The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Monday, August 27, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Monday, August 27, 2012

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Simplifying genetic codes to look back in time (August 26, 2012) -- Researchers show simpler versions of the universal genetic code can still function in protein synthesis. In addition to understanding early primordial organisms, the research could lead to applications preventing non-natural genetically modified materials from entering the natural world. ... > full story

'Cyborg' tissues: Merging engineered human tissues with bio-compatible nanoscale wires (August 26, 2012) -- Scientists have, for the first, time created a type of "cyborg" tissue by embedding a three-dimensional network of functional, bio-compatible nanoscale wires into engineered human tissues. ... > full story

Manipulating the microbiome could help manage weight (August 26, 2012) -- Vaccines and antibiotics may someday join caloric restriction or bariatric surgery as a way to regulate weight gain, according to a new study focused on the interactions between diet, the bacteria that live in the bowel, and the immune system. "Diet-induced obesity depends not just on calories ingested but also on the host's microbiome," said the study's senior author. For most people, he said, "host digestion is not completely efficient, but changes in the gut flora can raise or lower digestive efficiency." ... > full story

Rapid-scanning microscope with no loss of quality (August 24, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a rapid-scanning microscope with no loss of quality. ... > full story

Sunbathing helps these bugs stay healthy (August 24, 2012) -- Sunbathing may be healthy -- at least for one group of North American insects, the Western boxelder bug -- that apparently uses the activity to fight off germs. The bugs are known to group together in sunlit patches and release monoterpenes, strong-smelling chemical compounds that help protect the bugs by killing germs on their bodies. ... > full story

Only two percent of Canadians deny climate change (August 24, 2012) -- A new survey shows that only two percent of Canadians deny climate change. ... > full story

Microwave ovens may help produce lower cost solar energy technology (August 24, 2012) -- The same type of microwave oven technology that most people use to heat up leftover food has found an important application in the solar energy industry, providing a new way to make thin-film photovoltaic products with less energy, expense and environmental concerns. ... > full story

Boston subway system to be used to test new sensors for biological agents (August 24, 2012) -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate has scheduled a series of tests in the Boston subways to measure the real-world performance of new sensors recently developed to detect biological agents within minutes. ... > full story

Superior fuel cell material developed (August 24, 2012) -- Using a mixture of gold, copper and platinum nanoparticles, researchers have developed a more powerful and longer lasting fuel cell material. ... > full story

Good news from the bad drought: Gulf 'Dead Zone' smallest in years (August 24, 2012) -- The worst drought to hit the United States in at least 50 years does have one benefit: It has created the smallest "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico in years, say researchers. ... > full story

Bigger creatures live longer, travel farther for a reason (August 24, 2012) -- A biological mystery about the longer lifespans of bigger creatures may be explained by the application of a physical law called the Constructal Law. It proposes that anything that flows -- a river, bloodstream or highway network -- will evolve toward the same basic configuration out of a need to be more efficient. A professor argues that this same basic law applies to all bodies in motion, be they animals or tanker trucks. ... > full story

New insights to the function of molecular chaperones (August 24, 2012) -- Molecular biologists have gained new insights into the function of so-called molecular chaperones in protein synthesis. Scientists were able to demonstrate how a molecular chaperone in bacterial cells can influence the formation of the three-dimensional structure of new proteins. ... > full story

Cup of herbal tea could help fight breast cancer (August 24, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered that an extract from a common plant in Pakistan may help treat breast cancer. ... > full story

New molecular interactions behind the inhibition of TGF beta-signaling described (August 24, 2012) -- Researchers describe new molecular interactions behind the inhibition of TGF beta-signaling. ... > full story

Pollination: with small rewards come bad results (August 24, 2012) -- The hawkmoth, a natural petunia pollinator, spends less time on Petunia lines that offer less nectar as a reward. ... > full story

The end of an era? Branding horses does not enable them to be identified (August 24, 2012) -- Despite increasing evidence that branding foals causes the animals stress, many horse breeders still claim that this practice represents the best method for identifying the animals. Although the debate has raged for some time, nobody has thought to pose the crucial question: How reliably can brand marks be read later? New results may well spell the end of the line for the traditional practice of branding horses. ... > full story

Have Swedish forests recovered from the storm Gudrun? (August 24, 2012) -- In January 2005, the storm Gudrun hit Sweden. It has been estimated to have caused an overall economic damage of 2.4 billion euros in Swedish forestry alone. But has there been more damage to the forest than was clearly visible? A new shows that Gudrun caused not only immediate damage corresponding to 110% of the average annual harvest in Sweden from only 16% of the country’s forest area but also pervasive effects in terms of growth reduction. ... > full story

