The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Thursday, July 7, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Thursday, July 7, 2011

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Being small has its advantages -- if you are a leaf (July 7, 2011) -- The size of leaves can vary by a factor of 1,000 across plant species; until now, the reason why has remained a mystery. A new study by an international team of scientists goes a long way toward solving it. ... > full story

Natural iron fertilization influences deep-sea ecosystems off the Crozet Islands (July 7, 2011) -- Geo-engineering schemes aimed at tackling global warming through artificial iron fertilization of the oceans would significantly affect deep-sea ecosystems, according to new research. ... > full story

Rhesus monkeys appear to have a form of self-awareness not previously attributed to them, research suggests (July 6, 2011) -- In the first study of its kind in an animal species that has not passed a critical test of self-recognition, a cognitive psychologist has demonstrated that rhesus monkeys appear to have a sense of self-agency -- the ability to understand that they are the cause of certain actions -- and possess a form of self-awareness previously not attributed to them. ... > full story

Dealing with pollution, James Bond style (July 6, 2011) -- A new safe soil tester, a portable lab with a satellite link, offers an efficient and cost-effective way to test for a safe environment. The high-tech tester uses micro-organisms to detect toxicity of soils within minutes and maps the toxic hotspots with high precisions using its link to EU’s Galileo satellite system. ... > full story

A look back: Scientists raced to estimate oil flow from Deepwater Horizon Macondo well (July 6, 2011) -- The first two weeks of June 2010 were a blur for six Berkeley Lab scientists. As the world focused on the ongoing crisis in the Gulf of Mexico after the blowout of BP's Deepwater Horizon Macondo well, the scientists dropped everything to estimate how much oil was flowing from the mangled wellhead. Their research is recounted in a new article. ... > full story

New force driving Earth's tectonic plates (July 6, 2011) -- Bringing fresh insight into long-standing debates about how powerful geological forces shape the planet, from earthquake ruptures to mountain formations, scientists have identified a new mechanism driving Earth's massive tectonic plates. ... > full story

Mercury vapor released from broken compact fluorescent light bulbs can exceed safe exposure levels for humans, study finds (July 6, 2011) -- Once broken, a compact fluorescent light bulb continuously releases mercury vapor into the air for weeks to months, and the total amount can exceed safe human exposure levels in a poorly ventilated room, according to a new study. ... > full story

A mother's salt intake could be key to prenatal kidney development (July 6, 2011) -- New animal study has drawn an association between pregnant mothers' sodium intake and their newborn's kidney development. ... > full story

Eggs' antioxidant properties may help prevent heart disease and cancer, study suggests (July 6, 2011) -- One of nature's most perfect foods may be even better for us than previously thought. While eggs are well known to be an excellent source of proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals, researchers recently discovered they also contain antioxidant properties, which helps in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. ... > full story

Cod stick to their own shipwreck (July 6, 2011) -- Adult cod have, one would think, the entire ocean at their disposal, and yet apparently each individual cod still chooses 'their own' local shipwreck, which they swim back to faithfully day after day. This is just one of the fascinating results from research using acoustic tags which has yielded new insights into what cod get up to below the surface of the sea. ... > full story

Bigger than football: Study shows sports can help communities recover from disaster (July 6, 2011) -- A new study shows that organized sports can be a powerful tool for helping to rebuild communities in the wake of disasters. The research focused specifically on the role of professional football in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. ... > full story

Termites' digestive system could act as biofuel refinery (July 6, 2011) -- One of the peskiest household pests, while disastrous to homes, could prove to be a boon for cars, according to a new study. ... > full story

Researchers push the boundary with high carbon emission scenarios (July 6, 2011) -- Researchers have, for the first time, modeled a climate system with extremely high carbon emissions in an attempt to test the boundaries of the current computer simulation programs that inform us. ... > full story

Naked mole-rat genome: Scientists sequence DNA of cancer-resistant rodent (July 6, 2011) -- Scientists have generated the first whole-genome sequencing data of the naked mole-rat, a rodent that is resistant to cancer and lives for more than 30 years. The naked mole-rat is native to the deserts of East Africa and has unique physical traits that allow it to survive in harsh environments for many years. It has a lack of pain sensation in its skin and has a low metabolic rate that allows it to live underground with limited oxygen supply. ... > full story

New salmonella-based 'clean vaccines' aid the fight against infectious disease (July 6, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a technique to make recombinant attenuated salmonella vaccines safer and more effective. The group demonstrated that a modified strain of salmonella showed a five-fold reduction in virulence in mice, while preserving strong immunogenic properties. ... > full story

Air pollution linked to learning and memory problems, depression (July 6, 2011) -- Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to physical changes in the brain, as well as learning and memory problems and even depression, new research in mice suggests. While other studies have shown the damaging effects of polluted air on the heart and lungs, this is one of the first long-term studies to show the negative impact on the brain. ... > full story

Functioning small intestine created in laboratory experiments (July 6, 2011) -- Researchers have successfully created a tissue-engineered small intestine in mice that replicates the intestinal structures of natural intestine -- a necessary first step toward someday applying this regenerative medicine technique to humans. ... > full story

