ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Monday, September 5, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Monday, September 5, 2011

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Rock rafts could be 'cradle of life' (September 4, 2011) -- Floating rafts of volcanic pumice could have played a significant role in the origins of life on Earth, scientists from have suggested. ... > full story

Sporulation may have given rise to the bacterial outer membrane (September 4, 2011) -- Bacteria can generally be divided into two classes: those with just one membrane and those with two. Now researchers have used a powerful imaging technique to find what they believe may be the missing link between the two classes, as well as a plausible explanation for how the outer membrane may have arisen. ... > full story

Climate in the past million years determined greatly by dust in the Southern Ocean (September 4, 2011) -- Scientists have quantified dust and iron fluxes deposited in the Antarctic Ocean during the past 4 million years. The research study shows evidence of the close relation between the maximum contributions of dust to this ocean and climate changes occurring in the most intense glaciation periods of the Pleistocene period, some 1.25 million years ago. Data confirms the role of iron in the increase in phytoplankton levels during glacial periods, intensifying the function of this ocean as a carbon dioxide sink. ... > full story

Manipulating plants' circadian clock may make all-season crops possible (September 3, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a key genetic gear that keeps the circadian clock of plants ticking, a finding that could have broad implications for global agriculture. ... > full story

Researchers investigate new mechanism for predicting how diseases spread (September 3, 2011) -- Researchers have investigated the outcomes of a previously ignored mechanism in modeling how humans travel. By challenging a long-held assumption, they hope to create models that can more accurately predict the spread of disease and the spread of human-mediated bioinvasions. ... > full story

Elusive prey: Selection pressures imposed by predator fungi have shaped escape behavior in microscopic worms (September 3, 2011) -- New research offers evidence that for the first time illuminates a biological and ecological path that links genes to molecule to neural circuit to behavior to environment. ... > full story

Attractive dads have more grandchildren, zebra finch study shows (September 3, 2011) -- A study of zebra finches has shown that males' attractiveness influences the number and size of eggs their daughters produce -- not genetically but through the effect of their attractiveness on their mate's behavior. ... > full story

Aquarius makes first ocean salt measurements (September 3, 2011) -- NASA's Aquarius instrument has successfully completed its commissioning phase and is now "tasting" the saltiness of Earth's ocean surface, making measurements from its perch in near-polar orbit. ... > full story

Climatic benefits from carbon sequestration are largely offset by increased nitrous oxide emissions, study finds (September 3, 2011) -- Recent studies have shown that human nitrogen additions to terrestrial ecosystems increase the terrestrial carbon dioxide uptake from the atmosphere. A new study reports now that the climatic benefits from carbon sequestration are largely offset by increased nitrous oxide emissions, a further side-effect of human nitrogen additions to terrestrial ecosystems. ... > full story

Powerful antioxidant resveratrol prevents metabolic syndrome in lab tests, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers in Canada have discovered that resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant found in common foods, prevents a syndrome in some offspring that could lead to later health issues such as diabetes. Resveratrol is found in fruits, nuts and red wine, and has been shown to extend the lifespan of many species. ... > full story

New insight in how cells' powerhouse divides (September 2, 2011) -- New research puts an unexpected twist on how mitochondria, the energy-generating structures within cells, divide. The work could have implications for a wide range of diseases and conditions. ... > full story

Up from the depths: How bacteria capture carbon in the 'twilight zone' (September 2, 2011) -- Located between 200 and 1,000 meters below the ocean surface is a "twilight zone" where insufficient sunlight penetrates for microorganisms to perform photosynthesis. Details are now emerging about a microbial metabolic pathway that helps solve the mystery of how certain bacteria capture carbon in the dark ocean, enabling a better understanding of what happens to the carbon that is fixed in the oceans every year. ... > full story

