Fw: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Thursday, June 18, 2009

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ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Thursday, June 18, 2009

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Thursday, June 18, 2009

Discoveries That Saved The Large Blue Butterfly Detailed (June 18, 2009) -- On the 25th anniversary of the project that brought the large blue butterfly back from near extinction in the United Kingdom, ecologists are for the first time publishing the decades of research that helped them rescue this spectacular butterfly. The study shows how the large blue's extreme dependence on a single ant species led to the butterflies' demise, as their habitat became overgrown, causing soil temperatures to drop and ant numbers to diminish. Before this discovery, butterfly collectors were generally blamed for the decline of this butterfly, also known as Maculinea arion. ... > full story

Not One, But Two Kinds Of Males Found In Invasive Round Goby Fish (June 18, 2009) -- Scientists have found the existence of two types of males of a fiercely invasive fish spreading through the Great Lakes, which may provide answers as to how they rapidly reproduce. ... > full story

TRAPping Proteins That Work Together Inside Living Cells (June 18, 2009) -- Researchers trying to understand how and which proteins work together have developed a new crosslinking tool that is small and unobtrusive enough to use in live cells. Using the new crosslinker, the scientists have discovered new details about a well-studied complex of proteins known as RNA polymerase. The results suggest the method might uncover collaborations between proteins that are too brief for other techniques to pinpoint. ... > full story

Maya Intensively Cultivated Manioc 1,400 Years Ago (June 17, 2009) -- Archeologists have uncovered an ancient and previously unknown Maya agricultural system -- a large manioc field intensively cultivated as a staple crop that was buried and exquisitely preserved under a blanket of ash by a volcanic eruption in present-day El Salvador 1,400 years ago. ... > full story

Plant Microbe Shares Features With Drug-resistant Pathogen (June 17, 2009) -- Scientists have discovered extensive similarities between a strain of bacteria commonly associated with plants and one increasingly linked to opportunistic infections in hospital patients. The findings suggest caution in the use of the plant-associated strain for a range of biotech applications. ... > full story

How To Get Wind Turbines To Work Harder (June 17, 2009) -- How much usable energy do wind turbines produce? It is a question that perplexes engineers and frustrates potential users, especially on windless days. A new study provides a formula for answering this vexing question. ... > full story

Individual Primates Display Variation In General Intelligence (June 17, 2009) -- General intelligence varies among primates within a single species, according to new research. The study is the first to look at general intelligence within one primate species. Through a series of cognitive tests, the researchers were able to divide the monkeys into high, middle and low performing groups. The findings may help us to understand the evolution of human general intelligence. ... > full story

Farmed Fish May Pose Risk For Mad Cow Disease (June 17, 2009) -- Neurologists questions the safety of eating farmed fish, adding a new worry to concerns about the nation’s food supply. They suggest farmed fish could transmit Creutzfeldt Jakob disease -- commonly known as mad cow disease -- if they are fed byproducts rendered from cows. ... > full story

Normal Development Of Cells With Abnormal Numbers Of Nuclei (June 17, 2009) -- Most of our cells contain a single nucleus that harbors 46 chromosomes (DNA and protein complexes that contain our genes). However, during normal postnatal development, liver cells containing two nuclei, each of which have 46 chromosomes, appear. ... > full story

Calcium: The Secret To Honeybees' Memory (June 17, 2009) -- Long-term memory formation in honeybees is instigated by a calcium ion cascade. Researchers have shown that calcium acts as a switch between short- and long-term storage of learned information. ... > full story

New Mechanism Fundamental To The Spread Of Invasive Yeast Infections Identified (June 17, 2009) -- Researchers have identified a novel regulatory gene network that plays an important role in the spread of common, and sometimes deadly, fungal infections. The findings establish the role of Zap1 protein in the activation of genes that regulate the synthesis of biofilm matrix. ... > full story

Ancient Ice Age, Once Regarded As Brief 'Blip' Found To Have Lasted For 30 Million Years (June 17, 2009) -- Geologists have shown that an ancient ice age, once regarded as a brief "blip," in fact lasted for 30 million years. ... > full story

Sands Of Gobi Desert Yield New Species Of Nut-cracking Dinosaur (June 17, 2009) -- Plants or meat: that's about all that fossils ever tell paleontologists about a dinosaur's diet. But the skull characteristics of a new species of parrot-beaked dinosaur and its associated gizzard stones indicate that the animal fed on nuts and/or seeds. These characteristics present the first solid evidence of nut-eating in any dinosaur. ... > full story

Same-sex Behavior Seen In Nearly All Animals, Review Finds (June 17, 2009) -- Same-sex behavior is a nearly universal phenomenon in the animal kingdom, common across species, from worms to frogs to birds, concludes a new review of existing research. ... > full story

Trans Fats Hinder Multiple Steps In Blood Flow Regulation Pathways (June 17, 2009) -- Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in processed foods contain trans fatty acids that interfere with the regulation of blood flow. A new report reveals a new way in which these "trans fats" gum up the cellular machinery that keeps blood moving through arteries and veins. ... > full story

