ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Saturday, September 20, 2008
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Explorers Find Hundreds Of Undescribed Corals, Other Species On Familiar Australian Reefs (September 19, 2008) -- Hundreds of new kinds of animal species surprised international researchers systematically exploring waters off two islands on the Great Barrier Reef and a reef off northwestern Australia -- waters long familiar to divers. The expeditions, affiliated with the global Census of Marine Life, help mark the International Year of the Reef. ... > full story
Fly Studies Reveal Immune Cell Responses To Tumor And Tissue Damage (September 19, 2008) -- A new report reveals the similarities between the immune response to cancer and and the immune response to tissue damage. ... > full story
Genetically Modified Crops Protect Neighbors From Pests, Study Finds (September 19, 2008) -- A study in northern China indicates that genetically modified cotton, altered to express the insecticide, Bt, not only reduces pest populations among those crops, but also reduces pests among other nearby crops that have not been modified with Bt. These findings could offer promising new ideas for controlling pests and maximizing crop yields in the future. ... > full story
Road Crossing Structures Important In Reduction Of Animal Mortality On Roads (September 19, 2008) -- Spanish highways are increasingly incorporating walkways specially designed for wild animals, or mixed use structures designed for other purposes, which connect wildlife from one side of the road to the other. Researchers have analysed 43 walkways used by vertebrates to quantify the importance of these structures, which facilitate animals’ natural movements and reduce mortality caused by vehicles and, consequently, traffic accidents. ... > full story
Novel Anti-cancer Mechanism Found In Long-lived Rodents (September 19, 2008) -- Biologists have found that small-bodied rodents with long lifespans have evolved a previously unknown anti-cancer mechanism that appears to be different from any anticancer mechanisms employed by humans or other large mammals. ... > full story
New Link To Tropical African Climate Proposed (September 19, 2008) -- Scientists have proposed a new link to rainfall and temperature patterns in southeast Africa. Examining data from African lake core sediments covering the past 60,000 years, the researchers report in this week's Science Express that the region's climate does not march in lockstep with a circulatory system known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone, as previously believed. The finding could help scientists understand how tropical Africa will respond to global warming. ... > full story
From Sugar To Gasoline: 'Green Gasoline' Crafted From Sugar And Carbohydrates (September 19, 2008) -- Following independent paths of investigation, two research teams are announcing this month that they have successfully converted sugar -- potentially derived from agricultural waste and non-food plants -- into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and a range of other valuable chemicals. ... > full story
Biologists Identify Genes Controlling Rhythmic Plant Growth (September 19, 2008) -- A team of biologists from UC San Diego, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Oregon State University has identified the genes that enable plants to undergo bursts of rhythmic growth at night and allow them to compete when their leaves are shaded by other plants. ... > full story
Lighting Research Center Develops Framework For Assessing Light Pollution (September 19, 2008) -- Balancing public and private interests for nighttime lighting has been a difficult undertaking, as too little lighting may increase safety and security issues, while too much lighting may cause problems for the environment and for human well being. Scientists in the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed the first ever comprehensive method for predicting and measuring various aspects of light pollution. ... > full story
'Buckyballs' Have High Potential To Accumulate In Living Tissue (September 19, 2008) -- Research suggests synthetic carbon molecules called fullerenes, or buckyballs, have a high potential of being accumulated in animal tissue, but the molecules also appear to break down in sunlight, perhaps reducing their possible environmental dangers. ... > full story
New Mechanism For Cardiac Arrhythmia Discovered (September 19, 2008) -- Virus infections can cause cardiac arrhythmia. Scientists have now discovered the molecular mechanism. They have demonstrated that the receptor which the virus uses to infect heart cells is normally necessary for regular heart beat. Likewise, when the receptor is absent, arrhythmia occurs. The researchers assume that the virus infection and the autoimmune disease can block the receptor which disrupts the heart's normal rhythm. ... > full story
Genes Capable Of Regulating Stem Cell Function Identified (September 19, 2008) -- An animal model provides insight on pathways used for adult tissue maintenance and regeneration; system for studying relationship between stem cells and cancer. Scientists have developed a new system in which to study known mammalian adult stem cell disorders. This research, conducted with the flatworm planaria, highlights the genetic similarity between these invertebrates and mammals in the mechanisms by which stem cell regulatory pathways are used during adult tissue maintenance and regeneration. ... > full story
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