ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Sunday, November 29, 2009
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Oceanic crust formation is dynamic after all (November 29, 2009) -- Earth scientists have found strong evidence that the geological processes that lead to the formation of oceanic crust are not as uniformly passive as believed. They found centers of dynamic upwelling in the shallow mantle beneath spreading centers on the seafloor. ... > full story
Biological basis of 'bacterial immune system' discovered (November 28, 2009) -- Scientists have discovered how the bacterial immune system works, and the finding could lead to new classes of targeted antibiotics, new tools to study gene function in microorganisms and more stable bacterial cultures used by food and biotechnology industries to make products such as yogurt and cheese. ... > full story
Fruit fly sperm makes females do housework after sex (November 28, 2009) -- The sperm of male fruit flies are coated with a chemical 'sex peptide' which inhibits the female's usual afternoon siesta and compels her into an intense period of foraging activity. ... > full story
RNA network seen in live bacterial cells for first time (November 28, 2009) -- New technology has given scientists the first look ever at RNA in a live bacteria cell -- a sight that could offer new information about how the molecule moves and works. ... > full story
Ecologists sound out new solution for monitoring cryptic species (November 28, 2009) -- Ecologists have worked out a way of using recordings of birdsong to accurately measure the size of bird populations. This is the first time sound recordings from a microphone array have been translated into accurate estimates of bird species' populations. The new technique will also work with whale song and could lead to a major advance in our ability to monitor whale and dolphin numbers. ... > full story
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
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