The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Tuesday, August 28, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Tuesday, August 28, 2012

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New maps may reduce tourism impacts on Hawaiian dolphins (August 27, 2012) -- Over-eager eco-tourists intent on seeing spinner dolphins up close may inadvertently be disturbing the charismatic animals' daytime rest periods and driving them out of safe habitats in bays along Hawaii's coast. Scientists have developed a promising new tool that may help to limit repeated human disturbances and help reduce their negative impacts on the dolphins. ... > full story

Oldest occurrence of arthropods preserved in amber: Fly, mite specimens are 100 million years older than previous amber inclusions (August 27, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered the oldest record of arthropods -- invertebrate animals that include insects, arachnids, and crustaceans -- preserved in amber. The specimens, one fly and two mites found in millimeter-scale droplets of amber from northeastern Italy, are about 100 million years older than any other amber arthropod ever collected. ... > full story

Neandertal's right-handedness verified, hints at language capacity (August 27, 2012) -- There are precious few Neandertal skeletons available to science. One of the more complete was discovered in 1957 in France, roughly 900 yards away from the famous Lascaux Cave. That skeleton was dubbed "Regourdou." Then, about two decades ago, researchers examined Regourdou's arm bones and theorized that he had been right-handed. ... > full story

Oceanic mystery solved: Connection between 'monster larva' and unique species of shrimp (August 27, 2012) -- The origin of Cerataspis monstrosa has been a mystery as deep as the ocean waters it hails from. For nearly two centuries, researchers have tried to track down the larva that has shown up in the guts of other fish over time but found no adult counterpart. Until now. ... > full story

Links between nutrients, genes and cancer spread documented (August 27, 2012) -- More than 40 plant-based compounds can turn on genes that slow the spread of cancer, according to a first-of-its-kind study. A professor of pharmaceutical sciences says he is encouraged by his findings because the spread of cancer is most often what makes the disease fatal. Moreover, he says, diet, nutrients and plant-based chemicals appear to be opening many avenues of attack. ... > full story

Panda preferences influence trees used for scent marking (August 27, 2012) -- As solitary animals, giant pandas have developed a number of ways to communicate those times when they are ready to come into close contact. One means of this communication occurs through scent marking. A recent study indicates that pandas make clear and specific choices about what trees are used for scent marking. ... > full story

Plants unpack winter coats when days get shorter (August 27, 2012) -- Mechanisms that protect plants from freezing are placed in storage during the summer and wisely unpacked when days get shorter. An expert in molecular genetics has demonstrated how the CBF cold response pathway is inactive during warmer months when days are long, and how it's triggered by waning sunlight to prepare plants for freezing temperatures. ... > full story

Adolescent pot use leaves lasting mental deficits; Developing brain susceptible to lasting damage from exposure to marijuana (August 27, 2012) -- The persistent, dependent use of marijuana before age 18 has been shown to cause lasting harm to a person's intelligence, attention and memory, according to an international research team. ... > full story

Long-held theory on human gestation refuted: Mother’s metabolism, not birth canal size, limits gestation (August 27, 2012) -- An anthropologist suggests that the length of human pregnancy is limited primarily by a mother's metabolism, not the size of the birth canal. The research challenges the long-held notion of an evolutionary trade-off between childbirth and a pelvis adapted for walking upright. ... > full story

One third less life on planet Earth? Scientists offer better estimate of living biomass (August 27, 2012) -- Previous estimates about the total mass of all life on our planet have to be reduced by about one third, according to the results of a study by a German-U.S. science team. ... > full story

Short- and mid-term cardiovascular effects of Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami: Incidence rises with the seismic peak (August 27, 2012) -- The Japanese earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, which hit the north-east coast of Japan with a magnitude of 9.0 on the Richter scale, was one of the largest ocean-trench earthquakes ever recorded in Japan. The tsunami caused huge damage, including 15,861 dead and 3018 missing persons, and, as of June 6, 2012, 388,783 destroyed homes. ... > full story

Darwin discovered to be right: Eastern Pacific barrier is virtually impassable by coral species (August 27, 2012) -- Coral from the eastern Pacific rarely crosses a deep-ocean barrier to reach the west coast of the Americas, according to new research. The finding has important implications for climate-change research, species-preservation efforts, and the economic stability of the eastern Pacific region, including the Galapagos, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador. ... > full story

Why some fats are worse than others (August 27, 2012) -- All dietary fats are not created equal. Some types of fats have been linked to ailments like heart disease and diabetes, while others, like those often found in plants and fish, have well documented health benefits. So why do our bodies respond so destructively to some fats but not others? ... > full story

Cooled coal emissions would clean air and lower health and climate-change costs (August 27, 2012) -- Refrigerating coal-plant emissions would reduce levels of dangerous chemicals that pour into the air -- including carbon dioxide by more than 90 percent -- at a cost of 25 percent efficiency, according to a simple math-driven formula. ... > full story

