The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, August 17, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, August 17, 2012

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Report card shows Australia's oceans are changing (August 16, 2012) -- The 2012 Marine Climate Change in Australia Report Card shows climate change is having significant impacts on Australia's marine ecosystems. ... > full story

Virus throws a wrench in the immune system (August 16, 2012) -- The cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the herpesvirus family. Although most people carry CMV for life, it hardly ever makes them sick. Researchers have now unveiled long term consequences of the ongoing presence of CMV: later in life, more and more cells of the immune system concentrate on CMV, and as a result, the response against other viruses is weakened. ... > full story

Organisms cope with environmental uncertainty by guessing the future (August 16, 2012) -- In uncertain environments, organisms not only react to signals, but also use molecular processes to make guesses about the future, according to a new study. The authors report that if environmental signals are unreliable, organisms are expected to evolve the ability to take random decisions about adapting to cope with adverse situations. ... > full story

High-altitude drop tests Rocket U. engineers (August 16, 2012) -- An experimental payload went 25,000 feet higher than planned during a recent test flight but still performed well and will be the basis for a larger flight test next year. ... > full story

Triage for plants: Scientists develop and test rapid species conservation assessment technique (August 16, 2012) -- Faced with a host of environmental threats, many of the world's plant species are believed to be at risk of extinction. But which species? To answer that question, scientists have developed a streamlined method for assessing the conservation status of large numbers of species. Evaluating the flora of Puerto Rico, they found that 459 species -- 23 percent of the flora -- should be classified as "At Risk." The process could help focus conservation efforts where they are most needed. ... > full story

Pan-fried meat increases risk of prostate cancer, new study finds (August 16, 2012) -- New research indicates that how red meat and chicken are cooked may influence risk of prostate cancer. Men who ate more than 1.5 servings of pan-fried red meat per week increased their risk of advanced prostate cancer by 30 percent. Men who ate more than 2.5 servings of red meat cooked at high temperatures were 40 percent more likely to have advanced prostate cancer. ... > full story

Common parasite may trigger suicide attempts: Inflammation from T. gondii produces brain-damaging metabolites (August 16, 2012) -- A parasite thought to be harmless and found in many people may actually be causing subtle changes in the brain, leading to suicide attempts. New research adds to the growing work linking an infection caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite to suicide attempts. ... > full story

Researchers improve soil carbon cycling models (August 16, 2012) -- A new carbon cycling model better accounts for the carbon dioxide-releasing activity of microbes in the ground, improving scientists’ understanding of the role soil will play in future climate change. ... > full story

2,4-D resistance found in weeds could limit the herbicide’s future usefulness (August 16, 2012) -- Even as crops resistant to 2,4-D herbicide are being developed, populations of weeds are also developing a resistance. A 2,4-D–resistant variety of the waterhemp weed has been found, and its spread could lessen the impact of an herbicide widely used in grassland and crop production. Despite worldwide use of 2,4-D since the 1940s, only 17 weeds were previously known to be resistant to it. ... > full story

Evolutionary increase in size of the human brain explained: Part of a protein linked to rapid change in cognitive ability (August 16, 2012) -- Researchers have found what they believe is the key to understanding why the human brain is larger and more complex than that of other animals. The human brain, with its unequaled cognitive capacity, evolved rapidly and dramatically. Why? research indicates that what drove the evolutionary expansion of the human brain may well be a specific unit within a protein -- called a protein domain -- that is far more numerous in humans than other species. ... > full story

Democracy works for Endangered Species Act, study finds; Citizen involvement key in protecting and saving threatened species (August 16, 2012) -- In protecting endangered species, the power of the people is key, an analysis of listings under the US Endangered Species Act finds. The analysis compares listings of "endangered" and "threatened" species initiated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency that administers the Endangered Species Act, to those initiated by citizen petition. Researchers found that citizens, on average, do a better job of picking species that are threatened than does the FWS. ... > full story

Clear links found between inflammation, bacterial communities and cancer (August 16, 2012) -- In a study with inflammation-prone mice, researchers have found a mechanism for the development of colorectal cancer wherein inflammation fosters a change in the gut microbiome including reduced bacterial diversity but also the increased presence of E. coli and related pathogens. Further mouse studies show genes carried by an E. coli variant can cause cancer development. The suspect bacterial genes are found in a high percentage of human colorectal cancer patients. ... > full story

Mineral can reduce pollution from diesel engines by almost half (August 16, 2012) -- A catalyst that can replace platinum in diesel engines has been shown to reduce pollution by up to 45 percent. The catalyst, mullite, is from the family of minerals known as oxides. The finding opens new possibilities to create renewable, clean energy technology without precious metals. ... > full story

Bioremediation of toxic metals using worms: Earthworms soak up heavy metal (August 16, 2012) -- Earthworms could be used to extract toxic heavy metals, including cadmium and lead, from solid waste from domestic refuse collection and waste from vegetable and flower markets, according to researchers. ... > full story

