The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Thursday, February 9, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Thursday, February 9, 2012

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January 2012 fourth warmest for contiguous United States, but Alaska extremely cold (February 8, 2012) -- During January, warmer-than-average conditions enveloped most of the contiguous United States, with widespread below-average precipitation. The overall weather pattern for the month was reflected in the lack of snow for much of the Northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. This scenario was in stark contrast to Alaska where several towns had their coldest January on record. ... > full story

DNA sequencing helps identify cancer cells for immune system attack (February 8, 2012) -- DNA sequences from tumor cells can be used to direct the immune system to attack cancer, according to scientists. The immune system relies on an intricate network of alarm bells, targets and safety brakes to determine when and what to attack. The new results suggest that scientists may now be able to combine DNA sequencing data with their knowledge of the triggers and targets that set off immune alarms to more precisely develop vaccines and other immunotherapies for cancer. ... > full story

Transformational fruit fly genome catalog completed (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists searching for the genomics version of the holy grail – more insight into predicting how an animal’s genes affect physical or behavioral traits – now have a reference manual that should speed gene discoveries in everything from pest control to personalized medicine. ... > full story

Report on Texas fire urges firefighters to consider wind effects (February 8, 2012) -- Wind conditions at a fire scene can make a critical difference on the behavior of the blaze and the safety of firefighters, even indoors, according to a new report. ... > full story

New 'cell assay on a chip:' Solid results from simple means (February 8, 2012) -- A research engineer combined a glass slide, plastic sheets and double-sided tape to build a "diffusion-based gradient generator", a tool to rapidly assess how changing concentrations of specific chemicals affect living cells. ... > full story

Octagonal window of opportunity for carbon capture (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists have gathered new insight into the performance of a material called a zeolite that may filter carbon dioxide far more efficiently than current industrial "scrubbers" do. ... > full story

Charter service: Encasing the Magna Carta (February 8, 2012) -- You often hear about the Framers of the Constitution, but not so much the framers of the Magna Carta. They work for the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Not the authors, of course; they've been dead 700 years. But a NIST engineering team, at the behest of the National Archives, designed and built a state-of-the-art encasement and transport cart to protect the Archive's prized copy of the 1297 Magna Carta. ... > full story

Timing capability added to living cell sensors (February 8, 2012) -- Individual cells modified to act as sensors using fluorescence are already useful tools in biochemistry, but now they can add good timing to their resume. ... > full story

Arsenic criticality poses concern for modern technology (February 8, 2012) -- Risks related to the critical nature of arsenic -- used to make high-speed computer chips that contain gallium arsenide -- outstrip those of other substances in a group of critical materials needed to sustain modern technology, a new study has found. Scientists evaluated the relative criticality of arsenic and five related metals. ... > full story

Lull in ship noise after Sept. 11 attacks eased stress on right whales (February 8, 2012) -- Exposure to low-frequency ship noise may be associated with chronic stress in whales, according to a new study. The study, conducted in Canada's Bay of Fundy, has implications for all baleen whales in areas with heavy ship traffic, and for the recovery of the endangered North Atlantic right whale population. ... > full story

Obstacles no barrier to higher speeds for worms (February 8, 2012) -- Obstacles in an organism's path can help it to move faster, not slower, researchers have found through a series of experiments and computer simulations. Their findings have implications for a better understanding of basic locomotion strategies found in biology, and the survival and propagation of the parasite that causes malaria. ... > full story

Growing up on a farm directly affects regulation of the immune system, study finds (February 8, 2012) -- A new study has shown, for the first time, that growing up on a farm directly affects the regulation of the immune system and causes a reduction in the immunological responses to food proteins. ... > full story

Tuna and mackerel populations have reduced by 60% in the last century (February 8, 2012) -- A new study shows that the impact of fishing for tuna and similar species during the last 50 years has lessened the abundance of all these populations by an average of 60%. Experts add that the majority of tuna fish have been exploited to the limits of sustainability. ... > full story

Molecular path from internal clock to cells controlling rest and activity revealed (February 7, 2012) -- The molecular pathway that carries time-of-day signals from the body's internal clock to ultimately guide daily behavior is like a black box, says a researcher. Now, new research is taking a peek inside, describing a molecular pathway and its inner parts that connect the well-known clock neurons to cells governing rhythms of rest and activity in fruit flies. ... > full story

Scientists develop biological computer to encrypt and decipher images (February 7, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a "biological computer" made entirely from biomolecules that is capable of deciphering images encrypted on DNA chips. ... > full story

Preventing bacteria from falling in with the wrong crowd could help stop gum disease (February 7, 2012) -- Stripping some mouth bacteria of their access key to gangs of other pathogenic oral bacteria could help prevent gum disease and tooth loss. The study suggests that this bacterial access key could be a drug target for people who are at high risk of developing gum disease. ... > full story

Ancient seagrass holds secrets of the oldest living organism on Earth (February 7, 2012) -- It's big, it's old and it lives under the sea -- and now an international research collaboration has confirmed that an ancient seagrass holds the secrets of the oldest living organism on Earth. Ancient giant Posidonia oceanica reproduces asexually, generating clones of itself. A single organism -- which has been found to span up to 15 kilometers in width and reach more than 6,000 metric tonnes in mass -- may well be more than 100,000 years old. ... > full story

