ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Monday, June 25, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Monday, June 25, 2012

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Significant sea-level rise in a two-degree warmer world (June 24, 2012) -- Even if global warming is limited to two degrees Celsius, global mean sea level could continue to rise, reaching between 1.5 and four meters above present-day levels by the year 2300, with the best estimate being at 2.7 meters, according to a new study. However, emissions reductions that allow warming to drop below 1.5 degrees Celsius could limit the rise strongly. ... > full story

Climate change and the South Asian summer monsoon (June 24, 2012) -- The vagaries of South Asian summer monsoon rainfall impact the lives of more than one billion people. This review of the most recent research concludes that with continued rise in CO2 the region can expect generally more rainfall due to the expected increase in atmospheric moisture stemming from global warming, as well as more variability in rainfall. Regional projections for devastating droughts and floods, however, are still beyond the reach of current climate models. ... > full story

Boosting blood system protein complex protects against radiation toxicity (June 24, 2012) -- Boosting a protein pathway in the body's blood making system protects mice from otherwise fatal radiation poisoning. Scientists say their findings open the potential for new treatments against radiation toxicity during cancer treatment or environmental exposures -- such as in a nuclear explosion or accident. ... > full story

Lichen can survive in space: Space station research sheds light on origin of life; potential for better sunscreens (June 23, 2012) -- You can freeze it, thaw it, vacuum dry it and expose it to radiation, but still life survives. Research on the International Space Station is giving credibility to theories that life came from outer space -- as well as helping to create better sunscreens. ... > full story

Pasta made from green banana flour a tasty alternative for gluten-free diets (June 23, 2012) -- People with celiac disease struggle with limited food choices, as their condition makes them unable to tolerate gluten, found in wheat and other grains. Researchers have now developed a gluten-free pasta product from green banana flour, which tasters found more acceptable than regular whole wheat pasta. The product has less fat and is cheaper to produce than standard pastas. ... > full story

Bringing down the cost of microbial fuel cells (June 23, 2012) -- A new catalyst material could dramatically reduce the cost of producing microbial fuel cells. ... > full story

Novel animal reservoir for group of tick-borne diseases discovered -- and it lives in your backyard (June 23, 2012) -- A new assay that uses mitochondrial DNA that mutates faster than nuclear DNA has allowed scientists to identify one of the major animal reservoirs for the ehlichioses, STARI and other tick-borne diseases in the southeastern United States. The animal turned out to be the eastern gray squirrel. ... > full story

Foundational concept of ecology tested: Purple loosestrife altered life in nearby ponds (June 23, 2012) -- How strong are the links in food webs? An experiment demonstrates that they're strong enough for a disturbance to propagate across four trophic levels and two ecosystems. The experiment demonstrates that invasive species such as purple loosestrife could have broad effects on surrounding plant and animal communities, many of them cryptic. ... > full story

Is your leaf left-handed? (June 23, 2012) -- The spiral pattern of leaf formation from the point of growth affects the developing leaf's exposure to the plant hormone auxin; This exposure leads to measurable left-right asymmetry in leaf development, in species previously assumed to have symmetric leaves. ... > full story

New technique allows simulation of noncrystalline materials (June 23, 2012) -- Scientists have found a new mathematical approach to simulating the electronic behavior of noncrystalline materials, which may eventually play an important part in new devices including solar cells, organic LED lights and printable, flexible electronic circuits. ... > full story

Rio+20 Summit: Earth observation for us and our planet (June 23, 2012) -- The Rio+20 summit on promoting jobs, clean energy and a more sustainable use of our planet's resources closed today after three days of talks. During the summit, the role of Earth observation in sustainable development was highlighted. ... > full story

Infection biology: The elusive third factor (June 22, 2012) -- Researchers have identified an enzyme that is involved in a modification pathway that is essential for bacterial pathogenicity. Because it shows no similarity to other known proteins, it may be an ideal target for development of novel antimicrobial drugs. ... > full story

South African daffodils may be a future treatment for depression (June 22, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered that plant compounds from a South African flower may in time be used to treat diseases originating in the brain – including depression. A number of these substances have now been tested in a laboratory model of the blood-brain barrier. ... > full story

Stonehenge was monument marking unification of Britain (June 22, 2012) -- After 10 years of archaeological investigations, researchers have concluded that Stonehenge was built as a monument to unify the peoples of Britain, after a long period of conflict and regional difference between eastern and western Britain. ... > full story

First paternity study of southern right whales finds local fathers most successful (June 22, 2012) -- The first paternity study of southern right whales has found a surprisingly high level of local breeding success for males, scientists say, which is good news for the overall genetic diversity of the species, but could create risk for local populations through in-breeding. ... > full story

The blue blood of the emperor scorpion X-rayed (June 22, 2012) -- Biologists have successfully crystallized the hemocyanin of the emperor scorpion to shed new light on the structure and active site of the giant oxygen transport protein. ... > full story

