ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for the Week of April 28 to May 5, 2013

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. 

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Posted 2013-05-03:

• 'Dark oxidants' form away from sunlight in lake and ocean depths, underground soils
• New dinosaur fossil discovered in China: Meat-eating dinosaur from late Jurassic period was less than a year old
• Monkey math: Baboons show brain's ability to understand numbers
• Computer simulations reveal the energy landscape of ion channels
• Flight behavior of hungry malaria mosquitoes analyzed
• Hearing the Russian meteor, in America: Sound arrived in 10 hours, lasted 10 more
• Sahara olive tree: Genetic heritage to be preserved
• Malaria: A vector infecting both apes and humans
• Boom in jellyfish: Overfishing called into question
• How to clean seaweed from beaches: Dry it and use the biomass for energy
• New mechanism discovered in meiosis: How modification of an enzyme governs critical processes in sexual reproduction

Posted 2013-05-02:

• Ebola's secret weapon revealed
• Lava erupting on sea floor linked to deep-carbon cycle
• Link between heart, blood, and skeletal muscle
• Tick-borne lone star virus identified through new super-fast gene sequencing
• Cell biology: Active transporters are universally leaky
• How graphene and friends could harness the Sun's energy hitting walls
• Scientists revolutionize creation of genetically altered mice to model human disease
• Mechanism for how grapes reduce heart failure associated with hypertension identified
• Madagascar tortoise trafficking rages out of control
• 3-D simulation shows how form of complex organs evolves by natural selection
• Driving with the dog not a good idea for seniors
• Primate hibernation more common than previously thought
• Is the humble fig more than just a fruit?
• Finding Nematostella: Ancient sea creature shines new light on how animals build an appendage
• Poison lips? Troubling levels of toxic metals found in cosmetics
• New imaging technique to visualize bio-metals and molecules simultaneously
• Dustless chalk may cause allergy and asthma symptoms in students with milk allergy, study finds

Posted 2013-05-01:

• Studying meteorites may reveal Mars' secrets of life
• Printable functional 'bionic' ear melds electronics and biology
• Potential of best practice to reduce impacts from oil and gas projects in the Amazon
• Killer entrance suspected in mystery of unusually large group of carnivores in ancient cave
• Tone-deaf female cowbirds change flock behavior, disrupt social networks
• Heart-healthy diet helps men lower bad cholesterol, regardless of weight loss
• Vitamin D: More may not be better; Benefits in healthy adults wear off at higher doses, research suggests
• Protein complex found in human breast milk can help reverse antibiotic resistance in superbugs
• Startling survival story at historic Jamestown: Physical evidence of survival cannibalism
• Potential novel treatment for influenza discovered: Scientists pursue new therapies as deadly H7N9 flu spreads in China
• Soil may harbor answer to reducing arsenic in rice
• Health defects found in fish exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil spill, three years later
• Discovery of new gigantic swelling phenomenon of layered crystal driven by water
• Seahorse's armor gives engineers insight into robotics designs
• Fossil of great ape sheds light on evolution
• Amphibians living close to farm fields are more resistant to common insecticides
• It slices, it dices, it silences: ADAR1 as gene-silencing modular RNA multitool
• Substances in honey increase honey bee detox gene expression
• Traditional ranching practices enhance African savanna
• Bug's view inspires new digital camera's unique imaging capabilities
• Global networks must be redesigned, experts urge
• New plant protein discoveries could ease global food and fuel demands
• Hypothalamus: Brain region may hold key to aging
• Scientists find dissimilar proteins evolved similar seven-part shape
• Progress in introducing cleaner cook stoves for billions of people worldwide
• Scientists retrieve temperature data from Japan Trench observatory
• Bizarre bone worms emit acid to feast on whale skeletons: Bone-melting substance drills opening for worms to access nutrients
• Researchers look to mathematics, nature, to understand the immune system and its role in cancer
• 'Dirty dozen' invasive species threaten UK
• Bird fossil sheds light on how swift and hummingbird flight came to be
• Consequences of a lifetime of sexual competition revealed
• How 'traffic' in our cells works both for and against us
• Storm study reveals a sting in the tail

Posted 2013-04-30:

