They also combined 33 new transcriptomes a set of RNA molecules with 13 genomes both
#Engineering a protein to prevent brain damage from toxic agentsresearch at New york University is paving the way for a breakthrough that may prevent brain damage in civilians
and military troops exposed to poisonous chemicals--particularly those in pesticides and chemical weapons. An article in the current issue of the journal Chembiochem outlines the advancement in detoxifying organophosphates
The patent-pending process was developed by NYU School of engineering Associate professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Jin Kim Montclare along with Richard Bonneau an associate professor in NYU's Department of biology and a member of the computer science faculty
Their work centers on proteins called phosphotriesterases which have the unique capability of degrading chemicals in a class known as organophosphates
which are found in everything from industrial pesticides to the sarin gas used in chemical warfare.
Organophosphates permanently bond to neurotransmitters in the brain interfering with their ability to function and causing irreversible damage.
however applications using the protein for this purpose have been limited by its short half-life and instability at high temperatures.
a thermo-stable protein with a longer half-life that retains all the detoxification capabilities of the original version.
Organophosphates pose tremendous danger to people and wildlife and sadly it's not unusual for humans to come into contact with these compounds
In a process that married computational biology and experimentation the collaborators used Rosetta computational modeling software to identify sequences in the fluorinated phosphotriesterase protein that could be modified to increase its stability
The possibilities for this reengineered protein are considerable. Montclare explained that in addition to therapeutic formulations which could prevent nerve damage in the event of a gas attack
or pesticide exposure and would likely be developed first for military use the proteins could be critical
when stores of toxic nerve agents need to be decommissioned. Oftentimes chemical agent stockpiles are decommissioned through processes that involve treatment with heat
and caustic chemical reagents for neutralization followed by hazardous materials disposal she said. These proteins could accomplish that same task enzymatically without the need for reactors and formation of dangerous byproducts.
Plans are under way to begin developing therapeutic applications for this modified phosphotriesterase and the research team believes that its methodology--using computational biology to identify potentially beneficial modifications to proteins--could point the way to future breakthroughs in engineered proteins.
The initial idea for this work was broached by Michelle Zhang a co-author of the paper
#Perus carbon quantified: Economic and conservation boontoday scientists unveiled the first high-resolution map of the carbon stocks stored on land throughout the entire country of Perã.
The new and improved methodology used to make the map marks a sea change for future market-based carbon economies.
The new carbon map also reveals Perã's extremely high ecological diversity and it provides the critical input to studies of deforestation and forest degradation for conservation land use and enforcement purposes.
The technique includes the determination of uncertainty of carbon stores throughout the country which is essential for decision makers.
The mapping project is a joint effort among the Carnegie Airborne Observatory (CAO) led by Carnegie's Greg Asner the Ministry of Environment of Perã and Wake Forest University.
Historically two obstacles have slowed accurate carbon inventories at national scales. The first is the inadequate resolution of satellite mapping data
and markets that depend on timely knowledge of where carbon is stored on land. With its huge range of environments from cold Andean deserts to hot Amazonian rainforests Perã is an ideal country for advancing high-tech carbon inventories.
Asner remarked: The international community wants to use a combination of carbon sequestration and emissions reductions to combat climate change.
Some 15%of global carbon emissions result from deforestation and forest degradation which releases carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as trees are destroyed.
Our cost-effective approach allows us to accurately map the carbon in this incredibly diverse country for the first time.
It opens Perã's door to carbon sequestration agreements and is an enormous boon to conservation and monitoring efforts over vast areas for the long term.
The critical resolution for carbon monitoring is the hectare (2. 5 acres. It is the world's most common unit of land tenure
and policy enforcement yet very few countries have advanced their carbon monitoring efforts at such high resolution.
The team integrated airborne laser mapping technology using the Carnegie Airborne Observatory with field data
and coupled them with publicly available satellite imagery to scale carbon inventories up to the national level.
The new map reveals that the total aboveground carbon stock of the country is currently 6. 9 billion metric tons.
But the carbon stocks vary by region and land ownership. The average carbon density for Peruvian rainforests is 99 metric tons of carbon per hectare with the maximum density of 168 metric tons of carbon per hectare.
The largest stocks are in the northern Peruvian Amazon and along the Brazil-Perã border.
