ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• 'Severe reduction' in killer whale numbers during last Ice Age
• The eyes have it: Jackdaw birds use their eyes to communicate with each other
• Sucker-footed fossils broaden bat map: Fossilized teeth show bat family belongs to primitive lineage, had broad range
• Distinct sensory-motor reflexes in fruit flies: Use odor receptors, visual cues to find fruit
• Do you have a sweet tooth? Honeybees have a sweet claw
• Good hair day: New technique grows tiny 'hairy' materials at the microscale
• New fruitfly sleep gene promotes the need to sleep
• Climate change threatens to cause trillions in damage to world's coastal regions if they do not adapt to sea-level rise
• Research: It's more than just the science
• How safe to use is the enemy of a citrus-threatening pest?
• Appearance of lyme disease rash can help predict how bacteria spreads through body
• Primitive artificial cell turned into complex biological materials
• Gene therapy may be possible cure for Hurler syndrome: Mouse Study
• Urinary tract infections: Immune cells need a second opinion
• Connection found in pathogenesis of neurological diseases, HIV
• Herbicides may not be sole cause of declining plant diversity
• Undergraduate biology education: Making science go viral
• Overweight or obese people breathe more air pollutants
• Who owns the bones? Should bodies in museum exhibits be returned home?
• Pulp and paper mill wastewater can become biogas
• Robots with insect-like brains: Robot can learn to navigate through its environment guided by external stimuli
• Horse gaits controlled by genetic mutation spread by humans
• Identity verification: Body odor as a biometric identifier
• Healthy balance: model for studying cancer, immune diseases
• Newly discovered signaling pathway could impact variety of autoinflammatory diseases
• Market forces influence value of bat-provided services, such as pest control
• Cell division finding could boost understanding of cancer
• Organic farms support more species, researchers find
• New method for tracking T cells in HIV patients
• Study examines consumption of added sugar, death from cardiovascular disease
• Mechanism discovered that helps HIV evade antibodies, stabilize key proteins
• How shape-shifting DNA-repair machine fights cancer
• Local foods offer tangible economic benefits in some regions
• New maps highlight habitat corridors in the tropics
• Discovery aids in fight against antifungal drug resistance
• Difficult dairy policy debate: It's not over yet
• Why cancer incidence increases with age
• NFL concussions study shows higher altitudes reduce risk significantly
• Reported oil sands emissions greatly underestimated, report shows
• Hormone in crab eyes makes it possible for females to mate, care for their young
• Are invasive plants a problem in Europe? Controversial views among invasion biologists

'Severe reduction' in killer whale numbers during last Ice Age Posted: 04 Feb 2014 07:06 PM PST Whole genome sequencing has revealed a global fall in the numbers of killer whales during the last Ice Age, at a time when ocean productivity may have been widely reduced, according to researchers.

The eyes have it: Jackdaw birds use their eyes to communicate with each other Posted: 04 Feb 2014 07:06 PM PST Researchers have discovered that jackdaws use their eyes to communicate with each other -- the first time this has been shown in non-primates.

Sucker-footed fossils broaden bat map: Fossilized teeth show bat family belongs to primitive lineage, had broad range Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:56 PM PST Today, Madagascar sucker-footed bats live nowhere outside their island home, but new research shows that hasn't always been the case. The discovery of the jawbones of two extinct relatives in northern Egypt suggests the unusual creatures, which evolved sticky footpads to roost on slick surfaces, are primitive members of a group of bats that evolved in Africa and ultimately went on to flourish in South America.

Distinct sensory-motor reflexes in fruit flies: Use odor receptors, visual cues to find fruit Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:55 PM PST That fruit fly appearing moments after you poured that first glass of cabernet, has just used a poppy-seed-sized brain to conduct a finely-choreographed search and arrive in time for happy hour.

Do you have a sweet tooth? Honeybees have a sweet claw Posted: 04 Feb 2014 01:22 PM PST New research on the ability of honeybees to taste with claws on their forelegs reveals details on how this information is processed, according to a new study.

Good hair day: New technique grows tiny 'hairy' materials at the microscale Posted: 04 Feb 2014 12:46 PM PST Scientists attacked a tangled problem by developing a new technique to grow tiny "hairy" materials that assemble themselves at the microscale. It looks like the way Chia Pets grow in commercials. The key ingredient is epoxy, which is added to a mixture of hardener and solvent inside an electric cell. Then the scientists run an alternating current through the cell and watch long, twisting fibers spring up.

New fruitfly sleep gene promotes the need to sleep Posted: 04 Feb 2014 10:17 AM PST All creatures great and small, including fruitflies, need sleep. The timing of when we sleep versus are awake is controlled by cells in tune with circadian rhythms of light and dark. Most of the molecular components of that internal clock have been worked out. On the other hand, what drives how much we sleep is less well understood. Researchers report a new protein involved in the homeostatic regulation of sleep in the fruitfly.

