ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Thursday, July 28, 2011 ~ Technology

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Thursday, July 28, 2011

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Wave power can drive sun's intense heat (July 28, 2011) -- A new study sheds light on why the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, is more than 20 times hotter than its surface. The research may bring scientists a step closer to understanding the solar cycle and the sun's impacts on Earth. ... > full story

Cod resurgence in Canadian waters (July 28, 2011) -- Cod and other groundfish populations off the east coast of Canada are showing signs of recovery more than 20 years after the fisheries collapsed in the early 1990s, according to new research. ... > full story

A new target to inhibit malaria and toxoplasmosis infection (July 28, 2011) -- Scientists have characterized a protein complex that allows the agents that cause malaria and toxoplasmosis to infect host cells. This is a highly original mechanism, since the parasite supplies both the receptor which it inserts into the host cell membrane and the ligand it exposes at its surface. The researchers have now shown the three-dimensional structure of this complex. The new data paves the way for new drugs designed to inhibit the formation of the protein complex in question and block invasion by Plasmodium falciparum in red blood cells. ... > full story

Bacteria can 'fertilize' copper-polluted soil (July 28, 2011) -- When miners abandoned Michigan's Copper Country, they left a lot of the red metal behind, and not in a good way. Waste from the mining operations still contains a high fraction of copper, so high that almost nothing can grow on it -- and hasn't for decades, leaving behind moonscape expanses that can stretch for acres. Researchers may have now discovered how to make plants grow in the mine-waste desert and soak up some copper while they are at it. ... > full story

Closer look at cells: Fluorescence microscopy lets scientists observe exchanges across cell membranes (July 28, 2011) -- Many substances and nutrients are exchanged across the cell membrane. Scientists in Switzerland have developed a method to observe these exchanges, by taking a highly accurate count of the number of proteins found there. ... > full story

Tundra fires could accelerate climate warming (July 27, 2011) -- After a 10,000-year absence, wildfires have returned to the Arctic tundra, and a new study shows that their impact could extend far beyond the areas blackened by flames. ... > full story

Social deficits associated with autism, schizophrenia induced in mice with new technology (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have been able to switch on, and then switch off, social-behavior deficits in mice that resemble those seen in people with autism and schizophrenia, thanks to a technology that allows scientists to precisely manipulate nerve activity in the brain. In synchrony with this experimentally induced socially aberrant behavior, the mice exhibited a brain-wave pattern called gamma oscillation that has been associated with autism and schizophrenia in humans, the researchers say. ... > full story

More powerful 'lab-on-a-chip' made for genetic analysis (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have invented a silicone chip that could make genetic analysis far more sensitive, rapid, and cost-effective by allowing individual cells to fall into place like balls in a pinball machine. The device -- about the size of a nine-volt battery -- allows scientists to simultaneously analyze 300 cells individually by routing fluid carrying cells through microscopic tubes and valves. By facilitating such "single-cell analysis," the device could accelerate genetic research and hasten the use of far more detailed tests for diagnosing cancer. ... > full story

How early reptiles moved (July 27, 2011) -- Modern scientists would have loved the sight of early reptiles running across the Bromacker near Tambach-Dietharz in Germany 300 million years ago. Unfortunately this journey through time is impossible. But thanks to a team of researchers, numerous skeletons and footprints of early dinosaurs have been found and conserved there during the last 40 years. ... > full story

Social networking elephants never forget (July 27, 2011) -- Asian elephants typically live in small, flexible, social groups centered around females and calves while adult males roam independently. However, new research shows that while Asian elephants in Sri Lanka may change their day to day associations they maintain a larger, stable, network of friends from which they pick their companions. ... > full story

Can amphibian fungal disease be beaten? (July 27, 2011) -- Over the past 30 years, around 200 species of amphibians have disappeared due to chytridiomycosis, a fungal infection. The scientific community has attempted to fight the pathogen, without success. Now, researchers have reviewed every technique in order to prevent the effects of this disease and local extinctions. ... > full story

