ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• How the sun caused an aurora this week
• Ozone-depleting compound persists, NASA research shows
• New satellite data will help farmers facing drought
• Paleolithic diet may have included snails 10,000 years earlier than previously thought
• Orb-weaving spiders living in urban areas may be larger
• Water leads to chemical that gunks up biofuels production
• How lizards regenerate their tails: Researchers discover genetic 'recipe'
• Severing nerves may shrink stomach cancers: Botox injections slow growth of stomach tumors in mice
• Seals and sea lions likely spread tuberculosis to humans
• Life can persist in cold, dark world: Life under Antarctic ice explored
• Jurassic mammals were picky eaters, new study finds
• Gene therapy protects mice from lethal heart condition, researchers find
• The power of salt: Power generation from where river water and seawater meet
• Turning waste from rice, parsley and other foods into biodegradable plastic
• Treating pain by blocking the 'chili-pepper receptor'
• Sunblock poses potential hazard to sea life
• Record decline of ice sheets: Scientists map elevation changes of Greenlandic and Antarctic glaciers
• Seeing a molecule breathe through scattering of light pulses
• Cut flowers last longer with silver nanotechnology
• Paving the way for cyborg moth 'biobots'
• Worker bees ‘know’ when to invest in their reproductive future
• A semi-artificial leaf faster than 'natural' photosynthesis
• Untangling DNA: The channel that relaxes DNA
• Progress in the fight against harmful fungi
• Zipper action triggers bacterial invasion: Scientists discover new strategy germs use to invade cells
• Neither too hot nor too cold: Evolution of marine crocodilians constrained by ocean temperatures
• How worms crawl: mathematical model challenges traditional view
• How steroid hormones enable plants to grow
• Researchers block plant hormone jasmonic acid, observe effect
• First crystal structure of the C. difficile surface protein Cwp84
• Zebrafish help unravel Alzheimer's disease
• Why global warming is taking a break
• Martian meteorite: Implications of a newly discovered mineral-rich structure
• Economists: Shale oil 'dividend' could pay for smaller carbon footprint
• NOAA analysis reveals significant land cover changes in U.S. coastal regions
• Vaccines can cut spread of meningitis by nearly 40 percent
• World's first bat net for migrating bats is launched in Latvia
• Trees, shrubs invading critical grasslands, diminish cattle production
• Climate change will threaten fish by drying out southwest U.S. streams, study predicts

How the sun caused an aurora this week Posted: 20 Aug 2014 03:17 PM PDT On the evening of Aug. 20, 2014, the International Space Station was flying past North America when it flew over the dazzling, green blue lights of an aurora. On board, astronaut Reid Wiseman captured this image of the aurora, seen from above.

Ozone-depleting compound persists, NASA research shows Posted: 20 Aug 2014 02:35 PM PDT NASA research shows Earth's atmosphere contains an unexpectedly large amount of an ozone-depleting compound from an unknown source decades after the compound was banned worldwide.

New satellite data will help farmers facing drought Posted: 20 Aug 2014 02:25 PM PDT NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite mission, scheduled to launch this winter, will collect the kind of local data agricultural and water managers worldwide need. SMAP uses two microwave instruments to monitor the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) of soil on Earth's surface. Together, the instruments create soil moisture estimates with a resolution of about 6 miles (9 kilometers), mapping the entire globe every two or three days.

Paleolithic diet may have included snails 10,000 years earlier than previously thought Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:46 PM PDT Paleolithic inhabitants of modern-day Spain may have eaten snails 10,000 years earlier than their Mediterranean neighbors. Snails were widespread in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene, but it is still unknown when and how they were incorporated into human diets.

Orb-weaving spiders living in urban areas may be larger Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:46 PM PDT A common orb-weaving spider may grow larger and have an increased ability to reproduce when living in urban areas.

Water leads to chemical that gunks up biofuels production Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:43 PM PDT Trying to understand the chemistry that turns plant material into the same energy-rich gasoline and diesel we put in our vehicles, researchers have discovered that water in the conversion process helps form an impurity which, in turn, slows down key chemical reactions.

