The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, December 9, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, December 9, 2011

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Rebuilding the brain's circuitry (December 9, 2011) -- Scientists have rebuilt genetically diseased circuitry in a section of the mouse hypothalamus, an area controlling obesity and energy balance, demonstrating that complex and intricately wired circuitry of the brain long considered incapable of cellular repair can be rewired with the right type of neuronal "replacement parts." ... > full story

Law enforcement vital for great ape survival: Greatest decrease in African great ape populations in areas with no protection from poaching (December 9, 2011) -- A recent study shows that, over the last two decades, areas with the greatest decrease in African great ape populations are those with no active protection from poaching by forest guards. ... > full story

Paleoclimate record points toward potential rapid climate changes (December 9, 2011) -- New research into the Earth's paleoclimate history suggests the potential for rapid climate changes this century, including multiple meters of sea level rise, if global warming is not abated. ... > full story

A 'wild card' in your genes (December 9, 2011) -- The human genome and the endowments of genes in other animals and plants are like a deck of poker cards containing a "wild card" that in a genetic sense introduces an element of variety and surprise that has a key role in life. That's what scientists are describing in a review of more than 100 studies on the topic. ... > full story

Discovery on how sugars are moved throughout a plant (December 8, 2011) -- Food prices are soaring at the same time as the Earth's population is nearing 9 billion. As a result the need for increased crop yields is extremely important. New research into the system by which sugars are moved throughout a plant -- from the leaves to the harvested portions and elsewhere -- could be crucial for addressing this problem. ... > full story

77,000-year-old evidence for 'bedding' and use of medicinal plants uncovered at South African rock shelter (December 8, 2011) -- An international team of researchers has discovered the earliest evidence for the intentional construction of plant "bedding." The 77,000-year-old evidence for preserved plant bedding and the use of insect-repelling plants was discovered in a rock shelter in South Africa. ... > full story

Addressing pain and disease on the fly: How fruit flies can teach us about curing chronic pain and halting mosquito-borne diseases (December 8, 2011) -- Studies of a protein that fruit flies use to sense heat and chemicals may someday provide solutions to human pain and the control of disease-spreading mosquitoes. Researchers have discovered how fruit flies distinguish the warmth of a summer day from the pungency of wasabi by using TRPA1, a protein whose human relative is critical for pain and inflammation. ... > full story

Scientists capture single cancer molecules at work (December 8, 2011) -- Researchers have revealed how a molecule called telomerase contributes to the control of the integrity of our genetic code, and when it is involved in the deregulation of the code, its important role in the development of cancer. Scientists explained how they were able to achieve their discovery by using cutting edge microscopy techniques to visualize telomerase molecules in real time in living cells. ... > full story

Computer simulations shed light on the physics of rainbows (December 8, 2011) -- Computer scientists who set out to simulate all rainbows found in nature, wound up answering questions about the physics of rainbows as well. The scientists recreated a wide variety of rainbows by using an improved method for simulating how light interacts with water drops of various shapes and sizes. Their new approach even yielded realistic simulations of difficult-to-replicate "twinned" rainbows that split their primary bow in two. ... > full story

Genetic markers help feds enforce seafood regulations (December 8, 2011) -- New discoveries in "marine forensics" will allow federal seafood agents to genetically test blue marlin to quickly and accurately determine their ocean of origin. The test is needed to ensure that the blue marlin sold in US seafood markets were not taken from the Atlantic Ocean. Regulation of Atlantic blues reflects overfishing and a troubling drop in population. ... > full story

Patterns seen in spider silk and melodies connected (December 8, 2011) -- Using a new mathematical methodology, researchers have created a scientifically rigorous analogy showing the similarities between the physical structure of spider silk and the sonic structure of a musical composition, proving that the structure of each relates to its function in an equivalent way. The comparison begins with the primary building blocks of each item and explains that structural patterns are directly related to the functional properties of silk and a melodic riff. ... > full story