Woolly rhino fossil discovery in Tibet provides important clues to evolution of Ice Age giants (September 2, 2011) -- Fossil discoveries from Tibet offer new insights into the origin of the cold-adapted Pleistocene megafauna. A new research paper posits that the harsh winters of the rising Tibetan Plateau may have provided the initial step towards cold-adaptation for several subsequently successful members of the late Pleistocene mammoth fauna in Europe, Asia, and to a lesser extent, North America. The Tibetan Plateau, therefore, may have been another cradle of the Ice Age giants. ... > full story

Cryptococcus infections misdiagnosed in many AIDS patients, study suggests (September 2, 2011) -- Most AIDS patients, when diagnosed with a fungal infection known simply as cryptococcosis, are assumed to have an infection with Cryptococcus neoformans, but a new study suggests that a sibling species, Cryptococcus gattii, is a more common cause than was previously known. The difference between these strains could make a difference in treatment, clinical course, and outcome. ... > full story

New microscope might see beneath skin in 4-D (September 2, 2011) -- Other devices can take 3-D pictures of tissue below the surface of skin, but a new microscope adds an extra dimension: a spectroscopic "fingerprint" that measures the wavelength (or color) of light reflected off each point within a sample in a single snapshot. Researchers hope this innovation may one day be used for early detection of skin cancer. ... > full story

Biological 'computer' destroys cancer cells: Diagnostic network incorporated into human cells (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers have successfully incorporated a diagnostic biological "computer" network into human cells. This network recognizes certain cancer cells using logic combinations of five cancer-specific molecular factors, triggering cancer cells destruction. ... > full story

First long-term study of WTC workers shows widespread health problems 10 years after Sept. 11 (September 2, 2011) -- In the first long-term study of the health impacts of the World Trade Center (WTC) collapse on Sept. 11, 2001, researchers have found substantial and persistent mental and physical health problems among Sept. 11 first responders and recovery workers. ... > full story

To clear digital waste in computers, 'think green,' researchers say (September 2, 2011) -- A digital dumping ground lies inside most computers, a wasteland where old, rarely used and unneeded files pile up. Such data can deplete precious storage space, bog down the system's efficiency and sap its energy. Computer scientists now propose adapting a real-world approach to the cleanup effort. ... > full story

World Trade Center-exposed NYC firefighters face increased cancer risk, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- In the largest cancer study of firefighters ever conducted, researchers have found that New York City firefighters exposed to the Sept. 11 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster site were at least 19 percent more likely to develop cancer in the seven years following the disaster as their non-exposed colleagues and up to 10 percent more likely to develop cancer than a similar sample from the general population. ... > full story

Feeding cows natural plant extracts can reduce dairy farm odors and feed costs (September 2, 2011) -- With citizens' groups seeking government regulation of foul-smelling ammonia emissions from large dairy farms, scientists report that adding natural plant extracts to cow feed can reduce levels of the gas by one-third while reducing the need to fortify cow feed with expensive protein supplements. ... > full story

Glowing, blinking bacteria reveal how cells synchronize biological clocks (September 2, 2011) -- Biologists have long known that organisms from bacteria to humans use the 24 hour cycle of light and darkness to set their biological clocks. But exactly how these clocks are synchronized at the molecular level to perform the interactions within a population of cells that depend on the precise timing of circadian rhythms is less well understood. ... > full story

Warming streams could be the end for spring-run Chinook salmon in California (September 1, 2011) -- Warming streams could spell the end of spring-run Chinook salmon in California by the end of the century, according to a study by scientists at UC Davis, the Stockholm Environment Institute and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. ... > full story

Insect gut microbe with a molecular iron reservoir: Researchers analyze the structure of an iron storage protein (September 1, 2011) -- Iron plays an important role in almost every life form. Low iron can lead to deficiency symptoms and reduced growth, whereas too much iron may harm biomolecules like DNA. Researchers in Germany have now elucidated the spatial structure of a bacterial enzyme in Microbacterium arborescens which is able to accumulate several hundred iron ions in its center -- depending on the iron supply situation in its environment: for example in the larval gut of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua. ... > full story

