The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Monday, January 30, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Monday, January 30, 2012

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More than 7,500-year-old fish traps found in Russia (January 29, 2012) -- Archeologists have documented a series of more than 7,500-year-old fish seines (nets) and traps near Moscow. The equipment found, among the oldest in Europe, displays a great technical complexity. The survey will allow us to understand the role of fishing among the European settlements by early Holocene (10,000 years ago), especially in those areas where inhabitants did not practice agriculture until nearly the Iron Age. ... > full story

New biodiversity map of Andes shows species in dire need of protection (January 29, 2012) -- The Andes-Amazon basin of Peru and Bolivia is one of the most biologically rich and rapidly changing areas of the world. A new study has used information collected over the last 100 years by explorers and from satellite images which reveals detailed patterns of species and ecosystems that occur only in this region. Worryingly, the study also finds that many of these unique species and ecosystems are lacking vital national level protection. Endemic species are restricted to a specific area and occur nowhere else. These species are especially vulnerable to climate and environmental changes because they require unique climates and soil conditions. ... > full story

What really happened prior to 'Snowball Earth'? (January 29, 2012) -- The large changes in the carbon isotopic composition of carbonates which occurred prior to the major climatic event more than 500 million years ago, known as "Snowball Earth," are unrelated to worldwide glacial events, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Life discovered on dead hydrothermal vents (January 28, 2012) -- Microbiologists have found that the microbes that thrive on hot fluid methane and sulfur spewed by active hydrothermal vents are supplanted, once the vents go cold, by microbes that feed on the solid iron and sulfur that make up the vents themselves. ... > full story

Space weather center to add world's first 'ensemble forecasting' capability (January 28, 2012) -- Leaner, greener flying machines for the year 2025 are on the drawing boards of three industry teams under contract to the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project. ... > full story

Heart of silk: Scientists use silk from the tasar silkworm as a scaffold for heart tissue (January 28, 2012) -- Damaged human heart muscle cannot be regenerated. Scar tissue grows in place of the damaged muscle cells. Scientists are seeking to restore complete cardiac function with the help of artificial cardiac tissue. They have succeeded in loading cardiac muscle cells onto a three-dimensional scaffold, created using the silk produced by a tropical silkworm. ... > full story

Where there's a worm there's a whale: First distribution model of marine parasites provides revealing insights (January 28, 2012) -- Each year around 20,000 people are infected by nematodes of the genus Anisakis and suffer from illnesses ranging from gastrointestinal diseases to serious allergic reactions as a result. For the first time, parasitologists have gathered data on the occurrence of the parasitic worm and have modeled the worldwide distribution of individual species in the ocean. The resulting maps not only enable statements to be made on the occurrence and migration behavior of certain hosts of the parasites, such as Baleen or toothed whales, but also provide conclusions on the risk of human infection. ... > full story

New information for flu fight: Researchers study RNA interference to determine host genes used by influenza for virus replication (January 28, 2012) -- Influenza virus can rapidly evolve from one form to another, complicating the effectiveness of vaccines and anti-viral drugs used to treat it. By first understanding the complex host cell pathways that the flu uses for replication, researchers are finding new strategies for therapies and vaccines, according to a new study. ... > full story

How cholera bacterium gains a foothold in the gut (January 27, 2012) -- Biologists have made an important advance in our understanding of the way cholera attacks the body. The discovery could help scientists target treatments for the globally significant intestinal disease which kills more than 100,000 people every year. ... > full story

Mars-bound instrument detects solar burst's effects: RAD measures radiation from solar storm (January 27, 2012) -- The largest solar particle event since 2005 hit Earth, Mars and the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft traveling in-between, allowing the onboard Radiation Assessment Detector to measure the radiation a human astronaut could be exposed to en route to the Red Planet. ... > full story

Grape seed extract kills head and neck cancer cells, leaves healthy cells unharmed (January 27, 2012) -- In both cell lines and mouse models, grape seed extract kills head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed, new research shows. ... > full story