Gene expression in mouse neural retina sequenced (December 8, 2011) -- Researchers have gained new insights into neural disease genes by sequencing virtually all the gene expression in the mouse neural retina. The technology to obtain such a "transcriptome" has become accessible enough that full-scale sequencing is becoming the preferred method for asking genetics questions. ... > full story

Solar power much cheaper to produce than most analysts realize, study finds (December 8, 2011) -- The public is being kept in the dark about the viability of solar photovoltaic energy, according to a new study. ... > full story

Changes in bioelectric signals trigger formation of new organs: Tadpoles made to grow eyes in back, tail (December 8, 2011) -- For the first time, scientists have altered natural bioelectrical communication among cells to directly specify the type of new organ to be created at a particular location within a vertebrate organism. Using genetic manipulation of membrane voltage in Xenopus (frog) embryos, biologists were able to cause tadpoles to grow eyes outside of the head area. The researchers achieved most surprising results when they manipulated membrane voltage of cells in the tadpole's back and tail, well outside of where the eyes could normally form. ... > full story

Why aren't we smarter already? Evolutionary limits on cognition (December 8, 2011) -- We put a lot of energy into improving our memory, intelligence, and attention. There are even drugs that make us sharper, such as Ritalin and caffeine. But maybe smarter isn't really all that better. A new warns warns that there are limits on how smart humans can get, and any increases in thinking ability are likely to come with problems. ... > full story

Stinky frogs are a treasure trove of antibiotic substances (December 8, 2011) -- Some of the nastiest smelling creatures on Earth have skin that produces the greatest known variety of antibacterial substances that hold promise for becoming new weapons in the battle against antibiotic-resistant infections, scientists are reporting. Their research is on amphibians so smelly (like rotten fish, for instance) that scientists term them "odorous frogs." ... > full story

North America's biggest dinosaur revealed (December 8, 2011) -- New research has unveiled enormous bones from North America's biggest dinosaur. Researchers collected two gigantic vertebrae and a femur in New Mexico. The bones belong to the sauropod dinosaur Alamosaurus sanjuanensis: a long-necked plant eater related to Diplodocus. The Alamosaurus roamed what is now the southwestern United States and Mexico about 69 million years ago. ... > full story

Digging up clues: Research on buried blow flies to help crime scene investigators (December 8, 2011) -- When investigating a murder, every clue helps. New research sheds light on how -- and whether -- blow flies survive when buried underground during their development. It's an advance that will help forensic investigators understand how long a body may have been left above ground before being buried -- or possibly whether remains were moved from one grave to another. ... > full story

Lessons learned from yeast about human leukemia: The power of basic model organisms in human health (December 8, 2011) -- The trifecta of biological proof is to take a discovery made in a simple model organism like baker's yeast and track down its analogs or homologs in "higher" creatures right up the complexity scale to people, in this case, from yeast to fruit flies to humans. In a pair of related studies, scientists have hit such a trifecta, closing a circle of inquiry that they opened over a decade ago. ... > full story

Why does the same mutation kill one person but not another? (December 7, 2011) -- The vast majority of genetic disorders (schizophrenia or breast cancer, for example) have different effects in different people. Moreover, an individual carrying certain mutations can develop a disease, whereas another one with the same mutations may not. This holds true even when comparing two identical twins who have identical genomes. But why does the same mutation have different effects in different individuals? ... > full story

Sewage treatment plants may contribute to antibiotic resistance problem (December 7, 2011) -- Water discharged into lakes and rivers from municipal sewage treatment plants may contain significant concentrations of the genes that make bacteria antibiotic-resistant. That's the conclusion of a new study on a sewage treatment plant on Lake Superior in the Duluth, Minn., harbor. ... > full story

Long non-coding RNA prevents the death of maturing red blood cells (December 7, 2011) -- A long non-coding RNA prevents programmed cell death during one of the final stages of red blood cell differentiation, according to Whitehead Institute researchers. Preventing normal cell death is a key step in the development of leukemias and other cancers. Because of its role in red blood cell apoptosis, this lncRNA or the pathways through which it exerts its anti-apoptotic effects may represent potential therapeutic targets. ... > full story

