The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Tuesday, June 19, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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Clues to nervous system evolution found in nerve-less sponge (June 18, 2012) -- Scientists have turned to the simple sponge to find clues about the evolution of the complex nervous system and found that, but for a mechanism that coordinates the expression of genes that lead to the formation of neural synapses, sponges and the rest of the animal world may not be so distant after all. ... > full story

Brothers in arms: Commensal bacteria help fight viruses (June 18, 2012) -- Healthy humans harbor an enormous and diverse group of bacteria and other bugs that live within their intestines. These microbial partners provide beneficial aid in multiple ways -- from helping digest food to the development of a healthy immune system. New research shows that commensal bacteria are essential to fight off viral infections. ... > full story

Discovery helps mice beat urinary tract infections (June 18, 2012) -- The bacteria that cause urinary tract infections may take advantage of a cellular waste disposal system that normally helps fight invaders, according to researchers. ... > full story

Chemists use nanopores to detect DNA damage (June 18, 2012) -- Scientists are racing to sequence DNA faster and cheaper than ever by passing strands of the genetic material through molecule-sized pores. Now, scientists have adapted this “nanopore” method to find DNA damage that can lead to mutations and disease. ... > full story

NOAA predicts a near-normal 2012 Atlantic hurricane season (June 18, 2012) -- Conditions in the atmosphere and the ocean favor a near-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this season. ... > full story

May 2012 global temperatures second warmest on record (June 18, 2012) -- The globally-averaged temperature for May 2012 marked the second warmest May since record keeping began in 1880. May 2012 also marks the 36th consecutive May and 327th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20th century average. ... > full story

'Facebook for animals' tested on wild great tits (June 18, 2012) -- A new way of analyzing the social networks that link individual animals to each other has been tested on wild great tits. ... > full story

Natural exposure to gamma rays in background radiation linked to childhood leukemia (June 18, 2012) -- New findings demonstrate that there are small effects of radiation even at very low doses. ... > full story

Million-year-old groundwater in Maryland water supply (June 18, 2012) -- A portion of the groundwater in the upper Patapsco aquifer underlying Maryland is over a million years old. A new study suggests that this ancient groundwater, a vital source of freshwater supplies for the region east of Washington, DC and Baltimore, was recharged over periods of time much greater than human timescales. ... > full story

Key part of plants' rapid response system revealed (June 18, 2012) -- Scientists have revealed the workings of a switch that activates plant hormones, tags them for storage or marks them for destruction. ... > full story

Peaches, plums, nectarines give obesity, diabetes slim chance (June 18, 2012) -- Peaches, plums and nectarines have bioactive compounds that can potentially fight-off obesity-related diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to new studies. ... > full story

Carbon is key for getting algae to pump out more oil (June 18, 2012) -- Overturning two long-held misconceptions about oil production in algae, scientists show that ramping up the microbes' overall metabolism by feeding them more carbon increases oil production as the organisms continue to grow. The findings may point to new ways to turn photosynthetic green algae into tiny "green factories" for producing raw materials for alternative fuels. ... > full story

Reflected infrared light unveils never-before-seen details of Renaissance paintings (June 18, 2012) -- When restoring damaged and faded works of art, artists often employ lasers and other sophisticated imaging techniques to study intricate details, analyze pigments, and search for subtle defects not visible to the naked eye. To refine what can be seen during the restoration process even further, a team of Italian researchers has developed a new imaging tool that can capture features not otherwise detectable with the naked eye or current imaging techniques. ... > full story

Seeping Arctic methane has serious implications for Florida coastline (June 18, 2012) -- All of the methane escaping into the atmosphere causes more melting ice, oceanographers say, which causes sea levels to rise and could affect coastal real estate values -- sooner rather than later. ... > full story

Wild almond tree oil may combat obesity, diabetes (June 18, 2012) -- A future weapon in the battle against obesity and diabetes could come in the form of an oil derived from the seeds of wild almond trees, according to researchers. ... > full story

Antitoxin strategy may help target other pathogens (June 18, 2012) -- “Beads on a string” approach may reduce cost and development time for agents that neutralize and clear pathogenic molecules. ... > full story

Ancient warming greened Antarctica, study finds (June 17, 2012) -- A new study finds ancient Antarctica was much warmer and wetter than previously suspected. The climate was suitable to support substantial vegetation -- including stunted trees -- along the edges of the frozen continent. ... > full story

Sustainability index that looks beyond GDP launched (June 17, 2012) -- The world's fixation on economic growth ignores a rapid and largely irreversible depletion of natural resources that will seriously harm future generations, according to a report which unveils a new indicator aimed at encouraging sustainability -- the Inclusive Wealth Index (IWI). The IWI looks beyond the traditional economic and development yardsticks of GDP and HDI to include a full range of assets such as manufactured, human and natural capital. ... > full story

