ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, June 24, 2011 ~ Technology

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, June 24, 2011

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Social amoeba rely on genetic 'lock and key' to identify kin (June 24, 2011) -- Scientists have identified the genetic "lock and key" that enable the amoeba to tell kin from non-kin. Just as the uniforms of armies enable soldiers to differentiate foe from friend, these amoeba use the protruding proteins as a kind of flag. In this case, the flag that protruded differs among strains of the Dictyostelium. These differences are critical to the kin/non-kin discrimination. ... > full story

No two strands are alike: New mechanism for elongation of viral genome termini (June 24, 2011) -- Like bacteria, viruses have their own genome. The ends or termini of a viral RNA are especially interesting for virologists because they play an important role in reproduction and in the reaction of the innate immune system to the virus. The genetic information is reproduced when a strand of the genome is transcribed into a complementary strand of the so-called antigenome. This strand then serves as the model or template for the synthesis of a new genome. ... > full story

Even in flies, enriched learning drives need for sleep, study finds (June 24, 2011) -- Just like human teenagers, fruit flies that spend a day buzzing around the "fly mall" with their companions need more sleep. That's because the environment makes their brain circuits grow dense new synapses and they need sleep to dial back the energy needs of their stimulated brains, according to a new study by sleep researchers. ... > full story

Study of phytoremediation benefits of 86 indoor plants published; Japanese royal fern tops list for formaldehyde removal effectiveness (June 24, 2011) -- Scientists determined the formaldehyde removal efficiency of a diverse cross-section of 86 indoor plant species. Ferns had the highest formaldehyde removal efficiency of the five classes of plants used in the experiments. Osmunda japonica (Japanese royal fern) was the most effective at removing formaldehyde of the species tested, proving 50 times more effective than the least-efficient species. All plants in the study were classified as excellent, intermediate, and poor based on formaldehyde removal efficiency. ... > full story

Marine turtle movements tracked (June 23, 2011) -- Biologists have monitored the movements of an entire sub-population of marine turtle for the first time. The study confirms that through satellite tracking we can closely observe the day-to-day lives of marine turtles, accurately predicting their migrations and helping direct conservation efforts. ... > full story

Sleep switch found in fruit flies (June 23, 2011) -- Rather than count sheep, drink warm milk or listen to soothing music, many insomniacs probably wish for a switch they could flick to put themselves to sleep. Scientists have discovered such a switch in the brains of fruit flies. ... > full story

Large numbers of birth defects seen near mountaintop mining operations (June 23, 2011) -- Birth defects are significantly more common in areas of mountaintop coal mining and are on the rise as the practice becomes more common, according to a new study. ... > full story

Body temperatures of dinosaurs measured for first time: Some dinosaurs were as warm as most modern mammals (June 23, 2011) -- Were dinosaurs slow and lumbering, or quick and agile? It depends largely on whether they were cold or warm blooded. Now, a team of researchers has developed a new approach to take body temperatures of dinosaurs for the first time, providing new insights into whether dinosaurs were cold or warm blooded. ... > full story

Hybrid Leishmania parasites on the loose (June 23, 2011) -- What we anxiously fear in the influenza virus – a cross between two strains, resulting in a new variant we have no resistance against – has occurred in another pathogen, the Leishmania parasite. The new hybrid species might not be more dangerous than their parents, but it’s too early to know. ... > full story

Model helps pinpoint cyanobacterial genes that capture the sun's energy (June 23, 2011) -- A new model of the single-celled marine cyanobacterium Cyanothece could help researchers use blue-green algae to make renewable energy by predicting which of its genes are central to capturing energy from sunlight. ... > full story

Cautionary tale for people with diabetes: Dog consumed part of a sleeping patient's toe (June 23, 2011) -- In a case study that illustrates the need for people with diabetes to be cautious of foot injuries and to protect themselves from pets, a woman with numbness in her feet caused by diabetic neuropathy slept through a traumatic episode in which her Jack Russell terrier chewed off part of her slightly infected big toe, according to a new article. ... > full story

