The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Monday, January 16, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Monday, January 16, 2012

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Bacterial infections: New laboratory method uses mass spectrometry to rapidly detect staph infections (January 15, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a new laboratory test that can rapidly identify the bacterium responsible for staph infections. The test uses mass spectrometry to quantify the number of Staphylococcus aureus organisms in a large number of samples in just a few hours. ... > full story

Improved method for protein sequence comparisons is faster, more accurate, more sensitive (January 15, 2012) -- Sequence comparisons are an essential tool for the prediction and analysis of the structure and functions of proteins. A new method developed by computational biologists permits sequence comparisons to be performed faster and more accurately than ever before. ... > full story

New clue in battle against Australian Hendra virus: African bats have antibodies that neutralize deadly virus (January 15, 2012) -- A new study on African bats provides a vital clue for unraveling the mysteries in Australia's battle with the deadly Hendra virus. ... > full story

Pythons and people take turns as predators and prey (January 15, 2012) -- People and giant snakes not only target each other for food -- they also compete for the same prey, according to a new study. ... > full story

What can be done to slow climate change? (January 14, 2012) -- Scientists have detailed 14 key air pollution control measures that, if implemented, could slow the pace of global warming, improve health and boost agricultural production. ... > full story

Evolution is written all over your face (January 13, 2012) -- Why are the faces of primates so dramatically different from one another? Biologists serving as "evolutionary detectives" studied the faces of 129 adult male primates from Central and South America, and offer answers. These faces evolved over at least 24 million years. ... > full story

Novel chemical route to form organic molecules (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a novel chemical route to form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -- complex organic molecules such as naphthalene carrying fused benzene rings -- in ultra-cold regions of interstellar space. ... > full story

Discovery of plant 'nourishing gene' brings hope for increased crop seed yield and food security (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a "nourishing gene" which controls the transfer of nutrients from plant to seed -- a significant step which could help increase global food production. ... > full story

Blame your taste buds for liking fat: Receptor for tasting fat identified in humans (January 13, 2012) -- Why do we like fatty foods so much? We can blame our taste buds. In the first study to identify a human receptor that can taste fat, researchers report that our tongues recognize and have an affinity for fat and that variations in a gene can make people more or less sensitive to the taste of fat in foods. ... > full story

European mountain vegetation shows effects of warmer climate (January 13, 2012) -- Researchers from 13 countries report clear and statistically significant evidence of a continent-wide warming effect on mountain plant communities in Europe. ... > full story

Offsetting global warming: Molecule in Earth's atmosphere could 'cool the planet' (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have shown that a newly discovered molecule in Earth's atmosphere has the potential to play a significant role in offsetting global warming by cooling the planet. ... > full story

The microbiome and disease: Gut bacteria influence the severity of heart attacks in rats (January 13, 2012) -- New research suggests the types and levels of intestinal bacteria may be used to predict a person's likelihood of having a heart attack, and manipulating these organisms may help reduce risk. This discovery may lead to new tests and therapies that physicians use to prevent and treat heart attacks. In addition, this research suggests probiotics may be able to protect the heart in patients undergoing heart surgery and angioplasty. ... > full story

Wandering albatross alters its foraging due to climate change (January 13, 2012) -- Wandering albatrosses have altered their foraging due to changes in wind fields in the southern hemisphere during the last decades. Since winds have increased in intensity and moved to the south, the flight speed of albatrosses increased and they spend less time foraging. As a consequence, breeding success has improved and birds have gained 1 kilogram. ... > full story

The case of the dying aspens (January 12, 2012) -- Over the past 10 years, the death of forest trees due to drought and increased temperatures has been documented on all continents except Antarctica. This can in turn drive global warming by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by trees and by releasing carbon locked up in their wood. New research offers evidence for the physiological mechanism governing tree death in a drought. ... > full story

Some 'low-gluten' beer contains high levels of gluten (January 12, 2012) -- Beer tested in a new study, including some brands labeled "low-gluten," contains levels of hordein, the form of gluten present in barley, that could cause symptoms in patients with celiac disease, the autoimmune condition treated with a life-long gluten-free diet, scientists are reporting. ... > full story

Diet rich in slowly digested carbs reduces markers of inflammation in overweight and obese adults (January 12, 2012) -- Among overweight and obese adults, a diet rich in slowly digested carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes and other high-fiber foods, significantly reduces markers of inflammation associated with chronic disease, according to a new study. Such a "low-glycemic-load" diet, which does not cause blood-glucose levels to spike, also increases a hormone that helps regulate the metabolism of fat and sugar. ... > full story

In ancient Pompeii, trash and tombs went hand in hand (January 12, 2012) -- Trash and tombs went hand in hand in ancient Pompeii. That's according to research that provides new insights into daily life of that city before the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. ... > full story

