The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Wednesday, February 1, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Wednesday, February 1, 2012

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Botany: Moonlighting enzyme works double shift 24/7 (January 31, 2012) -- A team of researchers has discovered an overachieving plant enzyme that works both the day and night shifts. The discovery shows that plants evolved a new function for this enzyme by changing merely one of its protein building blocks. ... > full story

Golf course weeds are developing resistance to the herbicide glyphosate (January 31, 2012) -- If your golf game isn’t up to par, you may be able to blame it on those tufts of weeds on the course. Annual bluegrass is a problematic winter weed on many U.S. golf courses. After years of management with the herbicide glyphosate, resistant biotypes of this weed have developed, which will make keeping a clean fairway more challenging. ... > full story

Volunteers clear tiger snares in China (January 31, 2012) -- Volunteers working in northeast China have cleared 162 illegal wire snares in an ongoing effort to protect the nation’s remaining population of critically endangered Amur (Siberian) tigers. ... > full story

Exposure to common environmental bacteria may be source of some allergic inflammation (January 31, 2012) -- Could some cases of asthma actually be caused by an allergic reaction to a common environmental bacteria? New research findings suggests that this idea may not be as far-fetched as it seems. ... > full story

Following the shifting of tectonic plates to understand Mediterranean biodiversity (January 31, 2012) -- Around 30 millions years ago, the Western Mediterranean basin opened as a result of the tectonic collision of the African and Eurasian plates. This geologic event was the starting point for the diversification of an endemic group of Western Mediterranean spiders, as has been demonstrated by a new study. ... > full story

Protein study gives fresh impetus in fight against superbugs (January 31, 2012) -- Scientists have shed new light on the way superbugs such as MRSA are able to become resistant to treatment with antibiotics. ... > full story

Ancient DNA holds clues to climate change adaptation (January 31, 2012) -- Thirty-thousand-year-old bison bones discovered in permafrost at a Canadian goldmine are helping scientists unravel the mystery about how animals adapt to rapid environmental change. ... > full story

Evolutionary geneticist helps to find butterfly gene, clue to age-old question (January 31, 2012) -- An evolutionary geneticist helped discover the gene in passion vine butterflies that keeps predators from eating them. The gene is responsible for red patterns on the butterflies' wings. ... > full story

Severe python damage to Florida's native Everglades animals documented in new study (January 30, 2012) -- Precipitous declines in formerly common mammals in Everglades National Park in Florida have been linked to the presence of invasive Burmese pythons, according to new research. The study, the first to document the ecological impacts of this invasive species, strongly supports that animal communities in the 1.5-million-acre park have been markedly altered by the introduction of pythons within 11 years of their establishment as an invasive species. Mid-sized mammals are the most dramatically affected, but some Everglades pythons are as large as 16 feet long, and their prey have included animals as large as deer and alligators. ... > full story

Learning-based tourism an opportunity for industry expansion (January 30, 2012) -- New research suggests that major growth in the travel, leisure and tourism industry in the coming century may be possible as more people begin to define recreation as a learning and educational opportunity -- a way to explore new ideas and cultures, art, science and history. The expansion of tourism in much of the 20th century was often focused on amusement parks and tropical resorts. ... > full story

New probiotic bacteria shows promise for use in shellfish aquaculture (January 30, 2012) -- The use of probiotic bacteria, isolated from naturally occurring bacterial communities, is gaining in popularity in the aquaculture industry as the preferred, environmentally friendly management alternative to the use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials for disease prevention. Known to the public for their use in yogurt and other foods to improve human digestion and health, probiotic bacteria isolated from other sources can also be used to improve survival, nutrition and disease prevention in larvae grown in shellfish hatcheries. ... > full story

Earth's energy budget remained out of balance despite unusually low solar activity, study finds (January 30, 2012) -- A new NASA study underscores the fact that greenhouse gases generated by human activity -- not changes in solar activity -- are the primary force driving global warming. The study offers an updated calculation of Earth's energy imbalance, the difference between the amount of solar energy absorbed by Earth's surface and the amount returned to space as heat. The researchers' calculations show that, despite unusually low solar activity between 2005 and 2010, the planet continued to absorb more energy than it returned to space. ... > full story

Livestock, not Mongolian gazelles, drive foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks (January 30, 2012) -- Wildlife health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society have published evidence which supports the conclusion that Mongolian gazelles -- one of the most populous large land mammals on the planet -- are not a reservoir of foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious viral disease that threatens both wildlife and livestock in Asia. ... > full story

Mouse to elephant? Just wait 24 million generations (January 30, 2012) -- Scientists have for the first time measured how fast large-scale evolution can occur in mammals, showing it takes 24 million generations for a mouse-sized animal to evolve to the size of an elephant. ... > full story

Skin cells turned into neural precusors, bypassing stem-cell stage (January 30, 2012) -- Mouse skin cells can be converted directly into cells that become the three main parts of the nervous system, according to researchers. The finding is an extension of a previous study by the same group showing that mouse and human skin cells can be directly converted into functional neurons. ... > full story

Ferroelectric switching discovered for first time in soft biological tissue (January 30, 2012) -- The walls of the aorta, the largest blood vessel carrying blood from the heart, exhibits a response to electric fields known to exist in inorganic and synthetic materials. The discovery could have implications for treating human heart disease. ... > full story

Was the Little Ice Age triggered by massive volcanic eruptions? (January 30, 2012) -- Scientists suggest that the Little Ice Age was triggered by an unusual, 50-year episode of four massive volcanic eruptions. This led to an expansion of sea ice and a related weakening of Atlantic currents that caused the cool period to persist for centuries. ... > full story

