radioactive contamination from milk, fruit juices, other beverages (March 27, 2012) -- Amid concerns about possible terrorist attacks with nuclear materials, and fresh memories of environmental contamination from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, scientists have developed a capsule that can be dropped into water, milk, fruit juices and other foods to remove more than a dozen radioactive substances. ... > full story

Competition-linked bursts of testosterone are fundamental aspect of human biology, study of Amazonian tribe suggests (March 27, 2012) -- Though Tsimane men have a third less baseline testosterone compared with U.S. men, Tsimane show the same increase in testosterone following a soccer game, suggesting that competition-linked bursts of testosterone are a fundamental aspect of human biology. ... > full story