Retreating glaciers threaten water supplies (January 12, 2012) -- Glaciers are retreating at an unexpectedly fast rate according to research done in Peru's Cordillera Blanca. This may threaten water supplies. ... > full story

World's smallest vertebrate: Tiny frogs discovered in New Guinea (January 12, 2012) -- Biologists just discovered two new species of frogs in New Guinea, one of which is now the world's tiniest known vertebrate, averaging only 7.7 millimeters in size -- less than one-third of an inch. It ousts Paedocypris progenetica, an Indonesian fish averaging more than 8 millimeters, from the record. ... > full story

Bacteria's move from sea to land may have occurred much later than thought (January 12, 2012) -- A new analysis indicates the shift of soil bacteria Azospirillum may have occurred only 400 million years ago, rather than approximately two billion years earlier as originally thought. ... > full story

Honeybee deaths linked to seed insecticide exposure (January 12, 2012) -- Honeybee populations have been in serious decline for years, and scientists may have identified one of the factors that cause bee deaths around agricultural fields. ... > full story

Colorado mountain hail may disappear in a warmer future (January 12, 2012) -- Summertime hail could all but disappear from the eastern flank of Colorado's Rocky Mountains by 2070, according to a new modeling study. Less hail damage could be good news for gardeners and farmers, but a shift from hail to rain can also mean more runoff, which could raise the risk of flash floods, she said. ... > full story

Identifying sloth species at a genetic level (January 12, 2012) -- Identifying species, separating out closely related species and managing each type on its own, is an important part of any animal management system. Some species, like the two types of two-toed sloth, are so close in appearance and behavior that differentiation can be challenging. Conservation researchers have developed a mechanism for identifying these reclusive species from each other. ... > full story

Plasma treatment zaps viruses before they can attack cells (January 12, 2012) -- Researchers have tested a pre-emptive anti-viral treatment on a common virus known to cause respiratory infections. ... > full story

Why do dew drops do what they do on leaves? (January 12, 2012) -- Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore once wrote, "Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf." Now, a new study is finally offering an explanation for why small dew drops do as Tagore advised and form on the tips, rather than the flat surfaces, of leaves. ... > full story

Scientists paint new picture of dance between protein and binding partners (January 12, 2012) -- Using a blend of technologies, scientists have painted a new picture of how biochemical information can be transmitted through the modification of a protein. Previously, scientists believed that during the pairing of proteins and their binding partners ("ligands"), proteins modified their shape while ligands remained stable. The new study shows this one-size-fits-all solution is not entirely accurate. ... > full story

New cores from glacier in Eastern European Alps may yield new climate clues (January 12, 2012) -- Researchers are beginning their analysis of what are probably the first successful ice cores drilled to bedrock from a glacier in the eastern European Alps. ... > full story

Paddlefish sensors tuned to detect signals from zooplankton prey (January 12, 2012) -- Neurons fire in a synchronized bursting pattern in response to robust signals indicating nearby food. ... > full story

New hope to save hemlock trees from attack (January 12, 2012) -- Thousands of broken trees line the banks of the Chattooga River. The dead gray stabs were once evergreen monsters offering shade to trout and picturesque views to visitors. These Eastern hemlocks are dying rapidly, and researchers are working to save them. ... > full story

Renewable fuel: Clearing a potential road block to bisabolane (January 12, 2012) -- Researchers have determined the three-dimensional crystal structure of a protein that is key to boosting the microbial-based production of bisabolane as a clean, green and renewable biosynthetic alternative to D2 diesel fuel. ... > full story

Asthma rates double for World Trade Center first responders (January 12, 2012) -- A recent study has revealed that World Trade Center responders suffer from asthma at more than twice the rate of the general U.S. population, presumably as a result of their exposure to the toxic dust from the collapse of the WTC towers in 2001. ... > full story

Tracking genes' remote controls: New method for observing enhancer activity during development (January 12, 2012) -- Inside each cell's nucleus, genetic sequences known as enhancers act like remote controls, switching genes on and off. Scientists can now see -- and predict -- exactly when each remote control is itself activated, in a real embryo. ... > full story

Predators hunt for a balanced diet (January 11, 2012) -- Predators select their prey in order to eat a nutritionally balanced diet and give themselves the best chance of producing healthy offspring. A new study shows for the first time that predatory animals choose their food on the basis of its nutritional value, rather than just overall calorie content. ... > full story

Fish offspring grow best at same temperature as parents (January 11, 2012) -- Fish parents can pre-condition their offspring to grow fastest at the temperature they experienced, according to new research. ... > full story