How lizards regenerate their tails: Researchers discover genetic 'recipe' Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:43 PM PDT By understanding the secret of how lizards regenerate their tails, researchers may be able to develop ways to stimulate the regeneration of limbs in humans. Now, a team of researchers is one step closer to solving that mystery. The scientists have discovered the genetic "recipe" for lizard tail regeneration, which may come down to using genetic ingredients in just the right mixture and amounts.

Severing nerves may shrink stomach cancers: Botox injections slow growth of stomach tumors in mice Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:43 PM PDT Nerves may play a critical role in stomach cancer growth and that blocking nerve signals using surgery or Botox® (onabotulinumtoxinA) could be an effective treatment for the disease. Stomach cancer is the fourth-leading type of cancer and the second-highest contributor to cancer mortality worldwide, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 25 percent.

Seals and sea lions likely spread tuberculosis to humans Posted: 20 Aug 2014 11:00 AM PDT Scientists who study tuberculosis have long debated its origins. New research shows that tuberculosis likely spread from humans in Africa to seals and sea lions that brought the disease to South America and transmitted it to Native people there before Europeans landed on the continent.

Life can persist in cold, dark world: Life under Antarctic ice explored Posted: 20 Aug 2014 11:00 AM PDT The first breakthrough article to come out of a massive U.S. expedition to one of Earth's final frontiers shows that there's life and an active ecosystem one-half mile below the surface of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, specifically in a lake that hasn't seen sunlight or felt a breath of wind for millions of years. The life is in the form of microorganisms that live beneath the enormous Antarctic ice sheet and convert ammonium and methane into the energy required for growth.

Jurassic mammals were picky eaters, new study finds Posted: 20 Aug 2014 10:59 AM PDT New analyses of tiny fossil mammals from Glamorgan, South Wales are shedding light on the function and diets of our earliest ancestors, a team reports. Mammals and their immediate ancestors from the Jurassic period (201-145 million years ago) developed new characteristics - such as better hearing and teeth capable of precise chewing.

Gene therapy protects mice from lethal heart condition, researchers find Posted: 20 Aug 2014 08:06 AM PDT A new gene therapy has been shown to protect mice from a life-threatening heart condition caused by muscular dystrophy. About one in 3,500 children, mostly boys, are born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). They experience a progressive wasting away of muscles, starting in the legs and pelvis. Children with DMD have difficulty walking, and most need wheelchairs by age 12.

The power of salt: Power generation from where river water and seawater meet Posted: 20 Aug 2014 08:05 AM PDT Where the river meets the sea, there is the potential to harness a significant amount of renewable energy, according to a team of mechanical engineers. The researchers evaluated an emerging method of power generation called pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), in which two streams of different salinity are mixed to produce energy. In principle, a PRO system would take in river water and seawater on either side of a semi-permeable membrane. Through osmosis, water from the less-salty stream would cross the membrane to a pre-pressurized saltier side, creating a flow that can be sent through a turbine to recover power.

Turning waste from rice, parsley and other foods into biodegradable plastic Posted: 20 Aug 2014 08:05 AM PDT Your chairs, synthetic rugs and plastic bags could one day be made out of cocoa, rice and vegetable waste rather than petroleum, scientists are now reporting. The novel process they developed and their results could help the world deal with its agricultural and plastic waste problems.

Treating pain by blocking the 'chili-pepper receptor' Posted: 20 Aug 2014 08:05 AM PDT Biting into a chili pepper causes a burning spiciness that is irresistible to some, but intolerable to others. Scientists exploring the chili pepper's effect are using their findings to develop a new drug candidate for many kinds of pain, which can be caused by inflammation or other problems. They have now reported their progress on the compound, which is being tested in clinical trials.

Sunblock poses potential hazard to sea life Posted: 20 Aug 2014 08:05 AM PDT The sweet and salty aroma of sunscreen and seawater signals a relaxing trip to the shore. But scientists are now reporting that the idyllic beach vacation comes with an environmental hitch. When certain sunblock ingredients wash off skin and into the sea, they can become toxic to some of the ocean's tiniest inhabitants, which are the main course for many other marine animals.