Alcohol and your heart: Friend or foe? (January 30, 2012) -- A meta-analysis of the relationship between alcohol consumption and heart disease provides new insight into the long-held belief that drinking a glass of red wine a day can help protect against heart disease. ... > full story

Chimp 'X factor': Extensive adaptive evolution specifically targeting the X chromosome of chimpanzees (January 30, 2012) -- Genetic mutations that boost an individual's adaptability have greater chances of getting through to X chromosomes -- at least in chimpanzees, according to new Danish research. An analysis of the genes of 12 chimpanzees has now demonstrated that the chimpanzee X chromosome plays a very special role in the animal's evolutionary development. ... > full story

Warming in the Tasman Sea, near Australia, a global warming hot spot (January 30, 2012) -- Oceanographers have identified a series of ocean hotspots around the world generated by strengthening wind systems that have driven oceanic currents, including the East Australian Current, polewards beyond their known boundaries. ... > full story

Sun unleashes an X1.8 class flare on Jan. 27, 2012 (January 30, 2012) -- The sun unleashed an X1.8 class flare that began at 1:12 PM ET on January 27, 2012 and peaked at 1:37. The flare immediately caused a strong radio blackout at low-latitudes, which was rated an R3 on NOAA's scale from R1-5. The blackout soon subsided to a minor R1 storm. Models from NASA's Goddard Space Weather Center predict that the CME is traveling at over 1500 miles per second. It does not initially appear to be Earth-directed, but Earth may get a glancing blow. ... > full story

Long-term response plan for possible Cuban oil spill (January 30, 2012) -- Researchers are working on long-term sustainability study to prepare for an oil spill that could catastrophically impact Florida. ... > full story

What do killer whales eat in the Arctic? (January 29, 2012) -- Killer whales are the top marine predator. The increase in hunting territories available to killer whales in the Arctic due to climate change and melting sea ice could seriously affect the marine ecosystem balance. New research has combined scientific observations with Canadian Inuit traditional knowledge to determine killer whale behavior and diet in the Arctic. ... > full story

That which does not kill yeast makes it stronger: Stress-induced genomic instability facilitates rapid cellular adaption in yeast (January 29, 2012) -- Cells trying to keep pace with constantly changing environmental conditions need to strike a fine balance between maintaining their genomic integrity and allowing enough genetic flexibility to adapt to inhospitable conditions. In their latest study, researchers were able to show that under stressful conditions yeast genomes become unstable, readily acquiring or losing whole chromosomes to enable rapid adaption. ... > full story

Grasslands soils offer some insurance against climate change (January 29, 2012) -- The earth beneath our feet plays an important role in carbon storage – a key factor in climate change – and new research shows that in times of drought some types of soil perform better than others. ... > full story

Good news about carbon storage in tropical vegetation (January 29, 2012) -- Tropical vegetation contains 21 percent more carbon than previously thought. Using a combination of remote sensing and field data, scientists were able to produce the first "wall-to-wall" map (with a spatial resolution of 500 m x 500 m) of carbon storage of forests, shrublands, and savannas in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and South America. ... > 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

Space weather center to add world's first 'ensemble forecasting' capability (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

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

NASA study solves case of Earth's 'missing energy' (January 27, 2012) -- Two years ago, scientists released a study claiming that inconsistencies between satellite observations of Earth's heat and measurements of ocean heating amounted to evidence of "missing energy" in the planet's system. Where was it going? Or, they wondered, was something wrong with the way researchers tracked energy as it was absorbed from the sun and emitted back into space? An international team of atmospheric scientists and oceanographers set out to investigate the mystery. ... > 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

New information for flu fight: Researchers study RNA interference to determine host genes used by influenza for virus replication (January 27, 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

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

What really happened prior to 'Snowball Earth'? (January 27, 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

Making poisonous plants and seeds safe and palatable: Canola now, cannabis next? (January 27, 2012) -- Every night millions of people go to bed hungry. New genetic technology can help us feed the world by making inedible seeds edible and tasty. ... > 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

Heart of silk: Scientists use silk from the tasar silkworm as a scaffold for heart tissue (January 27, 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

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

Giant cell reveals metabolic secrets (January 27, 2012) -- Chemical reactions within the cell produce intermediate and end products in the form of small molecules called metabolites. Using an approach called metabolomics, researchers have elucidated the localization and dynamics of 125 metabolites within a single giant cell of the freshwater alga Chara australis. The team's findings provide important insights into the fundamental processes of cells in general. ... > full story

How viruses evolve, and in some cases, become deadly (January 26, 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

NASA satellites see cyclone Funso exiting Mozambique Channel (January 26, 2012) -- Powerful Cyclone Funso is now beginning to exit the Mozambique Channel, and NASA's Aqua satellite captured a stunning image of the storm that shows the depth and extent of it. ... > full story

NASA infrared satellite instrument sees tropical storm Iggy growing in strength (January 26, 2012) -- The AIRS infrared instrument that flies on NASA's Aqua satellite has been providing forecasters with the cloud top temperatures in the Southern Indian Ocean's ninth tropical cyclone, which has officially been renamed Iggy. AIRS data showed that the area of strong thunderstorms around Iggy's center has expanded in area over the last day. ... > full story

Detecting detrimental change in coral reefs (January 26, 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

New biodiversity map of Andes shows species in dire need of protection (January 26, 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

Protein purification alternatives (January 26, 2012) -- Protein purification, often referred to as downstream processing, is the most costly and time-consuming process in the manufacture of bio-molecules. EU-funded researchers integrated materials science with process development to produce novel low-cost materials and methods for selective purification with a focus on chromatography, membrane separation and extraction. ... > full story

Can the economy bear what oil prices have in store? (January 26, 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

How seawater could corrode nuclear fuel (January 26, 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

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