ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

---

• Boron facilitates stem cell growth, development in corn
• Protein's ability to inhibit HIV release discovered
• Exposure to toxins makes great granddaughters more susceptible to stress
• Tilted acoustic tweezers separate cells gently
• Taung Child's brain development not human-like? CT scan casts doubt on similarity to that of modern humans
• Black carbon: Major climate pollutant linked to cardiovascular health
• Gut bacteria that protect against food allergies identified
• Sweet! Glycocongugates are more than the sum of their sugars
• Zombie ant fungi 'know' brains of their hosts
• Natural methane seepage on U.S. Atlantic ocean margin widespread
• Fortifying condiments, seasonings for use in countries with widespread micronutrient deficiencies
• New gluten-free ingredient may cause allergic reaction, expert warns
• Navigation system used by cancer, nerve cells, uncovered by scientists
• Scientists grow an organ in an animal from cells created in lab
• Deploying exosomes to win a battle of the sexes
• Early lineage segregation during early mammalian heart development defined by researchers
• Cold snap in the tropics: How tropical glaciers respond to cooling periods
• Core mechanism for root growth identified
• Removing odor from wastewater using bacteria
• 'Just right' plant growth may make river deltas resilient
• Are you as old as what you eat? Researchers learn how to rejuvenate aging immune cells
• Bioengineers close to brewing opioid painkillers without using opium from poppies
• Tissue regeneration using anti-inflammatory nanomolecules
• Proteins: New class of materials discovered
• NASA scientists watching, studying Arctic changes this summer
• Water quality in glass, plastic bottles: Better than expected in Spanish study
• Novel 'man and machine' decision support system makes malaria diagnostics more effective

Boron facilitates stem cell growth, development in corn Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:58 PM PDT The eastern half of the United States is plagued by boron deficient soil and corn and soybean farmers are required to supplement their soil with boron; however, little is known about the ways in which corn plants utilize the essential nutrient. Now, researchers have found that boron plays an integral role in development and reproduction in corn plants. Understanding how corn uses the nutrient can help farmers improve crop yields.

Protein's ability to inhibit HIV release discovered Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:58 PM PDT A family of proteins that promotes virus entry into cells also has the ability to block the release of HIV and other viruses, researchers have found. It is estimated that more than one million Americans currently are living with AIDS. AIDS is a condition characterized by progressive failure of the immune system. It is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).

Exposure to toxins makes great granddaughters more susceptible to stress Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:58 PM PDT Male and female rats are affected differently by ancestral exposure to a common fungicide, vinclozolin, new research shows. Female rats whose great grandparents were exposed to vinclozolin become much more vulnerable to stress, becoming more anxious and preferring the company of novel females to familiar females.

Tilted acoustic tweezers separate cells gently Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:26 PM PDT Precise, gentle and efficient cell separation from a device the size of a cell phone may be possible thanks to tilt-angle standing surface acoustic waves, according to a team of engineers.

Taung Child's brain development not human-like? CT scan casts doubt on similarity to that of modern humans Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:25 PM PDT By subjecting the skull of the famous Taung Child to the latest CT scan technology, researchers are now casting doubt on theories that Australopithecus africanus shows the same cranial adaptations found in modern human infants and toddlers.

Black carbon: Major climate pollutant linked to cardiovascular health Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:20 PM PDT Black carbon pollutants from wood smoke are known to trap heat near the earth's surface and warm the climate. A new study suggests that black carbon may also increase women's risk of cardiovascular disease.

Gut bacteria that protect against food allergies identified Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:20 PM PDT The presence of Clostridia, a common class of gut bacteria, protects against food allergies, a new study in mice finds. The discovery points toward probiotic therapies for this so-far untreatable condition. Food allergies affect 15 million Americans, including one in 13 children, who live with this potentially life-threatening disease that currently has no cure, researchers note.

