ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Antibiotics improve growth in children in developing countries
• New study outlines 'water world' theory of life's origins
• The human food connection: Authentic Puerto Rican food in Connecticut
• New technique will accelerate genetic characterization of photosynthesis
• Mouse model would have predicted toxicity of drug that killed 5 in 1993 clinical trial
• Chrono, the last piece of the circadian clock puzzle?
• Long-term predictions for Miami sea level rise could be available relatively soon
• Potent, puzzling and (now less) toxic: Team discovers how antifungal drug works
• Changes in processing, handling could reduce commercial fishing injuries
• Breaking bad mitochondria: How hepatitis C survives for so long
• Lifestyle determines gut microbes: Study with modern hunter-gatherers tells tale of bacteria co-evolution
• Earthquake simulation tops one petaflop mark
• Lens turns any smartphone into a portable microscope
• Biologists develop nanosensors to visualize movements and distribution of plant stress hormone
• Gut capacity limits bird's ability to adapt to rapid climate change
• Tiger beetle's chase highlights mechanical law
• Genetic pre-disposition toward exercise, mental development may be linked
• Rethink education to fuel bioeconomy, says report
• Bioarchaeologists link climate instability to human mobility in ancient Sahara
• Key to easy asthma diagnosis is in the blood
• Regenerated esophagus transplanted in rats
• Sibling cooperation in earwig families provides clues to the early evolution of social behavior
• Unexpected protein partnership has implications for cancer treatment
• Vitamin D deficiency, cognition appear to be linked in older adults
• Predicting bioavailable cadmium levels in soils
• Hair from infants gives clues about life in womb
• Whooping cough bacterium evolving in Australia, research shows
• New sensor improves the level of efficiency in detecting ozone
• Bizarre parasite may provide cuttlefish clues
• European climate at the 2 degrees Celsius global warming threshold
• Scientists come up with method of reducing solar panel glare
• New design for mobile phone masts could cut carbon emissions
• Obesity: Are lipids hard drugs for the brain?
• Deforestation could intensify climate change in Congo Basin by half
• Exams in cold auditoriums? Better memory at ideal temperature
• Nanocrystalline cellulose modified into efficient viral inhibitor
• Medieval slave trade routes in Eastern Europe extended from Finland and the Baltic Countries to Central Asia
• Moth study suggests hidden climate change impacts
• Long-term antibiotic treatment for Q fever causes weight gain
• 'MicroRNA' could be key target for bowel cancer treatment

Antibiotics improve growth in children in developing countries Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:36 PM PDT Antibiotics improve growth in children at risk of undernourishment in low and middle income countries, according to researchers who have just conducted a research literature review on the subject. Their results suggest that the youngest children from the most vulnerable populations benefit most and show significant improvements toward expected growth for their age and sex, particularly for weight.

New study outlines 'water world' theory of life's origins Posted: 15 Apr 2014 04:57 PM PDT Life took root more than four billion years ago on our nascent Earth, a wetter and harsher place than now, bathed in sizzling ultraviolet rays. What started out as simple cells ultimately transformed into slime molds, frogs, elephants, humans and the rest of our planet's living kingdoms. How did it all begin?

The human food connection: Authentic Puerto Rican food in Connecticut Posted: 15 Apr 2014 03:14 PM PDT Tucked away in Hartford, Conn., a Puerto Rican community is creating a tropical home away from home through cuisine that is so authentic it has caught the attention of scientists. Biologists took a close look at the fresh crops in the Puerto Rican markets of Hartford and uncovered evidence that gives new meaning to a phrase that food lovers have been using for years: home is in the kitchen.

New technique will accelerate genetic characterization of photosynthesis Posted: 15 Apr 2014 03:13 PM PDT Photosynthesis provides fixed carbon and energy for nearly all life on Earth, yet many aspects of this fascinating process remain mysterious. We do not know the full list of the parts of the molecular machines that perform photosynthesis in any organism. A team developed a highly sophisticated tool that will transform the work of plant geneticists on this subject.

Mouse model would have predicted toxicity of drug that killed 5 in 1993 clinical trial Posted: 15 Apr 2014 03:13 PM PDT Over 20 years after the fatal fialuridine trial, a new study demonstrates that mice with humanized livers recapitulate the drug's toxicity. The work suggests that this mouse model should be added to the repertoire of tools used in preclinical screening of drugs for liver toxicity before they are given to human participants in clinical trials.