Are cancers newly evolved species? (July 27, 2011) -- A molecular biologists has long believed that cancer results from chromosome disruption rather than a handful of gene mutations, which is the dominant theory today. That idea has led him to propose that cancers have actually evolved new chromosomal karyotypes that qualify them as autonomous species, akin to parasites and much different from their human hosts. ... > full story

Seeing the wood for the trees: New study shows sheep in tree-ring records (July 27, 2011) -- Nibbling by herbivores can have a greater impact on the width of tree rings than climate, new research has found. The study could help increase the accuracy of the tree ring record as a way of estimating past climatic conditions. ... > full story

How the modular structure of proteins permits evolution to move forward (July 27, 2011) -- A new study compares the development of the egg laying organ in two species of nematodes; with its results providing support for the theory of developmental systems drift. This theory maintains that, over the course of evolution, analogous organs of different species can retain the same shape and function while the regulative mechanisms underlying their development can change considerably. ... > full story

Electronic publishing 'goes live': News from the International Botanical Congress in Melbourne (July 27, 2011) -- The International Botanical Congress in Melbourne approved changes to the way scientists name new plants, algae, and fungi. To demonstrate the efficiency of electronic publishing, the open access journal PhytoKeys published a correspondence note by botanists from various institutions (Smithsonian Institution, Missouri Botanical Garden, Chicago Botanical Garden), led by Dr James Miller from the New York Botanical Garden. The correspondence was submitted, edited, proofread, and published by PhytoKeys during the congress in just four days. ... > full story

Largest recorded tundra fire yields scientific surprises (July 27, 2011) -- In 2007 the largest recorded tundra fire in the circumpolar arctic released approximately as much carbon into the atmosphere as the tundra has stored in the previous 50 years, say scientists. The study of the Anaktuvuk River fire on Alaska's North Slope revealed how rapidly a single tundra fire can offset or reverse a half-century worth of soil-stored carbon. ... > full story

Heavy metal hardens battle: Body armor hindered Medieval warriors (July 26, 2011) -- The French may have had a better chance at the Battle of Agincourt had they not been weighed down by heavy body armor, say researchers. A new study shows that soldiers carrying armor in Medieval times would have been using more than twice the amount of energy had they not been wearing it. This is the first clear experimental evidence of the limitations of wearing Medieval armor on a soldier's performance. ... > full story

Detailed picture of ice loss following the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers have combined data from multiple sources to provide the clearest account yet of how much glacial ice surges into the sea following the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves. ... > full story

Reforestation's cooling influence is a result of farmers' past choices (July 26, 2011) -- Decisions by farmers to plant on productive land with little snow enhances the potential for reforestation to counteract global warming, concludes new research. Previous research has led scientists and politicians to believe that regrowing forests on Northern lands that were cleared in order to grow crops would not decrease global warming. But these studies did not consider the importance of the choices made by farmers in the historical past. ... > full story

New mouse model for testing cancer drugs (July 26, 2011) -- Only one in twenty cancer drugs makes its way from the laboratory to the market. The majority of new agents are only shown to be unsuitable in the later phases of clinical development which would explain the exorbitantly high development costs. A new mouse model could help researchers to recognize effects and side effects at an earlier stage. ... > full story

Beetles play an important role in reducing weeds (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers have found that ground beetles reduce the amount of weed seeds in the soil. Weeds reduce crop yields and these findings support the need to conserve farmland biodiversity as it plays an important supporting role to herbicides in controlling weeds and improving food security. ... > full story

Newly developed fluorescent protein makes internal organs visible (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the first fluorescent protein that enables scientists to clearly "see" the internal organs of living animals without the need for a scalpel or imaging techniques that can have side effects or increase radiation exposure. ... > full story

Modeling plant metabolism to optimize oil production (July 26, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a computational model for analyzing the metabolic processes in rapeseed plants -- particularly those related to the production of oils in their seeds. Their goal is to find ways to optimize the production of plant oils that have widespread potential as renewable resources for fuel and industrial chemicals. ... > full story

