ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

Redness, swelling, pain -- these are signs of inflammation. It serves to protect the body from pathogens or foreign substances. Researchers were able to show that inflammatory reactions of an important sensor protein proceed in a specific spatial direction. This finding has the potential to conceivably stop inflammation at the 'growing end', and thus bring chronic inflammatory diseases to a halt.

Researchers have come to a surprising new understanding of the complexities of the global food trade and the impacts of biodiversity hotspots.

A new study shows that the optic gland in maternal octopuses undergoes a massive shift in cholesterol metabolism, resulting in dramatic changes in the steroid hormones produced. Alterations in cholesterol metabolism in other animals, including humans, can have serious consequences on longevity and behavior, and the study's authors believe this reveals important similarities in the functions of these steroids across the animal kingdom, in soft-bodied cephalopods and vertebrates alike.

How does a cell balance risk and speed when dividing? Scientists have developed and experimentally tested the first mathematical theory that describes the cell's best strategy for dividing safely and efficiently.

Maternal obesity impairs heart health and function of the fetus according to a new study in mice. The study found that maternal obesity causes molecular changes in the heart of the fetus and alters expression of genes related to nutrient metabolism, which greatly increases offspring's risk of cardiac problems in later life.

Liquid fuels with high energy density, though used worldwide, are dangerous to transport and store owing to their volatility, which produces explosive gas mixtures. To address this problem, researchers recently investigated the possibility of storing liquid fuel within polymeric gel networks, preventing their fast evaporation, and demonstrating good combustion performance. Their work paves the way for safer transport and storage of liquid fuels.