The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Thursday, July 21, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Thursday, July 21, 2011

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Evolution provides clue to blood clotting (July 21, 2011) -- A simple cut to the skin unleashes a complex cascade of chemistry to stem the flow of blood. Now, scientists at have used evolutionary clues to reveal how a key clotting protein self-assembles. The finding sheds new light on common bleeding disorders. ... > full story

Prehistoric crocodile Terminonaris was Texas native, fossil suggests (July 21, 2011) -- A prehistoric crocodile thought to have originated in Europe now appears to have been a Texas native, new research shows. The switch for the genus Terminonaris is based on the identification of a well-preserved fossil snout that was discovered near the waters edge of a Dallas-area lake. The 96-million-year-old fossil is the oldest of its kind worldwide, indicating Terminonaris likely originated in Texas and dispersed northward. ... > full story

Bold new approach to wind 'farm' design may provide efficiency gains (July 20, 2011) -- Conventional wisdom suggests that because we're approaching the theoretical limit on individual wind turbine efficiency, wind energy is now a mature technology. But researchers have recently revisited some of the fundamental assumptions that guided the wind industry for the past 30 years, and now believe that a new approach to wind farm design -- one that places wind turbines close together instead of far apart -- may provide significant efficiency gains. ... > full story

EHEC 2011 outbreak: Scientists publish prospective genomic characterization (July 20, 2011) -- Scientists have released a draft genome sequence of a German enterohemorrhagic E. coli 2011 outbreak strain, and now report on an in-depth genomic characterization of this outbreak. ... > full story

Technology to throw new light on ancient artifacts (July 20, 2011) -- New technology which makes it possible to study the finer details of some of the world’s greatest historical artifacts has been developed by computer scientists and archaeologists. ... > full story

Gene required to maintain male sex throughout life discovered: Loss of gene Dmrt1 leads to male cells becoming female (July 20, 2011) -- Researchers have made a key discovery showing that male sex must be maintained throughout life. Removing an important male development gene, called Dmrt1, causes male cells in mouse testis to become female cells. ... > full story

How the honey bee tolerates some synthetic pesticides (July 20, 2011) -- A new study reveals how enzymes in the honey bee gut detoxify pesticides commonly used to kill mites in the honey bee hive. This is the first study to tease out the precise molecular mechanisms that allow a pollinating insect to tolerate exposure to these potentially deadly compounds. ... > full story

First artificial neural network created out of DNA: Molecular soup exhibits brainlike behavior (July 20, 2011) -- Researchers have now taken a major step toward creating artificial intelligence -- not in a robot or a silicon chip, but in a test tube. The researchers are the first to have made an artificial neural network out of DNA, creating a circuit of interacting molecules that can recall memories based on incomplete patterns, just as a brain can. ... > full story

Newly designed molecule blocks chlamydia bacteria (July 20, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a way to block the damaging actions of Chlamydia, the bacteria responsible for the largest number of sexually transmitted infections in the United States. ... > full story

The tallest tree in all the land (July 20, 2011) -- Knowing how tall trees can grow in any given region can give ecologists a wealth of information, from the potential density of a forest and size of its tree canopy to the amount of carbon stored in woodlands and the overall health of an ecosystem. Now scientists have come up with a simple model to predict the maximum tree height in different environments across the United States. ... > full story

Ancient footprints show human-like walking began nearly 4 million years ago (July 20, 2011) -- Scientists have found that ancient footprints in Laetoli, Tanzania, show that human-like features of the feet and gait existed almost two million years earlier than previously thought. ... > full story

Environmental pollutants lurk long after they 'disappear' (July 20, 2011) -- Scientists say that current environmental tests look for specific drugs -- but these drugs break down into other chemicals through sun exposure or oxidation. In their new and equally lethal forms, they don't show up in tests, so they pose a hidden threat. ... > full story

New 'electronic tongue' system assesses the antioxidant power of juices and fruit (July 20, 2011) -- Researchers in Spain have developed a new electronic tongue system that can be applied to the analysis of the antioxidant power and other quality parameters of juices, fruit and fruit purées. ... > full story

Hummingbirds catch flying bugs with the help of fast-closing beaks (July 20, 2011) -- The shape of a hummingbird's beak allows for a "controlled elastic snap" that allows it to snatch up flying insects in a mere fraction of a second -- with greater speed and power than could be achieved by jaw muscles alone, says a new study. ... > full story

Engineering excitable cells for studies of bioelectricity and cell therapy (July 20, 2011) -- By altering the genetic makeup of normally "unexcitable" cells, bioengineers have turned them into cells capable of generating and passing electrical current. ... > full story

Vegetarian diet may protect against common bowel disorder (July 20, 2011) -- Vegetarians are a third less likely to get a common bowel disorder (diverticular disease) than their meat eating counterparts, finds a new study. ... > full story

