ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Climate-smart agriculture requires three-pronged global research agenda
• Near-extinct African amphibians 'invisible' under climate change
• California blue whales rebound from whaling; first of their kin to do so
• Potassium-rich foods cut stroke, death risks among older women
• What is the economic impact of oil, gas in West Texas?
• Knowing how bacteria take out trash could lead to new antibiotics
• Researchers define spontaneous retinal neovascular mouse model
• Artificial cells take their first steps: Movable cytoskeleton membrane fabricated for first time
• Discrepancy in Greenland temperatures during end of last ice age resolved
• Coffee genome sheds light on the evolution of caffeine
• Clues to trapping carbon dioxide in rock: Calcium carbonate takes multiple, simultaneous roads to different minerals
• Avian influenza virus isolated in harbor seals poses a threat to humans
• Scientists prove ground, tree salamanders have same diets
• Greener neighborhoods lead to better birth outcomes, new research shows
• Ozone pollution in India kills enough crops to feed 94 million in poverty
• Declining levels of acidity in Sierra Nevada lakes, study concludes
• Archerfish target shoot with 'skillfully thrown' water
• Oxidized LDL might actually be 'good guy'
• Life forms appeared at least 60 million years earlier than previously thought
• Time flies: Breakthrough study identifies genetic link between circadian clock and seasonal timing
• Finding new approaches for therapeutics against Ebola virus
• Bluefin tuna found hunting for mackerel in East Greenland waters
• To clean air and beyond: Catching greenhouse gases with advanced membranes
• Liver injury caused by herbals, dietary supplements rises in study population
• Cannabis prevents negative behavioral, physiological effects of traumatic events, rat study shows
• Galapagos invasion is global warning
• Lowering coal-fired power plant emissions may have saved 1,700 lives in one year
• Lead and cadmium found in some chocolate bought in Brazil
• Burnt out birds suggest hard work could be bad for your health

Climate-smart agriculture requires three-pronged global research agenda Posted: 05 Sep 2014 06:08 AM PDT A focused, three-pronged research agenda is needed if the world is to boost agricultural production and meet the demands of its upwardly spiraling population, while dealing with climate change and limited options for expanding agricultural land, report researchers.

Near-extinct African amphibians 'invisible' under climate change Posted: 05 Sep 2014 06:04 AM PDT An international team of researchers has found that the majority of threatened species are 'invisible' when using modern methods to predict species distributions under climate change. Using African amphibians as a case study, the researchers found that more than 90 per cent of the species listed as threatened on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species are omitted by the most popular tools for species distribution modelling.

California blue whales rebound from whaling; first of their kin to do so Posted: 05 Sep 2014 06:02 AM PDT The number of California blue whales has rebounded to near historical levels and, while the number of blue whales struck by ships is likely above allowable U.S. limits, such strikes do not immediately threaten that recovery.

Potassium-rich foods cut stroke, death risks among older women Posted: 04 Sep 2014 03:37 PM PDT Older women who eat foods with higher amounts of potassium may be at lower risk of stroke and death than women who consume less potassium-rich foods. The health benefits from potassium-rich foods are greater among older women who do not have high blood pressure. Most older American women do not eat the recommended amounts of potassium from foods.

What is the economic impact of oil, gas in West Texas? Posted: 04 Sep 2014 03:35 PM PDT The economic impact is felt in all industries that provide support, from drilling to housing and retail. This study provides estimates of the 2013 economic impact of the Permian Basin's oil and gas industry, and examines these impacts at the county level as well as in the context of the overall Permian region, the Texas portion of the region and the New Mexico portion of the region. In addition to traditional economic impacts, this report includes a petroleum engineering-based analysis that provides the backbone for economic activity generated by the oil and gas industry.