Record decline of ice sheets: Scientists map elevation changes of Greenlandic and Antarctic glaciers Posted: 20 Aug 2014 08:05 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time extensively mapped Greenland's and Antarctica's ice sheets with the help of the ESA satellite CryoSat-2 and have thus been able to prove that the ice crusts of both regions momentarily decline at an unprecedented rate. In total the ice sheets are losing around 500 cubic kilometers of ice per year.

Seeing a molecule breathe through scattering of light pulses Posted: 20 Aug 2014 08:04 AM PDT For the first time, chemists have succeeded in measuring vibrational motion of a single molecule with a femtosecond time resolution. The study reveals how vibration of a single molecule differs from the behavior of larger molecular groups. Seeing a single organic bipyridylethylene (BPE) molecule vibrate as a function of time was possible through the scattering of the light pulses. The method is known as time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (tr-CARS).

Cut flowers last longer with silver nanotechnology Posted: 20 Aug 2014 08:03 AM PDT Once cut and dunked in a vase of water, flowers are susceptible to bacterial growth that shortens the length of time one has to enjoy the blooms. A few silver nanoparticles sprinkled into the water, might be the answer to longer-lasting cut flowers according to new research.

Paving the way for cyborg moth 'biobots' Posted: 20 Aug 2014 06:17 AM PDT Researchers have developed methods for electronically manipulating the flight muscles of moths and for monitoring the electrical signals moths use to control those muscles. The work opens the door to the development of remotely-controlled moths, or 'biobots,' for use in emergency response.

Worker bees ‘know’ when to invest in their reproductive future Posted: 20 Aug 2014 06:16 AM PDT When a colony of honeybees grows to about 4,000 members, it triggers an important first stage in its reproductive cycle: the building of a special type of comb used for rearing male reproductive, called drones.

A semi-artificial leaf faster than 'natural' photosynthesis Posted: 20 Aug 2014 06:16 AM PDT Cooperation between chemists and biologists has resulted in a new method for the very efficient integration of photosynthetic proteins in photovoltaics. Their research offers a new immobilization strategy that yields electron transfer rates exceeding for the first time rates observed in natural photosynthesis. This discovery opens the possibility for the construction of semi-artificial leaves functioning as photovoltaic devices with drastically increased performance.

Untangling DNA: The channel that relaxes DNA Posted: 20 Aug 2014 06:13 AM PDT A simple and effective way of unraveling the often tangled mass of DNA is to "thread" the strand into a nano-channel. A new study used simulations to measure the characteristics that this channel should have in order to achieve maximum efficiency.

Progress in the fight against harmful fungi Posted: 20 Aug 2014 06:13 AM PDT One of the world's largest gene libraries for the Candida glabrata yeast, which is harmful to humans, has been developed by researchers. Molecular analysis of the Candida glabrata fungus mutations led to the discovery of 28 new genes that are partly responsible for the yeast's tolerance of common drugs. Infectious diseases caused by fungi, viruses, bacteria and parasites represent the world's number one cause of death. A few dozen types of harmful fungi claim more than 1.5 million human lives every year.

Zipper action triggers bacterial invasion: Scientists discover new strategy germs use to invade cells Posted: 20 Aug 2014 06:12 AM PDT The hospital germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa wraps itself into the membrane of human cells. Now researchers have identified a novel mechanism of bacterial invasion, outlining how Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses lipids in the cell membrane to make its way into host cells.

Neither too hot nor too cold: Evolution of marine crocodilians constrained by ocean temperatures Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:31 AM PDT The ancestors of today's crocodiles colonized the seas during warm phases and became extinct during cold phases, according to a new Anglo-French study which establishes a link between marine crocodilian diversity and the evolution of sea temperature over a period of more than 140 million years.

How worms crawl: mathematical model challenges traditional view Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:30 AM PDT A new mathematical model for earthworms and insect larvae challenges the traditional view of how these soft bodied animals get around. Researchers say that there is a far greater role for the body's mechanical properties and the local nerves which react to the surface that the animal is traveling across.

How steroid hormones enable plants to grow Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:30 AM PDT Plants can adapt extremely quickly to changes in their environment. Hormones, chemical messengers that are activated in direct response to light and temperature stimuli help them achieve this. Plant steroid hormones similar to human sex hormones play a key role here. In a new article, scientists describe a new signaling mode for the brassinosteroid class of hormones.

