The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Wednesday, October 12, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Wednesday, October 12, 2011

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Why climate models underestimated Arctic sea ice retreat: No Arctic sea ice in summer by end of century? (October 12, 2011) -- In recent decades, Arctic sea ice has suffered a dramatic decline that exceeds climate model predictions. The unexpected rate of ice shrinkage has now been explained. Researchers argue that climate models underestimate the rate of ice thinning, which is actually about four times faster than calculations. This model bias is due to the poor representation of the sea ice southward drift out of the Arctic basin through the Fram Strait. When this mechanism was taken into account to correct the discrepancy between simulations and observations, results from the new model suggested that there will be no Arctic sea ice in summer by the end of the century. ... > full story

Mercury pollution in the Great Lakes region: Nearly forgotten, but not gone (October 12, 2011) -- The scope and intensity of mercury pollution in the Great Lakes region is much greater than previously reported, but additional mercury controls should bring needed improvement, according to a new summary of scientific research on the subject. ... > full story

Early Celtic 'Stonehenge' discovered in Germany's Black Forest (October 11, 2011) -- A huge early Celtic calendar construction has been discovered in the royal tomb of Magdalenenberg, nearby Villingen-Schwenningen in Germany's Black Forest. This discovery was made by researchers when they evaluated old excavation plans. The order of the burials around the central royal tomb fits exactly with the sky constellations of the Northern hemisphere. ... > full story

Herbal supplements may cause dangerous drug interactions in orthopaedic surgery patients, study suggests (October 11, 2011) -- Complementary and alternative medical treatments such as herbal supplements have become increasingly popular in the United States, especially among older patients and those with chronic pain. However, many of these products can have serious and potentially harmful side effects when combined with medications prescribed during and after surgery, according to a review article. ... > full story

Which direction are herbicides heading? (October 11, 2011) -- 2,4-D is coming back. What many might consider a "dinosaur" may be the best solution for growers fighting weed resistance today, said a professor of weed physiology. Researchers now suggest that tank-mixing auxinic herbicides with glyphosate may be the best short-term option available to farmers interested in broad-spectrum, postemergence weed control. ... > full story

New computer program promises to save the whales (October 11, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a computer program that enables regulators to evaluate the ecological and economic trade-offs between marine mammal conservation, whale watching and marine transportation activities in the Saint Lawrence Estuary. ... > full story

Super-tough seed coat keeps Michaux's sumac on critically endangered list (October 11, 2011) -- It is one of the rarest shrubs in the southeastern United States, and for scientists trying to save it, the critically endangered Michaux's sumac (Rhus michauxii) is not cooperating. ... > full story

Most vertebrates -- including humans -- descended from ancestor with sixth sense (October 11, 2011) -- A new study that caps more than 25 years of work finds that the vast majority of vertebrates -- some 30,000 species of land animals (including humans) and a roughly equal number of ray-finned fishes -- descended from a common ancestor that had a well-developed electroreceptive system. ... > full story

Mushroom compound appears to improve effectiveness of cancer drugs, study suggests (October 11, 2011) -- A compound isolated from a wild, poisonous mushroom growing in a southwest China forest appears to help a cancer killing drug fulfill its promise, researchers report. ... > full story

Health benefits of broccoli require the whole food, not supplements (October 11, 2011) -- New research has found that if you want some of the many health benefits associated with eating broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables, you need to eat the real thing -- a key phytochemical in these vegetables is poorly absorbed and of far less value if taken as a supplement. ... > full story

Sexual selection by sugar molecule helped determine human origins, researchers say (October 11, 2011) -- Researchers say that losing the ability to make a particular kind of sugar molecule boosted disease protection in early hominids, and may have directed the evolutionary emergence of our ancestors, the genus Homo. ... > full story

Certain dietary supplements associated with increased risk of death in older women, study suggests (October 11, 2011) -- Consuming dietary supplements, including multivitamins, folic acid, iron and copper, among others, appears to be associated with an increased risk of death in older women, according to a new report. ... > full story

Form follows family -- not function: Humans and chimpanzees have similar long bone shape (October 11, 2011) -- Although humans and chimpanzees move quite differently, muscle attachment sites at their thighbones are similar. This result has major consequences for the interpretation of fossil hominin finds. ... > full story

Baltic Sea contributes carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, study shows (October 11, 2011) -- The Baltic Sea emits more carbon dioxide than it can bind. Local variations have increased the exposure of the Bay of Bothnia. These are the results from a study of how carbon dioxide flows between the water of the Baltic Sea and the atmosphere, carried out by scientists in Sweden. ... > full story

'Non-invasive' cultivar? Buyer beware (October 11, 2011) -- Cultivars of popular woody ornamental plants that have reduced viable seed production and are being advertised as "non-invasive" in the horticultural and nursery industries are probably nonetheless quite capable of spawning invasions, according to researchers. More rigorous testing, or complete sterility, should be required to allow claims that a cultivar of a potentially invasive species is environmentally safe. ... > full story

