ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Autism: Birth hormone may control expression of the syndrome in animals
• A key facilitator of mRNA editing uncovered by researchers
• New combined therapy to treat cancer proposed
• Pacific salmon inherit magnetic sense of direction
• Scientists reprogram skin cells into insulin-producing pancreas cells
• Birds of a different color: Three major genes set feather hue in pigeons
• New, surprising link between chloracne and molecule that protects cells against stress
• RNA sequencing of 750-year-old barley virus sheds new light on the Crusades
• Sneezing sponges suggest existence of sensory organ: Discovery challenges assumptions about 'primitive' organism
• Bacterial fibers critical to human, avian infection
• Converting land to agriculture reduces carbon uptake, study shows
• Falcon feathers pop up during dive
• A look back and ahead at Greenland's changing climate
• What makes us human? Unique brain area linked to higher cognitive powers
• Tree roots in the mountains 'acted like a thermostat' for millions of years
• Mass extinction may not cause all organisms to 'shrink': Aquatic invertebrates varied in size after mass extinction event
• Female mice prefer unfamiliar male songs: Females discern male mouse songs to avoid inbreeding
• Monkeys that eat omega-3 rich diet show more developed brain networks
• Fruit fly microRNA research offers clues to aging process
• Whales and human-related activities overlap in African waters
• A 'smoking gun' on Ice Age megafauna extinctions
• Inducing climate-smart global supply networks
• Water supply availability 'to dominate U.S. natural resource management'
• Longevity mutation found in flies far and wide
• Approach helps identify new biofuel sources that don't require farmland
• Forest emissions, wildfires explain why ancient Earth was so hot
• Strange marine mammals of ancient North Pacific revealed
• Humans, urban landscapes increase illness in songbirds, researchers find
• Uncovering the drivers of honey bee colony declines and losses
• Sociable receptors: Cells take clues from other cells to direct behavior
• Researchers discover rare new species of deep-diving whale
• Meal times could have a significant effect on the levels of triglycerides in the liver
• When cats bite: One in three patients bitten in hand hospitalized, infections common
• Gene that influences receptive joint attention in chimpanzees gives insight into autism
• World temperature records available via Google Earth
• Inner workings of a cellular nanomotor revealed
• Soil biota explains tree growth: Why the Canadian lodgepole pine does better in Sweden than Canada
• Environmental impacts of the financial crisis evident
• Forest harvesting intensity varies in Europe
• Mediterranean diet linked with lower risk of heart disease among young U.S. workers
• Clearer labels needed on drugs containing animal products
• New hormone receptors discovered to target when treating breast cancer
• Where do lizards in Qatar live? First distribution maps for the state
• What does 'whole grain' really mean? European definition published

Autism: Birth hormone may control expression of the syndrome in animals Posted: 06 Feb 2014 11:21 AM PST A new article demonstrates that chloride levels are abnormally elevated from birth in the neurons of mice used in an animal model of autism. Researchers show for the first time that oxytocin, the birth hormone, brings about a decrease in chloride level during birth, which controls the expression of the autistic syndrome.

A key facilitator of mRNA editing uncovered by researchers Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:39 AM PST Molecular biologists have identified a protein that regulates the information present in a large number of messenger ribonucleic acid molecules that are important for carrying genetic information from DNA to protein synthesis.

New combined therapy to treat cancer proposed Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:38 AM PST Researchers have discovered how etoposide -- a drug widely used in the treatment of lung and testicular cancers, leukemias and brain tumors -- could increase its efficiency and specificity in combination with other compounds that interfere with cell division.

Pacific salmon inherit magnetic sense of direction Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:36 AM PST A team of scientists last year presented evidence of a correlation between the migration patterns of ocean salmon and Earth's magnetic field, suggesting it may help explain how the fish can navigate across thousands of miles of water to find their river of origin. This week, scientists confirmed the connection between salmon and the magnetic field.

Scientists reprogram skin cells into insulin-producing pancreas cells Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:36 AM PST A cure for type 1 diabetes has long eluded even the top experts. Not because they do not know what must be done -- but because the tools did not exist to do it. But now scientists, harnessing the power of regenerative medicine, have developed a technique in animal models that could replenish the very cells destroyed by the disease.

Birds of a different color: Three major genes set feather hue in pigeons Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:33 AM PST Scientists have identified mutations in three key genes that determine feather color in domestic rock pigeons. The same genes control pigmentation of human skin and can be responsible for melanoma and albinism.