'Plastic bottle' solution for arsenic-contaminated water threatening 100 million people (September 1, 2011) -- With almost 100 million people in developing countries exposed to dangerously high arsenic levels in their drinking water, and unable to afford purification technology, scientists described a simple, inexpensive method for removing arsenic based on chopped up pieces of plastic beverage bottles coated with a nutrient found in many foods and dietary supplements. ... > full story

A 'nano,' environmentally friendly, and low toxicity flame retardant protects fabric (September 1, 2011) -- The technology in "fire paint" used to protect steel beams in buildings and other structures has found a new life as a first-of-its-kind flame retardant for children's cotton sleepwear, terrycloth bathrobes and other apparel, according to new report. ... > full story

Humans shaped stone axes 1.8 million years ago: Advanced tool-making methods pushed back in time (September 1, 2011) -- A new study suggests that Homo erectus, a precursor to modern humans, was using advanced toolmaking methods in East Africa 1.8 million years ago, at least 300,000 years earlier than previously thought. The study raises new questions about where these tall and slender early humans originated and how they developed sophisticated tool-making technology. ... > full story

Medicinal chemists modify sea bacteria byproduct for use as potential cancer drug (September 1, 2011) -- Scientists have modified a toxic chemical produced by tiny marine microbes and successfully deployed it against laboratory models of colon cancer. More work is needed before a human treatment can be considered, but it appears to be a novel way to kill tumor cells. ... > full story

Extreme 2010 Russian fires and Pakistan floods linked meteorologically, study suggests (September 1, 2011) -- Two of the most destructive natural disasters of 2010 were closely linked by a single meteorological event, even though they occurred 1,500 miles (2,414 km) apart and were of completely different natures, a new NASA study suggests. ... > full story

Cutting soot emissions: Fastest, most economical way to slow global warming? (September 1, 2011) -- A new study of dust-like particles of soot in the air -- now emerging as the second most important, but previously overlooked, factor in global warming -- provides fresh evidence that reducing soot emissions from diesel engines and other sources could slow melting of sea ice in the Arctic faster and more economically than any other quick fix. ... > full story

Down to the wire: Inexpensive technique for making high quality nanowire solar cells (September 1, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a solution-based technique for fabricating core/shell nanowire solar cells using the semiconductors cadmium sulfide for the core and copper sulfide for the shell. These inexpensive and easy-to-make nanowire solar cells hold great promise for future solar cell technology. ... > full story

Tasmanian tiger's jaw was too small to attack sheep, study shows (September 1, 2011) -- Australia's iconic thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, was hunted to death in the early Twentieth century for allegedly killing sheep; however, a new study has found that the tiger had such weak jaws that its prey was probably no larger than a possum. ... > full story

Rare Siamese crocodiles hatched in Lao PDR (September 1, 2011) -- Biologist have successfully hatched a clutch of 20 Siamese crocodiles, a species threatened across its range by hunting, habitat fragmentation and loss, and other factors. ... > full story

NASA Earth-observing satellite arrives in California for launch (September 1, 2011) -- On Tuesday, Aug. 30, NASA's next Earth-observing research satellite arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to begin preparations for an October launch. The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project (NPP) is the first of a new generation of satellites that will observe many facets of our changing Earth. ... > full story

NASA satellite observes unusually hot July in the U.S. Great Plains (August 31, 2011) -- Much of the United States sweated through an unusually humid heat wave during July, a month that brought record-breaking temperatures to many areas across the Great Plains. As temperatures soared, NASA satellites observed the unusual weather from above. ... > full story

New bacterium found causing tick-borne illness ehrlichiosis in Wisconsin and Minnesota (August 31, 2011) -- A new tick-borne bacterium infecting humans with ehrlichiosis has been discovered in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Experts say the new species from the Ehrlichia genus can cause a feverish illness in humans. The new bacterium, not yet named, has been identified in more than 25 people and found in black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis), in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Researchers used culture and genetic analyses. ... > full story

Some desert birds less affected by wildfires and climate change (August 31, 2011) -- A new study has found that some bird species in the desert southwest are less affected, and in some cases positively influenced, by widespread fire through their habitat. In fact, the researchers say that fire actually helps some bird species because of the habitat that is formed after a fire is positive for the bird's prey needs. ... > full story

