ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Monday, September 12, 2011 ~ gwinnetttech

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Monday, September 12, 2011

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Sea urchins see with their whole body (September 12, 2011) -- Many animals have eyes that are incredibly complex -- others manage without. Researchers have now shown that sea urchins see with their entire body despite having no eyes at all. ... > full story

Genetic link to cattle diseases uncovered (September 12, 2011) -- The origin of three costly cattle diseases is genetically linked, according to new findings. Scientists have discovered a location on bovine chromosome 20 that is associated with the incidence of the most prevalent bacterial diseases -- pinkeye, foot rot and bovine respiratory disease (pneumonia) -- that affect feedlot cattle. ... > full story

Appalachian tiger swallowtail butterfly is a hybrid of two other swallowtails, scientists find (September 12, 2011) -- Flitting among the cool slopes of the Appalachian Mountains is a tiger swallowtail butterfly species that evolved when two other species of swallowtails hybridized long ago, a rarity in the animal world, biologists have found. ... > full story

Sea levels much less stable than earlier believed, new coral dating method suggests (September 11, 2011) -- New evidence of sea-level oscillations during a warm period that started about 125,000 years ago raises the possibility of a similar scenario if the planet continues its more recent warming trend, says a research team. ... > full story

Researchers team with glowing cats against AIDS, other diseases; New technique gives cats protection genes (September 11, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a genome-based immunization strategy to fight feline AIDS and illuminate ways to combat human HIV/AIDS and other diseases. ... > full story

Improvements are needed for accuracy in gene-by-environment interaction studies, experts say (September 11, 2011) -- A new study concludes that genetic research drawing correlations between specific genes, environmental variables and the combined impact they have on the development of some psychiatric illnesses needs additional scrutiny and replication before being accepted as true. ... > full story

Microbes travel through the air: But how, and where? (September 11, 2011) -- Preliminary research on Fusarium, a group of fungi that includes devastating pathogens of plants and animals, shows how these microbes travel through the air. Researchers now believe that with improvements on this preliminary research, there will be a better understanding about crop security, disease spread and climate change. ... > full story

Research on US nuclear levels after Fukushima could aid in future nuclear detection (September 11, 2011) -- What do increased atmospheric radioactivity concentrations in Washington state tell us about what happened in the Fukushima nuclear disaster? For one expert, the story is in the numbers. ... > full story

Tiny teeth indicate ancient shark nurseries (September 11, 2011) -- Fueled by Hollywood and its vision of Jaws, sharks conjure images of fearsome predators patrolling our seas in search of their next unfortunate victim. It is therefore hard to imagine sharks as relatively small, harmless fishes living in lakes and rivers, as many species were more than 200 million years ago. Some scientists have suggested that these ancient sharks bred in the shallows of freshwater lakes, forming nurseries for their hatchlings. Paleontologists now support this claim with spectacular 230 million-year-old fossil egg capsules and tiny teeth from Kyrgyzstan. ... > full story

Researcher sees spring-like protein as key to muscle behavior (September 11, 2011) -- An idea with its origins in ballistic prey catching -- the way toads and chameleons snatch food with their tongues -- may change fundamental views of muscle movement while powering a new approach to prosthetics. ... > full story

Gray blobs floating after Hurricane Irene identified as potato sponges (September 11, 2011) -- Most of Hurricane Irene's impacts -- heavy rain, high winds, downed trees, coastal erosion, and storm-tide flooding -- are all too familiar to the storm-weary residents of Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern seaboard. But based on post-storm queries to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point, Virginia, one impact remains a mystery -- what are all those "gray blobs" floating atop waterways and strewn along beaches? ... > full story

Groundbreaking DNA tests could trap deer poachers (September 10, 2011) -- Human DNA found on deer remains could help to track down poachers. Identifying deer poachers can be problematic, as the crimes are often committed in remote areas and are not discovered until some time after the event. ... > full story

