ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Is a 'buttery' molecule behind cystic fibrosis flare-ups?
• Fruit-loving lemurs score higher on spatial memory tests
• Oldest fortified settlement ever found in North America? Location of Fort Caroline may be in Georgia
• What has happened to the tsunami debris from Japan?
• Newly discovered marsupial the victim of fatal attraction: Due to stress hormone, males die before young are born
• Temperature and ecology: Rival Chilean barnacles keep competition cool
• Developmental gene influences sperm formation, fruit fly model demonstrates
• Early warning system for epidemics: Risk map correlates environmental, health data
• Immune cells regulate blood stem cells, research shows
• The parasite that escaped out of Africa: Tracing origins of malaria parasite
• New York takes lead in state efforts to end ivory trade
• Sequencing hundreds of nuclear genes in sunflower family now possible
• Gene therapy a promising tool for cardiac regeneration
• Changing view of bone marrow cells
• Mauritius kestrels show long-term legacy of human-made habitat change
• Surprising culprit found in cell recycling defect: Protein ends up in the wrong place
• Some ancient mysteries of leprosy uncovered
• Promoting water use efficiency in an innovative way
• Where's the conservation in 'conservation development?'
• Two new butterfly species discovered in eastern United States

Is a 'buttery' molecule behind cystic fibrosis flare-ups? Posted: 21 Feb 2014 03:48 PM PST A lung-damaging molecule has been discovered in higher concentrations in cystic fibrosis patients during symptom flare-ups. This molecule, which has a buttery flavor and is the main ingredient in microwave popcorn flavoring, is toxic and has been implicated in damaging the lungs of popcorn factory workers. Results of the new research indicate that it might play an important role in microbial infections of the lung suffered by people with cystic fibrosis.

Fruit-loving lemurs score higher on spatial memory tests Posted: 21 Feb 2014 12:04 PM PST Food-finding tests in five lemur species show fruit-eaters may have better spatial memory than lemurs with a more varied diet. The results support the idea that relying on foods that are seasonally available and far-flung gives a competitive edge to individuals with certain cognitive abilities -- such as remembering where the goodies are.

Oldest fortified settlement ever found in North America? Location of Fort Caroline may be in Georgia Posted: 21 Feb 2014 08:12 AM PST In an announcement likely to rewrite the book on early colonization of the New World, two researchers have proposed a location for the oldest fortified settlement ever found in North America. They believe that the legendary Fort Caroline, a long-sought fort built by the French in 1564, is located near the mouth of the Altamaha River in southeast Georgia.

What has happened to the tsunami debris from Japan? Posted: 21 Feb 2014 07:39 AM PST The amount of debris in the ocean is growing exponentially, becoming more and more hazardous and harmful to marine life and therefore to our ocean food source. Measuring and tracking the movements of such debris are still in their infancy. The driftage generated by the tragic 2011 tsunami in Japan gave scientists a unique chance to learn about the effects of the ocean and wind on floating materials as they move across the North Pacific Ocean.

Newly discovered marsupial the victim of fatal attraction: Due to stress hormone, males die before young are born Posted: 21 Feb 2014 07:39 AM PST A highly sexed mouse-like marsupial in Queensland's Springbrook National Park, Australia, has been discovered by a mammalogist. The rare, Black-tailed Antechinus is a rare, mouse-like marsupial with a deadly mating habit. "A single female's brood of young will typically be sired by several fathers. But during mating, stress hormone levels rise dramatically, eventually causing the males' bodies to shut down. The males all die before their young are born," found the researchers.

Temperature and ecology: Rival Chilean barnacles keep competition cool Posted: 21 Feb 2014 07:39 AM PST A lot of research shows that temperature can strongly influence species interactions and sometimes shape the appearance and functioning of biological communities. That's why a newly published finding that changes in temperature did not alter the competitive balance of power between two rival species of Chilean barnacles is an ecological surprise.

Developmental gene influences sperm formation, fruit fly model demonstrates Posted: 21 Feb 2014 07:38 AM PST The basic regulatory mechanisms of stem cell differentiation have been under investigation using the Drosophila melanogaster fruit fly as a model organism. Researchers were able to show how a special developmental gene from the Hox family influences germline stem cells. These cells are responsible for sperm formation. The scientists found that impairment of Hox gene function resulted in prematurely aged sperms.

Early warning system for epidemics: Risk map correlates environmental, health data Posted: 21 Feb 2014 07:38 AM PST The environment has an impact on our health. Preventing epidemics relies on activating the right counter-measures, and scientists are now trying to find out how better use of forecasting can help. The EU's EO2HEAVEN project developed a risk map for correlating environmental and health data in order to identify where a disease may break out next.

Immune cells regulate blood stem cells, research shows Posted: 21 Feb 2014 04:38 AM PST During an infection, the blood stem cells must complete two tasks: they must first recognize that more blood cells have to be produced and, secondly, they must recognize what kind are required. Immune cells control the blood stem cells in the bone marrow and therefore also the body's own defenses, new research shows. The findings could lead the way to new forms of therapy, such as for bone marrow diseases like leukemia.

