The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, January 20, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, January 20, 2012

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Cheap beads offer alternative solar-heating storage (January 20, 2012) -- A cheap material that can store heat energy collected from the sun during the day that can be released slowly over night has been developed by researchers in the India. The material, based on paraffin wax and stearic acid, could help keep homes warm in sunny parts of the world that get very cold at night without burning wood or fossil fuels. ... > full story

Harp seals on thin ice after 32 years of warming (January 20, 2012) -- Warming in the North Atlantic over the last 32 years has significantly reduced winter sea ice cover in harp seal breeding grounds, resulting in sharply higher death rates among seal pups in recent years, according to a new study. ... > full story

Two new standard reference materials for monitoring human exposure to environmental toxins (January 20, 2012) -- Scientists have developed two new standard reference materials for measurements of human exposure to environmental toxins. The new reference materials replace and improve older versions, adding measures for emerging environmental contaminants such as perchlorate, a chemical that the Environmental Protection Agency has targeted for regulation as a contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act. ... > full story

Environmental exposure to organochlorines may impact male reproduction (January 19, 2012) -- Environmental exposure to organochlorine chemicals, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-DDE (the main metabolite of the insecticide DDT) can affect male reproduction, according to new research. ... > full story

Impact of land use activity in the Amazon basin evaluated (January 19, 2012) -- Portions of the Amazon basin are experiencing a transition in energy and water cycles. Evidence suggests that the Amazon may also be transitioning from a net carbon sink to a net source. This research shows that although the Amazon is resilient to individual disturbances, such as drought, multiple disturbances override this, increasing the vulnerability of forest ecosystems to degradation. This review provides a framework for understanding the associations between natural variability and drivers of change. ... > full story

Unusual 'tulip' creature discovered: Lived in the ocean more than 500 million years ago (January 19, 2012) -- A bizarre creature that lived in the ocean more than 500 million years ago has emerged from the famous Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale in the Canadian Rockies. Officially named Siphusauctum gregarium, fossils reveal a tulip-shaped creature that is about the length of a dinner knife (approximately 20 centimeters or eight inches) and has a unique filter feeding system. ... > full story

Native forest birds in Hawaii in unprecedented trouble (January 19, 2012) -- Native birds at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge are in unprecedented trouble, according to a new article. ... > full story

When it comes to accepting evolution, gut feelings trump facts (January 19, 2012) -- For students to accept the theory of evolution, an intuitive "gut feeling" may be just as important as understanding the facts, according to a new study. In an analysis of the beliefs of biology teachers, researchers found that a quick intuitive notion of how right an idea feels was a powerful driver of whether or not students accepted evolution -- often trumping factors such as knowledge level or religion. ... > full story

NASA finds 2011 ninth-warmest year on record (January 19, 2012) -- The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists. The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000. ... > full story

'Rules' may govern genome evolution in young plant species (January 19, 2012) -- A new study shows a hybrid plant species may experience rapid genome evolution in predictable patterns, meaning evolution repeats itself in populations of independent origin. ... > full story

Snakes improve search-and-rescue robots: New design uses less energy (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers have studied the movements of snakes to create more efficient search-and-rescue robots. ... > full story

Inventory lists 19,232 newly discovered species during latest count (January 19, 2012) -- More than half of the 19,232 species newly known to science in 2009, the most recent calendar year of compilation, were insects -- 9,738 or 50.6 percent -- according to the 2011 State of Observed Species. ... > full story

Polar growth at the bacterial scale reveals potential new targets for antibiotic therapy (January 19, 2012) -- Microbiologists have identified a new bacterial growth process -- one that occurs at a single end or pole of the cell instead of uniform, dispersed growth along the long axis of the cell -- that could have implications in the development of new antibacterial strategies. ... > full story

Saving dogs with spinal cord injuries (January 19, 2012) -- Dogs with spinal cord injuries may soon benefit from an experimental drug currently being tested by researchers — work that they hope will one day help people with similar injuries. ... > full story

Songbird brain synapses and glial cells capable of synthesizing estrogen (January 19, 2012) -- A biology professor has detailed previously undiscovered ways songbirds can produce estrogen in their brains. ... > full story

Tortoise species thought to be extinct still lives, genetic analysis reveals (January 19, 2012) -- Dozens of giant tortoises of a species believed extinct for 150 years may still be living at a remote location in the Galápagos Islands, a genetic analysis reveals. ... > full story

Important gene-regulation proteins pinpointed by new method (January 19, 2012) -- A novel technique precisely pinpoints the location of proteins that read and regulate chromosomes. The order of these proteins determines whether a brain cell, a liver cell, or a cancer cell is formed. Until now, it has been exceedingly difficult to determine exactly where such proteins bind to the chromosome, and therefore how they work. The new technique has the potential to take high-resolution snapshots of proteins as they regulate or miss-regulate an entire genome. ... > full story