Snakebites a public health problem in Africa (September 10, 2011) -- One and a half million people per year are poisoned by snake venom in Sub-Saharan Africa. An IRD researcher recently analysed around 100 surveys and medical reports published over the past 40 years. No large-scale study of the situation had hitherto been conducted and public health authorities had underestimated the size of the problem. This means that currently only 10% of victims are treated, owing to a shortage of antivenoms* and lack of awareness among health care practitioners. Yet the clinical complications can be very serious, even fatal. A bite from a cobra or mamba can bring on death by asphyxia --- due to respiratory paralysis --- within 6 hours of the incident. Venom injected by the ocellated carpet viper, common in the African savannah, can cause hemorrhages leading to the victim's death in a few days. This new study provides authorities with more detailed and reliable figures which should enable them to readjust their health-care services in better tune with needs. ... > full story

U.S. experiences second warmest summer on record: Texas has warmest summer on record of any state (September 10, 2011) -- The blistering heat experienced by the United States during August, as well as the June through August months, marks the second warmest summer on record, according to scientists. The persistent heat, combined with below-average precipitation across the southern U.S. during August and the three summer months, continued a record-breaking drought across the region. ... > full story

Invasive forest insects cost homeowners, taxpayers billions (September 10, 2011) -- Homeowners and taxpayers are picking up most of the tab for damages caused by invasive tree-feeding insects that are inadvertently imported along with packing materials, live plants, and other goods. That's the conclusion of a team of biologists and economists, whose research findings are reported in a new article. ... > full story

Hummingbirds all a-flutter during courtship: How fluttering feathers can generate courtship sounds (September 10, 2011) -- Though famous for their mid-air hovering during hunting, tiny hummingbirds have another trait that is literally telltale: males of some hummingbird species generate loud sounds with their tail feathers while courting females. Now, for the first time, the cause of these sounds has been identified. ... > full story

MRSA may increase mortality rate by 50 percent, study finds (September 10, 2011) -- Does the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, cause more deaths in hospitals than the bacteria that are sensitive to common antibiotics? Opinions have been varied, but now a worldwide study indicates that the mortality rate can be 50 percent higher for intensive care patients infected with MRSA. ... > full story

2,000-year-old burial box could reveal location of the family of Caiaphas (September 10, 2011) -- A professor in Israel has authenticated an inscription on an ancient ossuary thought to come from a burial site at the legendary location of the battle between David and Goliath. The unusually detailed inscription could reveal the home of the family of the high priest Caiaphas prior to its exodus to Galilee. ... > full story

Using 61 years of tropical storm data, scientists uncover landfall threat probabilities (September 9, 2011) -- Scientists have found an intriguing relationship between hurricane tracks and climate variability using data from the Atlantic gathered between 1950-2010, unlocking some noteworthy results. ... > full story

Captivated by critters: Humans are wired to respond to animals (September 9, 2011) -- Some people feel compelled to pet every animal they see on the street, while others jump at the mere sight of a shark on their television. No matter what your response is to animals, it may be thanks to a specific part of your brain that is hardwired to rapidly detect creatures of the nonhuman kind. In fact, researchers report that neurons throughout the amygdala respond preferentially to images of animals. ... > full story

Deep-sea fish in deep trouble: Scientists find nearly all deep-sea fisheries unsustainable (September 9, 2011) -- A team of leading marine scientists from around the world is recommending an end to most commercial fishing in the deep sea. Instead, they recommend fishing in more productive waters nearer to consumers. ... > full story

How an 'evolutionary playground' brings plant genes together (September 9, 2011) -- Plants produce a vast array of natural products, many of which we find useful for making things such as drugs. Researchers have recently discovered that the genes producing two of these products in the model plant Arabidopsis are clustered together by an 'evolutionary playground' in the plant's genome. Knowing how these clusters assemble and are controlled will be important for improving and exploiting the production of new natural products. ... > full story

Mantis shrimp: Ocean floor critters communicate in synchronized rumbles (September 9, 2011) -- Mantis shrimp make noise with each individual seeming to have its own "voice" with which to communicate. The research team noted the "rumbles" were synchronized. ... > full story

Mother's diet influences baby's allergies, research suggests (September 9, 2011) -- A possible link between what a mother eats during pregnancy and the risk of her child developing allergies has been identified in new research. ... > full story

