ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Genome regions once mislabeled 'junk' linked to heart failure
• Aging linked to cellular interactions that occur across generations
• Function found for mysterious heart disease gene
• Nitrogen pollution, climate and land use: Why what we eat matters
• Climate change: Don't wait until you can feel it
• Civil war inside our cells: Scientists show how our bodies fight off 'jumping genes'
• Gene mutation, key symptoms of autism appear to be linked
• Reconstructed ancient ocean reveals secrets about the origin of life
• Small-scale, urban allotments yield food, healthy soil, study finds
• Seeking causes of hyperactivity
• Genetic legacy of rare dwarf trees is widespread
• Interactive training halves malaria overdiagnosis, prevents wastage of drugs
• New high-detail atlas offers tool to explore local environment, health
• Chernobyl's birds adapting to ionizing radiation
• High-voltage transmission lines to act as antenna in first-of-its-kind NASA space-weather project
• Increasing consumption of coffee associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds
• Low-dose natural antimicrobial exacerbates chronic lung infection in cystic fibrosis
• Researchers trace HIV adaptation to its human host
• 'Horsing around' reduces stress hormones in youth
• Ancient Maya and virtual worlds: Different perspectives on material meanings
• Untangling Brazil's controversial new forest code
• Three-banded panther worm debuts as new model in study of regeneration
• Marijuana use may increase heart complications in young, middle-aged adults

Genome regions once mislabeled 'junk' linked to heart failure Posted: 25 Apr 2014 10:40 AM PDT Large sections of the genome that were once referred to as 'junk' DNA have been linked to human heart failure, according to research. So-called junk DNA was long thought to have no important role in heredity or disease because it doesn't code for proteins. But emerging research in recent years has revealed that many of these sections of the genome produce RNA molecules that, despite not being proteins, still have important functions in the body. RNA is a close chemical cousin to DNA.

Aging linked to cellular interactions that occur across generations Posted: 25 Apr 2014 10:40 AM PDT By studying the reproductive cells of nematodes -- tiny worms found in soil and compost bins -- a researcher identified the Piwi/piRNA genome silencing pathway, the loss of which results in infertility after many generations. This study also found a signaling pathway -- a series of molecular interactions inside cells -- that could be tweaked to overcome infertility while also causing the worms to live longer adult lives.

Function found for mysterious heart disease gene Posted: 25 Apr 2014 07:47 AM PDT A mysterious gene that likely influences cardiovascular health has become a little more understood, thanks to recent research. After five years, researchers now know how one genetic variant works and suspect that it contributes to the development of heart disease through processes that promote chronic inflammation and cell division.

Nitrogen pollution, climate and land use: Why what we eat matters Posted: 25 Apr 2014 06:36 AM PDT A new report quantifies for the first time how much our food choices affect pollutant nitrogen emissions, climate change and land-use across Europe. The Special report provides an assessment of what would happen if Europe were to decrease its consumption of meat and dairy products.

Climate change: Don't wait until you can feel it Posted: 25 Apr 2014 06:36 AM PDT Despite overwhelming scientific evidence for the impending dangers of human-made climate change, policy decisions leading to substantial emissions reduction have been slow. New research shows that even as extreme weather events influence those who experience them to support policy to address climate change, waiting for the majority of people to live through such conditions firsthand could delay meaningful action by decades.

Civil war inside our cells: Scientists show how our bodies fight off 'jumping genes' Posted: 25 Apr 2014 06:18 AM PDT There's a civil war going on inside every one of the 37 trillion cells in your body. Now, scientists have uncovered how your cells keep this war from causing too much collateral damage. On one side of the battle: your "regular" DNA, which provides the day-to-day instructions for life. On the other side: tiny bits of rogue DNA that hide like spies between genes in your own DNA. From time to time, these rogue bits of DNA spin off a copy of themselves and "jump" to another DNA location – often causing harmful mutations when they land.

Gene mutation, key symptoms of autism appear to be linked Posted: 25 Apr 2014 06:18 AM PDT Abnormal brain growth is associated with autism spectrum disorder -- this scientists know. However, the relationship between the two has not been well understood. Now, research has shown that mutations in a specific gene that is disrupted in some individuals with autism results in too much growth throughout the brain, and yet surprisingly specific problems in social interactions, at least in mouse models that mimic this risk factor in humans.

Reconstructed ancient ocean reveals secrets about the origin of life Posted: 25 Apr 2014 04:52 AM PDT Researchers have published details about how the first organisms on Earth could have become metabolically active. The results permit scientists to speculate how primitive cells learned to synthesize their organic components -- the molecules that form RNA, lipids and amino acids. The findings also suggest an order for the sequence of events that led to the origin of life.

Small-scale, urban allotments yield food, healthy soil, study finds Posted: 25 Apr 2014 04:50 AM PDT Soils under Britain's allotments are significantly healthier than intensively farmed soils, researchers have found. This is the first study to show that by growing at small-scale in urban areas, it is possible to produce food sustainably without damaging the soil. As a result of the findings, planners and policy makers should increase the number of allotments available, the authors say.

Seeking causes of hyperactivity Posted: 25 Apr 2014 04:50 AM PDT The 60 trillion cells that comprise our bodies communicate constantly. Information travels when chemical compounds released by some cells are received by receptors in the membrane of another cell. Mice lacking an intracellular trafficking protein called LMTK3, are hyperactive, research shows. Hyperactivity is a behavioral disorder that shows symptoms including restlessness, lack of coordination, and aggressive behavior. Identifying the genetic factors that contribute to such behaviors may help to explain the pathological mechanisms underlying autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, in humans.

