ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• win-win situation: Growing crops on photovoltaic farms
• Oyster aquaculture could significantly improve Potomac River estuary water quality
• Synthetic collagen promotes natural clotting
• Sunken logs create new worlds for seafloor animals
• Bone marrow stem cells show promise in stroke treatment
• Counting the invisible by sound: New approach to estimate seabird populations
• Genetic circuits: Bacterial 'FM radio' created
• Genome sequencing of MRSA infection predicts disease severity
• Scientists reconstruct ancient impact that dwarfs dinosaur-extinction blast
• Liberia: One of the last strongholds for Western chimpanzees
• Promising agents burst through 'superbug' defenses to fight antibiotic resistance
• Can animals really help people in hospitals, aged care?
• Rabbits kept indoors could be vitamin D deficient
• Cancer cells may respond to mechanical force
• Study tests theory that life originated at deep sea vents
• Possible target to combat muscle wasting
• Neanderthals were no strangers to good parenting
• Mammalian brain size influences development of individual cranial bones
• Sea otters can get the flu, too: Human H1N1 pandemic virus infected Washington State sea otters
• 'RoboClam' hits new depths as robotic digger
• Access to improved water and sanitation varies widely within sub-Saharan Africa
• Experimental drug shows promise for treatment-resistant leukemias
• Genetic trigger found for RSV-induced infant hospitalizations
• Unlocking secrets of breast tissue: A unique population of microbes?
• A new tiny species of crayfish from the swamps of coastal eastern Australia
• Climate models underestimate costs to future generations
• Snowstorms, power outages present elevated risk for carbon monoxide poisoning
• Running geese give insight into low oxygen tolerance
• Potential target for epithelial ovarian cancer treatment identified
• Potential Combination Therapy for Aggressive Thyroid Cancer
• Genomic analysis yields abnormalities associated with targeted treatments in rare and poor prognosis cancers
• Antibiotic resistance enzyme caught in the act
• New light shed on key bacterial immune system
• Targeting sperm protection in mosquitoes could help combat malaria
• Chikungunya poised to invade the Americas

win-win situation: Growing crops on photovoltaic farms Posted: 09 Apr 2014 11:39 AM PDT A new model for solar farms that 'co-locates' crops and solar panels could result in a harvest of valuable biofuel plants along with solar energy. This co-location approach could prove especially useful in sunny, arid regions such as the southwestern United States where water is scarce, researchers said.

Oyster aquaculture could significantly improve Potomac River estuary water quality Posted: 09 Apr 2014 11:39 AM PDT Potomac River. Oyster aquaculture in the Potomac River estuary could result in significant improvements to water quality, according to a new study. All of the nitrogen currently polluting the Potomac River estuary could be removed if 40 percent of its river bed were used for shellfish cultivation, according to the joint study. The researchers determined that a combination of aquaculture and restored oyster reefs may provide even larger overall ecosystem benefits. Oysters, who feed by filtering, can clean an enormous volume of water of algae which can cause poor water quality.

Synthetic collagen promotes natural clotting Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:49 AM PDT Synthetic collagen may help wounds heal by directing the natural clotting of blood. The material, KOD, mimics natural collagen, a fibrous protein that binds cells together into organs and tissues. It could improve upon commercial sponges or therapies based on naturally derived porcine or bovine-derived collagen now used to aid healing during or after surgery.

Sunken logs create new worlds for seafloor animals Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:49 AM PDT When it comes to food, most of the deep sea is a desert. In this food-poor environment, even bits of dead wood, waterlogged enough to sink, can support thriving communities of specialized animals. A new paper by biologists shows that wood-boring clams serve as "ecosystem engineers," making the organic matter in the wood available to other animals that colonize wood falls in the deep waters of Monterey Canyon.

Bone marrow stem cells show promise in stroke treatment Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:47 AM PDT Stem cells culled from bone marrow may prove beneficial in stroke recovery, scientists have learned. The researchers identified 46 studies that examined the use of mesenchymal stromal cells -- a type of multipotent adult stem cells mostly processed from bone marrow -- in animal models of stroke. They found MSCs to be significantly better than control therapy in 44 of the studies.