Where does all Earth's gold come from? Precious metals the result of meteorite bombardment, rock analysis finds (September 9, 2011) -- Ultra high precision analyses of some of the oldest rock samples on Earth provides clear evidence that the planet's accessible reserves of precious metals are the result of a bombardment of meteorites more than 200 million years after Earth was formed. ... > full story

New cooling system raises efficiency of oil and gas processing (September 9, 2011) -- Mathematicians in Norway have devised a solution for making sub-sea oil and gas processing more efficient at substantially lower cost. Using their expertise in fluid mechanics they have developed a unique design for a subsea cooling system. Their research can help to recover more oil and gas resources both in the North Sea and elsewhere. The first newly constructed processing facilities could be installed on the seabed as early as 2013. The equipment will be designed to last 30 years, which means that in addition to being smaller and lighter, it has to be durable, maintenance-free and without moving parts. ... > full story

National forests can provide public health benefits, U.S. study finds (September 9, 2011) -- Each year, more than 170 million people visit U.S. national forests for recreation. And the physical activity associated with these visits burns 290 billion food calories. That equals enough french fries laid end to end to reach the Moon and back -- twice -- according to a recent study. ... > full story

Powered by seaweed: Polymer from algae may improve battery performance (September 9, 2011) -- By looking to Mother Nature for solutions, researchers have identified a promising new binder material for lithium-ion battery electrodes that could not only boost energy storage, but also eliminate the use of toxic compounds now used in manufacturing the components. Known as alginate, the material is extracted from common, fast-growing brown algae. ... > full story

Genomic analysis of superbug provides clues to antibiotic resistance (September 9, 2011) -- An analysis of the genome of a superbug has yielded crucial, novel information that could aid efforts to counteract the bacterium's resistance to an antibiotic of last resort. ... > full story

Handier than Homo habilis? Versatile hand of Australopithecus sediba makes a better candidate for an early tool-making hominin (September 9, 2011) -- Hand bones from a single individual with a clear taxonomic affiliation are scarce in the hominin fossil record, which has hampered understanding of the evolution of manipulative abilities in hominins. An international team of researchers has now published a study that describes the earliest, most complete fossil hominin hand post-dating the appearance of stone tools in the archaeological record, the hand of a 1.98-million-year-old Australopithecus sediba from Malapa, South Africa. ... > full story

New method to grow synthetic collagen unveiled: New material may find use in reconstructive surgery, cosmetics, tissue engineering (September 9, 2011) -- In a significant advance for cosmetic and reconstructive medicine, scientists have unveiled a new method for making synthetic collagen. The new material, which forms from a liquid in as little as an hour, has many of the properties of natural collagen and may prove useful as a scaffold for regenerating new tissues and organs from stem cells. ... > full story

Human brain evolution, new insight through X-rays: Experiment reveals brain shape of an early human ancestor (September 9, 2011) -- A new paper preveals an accurate, high-resolution X-ray scan of the brain case of Australopithecus sediba, an early human ancestor. The overall shape of the endocast resembles humans more than chimpanzees which, combined with the brain's small volume, is consistent with a model of gradual neural (brain) reorganization in the front part of the brain. ... > full story

Homeowners, taxpayers pay billions to fight invasive pests (September 9, 2011) -- Homeowners and taxpayers are picking up most of the tab for damage caused by invasive tree-feeding insects that hide in packing materials, live plants and other goods imported from countries into the United States every year. Results from a first-of-its-kind economic analysis, which estimates financial damage of importing foreign insects into the nation and trying to eradicate them once they establish, are reported in a new article. ... > full story

Local government, homeowners paying price for non-native forest insects, U.S. study finds (September 9, 2011) -- Non-native, wood-boring insects such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle are costing an estimated .7 billion in local government expenditures in the United States and approximately 0 million in lost residential property values every year, according to a new study. ... > full story

Biology, crop injury, and management of thrips in cotton seedlings (September 9, 2011) -- A new article provides a brief summary of the various species of thrips present in US cotton, their plant host range and injury to cotton, a general description of thrips biology, and management practices currently available to growers. ... > full story

Cotton's potential for padding nonwovens (September 9, 2011) -- Scientists have conducted studies to investigate the use of virgin cotton in nonwoven materials and products. ... > full story