Birds can recognize people's faces and know their voices (June 22, 2012) -- New research suggests that some birds may know who their human friends are, as they are able to recognize people’s faces and differentiate between human voices. ... > full story

How stress can boost immune system (June 21, 2012) -- Scientist have tracked the trajectories of key immune cells in response to short-term stress and traced, in great detail, how hormones triggered by such stress enhance immune readiness. The study, conducted in rats, adds weight to evidence that immune responsiveness is heightened, rather than suppressed as many believe, by the so-called "fight-or-flight" response. ... > full story

From the mouths of monkeys: Swab technique spots tuberculosis in non-human primates (June 21, 2012) -- A new technique detected the first published evidence of tuberculosis pathogens in the mouths of macaques living near people in six Asian countries. The method analyses mouth swabs from monkeys to check for tuberculosis DNA. The findings raise the question of interspecies transmission, but the origin of these infections is uncertain. However, the risk of spread to people appears minimal. The test could help protect the health of the world's primate populations. ... > full story

Greater Los Angeles to heat up an average 4 to 5 degrees by mid-century (June 21, 2012) -- A new study shows climate change will cause temperatures in the Los Angeles region to rise an average of 4-5 degrees by midcentury, tripling the number of extremely hot days in downtown L.A., and quadrupling them in the valleys and high elevations. ... > full story

New evidence in fructose debate: Could it be healthy for us? (June 21, 2012) -- A new study suggests that fructose may not be as bad for us as previously thought and that it may even provide some benefit. ... > full story

Environmental estrogens affect early developmental activity in zebrafish (June 21, 2012) -- New research reveals that environmental estrogens may influence human and animal development at the very beginning stages of embryonic development, which is earlier than previously realized. ... > full story

Avian flu viruses which are transmissible between humans could evolve in nature (June 21, 2012) -- It might be possible for human-to-human airborne transmissible avian H5N1 influenza viruses to evolve in nature, new research has found. ... > full story

Rice blast infection mechanism uncovered (June 21, 2012) -- Scientists have made a new discovery that they hope might lead to effective control of rice blast disease. Rice blast is the most serious disease of cultivated rice and affects all the rice-growing regions of the world, causing losses of up to 30 percent of the global rice harvest. ... > full story

Top predators key to extinctions as planet warms (June 21, 2012) -- Global warming may cause more extinctions than predicted if scientists fail to account for interactions among species in their models, researchers argue in a new article. ... > full story

Immune system molecule weaves cobweb-like nanonets to snag Salmonella, other intestinal microbes (June 21, 2012) -- Scientists have found that human alpha-defensin 6 (HD6) -- a key component of the body's innate defense system -- binds to microbial surfaces and forms "nanonets" that surround, entangle and disable microbes, preventing bacteria from attaching to or invading intestinal cells. ... > full story

Fisheries: How much government regulation should there be? (June 21, 2012) -- Scientists are engaging in a verbal battle with the federal government over its budget cuts and legislative changes in departments with environmental responsibilities, on a powerful stage. ... > full story

Arctic climate more vulnerable than thought, maybe linked to Antarctic ice-sheet behavior (June 21, 2012) -- First analyses of the longest sediment core ever collected on land in the Arctic provide dramatic, "astonishing" documentation that intense warm intervals, warmer than scientists thought possible, occurred there over the past 2.8 million years. Further, these extreme inter-glacial warm periods correspond closely with times when parts of Antarctica were ice-free and also warm, suggesting strong inter-hemispheric climate connectivity. The Polar Regions are much more vulnerable to change than once believed, they add. ... > full story

New data and methods show emissions from tropical deforestation lower than previously estimated (June 21, 2012) -- Researchers have developed an estimate of gross carbon emissions from tropical deforestation for the early 2000s that is considerably lower than other recently published estimates. ... > full story

Some forecasters predict second-smallest Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' (June 21, 2012) -- A dry spring in portions of the Midwest is expected to result in the second-smallest Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" on record in 2012, according to a newly released forecast. ... > full story

Elephant seals help uncover slower-than-expected Antarctic melting (June 21, 2012) -- A team of scientists have drilled holes through an Antarctic ice shelf, the Fimbul Ice Shelf, to gather the first direct measurements regarding melting of the shelf's underside. A group of elephant seals, outfitted with sensors that measure salinity, temperature, and depth sensors added fundamental information to the scientists' data set, which led the researchers to conclude that parts of eastern Antarctica are melting at significantly lower rates than current models predict. ... > full story

Waves of responders deploy omics to track Deepwater Horizon cleanup microbes (June 21, 2012) -- In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago, a team of researchers found that marine microbial communities also played a role in the dispersal process. ... > full story

Focusing on water for Central Everglades essential to reversing whole ecosystem's continuing decline (June 21, 2012) -- Twelve years into a multibillion-dollar state and federal effort to save the Florida Everglades, little progress has been made in restoring the core of the ecosystem, says a new congressionally mandated report. ... > full story