Birds' eye view is far more colorful than our own (June 23, 2011) -- The brilliant colors of birds have inspired poets and nature lovers, but researchers say these existing hues represent only a fraction of what birds are capable of seeing. ... > full story

Current strategy for medicating patients may be giving many drug-resistant diseases a big competitive advantage (June 23, 2011) -- In the war between drugs and drug-resistant diseases, the current strategy for medicating patients may be giving many drug-resistant diseases a big competitive advantage, according to a new article. The paper argues for new research efforts to discover effective ways for managing the evolution and slowing the spread of drug-resistant disease organisms. ... > full story

Stiff sediments made 2004 Sumatra earthquake deadliest in history (June 23, 2011) -- Geoscientists have discovered an unusual geological formation that helps explain how an undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in December 2004 spawned the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. ... > full story

Evolution to the rescue: Species may adapt quickly to rapid environmental change, yeast study shows (June 23, 2011) -- Evolution is usually thought to be a slow process, something that happens over generations, thanks to adaptive mutations. But environmental change is happening very fast. So, according to a biology professor, the question arises, "Can evolution happen quickly enough to help a species survive?" The answer, according to his most recent study, is a resounding yes. ... > full story

Electrical water detection (June 23, 2011) -- A quick and easy way to detect groundwater in semi-arid hard rock areas that is also economical could improve the siting of borewells to improve clean water supply in the developing world. ... > full story

Discovery offers molecular insights into link between Parkinson's and pesticides (June 23, 2011) -- Scientists have taken some of the first steps toward unraveling the molecular dysfunction that occurs when proteins are exposed to environmental toxins. Their discovery helps further explain recent findings that demonstrate the link between Parkinson's disease and two particular pesticides -- rotenone and paraquat. ... > full story

Migration patterns of marine predators (June 23, 2011) -- Researchers have concluded a two year study tracking apex marine predator movements in the ocean. ... > full story

Thermometer for dinosaurs: Researchers identify body temperature of these long-extinct giant saurians (June 23, 2011) -- Small heads, large bodies, and a slow metabolism -- these are the characteristics that make us think of dinosaurs as dull, lethargic and cold-blooded giants. However, this image seems to be deceiving. These giant saurians that have been extinct for 65 million years may have been high-performance models of evolution. Researchers have now determined that the body temperature of some large herbivorous dinosaurs was between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius. ... > full story

Teeming with life, Pacific's California current likened to Africa's Serengeti Plain (June 22, 2011) -- Like the vast African plains, two huge expanses of the North Pacific Ocean are major corridors of life, attracting an array of marine predators in predictable seasonal patterns, according to final results from the Census of Marine Life Tagging of Pacific Predators. ... > full story

Economic cost of weather may total 5 billion in US (June 22, 2011) -- Routine weather events such as rain and cooler-than-average days can add up to an annual economic impact of as much as 3.4 percent of the nation's GDP. New research finds that every sector of the economy is sensitive to changes in the weather. ... > full story

Caribou in Alberta's oil sands stressed by human activity, not wolves, research suggests (June 22, 2011) -- New research suggests that, in the petroleum-rich Athabaska Oil Sands in northern Alberta, human activity related to oil production and the timber industry could be more important than wolves in the decline of the caribou population. ... > full story

Wild Cuban crocodiles hybridize with American crocs (June 22, 2011) -- A new genetic study confirms that American crocodiles are hybridizing with wild populations of critically endangered Cuban crocodiles, which may cause a population decline of this species found only in the Cuban Archipelago. ... > full story

Researchers create tool to put the lid on solar power fluctuations (June 22, 2011) -- How does the power output from solar panels fluctuate when the clouds roll in? And can researchers predict these fluctuations? Researchers in California have found the answer to these questions. They also have developed a software program that allows power grid managers to easily predict fluctuations in the solar grid caused by changes in the cloud cover. ... > full story

