ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• United Kingdom urgently needs a green economic strategy: Report
• New insights into origin of birds focuses on key characteristics that preceded flight: Body size, forelimb length
• Climate change won't reduce deaths in winter, British study concludes
• Lymphoid cells discovered in human spleen, essential for production of antibodies
• malaria parasite transmission to mosquitos: Protein discovered as essential
• Skin cells transformed into functioning liver cells in mouse study
• 'Microbial Pompeii:' 1,000 year old plaque preserves bacteria, microscopic particles of food on skeleton teeth, creating mineral tomb for microbiomes
• Oldest bit of crust firms up idea of cool early earth
• Degradation of viral DNA in cell nucleus opening up new treatment for hepatitis B
• Lower cancer incidence rate in patients with central nervous system disease explained
• Chemical chaperones have helped proteins do their jobs for billions of years
• Red meat allergies likely result of lone star tick

United Kingdom urgently needs a green economic strategy: Report Posted: 23 Feb 2014 06:51 PM PST The United Kingdom urgently needs a green economic strategy to move towards low-carbon prosperity, resource security and environmental quality, says a new report. The report identifies innovation, infrastructure and information as the key areas in which policies are needed to support a green economy, in addition to arguing for environmental fiscal reform and specific policies at UK and EU level to support resource efficiency.

New insights into origin of birds focuses on key characteristics that preceded flight: Body size, forelimb length Posted: 23 Feb 2014 06:51 PM PST The key characteristics of birds which allow them to fly -- their wings and their small size -- arose much earlier than previously thought, according to new research that examined closely the Paraves, the first birds, and their closest dinosaurian relatives which lived 160 to 120 million years ago. Researchers investigated the rates of evolution of the two key characteristics that preceded flight: body size and forelimb length. In order to fly, hulking meat-eating dinosaurs had to shrink in size and grow much longer arms to support their feathered wings.

Climate change won't reduce deaths in winter, British study concludes Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:17 AM PST Climate change is unlikely to reduce the United Kingdom's excess winter death rate, which was a previous hypothesis. The study debunks the widely held view that warmer winters will cut the number of deaths normally seen at the coldest time of year. The study found that from 1951 to 1971, the number of cold winter days was strongly linked to death rates, while from 1971 to 1991, both the number of cold days and flu activity were responsible for increased death rates. However, their analysis showed that from 1991 to 2011, flu activity alone was the main cause in year to year variation in winter mortality.

Lymphoid cells discovered in human spleen, essential for production of antibodies Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:17 AM PST Researchers have discovered the presence of a novel subtype of innate lymphoid cells in human spleen essential for the production of antibodies. This discovery clears the path to the identification of novel strategies to develop more efficient vaccines against encapsulated bacteria, considered highly virulent. This research involved in vitro studies with isolated cells from human spleen samples and in vivo studies performed with different mice models.

malaria parasite transmission to mosquitos: Protein discovered as essential Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:17 AM PST Scientists studying the sexual transformation of the malaria parasite have solved a long-standing mystery in parasite biology. Two research teams have independently discovered that a single protein acts as the master genetic switch that triggers the development of male and female sexual forms of the malaria parasite. The research also gives important clues for identifying the underlying mechanisms that control this developmental fate, determining whether or not a malaria parasite will be able to transmit the disease. The discovery has important implications for human health.

Skin cells transformed into functioning liver cells in mouse study Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:17 AM PST An important breakthrough has been made that could affect patients waiting for liver transplants. Scientists have discovered a way to transform skin cells into mature, fully functioning liver cells that flourish on their own, even after being transplanted into laboratory animals modified to mimic liver failure. In previous studies on liver-cell reprogramming, scientists had difficulty getting stem cell-derived liver cells to survive once being transplanted into existing liver tissue. But this team figured out a way to solve this problem, and have revealed a new cellular reprogramming method that transforms human skin cells into liver cells that are virtually indistinguishable from the cells that make up native liver tissue.

'Microbial Pompeii:' 1,000 year old plaque preserves bacteria, microscopic particles of food on skeleton teeth, creating mineral tomb for microbiomes Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:16 AM PST A 'microbial Pompeii' has been discovered, preserved on the teeth of skeletons around 1,000 years old. The research team discovered that the ancient human oral cavity carries numerous opportunistic pathogens and that periodontal disease is caused by the same bacteria today as in the past, despite major changes in human diet and hygiene. "The study of ancient microbiomes helps us understand the evolutionary history of human health and disease," says a senior author of the study. "It informs modern medicine."

Oldest bit of crust firms up idea of cool early earth Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:16 AM PST With the help of a tiny fragment of zircon extracted from a remote rock outcrop in Australia, the picture of how our planet became habitable to life about 4.4 billion years ago is coming into sharper focus. New research reveals data that confirms that Earth's crust first formed just 160 million years after the formation of our solar system. It also confirms that the timeframe that the planet was a fiery ball covered in a magma ocean came earlier, and that in order to become habitable, Earth cooled and formed its crust during the first geologic eon of the planet. The research may help scientists to understand how other habitable planets may form.

Degradation of viral DNA in cell nucleus opening up new treatment for hepatitis B Posted: 21 Feb 2014 07:39 AM PST Viruses such as HBV can persist by depositing their genetic information (DNA) in the cell nucleus, where the DNA is normally not degraded. This prevents antiviral drugs from eliminating these viruses. But a newly discovered mechanism could make this possible without damaging the infected cell in the liver, possibly opening up new therapeutic possibilities.

Lower cancer incidence rate in patients with central nervous system disease explained Posted: 20 Feb 2014 04:35 PM PST Epidemiological studies demonstrate that diseases of the central nervous system such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and schizophrenia protect against cancer. The most remarkable example is Alzheimer's disease, which can reduce the risk of suffering from cancer by up to 50%. Various theories have been put forward in an attempt to explain this relationship between diseases at a first glance seem to be so different from the pharmacological, genetic and environmental perspectives. This week, the first evidence of a molecular relationship between cancer and central nervous system diseases has been published, identifying almost a hundred genes that could explain this relationship.

Chemical chaperones have helped proteins do their jobs for billions of years Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:13 AM PST Proteins are the body's workhorses, and like horses they often work in teams. There exists a modern day team of multiple chaperone proteins that help other proteins fold into the complex 3D shapes they must achieve to function. This is necessary to avert many serious diseases caused when proteins misbehave. An ancient chemical, present for billions of years, appears to have helped proteins function properly since time immemorial.

Red meat allergies likely result of lone star tick Posted: 20 Feb 2014 07:27 AM PST Lone star tick bites are likely the cause of thousands of cases of severe red meat allergies that are plaguing patients in Southeastern United States including Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia and spreading up the Eastern Seaboard along with the deer population. The allergy can cause hives and swelling, as well as broader symptoms of anaphylaxis including vomiting, diarrhea, trouble breathing, and a drop in blood pressure. Persons with the allergy can go into a delayed anaphylactic shock four-six hours after eating red meat.

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