Genomics and African queens: Diversity within Ethiopian genomes reveals imprints of historical events (June 21, 2012) -- Researchers have started to unveil the genetic heritage of Ethiopian populations, who are among the most diverse in the world, and lie at the gateway from Africa. They found that the genomes of some Ethiopian populations bear striking similarities to those of populations in Israel and Syria, a potential genetic legacy of the Queen of Sheba and her companions. ... > full story

Our microbes, ourselves: Billions of bacteria within, essential for immune function, are ours alone (June 21, 2012) -- Gut bacteria's key role in immunity is tuned to the host species, suggesting that the superabundant microbes lining our digestive tract are ultimately our evolutionary partners. This study, the first to demonstrate that microbes are specific to their host species, also sheds light on what's called the hygiene hypothesis. ... > full story

Spiders enlisted in fight against woodworms: Could they also help control malaria? (June 21, 2012) -- Property owners who need to banish destructive woodworm could have an eight-legged alternative to chemical sprays that are potentially dangerous and only partially effective.  They could enlist the aid of very special spiders that will seek and devour the destructive grubs. And a further, exciting possibility is that malaria could be curtailed by the creatures. ... > full story

Giant Ibex lived in the Southern Pyrenees after the Ice Age (June 21, 2012) -- The sub-species of the Iberian mountain goat Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica became extinct in the year 2000 before its biological and phytogenetic characteristics could be explored in depth. A new study has shed light on their size, origin and post-Ice environmental conditions after discovering three skull fossils from between 4,000 and 7,000 years ago in the southwest of the Pyrenees. ... > full story

Origin of limbs in the evolutionary lineage of vertebrates (June 21, 2012) -- A chromosomal rearrangement in the genome could be the genetic base of the origin of limbs in vertebrates, according to a new research. ... > full story

Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' predictions feature uncertainty (June 21, 2012) -- Scientists are predicting that this year's Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone could range from a low of approximately 1,197 square miles to as much as 6,213 square miles. The wide range is the result of using two different forecast models. The forecast is based on Mississippi River nutrient inputs compiled annually by the US Geological Survey. ... > full story

Selenium suppresses staph on implant material (June 21, 2012) -- A coating of selenium nanoparticles significantly reduces the growth of Staphylococcus aureus on polycarbonate, a material common in implanted devices such as catheters and endotracheal tubes, engineers report. ... > full story

Antitumour proteins identified in the latex of the plant Euphorbia trigona (June 21, 2012) -- Scientists have identified, isolated and characterized anti-tumor proteins present in the latex of the plant Euphorbia Trigona. ... > full story

Migratory bats use both fat reserves and food to fuel their strenuous long-distance flights to the south (June 21, 2012) -- During autumn, migratory bats use a combination of fat reserves and food to fuel their strenuous long-distance flights to the south. ... > full story

Assertiveness is the best form of defense, at least for hyena pups (June 21, 2012) -- A new scientific study shows for the first time in spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) twin litters, that success in sibling competition for maternal milk is influenced by training effects, sex and hunger, and that dominant siblings exert incomplete control over their littermate’s access to the resource. ... > full story

Luteal development and pregnancy in elephants (June 21, 2012) -- Researchers have found which mechanisms are responsible that elephants have the longest pregnancy in the world. With up to 680 days their pregnancy is longer than in any other mammal studied so far. ... > full story

Work starts on fossil fuel free cargo ship (June 21, 2012) -- Development is underway to design the modern world's first 100 per cent fossil fuel free sailing cargo ships. With rising fossil fuel prices and the global challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, this project is set to change the shipping industry by providing efficient and affordable low-carbon shipping. The project combines proven technology, using the state of the art dyna-rig sail propulsion system with an off the shelf Rolls-Royce engine powered by waste derived liquid biomethane (liquid gas). ... > full story

Tracking stem cells in the body (June 21, 2012) -- Researchers have developed new methods to track stem cells and further understanding of what happens to them after they have been in the body for a significant period of time. ... > full story

A virtual look at the zebrafish brain (June 21, 2012) -- Scientists have long dreamed of being able to grasp the brain as a whole rather than just understanding the function of individual nerve cells. Researchers have now taken a big step toward making this dream a reality. The researchers developed microscopic imaging techniques and software for observing and comparing all of the genes of the zebrafish brain, and thus also the factors influencing its nerve cells, in a three-dimensional virtual model. ... > full story

Darwin’s principles say cancer will always evolve to resist treatment (June 21, 2012) -- Cancer is subject to the evolutionary processes laid out by Charles Darwin in his concept of natural selection, experts say. Natural selection was the process identified by Darwin by which nature selects certain physical attributes, or phenotypes, to pass on to offspring to better “fit” the organism to the environment. ... > full story

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