The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, June 1, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, June 1, 2012

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Life scientists view biodiversity through a whole new dimension: Body size, feeding rates (May 31, 2012) -- How can blue whales, the largest animals on the planet, survive by feeding on krill, shrimp-like creatures that are the size of a penny? According to life scientists, it's all a matter of dimensions. ... > full story

Is there a 'healthy' obesity gene? (May 31, 2012) -- Researchers recently investigated whether a specific gene/enzyme could be help explain why some obese people do not get chronic diseases typically associated with obesity. ... > full story

New molecular structure offers first picture of a protein family vital to human health (May 31, 2012) -- The 20 proteins in the Wnt family are some of the most important proteins in controlling how an organism develops and grows, but for 30 years scientists have not known what these vital proteins actually look like. Researchers have solved the first structure of a Wnt protein, opening up new avenues of study for this biologically important molecule. ... > full story

X-ray laser probes biomolecules to individual atoms (May 31, 2012) -- Scientists have demonstrated how the world's most powerful X-ray laser can assist in cracking the structures of biomolecules, and in the processes helped to pioneer critical new investigative avenues in biology. ... > full story

Sex: It's a good thing, study of primroses shows (May 31, 2012) -- Way more than fun and games, sexual reproduction appears to give an evolutionary advantage, biologists have discovered. ... > full story

Geoengineering for global warming: Increasing aerosols in atmosphere would make sky whiter (May 31, 2012) -- One idea for fighting global warming is to increase the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere, scattering incoming solar energy away from Earth's surface. But scientists theorize that this solar geoengineering could have a side effect of whitening the sky during the day. New research indicates that blocking 2 percent of the sun's light would make the sky three-to-five times brighter, as well as whiter. ... > full story

Mystery of monarch butterfly migration takes new turn (May 31, 2012) -- A prevailing theory contends that eastern and western monarchs are genetically distinct, and that genetic mechanisms trigger their divergent migratory paths. An analysis by biologists, however, finds that the two groups are genetically mixed, suggesting environmental factors may be the key to the butterflies' choice of winter homes, and where they wind up in the spring. The distinction is important to help better understand their behavior, and to conserve the monarch flyways. ... > full story

Genetic discovery unlocks biosynthesis of medicinal compound in poppy (May 31, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a complex gene cluster responsible for the synthesis of the medicinal compound noscapine. ... > full story

'Like a jet through solid rock:' Volcanic arc fed by rapid fluid pulses (May 31, 2012) -- The depths of Earth are anything but peaceful: large quantities of liquids carve their way through the rock as fluids, causing magma to form. Scientists have now shown that the fluids flow a lot faster through solid rock than previously assumed. ... > full story

Evolution of birds is result of a drastic change in how dinosaurs developed (May 30, 2012) -- Researchers have found evidence that the evolution of birds is the result of a drastic change in how dinosaurs developed. Scientists have long understood that modern birds descended from dinosaurs. Rather than take years to reach sexual maturity, as many dinosaurs did, birds sped up the clock -- some species take as little as 12 weeks to mature -- allowing them to retain the physical characteristics of baby dinosaurs. ... > full story

Female choice key to evolutionary shift to modern family (May 30, 2012) -- How females chose their mates played a critical role in human evolution by leading to monogamous relationships, which laid the foundation for the institution of the modern family. ... > full story

Potentially civilization-ending super-eruptions may have surprisingly short fuses (May 30, 2012) -- Super-eruptions are potentially civilization-ending events and new research suggests that they may have surprisingly short fuses. ... > full story

Eat healthy -- your kids are watching (May 30, 2012) -- If lower-income mothers want kids with healthy diets, it's best to adopt healthy eating habits themselves and encourage their children to eat good foods rather than use force, rewards or punishments, says a new study. ... > full story

Potential new HIV vaccine/therapy target (May 30, 2012) -- A new discovery may shed light on the mystery of why some people infected with HIV are better able to control the virus, live longer and have fewer associated health problems than others who have been infected as long. It also provides a potential new target for developing therapies or vaccines. ... > full story

Nanodevice manufacturing strategy using DNA 'Building blocks' (May 30, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a method for building complex nanostructures out of interlocking DNA "building blocks" that can be programmed to assemble themselves into precisely designed shapes. With further development, the technology could one day enable the creation of new nanoscale devices that deliver drugs directly to disease sites. ... > full story

Tiny genetic variations led to big changes in the evolving human brain (May 30, 2012) -- Changes to just three genetic letters among billions led to evolution and development of the mammalian motor sensory network, and laid the groundwork for the defining characteristics of the human brain, researchers report. ... > full story

Tomato genome gets fully sequenced -- paves way to healthier fruits, veggies (May 30, 2012) -- For the first time, the genome of the tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, has been decoded, and it becomes an important step toward improving yield, nutrition, disease resistance, taste and color of the tomato and other crops. The full genome sequence, as well as the sequence of a wild relative, is has just been completed. ... > full story