Expansion of forests in the European Arctic could result in the release of carbon dioxide (June 17, 2012) -- Carbon stored in Arctic tundra could be released into the atmosphere by new trees growing in the warmer region, exacerbating climate change, scientists have revealed. ... > full story

Lariats: How RNA splicing decisions are made (June 17, 2012) -- Lariats are discarded byproducts of RNA splicing, the process by which genetic instructions for making proteins are assembled. A new study has found hundreds more lariats than ever before, yielding new information about how splicing occurs and how it can lead to disease. ... > full story

No Earth impact in 2040: NASA releases workshop data and findings on asteroid 2011 AG5 (June 15, 2012) -- Researchers anticipate that asteroid 2011 AG5, discovered in January 2011, will fly safely past and not impact Earth in 2040. Observations to date indicate there is a slight chance that AG5 could impact Earth in 2040. Experts are now confident that in the next four years, analysis of space and ground-based observations will show the likelihood of 2011 AG5 missing Earth to be greater than 99 percent. ... > full story

Scientists tie DNA repair to key cell signaling network (June 15, 2012) -- Researchers have found a surprising connection between a key DNA-repair process and a cellular signaling network linked to aging, heart disease, cancer and other chronic conditions. ... > full story

Bugs have key role in farming approach to storing CO2 emissions (June 15, 2012) -- Tiny microbes are at the heart of a novel agricultural technique to manage harmful greenhouse gas emissions. ... > full story

Nanotechnology used to harness power of fireflies (June 15, 2012) -- Scientists have found a new way to harness the natural light produced by fireflies using nanoscience. Their breakthrough produces a system that is 20 to 30 times more efficient than those produced during previous experiments. ... > full story

The boys are bad: Older male ants single out younger rivals for death squad (June 15, 2012) -- Male Cardiocondyla obscurior ants are diphenic (either winged or wingless). New research demonstrates that the dominant wingless (ergatoid) male is able to identify potential rivals before they emerge from their pupae. Constant patrolling of the nest ensures that this male is able to bite or chemically tag rivals as soon as they emerge from their pupae. Chemically tagged ants are quickly destroyed by workers. ... > full story

Studying soil to predict the future of Earth's atmosphere (June 15, 2012) -- Soil plays an important role in controlling the planet's atmospheric future according to new research. Researchers found that the interaction between plants and soils controls how ecosystems respond to rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. ... > full story

BPA exposure effects may last for generations (June 15, 2012) -- Exposure to low doses of Bisphenol A (BPA) during gestation had immediate and long-lasting, trans-generational effects on the brain and social behaviors in mice, according to a recent study. ... > full story

New solar active region spitting out flares (June 14, 2012) -- An active region on the sun, numbered AR 1504, rotated into view over the left side of the sun on June 10, 2012. The region fired off two M-class flares and two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on June 13 and June 14, 2012. ... > full story

Study suggests expanded concept of 'urban watershed' (June 14, 2012) -- Within two decades, 60 percent of the world's population will live in cities, and coping with the resulting urban drinking water and sanitation issues will be one of the greatest challenges of this century. A new study presents a new conceptual framework that addresses characteristics of watersheds that are affected by urban land uses. ... > full story

Catching some rays: Organic solar cells make a leap forward (June 14, 2012) -- Organic solar cells are becoming more efficient thanks to a new set of discoveries that alter their behaviors at the electronic level. ... > full story

Breast milk kills HIV and blocks its oral transmission in humanized mouse (June 14, 2012) -- Although breastfeeding is attributed to a significant number of HIV infections in infants, most breastfed babies are not infected with HIV, despite prolonged and repeated exposure. HIV researchers have been left with a conundrum: does breast milk transmit the virus or protect against it? New research explores this paradox in a humanized mouse model, demonstrating that breast milk has a strong virus killing effect and protects against oral transmission of HIV. ... > full story

Amazon was not all manufactured landscape, scientist says (June 14, 2012) -- Population estimates for the Amazon basin just before Europeans arrived range from 2 to 10 million people. A new reconstruction of Amazonian prehistory suggests that large areas of western Amazonia were sparsely inhabited. This clashes with the belief that most of Amazonia, including forests far removed from major rivers, was heavily occupied and modified. ... > full story

Uranium-series dating reveals Iberian paintings are Europe's oldest cave art (June 14, 2012) -- Paleolithic paintings in El Castillo cave in Northern Spain date back at least 40,800 years -- making them Europe's oldest known cave art, according to new research. Scientists found that the practice of cave art in Europe began up to 10,000 years earlier than previously thought, indicating the paintings were created either by the first anatomically modern humans in Europe or, perhaps, by Neanderthals. ... > full story