Optimizing forest management under uncertain growth and economic conditions (August 24, 2012) -- Forest management instructions often include recommendations for rotation lengths, thinning years and thinning intensities. However, under uncertain growth and economic conditions, these may not be optimal. Forest management should produce rules that allow forest landowners to adapt their management to changing situations. Researchers have shown how this can be done when both tree growth and timber price are stochastic. ... > full story

New model gives hands-on help for learning the secrets of molecules (August 24, 2012) -- Squishy models are anything but child’s play as they help researchers understand the building-block nature of proteins. ... > full story

Virus detector harnesses ring of light in 'whispering gallery mode' (August 24, 2012) -- By affixing nanoscale gold spheres onto a microscopic bead of glass, researchers have created a super-sensor that can detect even single samples of the smallest known viruses. The sensor uses a peculiar behavior of light known as "whispering gallery mode," named after the famous circular gallery in St. Paul's Cathedral in London, where a whisper near the wall can be heard around the gallery. ... > full story

Wind concentrates pollutants with unexpected order in an urban environment (August 24, 2012) -- When blown by chaotic winds in an urban environment, pollutants tend to accumulate in specific neighborhoods. ... > full story

Indo-European languages originated in Anatolia, research suggests (August 23, 2012) -- The Indo-European languages belong to one of the widest spread language families of the world. For the last two millenia, many of these languages have been written, and their history is relatively clear. But controversy remains about the time and place of the origins of the family. New research links the origins of Indo-European with the spread of farming from Anatolia 8,000 to 9,500 years ago. ... > full story

Rock sparrows react to infidelity by singing louder (August 23, 2012) -- Rock sparrows indicate their age and their reproductive success with their songs and react to infidelity with a higher song volume. ... > full story

Archaeologists complete survey of Charleston Harbor Civil War Naval Battlefield (August 23, 2012) -- Archaeologists have dived, mapped and completed the first survey of the prolonged Civil War naval battle that took place in Charleston Harbor in 1861 - 1865. ... > full story

For juvenile moose, Momma's boys and girls fare best (August 23, 2012) -- A new study shows that if you’re a juvenile moose trying to make it in the real world, you can’t beat an overprotective mom. ... > full story

New survey of ocean floor finds juvenile scallops are abundant in Mid-Atlantic (August 23, 2012) -- Researchers are getting a comprehensive view of the ocean floor using a new instrument, and have confirmed that there are high numbers of young sea scallops off of Delaware Bay. ... > full story

Antarctic ice sheet quakes shed light on ice movement and earthquakes (August 23, 2012) -- Analysis of small, repeating earthquakes in an Antarctic ice sheet may not only lead to an understanding of glacial movement, but may also shed light on stick slip earthquakes like those on the San Andreas fault or in Haiti, according to geoscientists. ... > full story

Collective motion in schools of fish can evolve as finely tuned defense against attack from predators: Virtual fish simulation (August 23, 2012) -- Researchers have designed a video game for predatory fish that has unraveled some lingering evolutionary questions about group formation and movement in animals. ... > full story

Research on wood formation sheds light on plant biology (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a phenomenon never seen before in plants while studying molecular changes inside tree cells as wood is formed. ... > full story

Novel technique to synthesize nanocrystals that harvest solar energy (August 23, 2012) -- A new video protocol focuses on the liquid phase synthesis of two nanocrystals that produce hydrogen gas or an electric charge when exposed to light. ... > full story

Link found between cold European winters and solar activity (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have long suspected that the Sun's 11-year cycle influences climate of certain regions on Earth. Yet records of average, seasonal temperatures do not date back far enough to confirm any patterns. Now, armed with a unique proxy, an international team of researchers show that unusually cold winters in Central Europe are related to low solar activity – when sunspot numbers are minimal. ... > full story

Past tropical climate change linked to ocean circulation (August 23, 2012) -- A new record of past temperature change in the tropical Atlantic Ocean's subsurface provides clues as to why the Earth's climate is so sensitive to ocean circulation patterns. ... > full story

For mitochondria, bigger may not be better: Optimal length of mitochondria is essential to preventing Alzheimer's (August 23, 2012) -- Abnormalities in mitochondrial length promote the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. ... > full story