The parasite that escaped out of Africa: Tracing origins of malaria parasite Posted: 21 Feb 2014 04:37 AM PST An international team has traced the origin of the second-worst malaria parasite of humans to Africa. The closest genetic relatives of human Plasmodium vivax were found only in Asian macaques, leading researchers to believe that P. vivax originated in Asia. This study overturns that, finding that wild-living apes in central Africa are widely infected with parasites that, genetically, are nearly identical to human P. vivax.

New York takes lead in state efforts to end ivory trade Posted: 20 Feb 2014 04:33 PM PST A bill introduced into the New York State Legislature proposing a sweeping ban on the sale of ivory in New York State, Assembly bill A8824, has been welcomed by the Wildlife Conservation Society. "This legislation is a key component to global efforts to stopping the killing, stopping the trafficking, and stopping the demand of elephant ivory. But much more needs to be done, and we are hopeful that New York will be helping lead the charge to protect Africa's elephants," the WCS states.

Sequencing hundreds of nuclear genes in sunflower family now possible Posted: 20 Feb 2014 01:13 PM PST An efficient approach for sequencing hundreds of nuclear genes across members of the Compositae (sunflower family) has now been developed, to better-resolve phylogenetic relationships within the family, as well as a bioinformatic workflow for processing and analyzing the resulting sequence data. This method can be applied to any taxonomic group of interest and could serve as a model for phylogenetic investigations of other major plant groups.

Gene therapy a promising tool for cardiac regeneration Posted: 20 Feb 2014 01:12 PM PST After a heart attack, there is often permanent damage to a portion of the heart. This happens, in part, because cardiac muscle cells are terminally differentiated and cannot proliferate after blood flow is blocked off to the heart. This partial healing can be attributed to heart disease being one of the leading causes of death. What if the cells could be stimulated to divide and the heart could be induced to repair itself? Gene therapy, new research shows, can elicit a regenerative response in pig hearts and potentially do exactly that -- repair a heart.

Changing view of bone marrow cells Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:24 AM PST Using a novel microfluidic technique, researchers have shown that blood stem cells might be more actively involved in battles against infection. Rather than simply replenishing immune cells after they become depleted, new research shows that blood stem cells sense danger signals directly and quickly produce new immune cells to join the fight.

Mauritius kestrels show long-term legacy of human-made habitat change Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:21 AM PST The widespread loss of forest to sugarcane fields on the island of Mauritius has forced kestrels living there to survive by speeding up their life histories, according to a report. By getting an earlier start, the birds are managing to have just as many offspring, even though they die sooner. Those changes to the kestrels' life history are apparently driven entirely by their early life experiences, the researchers say. The researchers analyzed 23 years of longitudinal data on the Mauritius kestrel to find that females born in territories affected by habitat change shifted investment in reproduction to earlier in life at the expense of late life performance.

Surprising culprit found in cell recycling defect: Protein ends up in the wrong place Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:20 AM PST To remain healthy, the body's cells must properly manage their waste recycling centers. Problems with these compartments, known as lysosomes, lead to a number of debilitating and sometimes lethal conditions. An unusual cause of the lysosomal storage disorder called mucolipidosis III, has been identified, at least in a subset of patients. Unlike most genetic diseases that involve dysfunctional or missing proteins, the culprit is a normal protein that ends up in the wrong place.

Some ancient mysteries of leprosy uncovered Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:20 AM PST Research is finally unearthing some of the ancient mysteries behind leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, which has plagued humankind throughout history. The new research findings suggest that the disease might be the oldest human-specific infection, with roots that likely stem back millions of years. There are still hundreds of thousands of new cases of leprosy worldwide each year, but the disease is rare in the United States, with 100-200 new cases annually. Leprosy is known for attacking a patient's skin and nerves. Effective antimicrobial treatments exist today. However, when misdiagnosed or untreated, the disease can lead to extensive skin lesions, deformities in the patient's face and extremities, disabilities, and even death. Leprosy carries a social stigma and diagnosis is frequently and notoriously delayed.

Promoting water use efficiency in an innovative way Posted: 20 Feb 2014 06:50 AM PST Increasing block-rate water budgets are an innovative type of escalating tiered price structure in which the consumption block sizes are based on household characteristics, environmental conditions, and a judgment by the water utility. But do they encourage customers to conserve water? Yes, according to a professor of environmental economics policy who performed the first study to estimate the conservation potential of water budget rate structures.

Where's the conservation in 'conservation development?' Posted: 19 Feb 2014 11:24 AM PST Conservation development (CD) regulations in the western United States has been evaluated in a new study, including the degree to which CD is permitted and encouraged by county planning agencies. The study finds that despite strong economic incentives and widespread implementation, several issues currently limit CD's effectiveness for conserving biological diversity. Reviewing land-use regulations in 414 counties in 11 western states, the authors of the study found that 32-percent of local planning jurisdictions have adopted CD ordinances, mostly during the last decade.

Two new butterfly species discovered in eastern United States Posted: 19 Feb 2014 07:23 AM PST Researchers have discovered two new to science species of butterflies in eastern USA. Being superficially similar to one very common butterfly species, they are remarkably different in the shape of sexual organs and genetic makeup.

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