Counting the invisible by sound: New approach to estimate seabird populations Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:47 AM PDT Many seabird species nest underground, approach their nests only during darkness, and are essentially invisible on land and impossible to count. By deploying automated sound recorders on a remote island and counting the recorded calls, a team of seabird researchers was able to estimate the size of a breeding colony of shearwaters on a remote island in the North Atlantic.

Genetic circuits: Bacterial 'FM radio' created Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:47 AM PDT A team of biologists and engineers has developed a 'rapid and tunable post-translational coupling' for genetic circuits.

Genome sequencing of MRSA infection predicts disease severity Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:47 AM PDT The spread of the antibiotic-resistant pathogen MRSA remains a concerning public health problem, especially among doctors trying to determine appropriate treatment options for infected patients. In a study, researchers used the genome sequence of MRSA to predict which isolates were highly toxic, thus potentially personalizing the treatment of individual MRSA infections.

Scientists reconstruct ancient impact that dwarfs dinosaur-extinction blast Posted: 09 Apr 2014 09:58 AM PDT Picture this: A massive asteroid almost as wide as Rhode Island and about three to five times larger than the rock thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs slams into Earth. The collision punches a crater into the planet's crust that's nearly 500 kilometers (about 300 miles) across: greater than the distance from Washington, D.C. to New York City, and up to two and a half times larger in diameter than the hole formed by the dinosaur-killing asteroid.

Liberia: One of the last strongholds for Western chimpanzees Posted: 09 Apr 2014 08:13 AM PDT Liberia is home to the second largest chimpanzee population in West Africa. An international research team has now counted chimpanzees and other large mammals living in Liberia. The census revealed that this country is home to 7000 chimpanzees and therefore to the second largest population of the Western subspecies of chimpanzees. As Liberia has released large areas for deforestation, the local decision-makers can now use the results of this study in order to protect the chimpanzees more effectively.

Promising agents burst through 'superbug' defenses to fight antibiotic resistance Posted: 09 Apr 2014 08:13 AM PDT In the fight against 'superbugs,' scientists have discovered a class of agents that can make some of the most notorious strains vulnerable to the same antibiotics that they once handily shrugged off. The report on the promising agents called metallopolymers -- large, metal-containing molecules -- demonstrated that they evaded the bacteria's defensive enzymes and destroyed its protective walls, causing the bacteria to burst.

Can animals really help people in hospitals, aged care? Posted: 09 Apr 2014 07:34 AM PDT While many people have an opinion on whether animals can help to improve well-being and care for patients in hospitals, does anyone really know whether there are benefits both for the patients and the animals themselves? Not according to a team of researchers that has conducted a worldwide review of all studies looking at the impact of "animal interventions" in healthcare settings for children.

Rabbits kept indoors could be vitamin D deficient Posted: 09 Apr 2014 07:34 AM PDT Rabbits that remain indoors may suffer from a lack of vitamin D, researchers report in a new study. In rabbits kept as pets or used in laboratory studies, the deficiency could lead to dental problems, undermine their cardiovascular health, weaken their immune systems and skew scientific findings.

Cancer cells may respond to mechanical force Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:43 AM PDT The processes and cellular pathways that allow cells to move, stiffen, and react to physical stresses has been identified through new research. This knowledge, researchers hope, could reveal the causes of cancer and help develop treatments, including therapies for a variety of diseases. "In the cancer context, mechanical force is important because tumor cells will generate force as they are invading, pulling on other cells," said one researcher. "They are pulling on the cells they are attached to as they are trying to get away."

Study tests theory that life originated at deep sea vents Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:43 AM PDT One of the greatest mysteries facing humans is how life originated on Earth. Scientists have determined approximately when life began, roughly 3.8 billion years ago, but there is still intense debate about exactly how life began. One possibility -- that simple metabolic reactions emerged near ancient seafloor hot springs, enabling the leap from a non-living to a living world -- has grown in popularity in the last two decades.

