The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Wednesday, July 20, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Wednesday, July 20, 2011

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Rapid venom evolution in pit vipers may be defensive; Marsupials that prey on venomous snakes also evolve rapidly (July 20, 2011) -- Research delivers new insight about rapid toxin evolution in venomous snakes. New molecular research on snake-eating opossums suggests that predators factor into the rapid evolution of snake venom. ... > full story

Gene therapy delivered once to blood vessel wall protects against atherosclerosis in rabbit studies (July 20, 2011) -- A one-dose method for delivering gene therapy into an arterial wall effectively protects the artery from developing atherosclerosis despite ongoing high blood cholesterol, according to new research in rabbits. ... > full story

Decoding slowness: How sloths perfected energy saving (July 20, 2011) -- Zoologists have discovered how sloths move and how their locomotive system adapted to their unhurried lifestyle in the course of evolution. ... > full story

Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia yield 18 new species of rare ferns and flowering plants (July 20, 2011) -- Recent botanical exploration efforts in the rugged Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia) have increased the known flora of the archipelago by an impressive 20 percent. Field research projects have yielded 62 new species of ferns and flowering plants bringing the total native species to 360. ... > full story

World's forests' role in carbon storage immense, research reveals (July 20, 2011) -- Until recently, scientists were uncertain about how much and where in the world terrestrial carbon is being stored. Now scientists report that, between 1990 and 2007, the world's forests stored about 2.4 gigatons of carbon per year. ... > full story

Avian 'Axe effect' attracts attention of females and males (July 19, 2011) -- In a case of life imitating art, avian scents given off by male songbirds have the females (and males) flocking in. A researcher has revealed the process of how males draw attention to themselves through chemical communication in a new study. Scents are used in all organisms for many purposes, such as finding, attracting and evaluating mates. But this is the first study of its kind that demonstrates that it is happening among songbirds. ... > full story

Stated calories on menus of certain restaurants appear to be accurate overall (July 19, 2011) -- An examination of the calorie content of food from about 40 fast-food and sit-down restaurants in 3 states finds that overall the stated calories of items on the menus of the restaurants are accurate, although there was substantial inaccuracy for some individual foods, with understated calorie figures for those items with lower calorie contents, according to a new study. ... > full story

Making blood sucking deadly for mosquitoes (July 19, 2011) -- Inhibiting a molecular process cells use to direct proteins to their proper destinations causes more than 90 percent of affected mosquitoes to die within 48 hours of blood feeding, a team of biochemists discovered. The approach could be used as an additional strategy in the worldwide effort to curb mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue fever, yellow fever and malaria. ... > full story

Soil samples reveal urban mercury footprints (July 19, 2011) -- A new study has investigated mercury deposits in industrialized city soil near coal-fired power plants. While wind patterns vary by cities, the process in various urban areas is similar with mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants contaminating soil that is then transported downstream. Since cities have a high percentage of impervious surfaces like roads and parking lots, the mercury enters waterways rapidly. ... > full story

Solar panels keep buildings cool (July 19, 2011) -- Those solar panels on top of your roof aren't just providing clean power; they are cooling your house, or your workplace, too, according to a team of environmental engineering researchers. ... > full story

How dairy farms contribute to greenhouse gas emissions (July 19, 2011) -- Scientists have produced the first detailed data on how large-scale dairy facilities contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. ... > full story

The face of a frog: Time-lapse video reveals never-before-seen bioelectric pattern (July 19, 2011) -- For the first time, biologists have reported that bioelectrical signals are necessary for normal head and facial formation in an organism and have captured that process in a time-lapse video that reveals never-before-seen patterns of visible bioelectrical signals outlining where eyes, nose, mouth, and other features will appear in an embryonic tadpole. ... > full story

Research in 'Westie' dogs may hold answers to similar human diseases (July 19, 2011) -- Scientists have announced preliminary findings in two major studies involving the health of West Highland white terriers also known as westies. Findings in these and other studies of Westies and other dogs may hold answers for similar human conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. ... > full story

Fewer aphids in organic crop fields, study finds (July 19, 2011) -- Farmers who spray insecticides against aphids as a preventative measure only achieve a short-term effect with this method. In the long term, their fields will end up with even more aphids than untreated fields, according to new research. ... > full story

Soy/milk protein dietary supplements linked to lower blood pressure (July 19, 2011) -- Soy and milk protein dietary supplements lowered systolic blood pressure compared to refined (simple) carbohydrate supplements, according to a new study. Researchers suggest that replacing dietary refined carbohydrates with foods or drinks high in soy or milk protein might help prevent or treat high blood pressure. ... > full story

Bacteria use Batman-like grappling hooks to 'slingshot' on surfaces, study shows (July 19, 2011) -- Researchers have diagnosed a complex sequence of movements that make-up the "twitching" motility in bacteria with type IV pili (TFP). TFP act like Batman's grappling hooks that extend and bind to a surface to retract and pull the cell along. Using a high-speed camera and a novel two-point tracking algorithm, researchers also noticed the bacteria had the additional capability to "slingshot" on surfaces. ... > full story

