ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Galapagos hawks hand down lice like family heirlooms
• History of fire and drought shapes the ecology of California, past and future
• Fipronil, imidacloprid reduce honeybee mitochondrial activity
• Tornado strength, frequency, linked to climate change
• Gene-editing technique offers new way to model cancer
• Young loggerhead turtles not going with the flow
• Photon hunting in the twilight zone: Visual features of bioluminescent sharks
• Farm manager plays leading role in postharvest loss
• Mercury in the global ocean: three times more mercury in upper ocean since the Industrial Revolution
• Enhanced international cooperation needed in Antarctica
• Molecular competition drives adult stem cells to specialize, study shows
• Geography matters: Model predicts how local 'shocks' influence U.S. economy
• Discovery about wound healing key to understanding cell movement
• Website to help safeguard the United States borders against alien scale insect pests
• Lucky heather plant earns its name in carbon study
• Tortoises master touchscreen technology
• Biomotor discovered in many bacteria and viruses
• Talking 'bout regeneration: How do some animals regrow missing parts?
• Discovery yields master regulator of toxin production in staph infections
• Wildlife corridors sometimes help invasive species spread
• Arctic mammals can metabolize some pesticides, limits human exposure
• Risks to penguin populations analyzed
• Curing rheumatoid arthritis in mice: Antibody-based delivery of IL4
• A synopsis of the carabid beetle tribe Lachnophorini reveals remarkable 24 new species
• Climate change could drive rise in debilitating disease
• Trapped: Cell-invading piece of virus captured in lab by scientists
• Preparing for a changing climate: Ecologists unwrap the science in the National Climate Change Assessment
• Burrowing animals may have been key to stabilizing Earth's oxygen
• Skull shape risk factors could help in welfare of toy dog breeds
• Healthy diet set early in life
• Simulation models optimize water power
• Could your brain be reprogrammed to work better?
• Study of aerosols stands to improve climate models
• Angry bees: Insect aggression boosted by altering brain metabolism
• Common tuberculosis vaccine can be used to prevent infection as well as disease
• Research team warns against overlooking Great Lakes' currents
• Physicists eye neural fly data, find formula for Zipf's law
• Promising Ebola virus treatment development: Crucial research conducted to advance medicine
• Pyruvate oxidation is critical determinant of pancreatic islet number, β-cell mass
• Monthly preventative treatment with a new drug combination reduces malaria in children
• 'Treatments waiting to be discovered' inside new database
• New 'whey' to control diabetes
• Strawberry monitoring system could add $1. 7 million over 10 years to some farms
• Flavor trumps health for blueberry buying, study shows

Galapagos hawks hand down lice like family heirlooms Posted: 06 Aug 2014 02:38 PM PDT Studying Galápagos hawks and their lice, biologists provide some of the first field evidence for co-divergence between parasites and hosts as a major driver of biodiversity. As the birds diversify into distinct populations on each island, their parasites diversify with them. The findings help explain the rapid rate of parasite evolution.

History of fire and drought shapes the ecology of California, past and future Posted: 06 Aug 2014 02:38 PM PDT Ecologists have researched the history of wildfire across California, and have compared and contrasted historical versus contemporary and forested versus non-forested patterns of wildfire incidence.

Fipronil, imidacloprid reduce honeybee mitochondrial activity Posted: 06 Aug 2014 12:40 PM PDT Scientists are urgently trying to determine the causes of colony collapse disorder and the alarming population declines of honeybees. The effects of fipronil and imidacloprid on honeybees has been addressed by a new study. While damage at sublethal levels may not be evident, low level exposure inhibits the ability to forage and return to the hive, which could result in declining bee populations.

Tornado strength, frequency, linked to climate change Posted: 06 Aug 2014 12:40 PM PDT New research shows that climate change may be playing a key role in the strength and frequency of tornadoes hitting the United States.

Gene-editing technique offers new way to model cancer Posted: 06 Aug 2014 11:22 AM PDT A new gene-editing technique allows scientists to more rapidly study the role of mutations in tumor development. "The sequencing of human tumors has revealed hundreds of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in different combinations. The flexibility of this technology, as delivery gets better in the future, will give you a way to pretty rapidly test those combinations," explained an author of the paper.

Young loggerhead turtles not going with the flow Posted: 06 Aug 2014 11:22 AM PDT Juvenile loggerhead turtles swim into oncoming ocean currents, instead of passively drifting with them. After loggerhead turtle hatchlings leave nesting beaches, they live in the ocean for 7-12 years before migrating to coastal habitats.