Good parents are predictable, at least when it comes to corn (January 19, 2012) -- According to a relatively new insight in plant research, there is no single gene strongly controlling growth. Nevertheless, in order to breed new varieties of corn with a higher yield faster than ever before, researchers are relying on a trick: early selection of the most promising parent plants based on their chemical and genetic makeup, as well as on new statistical analysis procedures. ... > full story

First physical evidence of tobacco in Mayan container (January 18, 2012) -- Anthropologists and other scientists have used ultra-modern chemical analysis technology to analyze ancient Mayan pottery for proof of tobacco use in the ancient culture. They discovered the first physical evidence of tobacco in a Mayan container. Their discovery represents new evidence on the ancient use of tobacco in the Mayan culture and a new method to understand the ancient roots of tobacco use in the Americas. ... > full story

Ice age findings forecast problems: Data from end of last Ice Age confirm effects of climate change on oceans (January 18, 2012) -- The first comprehensive study of changes in the oxygenation of oceans at the end of the last Ice Age has implications for the future of our oceans under global warming. The study looked at marine sediment and found that that the dissolved oxygen concentrations in large parts of the oceans changed dramatically during the relatively slow natural climate changes at the end of the last Ice Age. ... > full story

New device creates lipid spheres that mimic cell membranes (January 18, 2012) -- A new way of manipulating fluids on microscopic levels brings us one step closer to "bottom-up" artificial cell constructs. ... > full story

Ancient popcorn discovered in Peru (January 18, 2012) -- People living along the coast of Peru were eating popcorn 1,000 years earlier than previously reported and before ceramic pottery was used there, according to a new article. ... > full story

Prehistoric predators with supersized teeth had beefier arm bones (January 18, 2012) -- The toothiest prehistoric predators also had beefier arm bones, according to results of a new study. Saber-toothed tigers may come to mind, but these extinct cats weren't the only animals with fearsome fangs. Take the false saber-toothed cats -- also known as nimravids -- and their catlike cousins, a family of carnivores called the barbourofelids. ... > full story

Climate balancing: Sea-level rise vs. surface temperature change rates (January 18, 2012) -- Engineering our way out of global climate warming may not be as easy as simply reducing the incoming solar energy, according to a climate scientists. Designing the approach to control both sea level rise and rates of surface air temperature changes requires a balancing act to accommodate the diverging needs of different locations. ... > full story

World's most extreme deep-sea vents revealed: Deeper than any seen before, and teeming with new creatures (January 18, 2012) -- Scientists have revealed details of the world's most extreme deep-sea volcanic vents, five kilometers down in a rift in the Caribbean seafloor. The undersea hot springs, which lie 0.8 kilometers deeper than any seen before, may be hotter than 450 °C and are shooting a jet of mineral-laden water more than a kilometer into the ocean above. ... > full story

First link between potentially toxic PFCs in office air and in office workers' blood (January 18, 2012) -- In a first-of-its-kind study, scientists are reporting that the indoor air in offices is an important source of worker exposure to potentially toxic substances released by carpeting, furniture, paint and other items. Their report documents a link between levels of these so-called polyfluorinated compounds in office air and in the blood of workers. ... > full story

Ulcer-causing bacteria baffled by mucus: Researchers discover impact of viscoelasticity on collective behavior of swimming microorganisms (January 18, 2012) -- A new study demonstrates how introducing certain polymers—like those found in human mucus and saliva—into an aquatic environment makes it significantly more difficult for ulcer-causing bacteria and other microorganisms to coordinate. ... > full story

Biologists replicate key evolutionary step (January 18, 2012) -- More than 500 million years ago, single-celled organisms on the Earth's surface began forming multicellular clusters that ultimately became plants and animals. Just how that happened is a question that has eluded evolutionary biologists. ... > full story

Evidence of past Southern hemisphere rainfall cycles related to Antarctic temperatures (January 18, 2012) -- Geoscientists have published the first evidence that warm-cold climate oscillations well known in the Northern Hemisphere over the most recent glacial period also appear as tropical rainfall variations in the Amazon Basin of South America. It is the first clear expression of these cycles in the Southern hemisphere. ... > full story

Increase dietary fiber, decrease disease (January 18, 2012) -- We should all be eating more dietary fiber to improve our health -- that's the message from a health review by scientists in India. Researchers suggest fruit, vegetables, whole-grain foods, such as muesli and porridge, beans and pulses, as readily available foods rich in dietary fiber. ... > full story

Fruit flies watch the sky to stay on course (January 18, 2012) -- New research demonstrates that fruit flies keep their bearings by using the polarization pattern of natural skylight, bolstering the belief that many, if not all, insects have that capability. ... > full story

Intestinal worms may help promote healing (January 18, 2012) -- Intestinal worm infections may not be all bad, according to a new study. In research on mice immune reaction to the presence of intestinal worms was found to promote wound healing in the lungs. ... > full story

Simpler times: Did an earlier genetic molecule predate DNA and RNA? (January 18, 2012) -- Scientists have described the Darwinian evolution of functional TNA molecules from a large pool of random sequences. This is the first case where such methods have been applied to molecules other than DNA and RNA, or very close structural analogues thereof. One of the researchers said "the most important finding to come from this work is that TNA can fold into complex shapes that can bind to a desired target with high affinity and specificity." ... > full story