Researchers block plant hormone jasmonic acid, observe effect Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:30 AM PDT Small molecules that block specific components of the metabolic process like brake pads and prevent the downstream reactions have been detected in plants. In their search for these molecules, researchers use a biological selection process involving intact plants. This strategy has long been exploited in drug research. Its application in the plant sciences, however, is relatively new.

First crystal structure of the C. difficile surface protein Cwp84 Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:30 AM PDT Clostridium difficile is a major problem as an aetiological agent for antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The mechanism by which the bacterium colonizes the gut during infection is poorly understood, but undoubtedly involves a myriad of components present on the bacterial surface. This study provides some insights that may help in developing a new type of drug to treat the infection.

Zebrafish help unravel Alzheimer's disease Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:30 AM PDT New fundamental knowledge about the regulation of stem cells in the nerve tissue of zebrafish embryos results in surprising insights into neurodegenerative disease processes in the human brain. A new study identifies the molecules responsible for this process.

Why global warming is taking a break Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:30 AM PDT The average temperature on Earth has barely risen over the past 16 years. Researchers in Switzerland have now found out why. And they believe that global warming is likely to continue again soon.

Martian meteorite: Implications of a newly discovered mineral-rich structure Posted: 19 Aug 2014 08:29 AM PDT A new ovoid structure discovered in the Nakhla Martian meteorite is made of nanocrystalline iron-rich clay, contains a variety of minerals, and shows evidence of undergoing a past shock event from impact, with resulting melting of the permafrost and mixing of surface and subsurface fluids.

Economists: Shale oil 'dividend' could pay for smaller carbon footprint Posted: 19 Aug 2014 06:40 AM PDT Unanticipated economic benefits from the shale oil and gas boom could help offset the costs of substantially reducing the US's carbon footprint, agricultural economists say. Using an economic model, they found that "spending" part of this dividend on slashing the nation's carbon emissions by about 27 percent -- about the same amount set forth in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently proposed Clean Power Plan -- would reduce the shale dividend by about half.

NOAA analysis reveals significant land cover changes in U.S. coastal regions Posted: 18 Aug 2014 05:41 PM PDT A new NOAA nationwide analysis shows that between 1996 and 2011, 64,975 square miles in coastal regions -- an area larger than the state of Wisconsin -- experienced changes in land cover, including a decline in wetlands and forest cover with development a major contributing factor. Overall, 8.2 percent of the nation's ocean and Great Lakes coastal regions experienced these changes.

Vaccines can cut spread of meningitis by nearly 40 percent Posted: 18 Aug 2014 05:41 PM PDT Two new vaccines can prevent the transmission of meningitis bacteria from person to person, scientists report. The vaccines do this by reducing 'carriage' of the responsible bacteria in the nose and throats of the population. Meningitis is a devastating condition, and the research team believes this discovery will change the way new vaccines are made in the future.

World's first bat net for migrating bats is launched in Latvia Posted: 18 Aug 2014 04:25 PM PDT The worldwide largest funnel trap designed for the purpose of studying migratory bats will be opened at the ornithological field station in Pape, Latvia, on August 19, 2014. At the same time, an ambitious international research project on the biology of migratory bats will be started. The project is expected to provide some key answers to many unsolved questions concerning flight paths, hibernation areas and metabolism of these ecologically valuable mammals.

Trees, shrubs invading critical grasslands, diminish cattle production Posted: 18 Aug 2014 01:13 PM PDT Half of Earth's land mass is made up of rangelands, which include grasslands and savannas, yet they are being transformed at an alarming rate. Woody plants, such as trees and shrubs, are taking over, leading to a loss of critical habitat and causing a drastic change in the ability of ecosystems to produce food -- specifically meat. Researchers have now quantified this loss.

Climate change will threaten fish by drying out southwest U.S. streams, study predicts Posted: 18 Aug 2014 01:12 PM PDT Fish species native to a major Arizona watershed may lose access to important segments of their habitat by 2050 as surface water flow is reduced by the effects of climate warming, new research suggests. Most of these fish species, found in the Verde River Basin, are already threatened or endangered. Their survival relies on easy access to various resources throughout the river and its tributary streams.

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