ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Tuesday, May 24, 2011 ~ Technology

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Tuesday, May 24, 2011

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New device could reduce surgical scarring (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a special wound dressing that they report was able to significantly reduced scar tissue caused by incisions. ... > full story

Mediterranean Sea invaded by hundreds of alien species (May 24, 2011) -- More than 900 new alien species have been encountered in the coastal environments of the eastern Mediterranean Sea in recent decades, including the poisonous pufferfish. The invasion of alien species has had the consequence that the whole food chain is changing, while there is a lack of knowledge on which to base relevant risk assessments, a four-year study shows. ... > full story

Globalization exposes food supply to unsanitary practices, scientists say (May 24, 2011) -- As the United States continues to import increasingly more of its food from developing nations, we are putting ourselves at greater risk of foodborne disease as many of these countries do not have the same sanitary standards as the U.S. for production, especially in the case of seafood and fresh produce, say scientists. In 2010 over 80% of fish and seafood consumed in the United States was imported, and much of that came from Asia. Raw domestic sewage and/or livestock manure are frequently used in fish farming in many Asian countries. In Thailand some chicken coops sit in rows suspended over ponds that hold shrimp and fish that feed on the waste that falls from above. ... > full story

Ants give new evidence for interaction networks (May 24, 2011) -- Social networks may function differently than previously thought, researchers have discovered by taking clues from ant colonies. ... > full story

Scientists identify most proteins made by parasitic worm (May 24, 2011) -- Scientists have completed a large-scale analysis of most of the proteins produced by Brugia malayi, one kind of parasitic worm that causes lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis. The greatly swollen lower limbs that can result from chronic infection with this mosquito-borne parasite can be severely disabling. ... > full story

Spiders suffer from human impact (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers looked at whether spiders were more tolerant of human impact than other animals. The answer was no: arachnids suffer the consequences of changes to their landscape just like any other animal. ... > full story

Mummies tell history of a 'modern' plague (May 23, 2011) -- Mummies from along the Nile are revealing how age-old irrigation techniques may have boosted the plague of schistosomiasis, a water-borne parasitic disease that infects an estimated 200 million people today. An analysis by scientists of mummies from Nubia, a former kingdom located in present-day Sudan, provides details for the first time about the prevalence of the disease in ancient times, and how human alteration of the environment may have contributed to its spread. ... > full story

Comfort food: Protein from probiotic bacteria may alleviate inflammatory bowel disorders (May 23, 2011) -- A protein isolated from beneficial bacteria found in yogurt and dairy products could offer a new, oral therapeutic option for inflammatory bowel disorders, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Pre-meal dietary supplement can help overcome fat and sugar problems, study suggests (May 23, 2011) -- A little bitter with a little sweet, in the form of a nano-complex dietary supplement taken before meals, can result in a substantial reduction of fat and sugar absorption in the body, researchers have found. ... > full story

U.S. honey bee losses at 30% for 2010-2011 winter (May 23, 2011) -- Total losses from managed honey bee colonies across the U.S. were 30 percent from all causes for the 2010/2011 winter, according to the results of an annual survey. This is roughly similar to total losses reported in similar surveys done in the four previous years: 34 percent for the 2009/2010 winter, 29 percent for 2008/2009; 36 percent for 2007/2008, and 32 percent for 2006/2007. ... > full story

Ulcer bacteria may contribute to development of Parkinson's disease (May 23, 2011) -- The stomach bacteria responsible for ulcers could also play a role in the development of Parkinson's disease according to new research. ... > full story

Scientists explore hidden world of ancient maritime Maya (May 23, 2011) -- Explorers are searching a wild, largely unexplored and forgotten coastline for evidence and artifacts of one of the greatest seafaring traditions of the ancient New World, where Maya traders once paddled massive dugout canoes filled with trade goods from across Mexico and Central America. One exploration goal is to discover the remains of a Maya trading canoe, described in A.D. 1502 by Christopher Columbus' son Ferdinand, as holding 25 paddlers plus cargo and passengers. ... > full story

Platform developed to monitor hematopoietic stem cells (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have developed an automated microfluidic cell culture platform to monitor the growth, survival and responses of hundreds of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) at the single cell level. ... > full story

Species reemergence after collapse: Possible but different, mathematical model shows (May 23, 2011) -- Species pairs that disappear through hybridization after human-induced changes to the environment can reemerge if the disturbance is removed, according to a new mathematical model that shows the conditions under which reemergence might happen. ... > full story

Gulf currents primed bacteria to degrade oil spill (May 23, 2011) -- A new computer model of the Gulf of Mexico in the period after the 2010 oil spill provides insights into how underwater currents may have primed marine microorganisms to degrade the oil. ... > full story

The dance of the cells: A minuet or a mosh? (May 23, 2011) -- Scientists have, for the first time, devised a way to measure the forces that guide how cells migrate during collective cellular migration. Their surprising conclusion is that the cells fight it out, each pushing and pulling on its neighbors in a chaotic dance, yet together moving cooperatively toward their intended direction. ... > full story