Scientists analyze, explain the chemical makeup of Gulf plume (July 19, 2011) -- Taking another major step in sleuthing the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a research team has determined what chemicals were contained in a deep, hydrocarbon-containing plume at least 22 miles long that WHOI scientists mapped and sampled last summer in the Gulf of Mexico, a residue of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Moreover, they have taken a big step in explaining why some chemicals, but not others, made their way into the plume. ... > full story

Antibiotic disrupts termite microflora, reducing fertility, longevity (July 19, 2011) -- The microbial flora of the termite gut are necessary both for cellulose digestion and normal reproduction, and feeding the insects antibiotics can interfere in these processes, according to a new study. ... > full story

2011 Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' could be biggest ever (July 19, 2011) -- Researchers have examined the scope and size of this year's "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico and have measured it currently to be about 3,300 square miles, or roughly the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined, but some researchers anticipate it becoming much larger. ... > full story

Cadmium selenide quantum dots degrade in soil, releasing their toxic guts, study finds (July 19, 2011) -- Quantum dots made from cadmium and selenium degrade in soil, unleashing toxic cadmium and selenium ions into their surroundings, a new study has found. ... > full story

Dry onion skin has a use (July 19, 2011) -- More than 500,000 tonnes of onion waste are thrown away in the European Union each year. However, scientists say this could have a use as food ingredients. The brown skin and external layers are rich in fiber and flavonoids, while the discarded bulbs contain sulphurous compounds and fructans. All of these substances are beneficial to health. ... > full story

Six new species of Eucalantica micro-moths discovered from the New World (July 19, 2011) -- The Eucalantica genus belongs to the relatively primitive micro-moth group, Yponomeutidae. Six new species have now been described. ... > full story

Reinventing the toilet for safe and affordable sanitation (July 19, 2011) -- Scientists are working to develop new technology for processing human waste without links to water, energy, or sewer lines, and at costs affordable to the poor in developing countries. ... > full story

Monitoring cellular interactions at nano-scale in more detail than ever before (July 18, 2011) -- Using nanotechnology to engineer sensors onto the surface of cells, researchers have developed a platform technology for monitoring single-cell interactions in real-time. ... > full story

Origami in seed capsules: Lids on seed cases of the ice plant unfold when honeycomb structure swells inside them (July 18, 2011) -- A number of plants disperse their seeds in a rather artistic way: the seed capsules of the ice plant Delosperma nakurense, for instance, unfold lids over the seed compartments in the manner of a movable origami when they are moistened by rain. ... > full story

Gene migration helps predict movement of disease (July 18, 2011) -- Until recently, migration patterns, such as those adopted by birds all across the Amazonian rainforest, have not been thought to play an important role in the spreading of beneficial genes through a population. ... > full story

Down-under digestive microbes could help lower methane gas from livestock (July 18, 2011) -- The discovery that a bacterial species in the Australian Tammar wallaby gut is responsible for keeping the animal's methane emissions relatively low suggests a potential new strategy may exist to try to reduce methane emissions from livestock, according to a new study. ... > full story

Parasitism: Wasp uses ladybug as 'zombie bodyguard' (July 18, 2011) -- The parasitic wasp Dinocampus coccinellae is no fool. It controls a ladybug, lays an egg in its abdomen and turns it into the bodyguard of its cocoon. This surprising host-parasite manipulation has been closely observed in new research. ... > full story

Study of soil effects from March 11 Japan earthquake could improve building design (July 18, 2011) -- Japan's March 11 Tohoku Earthquake is among the strongest ever recorded, and because it struck one of the world's most heavily instrumented seismic zones, this natural disaster is providing scientists with a treasure trove of data on rare magnitude 9 earthquakes. Among the new information is what is believed to be the first study of how a shock this powerful affects the rock and soil beneath the surface. ... > full story

Rising oceans: Too late to turn the tide? (July 18, 2011) -- Melting ice sheets contributed much more to rising sea levels than thermal expansion of warming ocean waters during the Last Interglacial Period, scientists have found. The results further suggest that ocean levels continue to rise long after warming of the atmosphere levels off. ... > full story

Grand Cayman blue iguana: Back from the brink of extinction (July 18, 2011) -- While thousands of species are threatened with extinction around the globe, efforts to save the Grand Cayman blue iguana represent a rarity in conservation: a chance for complete recovery, according to experts. ... > full story

Lab-grown meat would cut greenhouse gas emissions and save energy, research suggests (July 18, 2011) -- Meat grown using tissue engineering techniques, so-called 'cultured meat', would generate up to 96% lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventionally produced meat, according to a new study. ... > full story

Natural chemical found in grapes may protect against Alzheimer's disease (July 18, 2011) -- Researchers have found that grape seed polyphenols -- a natural antioxidant -- may help prevent the development or delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story

When minor planets Ceres and Vesta rock Earth into chaos (July 18, 2011) -- A new study examines the orbital evolution of minor planets Ceres and Vesta, a few days before the flyby of Vesta by the Dawn spacecraft. A team of astronomers found that close encounters among these bodies lead to strong chaotic behavior of their orbits, as well as of Earth's eccentricity. This means, in particular, that Earth's past orbit cannot be reconstructed beyond 60 million years. ... > full story