Chrono, the last piece of the circadian clock puzzle? Posted: 15 Apr 2014 03:11 PM PDT All organisms, from mammals to fungi, have daily cycles controlled by a tightly regulated internal clock, called the circadian clock. The whole-body circadian clock, influenced by the exposure to light, dictates the wake-sleep cycle. At the cellular level, the clock is controlled by a complex network of genes and proteins that switch each other on and off based on cues from their environment.

Long-term predictions for Miami sea level rise could be available relatively soon Posted: 15 Apr 2014 12:38 PM PDT Miami could know as early as 2020 how high sea levels will rise into the next century, according to a team of researchers. Scientists conclude that sea level rise is one of the most certain consequences of climate change. But the speed and long-term height of that rise are unknown. Some researchers believe that sea level rise is accelerating, some suggest the rate is holding steady, while others say it's decelerating.

Potent, puzzling and (now less) toxic: Team discovers how antifungal drug works Posted: 15 Apr 2014 12:38 PM PDT Scientists have solved a decades-old medical mystery -- and in the process have found a potentially less toxic way to fight invasive fungal infections, which kill about 1.5 million people a year. The researchers say they now understand the mechanism of action of amphotericin, an antifungal drug that has been in use for more than 50 years -- even though it is nearly as toxic to human cells as it is to the microbes it attacks.

Changes in processing, handling could reduce commercial fishing injuries Posted: 15 Apr 2014 12:38 PM PDT Handling frozen fish caused nearly half of all injuries aboard commercial freezer-trawlers and about a quarter of the injuries on freezer-longliner vessels operating off the coast of Alaska. Many injuries could be prevented with the right interventions. Researchers are hoping to build from this research and explore other fishing-related injuries and prevention strategies. The Dungeness crab industry is one area that may be explored and another is land-based fish-processing, researchers said.

Breaking bad mitochondria: How hepatitis C survives for so long Posted: 15 Apr 2014 11:39 AM PDT A mechanism has been discovered that explains why people with the hepatitis C virus get liver disease and why the virus is able to persist in the body for so long. The hard-to-kill pathogen, which infects an estimated 200 million people worldwide, attacks the liver cells' energy centers -- the mitochondria -- dismantling the cell's innate ability to fight infection. It does this by altering cells mitochondrial dynamics.

Lifestyle determines gut microbes: Study with modern hunter-gatherers tells tale of bacteria co-evolution Posted: 15 Apr 2014 10:39 AM PDT The intestinal bacteria of present-day hunter-gatherers has for the first time been deciphered by an international team of researchers. Bacterial populations have co-evolved with humans over millions of years, and have the potential to help us adapt to new environments and foods. Studies of the Hadza offer an especially rare opportunity for scientists to learn how humans survive by hunting and gathering, in the same environment and using similar foods as our ancestors did.

Earthquake simulation tops one petaflop mark Posted: 15 Apr 2014 10:39 AM PDT Computer scientists, mathematicians and geophysicists have optimized the SeisSol earthquake simulation software on the SuperMUC high performance computer to push its performance beyond the 'magical' one petaflops mark -- one quadrillion floating point operations per second.

Lens turns any smartphone into a portable microscope Posted: 15 Apr 2014 10:38 AM PDT The Micro Phone Lens can turn any smartphone or tablet computer into a hand-held microscope. The soft, pliable lens sticks to a device's camera without any adhesive or glue and makes it possible to see things magnified dozens of times on the screen.

Biologists develop nanosensors to visualize movements and distribution of plant stress hormone Posted: 15 Apr 2014 10:38 AM PDT Biologists have succeeded in visualizing the movement within plants of a key hormone responsible for growth and resistance to drought. The achievement will allow researchers to conduct further studies to determine how the hormone helps plants respond to drought and other environmental stresses driven by the continuing increase in the atmosphere's carbon dioxide, or CO2, concentration.

Gut capacity limits bird's ability to adapt to rapid climate change Posted: 15 Apr 2014 10:38 AM PDT An ornithologist has found that the capacity of a bird's gut to change with environmental conditions is a primary limiting factor in their ability to adapt to the rapidly changing climate. And he believes that most other animals are also limited in a similar way.

Tiger beetle's chase highlights mechanical law Posted: 15 Apr 2014 10:38 AM PDT If an insect drew a line as it chased its next meal, the resulting pattern would be a tangled mess. But there's method to that mess: It turns out the tiger beetle, known for its speed and agility, does an optimal reorientation dance as it chases its prey at blinding speeds.

Genetic pre-disposition toward exercise, mental development may be linked Posted: 15 Apr 2014 09:56 AM PDT A potential link between the genetic pre-disposition for high levels of exercise motivation and the speed at which mental maturation occurs has been found by researchers. These scientists studied the brains of the rats and found much higher levels of neural maturation in the brains of the active rats than in the brains of the lazy rats.