Scientists look to microbes to unlock Earth's deep secrets (January 11, 2012) -- Of all the habitable parts of our planet, one ecosystem still remains largely unexplored and unknown to science: The igneous ocean crust. This rocky realm of hard volcanic lava exists beneath ocean sediments that lie at the bottom of much of the world's oceans. While scientists have estimated that microbes living in deep ocean sediments may represent as much as one-third of Earth's total biomass, the habitable portion of the rocky ocean crust may be 10 times as great. ... > full story

Greenhouses and solar power: Crop testing with a special photovoltaic panel for greenhouses (January 11, 2012) -- A new photovoltaic module allows electricity to be generated without greenhouse crops being affected by over-shading. ... > full story

Gut microbe networks differ from norm in obese people, systems biology approach reveals (January 11, 2012) -- People harbor more than 100 trillion microbes. These microbes live in various habitats on and within the human anatomy; the gut houses the densest population of all, containing hundreds of bacterial species. Scientists detected organizational shifts away from the normal lean state in the gut flora of people who were obese. The differences relate to how the microbial community interacts with the human gut environment, rather than variations in its core energy-use processes. ... > full story

Engineers make 'building blocks of chemical industry' from wood while boosting production 40 percent (January 11, 2012) -- Chemical engineers using a catalytic fast pyrolysis process that transforms renewable non-food biomass into petrochemicals, have developed a new catalyst that boosts the yield for five key “building blocks of the chemical industry” by 40 percent compared to previous methods. ... > full story

Solar energy: New sunflower-inspired pattern increases concentrated solar efficiency (January 11, 2012) -- A new sunflower-inspired pattern increases concentrated solar efficiency. ... > full story

Mosquito immune system engineered to block malaria (January 11, 2012) -- Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that the Anopheles mosquito’s innate immune system could be genetically engineered to block the transmission of the malaria-causing parasite to humans. In addition, they showed that the genetic modification had little impact on the mosquito’s fitness under laboratory conditions. ... > full story

Molecular 'culprit' in rise of planetary oxygen (January 11, 2012) -- A turning point in the history of life occurred two to three billion years ago with the unprecedented appearance and dramatic rise of molecular oxygen. Now researchers report they have identified an enzyme that was the first – or among the first – to generate molecular oxygen on Earth. ... > full story

Climate change driving tropical birds to higher elevations (January 11, 2012) -- Tropical birds are moving to higher elevations because of climate change, but they may not be moving fast enough, according to a new study. ... > full story

Scientists characterize protein essential to survival of malaria parasite (January 11, 2012) -- A biology lab has successfully cracked the structure of an enzyme made by Plasmodium falciparum, the parasitical protozoan that causes the most lethal form of malaria. Plasmodium cannot live without the enzyme, which is uses to make cell membrane. Because people don't make this enzyme, it is an ideal target for an anti-malarial drug. Such a drug might kill Plasmodium but have minimal side effects for people. ... > full story

Dramatic links found between climate change, elk, plants, and birds (January 11, 2012) -- Climate change in the form of reduced snowfall in mountains is causing powerful and cascading shifts in mountainous plant and bird communities through the increased ability of elk to stay at high elevations over winter and consume plants, according to a groundbreaking study. ... > full story

Female fish choose sexier friends to avoid harassment (January 11, 2012) -- Scientists have observed a strategy for females to avoid unwanted male attention: Choosing more attractive friends. The study is the first to show females spending time with those more sexually attractive than themselves to reduce harassment from males. The study focuses on the Trinidadian guppy, a species of small freshwater fish. The research shows that the tactic is successful and by ensuring they are less attractive than other group members, the fish experience less harassment and fewer mating attempts from males. ... > full story

Novel anti-viral immune pathway discovered in mosquito (January 10, 2012) -- Virginia Tech researchers have identified a novel anti-viral pathway in the immune system of culicine mosquitoes, the insect family to which mosquitoes that spread yellow fever, West Nile fever, dengue fever, and chikungunya fever belong. ... > full story

Satellite imagery detects thermal 'uplift' signal of underground nuclear tests (January 10, 2012) -- A new analysis of satellite data from the late 1990s documents for the first time the "uplift" of ground above a site of underground nuclear testing, providing researchers a potential new tool for analyzing the strength of detonation. The findings provide another forensic tool for evaluation, especially for the potential explosive yield estimates. ... > full story

Comprehensive picture of the fate of oil from Deepwater Horizon spill (January 10, 2012) -- A new study provides the composite picture of the environmental distribution of oil and gas from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It amasses a vast collection of available atmospheric, surface and subsurface chemical data to assemble a "mass balance" of how much oil and gas was released, where it went and the chemical makeup of the compounds that remained in the air, on the surface, and in the deep water. ... > full story