2011 shark attacks remain steady, deaths highest since 1993 (February 7, 2012) -- Shark attacks in the US declined in 2011, but worldwide fatalities reached a two-decade high, according to the a new report. ... > full story

Entire genome of extinct human decoded from fossil (February 7, 2012) -- Scientists have completed the genome sequence of a Denisovan, a representative of an Asian group of extinct humans related to Neanderthals. ... > full story

Americans' knowledge of polar regions up, but not their concern (February 7, 2012) -- Americans’ knowledge of facts about the polar regions of the globe has increased since 2006, but this increase in knowledge has not translated into more concern about changing polar environments, according to new research. ... > full story

Low-cost instrument developed by high school students could aid severe weather research (February 7, 2012) -- A group of high school students designed, built and tested a low-cost device that monitors the buildup of electrical charge in clouds. A network of such field mill devices could be used to learn more about the lightning that is part of severe weather. ... > full story

Why bad immunity genes survive: Study implicates arms race between genes and germs (February 7, 2012) -- Biologists have found new evidence for why mice, people and other vertebrate animals carry thousands of varieties of genes to make immune-system proteins named MHCs -- even though some of those genes make us sick. ... > full story

Neanderthal demise due to many influences, including cultural changes (February 7, 2012) -- Although many anthropologists believe that modern humans ancestors "wiped out" Neanderthals, it's more likely that Neanderthals were integrated into the human gene pool thousands of years ago during the Upper Pleistocene era as cultural and climatic forces brought the two groups together. New research suggests that the Neanderthals demise was due to a combination of influences, including cultural changes. ... > full story

New stinky flower: Our amorphophallus is smaller, but it stinks like its big cousin (February 7, 2012) -- The famed “corpse flower” plant – known for its giant size, rotten-meat odor and phallic shape – has a new, smaller relative: A botanist has discovered a new species of Amorphophallus that is one-fourth as tall but just as stinky. ... > full story

Redder ladybirds more deadly, say scientists (February 6, 2012) -- A ladybird's color indicates how well-fed and how toxic it is, according to scientists. This research directly shows that differences between animals' warning signals reveal how poisonous individuals are to predators. The study shows that redder ladybirds are more poisonous than their paler peers and reveals that this variation is directly linked to diet in early life, with better-fed ladybirds being more visible and more deadly. ... > full story

Invasive alien predator causes rapid declines of European ladybugs (February 6, 2012) -- A new study provides compelling evidence that the arrival of the invasive non-native harlequin ladybird (ladybug) to mainland Europe and subsequent spread has led to a rapid decline in historically-widespread species of ladybird in Britain, Belgium and Switzerland. The analysis is further evidence that harlequin ladybirds are displacing some native ladybirds, most probably through predation and competition. ... > full story

Researchers uncover a mechanism to explain dune field patterns (February 6, 2012) -- In a study of the harsh but beautiful White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, researchers have uncovered a unifying mechanism to explain dune patterns. The new work represents a contribution to basic science, but the findings may also hold implications for identifying when dune landscapes like those in Nebraska's Sand Hills may reach a "tipping point" under climate change, going from valuable grazing land to barren desert. ... > full story

Why common tree is toxic to snowshoe hares (February 6, 2012) -- Biologists have uncovered why the chemical defenses in birch, a common type of tree found in North America, are toxic to snowshoe hares. ... > full story

School closures slowed spread of 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic (February 6, 2012) -- Using high-quality data about the incidence of influenza infections in Alberta during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, the researchers show that when schools closed for the summer, the transmission of infection from person to person was sharply reduced. ... > full story

Fossil cricket reveals Jurassic love song (February 6, 2012) -- The love song of an extinct cricket that lived 165 million years ago has been brought back to life by scientists. The song – possibly the most ancient known musical song documented to date – was reconstructed from microscopic wing features on a fossil discovered in North East China. It allows us to listen to one of the sounds that would have been heard by dinosaurs and other creatures roaming Jurassic forests at night. ... > full story

More environmental rules needed for shale gas, says geophysicist (February 6, 2012) -- In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama praised the potential of the country's tremendous supply of natural gas buried in shale. But the "Halliburton exclusion" passed by Congress says gas companies don't have to disclose the chemicals used in fracturing fluids. That was a real mistake because it makes the public needlessly paranoid, says a geophysicist. ... > full story

Satellite tracking reveals sea turtle feeding hotspots (February 6, 2012) -- Satellite tracking of threatened loggerhead sea turtles has revealed two previously unknown feeding "hotspots" in the Gulf of Mexico that are providing important habitat for at least three separate populations of the turtles. ... > full story

Researchers examine consequences of non-intervention for infectious disease in African great apes (February 6, 2012) -- Infectious disease has joined poaching and habitat loss as a major threat to the survival of African great apes as they have become restricted to ever-smaller populations. Despite the work of dedicated conservationists, efforts to save our closest living relatives from ecological extinction are largely failing, and new scientific approaches are necessary to analyze major threats and find innovative solutions. ... > full story