New ideas sharpen focus for greener aircraft (January 27, 2012) -- Leaner, greener flying machines for the year 2025 are on the drawing boards of three industry teams under contract to the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project. ... > full story

Engineered bacteria effectively target tumors, enabling tumor imaging potential in mice (January 27, 2012) -- Tumor-targeted bioluminescent bacteria have been shown for the first time to provide accurate 3-D images of tumors in mice, further advancing the potential for targeted cancer drug delivery. ... > full story

Can the economy bear what oil prices have in store? (January 27, 2012) -- The economic pain of a flattening oil supply will trump the environment as a reason to curb the use of fossil fuels, say scientists. ... > full story

Research on vitamins could lead to the design of novel drugs to combat malaria (January 27, 2012) -- New research could lead to the design of more effective drugs to combat malaria. The research will enable scientists to learn more about the nature of the enzymes required for vitamin biosynthesis by the malaria causing pathogen Plasmodium. Vitamins are essential nutrients required in small amounts, the lack of which leads to deficiencies. Many pathogenic microorganisms produce vitamins, and these biosynthetic pathways may provide suitable targets for development of new drugs. ... > full story

How viruses evolve, and in some cases, become deadly (January 27, 2012) -- Researchers have demonstrated how a new virus evolves, shedding light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations. ... > full story

Detecting detrimental change in coral reefs (January 27, 2012) -- Over dinner on R.V. Calypso while anchored on the lee side of Glover's Reef in Belize, Jacques Cousteau told Phil Dustan that he suspected humans were having a negative impact on coral reefs. Dustan -- a young ocean ecologist who had worked in the lush coral reefs of the Caribbean and Sinai Peninsula -- found this difficult to believe. It was December 1974. But Cousteau was right. During the following three-plus decades, Dustan, an ocean ecologist and biology professor at the University of Charleston in South Carolina, has witnessed widespread coral reef degradation and bleaching from up close. ... > full story

Life beyond Earth? Underwater caves in Bahamas could give clues (January 27, 2012) -- Discoveries made in some underwater caves by researchers in the Bahamas could provide clues about how ocean life formed on Earth millions of years ago, and perhaps give hints of what types of marine life could be found on distant planets and moons. ... > full story

How seawater could corrode nuclear fuel (January 27, 2012) -- Japan used seawater to cool nuclear fuel at the stricken Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant after the tsunami in March 2011 -- and that was probably the best action to take at the time, say experts. But researchers have since discovered a new way in which seawater can corrode nuclear fuel, forming uranium compounds that could potentially travel long distances, either in solution or as very small particles. ... > full story

Overgrazed grasslands tied to locust outbreaks (January 27, 2012) -- Scientists have shown that insect nutrition and agricultural land management practices may partially explain modern day locust outbreaks. ... > full story

Barley adapts to climate change (January 27, 2012) -- The upsurge in droughts is one of the main consequences of climate change, and affects crops in particular. However, a biologist has confirmed that in the case of barley at least, climate change itself is providing it with a self-defense mechanisms to tackle a lack of water. ... > full story

Following genetic footprints out of Africa: First modern humans settled in Arabia (January 27, 2012) -- A new study, using genetic analysis to look for clues about human migration over sixty thousand years ago, suggests that the first modern humans settled in Arabia on their way from the Horn of Africa to the rest of the world. ... > full story

For the birds: Winged predators seek certain trees when foraging for caterpillars (January 27, 2012) -- Location matters for birds on the hunt for caterpillars, according to researchers. Findings suggest that chickadees and others zero in on the type of tree as much as the characteristics of their wriggly prey. ... > full story

No more free rides for 'piggy-backing' viruses (January 27, 2012) -- Scientists have determined the structure of the enzyme endomannosidase, significantly advancing our understanding of how a group of devastating human viruses including HIV and Hepatitis C hijack human enzymes to reproduce and cause disease. ... > full story

Cumulative impact of mountaintop mining documented (January 27, 2012) -- Increased salinity and concentrations of trace elements in one West Virginia watershed have been tied directly to multiple surface coal mines upstream by a detailed new survey of stream chemistry. Researchers who conducted the study said it provides new evidence of the cumulative effects multiple mountaintop mining permits can have in a river network. ... > full story