Knowing how bacteria take out trash could lead to new antibiotics Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:20 AM PDT A team of scientists has reconstructed how bacteria tightly control their growth and division, the cell cycle, by destroying specific proteins through regulated protein degradation. All organisms use controlled protein degradation to alter cell behavior in response to changing environment. A process as reliable and stable as cell division also has to be flexible, to allow the organism to grow and respond. But little has been known about the molecular mechanics of how this works.

Researchers define spontaneous retinal neovascular mouse model Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:19 AM PDT Researchers have characterized a novel mutant mouse model, termed neoretinal vascularization 2, which develops abnormal neovessels from retinal vascular plexus. Their hope is this new model will help them understand AMD and develop new treatments for the disease.

Artificial cells take their first steps: Movable cytoskeleton membrane fabricated for first time Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:19 AM PDT Using only a few ingredients, a biophysicist and his team have successfully implemented a minimalistic model of the cell that can change its shape and move on its own. They describe how they turned this goal into reality in a new article.

Discrepancy in Greenland temperatures during end of last ice age resolved Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:19 AM PDT A new study of three ice cores from Greenland documents the warming of the large ice sheet at the end of the last ice age -- resolving a long-standing paradox over when that warming occurred.

Coffee genome sheds light on the evolution of caffeine Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:19 AM PDT An international research team has sequenced the genome of the coffee plant Coffea canephora. By comparing genes in the coffee, tea and chocolate plants, the scientists show that enzymes involved in making caffeine likely evolved independently in these three organisms. More than 8.7 million tons of coffee was produced in 2013; it is the principal agricultural product of many tropical nations.

Clues to trapping carbon dioxide in rock: Calcium carbonate takes multiple, simultaneous roads to different minerals Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:18 AM PDT Researchers used a powerful microscope that allows them to see the birth of calcium carbonate crystals in real time, giving them a peek at how different calcium carbonate crystals form.

Avian influenza virus isolated in harbor seals poses a threat to humans Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT The avian influenza A H3N8 virus that killed harbor seals along the New England coast can spread through respiratory droplets and poses a threat to humans, scientists have found. The findings reinforce the need for continued surveillance of flu viruses circulating in wild and domestic animals to understand the risk the viruses pose to humans, said the study's first author.

Scientists prove ground, tree salamanders have same diets Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT Salamanders spend the majority of their lives below ground and surface only for short periods of time. When they do emerge, salamanders can be spotted not only on forest floors but also in trees, often climbing as high as 8 feet. However, it has never been clear to biologists why salamanders take time to climb vegetation. Now, researchers tested a long-standing hypothesis that salamanders might climb vegetation for food.

Greener neighborhoods lead to better birth outcomes, new research shows Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT Mothers who live in neighborhoods with plenty of grass, trees or other green vegetation are more likely to deliver at full term and their babies are born at higher weights, compared to mothers who live in urban areas that aren't as green, a new study shows.

Ozone pollution in India kills enough crops to feed 94 million in poverty Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT In one year, India's ozone pollution damaged millions of tons of the country's major crops, causing losses of more than a billion dollars and destroying enough food to feed tens of millions of people living below the poverty line.

Declining levels of acidity in Sierra Nevada lakes, study concludes Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT A team led by an environmental scientist at the University of California, Riverside has conducted research on lakes in the Sierra Nevada -- the most sensitive lakes in the U.S. to acid rain, according to the Environmental Protection Agency -- and described human impacts on them during the 20th century. The conclusion is the overall news is good: Air quality regulation has benefited aquatic ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada; controlling air pollution is benefiting nature in California.

Archerfish target shoot with 'skillfully thrown' water Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:15 AM PDT Archerfish hunt by shooting jets of water at unsuspecting prey on leaves or twigs above, knocking them into the water below before gobbling them up. Now, a study finds that those fish are much more adaptable and skillful target-shooters than anyone had given them credit for. The fish really do use water as a tool making them the first known tool-using animal to adaptively change the hydrodynamic properties of a free jet of water.