Fisher decline documented in California (July 6, 2011) -- Researchers have reported a 73-percent decline in the density of fishers -- a house-cat sized member of the weasel family and candidate for endangered species listing -- on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in northwestern California between 1998 and 2005. ... > full story

How hot did Earth get in the past? Team of scientists uncovers new information (July 6, 2011) -- The question seems simple enough: What happens to Earth's temperature when atmospheric carbon dioxide levels increase? The answer is elusive. However, clues are hidden in the fossil record. A new study provides a much clearer picture of Earth's temperature approximately 50 million years ago when CO2 concentrations were higher than today. The results may shed light on what to expect in the future if CO2 levels keep rising. ... > full story

Dietary leucine may fight pre-diabetes, metabolic syndrome: Study shows improvements in animals with amino acid in diet (July 6, 2011) -- A new study suggests that adding the amino acid leucine to their diets may help those with pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome. ... > full story

Food-process engineering: Environmentally friendly process to improve storage stability of probiotics (July 6, 2011) -- Probiotic bacteria are rapidly gaining ground as healthy food supplements. However, the production of this "functional food" has its pitfalls: only few probiotic bacterial strains are robust enough to survive conventional production processes. Researchers have now developed a particularly gentle method that allows the use of thus far unutilized probiotics. The outcome is beneficial for both manufacturers and consumers: it's energy and cost efficient -- and it makes probiotics less perishable. ... > full story

Environs prompt advantageous gene mutations as plants grow; changes passed to progeny (July 5, 2011) -- Researchers have found that the environment not only weeds out harmful and useless genetic mutations in plants through natural selection, but actually influences helpful mutations, and that these beneficial changes are passed on to the next generation. ... > full story

Genome analysis will reveal how bacteria in our guts make themselves at home (July 5, 2011) -- Researchers have published the genome sequence of a gut bacterium to help understand how these organisms evolved their symbiotic relationships with their hosts. ... > full story

Fifty-year search for calcium channel ends: Cell's power generator depends on long-sought protein (July 5, 2011) -- After decades of failed efforts, researchers have discovered, through a combination of digital database mining and laboratory assays, the linchpin protein that drives mitochondria's calcium machinery. ... > full story

One skull + two brains = four objects in mind (July 5, 2011) -- A new study by neuroscientists could be put to immediate use in designing more effective cognitive therapy, smarter brain games, better "heads up displays," and much more. ... > full story

Kinetochores prefer the 'silent' DNA sections of the chromosome (July 5, 2011) -- The protein complex responsible for the distribution of chromosomes during cell division is assembled in the transition regions between heterochromatin and euchromatin. The centromere is a specialized region of the chromosome, on which a protein complex known as the kinetochore is assembled. During cell division, the kinetochore provides a point of attachment for molecules of the cytoskeleton, thereby mediating the segregation of chromosomes to the two opposing cell poles. Scientists have investigated the factors that play an essential role in the development of the kinetochore. According to new findings, both the organization of the chromosomes and epigenetic marks determine the location where a kinetochore and, eventually, a centromere can form. ... > full story

Hot springs microbe yields record-breaking, heat-tolerant enzyme (July 5, 2011) -- Scientists looking for unusual cellulose-digesting enzymes, called cellulases, have found one that works at a higher temperature, 109 Celsius, than any others found to date. The cellulase comes from an Archaea found in a Nevada hot spring. Enzymes like this may prove useful in reaction chambers where plant fiber (lignocellulose) is digested to release cellulose. The cellulase could then convert this cellulose to sugar to be fermented into biofuel. ... > full story

Australian volcano eruptions overdue, new study confirms (July 5, 2011) -- Latest research into the age of volcanos in parts of Australia has confirmed that certain regions are overdue for an eruption, potentially affecting thousands of local residents. ... > full story

Nature uses screws and nuts: Previously unknown musculoskeletal system discovered in weevils (July 5, 2011) -- A musculoskeletal system so far unknown in the animal world was recently discovered in weevils. The hip of Trigonopterus oblongus does not consist of the usual hinges, but of joints based on a screw-and-nut system. This first biological screw thread is about half a millimeter in size and was studied in detail using synchrotron radiation. ... > full story

Antarctic krill help to fertilize Southern Ocean with iron (July 5, 2011) -- A new discovery reveals that the shrimp-like creature at the heart of the Antarctic food chain could play a key role in fertilizing the Southern Ocean with iron -- stimulating the growth of phytoplankton (microscopic plant-like organisms). This process enhances the ocean's capacity for natural storage of carbon dioxide. ... > full story

Pigeons never forget a face (July 5, 2011) -- New research has shown that feral, untrained pigeons can recognize individual people and are not fooled by a change of clothes. Researchers have shown that pigeons in Paris city center, that have never been caught or handled, can recognize individuals, probably by using facial characteristics. ... > full story

New technique advances bioprinting of cells (July 5, 2011) -- By extending pioneering acoustical work that applied sound waves to generate droplets from fluids, researchers have made encouraging preliminary findings at an early and crucial point in a stem cell's career known as embroid body formation. ... > full story

Gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori protects against asthma (July 5, 2011) -- Infection with the gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori provides reliable protection against allergy-induced asthma, immunologists have demonstrated in an animal model. Their results confirm the hypothesis recently put forward that the dramatic increase in allergic diseases in industrial societies is linked to the rapid disappearance of specific micro-organisms that populate the human body. ... > full story

Study sheds light on tunicate evolution (July 5, 2011) -- Researchers have filled an important gap in the study of tunicate evolution by genetically sequencing 40 new specimens of thaliaceans, gelatinous, free-swimming types of tunicates. ... > full story

Specialized seeds can really float your boat (July 5, 2011) -- A new artificial surface inspired by floating seeds could provide an alternative to the toxic paints currently used to prevent fouling on ship hulls. The artificial surface, developed by German scientists, is covered with fibers to prevent marine organisms from settling -- the same strategy used by the seeds. ... > full story

Final space shuttle to carry five University of Colorado at Boulder-built payloads (July 5, 2011) -- The University of Colorado Boulder is involved with five different space science payloads ranging from antibody tests that may lead to new bone-loss treatments to an experiment to improve vaccine effectiveness for combating salmonella when Atlantis thunders skyward July 8 on the last of NASA's 135 space shuttle missions. ... > full story

Smithsonian's National Zoo welcomes whooping crane (July 5, 2011) -- After an 88-year-long hiatus North America's tallest bird, the statuesque whooping crane (Grus americana), is once again on exhibit at the Bird House at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Whooping cranes are one of only two crane species native to the United States. There are only eight other zoos in the U.S. which exhibit these birds. ... > full story

Cool-season grasses more profitable than warm-season grasses; Swine effluent provides fertilizer boost equal to urea (July 5, 2011) -- Access to swine effluent or waste water can help a producer grow more grass. But a Texas researcher says the grass is "greener" economically if it is a cool-season rather than a warm-season variety. While the warm-season grasses appear to have a greater growth boost with swine effluent application, the cool-season grasses have marketing advantages that make it a more viable economic option. ... > full story

Processes for obtaining ecological compound that can optimize biodiesel enhanced (July 5, 2011) -- Acetals can play a primordial role in the development of biofuels. In fact, it would appear they can function as additives for biodiesel, to enhance its cetane index and so ignite more easily. They also enhance its oxidation stability and diminish nitrogen oxides emissions. ... > full story

Biofuels from the sea: Seaweed may prove a viable future biofuel, especially if harvested in summer (July 4, 2011) -- The use of kelp as a biofuel could provide an important alternative to terrestrial grown biofuels; however the suitability of its chemical composition varies on a seasonal basis. Harvesting the kelp in July when carbohydrate levels are at their highest would ensure optimal sugar release for biofuel production. ... > full story

Design and print your own 3-D chocolate objects (July 4, 2011) -- Manufacturing and retail could get a much needed boost from a newly developed 3-D chocolate printer. In the long term the technology could be used by customers to design many different products themselves -- tailor-made to their needs and preferences. Using new digital technology the printer allows you to create your own designs on a computer and reproduce them physically in three dimensional form in chocolate. ... > full story

Tree frogs' self-cleaning feet could solve a sticky problem (July 4, 2011) -- Tree frogs have specially adapted self-cleaning feet which could have implications for new designs of medical bandages, tires, and even long lasting adhesives. Researchers have now discovered how tree frogs prevent their feet from picking up dirt while maintaining stickiness. ... > full story

'Megapixel' DNA replication technology promises faster, more precise diagnostics (July 4, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a DNA measurement platform that sets dramatic new performance standards in the sensitivity and accuracy of sample screening. ... > full story

Researchers map the physics of Tibetan singing bowls (July 4, 2011) -- Researchers have been investigating the connection between fifth century Himalayan instruments used in religious ceremonies and modern physics. ... > full story

Pre-pregnancy diet affects the health of future offspring, mouse study suggests (July 4, 2011) -- Poor maternal diet before conception can result in offspring with reduced birth weights and increased risk of developing type II diabetes and obesity. In a new study, mice that were fed a low protein diet before conception (but had a normal diet during pregnancy) gave birth to offspring that had lower birth weights and increased insulin sensitivity. ... > full story

Protein structure of key molecule in DNA transcription system deciphered (July 4, 2011) -- Scientists have deciphered the structure of an essential part of Mediator, a complex molecular machine that plays a vital role in regulating the transcription of DNA. ... > full story

Warming ocean layers will undermine polar ice sheets, climate models show (July 4, 2011) -- Warming of the ocean's subsurface layers will melt underwater portions of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets faster than previously thought, according to new research. The research, based on 19 state-of-the-art climate models, proposes a new mechanism by which global warming will accelerate the melting of the great ice sheets during this century and the next. Such melting would increase the sea level more than already projected. ... > full story

First cookiecutter shark attack on a live human (July 4, 2011) -- A new study provides details on the first cookiecutter shark attack on a live human, a concern as warm summer waters attract more people to the ocean. ... > full story