New, surprising link between chloracne and molecule that protects cells against stress Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:14 AM PST Researchers have discovered a new, surprising link between chloracne and a molecule that protects cells against stress: if Nrf2 gets out of control, disfiguring cysts form on the skin. Nrf2 is thus an interesting candidate for use in skincare creams and for cancer prevention.

RNA sequencing of 750-year-old barley virus sheds new light on the Crusades Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:13 AM PST Scientists have for the first time sequenced an ancient RNA genome -- of a barley virus once believed to be only 150 years old -- pushing its origin back at least 2,000 years and revealing how intense farming at the time of the Crusades contributed to its spread.

Sneezing sponges suggest existence of sensory organ: Discovery challenges assumptions about 'primitive' organism Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST Biologists have used a variety of drugs to elicit sneezes in freshwater sponges and observed the process using fluorescent dye. Their efforts focused on the sponge's osculum, which controls water exiting the organism, including water expelled during a sneeze.

Bacterial fibers critical to human, avian infection Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:11 AM PST Researchers targeted a specific group of threadlike fibers known as E. coli common pilus, which adorn bacterial cell surfaces. In the first study of its kind, they analyzed the way these structures contribute to avian pathogenic E. coli's ability to cause infection and form dense cell aggregates known as biofilms.

Converting land to agriculture reduces carbon uptake, study shows Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:11 AM PST Researchers examined the impact that converting natural land to cropland has on global vegetation growth, as measured by satellite-derived net primary production, or NPP. They found that measures of terrestrial vegetation growth actually decrease with agricultural conversion, which has important implications for terrestrial carbon storage.

Falcon feathers pop up during dive Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:11 AM PST Similar to wings and fins with self-adaptive flaps, the feathers on a diving peregrine falcon's feathers may pop up during high speed dives.

A look back and ahead at Greenland's changing climate Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:10 AM PST Over the past two decades, ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet increased four-fold, contributing to one-quarter of global sea level rise. However, the chain of events and physical processes that contributed to it has remained elusive. One likely trigger for the speed up and retreat of glaciers that contributed to this ice loss is ocean warming.

What makes us human? Unique brain area linked to higher cognitive powers Posted: 05 Feb 2014 06:20 PM PST Researchers have identified an area of the human brain that appears unlike anything in the brains of some of our closest relatives.

Tree roots in the mountains 'acted like a thermostat' for millions of years Posted: 05 Feb 2014 06:04 PM PST Tree roots in the mountains may play an important role in controlling long-term global temperatures. Researchers have found that temperatures affect the thickness of the leaf litter and organic soil layers, as well as the rate at which the tree roots grow. When the roots reach the rock below the soil, the rock disintegrates, releasing carbon dioxide. Researchers say this process is "acting like the Earth's thermostat."

Mass extinction may not cause all organisms to 'shrink': Aquatic invertebrates varied in size after mass extinction event Posted: 05 Feb 2014 03:47 PM PST The sizes of organisms following mass extinction events may vary more than previously thought, which may be inconsistent with the predictions of the so-called "Lilliput effect."

Female mice prefer unfamiliar male songs: Females discern male mouse songs to avoid inbreeding Posted: 05 Feb 2014 03:47 PM PST Female mice prefer songs of mice that are different from their parents when selecting a mate.

Monkeys that eat omega-3 rich diet show more developed brain networks Posted: 05 Feb 2014 01:57 PM PST Monkeys that ate a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids had brains with highly connected and well organized neural networks -- in some ways akin to the neural networks in healthy humans -- while monkeys that ate a diet deficient in the fatty acids had much more limited brain networking, according to a new study.

Fruit fly microRNA research offers clues to aging process Posted: 05 Feb 2014 01:57 PM PST Diseases like Alzheimer's and Huntington's are often associated with aging, but the biological link between the two is less certain. Researchers are seeking insight into this connection by studying very small RNA molecules in the common fruit fly.

Whales and human-related activities overlap in African waters Posted: 05 Feb 2014 11:38 AM PST Scientists have found that humpback whales swimming off the coast of western Africa encounter more than warm waters for mating and bearing young. New studies show that the whales share these waters with offshore oil rigs, major shipping routes, and potentially harmful toxicants.

A 'smoking gun' on Ice Age megafauna extinctions Posted: 05 Feb 2014 10:32 AM PST It was climate that killed many of the large mammals after the latest Ice Age. But what more specifically was it with the climate that led to this mass extinction? The answer to this is hidden in a large number of sediment samples from around the Arctic and in the gut content from permafrozen woolly rhinos, mammoth and other extinct ice age mammals.

