The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Wednesday, August 8, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Wednesday, August 8, 2012

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New non-toxic disinfectant could tackle hospital infections (August 7, 2012) -- A new disinfectant, Akwaton, that works at extremely low concentrations could be used in healthcare settings to help control persistent hospital-acquired infections such as Clostridium difficile. Researchers tested the new compound, Akwaton, against bacterial spores that attach to surfaces and are difficult to destroy. Previous work has shown Akwaton is also effective at low concentrations against strains of Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. ... > full story

Planting the seeds of defense: Stress triggers widespread epigenetic changes that aid in disease resistance (August 7, 2012) -- It was long thought that methylation, a crucial part of normal organism development, was a static modification of DNA that could not be altered by environmental conditions. New findings, however, suggest that the DNA of organisms exposed to stress undergo changes in DNA methylation patterns that alter how genes are regulated. ... > full story

Can nature parks save biodiversity? (August 7, 2012) -- As human activities put increasing pressures on natural systems and wildlife to survive, 200 scientists around the world carved up pieces of the puzzle to present a clearer picture of reality and find ways to mitigate the destructive forces at work. ... > full story

Shedding new light on how jaws evolve (August 7, 2012) -- If you're looking for information on the evolution and function of jaws, a new integrative research program has some answers. Scientists are investigating major adaptive and morphological transformations in the mammalian musculoskeletal system during development and across higher-level groups. ... > full story

Control of devastating cassava virus in Africa demonstrated (August 7, 2012) -- Scientists recently demonstrated progress in protecting cassava against cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), a serious virus disease, in a confined field trial in Uganda using an RNA interference technology. ... > full story

Diseased trees new source of climate gas (August 7, 2012) -- Diseased trees in forests may be a significant new source of methane that causes climate change, according to researchers. ... > full story

New pathway for invasive species -- science teachers (August 7, 2012) -- A survey of teachers from the United States and Canada found that one out of four educators who used live animals as part of their science curriculum released the organisms into the wild after they were done using them in the classroom. ... > full story

Chemists advance clear conductive thin films (August 7, 2012) -- Thin, conductive films are useful in displays and solar cells. A new solution-based chemistry for making indium tin oxide films could allow engineers to employ a much simpler and cheaper manufacturing process. ... > full story

California's hydropower stations to generate less electricity in summer as climate warms (August 7, 2012) -- California's hydropower is vulnerable to climate change, a scientist has advised policymakers. According to the scientist, if California loses snowpack under climate warming, high-elevation hydropower-plant reservoirs may not be able to store enough water for hydropower generation in summer months when the demand is much higher and hydropower is priced higher. ... > full story

Division of labor offers insight into the evolution of multicellular life (August 7, 2012) -- Dividing tasks among different individuals is a more efficient way to get things done, whether you are an ant, a honeybee or a human. A new study suggests that this efficiency may also explain a key transition in evolutionary history, from single-celled to multi-celled organisms. ... > full story

The economic cost of increased temperatures: Warming episodes hurt poor countries and limit long-term growth (August 7, 2012) -- Even temporary rises in local temperatures significantly damage long-term economic growth in the world's developing nations, according to a new study. ... > full story

Preserving an icon: Impact of historical domestic cattle hybridization with American bison revealed (August 7, 2012) -- Plains bison are an iconic symbol of America on everything from coins to state flags. Now scientists are exploring how the cross-breeding of bison with domestic cattle in the late 1800s may still have unwanted effects on modern populations of the species. ... > full story

Study finds with vacant lots greened, residents feel safer (August 7, 2012) -- Greening vacant lots may make neighborhood residents feel safer and may be associated with reductions in certain gun crimes, according to a new study. Results show that residents living near greened vacant lots feel safer than those near non-greened sites. ... > full story

Birds do better in 'agroforests' than on farms (August 7, 2012) -- Compared with open farmland, wooded "shade" plantations that produce coffee and chocolate promote greater bird diversity, although a new study says forests remain the best habitat for tropical birds. The findings suggest that as open farmland replaces forests and "agroforests" -- where crops are grown under trees – reduced number of bird species and shifts in the populations of various types of birds may hurt "ecosystem services" that birds provide to people, such as eating insect pests, spreading seeds and pollinating crops. ... > full story

Paddlefish's doubled genome may question theories on limb evolution (August 7, 2012) -- The American paddlefish -- known for its bizarre, protruding snout and eggs harvested for caviar -- duplicated its entire genome about 42 million years ago, according to a new study. This finding may add a new twist to the way scientists study how fins evolved into limbs since the paddlefish is often used as a proxy for a more representative ancestor shared by humans and fishes. ... > full story

Holy bat detector! Ecologists develop first Europe-wide bat ID tool (August 7, 2012) -- Just as differences in song can be used to distinguish one bird species from another, the pips and squeaks bats use to find prey can be used to identify different species of bat. Now, for the first time, ecologists have developed a Europe-wide tool capable of identifying bats from their echolocation calls. ... > full story