Exercise triggers stem cells in muscle (February 6, 2012) -- Researchers have determined that an adult stem cell present in muscle is responsive to exercise, a discovery that may provide a link between exercise and muscle health. The findings could lead to new therapeutic techniques using these cells to rehabilitate injured muscle and prevent or restore muscle loss with age. ... > full story

Raw milk is a dangerous raw deal for farmers and consumers, experts say (February 6, 2012) -- Researchers and experts on food safety have commented on the danger presented to farmers and consumers by the raw milk movement. ... > full story

New species of bamboo-feeding plant lice found in Costa Rica (February 6, 2012) -- Several periods of field work during 2008 have led to the discovery of a new species of bamboo-feeding plant lice in Costa Rica's high-altitude region Cerro de la Muerte. The discovery was made thanks to molecular data analysis of mitochondrial DNA. The collected records have also increased the overall knowledge of plant lice (one of the most dangerous agricultural pests worldwide) from the region with more that 20 percent. ... > full story

Sharp images from the living mouse brain (February 6, 2012) -- Scientists have for the first time made finest details of nerve cells in the brain of a living mouse visible. ... > full story

Tree rings may underestimate climate response to volcanic eruptions (February 5, 2012) -- Some climate cooling caused by past volcanic eruptions may not be evident in tree-ring reconstructions of temperature change because large enough temperature drops lead to greatly shortened or even absent growing seasons, according to climate researchers, who compared tree-ring temperature reconstructions with model simulations of past temperature changes. ... > full story

Steroids control gas exchange in plants (February 5, 2012) -- Plants leaves are sealed with a gas-tight wax layer to prevent water loss. Plants breathe through microscopic pores called stomata on the surfaces of leaves. As the key conduits for carbon dioxide uptake and water evaporation, stomata are critical for both our climate and plant productivity. Thus, not surprisingly, the total number and distribution of stomata are strictly regulated by plants to optimize photosynthesis while minimizing water loss. But the mechanisms for such regulation have remained elusive until now. ... > full story

Land-cover changes do not impact glacier loss (February 5, 2012) -- A new study shows that land-cover changes, in particular deforestation, in the vicinity of glaciers do not have an impact on glacier loss. However, the study also shows that deforestation decreases precipitation in mid elevation zones, which affects the quality of life of the population living in the surrounding areas. ... > full story

Why do cells age? Discovery of extremely long-lived proteins may provide insight into cell aging and neurodegenerative diseases (February 3, 2012) -- One of the big mysteries in biology is why cells age. Now scientists report that they have discovered a weakness in a component of brain cells that may explain how the aging process occurs in the brain. ... > full story

Preference for fatty foods may have genetic roots (February 3, 2012) -- A preference for fatty foods has a genetic basis, according to researchers, who discovered that people with certain forms of the CD36 gene may like high-fat foods more than those who have other forms of this gene. ... > full story

Global extinction: Gradual doom is just as bad as abrupt (February 3, 2012) -- Around 250 million years ago, most life on Earth was wiped out in an extinction known as the "Great Dying." Geologists have learned that the end came slowly from thousands of centuries of volcanic activity. ... > full story

A battle of the vampires, 20 million years ago? (February 3, 2012) -- They are tiny, ugly, disease-carrying little blood-suckers that most people have never seen or heard of, but a new discovery in a one-of-a-kind fossil shows that "bat flies" have been doing their noxious business with bats for at least 20 million years. ... > full story

New procedure repairs severed nerves in minutes, restoring limb use in days or weeks (February 3, 2012) -- Scientists believe a new procedure to repair severed nerves could result in patients recovering in days or weeks, rather than months or years. The team used a cellular mechanism similar to that used by many invertebrates to repair damage to nerve axons. ... > full story

Surface of Mars an unlikely place for life after 600-million-year drought, say scientists (February 3, 2012) -- Mars may have been arid for more than 600 million years, making it too hostile for any life to survive on the planet’s surface, according to researchers who have been carrying out the painstaking task of analyzing individual particles of Martian soil. ... > full story

Collective action: Occupied genetic switches hold clues to cells' history (February 3, 2012) -- If you wanted to draw your family tree, you could start by searching for people who share your surname. Cells, of course, don’t have surnames, but scientists have found that genetic switches called enhancers, and the molecules that activate those switches – transcription factors – can be used in a similar way, as clues to a cell’s developmental history. The study also unveils a new model for how enhancers function. ... > full story

Parasites or not? Transposable elements in DNA of fruit flies may be beneficial (February 3, 2012) -- Many living organisms suffer from parasites, which use the hosts’ resources for their own purposes. The problem of parasitism occurs at all levels right down to the DNA scale. Genomes may contain up to 80% “foreign” DNA but details of the mechanisms by which this enters the host genome and how hosts attempt to combat its spread are still the subject of conjecture. Nearly all organisms contain pieces of DNA that do not really belong to them. ... > full story

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