"Oceana, founded in 2001, is the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation. Our offices in North America, South America and Europe work together on a limited number of strategic, directed campaigns to achieve measurable outcomes that will help return our oceans to former levels of abundance. We believe in the importance of science in identifying problems and solutions. Our scientists work closely with our teams of economists, lawyers and advocates to achieve tangible results for the oceans."
Christoph Gielen documents humankind's "huge footprint"
New insight on the origin of life?
Did metabolism developed near hydrothermal vents before the development of cellular life? Image: Submarine Ring of Fire 2006 Exploration, NOAA Vents Program.
Metabolism without cells? Metabolism before the development of RNA? A breakthrough discovery in the origin of life? Here is the introductory paragraph in a article in New Scientist describing a research study recently published in Molecular Systems Biology:
“Metabolic processes that underpin life on Earth have arisen spontaneously outside of cells. The serendipitous finding that metabolism – the cascade of reactions in all cells that provides them with the raw materials they need to survive – can happen in such simple conditions provides fresh insights into how the first life formed. It also suggests that the complex processes needed for life may have surprisingly humble origins.”
The research “team took early ocean solutions and added substances known to be starting points for modern metabolic pathways, before heating the samples to between 50˚C and 70˚C – the sort of temperatures you might have found near a hydrothermal vent – for 5 hours.”
Surprised by the findings, senior researcher Markus Ralser of the University of Cambridge commented:
“In the beginning we had hoped to find one reaction or two maybe, but the results were amazing. We could reconstruct two metabolic pathways almost entirely.”
An important new insight? Possibly. However, not everyone is convinced. Harvard University origin of life researcher Jack Szostak comments:
"Given the data, one might well conclude that any organics in the ocean would have been totally degraded, rather than forming the basis of modern metabolism. I would conclude that metabolism had to evolve, within cells, one reaction and one catalyst at a time."
Stay tuned. The study of acellular metabolism is likely just beginning.
Learn more
Spark of life: Metabolism appears in lab without cells
Reference
Non‐enzymatic glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway‐like reactions in a plausible Archean ocean
The Morphing of PaleoTerran
Image: John Oró
PaleoTerran was launched in 2010 to cover human health, ancestral nutrition, and the "health" of our planet. From time to time the blog presented other material such as images of our cosmos (examples here and here) and items on "flow" (here & here).
Since the number of Paleo sites has blossomed over the past few years and the state of the environment is also well covered, slowly, PaleoTerran will widen its scope and the site will morph to cover a wider variety of content. It is said websites should focus on one or two topics for a specific audience. That doesn't reflect my interests. I hope you will engage in a wider journey.
SpaceX rocket booster soft-lands in Atlantic
Image: SpaceX
SpaceX reports a breakthrough in spaceflight - the soft-landing in the Atlantic of the Falcon 9 rocket booster that recently launched a Dragon supply capsule to the International Space Station. According to Mashable, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk commented on the event:
"I'm happy to confirm that we were able to do a soft landing in the Atlantic and all the data received back is that it made a soft landing and was in a healthy condition after that.”
However, a large storm was raging at the landing site and "the boost stage was subsequently destroyed by wave action."
Learn more: SpaceX Successfully Soft-Landed Booster Rocket in the Atlantic
Is a wooden frame bike in your future?
"The problem with typical aluminum bike frames is that mining aluminum is a huge energy suck. (It’s way worse than glass, for instance, not that you want a glass bike.) And even though it’s almost 100 percent recyclable, only about half of pop cans get recycled."
Climate Extremes: Anxiety or Opportunity?
Colorado National Guardsmen respond to floods in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. 12 September 2013. Image: United States Department of Defense
"Impacts from recent climate-related extremes, such as heat waves, droughts, floods, cyclones, and wildfires, reveal significant vulnerability and exposure of some ecosystems and many human systems to current climate variability (very high confidence). Impacts of such climate-related extremes include alteration of ecosystems, disruption of food production and water supply, damage to infrastructure and settlements, morbidity and mortality, and consequences for mental health and human well-being. For countries at all levels of development, these impacts are consistent with a significant lack of preparedness for current climate variability in some sectors."
Unfortunately, though clear cut and definitive, statements like this trigger anxiety, guilt, denial, or sadness. Fortunately, for some, they trigger opportunity - an opportunity to make a difference. Even small differences added together make things happen.
Source: IPCC WGII AR5 Summary for Policymakers
Abstract: Western diet caused cancer in mice, low carb diet did not
A low carbohydrate, high protein diet slows tumor growth and prevents cancer initiation.
Cancer Res. 2011 Jul 1;71(13):4484-93. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-3973. Epub 2011 Jun 14.
Since cancer cells depend on glucose more than normal cells, we compared the effects of low carbohydrate (CHO) diets to a Western diet on the growth rate of tumors in mice. To avoid caloric restriction-induced effects, we designed the low CHO diets isocaloric with the Western diet by increasing protein rather than fat levels because of the reported tumor-promoting effects of high fat and the immune-stimulating effects of high protein. We found that both murine and human carcinomas grew slower in mice on diets containing low amylose CHO and high protein compared with a Western diet characterized by relatively high CHO and low protein. There was no weight difference between the tumor-bearing mice on the low CHO or Western diets. Additionally, the low CHO-fed mice exhibited lower blood glucose, insulin, and lactate levels. Additive antitumor effects with the low CHO diets were observed with the mTOR inhibitor CCI-779 and especially with the COX-2 inhibitor Celebrex, a potent anti-inflammatory drug. Strikingly, in a genetically engineered mouse model of HER-2/neu-induced mammary cancer, tumor penetrance in mice on a Western diet was nearly 50% by the age of 1 year whereas no tumors were detected in mice on the low CHO diet. This difference was associated with weight gains in mice on the Western diet not observed in mice on the low CHO diet. Moreover, whereas only 1 mouse on the Western diet achieved a normal life span, due to cancer-associated deaths, more than 50% of the mice on the low CHO diet reached or exceeded the normal life span. Taken together, our findings offer a compelling preclinical illustration of the ability of a low CHO diet in not only restricting weight gain but also cancer development and progression. (emphasis added)
©2011 AACR.