Fossil Teeth Of Three-toed Browsing Horse Found In Panama Canal Earthworks (June 17, 2009) -- Rushing to salvage fossils from the Panama Canal earthworks, a paleontology intern unearthed a set of fossil teeth. Experts identified the fossil as Anchitherium clarencei, a three-toed browsing horse. ... > full story

Cells Are Like Robust Computational Systems, Scientists Report (June 17, 2009) -- Gene regulatory networks in cell nuclei are similar to cloud computing networks, such as Google or , researchers report in the journal Molecular Systems Biology. The similarity is that each system keeps working despite the failure of individual components, whether they are master genes or computer processors. ... > full story

Common Fish Species Has 'Human' Ability To Learn (June 17, 2009) -- Although worlds apart, the way fish learn could be closer to humans' way of thinking than previously believed, suggests a new research study. ... > full story

Individuals Who Apply Pesticides Are Found To Have Double The Risk Of Blood Disorder (June 17, 2009) -- A study involving 678 individuals who apply pesticides recently found that exposure to certain pesticides doubles one's risk of developing an abnormal blood condition called MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance) compared with individuals in the general population. ... > full story

Why Do We Choose Our Mates? Ask Darwin, Prof Says (June 17, 2009) -- Darwin wrote about it 150 years ago: animals don't pick their mates by pure chance -- it's a process that is deliberate and involves numerous factors. After decades of examining his work, experts agree that he pretty much scored a scientific bullseye, but a very big question is, "What have we learned since then?" asks a biologist who has studied Darwin's theories. ... > full story

Climate Change Already Having Impact On U.S., Expected To Worsen (June 17, 2009) -- Extreme weather, drought, heavy rainfall and increasing temperatures are a fact of life in many parts of the US as a result of human-induced climate change, researchers report. These and other changes will continue and likely increase in intensity into the future, the scientists found. For the southwest region of the United States, which includes California, the report forecasts a hotter, drier climate with significant effects on the environment, agriculture and health. ... > full story

First Climate-based Model To Predict Dengue Fever Outbreaks (June 17, 2009) -- Researchers have used global climatological data and vegetation indices from Costa Rica, to predict Dengue outbreaks in the region. ... > full story

Super-computer Provides First Glimpse Of Earth's Early Magma Interior (June 16, 2009) -- By using a super-computer to virtually squeeze and heat iron-bearing minerals under conditions that would have existed when the Earth crystallized from an ocean of magma to its solid form 4.5 billion years ago, geochemists have produced the first picture of how certain forms of iron were initially distributed in the solid Earth. ... > full story

Key Target Of Aging Regulator Found (June 16, 2009) -- Researchers have defined a key target of an evolutionarily conserved protein that regulates the process of aging. The study provides fundamental knowledge about key mechanisms of aging that could point toward new anti-aging strategies and cancer therapies. ... > full story

Illegal Trade In Vietnam's Marine Turtles Continues Despite National Ban (June 16, 2009) -- Marine turtles are vanishing from Viet Nam's waters and illegal trade is largely to blame says a new study. ... > full story

Structure Of HIV Protein Shell Revealed (June 16, 2009) -- Scientists have provided a close-up look at the cone-shaped shell that is the hallmark of human immunodeficiency virus, revealing how it is held together -- and possible ways to break it apart. ... > full story

Sediment Yields Climate Record For Past Half-million Years (June 16, 2009) -- Researchers here have used sediment from the deep ocean bottom to reconstruct a record of ancient climate that dates back more than the last half-million years. The record, trapped within the top 20 meters (65.6 feet) of a 400-meter (1,312-foot) sediment core drilled in 2005 in the North Atlantic Ocean by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, gives new information about the four glacial cycles that occurred during that period. ... > full story

Newborn Weights Affected By Environmental Contaminants (June 16, 2009) -- Recent epidemiological studies have revealed an increase in the frequency of genital malformations in male newborns (e.g., un-descended testes) and a decrease in male fertility. ... > full story

Reengineering A Food Poisoning Microbe To Carry Medicines And Vaccines (June 16, 2009) -- Scientists have used genetic engineering to tame one of the most deadly food poisoning microbes and turn it into a potential new way of giving patients medicine and vaccines in pills rather than injections. ... > full story

Deforestation Causes 'Boom-and-bust' Development In The Amazon (June 16, 2009) -- Clearing the Amazon rainforest increases Brazilian communities' wealth and quality of life, but these improvements are short-lived, according to new research published in Science. The study shows that levels of development revert back to well below national average levels when the loggers and land clearers move on. ... > full story

Is The Sky The Limit For Wind Power? High-flying Kites Could Light Up New York (June 16, 2009) -- In the future, will wind power tapped by high-flying kites light up New York? A new study identifies New York as a prime location for exploiting high-altitude winds, which globally contain enough energy to meet world demand 100 times over. ... > full story

