The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Thursday, December 1, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Thursday, December 1, 2011

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Abrupt permafrost thaw increases climate threat, experts say (December 1, 2011) -- As the Arctic warms, greenhouse gases will be released from thawing permafrost faster and at significantly higher levels than previous estimates, according to a survey of international experts. Permafrost thaw will release approximately the same amount of carbon as deforestation. However, the effect of thawing permafrost on climate will be 2.5 times greater because emissions include methane, a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. ... > full story

Rainfall suspected culprit in leaf disease transmission (December 1, 2011) -- Rainfalls are suspected to trigger the spread of a multitude of foliar (leaf) diseases, which could be devastating for agriculture and forestry. Instead of focusing on the large-scale, ecological impact of this problem, researchers are studying the phenomenon from a novel perspective: that of a single rain droplet. ... > full story

Texas drought visible in new national groundwater maps (December 1, 2011) -- The record-breaking drought in Texas that has fueled wildfires, decimated crops and forced cattle sales has also reduced levels of groundwater in much of the state to the lowest levels seen in more than 60 years, according to new national maps. ... > full story

A new model for understanding biodiversity (December 1, 2011) -- Biology researchers have developed a unified, spatially based understanding of biodiversity that takes into account the complex food webs of predators and prey. ... > full story

Earthquake friction effect demonstrated at the nanoscale (November 30, 2011) -- Earthquakes are some of the most daunting natural disasters that scientists try to analyze. Though Earth's major fault lines are well known, there is little scientists can do to predict when an earthquake will occur or how strong it will be. And, though earthquakes involve millions of tons of rock, a team of researchers has helped discover an aspect of friction on the nanoscale that may lead to a better understanding of the disasters. ... > full story

Biologists deliver neutralizing antibodies that protect against HIV infection in mice (November 30, 2011) -- Researchers have been studying a group of potent antibodies that have the ability to neutralize HIV in the lab; Their hope is to create a vaccine that makes antibodies with similar properties. Now, biologists have taken one step closer to that goal: They have developed a way to deliver these antibodies to mice and, in so doing, have effectively protected them from HIV infection. ... > full story

Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine (November 30, 2011) -- The most poisonous substance on Earth -- already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles -- could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping millions of people with rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, psoriasis and other diseases, scientists are reporting. ... > full story

Magnetic pole reversal happens all the (geologic) time (November 30, 2011) -- Scientists understand that Earth's magnetic field has flipped its polarity many times over the millennia. The answer, from the geologic and fossil records we have from hundreds of past magnetic polarity reversals, seems to be "no." ... > full story

Ancient cooking pots reveal gradual transition to agriculture (November 30, 2011) -- Humans may have undergone a gradual rather than an abrupt transition from fishing, hunting and gathering to farming, according to a new study of ancient pottery. Researchers in the UK analyzed cooking residues preserved in 133 ceramic vessels from the Western Baltic regions of Northern Europe to establish whether these residues were from terrestrial, marine or freshwater organisms. ... > full story

Setting the stage for life: Scientists make key discovery about the atmosphere of early Earth (November 30, 2011) -- Scientists have used the oldest minerals on Earth to reconstruct the atmospheric conditions present on Earth very soon after its birth. The findings are the first direct evidence of what the ancient atmosphere of the planet was like soon after its formation and directly challenge years of research on the type of atmosphere out of which life arose on the planet. ... > full story

Lightning-made waves in Earth's atmosphere leak into space (November 30, 2011) -- NASA's Vector Electric Field Instrument aboard the US Air Force's Communications/Navigation Outage Forecast System satellite has detected Schumann resonance from space. This comes as a surprise, since current models of Schumann resonance predict these waves should be caged at lower altitude, between the ground and a layer of Earth's atmosphere called the ionosphere. ... > full story

Genetic buzzer-beater genes may save fish (November 30, 2011) -- Two distinct populations of rainbow trout -- one in Alaska, the other in Idaho -- share a genetic trait that could have huge implications for fisheries conservation and management, an eight-member research team reports. ... > full story