Whole-parasite malaria vaccine shows promise in clinical trial; Vaccine is first of its kind to earn FDA approval to test in humans (September 9, 2011) -- For the first time, a malaria vaccine that uses the entire parasite has proven safe and shown promise to produce a strong immune response in a clinical trial, according to a new study. The vaccine is unique in that it employs the entire malaria parasite. Researchers found that the vaccine could provide unprecedented immune responses when administered intravenously. ... > full story

800,000 years of abrupt climate variability: Earth's climate is capable of very rapid transitions (September 8, 2011) -- An international team of scientists has produced a prediction of what climate records from Greenland might look like over the last 800,000 years. The team's reconstruction is based on the much longer ice core temperature record retrieved from Antarctica and uses a mathematical formulation to extend the Greenland record beyond its current limit. ... > full story

Combination therapy rids common infection from implanted medical devices, researchers report (September 8, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a therapy for a potentially deadly type of infection common in catheters, artificial joints and other 'in-dwelling' medical devices. The therapy targets fungal infections, which are hard to treat in such devices because they are composed of biofilms—complex groupings of cells that attach to surfaces. Biofilms, in turn, are coated in a gooey matrix that resists drugs. ... > full story

Tree rings reveal forest fires from hundreds of years ago (September 8, 2011) -- Like clues from an Agatha Christie mystery novel, trees can provide secrets about past events, and their rings are especially good at providing information about fires, some of which happened hundreds of years ago, according to studies from a Texas researcher. ... > full story

Weakened malaria parasites form basis of new vaccine strategy (September 8, 2011) -- Using live but weakened malaria parasites as the basis of a vaccine represents a potentially encouraging anti-malaria strategy, according to results of follow-up animal studies performed after the conclusion of a recent clinical trial in humans. ... > full story

Scientists overcome major obstacle for stem cell therapies and research (September 8, 2011) -- Stem cells show great potential to enable treatments for conditions such as spinal injuries or Lou Gehrig's disease, and also as research tools. Scientists in the United States and Japan have developed a clever solution to the research obstacle of cell mixture purification that should prove more reliable than other methods, safer, and perhaps 100 times cheaper. ... > full story

Switching from coal to natural gas would do little for global climate, study indicates (September 8, 2011) -- Although the burning of natural gas emits far less carbon dioxide than coal, a new study concludes that a greater reliance on natural gas would fail to significantly slow down climate change. Coal releases more carbon dioxide, but it also releases particles that cool the planet. ... > full story

Australopithecus sediba paved the way for Homo species, new studies suggest (September 8, 2011) -- Researchers have revealed new details about the brain, pelvis, hands and feet of Australopithecus sediba, a primitive hominin that existed around the same time early Homo species first began to appear on Earth. Due to the "mosaic" nature of the hominin's features, researchers are now suggesting that Au. sediba is the best candidate for an ancestor to the Homo genus. ... > full story

New substances accelerate drug transport into cells (September 8, 2011) -- Biologists have discovered means for speeding the transport of the active ingredients of drugs into live cells that might allow drastically reducing drug dosages in the future. ... > full story

King crabs threaten seafloor life near Antarctica (September 8, 2011) -- King crabs and other crushing predators are thought to have been absent from cold Antarctic shelf waters for millions of years. Scientists speculate that the long absence of crushing predators has allowed the evolution of a unique Antarctic seafloor fauna with little resistance to predatory crabs. A recent study indicates that one species of king crab has moved 120 km across the continental shelf in West Antarctica and established a large, reproductive population in the Palmer Deep along the west Antarctic Peninsula. ... > full story

Neutron scattering confirms DNA is as stretchy as nylon (September 8, 2011) -- Neutron scientists have measured how fast sound travels along DNA to determine its ‘stiffness’. These findings help to explain how DNA folds, coils and denatures. ... > full story

Space instrument observes new characteristics of solar flares; Findings may lead to improved space weather forecasting (September 8, 2011) -- NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which is carrying a suite of instruments, has provided scientists with new information that energy from some solar flares is stronger and lasts longer than previously thought. ... > full story