Oldest Eurasian hominoids lived in Swabia: Molar tooth dated at 17 million years old (June 22, 2011) -- Africa is regarded as the center of evolution of humans and their precursors. Yet long before modern humans left Africa some 125,000 years ago, their antecedents migrated from Africa to Eurasia many times, as is documented in the fossil record. How often, when and why hominoids went "out of Africa" is still a hotly debated field of intense research. Possibly, the first wave of emigration occurred 17 million years before the present, as documented by finds in the Swabian northern Alpine foreland basin. Researchers have now successfully pinpointed the age of a molar tooth at 17 million years old, making it the oldest known Eurasian hominoid found to date. ... > full story

Picky pollinators: Native U.S. bees are selective about where they live and feed (June 22, 2011) -- Native bees -- often small, stingless, solitary and unnoticed in the flashier world of stinging honeybees -- are quite discriminating about where they live, according to new research. ... > full story

Cutting edge training developed the human brain 80,000 years ago (June 22, 2011) -- Advanced crafting of stone spearheads contributed to the development of new ways of human thinking and behaving. The technology took a long time to acquire, required step by step planning and increased social interaction across the generations. This led to the human brain developing new abilities, according to archeologists. ... > full story

Self-cleaning anodes could facilitate cost-effective coal-powered fuel cells (June 22, 2011) -- Using barium oxide nanoparticles, researchers have developed a self-cleaning technique that could allow solid oxide fuel cells to be powered directly by coal gas at operating temperatures as low as 750 degrees Celsius. The technique could provide an alternative for generating electricity from the nation's vast coal reserves. ... > full story

Livestock manure and agricultural by-products to produce biogas (June 22, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a project that combines pig slurry and agricultural by-products to optimize biogas production. Thus, it manages to add value to farms’ excess slurry and offers a sustainable use to some of the by-products from the fruit and vegetable processing industry. ... > full story

Surprises from the ocean: Marine plankton and ocean pH (June 22, 2011) -- Oceans support vast populations of single-celled phytoplankton which, through photosynthesis, remove about half the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels. One group of phytoplankton, the coccolithophores, are known for their ability to build chalk scales inside their cells and secrete them, forming a protective armor. A new study has revealed the mechanism which achieves this, and that this process may be directly affected by the increasing levels of dissolved carbon dioxide in the oceans. ... > full story

Lyme disease tick adapts to life on the (fragmented) prairie (June 22, 2011) -- A new study offers a detailed look at the status of Lyme disease in Central Illinois and suggests that deer ticks and the Lyme disease bacteria they host are more adaptable to new habitats than previously appreciated. ... > full story

Consumer views on eating cloned animals: Americans more accepting than Europeans, study suggests (June 22, 2011) -- Not all consumers share the same attitudes toward animal cloning, but the latest research shows that Americans may be more accepting of consuming cloned animal products than Europeans. ... > full story

How dense is a cell? Combining ancient principle with new technology, researchers devise new way to answer question (June 22, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a way to measure the density of a single cell. The new method involves measuring the buoyant mass of each cell in two fluids of different densities. Measuring cell density could allow researchers to gain biophysical insight into fundamental cellular processes such as adaptations for survival, and might also be useful for identifying diseased cells. ... > full story

Strawberries boost red blood cells, study finds (June 22, 2011) -- A group of volunteers ate half a kilo of strawberries every day for two weeks to demonstrate that eating this fruit improves the antioxidant capacity of blood. The study, carried out by Italian and Spanish researchers, showed that strawberries boost red blood cells' response to oxidative stress, an imbalance that is associated with various diseases. ... > full story

Where will grizzly bears roam? Conservation value of roadless public land in Montana's Crown of the Continent Ecosystem (June 22, 2011) -- A new report highlights the critical importance of 1.3 million acres of roadless, public lands in Montana's spectacular Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. The report recommends that most of these lands be preserved to protect wolverines, bighorn sheep, westslope cutthroat and bull trout, grizzly bears and other vulnerable species in the face of climate change and other threats. ... > full story

'Lover's lane' for birds found in Arctic (June 22, 2011) -- A new study reveals the critical importance of western Arctic Alaska's Teshekpuk Lake region to tens of thousands of birds that breed in the area during the brief, but productive arctic summers, and makes clearer the case for permanent protection of the area. ... > full story