Genetic fine print with big consequences: Multiple stop points in genes are more important than thought (May 23, 2011) -- A fly without an abdomen is the devastating result of a small genetic change discovered by a Portuguese team. When the stop-signal from a fruit fly gene is removed, the flies suffer developmental abnormalities and die. A new article shows that it matters which of the two polo gene stop-signals cells use. And that losing the second one leads to severe problems with normal development and, eventually, death. ... > full story

South America's oldest textiles identified with carbon dating (May 23, 2011) -- Textiles and rope fragments found in a Peruvian cave have been dated to around 12,000 years ago, making them the oldest textiles ever found in South America, according to a new report. ... > full story

How animals sense potentially harmful acids (May 23, 2011) -- All animals face the challenge of deciding which chemicals in the environment are useful and which are harmful. A new study greatly improves our understanding of how animals sense an important class of potentially harmful chemicals: weak acids. ... > full story

Changes in vegetation determine how animals migrate (May 23, 2011) -- The predictability and scale of seasonal changes in a habitat help determine the distance migratory species move and whether the animals always travel together to the same place or independently to different locations, according to a new article. The study's findings have significant implications for land managers around the world working to conserve endangered species that migrate. ... > full story

New green technology for hydrogen production (May 23, 2011) -- A researcher has completed a proof-of-concept for a new and clean technology to produce high purity hydrogen from natural gas. This allows hydrogen to be produced in an elegant technique at much lower temperatures, and without releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. ... > full story

Movement without muscles: Zoologists on trail of evolution of body contractions (May 23, 2011) -- All animals move -- cheetahs faster, snails more slowly. Muscle contractions are the basis of movement in many, but not all, species. Some animal groups don't have any muscles at all, as they branched off from the evolutionary path before muscle cells evolved. Yet these animal groups -- for instance, the sea sponges -- are not incapable of movement. Sponges are able to contract without muscles. But which cells in sponges are actually contracting? ... > full story

Scientists observe single gene activity in living cells in detail for first time (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have for the first time observed the activity of a single gene in living cells. In an unprecedented study, scientists were able to follow, in real time, the process of gene transcription, which occurs when a gene converts its DNA information into molecules of messenger RNA that go on to make the protein coded by the gene. ... > full story

Livestock also suffer traffic accidents during transport (May 23, 2011) -- A Spanish study has analyzed traffic accidents involving cattle being transported for human consumption in the country for the first time. Despite the "relatively" low mortality rate, animals suffer high-risk situations that cause pain and stress. The scientists say that specific protocols for action are needed with regard to these accidents, and to prepare the emergency services to deal with them. ... > full story

'Death anxiety' prompts people to believe in intelligent design, reject evolution, study suggests (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have found that people's 'death anxiety' can influence them to support theories of intelligent design and reject evolutionary theory. ... > full story

Oceanic land crab extinction linked to colonization of Hawaii (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have described a new species of land crab that documents the first crab extinction during the human era. The loss of the crab likely greatly impacted the ecology of the Hawaiian Islands, as land crabs are major predators, control litter decomposition and help in nutrient cycling and seed dispersal. Their disappearance was caused by the arrival of humans to the islands and resulted in large-scale changes in the state's ecosystem. ... > full story

Evolutionary conservation of fat metabolism pathways (May 23, 2011) -- A new study recently revealed just how similarly mammals and insects make critical metabolic adjustments when food availability changes, either due to environmental catastrophe or everyday changes in sleep/wake cycles. Those findings may suggest novel ways to treat metabolic conditions such as obesity and type II diabetes. ... > full story

Emissions trading doesn't cause pollution 'hot spots,' study finds (May 23, 2011) -- Critics worry that trading emissions allowances will create heavily polluted "hot spots" in low-income and minority communities. But a new study finds the problem hasn't materialized. ... > full story

Freedom in the swamp: Unearthing the secret history of the Great Dismal Swamp (May 23, 2011) -- Anthropologists have been researching maroons (African-Americans who permanently escaped enslavement) and other communities in the Great Dismal Swamp's approximately 200 square miles of densely wooded wetlands in southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina. ... > full story

Out of Africa: How the fruit fly made its way in the world (May 22, 2011) -- The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster used to be found only in sub-Saharan Africa, but about 10,000 years ago it began to colonize Asia and Europe. This period saw the start of human agriculture and the domestication of cats and oxen, but we have no evidence to suggest that early agricultural practices were associated with significant global warming. So, the fly's northerly spread is thought to relate to genetic factors rather than to environmental changes. Now researchers in Austria offer an intriguing clue to the mechanism. ... > full story

Embryonic cells: Predicting fate of personalized cells may be next step toward new therapies (May 22, 2011) -- Discovering the step-by-step details of the path embryonic cells take to develop into their final tissue type is the clinical goal of many stem cell biologists. To that end, researchers looked at immature cells called progenitors and found a way to potentially predict their fate. They base this on how the protein spools around which DNA winds -- called histones -- are marked by other proteins. ... > full story

Chinese herbal paste may help prevent exacerbations of COPD (May 22, 2011) -- A traditional Chinese herbal paste known as Xiao Chuan, or XCP, may help reduce winter exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a new study conducted by researchers in Beijing. The paste has been used to treat breathing difficulties in China for more than a thousand years. ... > full story