Photon hunting in the twilight zone: Visual features of bioluminescent sharks Posted: 06 Aug 2014 11:22 AM PDT The eyes of deep-sea bioluminescent sharks have a higher rod density when compared to non-bioluminescent sharks, according to a new study. This adaptation is one of many these sharks use to produce and perceive bioluminescent light in order to communicate, find prey, and camouflage themselves against predators.

Farm manager plays leading role in postharvest loss Posted: 06 Aug 2014 10:45 AM PDT Some farms in Brazil lose 10 to 12 percent of their yield at various points along the postharvest route. According to an agricultural economist, when it comes to meeting the needs of the world's growing population that's a lot of food falling through the cracks. Interestingly, farm managers who are aware of the factors that contribute to postharvest grain loss actually lose less grain.

Mercury in the global ocean: three times more mercury in upper ocean since the Industrial Revolution Posted: 06 Aug 2014 10:45 AM PDT Mercury is a naturally occurring element as well as a by-product of such distinctly human enterprises as burning coal and making cement. Estimates of 'bioavailable' mercury -- forms of the element that can be taken up by animals and humans -- play an important role in everything from drafting an international treaty designed to protect humans and the environment from mercury emissions, to establishing public policies behind warnings about seafood consumption.

Enhanced international cooperation needed in Antarctica Posted: 06 Aug 2014 10:45 AM PDT Countries need to work together to ensure Antarctic research continues and key questions on the region are answered, researchers say. Key areas for scientific research in the region over the next two decades include looking at human impact on the region, understanding the evolution of Antarctic life, looking at the region's history, and the impact of climate change in the area, they say.

Molecular competition drives adult stem cells to specialize, study shows Posted: 06 Aug 2014 10:44 AM PDT Adult organisms ranging from fruit flies to humans harbor adult stem cells, some of which renew themselves through cell division while others differentiate into the specialized cells needed to replace worn-out or damaged organs and tissues. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that control the balance between self-renewal and differentiation in adult stem cells is an important foundation for developing therapies to regenerate diseased, injured or aged tissue.

Geography matters: Model predicts how local 'shocks' influence U.S. economy Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:57 AM PDT Hurricanes. Foreclosures. Factory shutdowns. How do these local industry 'shocks' influence the country as a whole? A new model measures the power of industry dips and boosts nationwide. Overall, they find that geography plays a huge role in determining how these fluctuations are felt across the country.

Discovery about wound healing key to understanding cell movement Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:57 AM PDT Research by a civil engineer is helping shed light on the way wounds heal and may someday have implications for understanding how cancer spreads, as well as why certain birth defects occur.

Website to help safeguard the United States borders against alien scale insect pests Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:51 AM PDT A group of scientists has built an online interactive website to help state and federal identifiers safeguard the US ports-of-entry from alien scale insect pests. The interactive website facilitates pest identifications by gathering, in one place, photos, drawings and current information on 194 species that have the potential to become serious pests to U.S. agriculture.

Lucky heather plant earns its name in carbon study Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:49 AM PDT Researchers have found that heather has an important role to play in keeping carbon locked in the earth. The findings show that the type of plants growing on the surface of our peaty moorlands can change how quickly dead plant material is broken down, influencing the speed with which carbon from dead plant matter is released back into the air we breathe.

Tortoises master touchscreen technology Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:49 AM PDT Tortoises have learned how to use touchscreens as part of a study which aimed to teach the animals navigational techniques. The brain structure of reptiles is very different to that of mammals, which use the hippocampus for spatial navigation.

Biomotor discovered in many bacteria and viruses Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT Nano-biotechnologists have reported the discovery of a new, third class of biomotor, unique in that it uses a "revolution without rotation" mechanism. These revolution biomotors are widespread among many bacteria and viruses.

Talking 'bout regeneration: How do some animals regrow missing parts? Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT By studying the genetic mechanisms that enable regeneration in our distant evolutionary cousins, scientists hope to one day uncover potentially latent healing abilities that may lie hidden in our own genome. Four professors are undertaking the basic scientific research needed to begin to answer these and other questions. Each of them approaches the problem from a different angle, focusing on different aspects of regeneration, and using different vertebrate models.

Discovery yields master regulator of toxin production in staph infections Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT An enzyme that regulates production of the toxins that contribute to potentially life-threatening Staphylococcus aureus infections has been discovered by researchers. The enzyme allows Staphylococcus aureus to use fatty acids acquired from the infected individual to make the membrane that bacteria need to grow and flourish. The results provide a promising focus for efforts to develop a much-needed new class of antibiotics to combat staph and other Gram-positive infections.

Wildlife corridors sometimes help invasive species spread Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT When the ants come marching in, having miles of linked habitats may not be such a good idea after all. In a classic example of the law of unintended consequences, new research suggests that wildlife corridors – strips of natural land created to reconnect habitats separated by agriculture or human activities -- can sometimes encourage the spread of invasive species such as one type of fire ant.

