ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Stem cell findings may offer answers for some bladder defects, disease
• Ground-improvement methods might protect against earthquakes
• New regulatory mechanisms of cell migration found in drosphilia fly study
• Unique chromosomes preserved in Swedish fossil
• Gene family linked to brain evolution implicated in severity of autism symptoms
• Emerging carbon trading markets offer lessons
• Dust in the wind drove iron fertilization during ice age
• Cholesterol transporter structure decoded
• Race against time: Climate change and the Olympic Winter Games
• Genetic evidence for single bacteria cause of sepsis identified for the first time by academic team
• The ten best weather places in the world
• Gene silencing instructions acquired through 'molecular memory' tags on chromatin
• Studies of gut flora in infants, toddlers could lead to better health
• Linking storms to climate change a 'distraction', say experts
• Antibiotic-resistant bacteria among children in U.S. on the rise
• Web Tool Successfully Measures Farms’ Water Footprint
• The aging brain needs REST: Role of gene regulator
• Monarch butterfly numbers could be at historic lows this year, study suggests
• Climate change could increase thunderstorm severity

Stem cell findings may offer answers for some bladder defects, disease Posted: 21 Mar 2014 01:48 PM PDT For the first time, scientists have succeeded in coaxing laboratory cultures of human stem cells to develop into the specialized, unique cells needed to repair a patient's defective or diseased bladder. The breakthrough is significant because it provides a pathway to regenerate replacement bladder tissue for patients whose bladders are too small or do not function properly, such as children with spina bifida and adults with spinal cord injuries or bladder cancer.

Ground-improvement methods might protect against earthquakes Posted: 21 Mar 2014 07:17 AM PDT Researchers are developing ground-improvement methods to help increase the resilience of homes and low-rise structures built on top of soils prone to liquefaction during strong earthquakes. Findings will help improve the safety of structures in Christchurch and the Canterbury region in New Zealand, which were devastated in 2010 and 2011 by a series of powerful earthquakes. Parts of Christchurch were severely affected by liquefaction, in which water-saturated soil temporarily becomes liquid-like and often flows to the surface creating sand boils.

New regulatory mechanisms of cell migration found in drosphilia fly study Posted: 21 Mar 2014 07:17 AM PDT New insight into the genetic regulation of cell migration has been discovered by researchers. Cell migration is highly coordinated and occurs in processes such as embryonic development, wound healing, the formation of new blood vessels, and tumour cell invasion. For the successful control of cell movement, this process has to be determined and maintained with great precision. In this study, the scientists used tracheal cells of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to unravel the signalling mechanism involved in the regulation of cell movements.

Unique chromosomes preserved in Swedish fossil Posted: 21 Mar 2014 07:17 AM PDT Researchers have made a unique discovery in a well-preserved fern that lived 180 million years ago. Both undestroyed cell nuclei and individual chromosomes have been found in the plant fossil, thanks to its sudden burial in a volcanic eruption.

Gene family linked to brain evolution implicated in severity of autism symptoms Posted: 21 Mar 2014 06:55 AM PDT The same gene family that may have helped the human brain become larger and more complex than in any other animal also is linked to the severity of autism. The gene family is made up of over 270 copies of a segment of DNA called DUF1220. DUF1220 codes for a protein domain -- a specific functionally important segment within a protein. The more copies of a specific DUF1220 subtype a person with autism has, the more severe the symptoms, according to a new paper.

Emerging carbon trading markets offer lessons Posted: 21 Mar 2014 06:55 AM PDT Carbon trading markets that attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions have met with mixed political and policy success around the world. But each new attempt offers lessons that will make new markets more effective, a team authors says. These carbon markets are a key part of an emerging global policy framework that includes trading programs and other policies such as renewable energy incentives, carbon taxes, and traditional regulation. They have encouraged modest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions so far and expanded to cover a substantial and growing share of global emissions.

Dust in the wind drove iron fertilization during ice age Posted: 21 Mar 2014 06:55 AM PDT A longstanding hypothesis that wind-borne dust carried iron to the region of the globe north of Antarctica, driving plankton growth and eventually leading to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere has been confirmed by researchers. Plankton remove the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere during growth and transfer it to the deep ocean when their remains sink to the bottom.

Cholesterol transporter structure decoded Posted: 21 Mar 2014 06:53 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have solved the high-resolution structure of the molecular transporter TSPO, which introduces cholesterol into mitochondria. This protein also serves as a docking site for diagnostic markers and different drugs, such as Valium. The detailed knowledge of its 3-D shape and function opens up new diagnostic and therapeutic perspectives.