Regions of deforestation such as Puerto Maldonado where gold mining has ravaged the area had low to no carbon storage.
The team also assessed 174 protected areas finding that for every hectare of forest put into protection an average 95 metric tons of carbon are stored on land with even more carbon sequestered below the soil surface.
Now every person in private enterprise and decision makers in regional local and national government has an estimate of carbon content for every place in Perã.
If you choose carbon as your currency parks in Amazonian Perã are the banks and the bigger the area the closer it gets to being Fort knox. Full Report link ftp://dge. stanford. edu/pub/asner/carbonreport/Carnegieperucarbonreport-English pdfstory Source:
and circa 2500 BC it was evident that the more recent pottery fragments showed evidence of milk fats.
Professor Richard Evershed from the School of Chemistry said: It never ceases to amaze me that these sensitive chemical signatures of changing human life survive in the archaeological record for thousands of years.
And it leaves one pondering what was motivating the people to move into these challenging regions?
when tree nuts replaced refined carbohydrates rather than saturated fats. He said there was no adverse impact on the other risk factors for metabolic syndrome
but it's good or unsaturated fat. Tree nuts are such things as almonds Brazil nuts cashews chestnuts coconuts hazelnuts pecans macadamia nuts walnuts pine nuts and pistachios.
or as a substitute for animal fats or refined carbohydrates Dr. Sievenpiper said. The U s. Food and Drug Administration has granted tree nuts a qualified health claim for cardiovascular disease risk reduction.
or fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. If I'm a college student and I want to lose weight and
I may start avoiding products that contain essential nutrients such as those found in cereal grains fortified with folic acid Shelnutt said.
Gluten a protein is found in grains such as wheat barley rye and triticale a cross between wheat and rye.
The UC Davis labs carried out work on the transcriptome of S. pennellii--the RNA molecules that are transcribed from DNA
and then translated into proteins--messages written from DNA and taken to other parts of the cell to tell it what to do.
They also found genes that contribute to volatile compounds related to fruit scent and flavor. The UC Davis portion of the work was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Known to be rich in Vitamin c the mango is regarded as one of the most popular fruits from the tropics.
and phenolic compounds such as flavonoids have been observed to provide antioxidant effects. Thus herbs known to possess high antioxidant properties were selected for use in this study.
A total of 25 flavonoid compounds consisting of 9 flavonols and 16 flavones were identified tentatively from dried leaves of mas cotek using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to a photodiode array and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.
Our results suggest that mas cotek could be a suitable herb for adding to mango drink.
and lipid levels and has been found safe for use in humans. The bioactive composition (flavonoids and Vitamin c) of mango drink containing a mas cotek aqueous extract exhibited higher total phenolic content and total flavonoid compound compared to mango drink that did not incorporate mas cotek.
What's more when incorporated into mango drink the mas cotek aqueous extract did not affect the organoleptic properties of the drink.
Calcium (Ca) inorganic phosphate (Pi) Vitamin d and protein are nutrients that impact bone and skeletal muscle integrity.
and proteins and in many countries are fortified with Vitamin d. Dairy foods are important sources of these nutrients
While bone health is associated often with calcium alone Calcium's interactions with inorganic phosphate Vitamin d and protein are important components of beneficial dairy consumption.
Combined Vitamin d and calcium supplementation has been shown to reduce the incidence of hip and other non-vertebral fractures among older populations with some studies suggesting that Vitamin d actually leads to lower rates of falling in subjects.
Dietary protein while often associated solely with muscle recovery also promotes bone formation by stimulating both Ca and Pi intestinal absorption and the production of a bone growth factor.
And while Vitamin d deficiency is associated with muscle weakness Vitamin d and protein supplementation are required together to improve strength.
Combining the four above-mentioned nutrients with physical activity decreases the likelihood of bone and muscle degeneration-related injury in older adults.
and protein at levels comparable to recommended intakes and are fortified with Vitamin d. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Taylor & francis. Note:
For example warmer temperatures significantly increase production of ozone from the reactions in sunlight of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides.
Thus the increased use of clean energy sources that do not emit either greenhouse gases
After analyzing the measurements they did not detect differences in the emissions for the vast majority of compounds they measured.
The use of clothianidin one of the chemicals studied on corn in Iowa alone has doubled almost between 2011 and 2013.
and the chemicals were found in all nine rivers and streams. Of the three most often found chemicals clothianidin was the most commonly detected showing up in 75 percent of the sites and at the highest concentration.