Field guide to the Epstein-Barr virus charts viral paths toward cancer (August 23, 2012) -- Researchers have published the first annotated atlas of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome, providing the best look yet at how EBV interacts with human genes and proteins. EBV, which is thought to be responsible for one percent of all human cancers -- including B cell lymphomas, gastric carcinomas, and nasopharyngeal carcinomas -- establishes a latent infection in nearly 100 percent of infected adult humans. ... > full story

Histone-modifying proteins, not histones, remain associated with DNA through replication (August 23, 2012) -- A study of Drosophila embryos found that parental methylated histones are not transferred to daughter DNA. Rather, after DNA replication, new nucleosomes are assembled from newly synthesized unmodified histones. ... > full story

New way to fight bacterial infections: 'Naked Darth Vader' approach could tame antibiotic resistant superbugs (August 23, 2012) -- Rather than trying to kill bacteria outright with drugs, researchers have discovered a way to disarm bacteria that may allow the body's own defense mechanisms to destroy them. "To understand this strategy one could imagine harmful bacteria being like Darth Vader, and the anti-virulence drug would take away his armor and lightsaber," explained the study's lead author. ... > full story

Human-chimp genetic differences: New insights into why humans are more susceptible to cancer and other diseases (August 23, 2012) -- Ninety-six percent of a chimpanzee's genome is the same as a human's. It's the other 4 percent, and the vast differences, that has intrigued researchers. For instance, why do humans have a high risk of cancer, even though chimps rarely develop the disease? In a new study, scientists have looked at brain samples of each species. They found that differences in certain DNA modifications, called methylation, may contribute to phenotypic changes. The results also hint that DNA methylation plays an important role for some disease-related phenotypes in humans, including cancer and autism. ... > full story

Underground solution to starving rice plants (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have pinpointed a gene that enables rice plants to produce around 20 percent more grain by increasing uptake of phosphorus, an important, but limited, plant nutrient. ... > full story

Scientists produce hydrogen for fuel cells using an inexpensive catalyst under real-world conditions (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have produced hydrogen, a renewable energy source, from water using an inexpensive catalyst under industrially relevant conditions (using pH neutral water, surrounded by atmospheric oxygen, and at room temperature). ... > full story

No-till could help maintain crop yields despite climate change (August 23, 2012) -- Reducing tillage for some Central Great Plains crops could help conserve water and reduce losses caused by climate change, according to studies at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ... > full story

Sinus irrigation with tap water linked to two deaths (August 23, 2012) -- When water containing the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, a single-celled organism, enters the nose, the organisms may migrate to the brain, causing primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a very rare -- but usually fatal -- disease. A new study has described the first reported cases in the United States implicating nasal irrigation using tap water in these infections. "N. fowleri was found in water samples from both homes," researchers said, but "not found in the treatment plants or distribution systems of the municipal water systems servicing the patients' homes." ... > full story

Primate of the opera: What soprano singing apes on helium reveal about the human voice (August 23, 2012) -- Have you ever heard an opera singing ape? Researchers in Japan have discovered that singing gibbons use the same vocal techniques as professional soprano singers. The study explains how recording gibbons singing under the influence of helium gas reveals a physiological similarity to human voices. ... > full story

Cloud control could tame hurricanes, study shows (August 23, 2012) -- They are one of the most destructive forces of nature on Earth, but now environmental scientists are working to tame the hurricane. Scientists now propose using cloud seeding to decrease sea surface temperatures where hurricanes form. Theoretically, the team claims the technique could reduce hurricane intensity by a category. ... > full story

Ants 'screen' for beneficial bacteria to assist them (August 22, 2012) -- Having healthy gut bacteria could have as much to do with a strategy that insurance companies use to uncover risk as with eating the right foods - according to researchers. ... > full story

Half of the particulate pollution in North America comes from other continents (August 22, 2012) -- Roughly half the aerosols that affect air quality and climate change in North America may be coming from other continents, including Asia, Africa and Europe, according to a new study. ... > full story

Native landscaping in urban areas can help native birds (August 22, 2012) -- The study is one of the first to use quantitative measures and a systematic approach, with 24-hour video monitoring, to assess and compare foraging behavior of common backyard birds in yards in Phoenix, at the northern edge of the Sonoran Desert. ... > full story

Parasitic wasps remember better if reward is greater (August 22, 2012) -- Two parasitic wasp species show similar memory consolidation patterns in response to rewards of different quality, providing evidence that the reward value affects the type of memory that is consolidated. ... > full story

Traumatic mating may offer fitness benefits for female sea slugs (August 22, 2012) -- Female sea slugs mate more frequently than required to produce offspring, despite the highly traumatic and biologically costly nature of their copulation. ... > full story