Race against time: Climate change and the Olympic Winter Games Posted: 21 Mar 2014 06:50 AM PDT Time may be running out for some Olympic Winter Games host locations – including the 2014 host, Sochi (Russia) – according to an article. Researchers have analyzed two climatic indicators – minimum temperature of ≤0°C and snow depth of ≥30cm – both from a historical point of view and using future projections. They find that only 10 of the 19 previous host locations for the Winter Games are expected to remain suitable in the 2050s, and as few as 6 in the 2080s. This will have a major impact on where – and how – future Winter Games can be staged.

Genetic evidence for single bacteria cause of sepsis identified for the first time by academic team Posted: 21 Mar 2014 06:48 AM PDT An international team of academics has studied how localized infections can turn into the dangerous systematic disease sepsis – and has identified for the first time through genetic evidence that a single bacteria could be the cause. The study examined the events that lead to sepsis by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), a major human pathogen, in mice. They found that in most cases the bacteria causing sepsis was started by a single pneumococcal cell.

The ten best weather places in the world Posted: 20 Mar 2014 02:32 PM PDT Do you dream of a place that is always sunny? Where the temperature is perfect? Where there is virtually no severe weather? A new article attempts to name the top ten places in the world that continually experience the best weather.

Gene silencing instructions acquired through 'molecular memory' tags on chromatin Posted: 20 Mar 2014 10:11 AM PDT One of the mysteries of modern genetics has been solved: how acquired traits can be passed between generations in a process called epigenetic inheritance. The new work finds that cells don't know to silence some genes based on information hardwired into their DNA sequences, but recognize heritable chemical marks that are added to the genes. These chemical tags serve as a form of molecular memory, allowing cells to recognize the genes and remember to silence them again in each new generation.

Studies of gut flora in infants, toddlers could lead to better health Posted: 20 Mar 2014 08:19 AM PDT Breastfeeding until at least nine months of age increases prevalence in the gastrointestinal tract of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, species which are known to contribute to development of a healthy immune system, according to a paper describing the establishment of the intestinal microbiota during the first three years of life.

Linking storms to climate change a 'distraction', say experts Posted: 20 Mar 2014 07:09 AM PDT Connecting extreme weather to climate change distracts from the need to protect society from high-impact weather events which will continue to happen irrespective of human-induced climate change, say experts. researchers argue that cutting greenhouse gas emissions, while crucial to reducing humanity's longer-term impact on the planet, will not eliminate violent storms, tornadoes or flooding and the damage they cause.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria among children in U.S. on the rise Posted: 20 Mar 2014 07:05 AM PDT Infections caused by a specific type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise in U.S. children, according to new study. While still rare, the bacteria are increasingly found in children of all ages, especially those 1-5 years old, raising concerns about dwindling treatment options. "The overwhelming majority of current research for new pharmaceuticals against antibiotic-resistant organisms are in adults. More research is needed to define risk factors for these infections in children, their prevalence in different settings, and their molecular epidemiology," the researchers note.

Web Tool Successfully Measures Farms’ Water Footprint Posted: 20 Mar 2014 07:05 AM PDT Enter some data into a computer and you'll find out how much water farms use. The global implications of this study include the consequences of water sent overseas. This includes water used to grow crops and commodities made from water. The WaterFootprint tool can help not just growers, but world water managers as well, the authors say.

The aging brain needs REST: Role of gene regulator Posted: 19 Mar 2014 11:38 AM PDT A gene regulator active during fetal brain development, called REST, switches back on later in life to protect aging neurons from various stresses, including the toxic effects of abnormal proteins. The researchers in a new study also showed that REST is lost in critical brain regions of people with Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment.

Monarch butterfly numbers could be at historic lows this year, study suggests Posted: 19 Mar 2014 08:46 AM PDT Monarch butterflies may be named for their large size and majestic beauty, but once again their numbers are anything but king-sized – in fact, 2014 may go down as one of the worst years ever for the colorful insects, says a Monarch watcher. It's been a disturbing trend that has been going for most of the past decade, he points out. This year, Monarchs face a triple whammy: a lingering southern drought, unusually cold winter temperatures and lack of milkweed, their primary food source.

Climate change could increase thunderstorm severity Posted: 19 Mar 2014 08:46 AM PDT Climate change may increase the severity of storms this spring, a Climatologist who studies weather events predicts. This researcher looks into how often weather events occur and the conditions when they occurred. He says climate change may be increasing the severity of storms.

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