Arctic sea ice reaches lowest extent ever recorded (August 27, 2012) -- The blanket of sea ice floating on the Arctic Ocean melted to its lowest extent ever recorded since satellites began measuring it in 1979, according to new research. ... > full story

Fossil skeleton of strange, ancient digging mammal clears up 30-year-old evolutionary debate (August 27, 2012) -- Shortly after dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops went extinct, the Earth became filled with mammals only distantly related to those alive today. Until recently, one of these creatures, Ernanodon antelios, was only known from a single, highly distorted specimen that raised many questions about its habits and evolutionary relationships. Scientists have now described a second specimen of Ernanodon that sheds new light on this curious beast. ... > full story

Probiotics supercharge plants' immunity to disease (August 27, 2012) -- Pathogens can slip through leaf pores and begin infecting a plant. However, new research shows that this invasion is halted when a beneficial bacterium is present in the soil where the plant is rooted. ... > full story

Advanced tornado/hurricane shelter panels from recycled materials (August 27, 2012) -- Recycled materials may become armor against flying debris: Panels for a new high-tech shelter have passed the National Storm Shelter Association’s tornado threat test. ... > full story

Fitting Kv potassium channels in the PIP2 puzzle (August 27, 2012) -- A recent study brings new insights to an area of ion channel regulation: whether voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels can be regulated by physiological changes to PIP2. ... > full story

New model of muscular dystrophy provides insight into disease development (August 27, 2012) -- Researchers report the development of a mouse model of Fukuyama's muscular dystrophy that copies the pathology seen in the human form of the disease. ... > full story

Studying how diseases spread in primates may help predict what diseases will emerge in humans (August 27, 2012) -- A new study has investigated how diseases are shared among species of primates with a view to predicting what diseases may emerge in humans in the future. The findings aim to help in the fight against these diseases by enabling scientists to develop treatments before outbreaks occur. ... > full story

Vitamin B3 may offer new tool in fight against staph infections, 'superbugs' (August 27, 2012) -- A new study suggests that nicotinamide, more commonly known as vitamin B3, may be able to combat some of the antibiotic-resistance staph infections and "superbugs" that are increasingly common around the world, have killed thousands and can pose a significant threat to public health. ... > full story

Scientists discover nerves control iridescence in squid's remarkable 'electric skin' (August 27, 2012) -- Nerves in squid skin control the animal's spectrum of shimmering hues -- from red to blue -- as well as their speed of change, biologists have found. The work marks the first time neural control of iridescence in an invertebrate species has been demonstrated. ... > full story

To cap or not to cap: Scientists find new RNA phenomenon that challenges dogma (August 27, 2012) -- Some RNA molecules spend time in a restful state akin to hibernation rather than automatically carrying out their established job of delivering protein-building instructions in cells. This restful period appears to be a programmed step for RNA produced by certain types of genes. Protein production in cells is not as clear-cut as biology textbooks suggest, scientists say. ... > full story

Breast milk promotes a different gut flora growth than infant formulas (August 27, 2012) -- The benefits of breast milk have long been appreciated, but now scientists have described a unique property that makes mother's milk better than infant formula in protecting infants from infections and illnesses. The finding explains how breast milk, but not infant formula, fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn's intestinal tract that aid nutrient absorption and immune system development. ... > full story

Precise and persistent cell sabotage: Control of siRNA could aid regenerative medicine, cancer therapy (August 27, 2012) -- Small interfering RNA (siRNA), can be packaged then unleashed as a precise and persistent technology to guide cell behavior, researchers report. The technology holds promise for tissue engineering and cancer therapy. ... > full story

How ocean currents affect global climate becoming better understood (August 27, 2012) -- Oceanographers have developed a "new paradigm" for describing how the world's oceans circulate -- and with it they may help reshape science's understanding of the processes by which wind, water, sunlight and other factors interact and influence the planet's climate. ... > full story

Nutrition tied to improved sperm DNA quality in older men: Healthy micronutrient intake linked to reduced DNA fragmentation (August 27, 2012) -- A healthy intake of micronutrients is strongly associated with improved sperm DNA quality in older men. In younger men, however, a higher intake of micronutrients didn't improve their sperm DNA. ... > full story

How methane becomes fish food (August 27, 2012) -- Methane is an organic carbon compound containing the fundamental building block of nearly all living material: carbon. It provides an important source of energy and nutrients for bacteria. Methane is produced in oxygen-free environments and is found in abundance at the bottom of lakes. ... > full story

Pesticides endanger bats (August 27, 2012) -- Bats are a highly threatened group of animals and many people are concerned with their conservation. The entire group of animals is protected in Europe. Therefore it is worrying that bats are not included in the EU-wide authorization procedures for plant protection products. A new study has revealed that pesticide contamination of their diet can lead to long-term effects in bats. ... > full story