Climate change threatens to cause trillions in damage to world's coastal regions if they do not adapt to sea-level rise Posted: 04 Feb 2014 10:15 AM PST New research predicts that coastal regions may face massive increases in damages from storm surge flooding over the course of the 21st century. Global average storm surge damages could increase from about $10-$40 billion per year today to up to $100,000 billion per year by the end of century, if no adaptation action is taken.

Research: It's more than just the science Posted: 04 Feb 2014 09:37 AM PST Researchers outline not only why it's important to pursue science collaboratively, but how to create and maintain science teams to get better research results.

How safe to use is the enemy of a citrus-threatening pest? Posted: 04 Feb 2014 09:37 AM PST The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) can spread the lethal and incurable citrus disease known as huanglongbing or citrus greening that threatens the multi-billion dollar global citrus industry. In 2011, for the first time entomologists released a wasp, a natural enemy of the ACP, in a citrus grove in Riverside to help control the psyllid. But is this wasp safe to use? Does its introduction pose any risk to the environment?

Appearance of lyme disease rash can help predict how bacteria spreads through body Posted: 04 Feb 2014 09:36 AM PST Lyme disease is often evident by a rash on the skin, but infections do not always produce similar rashes. This can make it difficult to detect the disease early, when antibiotic treatment is most effective. Researchers describe a new mathematical model that captures the interactions between disease-causing bacteria and the host immune response that affect the appearance of a rash and the spread of infection.

Primitive artificial cell turned into complex biological materials Posted: 04 Feb 2014 08:21 AM PST Imagine starting from scratch with simple artificial microscopic building blocks and ending up with something much more complex: living systems, novel computers or every-day materials. For decades scientists have pursued the dream of creating artificial building blocks that can self-assemble in large numbers and reassemble to take on new tasks or to remedy defects. Now researchers have taken a step forward to make this dream into a reality.

Gene therapy may be possible cure for Hurler syndrome: Mouse Study Posted: 04 Feb 2014 08:21 AM PST Researchers used blood platelets and bone marrow cells to deliver potentially curative gene therapy to mouse models of the human genetic disorder Hurler syndrome -- an often fatal condition that causes organ damage and other medical complications.

Urinary tract infections: Immune cells need a second opinion Posted: 04 Feb 2014 08:20 AM PST Bacterial urinary tract infections are a painful nuisance. Scientists have now decoded the way in which immune cells communicate with each other in defense against infections via the messenger tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Urinary tract infections are amongst the most frequent infections and are triggered by intestinal bacteria which invade the urogenital tract through smear infections via the urethra. These infections are persistent because the bacteria are often not completely killed off.

Connection found in pathogenesis of neurological diseases, HIV Posted: 04 Feb 2014 08:18 AM PST A new study published shows similarities in the pathogenesis of prion disease -- misfolded proteins that can lead to neurological diseases -- and the HIV virus.

Herbicides may not be sole cause of declining plant diversity Posted: 04 Feb 2014 07:20 AM PST The increasing use of chemical herbicides is often blamed for the declining plant biodiversity in farms. However, other factors beyond herbicide exposure may be more important to species diversity, according to researchers.

Undergraduate biology education: Making science go viral Posted: 04 Feb 2014 07:14 AM PST According to a newly published analysis, students in HHMI's Science Education Alliance-PHAGES program have published their own scientific results, receive higher grades in their biology courses, are more likely to continue their education than overall student populations, and report an engagement in the process of science similar to what is reported by students who participate in "traditional" apprentice-based summer research.

Overweight or obese people breathe more air pollutants Posted: 04 Feb 2014 07:14 AM PST Overweight or obese adults can breathe 7-50% more air per day than an adult with healthy weight does, which makes them more vulnerable to air contaminants causing asthma and other pulmonary diseases, according to a study.

Who owns the bones? Should bodies in museum exhibits be returned home? Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:39 AM PST From Egyptian mummies to Ötzi the Iceman, human remains are a common, if macabre, feature of museum exhibits. A researcher now explores the argument that curators have an ethical obligation to return these bodies to their native communities for burial.

Pulp and paper mill wastewater can become biogas Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:39 AM PST Wastewater from pulp and paper mills contains large volumes of organic material that can be converted into biogas, according to findings by researchers.

Robots with insect-like brains: Robot can learn to navigate through its environment guided by external stimuli Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:39 AM PST Scientists have developed a robot that perceives environmental stimuli and learns to react to them. The scientists used the relatively simple nervous system of the honeybee as a model for its working principles. To this end, they installed a camera on a small robotic vehicle and connected it to a computer. The computer program replicated in a simplified way the sensorimotor network of the insect brain.

Horse gaits controlled by genetic mutation spread by humans Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:39 AM PST From the Faroe Pony to the Spanish Mustang, fewer animals have played such a central role in human history as the horse. New research reveals that a horse's gait, an attribute central to its importance to humans, is influenced by a genetic mutation, spread by humans across the world.