Polar bears dying in zoo from virus that jumped from zebras (August 16, 2012) -- Zoos bring together different animal species that would never encounter each other in the wild. On occasion, this can have unforeseen consequences. When in 2010 at the Wuppertal Zoo one polar bear died and another fell severely ill, zoo veterinarians were at a loss as to the cause of the symptoms. It has now been shown that the bears were infected with a recombinant zebra-derived virus that had jumped into other species. ... > full story

Turmeric stopped potentially deadly Rift Valley fever virus from multiplying in infected cells (August 16, 2012) -- Curcumin, found in the popular spice turmeric, stopped the potentially deadly Rift Valley Fever virus from multiplying in infected cells, a new study shows. ... > full story

Poxviruses defeat antiviral defenses by duplicating a gene (August 16, 2012) -- Poxviruses, which are responsible for smallpox and other diseases, can adapt to defeat different host antiviral defenses by quickly and temporarily producing multiple copies of a gene that helps the viruses to counter host immunity. ... > full story

Climate and drought lessons from ancient Egypt (August 16, 2012) -- Ancient pollen and charcoal preserved in deeply buried sediments in Egypt's Nile Delta document the region's ancient droughts and fires, including a huge drought 4,200 years ago associated with the demise of Egypt's Old Kingdom, the era known as the pyramid-building time. ... > full story

Bird louse study shows how evolution sometimes repeats itself (August 16, 2012) -- Birds of a feather flock together and -- according to a new analysis -- so do their lice. A study of the genetic heritage of avian feather lice indicates that their louse ancestors first colonized a particular group of birds (ducks or songbirds, for example) and then "radiated" to different habitats on those birds -- to the wings or heads, for instance, where they evolved into different species. ... > full story

A GPS in your DNA (August 16, 2012) -- Scientists have devised a method for more precisely determining the geographical location of a person's ancestral origins based on a model of genetic traits for every coordinate on the globe. He says that the method also has the potential to reveal new information about the migration patterns of many different human and animal populations. ... > full story

Tibetan Plateau may be older than previously thought (August 16, 2012) -- The growth of high topography on the Tibetan Plateau in Sichuan, China, began much earlier than previously thought, according to an international team of geologists who looked at mountain ranges along the eastern edge of the plateau. ... > full story

Sunflowers inspire more efficient solar power system (August 16, 2012) -- A field of young sunflowers will slowly rotate from east to west during the course of a sunny day, each leaf seeking out as much sunlight as possible as the sun moves across the sky through an adaptation called heliotropism. It’s a clever bit of natural engineering that inspired imitation from an electrical and computer engineer, who has found a way to mimic the passive heliotropism seen in sunflowers for use in the next crop of solar power systems. ... > full story

'Dinosaur bends' caused by prolonged diving (August 16, 2012) -- Dinosaur-like creatures may have injured themselves during leisurely deep-sea diving trips and not from resurfacing too quickly, as previously thought. ... > full story

Invasive brittle star species hits Atlantic Ocean (August 16, 2012) -- Coral Reefs has published online a study about an invasive species of brittle star. The species was previously restricted to Pacific waters, but surprisingly, growing populations have established themselves at distant points in the Atlantic. Its presence near Brazilian and Caribbean ports indicates that O. mirabilis could have been spread by shipping. ... > full story

Finding the nano-needle in the haystack: Radioactivity used to trace nanoparticles in the environment (August 16, 2012) -- Scientists have used radioactivity to trace nanoparticles in experimental animals and the soil. Their findings have made it easier to identify any negative environmental impact of nanoparticles, which are found in an increasing number of products. ... > full story

Global warming causes more extreme shifts of the Southern Hemisphere's largest rain band, study suggests (August 16, 2012) -- South Pacific countries will experience more extreme floods and droughts, in response to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new article. ... > full story

Some like it hot: Cold-blooded tropical species 'not as vulnerable' to climate change extinction (August 16, 2012) -- In the face of a changing climate, many species must adapt or perish. Ecologists studying evolutionary responses to climate change forecast that cold-blooded tropical species are not as vulnerable to extinction as previously thought. The study considers how fast species can evolve and adapt to compensate for a rise in temperature. ... > full story

Landslide fatalities are greater than previously thought (August 15, 2012) -- Landslides kill ten times more people across the world than was previously thought, according to new research. ... > full story

Climate change will have profound effects on northeast U.S. forests, report says (August 15, 2012) -- A new report by US and Canadian scientists analyzes decades of research and concludes that the climate of the Northeast has changed and is likely to change more. The report outlines the effects of climate change on multiple aspects of forests in the northeastern corner of the United States and eastern Canada and concludes with recommendations on adaptive and mitigating strategies for dealing with future effects. ... > full story

Detection dogs spot northern spotted owls, even those alarmed by barred owls (August 15, 2012) -- A series of forest searches by dogs specially trained to sniff out northern spotted owl pellets -- the undigested bones, fur and other bits regurgitated by owls -- improved the probability of finding the owls by nearly 30 percent over a series of traditional vocalization surveys. ... > full story