Making a light-harvesting antenna from scratch: Biomimetic antenna for gathering sunlight may one day transform solar-powered devices (November 30, 2011) -- Scientists have succeeded in making a light-harvesting antenna from scratch. The new antenna, modeled on the chlorosome found in green bacteria, is a giant assembly of pigment molecules. Perhaps nature's most spectacular light-harvesting antennae, chlorosomes allow green bacteria to photosynthesize even in the dim light in ocean deeps. ... > full story

Sugar-sweetened beverages may increase cardiovascular risk in women, research suggests (November 30, 2011) -- Drinking two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day may expand a woman's waistline and increase her risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to new research. ... > full story

Gone with the wind: Why the fast jet stream winds cannot contribute much renewable energy after all (November 30, 2011) -- The assumption that high jet steam wind speeds in the upper atmosphere correspond to high wind power has now been challenged by new research. Taking into account that the high wind speeds result from the near absence of friction and not from a strong power source, scientists found that the maximum extractable energy from jet streams is approximately 200 times less than reported previously. ... > full story

Marzipan Santas, elves and stollen: Real deal or cheap fakes? (November 30, 2011) -- With the December holidays a peak season for indulging in marzipan, scientists are reporting development of a new test that can tell the difference between the real thing -- a pricey but luscious paste made from ground almonds and sugar -- and cheap fakes made from ground soy, peas and other ingredients. ... > full story

3-D printer used to make bone-like material (November 30, 2011) -- It looks like bone. It feels like bone. For the most part, it acts like bone. And it came off an inkjet printer. Researchers have used a 3-D printer to create a bone-like material that can be used in orthopedic procedures, dental work, and to deliver medicine for treating osteoporosis. Paired with actual bone, it acts as a scaffold for new bone to grow on and ultimately dissolves with no apparent ill effects. ... > full story

Herbicide may affect plants thought to be resistant (November 30, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a fine-tuning mechanism involved in plant root growth that has them questioning whether a popular herbicide may have unintended consequences, causing some plants to need more water or nutrients. ... > full story

Elderly long-term care residents suffer cognitively during disasters (November 30, 2011) -- In a summer with unprecedented weather events, from tornadoes, floods, fires and hurricanes, researchers found that physiological changes associated with aging and the presence of chronic illness make older adults more susceptible to illness or injury, even death, during a disaster. ... > full story

Transplanted cells repair the brain in obese mice (November 30, 2011) -- Small numbers of properly selected neurons, transplanted into damaged brain areas in mice, are capable of restoring lost functions. Experiments on mice with a defect resulting in obesity and a series of measurements documenting efficiency of the neuron transplant method have now been carried out. ... > full story

Caribbean fisheries highly vulnerable to climate change, need to adapt (November 30, 2011) -- A new study predicts severe negative impacts, including loss and alteration of habitats, smaller and less-diverse fish stocks, and coral bleaching, and urges prompt action to help fisheries prepare. ... > full story

Walnut trees may not be able to withstand climate change (November 30, 2011) -- Warmer, drier summers and extreme weather events considered possible as the climate changes would be especially troublesome -- possibly fatal -- for walnut trees, according to researchers. ... > full story

Growing knowledge in space: Studying what effects microgravity has on plant cell walls, root growth patterns and gene regulation (November 30, 2011) -- Plants are critical in supporting life on Earth, and with help from an experiment that flew onboard space shuttle Discovery's STS-131 mission, they also could transform living in space. NASA's Kennedy Space Center partnered with the University of Florida, Miami University in Ohio and Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation to perform three different experiments in microgravity. The studies concentrated on the effects microgravity has on plant cell walls, root growth patterns and gene regulation within the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Each of the studies has future applications on Earth and in space exploration. ... > full story