Sweet! Glycocongugates are more than the sum of their sugars Posted: 25 Aug 2014 11:21 AM PDT Conventional wisdom says that the scaffold in an important class of biological molecules called 'glycoconjugates' is essentially inert. Work by a chemist suggests otherwise. The discovery opens up new avenues for research, in particular the development of more and better pharmaceuticals. Glycoconjugates are found naturally in the body, but they are also an important class of drugs that includes anything from cancer treatments to vaccines.

Zombie ant fungi 'know' brains of their hosts Posted: 25 Aug 2014 11:21 AM PDT A parasitic fungus that reproduces by manipulating the behavior of ants emits a cocktail of behavior-controlling chemicals when encountering the brain of its natural target host, but not when infecting other ant species, a new study shows. The findings, which suggest that the fungus "knows" its preferred host, provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, according to researchers.

Natural methane seepage on U.S. Atlantic ocean margin widespread Posted: 25 Aug 2014 11:14 AM PDT Natural methane leakage from the seafloor is far more widespread on the U.S. Atlantic margin than previously thought, according to a study by researchers from Mississippi State University, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other institutions.

Fortifying condiments, seasonings for use in countries with widespread micronutrient deficiencies Posted: 25 Aug 2014 10:01 AM PDT Researchers are working to fortify condiments and seasonings for use in countries with widespread micronutrient deficiencies. Micronutrient deficiencies affect the health and cognitive development of at least one-third of the world's population, representing 7.3 percent of all global disease. The World Bank has called micronutrient fortification the most cost-effective of all health interventions.

New gluten-free ingredient may cause allergic reaction, expert warns Posted: 25 Aug 2014 09:35 AM PDT A popular legume used in other countries is showing up in more U.S. gluten-free products. A food safety specialist explains why people with peanut and soybean allergies need to be cautious: "Lupin is a yellow-colored bean that's very popular in Europe, Mediterranean countries, Australia and New Zealand. However, it is new to the United States and because of that, many consumers have never heard of it and may not realize that lupin has the same protein that causes allergic reactions to peanuts and soybeans."

Navigation system used by cancer, nerve cells, uncovered by scientists Posted: 25 Aug 2014 07:01 AM PDT A study in C. elegans worms identifies a 'roving detection system' on the surface of worm cells that may point to new ways of treating diseases like cancer, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms that enable both normal and cancerous cells to break through normal tissue boundaries and burrow into other tissues and organs.

Scientists grow an organ in an animal from cells created in lab Posted: 25 Aug 2014 07:00 AM PDT Scientists have grown a fully functional organ from transplanted laboratory-created cells in a living animal for the first time. The researchers have created a thymus -- an organ next to the heart that produces immune cells known as T cells that are vital for guarding against disease.

Deploying exosomes to win a battle of the sexes Posted: 25 Aug 2014 06:58 AM PDT A study provides further detail into how male fruit flies deploy exosomes to alter the mating behavior of females. The findings also identify a signaling pathway that might play a role in human cancers of tissues that secrete exosomes, such as the prostate and breast.

Early lineage segregation during early mammalian heart development defined by researchers Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:48 AM PDT During embryonic development, the cells that will form the heart need to be specified at the correct time, migrate at the correct place, proliferate to ensure the harmonious morphogenesis and growth of the heart. Any defects during this critical stage of development will lead to congenital heart diseases. While different progenitors that contribute to the development of the heart have been identified, it remains unclear whether these cells arise from common progenitors or derive from distinct progenitors that are specified at different time during development.

Cold snap in the tropics: How tropical glaciers respond to cooling periods Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:48 AM PDT Tropical glaciers have responded to episodes of cooling in Greenland and the Antarctic over the past 20,000 years, according to a study that covers 21 Andean glaciers. As elsewhere on the planet, tropical glaciers (located on either side of the equator between 23°N and 23°S) have been retreating since the Last Glacial Maximum around 20,000 years ago. This retreat has been interrupted by stillstands and re-advances, although a detailed chronology of these events in tropical regions remained unclear until now.