Rapid venom evolution in pit vipers may be defensive; Marsupials that prey on venomous snakes also evolve rapidly (July 20, 2011) -- Research delivers new insight about rapid toxin evolution in venomous snakes. New molecular research on snake-eating opossums suggests that predators factor into the rapid evolution of snake venom. ... > full story

Gene therapy delivered once to blood vessel wall protects against atherosclerosis in rabbit studies (July 20, 2011) -- A one-dose method for delivering gene therapy into an arterial wall effectively protects the artery from developing atherosclerosis despite ongoing high blood cholesterol, according to new research in rabbits. ... > full story

Decoding slowness: How sloths perfected energy saving (July 20, 2011) -- Zoologists have discovered how sloths move and how their locomotive system adapted to their unhurried lifestyle in the course of evolution. ... > full story

Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia yield 18 new species of rare ferns and flowering plants (July 20, 2011) -- Recent botanical exploration efforts in the rugged Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia) have increased the known flora of the archipelago by an impressive 20 percent. Field research projects have yielded 62 new species of ferns and flowering plants bringing the total native species to 360. ... > full story

World's forests' role in carbon storage immense, research reveals (July 20, 2011) -- Until recently, scientists were uncertain about how much and where in the world terrestrial carbon is being stored. Now scientists report that, between 1990 and 2007, the world's forests stored about 2.4 gigatons of carbon per year. ... > full story

Landsat satellites track continued Missouri River flooding (July 20, 2011) -- Flooding along the Missouri River continues as shown in recent Landsat satellite images of the Nebraska and Iowa border. Heavy rains and snowmelt have caused the river to remain above flood stage for an extended period. ... > full story

Chemical make-up of Gulf of Mexico plume determined (July 20, 2011) -- Taking another major step in sleuthing the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, scientists have determined what chemicals were contained in a deep, hydrocarbon-containing plume. ... > full story

Avian 'Axe effect' attracts attention of females and males (July 19, 2011) -- In a case of life imitating art, avian scents given off by male songbirds have the females (and males) flocking in. A researcher has revealed the process of how males draw attention to themselves through chemical communication in a new study. Scents are used in all organisms for many purposes, such as finding, attracting and evaluating mates. But this is the first study of its kind that demonstrates that it is happening among songbirds. ... > full story

Stated calories on menus of certain restaurants appear to be accurate overall (July 19, 2011) -- An examination of the calorie content of food from about 40 fast-food and sit-down restaurants in 3 states finds that overall the stated calories of items on the menus of the restaurants are accurate, although there was substantial inaccuracy for some individual foods, with understated calorie figures for those items with lower calorie contents, according to a new study. ... > full story

Making blood sucking deadly for mosquitoes (July 19, 2011) -- Inhibiting a molecular process cells use to direct proteins to their proper destinations causes more than 90 percent of affected mosquitoes to die within 48 hours of blood feeding, a team of biochemists discovered. The approach could be used as an additional strategy in the worldwide effort to curb mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue fever, yellow fever and malaria. ... > full story

Soil samples reveal urban mercury footprints (July 19, 2011) -- A new study has investigated mercury deposits in industrialized city soil near coal-fired power plants. While wind patterns vary by cities, the process in various urban areas is similar with mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants contaminating soil that is then transported downstream. Since cities have a high percentage of impervious surfaces like roads and parking lots, the mercury enters waterways rapidly. ... > full story

Solar panels keep buildings cool (July 19, 2011) -- Those solar panels on top of your roof aren't just providing clean power; they are cooling your house, or your workplace, too, according to a team of environmental engineering researchers. ... > full story

How dairy farms contribute to greenhouse gas emissions (July 19, 2011) -- Scientists have produced the first detailed data on how large-scale dairy facilities contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. ... > full story

The face of a frog: Time-lapse video reveals never-before-seen bioelectric pattern (July 19, 2011) -- For the first time, biologists have reported that bioelectrical signals are necessary for normal head and facial formation in an organism and have captured that process in a time-lapse video that reveals never-before-seen patterns of visible bioelectrical signals outlining where eyes, nose, mouth, and other features will appear in an embryonic tadpole. ... > full story

Research in 'Westie' dogs may hold answers to similar human diseases (July 19, 2011) -- Scientists have announced preliminary findings in two major studies involving the health of West Highland white terriers also known as westies. Findings in these and other studies of Westies and other dogs may hold answers for similar human conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. ... > full story

Fewer aphids in organic crop fields, study finds (July 19, 2011) -- Farmers who spray insecticides against aphids as a preventative measure only achieve a short-term effect with this method. In the long term, their fields will end up with even more aphids than untreated fields, according to new research. ... > full story