Supercomputer reveals new details behind drug-processing protein model (December 7, 2011) -- Supercomputer simulations are giving scientists unprecedented access to a key class of proteins involved in drug detoxification. ... > full story

Researchers suggest unconventional approach to control HIV epidemics (December 7, 2011) -- A new weapon to prevent HIV infection, called pre-exposure prophylaxis, Because PrEP is based on the same drugs used to treat HIV-infected individuals, the big public health scare is that the dual use of these drugs will lead to skyrocketing levels of drug resistance. In fact, say researchers in a new study, that is not the case and indeed, the exact opposite is likely to happen. ... > full story

Specific bacteria that precede autoimmune diabetes identified: New potential avenues for early disease detection and prevention (December 7, 2011) -- A study by researchers in Finland suggests that autoimmune diabetes is preceded by diminished gut microbial diversity of the Clostridium leptum subgroup, elevated plasma leptin and enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. ... > full story

Shedding light on why it is so 'tough' to make healthier hot dogs (December 7, 2011) -- In part of an effort to replace animal fat in hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers and other foods with healthier fat, scientists are reporting an advance in solving the mystery of why hot dogs develop an unpleasant tough texture when vegetable oils pinch hit for animal fat. ... > full story

World's first super predator had remarkable vision (December 7, 2011) -- Scientists working on fossils from Kangaroo Island, South Australia, have found eyes belonging to a giant 500 million-year-old marine predator that sat at the top of the earth's first food chain. ... > full story

Novel drug wipes out deadliest malaria parasite through starvation (December 7, 2011) -- An antimalarial agent proved effective at clearing infections caused by the malaria parasite most lethal to humans -- by literally starving the parasites to death. ... > full story

New method to quickly separate and identify thousands of protein molecules (December 7, 2011) -- Scientist have developed a new "top-down" method that can separate and identify thousands of protein molecules quickly. The researchers were able to identify more than 3,000 protein forms created from 1,043 genes from human HeLa cells. Many have been skeptical that such an approach, where each protein is analyzed intact instead of in smaller parts, could be done on such a large scale. ... > full story

Butterfly wings inspire design of water-repellent surface (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers mimic the many-layered nanostructure of blue mountain swallowtail wings to make a silicon wafer that traps both air and light. ... > full story

Geneticists help show bitter taste perception is not just about flavors (December 7, 2011) -- Long the bane of picky eaters everywhere, broccoli's taste is not just a matter of having a cultured palate; Some people can easily taste a bitter compound in the vegetable that others have difficulty detecting. Now a team researchers has helped uncover the evolutionary history of one of the genes responsible for this trait. Beyond showing the ancient origins of the gene, the researchers discovered something unexpected: Something other than taste must have driven its evolution. ... > full story

Fruits and vegetables reduce risks of specific types of colorectal cancers, study finds (December 7, 2011) -- The effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on colorectal cancer (CRC) appear to differ by site of origin. Researchers found that within the proximal and distal colon, brassica vegetables (Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli) were associated with decreased risk of these cancers. A lower risk of distal colon cancer was associated with eating more apples, however an increased risk for rectal cancer was found with increasing consumption of fruit juice. ... > full story

Sandeels with a full stomach swim for a longer time (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers have shed light on the peculiar behavior of the commercially and ecologically valuable sandeel. ... > full story

How old yeast cells send off their daughter cells without the baggage of old age (December 7, 2011) -- The accumulation of damaged protein is a hallmark of aging that not even the humble baker's yeast can escape. Yet, aged yeast cells spawn off youthful daughter cells without any of the telltale protein clumps. Now, researchers may have found an explanation for the observed asymmetrical distribution of damaged proteins between mothers and their youthful daughters. ... > full story

Is climate change altering humans' vacation plans? (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers have found peak attendance in US national parks that have experienced climate change is happening earlier, compared to 30 years ago. ... > full story