Yeast genomes: Genetic codes for species of yeasts identified and compared (June 22, 2011) -- A team of US researchers has identified and compared the genetic codes for all known species of yeasts closely related to bakers' and brewers' yeast (the former used in pizza dough, the latter in beer), which lays the foundation for future understanding of mutation and disease, as studies of yeasts often identify key genes and mechanisms of disease. ... > full story

Birds of a feather display only a fraction of possible colors (June 22, 2011) -- Contrary to our human perception of bird coloration as extraordinarily diverse, a new study reports that bird plumages exhibit only a small fraction (less than a third) of the possible colors birds can observe. ... > full story

Early-season strawberry tested in high elevation conditions (June 22, 2011) -- Researchers investigated the use of high tunnels to lengthen the growing season for June-bearing strawberries. The study compared vertical and in-ground high tunnel strawberry production when planting dates were optimized for each system. Results indicated that high tunnels can provide an effective and economical system for extending the season for strawberries in the Intermountain West region in the United States. The study contains production and market data to help growers maximize strawberry yields. ... > full story

Artificial light quality affects herbivore preference for seedlings (June 22, 2011) -- Researchers evaluated the preference of adult sweet potato whitefly to cucumber seedlings grown under fluorescent lamps or metal-halide lamps that provided a spectrum similar to that of natural light. They observed significantly fewer whitefly adults on the fluorescent cucumber treated seedlings than on the metal-halide treated seedlings 24 hours after release. The scientists recommended that growers consider light quality when selecting light sources for transplant production. ... > full story

Decade-long study of Pacific predators shows importance of biological 'hotspots' (June 22, 2011) -- An unprecedented decade-long study of apex predators in the Pacific Ocean found a wider range of distribution among some species than previously thought, unknown relationships between other species, and the importance of biological "hotspots" to the survival of most of these sea creatures. ... > full story

Plant growth rate, stem length unaffected by rice hull, peat substrate (June 22, 2011) -- Scientists identified the impact of a substrate containing parboiled rice hulls on plant growth retardant (PGR) applications for controlling plant height or stem length of containerized greenhouse crops. Results showed that PGR drench strategies can be effective for plants grown in substrate containing peat and rice hulls. ... > full story

Multiple ocean stresses threaten 'globally significant' marine extinction, experts warn (June 21, 2011) -- An international panel of marine experts warns in a new report that the world's ocean is at high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history. The preliminary report arises from the first ever interdisciplinary international workshop to consider the cumulative impact of all stressors affecting the ocean. Considering the latest research across all areas of marine science, the workshop examined the combined effects of pollution, acidification, ocean warming, overfishing and hypoxia (deoxygenation). ... > full story

Forklift trucks that run on a green charge (June 21, 2011) -- The first forklift trucks in Europe that will run on fuel cells and with hydrogen in their tanks are on the way to the market. No fewer than 30 demonstration units are to be tested, and Norway is among the countries potentially involved in the trials. ... > full story

Survival of the weakest? Bacteria develop restraint for survival in a rock-paper-scissors community (June 21, 2011) -- New research shows that in some structured communities, organisms increase their chances of survival if they evolve some level of restraint that allows competitors to survive as well, a sort of "survival of the weakest." ... > full story

Earliest art in the Americas: Ice Age image of mammoth or mastodon found in Florida (June 21, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a bone fragment, approximately 13,000 years old, in Florida with an incised image of a mammoth or mastodon. This engraving is the oldest and only known example of Ice Age art to depict a proboscidean (the order of animals with trunks) in the Americas. ... > full story

Blueberries help lab rats build strong bones (June 21, 2011) -- Compounds in blueberries might turn out to have a powerful effect on formation of strong, healthy bones, if results from studies with laboratory rats turn out to hold true for humans. ... > full story

Adulterated cocaine causing serious skin reactions; With up to 70 percent contaminated, doctors warn of potential public health epidemic (June 21, 2011) -- Doctors warn of a potential public health epidemic in a recent report on patients who developed serious skin reactions after smoking or snorting cocaine believed to be contaminated with a veterinary medication. ... > full story