Soy/milk protein dietary supplements linked to lower blood pressure (July 19, 2011) -- Soy and milk protein dietary supplements lowered systolic blood pressure compared to refined (simple) carbohydrate supplements, according to a new study. Researchers suggest that replacing dietary refined carbohydrates with foods or drinks high in soy or milk protein might help prevent or treat high blood pressure. ... > full story

Bacteria use Batman-like grappling hooks to 'slingshot' on surfaces, study shows (July 19, 2011) -- Researchers have diagnosed a complex sequence of movements that make-up the "twitching" motility in bacteria with type IV pili (TFP). TFP act like Batman's grappling hooks that extend and bind to a surface to retract and pull the cell along. Using a high-speed camera and a novel two-point tracking algorithm, researchers also noticed the bacteria had the additional capability to "slingshot" on surfaces. ... > full story

Scientists analyze, explain the chemical makeup of Gulf plume (July 19, 2011) -- Taking another major step in sleuthing the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a research team has determined what chemicals were contained in a deep, hydrocarbon-containing plume at least 22 miles long that WHOI scientists mapped and sampled last summer in the Gulf of Mexico, a residue of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Moreover, they have taken a big step in explaining why some chemicals, but not others, made their way into the plume. ... > full story

Antibiotic disrupts termite microflora, reducing fertility, longevity (July 19, 2011) -- The microbial flora of the termite gut are necessary both for cellulose digestion and normal reproduction, and feeding the insects antibiotics can interfere in these processes, according to a new study. ... > full story

2011 Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' could be biggest ever (July 19, 2011) -- Researchers have examined the scope and size of this year's "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico and have measured it currently to be about 3,300 square miles, or roughly the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined, but some researchers anticipate it becoming much larger. ... > full story

Cadmium selenide quantum dots degrade in soil, releasing their toxic guts, study finds (July 19, 2011) -- Quantum dots made from cadmium and selenium degrade in soil, unleashing toxic cadmium and selenium ions into their surroundings, a new study has found. ... > full story

Dry onion skin has a use (July 19, 2011) -- More than 500,000 tonnes of onion waste are thrown away in the European Union each year. However, scientists say this could have a use as food ingredients. The brown skin and external layers are rich in fiber and flavonoids, while the discarded bulbs contain sulphurous compounds and fructans. All of these substances are beneficial to health. ... > full story

Six new species of Eucalantica micro-moths discovered from the New World (July 19, 2011) -- The Eucalantica genus belongs to the relatively primitive micro-moth group, Yponomeutidae. Six new species have now been described. ... > full story

Reinventing the toilet for safe and affordable sanitation (July 19, 2011) -- Scientists are working to develop new technology for processing human waste without links to water, energy, or sewer lines, and at costs affordable to the poor in developing countries. ... > full story

Monitoring cellular interactions at nano-scale in more detail than ever before (July 18, 2011) -- Using nanotechnology to engineer sensors onto the surface of cells, researchers have developed a platform technology for monitoring single-cell interactions in real-time. ... > full story

Origami in seed capsules: Lids on seed cases of the ice plant unfold when honeycomb structure swells inside them (July 18, 2011) -- A number of plants disperse their seeds in a rather artistic way: the seed capsules of the ice plant Delosperma nakurense, for instance, unfold lids over the seed compartments in the manner of a movable origami when they are moistened by rain. ... > full story

Gene migration helps predict movement of disease (July 18, 2011) -- Until recently, migration patterns, such as those adopted by birds all across the Amazonian rainforest, have not been thought to play an important role in the spreading of beneficial genes through a population. ... > full story

Down-under digestive microbes could help lower methane gas from livestock (July 18, 2011) -- The discovery that a bacterial species in the Australian Tammar wallaby gut is responsible for keeping the animal's methane emissions relatively low suggests a potential new strategy may exist to try to reduce methane emissions from livestock, according to a new study. ... > full story

Parasitism: Wasp uses ladybug as 'zombie bodyguard' (July 18, 2011) -- The parasitic wasp Dinocampus coccinellae is no fool. It controls a ladybug, lays an egg in its abdomen and turns it into the bodyguard of its cocoon. This surprising host-parasite manipulation has been closely observed in new research. ... > full story

Study of soil effects from March 11 Japan earthquake could improve building design (July 18, 2011) -- Japan's March 11 Tohoku Earthquake is among the strongest ever recorded, and because it struck one of the world's most heavily instrumented seismic zones, this natural disaster is providing scientists with a treasure trove of data on rare magnitude 9 earthquakes. Among the new information is what is believed to be the first study of how a shock this powerful affects the rock and soil beneath the surface. ... > full story

Rising oceans: Too late to turn the tide? (July 18, 2011) -- Melting ice sheets contributed much more to rising sea levels than thermal expansion of warming ocean waters during the Last Interglacial Period, scientists have found. The results further suggest that ocean levels continue to rise long after warming of the atmosphere levels off. ... > full story