• Behavior of seabirds during migration revealed
• How petals get their shape: Hidden map located within plant's growing buds
• Cheating favors extinction, yeast study finds: Feedback between population and evolutionary dynamics
• Synthetic biology research community grows significantly
• Electron-beam pasteurization of raw oysters may reduce viral food poisoning
• Finding a sensible balance for natural hazard mitigation with mathematical models
• In the Northeast, forests with entirely native flora are not the norm
• Agencies should use common approach to evaluate risks pesticides pose to endangered species
• Biologists propose a new research roadmap for connecting genes to ecology
• Environmental labels may discourage conservatives from buying energy-efficient products
• Shifting the burden of recycling
• Zebrafish study suggests that vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is an antidote to cyanide poisoning
• The underground adventures of the Mediterranean frog Rana iberica
• Canada's distinctive tuya volcanoes reveal glacial, palaeo-climate secrets
• Exploring the saltiness of the ocean to study climate change
• First land animals kept fishlike jaws for millions of years
• Competing for milk can be a stressful thing for hyena twin siblings
• Membrane remodeling: Where yoga meets cell biology
• Tactics of new Middle East virus suggest treating by altering lung cells' response to infection
• Lake found in Sierra Nevada with the oldest remains of atmospheric contamination in Southern Europe
• Charging electric vehicles cheaper and faster

Posted 2013-04-29:

• No benefit of evening primrose oil for treating eczema, review suggests
• Sushi for peccaries?
• Smoke signals: How burning plants tell seeds to rise from the ashes
• Scientists discover how a protein finds its way
• Silicone liquid crystal stiffens with repeated compression: Discovery may point toward self-healing materials
• Microchip proves tightness provokes precocious sperm release
• Mediterranean diet linked to preserving memory
• World's longest-running plant monitoring program now digitized
• Sea turtles benefiting from protected areas
• Cat and mouse: One gene is necessary for mice to avoid predators
• First snapshot of organisms eating each other: Feast clue to smell of ancient Earth
• Cicadas get a jump on cleaning
• Dinosaur predecessors gain ground in wake of world's biggest biodiversity crisis
• No Redoubt: Volcanic eruption forecasting improved
• Singing humpback whales tracked on Northwest Atlantic feeding ground
• U. S. has surprisingly large reservoir of crop plant diversity
• Better wheat varieties in the future? Wheat genome shows resistance genes easy to access
• Many stressors associated with fracking due to perceived lack of trust
• Comparing proteins at a glance: Technique for easy comparisons of proteins in solution
• Thymus teaches immune cells to ignore vital gut bacteria
• The politics of climate change
• Molecular role of gene linked to blood vessel formation uncovered
• Elucidating environmental history with 100 million laser beams
• Will green tea help you lose weight?
• Ecological knowledge offers perspectives for sustainable agriculture
• Grocery delivery service is greener than driving to the store
• Warning system predicts outbreaks of dengue fever
• Climate change will raise the sea level in the Gulf of Finland
• Fertilizers provide mixed benefits to soil in 50-year study

Posted 2013-04-28:

• Pennsylvania residents concerned about health effects of hydrofracking
• Plants can moderate climate warming, new research shows
• Turtle genome analysis sheds light on turtle ancestry and shell evolution

Posted 2013-04-26:

• NASA mission to study what disrupts radio waves
• Competing pathways affect early differentiation of higher brain structures
• Sea surface temperatures reach highest level in 150 years on Northeast continental shelf
• Computer scientists suggest new spin on origins of evolvability: Competition to survive not necessary?
• Developmental neurobiology: How the brain folds to fit
• Fish win fights on strength of personality
• Protein shaped like a spider: Immune protein C4BP is potentially suitable as a transporter for drugs
• Flu and bacteria: Better prognosis for this potentially fatal combination
• Scientists investigate release of bromine in polar regions
• New excavations in Sweden indicate use of fertilizers 5,000 years ago
• Bird navigation: Great balls of iron

Posted 2013-04-25:

