ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Tuesday, November 4, 2008
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Human Genes: Alternative Splicing Far More Common Than Thought (November 4, 2008) -- Scientists have long known that it's possible for one gene to produce slightly different forms of the same protein by skipping or including certain sequences from the messenger RNA. Now, scientists have shown that this phenomenon, known as alternative splicing, is both far more prevalent and varies more between tissues than was previously believed. ... > full story
Large Anthropogenic Nutrient And Pollutant Loads To The Sea From Small Unmonitored Near-coastal Catchment Areas (November 4, 2008) -- A new study shows that the waterborne nutrient and pollutant loads from land to the sea may be larger from small near-coastal areas, which are left without systematic environmental monitoring of their coastal loads, than from the large, systematically monitored main rivers. ... > full story
Parasites And Global Change: Past Patterns, Future Projections (November 3, 2008) -- Throughout history, environmental disturbances and global climate change have strongly influenced how humans are affected by parasites, according to one parasitologist. ... > full story
Antioxidants Can Reduce The Toxic Effects Of Lead, Study Suggests (November 3, 2008) -- A research study shows that administering natural antioxidants can reduce the effects of lead poisoning in animals during the gestation and lactation periods. The study suggests that it could also be effective in humans. ... > full story
Tiny Fungi May Have Sex While Infecting Humans (November 3, 2008) -- A fungus called microsporidia that causes chronic diarrhea in AIDS patients, organ transplant recipients and travelers has been identified as a member of the family of fungi that have been discovered to reproduce sexually. Scientists have proven that microsporidia are true fungi and that this species most likely undergoes a form of sexual reproduction during infection of humans and other host animals. ... > full story
Long-term Stabilization Of Carbon Dioxide In Atmosphere Will Require Major Cuts In Emissions (November 3, 2008) -- Carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that has had the largest impact on our climate, will continue to rise even if current national and international targets for reducing emissions are met, scientists warn. But, they say, strong action taken now – such as the 80% target recently announced by the UK government – will continue to have benefits a long time into the future. ... > full story
Critically Endangered Fruit Bat Make Dramatic Return From Brink Of Extinction (November 3, 2008) -- A once critically endangered bat species, the 'Pemba flying fox', has made a dramatic return from the brink of extinction, according to new research. As recently as 1989, only a scant few individual fruit bats could be observed on the tropical island of Pemba, off Tanzania. Its numbers have since soared to an astounding 22,000 bats in less than 20 years, the new research finds. ... > full story
New Mouse Mutant Contains Clue To Progressive Hearing Loss (November 3, 2008) -- Researchers have defined a mutation in the mouse genome that mimics progressive hearing loss in humans. Scientists have found that mice carrying a mutation called Oblivion displayed problems with the function of hair cells in the inner ear, occurring before clear physical effects are seen. ... > full story
Study Of Learning Disabled Mice Shows Balance In The Brain Is Key (November 3, 2008) -- A new study has revealed the molecular and cellular underpinnings of one of the most common, single gene causes for learning disability in humans. The findings made in learning disabled mice offer new insight into what happens in the brain when we learn and remember. ... > full story
Earliest Known Hebrew Text In Proto-Canaanite Script Discovered In Area Where 'David Slew Goliath' (November 3, 2008) -- The earliest known Hebrew text written in a Proto-Canaanite script has been discovered by Hebrew University archaeologists in an ancient city in the area where legend has it that David slew Goliath -- the earliest Judean city found to date. The 3,000 year old finding is thought to be the most significant archaeological discovery in Israel since the Dead Sea Scrolls -- predating them by 1,000 years. ... > full story
Corn Researchers Discover Novel Gene Shut-off Mechanisms (November 3, 2008) -- Scientists have identified unusual differences in the natural mechanisms that turn off, or "silence," genes in corn. The discovery, which was made by comparing the impact of inactivating a gene that occurs in both corn and in the much-studied laboratory plant Arabidopsis, provides new insight into how one of the world's most important crops protects itself from mutation-causing mobile DNA elements and viruses. ... > full story