Transcriptional elongation control takes on new dimensions as researchers find gene class-specific elongation factors (January 27, 2012) -- Life is complicated enough, so you can forgive the pioneers of DNA biology for glossing over transcriptional elongation control by RNA polymerase II, the quick and seemingly bulletproof penultimate step in the process that copies the information encoded in our DNA into protein-making instructions carried by messenger RNA. Researchers now not only add a new layer, but a whole new dimension to transcriptional elongation control with evidence that for each class of genes transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II), there exists a specific class of elongation factors. ... > full story

NASA sees a weakening Cyclone Funso's 'closed eye' (January 27, 2012) -- Powerful Cyclone Funso's eye has been clear in NASA satellite imagery over the last several days until NASA's Aqua satellite noticed it had "closed" and become filled with high clouds on January 27. ... > full story

NASA eyes cyclone Iggy's threat to western Australia (January 27, 2012) -- NASA satellites are providing valuable data to forecasters as Tropical Cyclone Iggy nears Western Australia. NASA's Aqua satellite provided visible and infrared data on Iggy, observing colder cloud tops and strengthening storm. Iggy has already triggered warnings and watches along coastal areas. ... > full story

Unprecedented, human-made trends in ocean's acidity (January 26, 2012) -- Recent carbon dioxide emissions have pushed the level of seawater acidity far above the range of the natural variability that existed for thousands of years, affecting the calcification rates of shell-forming organism. ... > full story

Scientists map one of life's molecular mysteries: Visualisation of the molecular gateway across and into cellular membranes (January 26, 2012) -- All living organisms are made up of cells, behind these intricate life forms lie complex cellular processes that allow our bodies to function. Researchers working on protein secretion -- a fundamental process in biology -- have revealed how protein channels in the membrane are activated by special signals contained in proteins destined for secretion. The results help explain the underlying mechanism responsible for the release of proteins such as hormones and antibodies into the blood stream. ... > full story

Grafted watermelon plants take in more pesticides (January 26, 2012) -- The widely used farm practice of grafting watermelon and other melon plants onto squash or pumpkin rootstocks results in larger amounts of certain pesticides in the melon fruit, scientists are reporting in a new study. Although only low amounts of pesticides appeared in the fruit in the study, the scientists advise that commercial farmers use "caution" when grafting watermelon plants to squash. ... > full story

Ecologists capture first deep-sea fish noises (January 26, 2012) -- Fish biologists conducted one of the first studies of deep-sea fish sounds in more than 50 years, 2,237 feet under the Atlantic. With recording technology more affordable, fish sounds can be studied to test the idea that fish communicate with sound, especially those in the dark of the deep ocean. ... > full story

Rotational motion of cells plays a critical role in their normal development, researchers find (January 26, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered a rotational motion that plays a critical role in the ability of breast cells to form the spherical structures in the mammary gland known as acini. This rotation, called "CAMo," for coherent angular motion, is necessary for the cells to form spheres. Otherwise, cells undergo random motion, leading to loss of structure and malignancy. ... > full story

Microbubbles provide new boost for biofuel production (January 26, 2012) -- A solution to the difficult issue of harvesting algae for use as a biofuel has been developed using microbubble technology. ... > full story

Scorpions inspire scientists in making tougher surfaces for machinery (January 26, 2012) -- Taking inspiration from the yellow fattail scorpion, which uses a bionic shield to protect itself against scratches from desert sandstorms, scientists have developed a new way to protect the moving parts of machinery from wear and tear. ... > full story

Genetically modified food safe, animal study suggests (January 26, 2012) -- A three year feeding study has shown no adverse health effects in pigs fed genetically modified (GM) maize. The maize, which is a Bt-maize bred for its insect resistant properties, was sourced from Spain. ... > full story

