ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Sunday, January 9, 2011
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Origin of life on Earth: 'Natural' asymmetry of biological molecules may have come from space (January 7, 2011) -- Certain molecules do exist in two forms which are symmetrical mirror images of each other: they are known as chiral molecules. On Earth, the chiral molecules of life, especially amino acids and sugars, exist in only one form, either left-handed or right-handed. Why is it that life has initially chosen one form over the other? Now researchers have for the first time obtained an excess of left-handed molecules (and then an excess of right-handedones) under conditions that reproduce those found in interstellar space. This result therefore supports the hypothesis that the asymmetry of biological molecules on Earth has a cosmic origin. The researchers also suggest that the solar nebula formed in a region of massive stars. ... > full story
Packaging that knows when food is going bad (January 7, 2011) -- Packaging that alerts consumers to food which is starting to go bad is being developed by researchers in the UK. ... > full story
What carbon cycle? College students lack scientific literacy, study finds (January 7, 2011) -- Most college students in the United States do not grasp the scientific basis of the carbon cycle -- an essential skill in understanding the causes and consequences of climate change, according to new research. ... > full story
Scientists construct synthetic proteins that sustain life (January 7, 2011) -- In a groundbreaking achievement that could help scientists "build" new biological systems, Princeton University scientists have constructed for the first time artificial proteins that enable the growth of living cells. ... > full story
Lice DNA study shows humans first wore clothes 170,000 years ago (January 7, 2011) -- A new study following the evolution of lice shows modern humans started wearing clothes about 170,000 years ago, a technology which enabled them to successfully migrate out of Africa. ... > full story
Tomatoes found to contain nutrient which prevents vascular diseases (January 7, 2011) -- They are the most widely produced fruit in the world, and now scientists in Japan have discovered that tomatoes contain a nutrient which could tackle the onset of vascular diseases. The research reveals that an extracted compound, 9-oxo-octadecadienoic, has anti-dyslipidemic affects. ... > full story
Sulfur proves important in the formation of gold mines (January 7, 2011) -- Collaborating with an international research team, an economic geologist has discovered how gold-rich magma is produced, unveiling an all-important step in the formation of gold mines. Robert Linnen found sulfur enhances gold's solubility, and solubility is an important step in forming a gold deposit. The study could lead to a breakthrough in choosing geographic targets for gold exploration. ... > full story
Gulf oil spill: Methane gas concentrations in Gulf of Mexico quickly returned to near-normal levels, surprising researchers (January 7, 2011) -- Calling the results "extremely surprising," researchers found that methane gas concentrations in the Gulf of Mexico have returned to near normal levels only months after a massive release occurred following the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. ... > full story
Co-management holds promise of sustainable fisheries worldwide (January 7, 2011) -- Encouraging new evidence suggests that the bulk of the world's fisheries -- including small-scale, often non-industrialized fisheries on which millions of people depend for food -- could be sustained using community-based co-management. ... > full story
Elevated rates of 'sarcoid-like' granulomatous pulmonary disease in World Trade Center responders (January 7, 2011) -- Researchers coordinating the largest clinical study to date of "sarcoid-like" granulomatous pulmonary disease in World Trade Center (WTC) responders have found that the rate of the condition was increased in this group as compared to the records of pre-9/11 FDNY personnel. ... > full story
Pain therapy for piglets (January 7, 2011) -- Piglets of different age groups have a unique ability to break down and excrete painkillers, according to new research. Painkilling and anti-inflammatory effect of medicines studied work to varying degrees on piglets. ... > full story
Atlantic sturgeon recovery efforts may benefit from new study tracking oceanic migrations (January 7, 2011) -- A first-of-its-kind study that tracked the oceanic migrations of adult Atlantic sturgeon that were caught and tagged in the Hudson River discovered that these fish move vast distances in the Atlantic Ocean, traveling as far south as Georgia and as far north as Nova Scotia, Canada. The findings indicate that recovery of Atlantic sturgeon fisheries will need to address long-range oceanic threats to the species in addition to local measures closer to spawning grounds. ... > full story
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