Credit Card-swipe Device To Test For Hundreds Of Diseases (November 3, 2008) -- Scientists successfully created a sensitive prototype device that could test for dozens or even hundreds of diseases simultaneously by acting like a credit card-swipe machine to scan a card loaded with microscopic blood, saliva or urine samples. The prototype works on the same principle -- giant magnetoresistance or GMR -- that is used to read data on computer hard drives or listen to tunes on portable digital music players. ... > full story
Study Rules Out Inbreeding As Cause Of Amphibian Deformities (November 3, 2008) -- Although research has linked inbreeding with elevated rates of deformity in a wide variety of animals, a new study finds it plays no part in the high incidence of malformation among salamanders. ... > full story
'Superenzymes' Could Streamline Biofuels Refining (November 3, 2008) -- Stain removers that make even the most stubborn spots on your clothes vanish in the wash may be powered by molecules known as enzymes. Scientists are in search of similarly strong, fast-acting enzymes. But the ones they want would be put to work not in your laundry room, but instead at biofuels refineries, where the enzymes' job would be to break down the cell walls of bioenergy crops such as switchgrass. ... > full story
World's Rarest Big Cat Gets A Check-up (November 3, 2008) -- The world's rarest big cat is alive and well. At least one of them, that is, according to researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society who captured and released a female Far Eastern leopard in Russia last week. ... > full story
New Classification Of African Middle Stone Age (November 3, 2008) -- Archaeologists have succeeded in dating layers in South Africa that provide information about stone tool innovation on the Middle Stone Age. This archaeological epoch began at the same time as the earliest appearances of humans (homo sapiens sapiens), about 200,000 years ago, in Africa and differs from the European Middle Stone Age chronologically. It is categorized as an era of change and marked by the development of regional stone tool traditions, the appearance of many innovations and the emergence of significant new behavior such as the production of art and jewelery. ... > full story
Arctic Sea Ice Is Suddenly Getting Thinner As Well As Receding (November 3, 2008) -- Last winter, the thickness of sea ice in large parts of the Arctic fell by nearly half a meter (19 per cent) compared with the average thickness of the previous five winters. This followed the dramatic 2007 summer low when Arctic ice extent dropped to its lowest level since records began. ... > full story
Indonesian Mud Volcano Triggered By Drilling Of Nearby Gas Exploration Well, Scientists Conclude (November 3, 2008) -- Two years' of global public debate over the cause of the Java mud volcano, Lusi, has concluded. World scientists conclude that drilling, not an earthquake, was the cause of east Java mud volcano at recent international debate on issue. ... > full story
NASA-enhanced Dust Storm Predictions To Aid Health Community (November 3, 2008) -- NASA satellite data can improve forecasts of dust storms in the American Southwest in ways that can benefit public health managers. ... > full story
Coral Bleaching Disturbs Structure Of Fish Communities (November 3, 2008) -- There is no longer any shadow of a doubt about the impact of global warming on coral reefs. A rise of a few degrees in sea surface temperature induces the expulsion of essential microscopic algae which live in symbiosis with the coral. This process is the cause of coral bleaching and is well known to scientists, but few large-scale studies have dealt with its effects on the structure of communities of hundreds of species of reef-colonizing fish. ... > full story
Systems Biology And Glycomics Applied To Study Of Human Inflammatory Diseases (November 3, 2008) -- An innovative systems biology approach to understanding the carbohydrate structures in cells is leading to new ways to understand how inflammatory illnesses and cardiovascular disease develop in humans. ... > full story
Biologists Discover Motor Protein That Rewinds DNA (November 2, 2008) -- Biologists have discovered the first of a new class of cellular motor proteins that "rewind" sections of the double-stranded DNA molecule that become unwound, like the tangled ribbons from a cassette tape, in "bubbles" that prevent critical genes from being expressed. ... > full story
Researcher Grows Roots On Upper Part Of Plant (November 2, 2008) -- Researchers have succeeded in growing roots on plants at places where normally leaves would grow. This important step in plant modification can be highly beneficial for improving crop yields and efficiency in agriculture. ... > full story
Magnetic Portals Connect Sun And Earth (November 2, 2008) -- During the time it takes you to read this article, something will happen high overhead that until recently many scientists didn't believe in. A magnetic portal will open, linking Earth to the sun 93 million miles away. Tons of high-energy particles may flow through the opening before it closes again, around the time you reach the end of the page. ... > full story