Inducing climate-smart global supply networks Posted: 05 Feb 2014 10:32 AM PST Extreme weather events like super-typhoon Haiyan and hurricane Sandy can have major negative impacts on the world economy. So far, however, the effects on global production and consumption webs are missing from most assessments. This is a serious deficit, argues one expert: "World markets as well as local economies are highly interlinked and rely on global supply chains -- adaptation therefore requires a global perspective, not just a local one."

Water supply availability 'to dominate U.S. natural resource management' Posted: 05 Feb 2014 09:54 AM PST Water supply is the most pressing environmental issue facing the United States, according to a survey of policy makers and scientists have revealed.

Longevity mutation found in flies far and wide Posted: 05 Feb 2014 08:34 AM PST To date, evidence that mutations in a gene called Indy could increase life span in flies and mimic calorie restriction in mammals has come only from experiments in the lab. A new study finds that the same benefit is present in naturally Indy-mutated flies descended from flies collected in the wild all over the world and going back decades.

Approach helps identify new biofuel sources that don't require farmland Posted: 05 Feb 2014 08:34 AM PST While the debate over using crops for fuel continues, scientists are now reporting a new, fast approach to develop biofuel in a way that doesn't require removing valuable farmland from the food production chain. Their work examining the fuel-producing potential of Streptomyces, a soil bacterium known for making antibiotics could help researchers identify other microbes that could be novel potential fuel sources.

Forest emissions, wildfires explain why ancient Earth was so hot Posted: 05 Feb 2014 08:34 AM PST The release of volatile organic compounds from Earth's forests and smoke from wildfires 3 million years ago had a far greater impact on global warming than ancient atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, according to a new study. The research provides evidence that dynamic atmospheric chemistry played an important role in past warm climates, underscoring the complexity of climate change and the relevance of natural components.

Strange marine mammals of ancient North Pacific revealed Posted: 05 Feb 2014 07:37 AM PST The pre-Ice Age marine mammal community of the North Pacific formed a strangely eclectic scene, new research reveals. Studying hundreds of fossil bones and teeth excavated from the San Francisco Bay Area's Purisima Formation, scientists have put together a record of 21 marine mammal species including dwarf baleen whales, odd double-tusked walruses, porpoises with severe underbites and a dolphin closely related to the now-extinct Chinese river dolphin.

Humans, urban landscapes increase illness in songbirds, researchers find Posted: 05 Feb 2014 07:36 AM PST Humans living in densely populated urban areas have a profound impact not only on their physical environment, but also on the health and fitness of native wildlife. For the first time, scientists have found a direct link between the degree of urbanization and the prevalence and severity of two distinct parasites in wild house finches. Loss of natural habitat may be a driving force behind increases in avian parasite infections.

Uncovering the drivers of honey bee colony declines and losses Posted: 05 Feb 2014 07:36 AM PST Scientists have announced the results of research conducted on honey bee colony declines and the factors attributed to honey bee losses. The work shows that socioeconomic and political pressures on honey production over the past few decades has caused a long-term reduction in the number of colonies in production in the USA, Europe and many other countries. However, more recently honey bee managers have reported increased losses in their stocks each year (so-called 'annual colony losses'), and the new research shows that pests, pathogens and management issues likely play a major role in this, and are under researched and poorly understood drivers.

Sociable receptors: Cells take clues from other cells to direct behavior Posted: 05 Feb 2014 07:36 AM PST When cells migrate in the body, for instance, during development, or when neurons establish new connections, cells need to know where they are going. A 'wrong turn' will generally cause disease or developmental disorders. The cells take direction cues from other cells with which they interact, and which they then repel after a short period of contact. Among those direction cues are ephrin ligands, recognized by Eph receptors on the cell. Scientists have discovered that Eph receptors must form groups of three or four in order to become active and transmit the signal.

Researchers discover rare new species of deep-diving whale Posted: 05 Feb 2014 07:35 AM PST Researchers have identified a new species of mysterious beaked whale based on a study of seven animals stranded on remote tropical islands over the past 50 years. The first was found on a Sri Lankan beach in 1963. A combination of DNA analysis and physical characteristics was used to make the identification.