Eco-computer with a natural wood look (August 7, 2012) -- Surfing for hours on the Internet consumes a lot of electricity and is harmful to the environment. However, a new ecological PC saves energy as it operates: It produces about 70 percent less CO2 than conventional computers. ... > full story

Using wastewater as fertilizer (August 7, 2012) -- Sewage sludge, wastewater and liquid manure are valuable sources of fertilizer for food production. Researchers have now developed a chemical-free, eco-friendly process that enables the recovered salts to be converted directly into organic food for crop plants. ... > full story

Cannabis as painkiller (August 7, 2012) -- Cannabis-based medications have been demonstrated to relieve pain. Cannabis medications can be used in patients whose symptoms are not adequately alleviated by conventional treatment. The indications are muscle spasms, nausea and vomiting as a result of chemotherapy, loss of appetite in HIV/Aids, and neuropathic pain, experts say. ... > full story

2012 the hottest year on record for Northeast, US (August 7, 2012) -- The Northeast’s seven-month average (January through July) of 49.9 degrees was the warmest such period since 1895, the year such record keeping began. ... > full story

How forests thrive after fires and volcanoes (August 6, 2012) -- Forests hammered by windstorms, avalanches and wildfires may appear blighted, but a researcher says such disturbances can be key to maximizing an area's biological diversity. In fact land managers can alter their practices to enhance such diversity, creating areas with a wide variety of species, including rare and endangered plants and animals, experts say. ... > full story

Researchers unlock secret of the rare 'twinned rainbow' (August 6, 2012) -- Scientists have yet to fully unravel the mysteries of rainbows, but a group of researchers have used simulations of these natural wonders to unlock the secret to a rare optical phenomenon known as the twinned rainbow. ... > full story

Microbes, sponges, and worms add to coral reef woes (August 6, 2012) -- Microbes, sponges, and worms -- the side effects of pollution and heavy fishing -- are adding insult to injury in Kenya's imperiled reef systems, according to a recent study. ... > full story

Forensic tools for catching poachers (August 6, 2012) -- The trade in ivory was largely outlawed in 1989, but poaching continues and remains a serious threat to the African elephant. Seizures of large amounts of ivory, sometimes over a ton, continue to occur. Scientists have now found a way to determine just where the ivory comes from. ... > full story

Seafood, wild or farmed? The answer may be both (August 6, 2012) -- Most people think of seafood as either wild or farmed, but in fact both categories may apply to the fish you pick up from your grocery store. An article recommends that when a combination of seafood production techniques are used, this be acknowledged in the marketplace. ... > full story

Limits of microbial life in an undersea volcano: Third of Earth's organisms live in rock and sediments (August 6, 2012) -- By some estimates, a third of the Earth's organisms by mass live in our planet's rocks and sediments, yet their lives and ecology are almost a complete mystery. Microbiologists have just revealed the first detailed data about a group of methane-exhaling microbes that live deep in the cracks of hot undersea volcanoes. ... > full story

Correlation between injection wells and small earthquakes discovered (August 6, 2012) -- Most earthquakes in the Barnett Shale region of north Texas occur within a few miles of one or more injection wells used to dispose of wastes associated with petroleum production such as hydraulic fracturing fluids, according to new research. None of the quakes identified in the two-year study were strong enough to pose a danger to the public. ... > full story

Researchers peek at the early evolution of sex chromosomes (August 6, 2012) -- Two new studies offer insight into sex chromosome evolution by focusing on papaya, a multimillion dollar crop plant with a sexual problem (as far as growers are concerned) and a complicated past. ... > full story

Black drink: Evidence of ritual use of caffeinated brew at Cahokia (August 6, 2012) -- People living 700 to 900 years ago in Cahokia, a massive settlement near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, ritually used a caffeinated brew made from the leaves of a holly tree that grew hundreds of miles away, researchers report. ... > full story

New study defines the genetic map of the Jewish diasporas (August 6, 2012) -- A new genetic analysis focusing on Jews from North Africa has provided an overall genetic map of the Jewish Diasporas. The findings support the historical record of Middle Eastern Jews settling in North Africa during Classical Antiquity, proselytizing and marrying local populations, and, in the process, forming distinct populations that stayed largely intact for more than 2,000 years. ... > full story

USGS science goes to Mars (August 6, 2012) -- With the Mars rover Curiosity's successful landing Sunday, Aug. 5, at 10:32 p.m. PDT, U.S. Geological Survey scientists continue their strategic role in the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), the most advanced mission yet to explore whether the Red Planet has ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life. ... > full story

Broadening researcher access to protein simulation (August 6, 2012) -- Using just an upgraded desktop computer equipped with a relatively inexpensive graphics processing card, a team of computer scientists and biochemists has developed advanced GPU accelerated software and demonstrated for the first time that this approach can sample biological events that occur on the millisecond timescale. ... > full story