Newly discovered gene sheds light on the evolution of life on Earth (July 26, 2011) -- A chance discovery of a genetic mutation in wild barley that grows in Israel's Judean Desert has led to an international study deciphering evolution of life on land. ... > full story

What is war good for? Sparking civilization, suggest archaeology findings from Peru (July 26, 2011) -- Raiding, triggered by political conflict in the 5th century BC, likely shaped the development of the first settlement that would classify as a civilization in the Titicaca basin in southern Peru, suggests a new study. ... > full story

Little crayfish is big glutton in Arctic waters (July 26, 2011) -- For years, the copepod Metridia has managed to remain hidden from science. However, this spring, during fieldwork at the Arctic Station, for the very first time researchers succeeded in filming how this constantly feeding little crayfish catches its prey. ... > full story

Unique volcanic complex discovered on Moon's far side (July 26, 2011) -- Analysis of new images of a curious "hot spot" on the far side of the Moon reveal it to be a small volcanic province created by the upwelling of silicic magma. The unusual location of the province and of the surprising composition of the lava that formed it offer tantalizing clues to the Moon's thermal history. ... > full story

Antibiotic appears more effective than cranberry capsules for preventing urinary tract infections (July 26, 2011) -- In premenopausal women who have repeated urinary tract infections, the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole appeared more effective than cranberry capsules for preventing recurrent infections, at the risk of contributing to antibiotic resistance, according to a new report. ... > full story

Biofuels: Novel gene increases yeast's appetite for plant sugars (July 26, 2011) -- For thousands of years, bakers and brewers have relied on yeast to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Yet, researchers eager to harness this talent for brewing biofuels have found when it comes to churning through sugars, these budding microbes can be picky eaters. ... > full story

Turtles next to lizards on family tree, discovery based on microRNAs shows (July 26, 2011) -- For decades, paleontologists and molecular biologists have disagreed about whether turtles are more closely related to birds and crocodiles or to lizards. Now scientists have developed a new technique using microRNAs for classifying animals, and the secret is out. Turtles are closer kin to lizards than crocodiles. ... > full story

Making biological images sharper, deeper and faster (July 26, 2011) -- For modern biologists, the ability to capture high-quality, three-dimensional (3-D) images of living tissues or organisms over time is necessary to answer problems in areas ranging from genomics to neurobiology and developmental biology. Looking to improve upon current methods of imaging, researchers have developed a novel approach that could redefine optical imaging of live biological samples by simultaneously achieving high resolution, high penetration depth, and high imaging speed. ... > full story

World's largest sheep is an international traveler (July 26, 2011) -- A genetic study of the world's largest sheep species has revealed that the big-horned animals travel extensively across the moutainous borders of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and China, according to wildlife researchers. ... > full story

IV fluids may reduce severity of kidney failure in kids with E. coli infection (July 26, 2011) -- Infection with E. coli bacteria can wreak havoc in children, leading to bloody diarrhea, fever and kidney failure. But giving children intravenous fluids early in the course of an E. coli O157:H7 infection appears to lower the odds of developing severe kidney failure, according to new research. ... > full story

Pacific Northwest trees struggle for water while standing in it (July 26, 2011) -- Contrary to expectations, researchers have discovered that the conifers of the Pacific Northwest, some of the tallest trees in the world, face their greatest water stress during the region's eternally wet winters, not the dog days of August when weeks can pass without rain. ... > full story

Winning the battle against the Asian tiger mosquito (July 26, 2011) -- The combination of three complementary measures to eradicate tiger mosquitoes -- avoid having stagnant water, using insecticides to eliminate larvae and adults, and removing rubbish -- reduces more than half the number of tiger mosquitoes, according to research coordinated by researchers in Spain. ... > full story

Saving fuel while plowing (July 26, 2011) -- Less friction, less power, less fuel -- plowshares coated with diamond-like carbon slide through the soil like a hot knife through butter. As a result, the tractors pulling them need less power and fuel. In some tests the power required has been reduced by more than 30 percent. ... > full story

