Biosentients - Science Biology… etc

What causes tropical life to thrive: temperature, or sunlight? The answer is not necessarily both. As per a research studypublished online this week in PNAS Early Edition, the explosion of species at the tropics has much more to do with warmth than with light. The diversity was uncorrelation to productivity (from photosynthesis), but it was strongly correlation to temperature, said University of Southern California biologist Jed Fuhrman, who led a group that analyzed bacterial samples from warm and cold oceans……..

In 2003, haddock on Georges Bank experienced the largest baby boom ever documented for the stock, with an estimated 800 million new young fish entering the population. With typical annual averages of 50 to 100 million new fish in the last few decades, fisheries biologists have been puzzled by the huge increase and its ramifications for stock management. They have been looking for answers and may have found one - healthy adults……..

Silkworms have a unique ability to eat toxic mulberry leaves without feeling ill, and scientists have come one step closer to understanding why: silkworms contain a special digestive enzyme that is not affected by mulberrys toxic chemicals. Mulberry leaves contain an extremely high amount of alkaloids that inhibit enzymes that break down sucrose (sugar), and thus are potentially quite toxic. However, one type of sucrase called beta-fructofuranosidase is not affected by these alkaloids……..

22nd May 2008 The first study to determine the global threat status of 21 species of wide-ranging oceanic pelagic sharks and rays reveals serious overfishing and recommends key steps that governments can take to safeguard populations. These findings and recommendations for action are reported in the latest edition of Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems……..

Scientists at the University of Minnesotas Bell Museum of Natural History and Pennsylvanias Villanova University have discovered a new family of gecko, the charismatic large-eyed lizard popularized by car insurance commercials. Researchers have long been interested in geckos and their evolution because they are key biodiversity indicators and are found on nearly every continent. Scientists are also interested in the gecko because of the animals sticky toe pads, which allow them to scale rough and smooth surfaces — a characteristic that may have human application in medicine, emergency rescue service and military industries……..

There are only four specimens of the Yangtze giant softshell turtle left on Earthone in the wild and three in captivity. In order to save this species from extinction, conservation partners from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), working in conjunction with partners from two Chinese zoos and the China Zoo Society, recently paired two of them. A still reproductive, more than 80-year-old, female, living in Chinas Changsha Zoo has been introduced to the only known male in China, a more than 100-year-old living more than 600 miles away at the Suzhou Zoo……..

The number of humpback whales in the North Pacific Ocean has increased since international and federal protections were enacted in the 1960s and 70s, as per a new study funded primarily by NOAA and conducted by more than 400 whale scientists throughout the Pacific region. However, some isolated populations of humpbacks, particularly those in the Western Pacific Ocean, have not recovered at the same rate and still suffer low numbers……..

Brain cells known as neurons process information by joining into complex networks, transmitting signals to each other across junctions called synapses. But “neurons don’t just connect to other neurons,” emphasizes Z. Josh Huang, Ph.D., “in a lot of cases, they connect to very specific partners, at particular spots.”…….

Scientists have discovered the secrets to enhancing youth participation in school- and community-based garden programs. A 3-year study entitled Greener Voices proves that children will engage in learning more readily when given responsibility for decisionmaking and planning. Childrens gardens have mushroomed during the past two decades. Gardens are popping up in schools, communities, public venues, and informal settings. Despite recent interest in gardening with children, little credence has been given to what children think about the experience: what interests them, how they may be involved in decisionmaking and planning, and how they can benefit from their involvement. Adults make a number of assumptions about children and gardening, and instead of enlisting the creativity and innovative thinking of young people, they often involve children in the more mundane tasks of planting, weeding, and watering notes Marcia Eames-Sheavly, lead researcher and Senior Extension Associate at Cornell Universitys Garden-Based Learning Program (http://www.hort.cornell.edu/gbl)……..

As per the 2000 census, Americans office workers spend an average of 52 hours a week at their desks or work stations. A number of recent studies on job satisfaction have shown that workers who spend longer hours in office environments, often under artificial light in windowless offices, report reduced job satisfaction and increased stress levels……..