Oxidized LDL might actually be 'good guy' Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT A team of investigators has made a thought-provoking discovery about a type of cholesterol previously believed to be a 'bad guy' in the development of heart disease and other conditions. "Based on our analysis, we were surprised to find that, instead of increasing the amount of cholesterol uptake and accumulation in the macrophage foam cells, mildly oxidized LDL almost completely prevents increases in cholesterol," a researcher said.

Life forms appeared at least 60 million years earlier than previously thought Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT Geologists in Ireland have rewritten the evolutionary history books by finding that oxygen-producing life forms were present on Earth some 3 billion years ago -- a full 60 million years earlier than previously thought. These life forms were responsible for adding oxygen to our atmosphere, which laid the foundations for more complex life to evolve and proliferate.

Time flies: Breakthrough study identifies genetic link between circadian clock and seasonal timing Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:11 AM PDT New insights into day-length measurement in flies have been uncovered by researchers. The study has corroborated previous observations that flies developed under short days become significantly more cold-resistant compared with flies raised in long-days, suggesting that this response can be used to study seasonal photoperiodic timing. Photoperiodism is the physiological reaction of organisms to the length of day or night, occurring in both plants and animals.

Finding new approaches for therapeutics against Ebola virus Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:38 AM PDT New ways to identify drugs that could be used to treat Ebola virus infection are the focus of recent study. Researchers have looked at what proteins inside a cell are critical for the functions of Ebola virus and are hijacked by the virus to help with infection. One of the proteins they have targeted is known as VP24. This protein disrupts signalling in infected human cells and disrupts the body's immune system and the fight against the virus.

Bluefin tuna found hunting for mackerel in East Greenland waters Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:34 AM PDT On a warm summer day in August 2012, Greenlandic fishermen and biologists caught an unusual catch while conducting an exploratory fishery for mackerel. Three large bluefin tuna were among the several tonnes of mackerel that were caught that summer. The presence of bluefin tuna in waters near Greenland is a very rare event, and there are no other scientific reports of its presence so far north as the Denmark Strait.

To clean air and beyond: Catching greenhouse gases with advanced membranes Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:46 AM PDT An advanced membrane has been developed for the purpose of cleaning up greenhouse gases. The membranes are cheaper, long-lasting, selective and highly permeable compared to commercially available ones.

Liver injury caused by herbals, dietary supplements rises in study population Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:46 AM PDT Liver injury caused by herbals and dietary supplements increased from 7% to 20% in a U.S. study group over a ten-year period, research shows. According to the study, liver injury caused by non-bodybuilding supplements is most severe, occurring more often in middle-aged women and more frequently resulting in death or the need for transplantation than liver injury from bodybuilding supplements or conventional medications.

Cannabis prevents negative behavioral, physiological effects of traumatic events, rat study shows Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:42 AM PDT Administering synthetic marijuana (cannabinoids) soon after a traumatic event can prevent PTSD-like (post-traumatic stress disorder) symptoms in rats, caused by the trauma and by trauma reminders, scientists report.

Galapagos invasion is global warning Posted: 03 Sep 2014 10:33 AM PDT Parts of the iconic Galapagos Islands have been overrun by invasive plants from other parts of the world.

Lowering coal-fired power plant emissions may have saved 1,700 lives in one year Posted: 03 Sep 2014 07:58 AM PDT After scoring a Supreme Court victory this spring, the Environmental Protection Agency can move forward with its strategy to cut air pollution from coal-fired power plants in several states -- and new research suggests the impact could be lifesaving.

Lead and cadmium found in some chocolate bought in Brazil Posted: 03 Sep 2014 07:58 AM PDT Scientists have found that commercial samples of chocolate purchased in Brazil contain varying levels of lead and cadmium, which can cause health problems, and that those levels are linked to how much cocoa a product contains.

Burnt out birds suggest hard work could be bad for your health Posted: 02 Sep 2014 05:52 PM PDT Unequal sharing of workloads in societies could leave the most industrious individuals at higher risk of poor health and prone to accelerated ageing, according to a new study of a cooperative bird in the Kalahari Desert.

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