Mitochondria share an ancestor with SAR11, a globally significant marine microbe (July 26, 2011) -- A recent study provides strong evidence that mitochondria share a common evolutionary ancestor with a lineage of marine bacteria known as SAR11, arguably the most abundant group of microorganisms on Earth. ... > full story

Global bioterrorism threat analyzed for world animal health office (July 26, 2011) -- Around the globe, many nations are realizing that the potential for bioterrorism isn't just about the US, officials say. And because an intentional introduction of bacteria, a virus or a toxin could happen anywhere, scientists are working hard at prevention. ... > full story

Eat, prey, rain: New model of dynamics of clouds and rain is based on a predator-prey population model (July 25, 2011) -- A new model for the dynamics of clouds and rain, based on a predator-prey population model, may help us understand how clouds fit into the big climate picture. This model may help climate scientists understand, among other things, how human-produced aerosols affect rainfall patterns. ... > full story

Catching the West Nile virus in action (July 25, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new method that can track both clinical cases of West Nile Virus and populations of infected mosquitoes, identifying "danger zones" and providing timely warnings of impending outbreaks. ... > full story

Hot species for cool structures: Complex proteins in 3-D thanks to simple heat-loving fungus (July 25, 2011) -- A fungus that lives at extremely high temperatures could help understand structures within our own cells. Scientists in Europe were the first to sequence and analyze the genome of a heat-loving fungus, and used that information to determine the long sought 3-D structure of the inner ring of the nuclear pore. ... > full story

Climate change to increase Yellowstone wildfires dramatically (July 25, 2011) -- An increase in wildfires due to climate change could rapidly and profoundly alter the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, according to a new study. The study suggests that rising temperatures caused by climate change could increase the frequency of large wildfires in Yellowstone to an unprecedented level, causing a major shift in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with fewer dense forests and more open woodland, grass and shrub vegetation. ... > full story

Dolphins' 'remarkable' recovery from injury offers important insights for human healing (July 25, 2011) -- A dolphin's ability to heal quickly from a shark bite with apparent indifference to pain, resistance to infection, hemorrhage protection, and near-restoration of normal body contour might provide insights for the care of human injuries, according to experts. Researchers interviewed dolphin handlers/marine biologists, and reviewed the limited literature about dolphin healing to offer some new observations. ... > full story

Scavenger cells accomplices to viruses (July 25, 2011) -- Mucosal epithelia are well-protected against pathogenic germs. However, individual viruses, such as the HI virus, still manage to enter the body via the mucous membrane somehow. Cell biologists have now identified a new infection mechanism, demonstrating that the viruses use the body’s own scavenger cells for the infection. The new findings are important for cancer-gene therapy and the development of anti-viral medication. ... > full story

Epigenetic 'memory' key to nature versus nurture (July 25, 2011) -- Researchers have made a discovery that explains how an organism can create a biological memory of some variable condition, such as quality of nutrition or temperature. The discovery explains the mechanism of this memory -- a sort of biological switch -- and how it can also be inherited by offspring. ... > full story

The origin of malaria: The hunt continues (July 25, 2011) -- The agent of malaria has been found in the greater spot-nosed monkey, also known as putty-nosed monkey (Cercopithecus nictitans), a small African primate derived from a line different to that of humans, gorillas and chimpanzees. This discovery challenges current thinking on the origin of the parasite and introduces a key element in the fight against malaria: knowing how it has adapted to the human species will make it possible to target its weaknesses. ... > full story

New photonic crystals have both electronic and optical properties (July 25, 2011) -- In an advance that could open new avenues for solar cells, lasers, metamaterials and more, researchers have demonstrated the first optoelectronically active 3-D photonic crystal. ... > full story

Chromosome number changes in yeast (July 25, 2011) -- Researchers in Ireland have uncovered the evolutionary mechanisms that have caused increases or decreases in the numbers of chromosomes in a group of yeast species during the last 100-150 million years. The study offers an unprecedented view of chromosome complement (chromosome number) changes in a large group of related species. ... > full story

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