Grasshoppers frightened by spiders affect whole ecosystem (June 14, 2012) -- Grasshoppers ‘stressed’ by spiders affect the productivity of our soil. A grasshopper who is in fear of an attacker, such as a spider, will enter a situation of stress and will consume a greater quantity of carbohydrate-rich plants -- similar to humans under stress who might eat more sweets. ... > full story

Atomic-resolution view of a receptor reveals how stomach bacterium avoids acid (June 14, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered how the bacterium Helicobacter pylori navigates through the acidic stomach, opening up new possibilities to inactivate its disease-causing ability without using current strategies that often fail or are discontinued because of side effects. ... > full story

Quirky fruit fly gene could point way to new cancer drugs (June 14, 2012) -- Researchers are taking advantage of a quirk in the evolution of fruit fly genes to help develop new weapons against cancer. ... > full story

Single-track sustainability 'solutions' threaten people and planet, experts say (June 14, 2012) -- The targets, indicators and approaches being used to pursue progress towards sustainable development at Rio+20 are counter-productive, say scientists in a new paper. Three renowned sustainability institutes argue that global and grassroots innovations must be connected to avoid breaching planetary boundaries and reversing progress on poverty reduction. ... > full story

New action for ancient heart drug (June 14, 2012) -- Researchers have revealed that digoxin, the active ingredient in the poisonous plant Foxglove, can enhance the body's own protective mechanism against high blood pressure and heart failure. ... > full story

Two warmest winter months in Midwest, U.S. history may have connection (June 14, 2012) -- This past March was the second warmest winter month ever recorded in the Midwest, with temperatures 15 degrees above average. The only other winter month that was warmer was December of 1889, during which temperatures were 18 degrees above average. Now, researchers may have discovered why the weather patterns during these two winter months, separated by 123 years, were so similar. The answer could help scientists develop more accurate weather prediction models. ... > full story

Pollution levels in some kitchens are higher than city-center hotspots (June 14, 2012) -- The air we breathe inside our own homes can have pollutant levels three times higher than the outdoor environment, in city centers and along busy roads. ... > full story

Warm climate -- cold Arctic? (June 14, 2012) -- The Eemian interglacial period that began some 125,000 years ago is often used as a model for contemporary climate change. Scientists have presented evidence that the Eemian differed in essential details from modern climatic conditions. ... > full story

Plant poison turns seed-eating mouse into seed spitter (June 14, 2012) -- In Israel's Negev Desert, a plant called sweet mignonette or taily weed uses a toxic "mustard oil bomb" to make the spiny mouse spit out the plant's seeds when eating the fruit. Thus, the plant has turned a seed-eating rodent into a seed spreader that helps the plant reproduce, says a new study. ... > full story

Still capable of adapting: Genetic diversity of 'living fossil' coelacanths (June 14, 2012) -- The morphology of coelacanths has not fundamentally changed since the Devonian age, that is, for about 400 million years. Nevertheless, these animals known as living fossils are able to genetically adapt to their environment. ... > full story

Aquarius, NASA's salt-mapping instrument, marks first birthday (June 14, 2012) -- Aquarius, NASA's pioneering instrument to measure ocean surface salinity from orbit, launched a year ago (on June 10, 2011) aboard the Argentine Space Agency's Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas (SAC-D) observatory. Designed to advance our understanding of what changes in the saltiness of the ocean's top layer say about the water cycle and variations in climate, the mission has had a busy first year. ... > full story

Cougars are re-populating their historical range, new study confirms (June 14, 2012) -- American mountain lions, or cougars, are re-emerging in areas of the United States, reversing 100 years of decline. The evidence raises new conservation questions, such as how humans can live alongside the returning predators. ... > full story

Could roseola virus be behind epilepsy? Childhood virus infection linked to prolonged seizures with fever (June 14, 2012) -- New research shows that human herpesviruses (HHV)-6B and HHV-7, commonly know as roseola virus), account for one third of febrile status epilepticus cases. Results suggest that HHV-6B may be involved in the development of epilepsy and further research is urgently needed. ... > full story

Scientists define the healthy human microbiome (June 13, 2012) -- Scientists have for first time mapped the normal microbial make-up of humans. Berkeley Lab's role in mapping the human microbiome revolves around big data, both analyzing it and making it available for scientists to use worldwide. The research will help scientists understand how our microbiome keeps us healthy. It'll also shed light on our microbiome's role in many diseases. ... > full story

Bat bridges don't work (June 13, 2012) -- Wire bridges built to guide bats safely across busy roads simply do not work, University of Leeds researchers have confirmed. ... > full story