Meal times could have a significant effect on the levels of triglycerides in the liver Posted: 05 Feb 2014 07:35 AM PST New findings in mice suggest that merely changing meal times could have a significant effect on the levels of triglycerides in the liver. The results of this study not only have important implications for the potential treatment of metabolic diseases, they may also have broader implications for most research areas in the life sciences.

When cats bite: One in three patients bitten in hand hospitalized, infections common Posted: 05 Feb 2014 07:31 AM PST Dogs aren't the only pets who sometimes bite the hands that feed them. Cats do too, and when they strike a hand, can inject bacteria deep into joints and tissue, perfect breeding grounds for infection. Cat bites to the hand are so dangerous, one in three patients with such wounds had to be hospitalized, a study covering three years showed. Of those hospitalized, two-thirds needed surgery. Middle-aged women were the most common bite victims, according to the research.

Gene that influences receptive joint attention in chimpanzees gives insight into autism Posted: 05 Feb 2014 06:16 AM PST Following another's gaze or looking in the direction someone is pointing, two examples of receptive joint attention, is significantly heritable according to new study results, which give researchers insight into the biology of disorders such as autism.

World temperature records available via Google Earth Posted: 05 Feb 2014 06:16 AM PST Climate researchers have made the world's temperature records available via Google Earth. The new Google Earth format allows users to scroll around the world, zoom in on 6,000 weather stations, and view monthly, seasonal and annual temperature data more easily than ever before. The move is part of an ongoing effort to make data about past climate and climate change as accessible and transparent as possible.

Inner workings of a cellular nanomotor revealed Posted: 05 Feb 2014 04:58 AM PST Our cells produce thousands of proteins but more than one-third of these proteins can fulfill their function only after migrating to the outside of the cell. While it is known that protein migration occurs with the help of various 'nanomotors' that push proteins out of the cell, little is known about their precise mechanical functioning. New research reveals the inner workings of one such nanomotor, called SecA, with new clarity.

Soil biota explains tree growth: Why the Canadian lodgepole pine does better in Sweden than Canada Posted: 05 Feb 2014 04:58 AM PST Thanks to its excellent growth, the Canadian lodgepole pine has become a popular feature of forestry in Northern Sweden. Researchers are now able to demonstrate that organisms in the Swedish soil most likely contribute to the success of this exotic tree species. When the researchers studied the growth of the lodgepole pine in sterilized and unsterilized Swedish and Canadian soil samples, they discovered clear differences in growth: it grew better in soil inoculated with Swedish soil biota compared to Canadian soil biota. These results improve our understanding of why some exotic tree species and invasive plants at times can function so well in new environments.

Environmental impacts of the financial crisis evident Posted: 05 Feb 2014 04:58 AM PST The prolonged financial crisis that began in 2008 has evidently affected the environment in Finland. The impacts of the economic downturn have been both positive and negative. The recession has reduced the use of natural resources and eased other burdens on the environment, but many environmental policy processes have slowed, including international action on climate issues.

Forest harvesting intensity varies in Europe Posted: 05 Feb 2014 04:58 AM PST Forests provide us with essential raw materials and the demand for these materials is increasing. To meet this increasing demand, forestry faces the challenge of how to intensify management of the existing production forests in sustainable ways.

Mediterranean diet linked with lower risk of heart disease among young U.S. workers Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:56 PM PST Among a large group of Midwestern firefighters, greater adherence to Mediterranean-style diet was associated with lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Clearer labels needed on drugs containing animal products Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:56 PM PST Patients with specific dietary restrictions may be unwittingly taking medicines containing animal products, suggests an article published.

New hormone receptors discovered to target when treating breast cancer Posted: 04 Feb 2014 09:37 AM PST The of new research findings offer the possibility of expanding the ways patients with breast cancer are treated with hormone therapy.

Where do lizards in Qatar live? First distribution maps for the state Posted: 04 Feb 2014 09:36 AM PST Scientists have made an intensive survey and published the first distribution maps for lizards in Qatar. The study has increased the list of lizard species present in Qatar from 15 species recorded up to 2004 to 21 species. The study fills a gap concerning reptile diversity knowledge in Qatar and the Gulf Region.

What does 'whole grain' really mean? European definition published Posted: 04 Feb 2014 07:17 AM PST The most comprehensive definition of whole grain termed to date has been published this week. The effort to create the definition, which is intended to assist in the production and labeling of foods rich in whole grains, was born of the HEALTHGRAIN EU project, the largest project ever focusing on cereals and health; and was led by a multi-disciplinary team from some of Europe's leading universities and food research institutes.

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