New bird species discovered in 'cloud forest' of Peru (August 6, 2012) -- A colorful, fruit-eating bird with a black mask, pale belly and scarlet breast – never before described by science – has been discovered following an expedition to the remote Peruvian Andes. ... > full story

'Green biased' yellow fever swept through Irish Immigrants in 19th century US (August 6, 2012) -- New research has found why yellow fever had a green bias in 19th century fever outbreaks in the southern states of the US. Almost half of the 650 people killed by yellow fever in Savannah Georgia in 1854 were Irish immigrants. ... > full story

Airborne technology helps manage elephants (August 6, 2012) -- For years, scientists have debated how big a role elephants play in toppling trees in South African savannas. Tree loss is a natural process, but it is increasing in some regions, with cascading effects on the habitat for many other species. Using high resolution 3-D mapping, scientists have for the first time quantitatively determined tree losses across savannas of Kruger National Park. They found that elephants are the primary agents. ... > full story

New approaches needed for uncovering, identifying, and treating buried chemical warfare material (August 6, 2012) -- The current approach for identifying and destroying buried chemical munitions and related chemical warfare materials uncovered during environmental remediation projects is neither reliable enough nor has the capability to efficiently tackle large-scale projects, says a new report. ... > full story

New Hampshire leads contiguous United States in percent tree cover (August 6, 2012) -- Tree cover in the nation's Lower 48 states covers 659 million acres, more than one-third of the nation, according to a US Forest Service study of national tree cover and impervious surfaces. New Hampshire leads the nation in percent tree cover (89 percent), followed by Maine (83 percent) and Vermont (82 percent). Percent tree cover is highest in Connecticut (67 percent) and lowest in Nevada (10 percent). ... > full story

Ecology and phylogenetics together offer new views of Earth's biodiversity (August 6, 2012) -- Scientists are taking a new look at Earth patterns, studying the biodiversity of yard plants in the US and that of desert mammals in Israel, studying where flowers and bees live on the Tibetan plateau and how willow trees in America's Midwest make use of water. ... > full story

Research links extreme summer heat events to global warming (August 6, 2012) -- A new statistical analysis by NASA scientists has found that Earth's land areas have become much more likely to experience an extreme summer heat wave than they were in the middle of the 20th century. ... > full story

Cattle vaccine works to reduce E. coli O157:H7 (August 6, 2012) -- A commercial vaccine for cattle can effectively reduce levels of E. coli O157:H7 by more than 50 percent, a new study has found. The vaccine is also effective using two doses instead of the recommended three doses, which can help cut costs for the beef industry. ... > full story

Virtual nanoscopy: Like 'Google Earth' for cell biologists (August 6, 2012) -- Just as users of Google Earth can zoom in from space to a view of their own backyard, researchers can now navigate biological tissues from a whole embryo down to its subcellular structures thanks to recent advances in electron microscopy and image processing. ... > full story

Preparation of anti-tumor nanoparticles using tiger milk mushroom (August 6, 2012) -- Tapping into the power of natural ingredients for safer treatment is the next frontier in the battle against cancer. A recent breakthrough uses tiger milk mushroom to prepare anti-tumor nanoparticles is bringing us one step closer. ... > full story

Understanding the biological and ecological implications of safe nanotechnology (August 6, 2012) -- New research shows how the soft nanomaterial dendrimer can be used to remediate the environment from potentially toxic nanomaterials. ... > full story

Brain's stem cells 'eavesdrop' to find out when to act (August 6, 2012) -- Working with mice, researchers say they have figured out how stem cells found in a part of the brain responsible for learning, memory and mood regulation decide to remain dormant or create new brain cells. Apparently, the stem cells “listen in” on the chemical communication among nearby neurons to get an idea about what is stressing the system and when they need to act. ... > full story

Hydraulic fracturing poses substantial water pollution risks, analysts say (August 6, 2012) -- Researchers find multiple potential threats to water sources posed by hydraulic fracturing as the jobs-producing practice expands. ... > full story

Scientists predict impact of ocean acidification on shellfish (August 6, 2012) -- An international study will help us to understand and predict the likely impact of ocean acidification on shellfish and other marine organisms living in seas from the tropics to the poles. ... > full story

Genetic cause of a severe skeletal disease in Brazilian Terrier puppies revealed (August 6, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered the cause of a life-threatening skeletal disorder affecting Brazilian Terriers. The disease is caused by a mutation in the GUSB gene. Malfunction of the GUSB gene has previously been linked to a severe skeletal disorder in humans, called type VII mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS VII). ... > full story

Medieval clerics resisted celibacy, historians say (August 6, 2012) -- Medieval clerics did not relish the prospect of giving up sex when the Papacy tried to introduce the principle of celibacy. Resistance was widespread, it was revealed at an academic conference where two historians are playing a key role in developing the burgeoning study area of medieval masculinity. ... > full story

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