Arctic mammals can metabolize some pesticides, limits human exposure Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:28 AM PDT Fortunately, you are not always what you eat -- at least in Canada's Arctic. New research reveals that arctic mammals such as caribou can metabolize some current-use pesticides ingested in vegetation. This limits exposures in animals that consume the caribou -- including humans.

Risks to penguin populations analyzed Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:28 AM PDT A major study of all penguin populations suggests the birds are at continuing risk from habitat degradation. Scientists recommend the adoption of measures to mitigate against a range of effects including; food scarcity (where fisheries compete for the same resources), being caught in fishing nets, oil pollution and climate change.

Curing rheumatoid arthritis in mice: Antibody-based delivery of IL4 Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:28 AM PDT With a new therapeutic product, researchers have managed to cure arthritis in mice for the first time. The scientists are now planning to test the efficacy of the drug in humans. Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that causes painful inflammation of several joints in the body. The joint capsule becomes swollen, and the disease can also destroy cartilage and bone as it progresses. Rheumatoid arthritis affects 0.5% to 1% of the world's population.

A synopsis of the carabid beetle tribe Lachnophorini reveals remarkable 24 new species Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:28 AM PDT A synopsis of the carabid beetle tribe Lachnophorini reveals a remarkable 24 new species. This research is the beginning of series of steps towards the provision of taxonomic relationships of carabid beetles. For the near future the path forward to be followed will lead to an attempt, using morphological and molecular attributes to provide a firm basis for firm classification.

Climate change could drive rise in debilitating disease Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:27 AM PDT A disease prevalent in developing countries could be spread by the changes in rainfall patterns according to a new study. Buruli ulcer affects thousands of people every year, mainly in developing countries, and in the worst cases can cause fatality or permanent disability. The devastating bacterial infection starts with an area of swelling that becomes ulcerated, causing painful open wounds and necrosis of the skin. It is unknown how the water-borne disease is transmitted.

Trapped: Cell-invading piece of virus captured in lab by scientists Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT Scientists try to stay a step ahead of HIV in order to combat drug resistance and to develop better treatments. When a person is infected with HIV, there is an initial burst of virus production. This is when integrase inserts the virus DNA into many human cells, including CD4 T-immune cells, brain cells and other lymph cells. HIV is particularly devastating to the immune system's T-cells, which protect the body from infection.

Preparing for a changing climate: Ecologists unwrap the science in the National Climate Change Assessment Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT Scientists have considered the likely effects of climate change on ten regions: Northeast, Southeast and Caribbean, Midwest, Great Plains, Northwest, Southwest, Alaska, Hawai'i and U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands, Coasts, and Oceans and Marine Resources.

Burrowing animals may have been key to stabilizing Earth's oxygen Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT Evolution of the first burrowing animals may have played a major role in stabilizing the Earth's oxygen reservoir, researchers hypothesize. The first burrowing animals significantly increased the extent to which oxygenated waters came into contact with ocean sediments. Exposure to oxygenated conditions caused the bacteria that inhabit such sediments to store phosphate in their cells. This caused an increase in phosphorus burial in sediments that had been mixed up by burrowing animals. This in turn triggered decreases in marine phosphate concentrations, productivity, organic carbon burial and ultimately oxygen.

Skull shape risk factors could help in welfare of toy dog breeds Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT Two significant risk factors associated with painful neurological diseases in the skull shape of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel have been identified by researchers. The findings could help in tackling these conditions in toy dog breeds and could be used in breeding guidelines.

Healthy diet set early in life Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT Promoting a healthy diet from infancy is important to prevent childhood obesity and the onset of chronic disease, researchers find. The study described quantity and diversity of food and drinks consumed by children aged 12-16 months.

Simulation models optimize water power Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:47 AM PDT The Columbia River basin in the Pacific Northwest offers great potential for water power; hydroelectric power stations there generate over 20,000 megawatts already. Now a simulation model will help optimize the operation of the extensive dam system.

Could your brain be reprogrammed to work better? Posted: 05 Aug 2014 11:53 PM PDT Scientists from Australia and France have shown that electromagnetic stimulation can alter brain organization, which may make your brain work better. In a new study, the researchers demonstrated that weak sequential electromagnetic pulses (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation -- or rTMS) on mice can shift abnormal neural connections to more normal locations.

Study of aerosols stands to improve climate models Posted: 05 Aug 2014 11:47 PM PDT Of all the factors that influence Earth's changing climate, the effect that tiny particles in Earth's atmosphere called aerosols have on clouds is the least well understood. Aerosols scatter and absorb incoming sunlight and affect the formation and properties of clouds. Now a new, comprehensive global analysis of satellite data has quantified how changes in aerosol levels affect these warm clouds over the ocean.