Bumblebee Colonies Which Are Fast Learners Are Also Better Able To Fight Off Infection (November 2, 2008) -- Like humans, bees' ability to learn appears reduced when they are ill. The prediction was that good learners would be worse at fighting infections -- but surprisingly, this was not the case. ... > full story
Recent Hurricane History Provides Diverging Interpretations On Future Of Hurricane Activity (November 2, 2008) -- Scientists have analyzed hurricane data observed over the past 50 years. A new study in Science explores the relationship between sea surface temperatures and seasonal hurricane activity, and show how differing interpretations of the record can imply vastly different futures for Atlantic hurricane activity due to global warming. ... > full story
Beyond Recognizing Odors, Single Neuron Controls Reactions In Worm (November 2, 2008) -- Babies will smile when they catch the scent of vanilla, but a whiff of rotting meat will send them into fits. From people to mice and flies to worms, animals of all kinds are born with likes and dislikes thanks to the evolutionary wisdom collected in their genes. But new research shows that some preferences are still surprisingly flexible at even the most basic level -- that of the sensory neuron itself -- and that our nervous system may be even more adaptable than we thought. ... > full story
Cleaning Heavily Polluted Water At A Fraction Of The Cost (November 2, 2008) -- A European research project has succeeded in developing a water treatment system for industrial oil polluted water at a tenth of the cost of other commercially available tertiary treatments, leaving water so clean it can be pumped safely back out to sea without endangering flora or fauna. ... > full story
Sea Urchin Yields Key Secret Of Biomineralization (November 1, 2008) -- The teeth and bones of mammals, the protective shells of mollusks, and the needle-sharp spines of sea urchins and other marine creatures are made-from-scratch wonders of nature. ... > full story
Inland Ants Often Prefer Salt Over Sugar, Implying Salt May Be A Limitation On Their Activity (November 1, 2008) -- Mammals are limited by the availability of salt, and now researchers have shown that ants are too. In experiments in North, Central and South American, researchers have shown that plant-eating and omnivorous ants living more than 60 miles inland are more interested in salt than sugar, with the preference greater the farther they live from the coast. Carnivorous ants show no such preference. ... > full story
Grapes And Grape Extracts May Lower Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Review Article Suggests (November 1, 2008) -- A growing body of research data suggests that consuming foods rich in polyphenols from grapes, including red wine, helps reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a review article in Nutrition Research. ... > full story
Last Of His Kind? Researchers Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of Ancient Mummy, The Tyrolean Iceman (November 1, 2008) -- Researchers have revealed the complete mitochondrial genome of one of the world's most celebrated mummies, known as the Tyrolean Iceman or Ötzi. The sequence represents the oldest complete DNA sequence of modern humans' mitochondria. It is highly unlikely that the Iceman has any modern day relatives, according to researchers. ... > full story
Soft Rubber Harness Enables Researchers To Study Leatherback Turtles In Captivity For Years (November 1, 2008) -- A Canadian researcher has pioneered a soft rubber harness and a recipe that enabled him to raise and study leatherback turtles in captivity for more than two years -- a feat only one other team of scientists have achieved. ... > full story
Wildflower Declines In Thoreau's Concord Woods Are Due To Climate Changes (November 1, 2008) -- Drawing on records dating back to the journals of Henry David Thoreau, scientists have found that different plant families near Walden Pond have borne the effects of climate change in strikingly different ways. Some of the plant families hit hardest by global warming have included beloved species like lilies, orchids, violets, roses, and dogwoods. ... > full story
Conditions That Initiate Erosion Identified (November 1, 2008) -- Engineers have demonstrated that sustained spikes in turbulence are responsible for dislodging particles, whether on land or in the water. ... > full story
New Model Predicts A Glacier's Life (October 31, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a numerical model that can re-create the state of Switzerland's Rhône Glacier as it was in 1874 and predict its evolution until the year 2100. This is the longest period of time ever modeled in the life of a glacier, involving complex data analysis and mathematical techniques. The work will serve as a benchmark study for those interested in the state of glaciers and their relation to climate change. ... > full story