Non-Africans are part Neanderthal, genetic research shows (July 18, 2011) -- Some of the human X chromosome originates from Neanderthals and is found exclusively in people outside Africa, new research shows. ... > full story

Massive enzyme footballs control sugar metabolism (July 18, 2011) -- Neutron scattering has revealed how massive enzyme complexes inside cells might determine whether sugar is burnt for energy or stored as fat. The findings promise to improve understanding of diabetes and a range of metabolic diseases. Scientists using neutron scattering have shown how pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes (PDCs) could control the rate of sugar metabolism by actively changing their own composition. ... > full story

What keeps Earth cooking? (July 18, 2011) -- From core to surface, a constant flow of trillions of watts of heat enables Earth's magnetic field, spreads the sea floors, and keeps continents on the move. Much of it comes from the radioactive decay of elements in the crust and mantle, but how much? By measuring neutrinos from deep in the Earth, scientists have made the most precise estimate yet of radiogenic heat. ... > full story

Deep below the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: New molecular model better explains diffusion of spill under water (July 18, 2011) -- For the first time, scientists gathered oil and gas directly as it escaped from a deep ocean wellhead -- that of the damaged Deepwater Horizon oil rig. What they found allows a better understanding of how pollution is partitioned and transported in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico and permits superior estimation of the environmental impact of escaping oil, allowing for a more precise evaluation of previously estimated repercussions on seafloor life in the future. ... > full story

Equinome launches elite performance test for thoroughbred horses (July 18, 2011) -- An equine genomics company has launched a new genetic test that can identify individual thoroughbred horses with the greatest genetic potential for racecourse success. Using the results of the Equinome Elite Performance Test, thoroughbred horse owners and breeders can now increase their chances of successfully identifying those foals and yearlings most likely to perform at the elite level. ... > full story

Efficiency -- not cost -- drives value of hospital environmental services, study finds (July 18, 2011) -- The amount of money that hospitals spend on environmental services, such as cleaning and maintenance service is not as important in influencing patient satisfaction scores as the way the money is spent, according to researchers. ... > full story

Early talking doll recording discovered (July 17, 2011) -- Scientists recently recovered sound from an artifact that historians believe is the earliest surviving talking doll record. The artifact is a ring-shaped cylinder phonograph record made of solid metal, preserved by the National Park Service at Thomas Edison National Historical Park. Phonograph inventor Thomas Edison made the record during the fall or winter of 1888 in West Orange, New Jersey. ... > full story

Lymphoma drug shrinks dog tumors, could lead to human treatment (July 17, 2011) -- There are many kinds of cancers of the immune system, but one, activated B-cell diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, is particularly common and pernicious. Researchers have now shown that dogs that develop this disease spontaneously share the same aberrant activation of a critical intracellular pathway with humans. They also found that a drug designed to disrupt this pathway helps kill tumor cells in the dogs' lymph nodes. ... > full story

Fossil forensics reveals how wasps populated rotting dinosaur eggs (July 16, 2011) -- Exceptionally preserved fossils of insect cocoons have allowed researchers in Argentina to describe how wasps played an important role in food webs devoted to consuming rotting dinosaur eggs. ... > full story

NASA's Aura satellite measures pollution 'Butterfly' from fires in Central Africa (July 16, 2011) -- Fires raging in central Africa are generating a high amount of pollution that is showing up in data from NASA's Aura Satellite, with the ominous shape of a dark red butterfly in the skies over southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Angola. ... > full story

High social rank comes at a price, wild baboon study finds (July 15, 2011) -- Being at the very top of a social hierarchy may be more costly than previously thought, according to a new study of wild baboons. The findings have implications in the study of social hierarchies and of the impact of social dominance on health and well-being, a subject of interest among researchers who study human and other animal populations. ... > full story

The genome guardian's dimmer switch: Regulating p53 is a matter of life or death (July 15, 2011) -- Scientists have found clues to the functioning of an important damage response protein in cells. The protein, p53, can cause cells to stop dividing or even to commit suicide when they show signs of DNA damage, and it is responsible for much of the tissue destruction that follows exposure to ionizing radiation or DNA-damaging drugs such as the ones commonly used for cancer therapy. ... > full story

Strong El Niño could bring increased sea levels, storm surges to US East Coast (July 15, 2011) -- Coastal communities along the US East Coast may be at risk to higher sea levels accompanied by more destructive storm surges in future El Niño years, according to a new study. The study was prompted by an unusual number of destructive storm surges along the East Coast during the 2009-2010 El Niño winter. ... > full story

Dramatic climate swings likely as world warms: Ancient El Niño clue to future floods (July 15, 2011) -- Dramatic climate swings behind both last year's Pakistan flooding and this year's Queensland floods in Australia are likely to continue as the world gets warmer, scientists predict. Researchers have discovered that the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the sloshing of the warmest waters on the planet from the West Pacific towards the East Pacific every 2-7 years, continued during Earth's last great warm period, the Pliocene. Their results suggest that swings between the two climatic extremes, known as El Niño and La Niña, may even have occurred more frequently in the warmer past and may increase in frequency in the future. ... > full story