Possible target to combat muscle wasting Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:40 AM PDT The pathological atrophy of skeletal muscle is a serious biomedical problem for which no effective treatment is currently available. Those most affected populations are the elderly diagnosed with sarcopenia and patients with cancer, AIDS, and other infectious diseases that develop cachexia.

Neanderthals were no strangers to good parenting Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:39 AM PDT Archaeologists are challenging the traditional view that Neanderthal childhood was difficult, short and dangerous. A new and distinctive perspective suggests that Neanderthal children experienced strong emotional attachments with their immediate social group, used play to develop skills and played a significant role in their society.

Mammalian brain size influences development of individual cranial bones Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:39 AM PDT In mammals, embryonic cranial development is modular and step-wise: The individual cranial bones form according to a defined, coordinated schedule. The typical increase in the size of the brain in mammals in the course of evolution ultimately triggered changes in this developmental plan, as a study conducted on embryos of 134 species of animal reveals.

Sea otters can get the flu, too: Human H1N1 pandemic virus infected Washington State sea otters Posted: 08 Apr 2014 06:36 PM PDT Northern sea otters living off the coast of Washington state were infected with the same H1N1 flu virus that caused the world-wide pandemic in 2009, according to a new study. The researchers discovered antibodies for the 2009 H1N1 flu virus in blood samples from 70 percent of the sea otters studied. None of the otters were visibly sick, but the presence of antibodies means that the otters were previously exposed to influenza.

'RoboClam' hits new depths as robotic digger Posted: 08 Apr 2014 06:35 PM PDT A digging robot inspired by the unique mechanisms employed by the Atlantic razor clam has been created by a group of researchers in the US. The robot, dubbed RoboClam, is able to dig with extreme efficiency by transforming the surrounding soil from a solid into a liquid, and could have a variety of applications from anchoring underwater robots to subsea cable installation and mine neutralization.

Access to improved water and sanitation varies widely within sub-Saharan Africa Posted: 08 Apr 2014 06:35 PM PDT Access to improved drinking water and sanitation is highly variable within individual countries in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new study. Researchers have identified marked geographic inequalities, estimating that coverage of improved drinking water supply varied from as low as 3.2% in some districts of Somalia to as high as 99.0% in urban populations in Namibia, while access to improved sanitation ranged from 0.2% in parts of Chad to close to 100% in Gambia.

Experimental drug shows promise for treatment-resistant leukemias Posted: 08 Apr 2014 12:44 PM PDT Research in mice and human cell lines has identified an experimental compound dubbed TTT-3002 as potentially one of the most potent drugs available to block genetic mutations in cancer cells blamed for some forms of treatment-resistant leukemia. Results show that two doses a day of TTT-3002 eliminated leukemia cells in a group of mice within 10 days. The treatment performed as well as or better than similar drugs in head-to-head comparisons.

Genetic trigger found for RSV-induced infant hospitalizations Posted: 08 Apr 2014 09:19 AM PDT A viral protein has been pinpointed that plays a major role in making respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) the most common cause of hospitalization in children under one year of age. The discovery is the first step toward identifying better diagnostics and potential treatments for an infection that strikes nearly all children before they reach the age of three and causing severe disease in 3 percent of infected children.

Unlocking secrets of breast tissue: A unique population of microbes? Posted: 08 Apr 2014 08:21 AM PDT A unique population of microbes in the female breast may lay the groundwork for understanding how this bacterial community contributes to health and disease, according to a new study. Forms of bacteria known as 'Proteobacteria' were the most abundant, potentially as they are able to metabolize the fatty tissue, said the paper's first author.

A new tiny species of crayfish from the swamps of coastal eastern Australia Posted: 08 Apr 2014 08:17 AM PDT Hidden in one of Australia's most developed and fastest growing areas lives one of the world's smallest freshwater crayfish species. Biologists described the new species belonging to the genus Gramastacus, after eight years of research in the swamps and creeks of coastal New South Wales, Australia.

Climate models underestimate costs to future generations Posted: 08 Apr 2014 08:15 AM PDT Future generations will have to pay more for today's carbon emissions than what governments across the world currently understand. The climate models used by policymakers around the world to estimate the economic and social costs of CO2 emissions have to be improved according to experts.