"Chairs are a recent invention"
"Chairs are a recent invention. Folks as early as the ancient Egyptians had them, but they were a luxury item reserved for the upper classes. Your average Neolithic human sat on chests or benches until chairs became a mass-produced staple that everyone could afford. Earlier than that, for most of human history, formal-sitting furniture simply didn’t exist. Paleolithic posteriors surely rested upon rocks and logs and stumps when the opportunity arose, but those aren’t the same as having permanent fixtures that allow you to take a load off whenever you want. Human bodies were not designed with chairs in mind. We did do a lot of lounging around – I’m not arguing we never stopped moving or anything – but we did so on the ground, rather than on a bunch of folding chairs.”
Read more: Floor Living: Do You Spend Enough Time on the Ground?
Richard Riemerschmid: Chair; Oak solid wood with leather upholstery; Design for a Music Room at the German Art Exhibition in Dresden in 1899. Source: Wikimedia
More evidence farming led to weaker bones
It's been known for some time that farming led weaker bones and shorter stature. Now comes further evidence from research by Alison Macintosh:
"Because the structure of human bones can inform us about the lifestyles of the individuals they belong to, they can provide valuable clues for biological anthropologists looking at past cultures. Research by Alison Macintosh, a PhD candidate in Cambridge University’s Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, shows that after the emergence of agriculture in Central Europe from around 5300 BC, the bones of those living in the fertile soils of the Danube river valley became progressively less strong, pointing to a decline in mobility and loading." (emphasis added)
Source: From athletes to couch potatoes: Humans through 6,000 years of farming
Jets of water vapor & ice on Saturn's moon Enceladus
Water & ice spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus in this 2005 Cassini spacecraft image. Credit: NASA/JPL/SSI; Mosaic: Emily Lakdawalla
"Ever since the Cassini spacecraft first spied water vapor and ice spewing from fractures in Enceladus’ frozen surface in 2005, scientists have hypothesized that a large reservoir of water lies beneath that icy surface, possibly fueling the plumes. Now, gravity measurements gathered by Cassini have confirmed that this enticing moon of Saturn does in fact harbor a large subsurface ocean near its south pole."
Learn more: Cassini Spacecraft Confirms Subsurface Ocean on Enceladus
Abstract: What's your diet?
"Population-based studies have consistently shown that our diet has an influence on health. Therefore, the aim of our study was to analyze differences between different dietary habit groups in terms of health-related variables. The sample used for this cross-sectional study was taken from the Austrian Health Interview Survey AT-HIS 2006/07. In a first step, subjects were matched according to their age, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES). After matching, the total number of subjects included in the analysis was 1320 (N=330 for each form of diet – vegetarian, carnivorous diet rich in fruits and vegetables, carnivorous diet less rich in meat, and carnivorous diet rich in meat). Analyses of variance were conducted controlling for lifestyle factors in the following domains: health (self-assessed health, impairment, number of chronic conditions, vascular risk), health care (medical treatment, vaccinations, preventive check-ups), and quality of life. In addition, differences concerning the presence of 18 chronic conditions were analyzed by means of Chi-square tests. Overall, 76.4% of all subjects were female. 40.0% of the individuals were younger than 30 years, 35.4% between 30 and 49 years, and 24.0% older than 50 years. 30.3% of the subjects had a low SES, 48.8% a middle one, and 20.9% had a high SES. Our results revealed that a vegetarian diet is related to a lower BMI and less frequent alcohol consumption. Moreover, our results showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with poorer health (higher incidences of cancer, allergies, and mental health disorders), a higher need for health care, and poorer quality of life. Therefore, public health programs are needed in order to reduce the health risk due to nutritional factors." (bold added)
See also: Here We Go Again: Vegetarian Diets and Mental Health by Emily Deans, MD
Abstract: Non Celiac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS)
"Non Celiac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) was originally described in the 1980s and recently a “re-discovered” disorder characterized by intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms related to the ingestion of gluten-containing food, in subjects that are not affected with either celiac disease (CD) or wheat allergy (WA). Although NCGS frequency is still unclear, epidemiological data have been generated that can help establishing the magnitude of the problem. Clinical studies further defined the identity of NCGS and its implications in human disease. An overlap between the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and NCGS has been detected, requiring even more stringent diagnostic criteria. Several studies suggested a relationship between NCGS and neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly autism and schizophrenia. The first case reports of NCGS in children have been described. Lack of biomarkers is still a major limitation of clinical studies, making it difficult to differentiate NCGS from other gluten related disorders. Recent studies raised the possibility that, beside gluten, wheat amylase-trypsin inhibitors and low-fermentable, poorly-absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates can contribute to symptoms (at least those related to IBS) experienced by NCGS patients. In this paper we report the major advances and current trends on NCGS."(bold added)
Reference: Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: The New Frontier of Gluten Related Disorders