Thiamethoxam was found at 47 percent of the sites and imidacloprid was found at 23 percent.
One of the chemicals imidacloprid is known to be toxic to aquatic organisms at 10-100 nanograms per liter
the nicotine levels carcinogens and chemical additive levels are unknown. The FDA recently proposed a new rule to extend their regulatory authority to cover alternative tobacco products including e-cigarettes cigars pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco.
#Strengthening community forest rights is critical tool to fight climate changestrengthening community forest rights is an essential strategy to reduce billions of tonnes of carbon emissions making it an effective way
The paper provides the most comprehensive analysis to date linking legal recognition and government protection of community forest rights with reductions in carbon pollution.
With at least 37 billion tonnes of carbon safely stored in community forests around the world strengthening community rights is good for the climate
and indigenous peoples across the world have recognized government rights to forests containing 37.7 billion tonnes of carbon--equivalent to 29 times the annual emissions from all passenger vehicles in the world.
and settlers from illegally destroying the forests and releasing carbon pollution into the atmosphere. In Brazil alone the report finds strong legal rights could contribute to preventing 27.2 million hectares of deforestation by 2050 translating to 12 billion tonnes of avoided carbon dioxide emissions--the same as about three years'worth of carbon dioxide
and carbon sequestration said Jennifer Morgan Director Climate and Energy Program WRI. When it comes to tackling climate change land rights must be on the list of tools we use.
Indonesia for example the world's second largest emitter of carbon pollution from deforestation and other land uses legally recognizes only one of approximately 42 million hectares of forests held by communities.
Soil respiration releases carbonthe planet's soil releases about 60 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year which is far more than that released by burning fossil fuels.
This enormous release of carbon is balanced by carbon coming into the soil system from falling leaves and other plant matter as well as by the underground activities of plant roots.
As a result scientists have worried that global warming would accelerate the decomposition of carbon in the soil
and decrease the amount of carbon stored there. If true this would release even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere where it would accelerate global warming.
carbon stocks with changing temperature. Their work is published in Nature Climate Change. The team revealed that higher temperatures increased the amount of leaf litter falling onto the soil as well as other underground sources of carbon such as roots.
Surprisingly long-term warming had little effect on the overall storage of carbon in the tropical forest soil or the rate at
which that carbon is processed into carbon dioxide. If these findings hold true in other tropical regions then warmer temperatures may not necessarily cause tropical soils to release their carbon to the atmosphere at a faster rate remarked Asner.
On the other hand we cannot expect that the soil will soak up more carbon in places where vegetation is stimulated by warmer temperatures.
Unlike tropical trees the soil seems to be on the sidelines in the climate adaptation game.
This means the observed increase in the rate of soil respiration accompanying rising temperatures is released due to carbon dioxide by the an uptick in the amount of litter falling on the forest floor and an increase in carbon from underground sources.
It is not from a decrease in the overall amount of carbon stored in the soil Giardina noted
While we found that carbon stored in the mineral soil was insensitive to long-term warming the loss of unprotected carbon responded strongly to temperature.
This tells us that the sensitivity of each source of soil respiration needs to be quantified
and the aggregate response examined before an understanding of ecosystem carbon balance in a warmer world can be achieved.
In another experiment the researchers cultivated the forage plant Panicum maximum at a temperature 2â°C above normal at a carbon concentration of 600 parts per million (ppm) equivalent to twice the amount there is today an amount
By cultivating the plant in an environment with 200 ppm carbon above current levels in a FACE system set up at the Embrapa Environmental Division in Jaguariã na in inland SãO Paulo State the researchers observed an increase
Anthocyanins a group of antioxidant compounds are responsible for the color in blueberries she explains. Since most of the color is in the skin freezing the blueberries actually improves the availability of the antioxidants.
If left to roam free these free radicals can attack DNA proteins and lipids resulting in cellular changes that lead to development of diseases such as cancer.
They have a domino effect Dalaly said. That is why we need to consume at least seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
He teaches a course on phytochemicals--the naturally-occurring chemical compounds in fruits and vegetable many
and photoconductivitymolybdenum disulfide (Mos2) a class of transition metal dichalcogenide compound has attracted great attention as an emerging two-dimensional (2d) material due to wide recognition of its potential in and optoelectronics.