Snowstorms, power outages present elevated risk for carbon monoxide poisoning Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:49 AM PDT Large weather events, such as snowstorms and heavy storms that cause power outages, can lead to an increase in the number of reported carbon monoxide exposures. Researchers explored the link between these major storms and the rise in carbon monoxide exposure cases. They found that portable generators were the most common source of carbon monoxide exposure after storms which resulted in power losses; car exhaust was the most frequent source of exposure after heavy snowstorms.

Running geese give insight into low oxygen tolerance Posted: 07 Apr 2014 04:28 PM PDT A new study into how the world's highest flying bird, the bar-headed goose, is able to survive at extreme altitudes may have future implications for low oxygen medical conditions in humans. An international team of scientists recently tracked the bar-headed goose while it migrated across the Himalayas. Now they have shown how these birds are able to tolerate running at top speed while breathing only 7% oxygen.

Potential target for epithelial ovarian cancer treatment identified Posted: 07 Apr 2014 01:52 PM PDT Researchers who are investigating the biological mechanisms behind metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer recently found that an enzyme called focal adhesive kinase (FAK) can play a critical -- and previously unstudied -- role in the growth and spread of the disease. FAK, which is also known as PTK2, helps cells adhere to each other and to other substances It also mediates multiple normal processes that are often disrupted or corrupted in cancer cells, including cell growth, proliferation, survival, angiogenesis and migration.

Potential Combination Therapy for Aggressive Thyroid Cancer Posted: 07 Apr 2014 01:47 PM PDT A novel mouse model of anaplastic thyroid cancer has been developed by scientists who have also identified a combination of targeted therapies that shrinks these tumors. Most patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer do very well, but in a small fraction of patients it evolves into aggressive forms of thyroid cancer. Among these, the extremely aggressive human ATC is associated with one of the worst prognoses of any kind of human cancer.

Genomic analysis yields abnormalities associated with targeted treatments in rare and poor prognosis cancers Posted: 07 Apr 2014 01:47 PM PDT Genomic profiling identifies genomic alterations in tumors that can be associated with targeted treatments for rare and poor prognosis cancers, new research shows. Analyzing tumors through clinical grade Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology has been useful in identifying genetic abnormalities in tumors that may make them vulnerable to molecularly targeted cancer treatment, the researchers note.

Antibiotic resistance enzyme caught in the act Posted: 07 Apr 2014 12:39 PM PDT NpmA is a mobile gene in bacteria that confers resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics. Structural biologists analyze the threat NpmA poses and reveal targets for drug development. A mobile gene called NpmA was discovered in E. coli bacteria isolated from a Japanese patient several years ago. Global spread of NpmA and related antibiotic resistance enzymes could disable an entire class of tools doctors use to fight serious or life-threatening infections.

New light shed on key bacterial immune system Posted: 07 Apr 2014 12:39 PM PDT New insights into a surprisingly flexible immune system present in bacteria for combating viruses and other foreign DNA invaders has been revealed by researchers. The findings demonstrate that some bacterial immune systems are much more robust and responsive than previously thought, and have implications for improving our understanding of bacterial evolution, including the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.

Targeting sperm protection in mosquitoes could help combat malaria Posted: 07 Apr 2014 12:38 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a way of reducing the fertility of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, potentially providing a new tactic to combat the disease. "Malaria kills over 650,000 people every year and we need to find new ways of tackling it, partly because mosquitoes continue to evolve ways of resisting our efforts. We are interested in cutting the numbers of malarial mosquitoes by impairing their ability to reproduce, and our new study suggests a way that we might be able to do this," a lead author stated.

Chikungunya poised to invade the Americas Posted: 07 Apr 2014 09:27 AM PDT Chikungunya virus is poised to invade and become an epidemic in the Americas, according to a team of researchers. The risk of a "catastrophic" epidemic in the Americas is boosted by the FIFA World Cup, to be held in Brazil next month, what with people coming in from near and from far, says a corresponding author.

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