Rethink education to fuel bioeconomy, says report Posted: 15 Apr 2014 09:55 AM PDT Microbes can be highly efficient, versatile and sophisticated manufacturing tools, and have the potential to form the basis of a vibrant economic sector. In order to take full advantage of the opportunity microbial-based industry can offer, though, educators need to rethink how future microbiologists are trained, according to a report.

Bioarchaeologists link climate instability to human mobility in ancient Sahara Posted: 15 Apr 2014 09:53 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered clues to how past peoples moved across their landscape as the once lush environment deteriorated. Scientists sampled bone and teeth enamel, and used their chemical signatures to determine individuals' origins, as well as where they resided during the course of their lives. The results suggest that individuals chose different mobility strategies but that near the end of the lake area's occupation, as their environment dried out, Saharan peoples became more mobile.

Key to easy asthma diagnosis is in the blood Posted: 15 Apr 2014 09:53 AM PDT Using just a single drop of blood, a team of researchers has developed a faster, cheaper and more accurate tool for diagnosing even mild cases of asthma. This handheld technology — which takes advantage of a previously unknown correlation between asthmatic patients and the most abundant type of white blood cells in the body — means doctors could diagnose asthma even if their patients are not experiencing symptoms during their visit to the clinic.

Regenerated esophagus transplanted in rats Posted: 15 Apr 2014 08:23 AM PDT Tissue engineering has been used to construct natural esophagi, which in combination with bone marrow stem cells have been safely and effectively transplanted in rats. The study shows that the transplanted organs remain patent and display regeneration of nerves, muscles, epithelial cells and blood vessels.

Sibling cooperation in earwig families provides clues to the early evolution of social behavior Posted: 15 Apr 2014 08:22 AM PDT Looking at the question of how social behavior has developed over the course of evolution, scientists have gained new insights from the study of earwigs. "Young earwig offspring don't simply compete for food. Rather the siblings share what is available amongst themselves, especially when the mother is absent," explained one of the researchers.

Unexpected protein partnership has implications for cancer treatment Posted: 15 Apr 2014 08:13 AM PDT Two unlikely partners in a type of immune cell called a macrophage that work together in response to cancer drugs have been found by researchers. This partnership increases inflammation in a way that may alter tumor growth.

Vitamin D deficiency, cognition appear to be linked in older adults Posted: 15 Apr 2014 08:13 AM PDT A study that looks at Vitamin D deficiency and cognition relationship in older adults adds to the existing literature on the subject. "This study provides increasing evidence that suggests there is an association between low vitamin D levels and cognitive decline over time," said the lead author. "Although this study cannot establish a direct cause and effect relationship, it would have a huge public health implication if vitamin D supplementation could be shown to improve cognitive performance over time because deficiency is so common in the population."

Predicting bioavailable cadmium levels in soils Posted: 15 Apr 2014 08:13 AM PDT Soil pH and iron levels predict cadmium bioavailability, and offers solutions to farmers and ranchers, a new study concludes. Many of the country's pasture soils have become enriched in cadmium. Grasses take up this toxic heavy metal, which is then eaten by the cattle and sheep that graze them. The concern is that if cadmium concentrations rise to unsafe levels in meat and dairy products, human health and New Zealand's agricultural economy could be jeopardized.

Hair from infants gives clues about life in womb Posted: 15 Apr 2014 08:13 AM PDT Like rings of a tree, hair can reveal a lot of information about the past. And, as a team of researchers show in a study of rhesus monkeys, it can also reveal the womb environment in which an infant formed. It's the first time researchers have used infant hair to examine the hormonal environment to which the fetus was exposed during development and it promises to yield a wealth of new information. The findings have significant implications for several fields, from neonatology to psychology, social science to neurology.

Whooping cough bacterium evolving in Australia, research shows Posted: 15 Apr 2014 06:44 AM PDT The bacterium that causes whooping cough, Bordetella pertussis, has changed in Australia -- most likely in response to the vaccine used to prevent the disease -- with a possible reduced effectiveness of the vaccine as a result. A team of researchers analyzed strains of Bordetella pertussis from across Australia and found that many strains no longer produce a key surface protein called pertactin.

New sensor improves the level of efficiency in detecting ozone Posted: 15 Apr 2014 06:41 AM PDT Researchers have developed a more effective ozone sensor than the ones used so far. The new sensor detects this gas faster and in lower amounts. Ozone is present in the atmosphere and it plays a significant role in the protection of living beings because it absorbs the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. However, the exposure to certain concentrations of this gas may cause health problems, such as headache, burning and irritation of the eyes and respiratory system problems; that is why it is relevant to detect its presence effectively.