Landslides linked to plate tectonics create the steepest mountain terrain (May 30, 2012) -- New research shows some of the steepest mountain slopes in the world got that way because of the interplay between terrain uplift associated with plate tectonics and powerful streams cutting into hillsides, leading to large landslides. ... > full story

Why Earth is not an ice ball: Possible explanation for faint young sun paradox (May 30, 2012) -- More than 2 billion years ago, a much fainter sun should have left the Earth as an orbiting ice ball. Why we avoided the deep freeze is a question that has puzzled scientists, but one astronomer might have an answer. ... > full story

Light-induced delivery of nitric oxide eradicates drug-resistant bacteria (May 30, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a novel approach for eradicating drug-resistant bacteria from wounds and skin infections, using light to trigger the controlled release of nitric oxide. Medical researchers developed a photoactive compound that releases nitric oxide when exposed to light, and loaded it into a porous, biocompatible material that could be applied as a sprayable powder. ... > full story

A trained palate: Understanding complexities of taste, smell could lead to improved diet (May 30, 2012) -- Researchers have made some fundamental discoveries about how people taste, smell and detect flavor, and why they love some foods much more than others. The findings could lead to the Holy Grail of nutrition -- helping people learn to really like vegetables. ... > full story

To spread, nervous system viruses sabotage cell, hijack transportation (May 30, 2012) -- Researchers have found that herpes and other viruses that attack the nervous system may thrive by disrupting cell function in order to hijack a neuron's internal transportation network and spread to other cells. ... > full story

First prehistoric twins discovered in Iberian Peninsula (May 30, 2012) -- Researchers in Spain have discovered the remains of newborn twin girls in the archaeological site of Olèrdola in Barcelona. They date back to between the middle of the 4th century B.C. to the beginning of the 2nd century B.C. The findings are the first bone remains of twins to be recorded in the Iberian Peninsula. ... > full story

Got nectar? To hawkmoths, humidity is a cue (May 30, 2012) -- Humidity emanating from a flower's nectar stores tells moths if the flower is worth a visit, entomologists have discovered. The study sheds light onto a previously unknown mechanism used by pollinating insects to assess nectar rewards in blooming plants. ... > full story

Exercise and a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables extends life expectancy in women in their 70s (May 30, 2012) -- Women in their seventies who exercise and eat healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables have a longer life expectancy, according to new research. ... > full story

Arctic bacteria help in the search to find life on Jupiter's moon Europa (May 30, 2012) -- In a fjord in Canada, scientists have found a landscape similar to one of Jupiter's icy moons: Europa. It consists of a frozen and sulfurous environment, where sulfur associated with Arctic bacteria offer clues for the upcoming missions in the search for traces of life on Europa. ... > full story

The environment and pharmaceuticals and personal care products: What are the big questions? (May 30, 2012) -- Researchers are developing a better understand the impacts of chemicals used in pharmaceuticals and in personal care products, such as cosmetics, soaps, perfumes, deodorants and toothpastes (PPCPs), on the natural environment. ... > full story

Cellular computers? Scientists train cells to perform boolean functions (May 30, 2012) -- Scientists have engineered cells that behave like AND and OR Boolean logic gates, producing an output based on one or more unique inputs. This feat could eventually help researchers create computers that use cells as tiny circuits. ... > full story

Iconic New Zealand reptile shows chewing is not just for mammals (May 29, 2012) -- The tuatara, an iconic New Zealand reptile, chews its food in a way unlike any other animal on the planet -- challenging the widespread perception that complex chewing ability is closely linked to high metabolism. ... > full story

Chemical fingerprinting tracks the travels of little brown bats (May 29, 2012) -- A novel technique using stable hydrogen isotopes —- a chemical fingerprint found in tissues such as hair —- has enabled researchers to determine where hibernating bats originated. Knowing that could help predict and ultimately manage the spread of white-nose syndrome. ... > full story

Discovery of historical photos sheds light on Greenland ice loss (May 29, 2012) -- A chance discovery of 80-year-old photo plates in a Danish basement is providing new insight into how Greenland glaciers are melting today. ... > full story

Greenland's loss of ice mass during the last 10 years is unusually high compared to last 50 years (May 29, 2012) -- Loss through melting and iceberg calving during the last 10 years is unusually high compared to the last 50 years. The Greenland ice sheet continues to lose mass and thus contributes at about 0.7 millimeters per year to the currently observed sea level change of about 3 mm per year. This trend increases each year by a further 0.07 millimeters per year. The pattern and temporal nature of loss is complex. The mass loss is largest in southwest and northwest Greenland; the respective contributions of melting, iceberg calving and fluctuations in snow accumulation differing considerably. ... > full story

Children exposed to the common pollutant naphthalene show signs of chromosomal damage (May 29, 2012) -- Children exposed to high levels of the common air pollutant naphthalene are at increased risk for chromosomal aberrations (CAs), which have been previously associated with cancer. These include chromosomal translocations, a potentially more harmful and long-lasting subtype of CAs. ... > full story