Identity verification: Body odor as a biometric identifier Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:38 AM PST Researchers are making progress on the development of a new biometric technique that would allow us to identify people through their personal odor.

Healthy balance: model for studying cancer, immune diseases Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:38 AM PST The protein STAT1 is involved in defending the body against pathogens and for inhibiting tumor development. If the levels of the protein are out of balance, disease may result. Researchers have developed a mouse whose STAT1 levels can be modified at will, enabling the study of the involvement of STAT1 in various processes.

Newly discovered signaling pathway could impact variety of autoinflammatory diseases Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST Researchers have discovered a new signaling pathway in sterile inflammation that could impact the treatment of diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Their findings offer insight into the role that activation of interferon-regulatory factor 1, a protein that functions as a transcriptional activator of a variety of target genes, plays in the production of chemokines and the recruitment of mononuclear cells to sites of sterile inflammation.

Market forces influence value of bat-provided services, such as pest control Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST Researchers studied how forces such as volatile market conditions and technological substitutes affect the value of pest control services provided by Mexican free-tailed bats on cotton production in the US. They found the services are impacted by the forces to the tune of millions of dollars.

Cell division finding could boost understanding of cancer Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST New insights into how the cells in our bodies divide could improve our knowledge of a condition linked to cancer, a study suggests.

Organic farms support more species, researchers find Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST On average, organic farms support 34 percent more plant, insect and animal species than conventional farms, say scientists. Researchers looked at data going back 30 years and found that this effect has remained stable over time and shows no signs of decreasing.

New method for tracking T cells in HIV patients Posted: 03 Feb 2014 02:19 PM PST A team of researchers has reported a novel method for tracking CD4+ T cells in people infected with HIV. CD4+ T cells are critical for immune defense against an array of pathogens and are a primary target of HIV.

Study examines consumption of added sugar, death from cardiovascular disease Posted: 03 Feb 2014 01:34 PM PST Many U.S. adults consume more added sugar (added in processing or preparing of foods, not naturally occurring as in fruits and fruit juices) than expert panels recommend for a healthy diet, and consumption of added sugar was associated with increased risk for death from cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study.

Mechanism discovered that helps HIV evade antibodies, stabilize key proteins Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:52 PM PST Scientists have discovered a mechanism involved in stabilizing key HIV proteins and thereby concealing sites where some of the most powerful HIV neutralizing antibodies bind, findings with potential implications for HIV vaccine research.

How shape-shifting DNA-repair machine fights cancer Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:52 PM PST Maybe you've seen the movies or played with toy Transformers, those shape-shifting machines that morph in response to whatever challenge they face. It turns out that DNA-repair machines in your cells use a similar approach to fight cancer and other diseases, according to new research.

Local foods offer tangible economic benefits in some regions Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:52 PM PST Despite their typically small size and sparse distribution, farms that sell their products locally may boost economic growth in their communities in some regions of the US, according to a team of economists.

New maps highlight habitat corridors in the tropics Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:52 PM PST Scientists created maps of habitat corridors connecting protected areas in the tropics to incorporate biodiversity co-benefits into climate change mitigation strategies.

Discovery aids in fight against antifungal drug resistance Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:51 PM PST A research breakthrough is helping pave the way for novel antifungal drugs designed to overcome the world-wide problem of growing resistance to current treatments.

Difficult dairy policy debate: It's not over yet Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:50 PM PST New research focuses on the U.S. dairy industry and federal policy related to dairy, other agriculture and food. He explains the complex new dairy policy, which the Senate is expected to vote on early this week.

Why cancer incidence increases with age Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:50 PM PST The accumulation of age-associated changes in a biochemical process that helps control genes may be responsible for some of the increased risk of cancer seen in older people, according to a study.

NFL concussions study shows higher altitudes reduce risk significantly Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:49 PM PST A new study analyzing concussion data for NFL players during the 16-game regular season schedules for 2012 and 2013 may provide insight that could lead to safer play, including a pathway for concussion-prevention strategies.

Reported oil sands emissions greatly underestimated, report shows Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:49 PM PST A new comprehensive modeling assessment of contamination in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region indicates that officially reported emissions of certain highly hazardous air pollutants have been greatly underestimated.

Hormone in crab eyes makes it possible for females to mate, care for their young Posted: 03 Feb 2014 09:28 AM PST Scientists discover new hormone in the eyestalks of blue crabs responsible for forming body parts that make it possible for female crabs to mate and raise young.

Are invasive plants a problem in Europe? Controversial views among invasion biologists Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:10 AM PST The apparent expert consensus that the spread of new species (invasion) is a serious environmental problem does not necessarily reflect the thinking of researchers in the field. A new study documents that invasion biologists widely differ in their understanding and assessment of the invasion problem in Europe.

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