ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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Hurricane Ike Caused Underwater Damage To Galveston (November 5, 2008) -- A rapid response research mission after Hurricane Ike found the hurricane significantly reshaped the seafloor and likely carried an enormous amount of sand and sediment out into the Gulf, changes that could help coastal communities gauge the effectiveness of their sometimes controversial efforts to replenish eroding sand along shorelines. ... > full story
Cattle Fed Distiller's Grains Maintain Flavor And Tenderness Of Beef (November 5, 2008) -- The availability and use of wet distiller's grains in beef finishing diets continues to increase as the ethanol industry expands, and some Texas AgriLife Research scientists are trying to determine if that will affect consumers' meat purchases. While much of the research focus has been on the energy value of the distiller's grains relative to the corn it replaces, recent questions have been posed on how they may affect beef quality, said Dr. Jim MacDonald, AgriLife Research ruminant nutritionist. ... > full story
Coral Reefs Found Growing In Cold, Deep Ocean (November 5, 2008) -- Imagine descending in a submarine to the ice-cold, ink-black depths of the ocean, 800 meters under the surface of the Atlantic. Here the tops of the hills are covered in large coral reefs. Researchers have been studying the formation of these unknown cold-water relatives of the better-known tropical corals. ... > full story
Fungus Pitted Against Apple Pest (November 5, 2008) -- A cocktail of gaseous compounds emitted by a beneficial fungus may offer a way to biologically fumigate stored apples, ridding them of codling moth larvae. ... > full story
Pairs Of Cleaner Fish Co-operate And Give Better Service On The Coral Reef (November 4, 2008) -- Co-operation in nature often works as an exchange of goods or services between two different parties. Scientists have studied how certain fish on coral reef keep other species of fish clean. The Bluestreak cleaner wrasse helps other fish species by eating parasites from their skin. The cleaner's favorite food is, however, the nutrient-rich mucus layer that covers the client fish. ... > full story
Biosolids Microbes Pose Manageable Risk To Workers (November 4, 2008) -- Biosolids, a nutrient rich byproduct of sewage produced at wastewater treatment plants that can be applied to land as a fertilizer, has been scrutinized of late for its potential to transport disease-causing microorganisms. A new published study suggests that the pathogen risks associated with biosolids are generally low, as determined by measuring bioaerosol levels at sites where biosolids were applied. ... > full story
New Type Of Diesel Fuel Found In Patagonia Fungus (November 4, 2008) -- Scientists have found a fungus that produces a new type of diesel fuel. One of the researchers calls it "myco-diesel." The discovery may offer an alternative to fossil fuels, according to a professor of plant sciences and plant pathology involved in the research. The find is even bigger, he said, than his 1993 discovery of fungus that contained the anticancer drug taxol. ... > full story
Persistent Bacterial Infection Exploits Killing Machinery Of Immune Cells (November 4, 2008) -- A new study reveals an important and newly discovered pathway used by disease-causing bacteria to evade the host immune system and survive and grow within the very cells meant to destroy them. This discovery may lead to new treatments and vaccines for tuberculosis and certain other chronic bacterial and parasitic infections. ... > full story
Women Have More Diverse Hand Bacteria Than Men (November 4, 2008) -- A new study indicates that not only do human hands harbor far higher numbers of bacteria species than previously believed, women have a significantly greater diversity of microbes on their palms than men. ... > full story
DNA Fingerprinting Method May Thwart False Labeling Of Shark Meat (November 4, 2008) -- Researchers in Spain are reporting that a new DNA identification method could thwart false labeling of shark species used in various seafood products, including the expensive Chinese delicacy known as shark fin soup. ... > full story
Antioxidant Effects From Eating Almonds (November 4, 2008) -- Eating almonds significantly decreased levels of two biomarkers for oxidative stress in a group of 27 male and female volunteers with elevated cholesterol. ... > full story
Snakebites: At Least 421,000 Venom Bites And 20,000 Deaths Occur Each Year, Study Finds (November 4, 2008) -- Snakebites cause considerable death and injury worldwide and pose an important yet neglected threat to public health, says new research in PLoS Medicine. ... > full story
Bacteria Shown To Cause Blood Clots: Bacterial Clotting Depends On Clustering (November 4, 2008) -- Bacteria can directly cause human blood and plasma to clot -- a process previously thought to have been lost during vertebrate evolution. The discovery may lead to new clinical methods for treating serious medical conditions such as sepsis and anthrax. The key to clot formation is the location of the bacteria, rather than the total number of bacteria or their concentration. Coagulation occurs only when a cluster of bacteria forms. ... > full story
Gene That Helps Control Production Of Stomach Acid Discovered (November 4, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a gene that helps control the secretion of acid in the stomach -- information that could one day aid scientists in creating more efficient treatment options for conditions such as acid reflux or peptic ulcers. ... > full story
Tiny DNA Tweezers Can Catch And Release Objects On-demand (November 4, 2008) -- Researchers in China are reporting development of a new DNA "tweezers" that are the first of their kind capable of grasping and releasing objects on-demand. The microscopic tweezers could have several potential uses, the researchers note. Those include microsurgery, drug and gene delivery for gene therapy, and in the manufacturing of nano-sized circuits for futuristic electronics. ... > full story
Solar Power Game-changer: 'Near Perfect' Absorption Of Sunlight, From All Angles (November 4, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered and demonstrated a new method for overcoming two major hurdles facing solar energy. By developing a new antireflective coating that boosts the amount of sunlight captured by solar panels and allows those panels to absorb the entire solar spectrum from nearly any angle, the research team has moved academia and industry closer to realizing high-efficiency, cost-effective solar power. ... > full story
Roads Bring Death And Fear To Forest Elephants (November 4, 2008) -- Why did the elephant cross the road? It didn't according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and Save the Elephants that says endangered forest elephants are avoiding roadways at all costs. ... > full story
Biologists Spy On The Secret Inner Life Of A Cell (November 4, 2008) -- The transportation of antibodies from a mother to her newborn child is vital for the development of that child's nascent immune system. Antibodies help shape a baby's response to foreign pathogens and may influence the later occurrence of autoimmune diseases. Images from Caltech biologists reveal for the first time the complicated process by which antibodies are shuttled from mother's milk, through her baby's gut and into the bloodstream -- offering new insight into the mammalian immune system. ... > full story
Saving The Endangered Tasmanian Devil In Australia (November 4, 2008) -- Zoologists are working on a national project in Australia to help save the endangered Tasmanian devil from extinction. ... > full story
Genetic Evidence For Avian Influenza Movement From Asia To North America Via Wild Birds (November 4, 2008) -- Wild migratory birds may be more important carriers of avian influenza viruses from continent to continent than previously thought, according to new scientific research that has important implications for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus surveillance in North America. ... > full story
Using Living Cells As Nanotechnology Factories (November 4, 2008) -- In the tiny realm of nanotechnology, scientists have used a wide variety of materials to build atomic scale structures. But just as in the construction business, nanotechnology researchers can often be limited by the amount of raw materials. Now, scientists have avoided these pitfalls by using cells as factories to make DNA based nanostructures inside a living cell. ... > full story
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
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