First U.S. large demonstration-scale injection of CO<sub>2</sub> from a biofuel production facility begins (November 30, 2011) -- The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium has begun injecting carbon dioxide for the first million-tonne demonstration of carbon sequestration in the United States. The CO2 will be stored permanently in the Mt. Simon Sandstone more than a mile beneath the Illinois surface at Decatur. ... > full story

New thinking required on wildlife disease, experts say (November 29, 2011) -- Scientist say much more could be done to predict the likelihood and spread of serious disease -- such as tuberculosis or foot-and-mouth disease -- in Australian wildlife and commercial stock. ... > full story

'Look at that!' Ravens gesture with their beaks to point out objects to each other (November 29, 2011) -- Pointing and holding up objects in order to attract attention has so far only been observed in humans and our closest living relatives, the great apes. Researchers now provide the first evidence that ravens (Corvus corax) also use so called deictic gestures in order to test the interest of a potential partner or to strengthen an already existing bond. ... > full story

E. coli bacteria engineered to eat switchgrass and make transportation fuels (November 29, 2011) -- Strains of E. coli bacteria were engineered to digest switchgrass biomass and synthesize its sugars into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The switchgrass, which is among the most highly touted of the potential feedstocks for advanced biofuels, was pre-treated with ionic liquid, a key to the success of this study. ... > full story

Environment and diet leave their prints on the heart (November 29, 2011) -- A new study, which set out to investigate DNA methylation in the human heart and the "missing link" between our lifestyle and our health, has now mapped the link in detail across the entire human genome. ... > full story

Earth's past gives clues to future changes (November 29, 2011) -- Scientists are a step closer to predicting when and where earthquakes will occur after taking a fresh look at the formation of the Andes, which began 45 million years ago. ... > full story

Madagascar dinosaur bone is most massive osteoderm ever found (November 29, 2011) -- What more can we learn about long-necked dinosaurs that we don't already know? Researchers have found that Madagascar dinosaurs carried giant, hollow bones in their skin that may have helped them survive the harsh environments they inhabited. This discovery has shed new light on the anatomy and function of these bones in the biggest animals to ever walk on land. ... > full story

Coffee may protect against endometrial cancer, study suggests (November 29, 2011) -- Long-term coffee consumption may be associated with a reduced risk for endometrial cancer, according to a recent study. ... > full story

How bacteria can break down hazardous environmental pollutants (November 29, 2011) -- Researchers now understand how bacteria can break down phosphonic acids, persistent and potentially hazardous environmental pollutants found in many common medicinal products, detergents and herbicides. ... > full story

How bats 'hear' objects in their path (November 29, 2011) -- By placing real and virtual objects in the flight paths of bats, scientists have shed new light on how echolocation works. The researchers found that it is not the intensity of the echoes that tells the bats the size of an object but the 'sonar aperture', that is the spread of angles from which echoes impinge on their ears. ... > full story

Scientists determine how antibody recognizes key sugars on HIV surface (November 29, 2011) -- HIV is coated in sugars that usually hide the virus from the immune system. Newly published research reveals how one broadly neutralizing HIV antibody actually uses part of the sugary cloak to help bind to the virus. The antibody binding site, called the V1/V2 region, represents a suitable HIV vaccine target, according to the scientists who conducted the study. ... > full story

First system developed for assessing the odds of life on other worlds (November 29, 2011) -- A modeling expert has proposed a new system for classifying exoplanets using two different indices -- an Earth Similarity Index for categorizing a planet's more earth-like features and a Planetary Habitability Index for describing a variety of chemical and physical parameters that are theoretically conducive to life in more extreme, less Earth-like conditions. ... > full story

Fungi: Another tool in bacteria's belt? Fungi and bacteria help one another stay mobile, say researchers (November 29, 2011) -- Fungal spores can attach themselves to bacteria and "hitch a ride" to wherever the bacteria can travel, say researchers. This discovery will help scientists fight disease-causing bacteria or promote the spread of "good kinds" of bacteria and fungi, such as those that contribute to the health of plants. ... > full story