Hence one of the challenges in this field is the ability to create microdevices out of the Mos2 film comprising components with different thickness or chemical nature.
Further researchthe fast growing field of electronics and optoelectronics demands precise material deposition with application-specific optical electrical chemical and mechanical properties.
The team looked at the five main sources of protein in the American diet: dairy beef poultry pork and eggs.
a calorie or gram of protein. The main challenge the team faced was to devise accurate faithful input values.
The environmental inputs the team considered included land use irrigation water greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen fertilizer use.
and concentrates such as corn) the team developed equations that yielded values for the environmental cost-per calorie and then per unit of protein for each food.
and 11 times more irrigation water are responsible for releasing 5 times more greenhouse gases and consume 6 times as much nitrogen as eggs or poultry.
Carbon dioxide is the most-prevalent gas when it comes to climate change. It is released by vehicles industry
and forest removal and comprises the greatest portion of greenhouse gas totals. But methane and nitrous oxide are also greenhouse gasses
These two gasses are responsible for a quarter of these non-carbon dioxide gas emissions and 9 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions overall.
and now at the University of Siena in Italy and Carnegie's Ken Caldeira estimated the greenhouse gas emissions related to livestock in 237 countries over a nearly half a century
As a result greenhouse gas emissions from livestock keep going up and up in much of the developing world.
and dairy cattle comprised 74 percent of livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions 54 percent coming from beef cattle and 17 percent from dairy cattle.
and now widely banned pesticides and other toxic chemicals--called legacy contaminants--can become magnified in an animal that eats contaminated food.
'The study appears in the journal Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry. Researchers who studied the vegetation-caribou-wolf food chain in the Bathurst region of Canada say that currently use pesticides enter the food chain
The substrates differed in infiltration and drainage rates as well as chemical composition. Diverse plant species that included trees shrubs herbaceous perennials a grass and a rush were selected to allow the researchers to evaluate the performance of a wide range of evergreen deciduous woody and herbaceous plants.
The groundcover systems and nutrients were analyzed for their respective effects on soil organic matter carbon and nitrogen concentration and soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration.
which the authors say was a result of accelerated formation of carbon-and nitrogen-rich soil organic matter.
Evolving a Taste for Toxinsmany plants produce toxic chemicals which they use as a defense against herbivores or plant-eating animals.
their bodies must handle up to hundreds of toxic chemicals from the plants they consume each day.
and meal specific foods such as appetizers and breakfast (IRI 2014). 5. Half of new pet foods touted have added vitamins antioxidants
protein DHA for puppies/kittens and no fillers artificial ingredients or byproducts (Packaged Facts 2014). 6. In 2013 more households had dogs than children with 39 percent of households having a dog
and felines that are focused on the high quality of proteins and grains in pet food. 8. 53 percent of dogs and 58 percent of cats are overweight causing the need for functional and therapeutic pet food (APOP 2013). 9. 51 percent
The remaining one percent comprises gases that --although present in small concentrations--can have a big impact on life On earth.
Trace gases called greenhouse gases warm the surface making it habitable for humans plants and animals.
But these greenhouse gases as well as clouds and tiny particles called aerosols in the atmosphere also play vital roles in Earth's complex climate system.
and its four onboard instruments measure some of the climate agents in the atmosphere including greenhouse gases clouds
and dust particles. These global datasets provide clues that help scientists understand how Earth's climate has varied
and greenhouse gases stop some of the heat from escaping to space keeping the surface warm.
Greenhouse gases are necessary to keep Earth at a habitable temperature but since the Industrial revolution greenhouse gases have increased substantially causing an increase in temperature.
Aura provides measurements of greenhouse gases such as ozone and water vapor helping scientists understand the gases that influence climate.
People plants and animals live in the lowest layer of the atmosphere called the troposphere. In this layer the temperature decreases with altitude as mountain climbers experience.
The temperature starts to increase again at the tropopause about 8 miles (12.9 kilometers) above the surface at temperate latitudes like those of the United states and Europe.
In the middle and upper troposphere ozone acts as a greenhouse gas trapping heat in Earth's atmosphere.
Tropospheric ozone is one of the most important human-influenced greenhouse gases. Aura's Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument built
For instance ozone appeared to be a more effective greenhouse gas over hotter regions like the tropics and cloud-free regions like the Middle east.