Extinct Sabertooth Cats Were Social, Found Strength In Numbers, Study Shows (October 31, 2008) -- The sabertooth cat, one of the most iconic extinct mammal species, was likely to be a social animal, living and hunting like lions today, according to new scientific research. The species is famous for its extremely long canine teeth, which reached up to seven inches in length and extended below the lower jaw of the cat. ... > full story
Over-use Of Organic Fertilizers In Agriculture Could Poison Soils, Study Finds (October 31, 2008) -- Excessive doses of organic residues in agricultural fields could be dangerous for plants, invertebrates and micro-organisms living in the soil. This is the finding of a new study that shows that the use of appropriate levels of fertilizers would prevent this toxic impact on the soil biota. ... > full story
By Imaging Live Cells, Researchers Show How Hepatitis C Replicates (October 31, 2008) -- The hepatitis C virus is a prolific replicator, able to produce up to a trillion particles per day in an infected person by hijacking liver cells in which to build up its viral replication machinery. Now new research -- in which scientists have for the first time used fluorescent proteins to image hepatitis C virus replication in live cells -- shows that the microscopic viral factories are a diverse mix of big, immobile structures and tiny replication complexes that zip zanily around inside the cell. ... > full story
In Decision To Grow, Bacteria Follow The Crowd (October 31, 2008) -- When it comes to the decision to wake up and grow, bacterial spores "listen in" to find out what their neighbors are doing and then they follow the crowd, according to a new report. ... > full story
'Living Fossil' Tree Contains Genetic Imprints Of Rain Forests Under Climate Change (October 31, 2008) -- A "living fossil" tree species is helping a researcher understand how tropical forests responded to past climate change and how they may react to global warming in the future. ... > full story
Grapes May Aid A Bunch Of Heart Risk Factors, Animal Study Finds (October 31, 2008) -- Could eating grapes help fight high blood pressure related to a salty diet? And could grapes calm other factors that are also related to heart diseases such as heart failure? A new study performed in animals suggests so. ... > full story
Evidence Of Tsunamis On Indian Ocean Shores Long Before 2004 (October 31, 2008) -- A quarter-million people were killed when a tsunami inundated Indian Ocean coastlines the day after Christmas in 2004. Now scientists have found evidence that the event was not a first-time occurrence. ... > full story
Pneumococcal Vaccine Could Prevent Numerous Deaths, Save Costs During A Flu Pandemic, Model Predicts (October 31, 2008) -- A new predictive model shows that vaccinating infants with 7 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine -- the current recommendation--not only saves lives and money during a normal flu season by preventing related bacterial infections; it also would prevent more than 357,000 deaths during an influenza pandemic, while saving billion in costs. ... > full story
Predicting Evolution’s Next Best Move With Simulator (October 31, 2008) -- Biologists today are doing what Darwin thought impossible. They are studying the process of evolution not through fossils but directly, as it is happening. Now, by modeling the steps evolution takes to build, from scratch, an adaptive biochemical network, biophysicists have gone one step further. Instead of watching evolution in action, they show that they can predict its next best move. ... > full story
Local Retail Meat Safe From Antibiotic-resistant Organisms, Study Suggests (October 31, 2008) -- Rhode Island Hospital researchers report that findings from a new study of retail meat in the Providence, RI area indicate little to no presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The study, prompted by the identification of such organisms in retail meat in Canada, Europe and Asia, is among the first in this country to look at the possible spread of infection through retail meat. ... > full story
Mysterious Bat Disease Decimates Colonies: Newly Identified Fungus Implicated In White-nose Syndrome (October 31, 2008) -- White-nose syndrome in bats is a disease that is decimating bat populations in the northeast U.S. A previously undescribed, cold-loving fungus has been linked to white-nose syndrome, a condition associated with the deaths of over 100,000 hibernating bats in the northeastern United States. ... > full story
One In 17 Men In Mediterranean Basin May Have A Phoenician As Direct Male-line Ancestor (October 31, 2008) -- The Phoenicians gave the world the alphabet and a love of the color purple, and a new study shows that they left some people their genes as well. The study finds that as many as one in 17 men in the Mediterranean basin may have a Phoenician as a direct male-line ancestor. ... > full story
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