Scientific sleuths pinpoint the guilty coral killers (November 29, 2011) -- The elusive culprits that are killing countless coral reefs around the world can now be nabbed with technology normally used to diagnose human diseases, marine researchers say. Coral researchers and reef managers will be able to identify coral infections using a new method that allows them to classify specific diseases based on the presence of microbes. This could lead to more effective action to reduce the impact of disease on the world's imperiled coral reefs. ... > full story

Big pest, small genome: Two-spotted spider mite genome decoded (November 29, 2011) -- Biologists have decoded the genetic blueprint of the two-spotted spider mite, raising hope for new ways to attack the major pest, which resists pesticides and destroys crops and ornamental plants worldwide. ... > full story

Carbon mitigation strategy uses wood for buildings first, bioenergy second (November 29, 2011) -- A new study is first to focus on the extra carbon savings that can be squeezed from trees when wood not suitable for long-term building materials is used for bioenergy: Depending on the process used, ethanol from woody biomass emits less greenhouse gas than an equivalent amount of gasoline, between 70 percent and a little over 100 percent less. In contrast, corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions 22 percent on average. ... > full story

Marine biodiversity loss due to global warming and predation, study predicts (November 28, 2011) -- The biodiversity loss caused by climate change will result from a combination of rising temperatures and predation -- and may be more severe than currently predicted, according to a new study. ... > full story

Enzymatic synthesis of pyrrolysine, the mysterious 22nd amino acid (November 28, 2011) -- With few exceptions, all known proteins are built up from only twenty amino acids. 25 years ago scientists discovered a 21st amino acid, selenocysteine and ten years ago a 22nd, the pyrrolysine. However, how the cell produces the unusual building block remained a mystery. Now researchers have elucidated the structure of an important enzyme in the production of pyrrolysine. ... > full story

New compound defeats drug-resistant bacteria (November 28, 2011) -- Chemists have synthesized a new compound that makes drug-resistant bacteria susceptible again to antibiotics. The compound -- BU-005 -- blocks pumps that a bacterium employs to expel an antibacterial agent called chloramphenicol. The team used a new and highly efficient method for the synthesis of BU-005 and other C-capped dipetptides. ... > full story

Herbicide atrazine spurs reproductive problems in many creatures, report finds (November 28, 2011) -- An international team of researchers has reviewed the evidence linking exposure to atrazine -- an herbicide widely used in the US and more than 60 other nations -- to reproductive problems in animals. The team found consistent patterns of reproductive dysfunction in amphibians, fish, reptiles and mammals exposed to the chemical. ... > full story

Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, study finds (November 28, 2011) -- Just one drink per day for women -- two for men -- could lead to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and subsequently cause gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, gas, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea, according to the results of a new study. ... > full story

First dogs came from East Asia, genetic study confirms (November 28, 2011) -- Researchers say they have found further proof that the wolf ancestors of today's domesticated dogs can be traced to southern East Asia -- findings that run counter to theories placing the cradle of the canine line in the Middle East. ... > full story

Fifth of global energy could come from biomass without damaging food production, report suggests (November 28, 2011) -- A new report suggests that up to one fifth of global energy could be provided by biomass (plants) without damaging food production. The report reviews more than 90 global studies. ... > full story

Insect cyborgs may become first responders: Search and monitor hazardous places (November 28, 2011) -- New developments may lead to insects monitoring hazardous situations before humans are sent in. The principal idea is to harvest the insect's biological energy from either its body heat or movements. The device converts the kinetic energy from wing movements of the insect into electricity, thus prolonging the battery life. The battery can be used to power small sensors implanted on the insect (such as a small camera, a microphone or a gas sensor) in order to gather vital information from hazardous environments. ... > full story

Genome-scale network of rice genes to speed the development of biofuel crops (November 28, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the first genome-scale model for predicting the functions of genes and gene networks in a grass species. Called RiceNet, this systems-level model of rice gene interactions should help speed the development of new crops for the production of advanced biofuels, as well as help boost the production and improve the quality of one of the world's most important food staples. ... > full story