Gut bacteria linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome identified (August 15, 2012) -- Researchers have identified 26 species of bacteria in the human gut microbiota that appear to be linked to obesity and related metabolic complications. These include insulin resistance, high blood sugar levels, increased blood pressure and high cholesterol, known collectively as "the metabolic syndrome," which significantly increases an individual's risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. ... > full story

Beetle mating requires strong grip as defensive behavior (August 15, 2012) -- Sexual selection in the forked fungus beetle favors larger body and horn size, and a new study investigates the relationship between these traits and the beetles' grip strength. ... > full story

Two hurricane global hawks, two sets of instruments (August 15, 2012) -- NASA's Hurricane Severe Storm Sentinel Mission, or HS3, will be studying hurricanes at the end of the summer, and there will be two high-altitude, long-duration unmanned aircraft with different instruments flying over the storms. ... > full story

A pack of walnuts a day keeps the fertility specialist away? (August 15, 2012) -- After eating 75 grams of walnuts every day for 12 weeks, healthy young men aged 21 to 35 saw increased sperm vitality, motility, and morphology, researchers report. ... > full story

Designing tiny molecules that glow in water to shed light on biological processes (August 15, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a way to switch fluorescent molecules on and off within aqueous environments, by strategically trapping the molecules inside water-soluble particles and controlling them with ultraviolet light. ... > full story

Underwater noise decreases whale communications in Stellwagen Bank sanctuary (August 15, 2012) -- High levels of background noise, mainly due to ships, have reduced the ability of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales to communicate with each other by about two-thirds. ... > full story

New report presents research program for solar and space physics over the next decade (August 15, 2012) -- A new report from the National Research Council presents a prioritized program of basic and applied research for 2013-2022 that will advance scientific understanding of the sun. ... > full story

Ocean health index provides first global assessment combining natural and human dimensions of sustainability (August 15, 2012) -- Using a new comprehensive index designed to assess the benefits to people of healthy oceans, scientists have evaluated the ecological, social, economic, and political conditions for every coastal country in the world. Their findings show that the global ocean scores 60 out of 100 overall on the Ocean Health Index. Individual country scores range widely, from 36 to 86. ... > full story

Future increases in US natural gas exports and domestic prices may not be as large as thought (August 15, 2012) -- Amid policy debate over potential liquefied natural gas exports from the United States, a new article predicts the long-term volume of exports from the US will not likely be very large. ... > full story

Greenland melting breaks record four weeks before season's end (August 15, 2012) -- Melting over the Greenland ice sheet shattered the seasonal record on Aug. 8 -- a full four weeks before the close of the melting season, researchers report. ... > full story

Genetic material in blood cells may affect malaria parasites (August 15, 2012) -- Researchers may finally have discovered why people with sickle cell disease get milder cases of malaria than individuals who have normal red blood cells. In a finding that has eluded scientists for years, the researchers discovered that genetic material in red blood cells may help alter parasite activity via a novel mechanism that alters parasite gene regulation. ... > full story

New method to remove phosphorus from wastewater (August 15, 2012) -- Researchers are developing a new method of removing phosphorus from wastewater -- a problem seriously affecting lakes and streams across the United States. ... > full story

Better ways for developing, testing cancer therapies (August 15, 2012) -- Scientists have made valuable findings in the search for cancer's cure. While researching ways to improve animal health, the scientists have made two important discoveries that can also improve human health. Not only have they found pigs with severe combined immunodeficiency but they are also the first to discover the connection with human cancer, particularly melanomas and pancreatic cancers. ... > full story

High potency and synthetic marijuana pose real dangers in first weeks of pregnancy (August 15, 2012) -- Experts say the argument that marijuana is a harmless drug is no longer valid due to the emergence of "high potency" marijuana and synthetic marijuana which pose a potential real threat for pregnant women and their unborn children. ... > full story

When it comes to food, chimps only think of themselves (August 15, 2012) -- A sense of fairness is an important part of human behavior, yet a research team found it did not evolve from our closest living relatives. The study tested whether our great ape relatives, the chimpanzees and bonobos, have a sense of fairness like humans. ... > full story

Antimicrobials from personal care products found in statewide survey of Minnesota's rivers and lakes (August 15, 2012) -- A team of scientists has completed the first statewide analysis of freshwater bodies in Minnesota, finding widespread evidence of the presence of active ingredients of personal care products in Minnesota lakes, streams and rivers. ... > full story

Asymmetric warfare between earwigs explored (August 15, 2012) -- Symmetrical looks are highly prized in the animal kingdom, but according to biologists studying an insect called the maritime earwig, asymmetry might come with its own perks. ... > full story

Flexible snake armor could inspire abrasion-resistant materials (August 15, 2012) -- Snakes are highly specialized legless animals, which have evolved around 150 million years ago. Although without extremities their body is exposed to constant friction forces. Snake skin could inspire systems in engineering with minimized abrasion. ... > full story