Underwater river of mud and sand tells tale of climate change and ocean gateways, new oil and gas exploration possibilities (January 26, 2012) -- Mediterranean bottom currents and the sediment deposits they leave behind offer new insights into global climate change, the opening and closing of ocean circulation gateways and locations where hydrocarbon deposits may lie buried under the sea. A team of 35 scientists from 14 countries recently returned from an expedition off the southwest coast of Iberia and the nearby Gulf of Cadiz. There the geologists collected core samples of sediments that contain a detailed record of the Mediterranean's history. The scientists retrieved the samples by drilling into the ocean floor during an eight-week scientific expedition onboard the ship JOIDES Resolution. ... > full story

Classifying solar eruptions (January 26, 2012) -- Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light and high speed particles into space. These flares are often associated with solar magnetic storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). While these are the most common solar events, the sun can also emit streams of very fast protons -- known as solar energetic particle (SEP) events -- and disturbances in the solar wind known as corotating interaction regions (CIRs). All of these can produce a variety of "storms" on Earth that can -- if strong enough -- interfere with short wave radio communications, GPS signals, and Earth's power grid, among other things. ... > full story

In tackling lead pollution, fungi may be our friends (January 26, 2012) -- Fungi may be unexpected allies in our efforts to keep hazardous lead under control. That's based on the unexpected discovery that fungi can transform lead into its most stable mineral form. The findings suggest that this interaction between fungi and lead may be occurring in nature anywhere the two are found together. It also suggests that the introduction or encouragement of fungi may be a useful treatment strategy for lead-polluted sites. ... > full story

How diamond-bearing kimberlites reach the surface of Earth: Acidification provides the thrust (January 26, 2012) -- Diamond-bearing kimberlites are volcanic rocks that originate deep in the Earth and are erupted onto the surface. Researchers have now shown that other rock types, incorporated into the magma as it rises through overlying formations, provide the necessary buoyancy for its long ascent. ... > full story

Chemists synthesize artificial cell membrane (January 26, 2012) -- Chemists have taken an important step in making artificial life forms from scratch. Using a novel chemical reaction, they have created self-assembling cell membranes, the structural envelopes that contain and support the reactions required for life. Instead of complex enzymes embedded in membranes, they used a simple metal ion as the catalyst. By assembling an essential component of earthly life with no biological precursors, they hope to illuminate life's origins. ... > full story

Attack or retreat? Circuit links hunger and pursuit in sea slug brain (January 26, 2012) -- If you were a blind, cannibalistic sea slug, living among others just like you, nearly every encounter with another creature would require a simple cost/benefit calculation: Should I eat that -- or flee? In a new study, researchers report that these responses are linked to a simple circuit in the brain of the sea slug Pleurobranchaea. ... > full story

Asthma rate and costs from traffic pollution higher: Much higher than past traditional risk assessments have indicated (January 26, 2012) -- A team of resource economist researchers has revised the cost burden sharply upward for childhood asthma and for the first time include the number of cases attributable to air pollution, in a new study. ... > full story

High animal fat diet increases gestational diabetes risk, study finds (January 26, 2012) -- Women who consumed a diet high in animal fat and cholesterol before pregnancy were at higher risk for gestational diabetes than women whose diets were lower in animal fat and cholesterol, according to researchers. ... > full story

Coastal storms have long-reaching effects, study says (January 26, 2012) -- Coastal storms are known to cause serious damage along the shoreline, but they also cause significant disruption of the deep-sea ecosystem as well. ... > full story

Under the electron microscope: 3-D image of an individual protein showing structure (January 26, 2012) -- Scientists are reporting the first 3-D images of an individual protein ever obtained with enough clarity to determine its structure. ... > full story

Morgellons: Unexplained skin condition is non-infectious, not linked to environmental cause: CDC report (January 26, 2012) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has completed a comprehensive study of an unexplained skin condition commonly referred to as Morgellons. ... > full story

Turtles' mating habits protect against effects of climate change (January 26, 2012) -- The mating habits of marine turtles may help to protect them against the effects of climate change. The study shows how the mating patterns of a population of endangered green turtles may be helping them deal with the fact that global warming is leading to a disproportionate number of females being born. ... > full story