Genetic legacy of rare dwarf trees is widespread Posted: 24 Apr 2014 07:31 PM PDT Genetic evidence that one of Britain's native tree species, the dwarf birch found in the Scottish Highlands, was once common in England has been found by researchers. The genes reflect a much wider distribution occupied by the "wee tree" when the British climate was colder. "As dwarf birch moved north, some of its genes were picked up by downy birch trees, which spread through Britain at the cost of dwarf birch. The two species cross-pollinated in many parts of Britain after the last glacial maximum as the climate warmed and ice age glaciers melted away," they noted.

Interactive training halves malaria overdiagnosis, prevents wastage of drugs Posted: 24 Apr 2014 07:31 PM PDT Interactive training programs for health workers could halve the overdiagnosis of malaria and prevent wastage of valuable drugs, new research concludes. The African study compared the use of RDTs when packaged with either a basic or a comprehensive training program for clinicians. Their results showed that those undertaking the comprehensive program were much less likely to overuse antimalarials.

New high-detail atlas offers tool to explore local environment, health Posted: 24 Apr 2014 07:30 PM PDT A detailed atlas with environment and health maps at a fine scale across England and Wales has been developed and launched by researchers. This is the first time in the UK that researchers have produced these maps at such high spatial resolution. By inputting a postcode to the online version of the atlas, users can zoom into a neighborhood (around 6,000 people) and toggle between the health and environment maps for that local area.

Chernobyl's birds adapting to ionizing radiation Posted: 24 Apr 2014 07:30 PM PDT Birds in the exclusion zone around Chernobyl are adapting to -- and may even be benefiting from -- long-term exposure to radiation, ecologists have found. The study is the first evidence that wild animals adapt to ionizing radiation, and the first to show that birds which produce most pheomelanin, a pigment in feathers, have greatest problems coping with radiation exposure.

High-voltage transmission lines to act as antenna in first-of-its-kind NASA space-weather project Posted: 24 Apr 2014 04:44 PM PDT A NASA scientist is launching a one-to-two-year pilot project this summer that takes advantage of U.S. high-voltage power transmission lines to measure a phenomenon that has caused widespread power outages in the past.

Increasing consumption of coffee associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds Posted: 24 Apr 2014 04:05 PM PDT Increasing coffee consumption by on average one and half cups per day over a four-year period reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 11 percent, research shows. Coffee and tea consumption has been associated with a lower type 2 diabetes risk but little is known about how changes in coffee and tea consumption influence subsequent type 2 diabetes risk, until now.

Low-dose natural antimicrobial exacerbates chronic lung infection in cystic fibrosis Posted: 24 Apr 2014 04:05 PM PDT Respiratory failure caused by chronic lung infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria is a common cause of death in patients with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that is common in individuals of European descent. A new study demonstrates that an antimicrobial peptide produced by human immune cells can promote mutations in the bacterium that make it more lethal.

Researchers trace HIV adaptation to its human host Posted: 24 Apr 2014 04:05 PM PDT In a new study that traces the evolution of HIV in North America, researchers have found evidence that the virus is slowly adapting over time to its human hosts. However, this change is so gradual that it is unlikely to have an impact on vaccine design.

'Horsing around' reduces stress hormones in youth Posted: 24 Apr 2014 02:05 PM PDT New research reveals how youth who work with horses experience a substantial reduction in stress -- and the evidence lies in kids' saliva. "We were coming at this from a prevention perspective," said a developmental psychologist working on this study. "We are especially interested in optimizing healthy stress hormone production in young adolescents, because we know from other research that healthy stress hormone patterns may protect against the development of physical and mental health problems."

Ancient Maya and virtual worlds: Different perspectives on material meanings Posted: 24 Apr 2014 12:18 PM PDT The Mayan perspective on the material world has been explored in science, and begins to uncover parallels with today's online culture. The Maya believed that part of your identity could inhabit material objects. Maya might even name these objects, talk to them or take them to special events. They considered these items to be alive. The practice of sharing your identity with material possessions might seem unusual in a modern context. But is it that different from today's selfie-snapping, candy-crushing online culture, where social media profiles can be as important to a person's identity as his or her real-world interactions?

Untangling Brazil's controversial new forest code Posted: 24 Apr 2014 11:37 AM PDT Brazil's new Forest Code has few admirers. A newly published study seeks to clarify the new law. Agricultural interests argue that it threatens the livelihoods of farmers. Environmentalists counter that it imperils millions of hectares of forest, threatening to release the billions of tons of carbon they contain. The article is the first to quantify the implications of recent changes to the Forest Code and identify new opportunities and challenges for conservation.

Three-banded panther worm debuts as new model in study of regeneration Posted: 24 Apr 2014 09:47 AM PDT The three-banded panther worm (Hofstenia miamia), a small organism with the ability to regenerate any missing body part, is being introduced to the scientific community. As a model, Hofstenia could help further our understanding of regeneration, how its mechanisms have evolved over millennia, and what limits regeneration in other animals, including humans.

Marijuana use may increase heart complications in young, middle-aged adults Posted: 23 Apr 2014 02:09 PM PDT Marijuana use may result in heart-related complications in young and middle-aged adults. Nearly 2 percent of the health complications from marijuana use reported were cardiovascular related. A quarter of these complications resulted in death, according to a study. Surveillance of marijuana-related reports of cardiovascular disorders should continue and more research needs to look at how marijuana use might trigger cardiovascular events, researchers say.

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