New horned dinosaur announced nearly 100 years after discovery (December 7, 2011) -- A new species of horned dinosaur was just announced by an international team of scientists, nearly 100 years after the initial discovery of the fossil. The animal, named Spinops sternbergorum, lived approximately 76 million years ago in southern Alberta, Canada. Spinops was a plant-eater that weighed around two tons when alive, a smaller cousin of Triceratops. ... > full story

Lava fingerprinting reveals differences between Hawaii's twin volcanoes (December 7, 2011) -- Hawaii's main volcano chains -- the Loa and Kea trends -- have distinct sources of magma and unique plumbing systems connecting them to the Earth's deep mantle, according to new research. ... > full story

Oxidative stress: Less harmful than suspected? (December 7, 2011) -- Oxidative stress is considered to be involved in a multitude of pathogenic processes and is also implicated in the process of aging. For the first time, scientists have been able to directly observe oxidative changes in a living organism. Their findings in fruit flies raise doubts about the validity of some widely held hypotheses: The research team has found no evidence that the life span is limited by the production of harmful oxidants. ... > full story

Timing is everything: Bacterial attachment mimics just-in-time industrial model (December 7, 2011) -- Biologists and physicists have shown that certain bacteria wait until the last minute to synthesize the glue that allows them to attach permanently to surfaces. ... > full story

New tick-borne disease discovered in Sweden (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a brand new tick-borne infection. Since the discovery, eight cases have been described around the world, three of them in Sweden. ... > full story

Measuring living cells' mechanical properties: Technology could diagnose human disease, shed light on biological processes (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers are making progress in developing a system that measures the mechanical properties of living cells, a technology that could be used to diagnose human disease and better understand biological processes. ... > full story

Earthquakes: Water as a lubricant (December 7, 2011) -- Geophysicists have established a mode of action that can explain the irregular distribution of strong earthquakes at the San Andreas Fault in California. The scientists examined the electrical conductivity of the rocks at great depths, which is closely related to the water content within the rocks. From the pattern of electrical conductivity and seismic activity they were able to deduce that rock water acts as a lubricant. ... > full story

Early Earth may have been prone to deep freezes, study finds (December 6, 2011) -- Researchers who have adapted a three-dimensional, general circulation model of Earth's climate to a time some 2.8 billion years ago when the sun was significantly fainter than present think the planet may have been more prone to catastrophic glaciation than previously believed. ... > full story

Veterinarians find infections faster by monitoring blood compound; Blood test for dogs could lead to similar human test (December 6, 2011) -- In pets and people, the time it takes to diagnose an infection may mean life or death. Now, a veterinarian is identifying ways to diagnose pet infections in approximately a third of the current diagnosis time. ... > full story

Climate changes faster than species can adapt, rattlesnake study finds (December 6, 2011) -- The ranges of species will have to change dramatically as a result of climate change between now and 2100 because the climate will change more than 100 times faster than the rate at which species can adapt, according to a newly published study that focuses on North American rattlesnakes. ... > full story

Global sea surface temperature data provides new measure of climate sensitivity over the last half million years (December 6, 2011) -- Scientists have developed important new insight into the sensitivity of global temperature to changes in Earth's radiation balance over the last half million years. ... > full story

Ancient meat-loving predators survived for 35 million years (December 6, 2011) -- A species of ancient predator with saw-like teeth, sleek bodies and a voracious appetite for meat survived a major extinction at a time when the distant relatives of mammals ruled the earth. ... > full story

Scientists rediscover rarest U.S. bumblebee: Cockerell's Bumblebee was last seen in the United States in 1956 (December 6, 2011) -- A team of scientists recently rediscovered the rarest species of bumblebee in the United States, last seen in 1956, living in the White Mountains of south-central New Mexico. Known as "Cockerell's Bumblebee," the bee was originally described in 1913 from six specimens collected along the Rio Ruidoso, with another 16 specimens collected near the town of Cloudcroft, and one more from Ruidoso, the most recent being in 1956. ... > full story