New way to learn about -- and potentially block -- traits in harmful pathogens (January 18, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a new way to identify the genes of harmful microbes, particularly those that have been difficult to study in the laboratory. ... > full story

Algae for your fuel tank (January 18, 2012) -- The available amount of fossil fuels is limited and their combustion in vehicle motors increases atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The generation of fuels from biomass as an alternative is on the rise. Scientists have now introduced a new catalytic process that allows the effective conversion of biopetroleum from microalgae into diesel fuels. ... > full story

Diverse ecosystems are crucial climate change buffer (January 17, 2012) -- Preserving diverse plant life will be crucial to buffer the negative effects of climate change and desertification in in the world's drylands, according to a new landmark study. ... > full story

Marijuana use associated with cyclic vomiting syndrome in young males (January 17, 2012) -- Researchers have found clear associations between marijuana use in young males and cyclic vomiting syndrome, where patients experience episodes of vomiting separated by symptom-free intervals. ... > full story

Boost for health? Researchers isolate protein linking exercise to health benefits (January 17, 2012) -- Scientists have isolated a natural hormone from muscle cells that triggers some of the key health benefits of exercise. The hormone, named irisin, switches on genes that convert white fat into "good" brown fat. The researchers call irisin a highly promising candidate for development as a novel treatment for diabetes, obesity and perhaps other disorders, including cancer. ... > full story

Solutions for a nitrogen-soaked world (January 17, 2012) -- Nitrogen is both an essential nutrient and a pollutant, a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion and a fertilizer that feeds billions, a benefit and a hazard, depending on form, location, and quantity. Agriculture, industry and transportation have spread nitrogen liberally around the planet, say scientists with complex and interrelated consequences for human and ecological health. ... > full story

Most recent European great ape discovered (January 17, 2012) -- Based on a hominid molar, scientists from Germany, Bulgaria and France have documented that great apes survived in Europe in savannah-like landscapes until seven million years ago. ... > full story

Short, sharp shock treatment for E. coli (January 17, 2012) -- A short burst of low voltage alternating current can effectively eradicate E. coli bacteria growing on the surface of even heavily contaminated beef, according to a new study. The technique offers an inexpensive and easy to implement approach to reducing the risk of food poisoning, which can occur despite handlers complying with hygiene standards. ... > full story

Climate adaptation difficult for Europe's birds (January 17, 2012) -- For the past 20 years, the climate in Europe has been getting warmer. Species of bird and butterfly which thrive in cool temperatures therefore need to move further north. However, they have difficulty adapting to the warmer climate quickly enough, as shown by new research. ... > full story

Early primate had transitional lemur-like grooming claw (January 16, 2012) -- A new study examines the first extinct North American primate with a toe bone showing features associated with the presence of both nails and a grooming claw, indicating our primate ancestors may have traded their flat nails for raised claws for functional purposes, much like pop icons Adele and Lady Gaga are doing today in the name of fashion. ... > full story

Evolution of complexity recreated using 'molecular time travel' (January 16, 2012) -- Scientists have now demonstrated how just a few small, high-probability mutations increased the complexity of a molecular machine more than 800 million years ago. By biochemically resurrecting ancient genes and testing their functions in modern organisms, the researchers showed that a new component was incorporated into the machine due to selective losses of function rather than the sudden appearance of new capabilities. ... > full story

Can we save the whales by putting a price on them? (January 16, 2012) -- Every year, anti-whaling groups spend millions of dollars on activities intended to end commercial whaling. And every year, commercial whaling not only continues, but grows. While protests, education, lobbying and dangerous confrontations on the high seas have saved some whales, the whaling industry shows no sign of shutting down -- or slowing down. Now, an economist and two marine scientists suggest a new strategy that they believe could save whales by putting a price on them. ... > full story

Chlorophyll can help prevent cancer -- but study raises other questions (January 16, 2012) -- A recent study found that the chlorophyll in green vegetables offers protection against cancer when tested against the modest carcinogen exposure levels most likely to be found in the environment. However, chlorophyll actually increases the number of tumors at very high carcinogen exposure levels. The research raises serious questions about whether traditional lab studies done with mice and high levels of toxic exposure are providing accurate answers to what is a real health risk, what isn't, and what dietary or pharmaceutical approaches are useful. ... > full story

New information on the waste-disposal units of living cells (January 16, 2012) -- Researchers have provided the most detailed look ever at the "regulatory particle" used by the proteasome - one of the most critical protein machines in living cells - to identify and degrade proteins marked for destruction. This new information holds implications for a broad range of vital biochemical processes, including transcription, DNA repair and the immune defense system. ... > full story

Cold winters caused by warmer summers, research suggests (January 16, 2012) -- Scientists have offered up a convincing explanation for the harsh winters recently experienced in the Northern hemisphere: increasing temperatures and melting ice in the Arctic regions creating more snowfall in the autumn months at lower latitudes. ... > full story