Critical minerals ignite geopolitical storm (October 11, 2011) -- The clean energy economy of the future hinges on a lot of things, chief among them the availability of the scores of rare earth minerals and other elements used to make everything from photovoltaic panels and cellphone displays to the permanent magnets in cutting edge new wind generators. And right out of the gate trouble is brewing over projected growth in demand for these minerals and the security of their supplies. ... > full story

Long-lost Lake Agassiz offers clues to climate change (October 11, 2011) -- What caused water levels to drop in immense yet long-vanished Lake Agassiz? New research suggests that conditions 12,000 years ago encouraged evaporation. Not long ago, geologically speaking, a now-vanished lake covered a huge expanse of today's Canadian prairie. Although Lake Agassiz is gone, questions about its origin and disappearance remain. Answers to those questions may provide clues to our future climate. ... > full story

Gene technology can help food crops must to withstand harsher weather (October 11, 2011) -- Rapid population growth and a swiftly changing climate compound the challenges of ensuring a secure global food supply. Genetically modified plants could help to solve the problem, believes Norwegian a crop researcher. By 2050, 70 per cent more food will need to be produced worldwide on roughly the same area of farmland to keep up with global population growth. At the same time, major changes in climate are expected to occur. Some agricultural researchers believe that in order to ensure a secure global food supply, we will have to use every existing means -- including genetically modified organisms (GMO). ... > full story

NASA sees large Tropical Storm Banyan stretched over southern Philippines (October 11, 2011) -- Tropical Storm Banyan's center may still be at sea, but NASA satellite data today shows the western edge of the storm already over the southern Philippines. ... > full story

NASA gets an icy cold wink from Hurricane Jova's eye (October 11, 2011) -- Several NASA satellites have been following Hurricane Jova since birth and over the last day, Jova's eye has "winked" at them. ... > full story

Giant 'kraken' lair discovered: Cunning sea monster that preyed on ichthyosaurs (October 10, 2011) -- Long before whales, the oceans of Earth were roamed by a very different kind of air-breathing leviathan. Snaggle-toothed ichthyosaurs larger than school buses swam at the top of the Triassic Period ocean food chain, or so it seemed before paleontologist Mark McMenamin took a look at some of their remains in Nevada. Now he thinks there was an even larger and more cunning sea monster that preyed on ichthyosaurs: a 'kraken' of such mythological proportions it would have sent Captain Nemo running for dry land. ... > full story

Study shows how bookmarking genes pre-cell division hastens their subsequent reactivation (October 10, 2011) -- By observing and measuring the kinetics of activation of a single gene locus in a cell before it divides and comparing it with the same gene's reactivation in newly formed daughter cells, scientists have discovered how how bookmarking a gene pre-division causes it to get reactivated post-division. ... > full story

Ancient climate change has left a strong imprint on modern ecosystems (October 10, 2011) -- As Earth’s climate cycles between warm and cool periods, species often must move to stay within suitable conditions. Scientists have now mapped how fast species have had to migrate in the past to keep up with changing climate. They found that small-ranged species – which constitute much of Earth’s biodiversity – are concentrated in regions where little migration has been required. Predicted climate change will drastically increase the required migration rates in many of these locations, putting their unique faunas at risk. ... > full story

Abundance of tuna in the first days of life is influenced by cannibalism (October 10, 2011) -- Two new studies have shown that the coexistence of tuna larvae of different species and sizes in the spawning areas is essential for the survival of such early life stages, since cannibalism can constitute a significant fraction of natural mortality during this period. ... > full story

Smarter toxins help crops fight resistant pests (October 10, 2011) -- An international collaboration has found that a small genetic manipulation restores the efficacy of crop-protecting toxins derived from bacteria against pest insects that have become resistant. ... > full story

Scientists determine alternative insecticide dramatically reduces malaria transmission (October 10, 2011) -- Indoor spraying with the insecticide bendiocarb has dramatically decreased malaria transmission in many parts of Benin, new evidence that insecticides remain a potent weapon for fighting malaria in Africa despite the rapid rise of resistance to an entire class of mosquito-killing compounds, according to a new study. ... > full story

Gray jays' winter survival depends on food storage, study shows (October 10, 2011) -- A new study shows that gray jays hoping to survive and reproduce through Canada's harsh winters need to be able to store food in the right kinds of trees. ... > full story

New method to diagnose sinusitis could reduce use of antibiotics, Swedish research suggests (October 10, 2011) -- Research from Sweden suggests a new method of diagnosing sinusitis. The results offer the potential to reduce the use of antibiotics and the costs of the disease to society. ... > full story

Children's food choices are affected by direct advertising and parental influence, study suggests (October 10, 2011) -- Directly advertising food items to children worries many parents and health care providers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association have expressed concern about the negative impact of advertising on children's healthy food choices. A new study explores the relationship between fast food advertisements, parental influence, and the food choices made by children. ... > full story

Aquatic fish jump into picture of evolutionary land invasion (October 9, 2011) -- Research sometimes means looking for one thing and finding another. Such was the case when biology professor Alice Gibb and her research team witnessed a small amphibious fish, the mangrove rivulus, jump with apparent skill and purpose out of a small net and back into the water. This was no random flop, like you might see from a trout that's just been landed. The rivulus seemed to know what it was doing. ... > full story