Angry bees: Insect aggression boosted by altering brain metabolism Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:12 PM PDT Scientists report they can crank up insect aggression simply by interfering with a basic metabolic pathway in the insect brain. Their study, of fruit flies and honey bees, shows a direct, causal link between brain metabolism -- how the brain generates the energy it needs to function -- and aggression.

Common tuberculosis vaccine can be used to prevent infection as well as disease Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:12 PM PDT The vaccine used to protect against tuberculosis disease, bacillus calmette-guerin or BCG, also protects against tuberculosis infection, mycobacterium, as well as protecting against progression from infection to disease, finds new research. The BCG vaccine has been subject to numerous trials and studies over several decades, which have shown that it has a 60-80% protective efficacy against severe forms of tuberculosis (TB) in children. But to date there has been a lack of evidence on whether the vaccine is effective against TB infection.

Research team warns against overlooking Great Lakes' currents Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:07 PM PDT Between 2002 and 2013, rip currents were involved in 85 deaths and 256 rescues in the Great Lakes. But this still hasn't changed the common misperception that rip currents are only a threat in the ocean. Currently, the lakes' only safety measures against rip currents rely on observation of factors like wave heights and water levels. One researcher says it's possible to anticipate them based on possible causes in weather, the current's interaction with structures along the shore, and formations in the sea floor and sandbars.

Physicists eye neural fly data, find formula for Zipf's law Posted: 05 Aug 2014 01:33 PM PDT Physicists have identified a mechanism that may help explain Zipf's law -- a unique pattern of behavior found in disparate systems, including complex biological ones. The mathematical models demonstrate how Zipf's law naturally arises when a sufficient number of units react to a hidden variable in a system.

Promising Ebola virus treatment development: Crucial research conducted to advance medicine Posted: 05 Aug 2014 01:33 PM PDT Researchers are investigating antibodies to fight Ebola virus, including the three antibodies recently used to treat two American health care workers infected with the Ebola virus. Ebola virus causes an extremely virulent disease that currently leads to death in 25 to 90 percent of cases. The fast-moving virus is spread via the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person,

Pyruvate oxidation is critical determinant of pancreatic islet number, β-cell mass Posted: 05 Aug 2014 12:08 PM PDT Glucose is not only a major nutrient regulator of insulin secretion, but also impacts on gene expression in ²-cells. Using a mouse model of ²-cell-specific knock-out of Pdha1 gene which encodes the ± subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, the authors demonstrated that mitochondrial metabolism of pyruvate derived from glucose not only regulates insulin secretion but also directly influences ²-cell growth and plasticity.

Monthly preventative treatment with a new drug combination reduces malaria in children Posted: 05 Aug 2014 12:08 PM PDT Preventative treatment with a monthly dose of a newer antimalarial drug can reduce the risk of malarial infection among young children, according to a new study. The study finds that treating young children with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine decreased their risk of contracting malaria.

'Treatments waiting to be discovered' inside new database Posted: 05 Aug 2014 12:06 PM PDT A database named multiMiR has been described in a new article. It is the most comprehensive database collecting information about microRNAs and their targets, researchers report. In addition to assisting researchers search for relationships between microRNAs and their genetic targets, the database includes drugs known to affect these microRNAs and also lists diseases associated with microRNAs.

New 'whey' to control diabetes Posted: 05 Aug 2014 10:22 AM PDT Blood sugar surges -- after-meal glucose 'spikes' -- can be life threatening for the 29 million Americans with diabetes. Now a new study suggests a novel way to suppress these deadly post-meal glucose surges: the consumption of whey protein concentrate, found in the watery portion of milk separated from cheese curds, before breakfast.

Strawberry monitoring system could add $1. 7 million over 10 years to some farms Posted: 05 Aug 2014 10:18 AM PDT Traditionally, strawberry growers spray weekly to preserve their crop. But a new model can help them save more than $1 million in a decade-span on an average 26-acre farm by telling them optimal times to spray. The Strawberry Advisory System takes data such as temperature and leaf wetness and tells growers when to spray fungicide to ward off diseases.

Flavor trumps health for blueberry buying, study shows Posted: 05 Aug 2014 10:17 AM PDT Blueberries get lots of media attention for their antioxidant benefits, but a new study shows 60 percent of blueberry purchasers buy the fruit for its flavor, while 39 percent do so for psychological reasons. By "psychological," researchers mean those consumers may buy blueberries because they believe the fruit, which contains antioxidants, provides health benefits.

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