If you want to understand climate change you need to monitor the greenhouse gases and how they change over time said Bryan Duncan an atmospheric scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Maryland.
Along with ozone Aura measures other important greenhouse gases such as methane carbon dioxide and water vapor. Improving Climate Modelsin addition to greenhouse gases Aura measures several other constituents relevant to climate--smoke dust and clouds including the ice particles within the clouds--that are important
for testing and improving climate models. If you don't have any data then you don't know
Like greenhouse gases high thin clouds in the tropics absorb some of Earth's outgoing heat
Both OMI and TES also provide data on gases such as sulfur dioxide and ammonia which are primary ingredients for other types of less-absorbing aerosols.
But genetic comparisons and molecular dating have in the past several decades provided exact lengths in years for most of these branches indicating how long ago a species had a common ancestor.
People following the DASH diet are encouraged to eat fruits vegetables low-fat dairy and protein predominantly from plant sources.
Lean beef can be enjoyed as the predominant protein source in a DASH-like diet along with fruits vegetables and low-fat dairy to effectively help lower blood pressure in healthy individuals the researchers report in the Journal of Human Hypertension.
This DASH-like diet is called also the BOLD+diet--Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet plus additional protein.
This evidence suggests that it is the total protein intake--not the type of protein--that is instrumental in reducing blood pressure as part of a DASH-like dietary pattern the researchers stated.
Agriculture is responsible for 20 to 35 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions largely in the form of carbon dioxide from tropical deforestation methane from livestock and rice growing and nitrous oxide from crop fertilization.
The study found that the biggest opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas production are in Brazil and Indonesia for deforestation;
Agriculture is the main source of water use greenhouse gas emissions and habitat loss yet we need to grow more food West said.
and less energy reserves (in the form of lipids stored in the fat body) than their hive-bound nest mates--making the foragers much more dependent on a carbohydrate-rich diet Robinson said.
Some of the genes that were activated differently in the honey-eating bees have been linked to protein metabolism brain-signaling and immune defense.
Demand for natural food additivesrising health concerns about chemical additives have strengthened demand for natural food additives said co-author Meijun Zhu an assistant professor in the School of Food Science.
Our focus is on exploring plant-derived natural food bioactive compounds as antimicrobials to control foodborne pathogens
or chemicals that tell others of their species to come closer. Scientists could potentially use the substances to lure brown marmorated stink bugs to a specific spot
and reported the chemical architectures of two pheromone components. They did this by studying closely related compounds.
When used out in field tests the two components attracted adult and juvenile brown marmorated stink bugs.
Because these compounds didn't have to be pure the researchers could use relatively inexpensive mixtures to trap this stink bug.
The above story is provided based on materials by American Chemical Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
#Health risks posed by third hand tobacco smokeresearch led by the University of York has highlighted the potential cancer risk in nonsmokers--particularly young children--of tobacco smoke gases
and particles deposited to surfaces and dust in the home. Until now the risks of this exposure known as'third hand tobacco smoke'have been highly uncertain
The research was carried out by York's Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry laboratories the National Centre for Atmospheric Science
and the Chromatography and Environmental Applications research group at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili Spain.
Lead investigator Dr Jacqueline Hamilton from York's Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry laboratories said: The risks of tobacco exposure do not end
and dust contaminated with residual smoke gases and particles the so-called third hand smoke. This risk should not be overlooked
and its impact should be included in future educational programs and tobacco-related public health policies. Each year 600000 people die worldwide through passive inhalation of environmental tobacco smoke also known as second hand smoke.
Professor Alastair Lewis from York's Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry laboratories and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science said:
and then is released again to the gas phase or reacts with ozone nitrous acid and other atmospheric oxidants.
Measurements were made using a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography system which was funded originally by NERC to study particulate matter in the atmosphere.
Dr Noelia Ramirez a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from York's Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry laboratories who started this research line said:
as a result of laboratory studies we have demonstrated for the first time the presence of carcinogenic tobacco-specific compounds such as TSNAS in settled house dust found in a panel of smokers'and nonsmokers'homes.
The TSNAS concentrations found in smoke-free homes would suggest that TSNAS formed in smoking environments can persist for extended periods possibly due to partitioning to ambient particles
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