Bananas are as beneficial as sports drinks, study suggests (May 29, 2012) -- Bananas have long been a favorite source of energy for endurance and recreational athletes. Bananas are a rich source of potassium and other nutrients, and are easy for cyclists, runners or hikers to carry. ... > full story

Land and sea species differ in climate change response (May 29, 2012) -- Marine and terrestrial species will likely differ in how they respond to climate change according to a new study by Simon Fraser University and Australia's University of Tasmania. ... > full story

PCB exposure linked to increased abdominal fat (May 29, 2012) -- There is a correlation between high levels of the environmental toxin PCB and the distribution of body fat to the abdomen. Abdominal fat is already known to increase the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, among other conditions. ... > full story

16th-century Korean mummy provides clue to hepatitis B virus genetic code (May 29, 2012) -- The discovery of a mummified Korean child with relatively preserved organs enabled an Israeli-South Korean scientific team to conduct a genetic analysis on a liver biopsy which revealed a unique hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C2 sequence common in Southeast Asia. ... > full story

Mediterranean diet is definitively linked to quality of life (May 29, 2012) -- For years the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a lesser chance of illness and increased well-being. A new study has now linked it to mental and physical health too. The Mediterranean diet, which is characterized by the consumption of fruit, vegetables, pulses (beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils) fish, olive oil and nuts, has been demonstrated to be beneficial to the health in terms of a lesser chance of chronic illness and a lower mortality rate. A new study has revealed that those who follow a Mediterranean diet score higher on a quality of life questionnaire than those who don't. ... > full story

Blowing in the wind: How hidden flower features are crucial for bees (May 29, 2012) -- As gardeners get busy filling tubs and borders with colorful bedding plants, scientists have discovered more about what makes flowers attractive to bees rather than humans. New research reveals that Velcro-like cells on plant petals play a crucial role in helping bees grip flowers – especially when the wind gets up. ... > full story

Beetle flight: Flapping protective wings increase lift (May 29, 2012) -- The forewings of beetles, the elytra, are hardened structures which protect the insect’s flying wings and body. The function of the forewings in flight has been questioned, which is what prompted researchers to study how the forewings and the underlying flying wings work in dung beetles. The researchers studied the air flow created by the wings when the beetles fly in a wind tunnel. ... > full story

Inequality dates back to Stone Age: Earliest evidence yet of differential access to land (May 28, 2012) -- Hereditary inequality began over 7,000 years ago in the early Neolithic era, with new evidence showing that farmers buried with tools had access to better land than those buried without. ... > full story

Climate change led to collapse of ancient Indus civilization, study finds (May 28, 2012) -- A new study combining the latest archaeological evidence with state-of-the-art geoscience technologies provides evidence that climate change was a key ingredient in the collapse of the great Indus or Harappan civilization almost 4000 years ago. The study also resolves a long-standing debate over the source and fate of the Sarasvati, the sacred river of Hindu mythology. ... > full story

Method for building artificial tissue devised (May 28, 2012) -- Physicists have developed a method that models biological cell-to-cell adhesion that could also have industrial applications. ... > full story

Groundwater depletion in semiarid regions of Texas and California threatens US food security (May 28, 2012) -- The US's food supply may be vulnerable to rapid groundwater depletion from irrigated agriculture, according to a new study. The study paints the highest resolution picture yet of how groundwater depletion varies across space and time in California's Central Valley and the High Plains of the central U.S. ... > full story

CryoSat goes to sea (May 28, 2012) -- CryoSat was launched in 2010 to measure sea-ice thickness in the Arctic, but data from the Earth-observing satellite have also been exploited for other studies. High-resolution mapping of the topography of the ocean floor is now being added to the ice mission’s repertoire. The main objective of the polar-orbiting CryoSat is to measure the thickness of polar sea ice and monitor changes in the ice sheets that blanket Greenland and Antarctica. ... > full story

T cells 'hunt' parasites like animal predators seek prey, a new study reveals (May 27, 2012) -- By pairing an intimate knowledge of immune-system function with a deep understanding of statistical physics, a cross-disciplinary team has arrived at a surprising finding: T cells use a movement strategy to track down parasites that is similar to strategies that predators such as monkeys, sharks and bluefin tuna use to hunt their prey. ... > full story

Computer model pinpoints prime materials for efficient carbon capture (May 27, 2012) -- The electric power industry expects eventually to implement carbon capture of emissions in order to reduce greenhouse gases, yet today's best technology eats up 30 percent of a plant's power. Scientists have now created a computer model that analyzes the millions of possible porous capture structures, from zeolites to MOFs, to pinpoint ones that can improve energy efficiency, so that chemists can synthesize and test them for future use. ... > full story

Public apathy over climate change unrelated to science literacy (May 27, 2012) -- Are members of the public divided about climate change because they don't understand the science behind it? If Americans knew more basic science and were more proficient in technical reasoning, would public consensus match scientific consensus? A new study suggests that the answer to both questions is no. ... > full story