• Boosting the powers of genomic science
• Roundworm quells obesity and related metabolic disorders
• New imaging technology could reveal cellular secrets
• Longer days bring 'winter blues' -- for rats, not humans
• Earth's center is 1,000 degrees hotter than previously thought, synchrotron X-ray experiment shows
• Whales are able to learn from others: Humpbacks pass on hunting tips
• 'When in Rome': Monkeys found to conform to social norms
• Ecology buys time for evolution: Climate change disrupts songbird's timing without impacting population size (yet)
• Archeologists unearth new information on origins of Maya civilization
• Researchers 'capture' replication of human genome for first time
• Why do guppies jump?
• How trees play role in smog production
• First edition of a bookworm's genome
• Thanks to rare alpine bacteria, researchers identify one of alcohol's key gateways to the brain
• Bold move forward in molecular analyses
• Key cellular organelle involved in gene silencing identified
• As people live longer and reproduce less, natural selection keeps up
• Europe needs genetically engineered crops, scientists say
• Ceramic foam cleans up exhaust gases
• Cellulose goes off the rails: Without microtubule guidance, cellulose causes changes in organ patterns during growth
• Field reports indicate slaughter of elephants
• Peculiar life history of Middle American Stenamma ants
• New grass hybrid could help reduce the likelihood of flooding
• Scientists advocate a simple, affordable and accurate technology to identify threats from sea-level rise
• Nanostructures improve the efficiency of solar cells
• Coffee may help prevent breast cancer returning, study finds
• New metric to measure destructive potential of hurricanes

Posted 2013-04-24:

• Significant step forward in combating antibiotic resistance
• Remembering the race for the secret of life
• Museum find proves exotic ‘big cat’ prowled British countryside a century ago
• Scientists detect 'dark lightning' energy burst linked to visible lightning
• The microbes you inhale on the New York City subway
• Just what makes that little old ant… change a flower's nectar content?
• Rethinking early atmospheric oxygen: Possibility of more dynamic biological oxygen cycle on early Earth than previously supposed
• Gut bacteria byproduct predicts heart attack and stroke
• Drinking one 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soft drink a day can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 22 percent, study suggests
• Biogeographic barrier that protects Australia from avian flu does not stop Nipah virus
• Mammal and bug food co-op in the High Arctic
• New battery design could help solar and wind power the grid
• Ancient Earth crust stored in deep mantle
• Functional potential of genes: Pushing the boundaries of transcription
• A simple solution to air pollution from wood-burning cookstoves
• Firefly protein lights up degenerating muscles, aiding muscular-dystrophy research
• Humans passing drug resistance to wildlife in protected areas in Africa
• What planets are made of: Findings establish counterintuitive potential planet-forming materials
• Ice tubes in polar seas -- 'brinicles' or 'sea stalactites' -- provide clues to origin of life
• Fighting bacteria with new genre of antibodies
• Deep, permeable soils buffer impacts of crop fertilizer on Amazon streams
• Sunlit snow triggers atmospheric cleaning, ozone depletion in the Arctic
• Recipe for low-cost, biomass-derived catalyst for hydrogen production
• Tinkerbella nana: A new representative from the world of fairyflies
• Transgenic mice ready to fight obesity, and more
• Malaria parasite protein identified as potential new target for drug treatment
• High-nutrition and disease-resistant purple and yellow-fleshed potato clones obtained

Posted 2013-04-23:

• FlipperBot: Sea turtles and flipper-driven robot reveal principles of moving on sand and other granular media
• Air pollution and hardening of arteries
• Battling with bugs to prevent antibiotic resistance
• Strengthening legumes to tackle fertilizer pollution
• Big ecosystem changes viewed through the lens of tiny carnivorous plants
• Virtual, squishy creatures evolve to run using evolutionary algorithms
• Asian monsoon is getting predictable: Strong correlation between summer monsoon and preceding climate pattern
• New material approach should increase solar cell efficiency
• Wildfires can burn hot without ruining soil
• Source of organic matter affects Bay water quality
• Whether human or hyena, there' s safety in numbers
• Insights into deadly coral bleaching could help preserve reefs: Surprising result from study of 1893 World's Fair corals
• Flexible partnership allows lichens to occur in different habitats
• Ancient DNA reveals Europe's dynamic genetic history
• Counting on black crows to help us adapt to stressful situations
• Contact killing of Salmonella by human fecal bacteria
• Iron in primeval seas rusted by bacteria
• Precision agriculture improves farming efficiency, has important implications on food security
• 'Toggle switch' to burn fat identified
• Residential lawns efflux more carbon dioxide than corn fields, study finds
• Bacteria may contribute to premature births, STDs
• Less rainfall expected for the Hawaiian Islands
• A beautiful species of tree iguana redescribed 179 years after its discovery
• 71 new parasitoid wasp species discovered from Southeast Asia
• Scientists reveals escalating cost of forest conservation
• Tart cherries linked to reduced risk of stroke
• The biology of fats in the body
• Rescue me: New study finds animals do recover from neglect
• Why soft corals have unique pulsating motion
• Vets and medical doctors should team up to tackle diseases transmitted from animals to humans
• Roe deer more likely to be run over at nightfall on a Sunday in April
• Uncleaned cells mean weak muscles
• When dogs are most likely to pick up ticks
• Decoding touch: Rats detect textures with their whiskers
• Scientists urge UN to take action on chemicals in consumer products and pesticides