Tougher, lighter wind turbine blade developed: Polyurethane reinforced with carbon nanotubes (October 9, 2011) -- Efforts to build larger wind turbines able to capture more energy from the air are stymied by the weight of blades. Researchers have now built a prototype blade that is substantially lighter and eight times tougher and more durable than currently used blade materials. ... > full story

Across the Atlantic on flotsam: New fossil findings shed light on the origins of the mysterious bird Hoatzin (October 9, 2011) -- Scientists have examined fossil relatives of the South American Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), which point to African origins for the enigmatic bird. ... > full story

New software models immune responses (October 9, 2011) -- New software lets researchers see how the immune system responds to pathogens that invade the bacteria-rich environment of the gut. ... > full story

Electricity from the nose: Engineers make power from human respiration (October 8, 2011) -- The same piezoelectric effect that ignites your gas grill with the push of a button could one day power sensors in your body via the respiration in your nose. ... > full story

A new species of 'gigantic' mollusc has been discovered in the Antarctic waters (October 8, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a rare mollusc in Antarctic waters that looks the same as limpets but is bigger in size than the species known to date. The specimen appeared in waters much further away from where this type of species is normally found. ... > full story

Early detection of plant disease (October 8, 2011) -- Each year, plant viruses and fungal attacks lead to crop losses of up to 30 percent. That is why it is important to detect plant disease early on. Yet laboratory tests are expensive and often time-consuming. Researchers are now developing a low-cost quick test for use on site. ... > full story

Reefs recovered faster after mass extinction than first thought (October 8, 2011) -- Metazoan-dominated reefs only took 1.5 million years to recover after the largest species extinction 252 million years ago, paleontologists have found, based on fossils from the southwestern United States. ... > full story

Culling can't save the Tasmanian devil, researchers warn (October 8, 2011) -- Culling will not control the spread of facial tumor disease among Tasmanian devils, according to a new study. Unless a way of managing the disease is found, the iconic marsupial could become extinct in the wild within the next 25 years. ... > full story

Worm 'cell death' discovery could lead to new drugs for deadly parasite (October 7, 2011) -- Researchers have for the first time identified a "programmed cell death" pathway in parasitic worms that could one day lead to new treatments for one of the world's most serious and prevalent diseases. ... > full story

A new species of fossil silky lacewing insects that lived more than 120 million years ago (October 7, 2011) -- A team of researchers has discovered a remarkable silky lacewing insect from the Mesozoic of China. ... > full story

New insight into plant immune defenses (October 7, 2011) -- Researchers have identified an important cog in the molecular machinery of plant immunity -- a discovery that could help crop breeders produce disease-resistant varieties to help ensure future food security. There may also be implications for treating human immune-related disorders. ... > full story

Natural compound helps reverse diabetes in mice (October 7, 2011) -- Researchers have restored normal blood sugar metabolism in diabetic mice using a compound the body makes naturally. The finding suggests that it may one day be possible for people to take the compound much like a daily vitamin as a way to treat or even prevent Type 2 diabetes. ... > full story

Novel mechanism for preventing infection via body's mucosal borders (October 7, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a previously unknown mechanism that generates protective immune memory cells to fight recurring infections at the body's mucosal linings -- which include the mouth, the intestines, the lungs and other areas. These are the main entry points for many viruses and other infectious organisms. ... > full story

Pregnant mothers at risk from air pollution, California study suggests (October 7, 2011) -- A California-based study has looked in detail at air quality and the impact of traffic-related air pollution on premature birth. Results from the study show that traffic-related air pollution, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, is associated with up to a 30 percent increase in premature births, and that seasonal changes and vicinity to the coast affected concentration of toxic pollutants in the air. ... > full story

Multibeam sonar can map undersea gas seeps (October 7, 2011) -- A technology commonly used to map the bottom of the deep ocean can also detect gas seeps in the water column with remarkably high fidelity, according to scientists. This finding, made onboard the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer in the Gulf of Mexico, will lead to more effective mapping of these gas seeps and, ultimately, enhanced understanding of our ocean environments. ... > full story

Ionic liquid catalyst helps turn emissions into fuel (October 7, 2011) -- Scientists have overcome one major obstacle to artificial photosynthesis, a promising technology that simultaneously reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide and produces fuel. They have now used an ionic liquid to catalyze the conversion of CO2 to CO, the first step in making fuel, greatly reducing the energy required to drive the process. ... > full story

Southern California's tectonic plates revealed in detail (October 7, 2011) -- Geologists have produced the most detailed picture of southern California's lithosphere, which is crucial to understanding the geological forces that shaped the area. The team found the lithosphere's thickness differs markedly throughout, yielding new insights into how rifting shaped the southern California terrain. ... > full story

Aggression-boldness gene identified in model fish (October 7, 2011) -- A gene responsible for aggressive and bold behavior has been identified in zebrafish. This specific behavioral association, whose three characteristics are boldness, exploratory behavior and aggressiveness, has been described in many animal species. In zebrafish, it could be due to the action of a single gene (fgfr-1) through its regulation of histamine levels in the brain, as histamine is the neurotransmitter involved in numerous behavioral traits. ... > full story