ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Saturday, November 28, 2009
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Common herbicides and fibrates block nutrient-sensing receptor found in gut and pancreas (November 28, 2009) -- Certain common herbicides and lipid-lowering fibrate drugs act in humans to block T1R3, a nutrient-sensing taste receptor also present in intestine and pancreas. These compounds were not previously known to act on the receptor, which influences glucose homeostasis and energy metabolism. The effect is specific to humans and not revealed during animal testing. ... > full story
Control of mosquito vectors of malaria may be enhanced by a new method of biocontrol (November 28, 2009) -- Biopesticides containing a fungus that is pathogenic to mosquitoes may be an effective means of reducing malaria transmission, particularly if used in combination with insecticide-treated bednets, according to a modeling study. Results of the study show that incorporating this novel vector control technique into existing vector management programs may substantially reduce malaria transmission rates and help manage insecticide resistance. ... > full story
Study pits man versus machine in piecing together 425-million-year-old jigsaw (November 27, 2009) -- Reconstructing ancient fossils from hundreds of thousands of jumbled up pieces can prove challenging. A new study tested the reliability of expert identification versus computer analysis in reconstructing fossils. The investigation, based on fossil teeth from extinct vertebrates, found that the most specialized experts provided the most reliable identifications. ... > full story
Mass extinction: Why did half of N. America's large mammals disappear 40,000 to 10,000 years ago? (November 27, 2009) -- Years of scientific debate over the extinction of ancient species in North America have yielded many theories. However, new findings reveal that a mass extinction occurred in a geological instant. ... > full story
Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant may help lung, heart disorders (November 27, 2009) -- Two recent studies investigating the use of human umbilical cord blood stem cell (UCB) transplants for lung and heart disorders in animal models found beneficial results. When human UCB-derived mensenchymal cells were transplanted into newborn laboratory rats with induced oxygen-deprived injury, the effects of the injury lessened. A second study found that UCB mononuclear cells transplanted into sheep with a right ventricular malfunction beneficially altered the malfunction and enhanced diastolic function. ... > full story
How plants and bacteria 'talk' to thwart disease (November 27, 2009) -- Unwrapping some of the mystery from how plants and bacteria communicate to trigger an innate immune response, scientists have identified the bacterial signaling molecule that matches up with a specific receptor in rice plants to ward off a devastating disease known as bacterial blight of rice. ... > full story
Ecological speciation by sexual selection on good genes (November 27, 2009) -- Darwin suggested that the action of natural selection can produce new species, but 150 years after the publication of "On the Origin of Species" debate continues on the mechanisms of speciation. New research finds sexual selection to greatly enlarge the scope for adaptive speciation by triggering a positive feedback between mate choice and ecological diversification that can eventually eliminate gene flow between species. ... > full story
Wide heads give hammerhead sharks exceptional stereo view (November 27, 2009) -- Why hammerhead sharks have their distinctively shaped heads has puzzled scientists for generations, but now researchers have discovered that hammerheads' wide heads give them an impressive stereo view. ... > full story
Knockouts in human cells point to pathogenic targets (November 27, 2009) -- Researchers have developed a new approach for genetics in human cells and used this technique to identify specific genes and proteins required for pathogens. With the ability to generate knockout cells for most human genes, the authors were able to find genes used by pathogens to enter and kill human cells. The identification of such factors could aid the future development of new therapeutics to combat infectious disease. ... > full story
First-ever blueprint of 'minimal cell' is more complex than expected (November 27, 2009) -- What are the bare essentials of life, the indispensable ingredients required to produce a cell that can survive on its own? Can we describe the molecular anatomy of a cell, and understand how an entire organism functions as a system? Researchers are providing the first comprehensive picture of a minimal cell, based on an extensive quantitative study of the biology of the bacterium that causes atypical pneumonia. The study uncovers fascinating novelties relevant to bacterial biology and shows that even the simplest of cells is more complex than expected. ... > full story
Exposure to both traffic, indoor pollutants puts some kids at higher risk for asthma later (November 27, 2009) -- New research presents strong evidence that the "synergistic" effect of early-life exposure to both outdoor traffic-related pollution and indoor endotoxin causes more harm to developing lungs than one or the other exposure alone. ... > full story
Stem cells heal lungs of newborn animals: May lead to new treatments for lungs of premature babies (November 27, 2009) -- Scientists have demonstrated that stem cells protect and repair the lungs of newborn rats. The study finds that rats treated with stem cells ran twice as far, and had better survival rates. Currently, there is no treatment for the lungs of babies born too early. Scientists predict these results will lead to a new treatment for these babies within three years. ... > full story
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