Posted 2013-04-22:

• New NASA satellite takes the Salton Sea's temperature
• NASA's HyspIRI: Seeing the forest and the trees and more
• For development in Brazil, two crops are better than one
• Health impact assessments prove critical public health tool: Best way to gauge impact of gas drilling on communities
• Scientist identifies protein molecule used to maintain adult stem cells in fruit flies
• Scientists cage dead zebras in Africa to understand the spread of anthrax
• Fish was on the menu for early flying dinosaur
• Biological activity alters the ability of sea spray to seed clouds
• Geochemical method finds links between terrestrial climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide
• Hepatitis C-like viruses identified in bats and rodents
• Special E. coli bacteria produce diesel on demand
• Radioactive bacteria targets metastatic pancreatic cancer
• Mushrooms can provide as much vitamin D as supplements
• Some visible signs of Lyme disease are easily missed or mistaken
• Rivers act as 'horizontal cooling towers' for power plants, study finds
• Genetic circuit allows both individual freedom, collective good
• Can the friend of my friend be my enemy? Choice affects stability of the social network, animal study shows
• Grains of sand from ancient supernova found in meteorites: Supernova may have been the one that triggered the formation of the solar system
• Grape intake may protect against metabolic syndrome-related organ damage
• Study shows reproductive effects of pesticide exposure span generations
• Anatomist is fleshing out dinosaur heads, reaching people about science
• Is pet ownership sustainable?
• Long-lost giant fish from Amazon rediscovered
• Earth's current warmth not seen in the last 1,400 years or more, says study
• Formula can calculate a person's speed by just looking at their footprints
• Ant family tree constructed: Confirms date of evolutionary origin, underscores importance of Neotropics
• Cocktail of multiple pressures combine to threaten the world's pollinating insects
• Forensic sciences are 'fraught with error'
• Prehistoric metalwork discovered at Iron Age site, along with gaming pieces

Posted 2013-04-21:

• More evidence berries have health-promoting properties
• First 2,000-year-long temperature reconstructions for individual continents
• Two days of staging as effective as four for high altitude climbs
• Study upends model of how dividing cells monitor distribution of chromosomes
• Middle-schoolers discover novel chemical bond

Posted 2013-04-19:

• Muscle repair after injury helped by fat-forming cells
• Nitrogen has key role in estimating carbon dioxide emissions from land use change
• Calculating tsunami risk for the US East Coast
• Something's fishy in the tree of life: Largest and most comprehensive studies of fish phylogeny
• Quest for edible malarial vaccine leads to other potential medical uses for algae
• After major earthquake: A global murmur, then unusual silence
• Measuring the hazards of global aftershock
• Research harnesses solar-powered proteins to filter harmful antibiotics from water
• From blank round to a potently active substance?
• Technique unlocks design principles of quantum biology
• Random walks on DNA: Bacterial enzyme has evolved an energy-efficient method to move long distances along DNA
• Mine disaster: Hundreds of aftershocks
• Ocean acidification as a hearing aid for fish?
• Global warming: 'Black carbon' flowing from soil to oceans
• Richard III may have gone through painful medical treatments to 'cure' his scoliosis
• Surprising new function for small RNAs in evolution

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