X-ray chemist solves cholera mystery: Blood group O most susceptible (August 27, 2012) -- The likelihood of becoming seriously ill from cholera depends on your blood group. It is possible to find a new remedy for the feared illness by studying the molecular structure in the toxin in the cholera bacteria. ... > full story

Laser beam as a '3-D painter' to grow biological tissue or to create micro sensors (August 27, 2012) -- With laser beams, molecules can be fixed at exactly the right position in a three dimensional material. The new method can be used to grow biological tissue or to create micro sensors. ... > full story

Summer weather could mean fall colors pop in Northeast U.S. (August 27, 2012) -- The summer’s dry weather, combined with recent cool nights, could combine for a colorful fall foliage season in the Northeast, says a dendrologist. ... > full story

By text-mining the classics, professor unearths new literary insights (August 27, 2012) -- One researcher combines programming with text-mining to compare 18th- and 19th century authors’ works with one another based on their stylistic and thematic connections. He crunches massive amounts of text to map how books are connected to one another -- from each's word frequency and choice to its overarching subject matter. ... > full story

Simplifying genetic codes to look back in time (August 26, 2012) -- Researchers show simpler versions of the universal genetic code can still function in protein synthesis. In addition to understanding early primordial organisms, the research could lead to applications preventing non-natural genetically modified materials from entering the natural world. ... > full story

'Cyborg' tissues: Merging engineered human tissues with bio-compatible nanoscale wires (August 26, 2012) -- Scientists have, for the first, time created a type of "cyborg" tissue by embedding a three-dimensional network of functional, bio-compatible nanoscale wires into engineered human tissues. ... > full story

Manipulating the microbiome could help manage weight (August 26, 2012) -- Vaccines and antibiotics may someday join caloric restriction or bariatric surgery as a way to regulate weight gain, according to a new study focused on the interactions between diet, the bacteria that live in the bowel, and the immune system. "Diet-induced obesity depends not just on calories ingested but also on the host's microbiome," said the study's senior author. For most people, he said, "host digestion is not completely efficient, but changes in the gut flora can raise or lower digestive efficiency." ... > full story

Rapid-scanning microscope with no loss of quality (August 24, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a rapid-scanning microscope with no loss of quality. ... > full story

Sunbathing helps these bugs stay healthy (August 24, 2012) -- Sunbathing may be healthy -- at least for one group of North American insects, the Western boxelder bug -- that apparently uses the activity to fight off germs. The bugs are known to group together in sunlit patches and release monoterpenes, strong-smelling chemical compounds that help protect the bugs by killing germs on their bodies. ... > full story

Only two percent of Canadians deny climate change (August 24, 2012) -- A new survey shows that only two percent of Canadians deny climate change. ... > full story

Microwave ovens may help produce lower cost solar energy technology (August 24, 2012) -- The same type of microwave oven technology that most people use to heat up leftover food has found an important application in the solar energy industry, providing a new way to make thin-film photovoltaic products with less energy, expense and environmental concerns. ... > full story

Boston subway system to be used to test new sensors for biological agents (August 24, 2012) -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate has scheduled a series of tests in the Boston subways to measure the real-world performance of new sensors recently developed to detect biological agents within minutes. ... > full story

Superior fuel cell material developed (August 24, 2012) -- Using a mixture of gold, copper and platinum nanoparticles, researchers have developed a more powerful and longer lasting fuel cell material. ... > full story

Good news from the bad drought: Gulf 'Dead Zone' smallest in years (August 24, 2012) -- The worst drought to hit the United States in at least 50 years does have one benefit: It has created the smallest "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico in years, say researchers. ... > full story

Bigger creatures live longer, travel farther for a reason (August 24, 2012) -- A biological mystery about the longer lifespans of bigger creatures may be explained by the application of a physical law called the Constructal Law. It proposes that anything that flows -- a river, bloodstream or highway network -- will evolve toward the same basic configuration out of a need to be more efficient. A professor argues that this same basic law applies to all bodies in motion, be they animals or tanker trucks. ... > full story

New insights to the function of molecular chaperones (August 24, 2012) -- Molecular biologists have gained new insights into the function of so-called molecular chaperones in protein synthesis. Scientists were able to demonstrate how a molecular chaperone in bacterial cells can influence the formation of the three-dimensional structure of new proteins. ... > full story

Cup of herbal tea could help fight breast cancer (August 24, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered that an extract from a common plant in Pakistan may help treat breast cancer. ... > full story

New molecular interactions behind the inhibition of TGF beta-signaling described (August 24, 2012) -- Researchers describe new molecular interactions behind the inhibition of TGF beta-signaling. ... > full story