The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Monday, December 12, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Monday, December 12, 2011

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More shrubbery in a warming world (December 12, 2011) -- Scientists have used satellite data to confirm that more than 20 years of warming temperatures in northern Quebec, Canada, have resulted in an increase in the amount and extent of shrubs and grasses. ... > full story

Beating superbugs with a high-tech cleanser (December 12, 2011) -- Scientists have developed an efficient, cost-effective liquid solution that fights antibiotic-resistant bacteria on hospital surfaces and keeps patients safe from life-threatening infections. It's easy to prepare, easy to apply, non-toxic -- and it will cost just a few dollars per quart. ... > full story

New solar-powered classroom brings science to schools in developing countries (December 12, 2011) -- An innovative project is using solar generators to provide IT resources and 'hands-on' science for students in developing countries. ... > full story

Inbreeding in bed bugs: One key to massive increases in infestations (December 12, 2011) -- New research on the bed bug's ability to withstand the genetic bottleneck of inbreeding provides new clues to explain the rapidly growing problem of bed bugs across the United States and globally. After mostly disappearing in the US in the 1950s, the common bed bug has reappeared with a vengeance over the past decade. ... > full story

Savanna chimps exhibit human-like sharing behavior, anthropologists say (December 11, 2011) -- Anthropologists report that chimpanzees in Senegal frequently share food and hunting tools with other chimps. This is thought to be the first study to document non-meat sharing behavior among chimpanzees. ... > full story

Underground heat: Landsat satellites track Yellowstone's geothermal activity (December 10, 2011) -- Yellowstone National Park sits on top of a vast, ancient, and still active volcano. Heat pours off its underground magma chamber, and is the fuel for Yellowstone's famous features -- more than 10,000 hot springs, mud pots, terraces and geysers, including Old Faithful. But expected development by energy companies right outside Yellowstone's borders have some fearing that Old Faithful could be cheated out of its energy. ... > full story

Lipid-modifying enzyme: New target for pan-viral therapeutics (December 10, 2011) -- Three different disease-causing viruses -- poliovirus, coxsackievirus, and hepatitis C -- rely on their unwilling host for the membrane platforms enriched in a specific lipid, phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate (PI4P) on which they can replicate, researchers report. ... > full story

Pharmacists crucial in plan for terrorist chemical weapons (December 10, 2011) -- Terrorist attacks with chemical weapons are a real possibility, according to a new study. Thanks to their extensive knowledge of toxic agents, and how to treat those who have been exposed, pharmacists are an invaluable resource in the event of an actual or potential chemical weapons attack. ... > full story

2010 spike in Greenland ice loss lifted bedrock, GPS reveals (December 9, 2011) -- An unusually hot melting season in 2010 accelerated ice loss in southern Greenland by 100 billion tons – and large portions of the island's bedrock rose an additional quarter of an inch in response. That's the finding from a network of nearly 50 GPS stations planted along the Greenland coast to measure the bedrock's natural response to the ever-diminishing weight of ice above it. ... > full story

New disinfection technique could revolutionize hospital room cleaning (December 9, 2011) -- A Queen's University infectious disease expert has collaborated in the development of a disinfection system that may change the way hospital rooms all over the world are cleaned as well as stop bed bug outbreaks in hotels and apartments. ... > full story

How Salmonella forms evil twins to evade the body's defenses (December 9, 2011) -- To swim or not? The same biological control that determines which capability genetically identical Salmonella will have impacts the virulence of the food pathogen. Swimmers do better in the gut, but non-motile Salmonella avoid triggering killer cells. An unusual protein turns on or off the manufacture of swimming apparatus in each new bacterium. ... > full story

Researchers develop a way to monitor engineered blood vessels as they grow in patients (December 9, 2011) -- New research describes how by using magnetic resonance imaging and nanoparticle technology, scientists can monitor the growth of laboratory-engineered blood vessels after implantation in patients. This is an important step toward ensuring that blood vessels, and tissues engineered from a patient's own biological material, are taking hold and working as expected. This is the first method for monitoring the growth and progress of engineered tissues once they are implanted. ... > full story

Microscopic worms could hold the key to living life on Mars (December 9, 2011) -- The astrophysicist Stephen Hawking believes that if humanity is to survive we will have up sticks and colonize space. But is the human body up to the challenge? Scientists believe that Caenorhabditis elegans, a microscopic worm which has biologically similarities to human beings, could help us understand how humans might cope with long-duration space exploration. ... > full story

Helping your fellow rat: Rodents show empathy-driven behavior, evidence suggests (December 9, 2011) -- The first evidence of empathy-driven helping behavior in rodents has been observed in laboratory rats that repeatedly free companions from a restraint, according to a new study by University of Chicago neuroscientists. The observation, published today in Science, places the origin of pro-social helping behavior earlier in the evolutionary tree than previously thought. ... > full story

Decisions, decisions: House-hunting honey bees work like complex brains (December 9, 2011) -- Researchers have found a signal, overlooked until now, that plays a role when honey bees split off from their mother colony and go scouting for a new home. Called the "stop signal," it is a very short buzz delivered by a scout bee while butting her head against a dancing honey bee, and is similar to signals that occur between neurons in the brains of monkeys making decisions. ... > full story

Premature babies harbor fewer, but more dangerous microbe types (December 9, 2011) -- One of the most comprehensive studies to date of the microbes that are found in extremely low-birthweight infants found that hard-to-treat Candida fungus is often present, as well as some harmful bacteria and parasites. ... > full story

New fluorescent imaging sorts microbiome in human mouth (December 9, 2011) -- New fluorescent labeling technology that distinguishes in a single image the population size and spatial distribution of 15 different taxa has uncovered new taxon pairings that indicate unsuspected cooperation -- and standoffishness -- between members of the microbe biofilm that covers teeth. ... > full story

For Midwesterners, more boxcars mean cleaner air (December 9, 2011) -- Shifting a fraction of truck-borne freight onto trains would have an outsized impact on air quality in the Midwest, according to researchers. ... > full story

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

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