First lizard genome sequenced: Green anole lizard's genome sheds light on vertebrate evolution (August 31, 2011) -- The green anole lizard is an agile and active creature, and so are elements of its genome. This genomic agility and other new clues have emerged from the full sequencing of the lizard's genome and may offer insights into how the genomes of humans, mammals, and their reptilian counterparts have evolved since mammals and reptiles parted ways 320 million years ago. ... > full story

Cracking cellulose: A step into the biofuels future (August 31, 2011) -- Scientists from the University of York have played a pivotal role in a discovery which could finally unlock the full potential of waste plant matter to replace oil as a fuel source. ... > full story

Solar industry responsible for lead emissions in developing countries, research finds (August 31, 2011) -- Solar power heavily reliant on lead batteries has the potential to release more than 2.4 million tons of lead pollution in China and India, according to new research. ... > full story

Great tits sing low to be loved or high to be heard (August 31, 2011) -- Male great tits of this species try to sound sexy to females by singing complex or high performance songs, but may find their attempts hindered by human-generated noise. Birds have been found to adjust their songs when confronted with urban noise, which seems an effective strategy to deal with masking interference. However, such change may come at a cost of reduced attractiveness. ... > full story

Sandfly saliva provides important clues for new Leishmaniasis treatments (August 31, 2011) -- For millions threatened with Leishmania infection, new research points to breakthroughs preventing these parasites from taking hold in the body or reducing the severity of infections. A new report shows specific molecules found in saliva of the sandfly allow for Leishmania to evade neutrophils and live within human hosts. Along with providing new targets for drug development, this discovery may help doctors accurately gauge the severity of infections. ... > full story

'Landlubber' fish leap for love when tide is right: Research sheds light on how animal life first evolved to colonize land (August 31, 2011) -- One of the world's strangest animals -- a unique fish that lives on land and can leap large distances despite having no legs -- has a rich and complex social life, a new study has found. The odd lifestyle of the Pacific leaping blenny (Alticus arnoldorum) has been detailed for the first time in research findings that throw new light on how animal life first evolved to colonize the land. ... > full story

Putting the squeeze on fruit with 'pascalization' boosts healthful antioxidant levels (August 31, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting new evidence that a century-old food preservation technology, finding a new life amid 21st-century concerns about food safety and nutrition, more than doubles the levels of certain healthful natural antioxidants in fruit. The effect occurs as a bonus in addition to its effects in killing harmful bacteria, viruses and mold in food. ... > full story

Panda poop may be a treasure trove of microbes for making biofuels (August 31, 2011) -- Panda feces contains bacteria with potent effects in breaking down plant material in the way needed to tap biomass as a major new source of "biofuels" produced not from corn and other food sources, but from grass, wood chips and crop wastes, scientists report. ... > full story

New way to disarm malaria parasite (August 31, 2011) -- A novel technique to "tame" the malaria parasite, by forcing it to depend on an external supply of a vital chemical, has been developed. The scientists have, in effect, created a domesticated strain of Plasmodium -- the one-celled parasite that causes malaria -- that would no longer cause this dreaded disease. ... > full story

Viruses in the human gut show dynamic response to diet (August 31, 2011) -- The digestive system is home to a myriad of viruses, but how they are involved in health and disease is poorly understood. Researchers have now investigated the dynamics of virus populations in the human gut, shedding new light on the gut "virome" and how it differs between people and responds to changes in diet. ... > full story

Vitamin C may be beneficial for asthmatic children, study suggests (August 31, 2011) -- Depending on the age of asthmatic children, on their exposure to molds or dampness in their bedroom, and on the severity of their asthma, vitamin C has greater or smaller beneficial effect against asthma, according to a recent study. ... > full story

Are New England's iconic maples at risk? (August 31, 2011) -- Results from the first study of the Asian longhorned beetle in forests show that the invasive insect can easily spread from tree-lined city streets to neighboring forests. ... > full story