Protein Regulates Movement Of Mitochondria In Brain Cells (June 16, 2009) -- Scientists have identified a protein in the brain that plays a key role in the function of mitochondria -- the part of the cell that supplies energy, supports cellular activity, and potentially wards off threats from disease. The discovery may shed new light on how the brain recovers from stroke. ... > full story

New Strategy Proposed For Designing Antibody-based HIV Vaccine (June 16, 2009) -- Most vaccines that protect against viruses generate infection-fighting proteins called antibodies that either block infection or help eliminate the virus before it can cause disease. Attempts to create a vaccine that induces antibodies that prevent HIV infection or disease, however, have so far been unsuccessful. But several recent studies suggest promising new research directions for the development of an antibody-based HIV vaccine. ... > full story

Do And Don't Of Building In Hurricane-prone Areas (June 16, 2009) -- Experts have evaluated the best building design and construction practices to reduce wind pressures on building surfaces and to resist high winds and hurricanes in residential or commercial construction. ... > full story

Meteorite Grains Divulge Earth's Cosmic Roots (June 16, 2009) -- The interstellar stuff that became incorporated into the planets and life on Earth has younger cosmic roots than theories predict, according to researchers. ... > full story

Transparent Solar Cells Made For Windows (June 16, 2009) -- If solar cells were transparent, they could be fitted to windows and building facades. Physical modeling helps in the development of suitable materials for transparent electronics and thus in creating the basis for transparent solar cells. ... > full story

Algorithm Can Get Most Pollution Control For The Money (June 16, 2009) -- There may be thousands of things large and small that can be done to better control pollution on even the smallest waterways, and a new tool may help sort out how to choose the best ones. ... > full story

What Limits The Size Of Birds? (June 16, 2009) -- Biologists provide evidence that maximum body size in birds is constrained by the amount of time it takes to replace the flight feathers during molt. ... > full story

Wine In A Box? Think 'Good' Not 'Gauche' (June 15, 2009) -- In a surprise discovery that may help boxed wine shake off its image as a gauche alternative to bottles, scientists in Canada are reporting that multilayer aseptic cartons (a.k.a. 'boxes') may help reduce levels of substances that contribute odors to wine and can lower its quality. ... > full story

Scientists Create Custom 3-dimensional Structures With 'DNA Origami' (June 15, 2009) -- By combining the art of origami with nanotechnology, researchers have folded sheets of DNA into multilayered objects with dimensions thousands of times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. These tiny structures could be forerunners of custom-made biomedical nanodevices such as "smart" delivery vehicles that would sneak drugs into patients' cells, where they would dump their cargo on a specific molecular target. ... > full story

Marijuana Damages DNA And May Cause Cancer, New Test Reveals (June 15, 2009) -- Using a highly sensitive new test, scientists are reporting "convincing evidence" that marijuana smoke damages the genetic material DNA in ways that could increase the risk of cancer. ... > full story

Siberian Jays Use Complex Communication To Mob Predators (June 15, 2009) -- When mobbing predators, Siberian jays use over a dozen different calls to communicate the level of danger and predator category to other members of their own group. A new shows birds have evolved call systems that are as sophisticated as those of primates and meerkats. ... > full story

Fire Mitigation Work In Western US Misplaced, Says New Study (June 15, 2009) -- Only 11 percent of wildfire mitigation efforts undertaken as a result of a long-term federal fuels-reduction program to cut down catastrophic wildfire risk to communities have been undertaken near people's homes or offices in the past five years, says a new study. ... > full story

Are Changes In Earth's Main Magnetic Field Induced By Oceans' Circulation? (June 15, 2009) -- A researcher has defied the long-standing convention by applying equations from magnetohydrodynamics to our oceans' salt water (which conducts electricity) and found that the long-term changes in the Earth's main magnetic field are possibly induced by our oceans' circulation. ... > full story

Tiny Frozen Microbe May Hold Clues To Extraterrestrial Life (June 15, 2009) -- A novel bacterium -- trapped three kilometers under glacial ice for over 120,000 years -- may hold clues as to what life forms might exist on other planets. ... > full story

HIV-1's 'Hijacking Mechanism' Pinpointed (June 15, 2009) -- Researchers may have found a chink in the armor of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the microorganism which causes AIDS. ... > full story

Reviving American Chestnut Trees May Mitigate Climate Change (June 15, 2009) -- A new study shows that introducing a new hybrid of the American chestnut tree would not only bring back the all-but-extinct species, but also put a dent in the amount of carbon in the Earth's atmosphere. ... > full story

Microbes Found That Eat Hydrocarbons, And Leave Behind Non-toxic Residue (June 15, 2009) -- Bioremediation of industrial sites and petrochemical spillages often involves finding microbes that can gorge themselves on the toxic chemicals. This leaves behind a non-toxic residue or mineralized material. Researchers in China describe studies of a new microbe that can digest hydrocarbons. ... > full story

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