Core mechanism for root growth identified Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:46 AM PDT During plant growth, dividing cells in meristems must coordinate transitions from division to expansion and differentiation. Three distinct developmental zones are generated, while at the same time, plants can rapidly adjust their direction of growth to adapt to environmental conditions. Now researchers have found out, with the help of experimentation and mathematical modelling, how many factors together regulate root growth.

Removing odor from wastewater using bacteria Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:46 AM PDT EcoVerde removes odor and other contaminants through a biological process based on bacteria that feed on hydrogen sulfide. Air is extracted from sewage or industrial wastewater and sent to system called bioscrubber EG. There a mechanism evaporates it and directs contaminants (ammonia, mercaptan and hydrogen sulfide) that cause odor to the filter were bacteria eliminate them, designers report.

'Just right' plant growth may make river deltas resilient Posted: 24 Aug 2014 12:23 PM PDT Geologists suggest that an intermediate amount of vegetation -- not too little and not too much -- is most effective at stabilizing freshwater river deltas. Vegetation on marsh surfaces in river deltas can slow the flow of water and cause more sediment to be deposited, helping prevent sea-level rise from drowning sensitive marshlands. But the study finds that, if the vegetation is too tall or dense, it diverts water into the river channel, resulting in less sediment being deposited on the marsh.

Are you as old as what you eat? Researchers learn how to rejuvenate aging immune cells Posted: 24 Aug 2014 12:23 PM PDT Researchers have demonstrated how an interplay between nutrition, metabolism and immunity is involved in the process of aging. It has been suspected for a long time that these are linked, and this paper provides a prototype mechanism of how nutrient and senescence signals converge to regulate the function of T lymphocytes.

Bioengineers close to brewing opioid painkillers without using opium from poppies Posted: 24 Aug 2014 12:23 PM PDT A process that uses genetically engineering yeast cells to replicate the entire opioid production process, eliminating the need to grow poppies, is close to conclusion, one researcher reports. Her ultimate goal is to produce opioid medicines, from start to finish, in fermentation vats.

Tissue regeneration using anti-inflammatory nanomolecules Posted: 22 Aug 2014 09:46 AM PDT Anyone who has suffered an injury can probably remember the after-effects, including pain, swelling or redness. These are signs that the body is fighting back against the injury. When tissue in the body is damaged, biological programs are activated to aid in tissue regeneration. Now, researchers are working on innovative approaches to tissue regeneration in order to improve the lives of patients with urinary bladder dysfunction.

Proteins: New class of materials discovered Posted: 22 Aug 2014 06:41 AM PDT Scientists have characterized a new class of materials called protein crystalline frameworks. Thanks to certain helper substances, in PCFs proteins are fixated in a way so as to align themselves symmetrically, forming highly stable crystals.

NASA scientists watching, studying Arctic changes this summer Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:42 AM PDT As we near the final month of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, NASA scientists are watching the annual seasonal melting of the Arctic sea ice cover. The floating, frozen cap that stretches across the Arctic Ocean shrinks throughout summer until beginning to regrow, typically around mid-September.

Water quality in glass, plastic bottles: Better than expected in Spanish study Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:39 AM PDT Bottled water sold in Spain is practically free of constituents given off by plastic packaging or glass bottle lids. They are only detected in some cases, albeit in quantities much lower than limits found harmful for health, an analysis of more than 130 types of mineral water reveals. Plastic materials used in food packaging are made up of small molecules or monomers which, together with their additives, can migrate into the product during packaging manufacturing, filling or storage.

Novel 'man and machine' decision support system makes malaria diagnostics more effective Posted: 21 Aug 2014 12:40 PM PDT A novel "man and machine" decision support system for diagnosing malaria infection has been developed by researchers. This innovative diagnostic aid is based on computer vision algorithms similar to those used in facial recognition systems combined with visualization of only the diagnostically most relevant areas. Tablet computers can be utilized in viewing the images.

You are subscribed to email updates from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610