Bizarre parasite may provide cuttlefish clues Posted: 15 Apr 2014 06:40 AM PDT New research into parasites of cuttlefish, squid and octopus has uncovered details of the parasites' astonishing life cycles, and shown how they may help in investigating populations of their hosts.

European climate at the 2 degrees Celsius global warming threshold Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:44 AM PDT A global warming of 2 degrees Celsius relative to pre-industrial climate has been considered as a threshold which society should endeavor to remain below, in order to limit the dangerous effects of anthropogenic climate change.

Scientists come up with method of reducing solar panel glare Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:44 AM PDT The glare from solar farms could be a thing of the past, thanks to new research. Researchers have developed a multi-layer anti-reflection coating for glass surfaces, which reduces the sun's reflection from photovoltaic panels while at the same time improving their efficiency. It is applied using the same technology as that used for depositing anti-reflection coatings on eye glasses.

New design for mobile phone masts could cut carbon emissions Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:44 AM PDT A breakthrough in the design of signal amplifiers for mobile phone masts could deliver a massive 200MW cut in the load on UK power stations, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 0.5 million tons a year.

Obesity: Are lipids hard drugs for the brain? Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:42 AM PDT Why can we get up for a piece of chocolate, but never because we fancy a carrot? Research has demonstrated part of the answer: triglycerides, fatty substances from food, may act in our brains directly on the reward circuit, the same circuit that is involved in drug addiction. These results show a strong link in mice between fluctuations in triglyceride concentration and brain reward development. Identifying the action of nutritional lipids on motivation and the search for pleasure in dietary intake will help us better understand the causes of some compulsive behaviors and obesity.

Deforestation could intensify climate change in Congo Basin by half Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:41 AM PDT By 2050, deforestation could cause temperatures in the Congo Basin to increase by 0.7 °C. The increase would intensify warming caused by greenhouse gases by half, according to a new study.

Exams in cold auditoriums? Better memory at ideal temperature Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:41 AM PDT People's working memory functions better if they are working in an ambient temperature where they feel most comfortable. The conjecture is that working in one's preferred temperature counteracts 'ego depletion': sources of energy necessary to be able to carry out mental tasks get used up less quickly.

Nanocrystalline cellulose modified into efficient viral inhibitor Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:41 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in creating a surface on nano-sized cellulose crystals that imitates a biological structure. The surface adsorbs viruses and disables them. The results can prove useful in the development of antiviral ointments and surfaces, for instance. 'It would be possible to provide protection against viruses, spread by mosquitoes, by applying ointment containing nanocrystalline cellulose onto the skin. Nanocrystalline cellulose applied on hospital door handles could kill viruses and prevent them from spreading. However, we first need to ascertain if the compounds will remain effective in a non-liquid form and how they work in animal tests,' one researcher suggested.

Medieval slave trade routes in Eastern Europe extended from Finland and the Baltic Countries to Central Asia Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:41 AM PDT The routes of slave trade in Eastern Europe in the medieval and pre-modern period extended all the way to the Caspian Sea and Central Asia. A recent study suggests that persons captured during raids into areas which today constitute parts of Finland, the Russian Karelia and the Baltic Countries ended up being sold on these remote trade routes.

Moth study suggests hidden climate change impacts Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:39 AM PDT A 32-year study of subarctic forest moths in Finnish Lapland suggests that scientists may be underestimating the impacts of climate change on animals and plants because much of the harm is hidden from view. Researchers used advanced statistical techniques to examine the roles of different ecological forces affecting the moth populations and found that warmer temperatures and increased precipitation reduced the rates of population growth.

Long-term antibiotic treatment for Q fever causes weight gain Posted: 14 Apr 2014 09:38 AM PDT Scientists have unearthed still more evidence that antibiotics can contribute to obesity. Research suggests that patients on long-term antibiotic treatment gained weight and had significant changes in their gut microbiota. The study followed 48 patients who were being treated long-term with doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine for Q fever, and 34 control subjects. Nearly one quarter of the treated patients gained anywhere from two to 13 kg (five to 30 lbs), while none of the controls exhibited weight gain. Patients typically received treatment for 18 months.

'MicroRNA' could be key target for bowel cancer treatment Posted: 14 Apr 2014 09:37 AM PDT A tiny genetic molecule known as a microRNA plays a central role in bowel cancer and could be key to developing new treatments for the disease, a new study concludes. Drugs targeted at the microRNA could knock out the effects of multiple cancer-causing mutations at once, while tests for it could identify patients with the most aggressive disease, the researchers believe.

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