Engineers scale up process that could improve economics of ethanol production (May 22, 2011) -- Engineers have built a pilot plant to test a process designed to improve ethanol production. They're growing fungi on some of ethanol's leftovers to make a quality animal feed and to clean water so it can be recycled back into fuel production. The researchers think the fungi could also be developed into a low-cost nutritional supplement for people. ... > full story

Octopuses make some pretty good moves (May 22, 2011) -- In case you thought that octopuses were smart only in guessing the outcome of soccer matches (remember the late Paul the octopus in Germany who picked all the right winners in last year's world cup matches in Johannesburg?), scientists have now shown that not only are they smart, they can make some pretty good moves as well. ... > full story

How retinas develop: Scientists make strides in vision research (May 22, 2011) -- New research is contributing to the basic biological understanding of how retinas develop. In two new studies, scientists document how they used mice as a research model organism to show that the size of different populations of retinal neurons display wide-ranging variability among individuals. ... > full story

Scientists discover switch to speed up stem cell production (May 22, 2011) -- A team of scientists from Singapore have shown how proteins involved in controlling genes work together to carry out their functions in stem cells and demonstrated for the very first time, how they can change interaction partners to make other types of cells. ... > full story

New method of unreeling cocoons could extend silk industry beyond Asia (May 22, 2011) -- The development and successful testing of a method for unreeling the strands of silk in wild silkworm cocoons could clear the way for establishment of new silk industries not only in Asia but also in vast areas of Africa and South America. ... > full story

How ants tame the wilderness: Rainforest species use chemicals to identify which plants to prune (May 22, 2011) -- Survival in the depths of the tropical rainforest not only depends on a species' ability to defend itself, but can be reliant on the type of cooperation researchers discovered between ants and tropical trees. The research reveals how the ants use chemical signals on their host tree to distinguish them from competing plant species. Once a competing plant is recognized the ants prune them to defend their host. ... > full story

Wildlife in trouble from oil palm plantations, researchers say (May 22, 2011) -- Palm oil plantations are having a catastrophic effect on the sustainability of a variety of plant and animal species, scientists in the UK have discovered. ... > full story

New strategy aims to reduce agricultural ammonia (May 22, 2011) -- Scientists report how natural plant compounds known as tannins can reduce both the amount of nitrogen cows excrete in urine, and the action of a microbial enzyme in manure that converts the nitrogen into ammonia on the barn floor. ... > full story

Young graphite in old rocks challenges the earliest signs of life (May 21, 2011) -- Carbon found laced within rock formations has helped establish a timeline for the emergence of life on the planet. But a new study contends such carbon deposits may be millions of years younger than the rock they inhabit, fueling a reassessment of the first appearance of the earth's earliest biosphere, according to a team of US researchers. ... > full story

The wetter the better for daddy longlegs -- and birds (May 21, 2011) -- Keeping moorland soils wet could prove vital in conserving some of Britain's important upland breeding bird species -- by protecting the humble daddy longlegs, according to new research. In spring, thousands of adult crane-flies (daddy longlegs) emerge from the peat soils of UK mountains and moorland, providing a vital food source for breeding birds, such as Golden Plover, and their chicks. ... > full story

Traditional remedy bitter cumin is a great source antioxidant plant phenols, study suggests (May 21, 2011) -- Bitter cumin is used extensively in traditional medicine to treat a range of diseases from vitiligo to hyperglycemia. It is considered to be antiparasitic and antimicrobial and science has backed up claims of its use to reduce fever or as a painkiller. New research shows that this humble spice also contains high levels of antioxidants. ... > full story

Errors in protein structure sparked evolution of biological complexity (May 21, 2011) -- A new comparison of proteins shared across species finds that complex organisms, including humans, have accumulated structural weaknesses that may have actually launched the long journey from microbe to man. The study suggests that the random introduction of errors into proteins, rather than traditional natural selection, may have boosted the evolution of biological complexity. ... > full story

Herbal remedies offer hope as the new antibiotics (May 21, 2011) -- Cancer treatments often have the side effect of impairing the patient's immune system. This can result in life-threatening secondary infections from bacteria and fungi, especially since bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus, are becoming multi-drug resistant. New research investigates the potency of Indian wild plants against bacterial and fungal infections in the mouths of oral cancer patients. ... > full story

Proboscis monkeys regurgitating their food, like cows (May 21, 2011) -- A previously unknown behavior pattern is only observed in a large animal very rarely – which is why new videos are nothing short of a sensation: They show proboscis monkeys regurgitating, chewing and gulping back down food they’ve swallowed – just like ruminating cows. ... > full story

Artificial tissue promotes skin growth in wounds (May 21, 2011) -- Improved tissue grafts designed by scientists that promote vascular growth could hasten healing, encourage healthy skin to invade the wounded area and reduce the need for surgeries. ... > full story

The way to (kill) a bug's heart is through its stomach (May 21, 2011) -- A new study has revealed a potential new way for plants to fend off pests -- starvation. A biochemistry and molecular biology professor cites this defense mechanism as just one example of a veritable evolutionary arms race between plants and herbivores. ... > full story