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Saturday, April 7, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


Which plants will survive droughts, climate change?

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 11:18 AM PDT

Biologists aim to predict which plant species will escape extinction from climate change. Droughts are worsening around the world, which poses a great challenge to plants in gardens and forests. Scientists have debated for more than a century how to predict which species are most vulnerable.

Impact of warming climate doesn't always translate to streamflow

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 11:17 AM PDT

An analysis of 35 headwater basins in the United States and Canada found that the impact of warmer air temperatures on streamflow rates was less than expected in many locations, suggesting that some ecosystems may be resilient to certain aspects of climate change.

Ecosystems dependent on snowy winters most threatened, long term research confirms

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 05:28 AM PDT

As global temperatures rise, the most threatened ecosystems are those that depend on a season of snow and ice, scientists say. In semi-arid regions like the southwestern United States, mountain snowpacks are the dominant source of water for human consumption and irrigation. New research shows that as average temperatures increase in these snowy ecosystems, a significant amount of stream water is lost to the atmosphere.

Study shows unified process of evolution in bacteria and sexual eukaryotes

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:21 AM PDT

Bacteria adapt to habitats through random genetic mutations and gene exchange. But how does an advantageous mutation spread from a bacterium to a population? Does the gene sweep through a population or does an individual bacterium obtain the gene, then replicate its genome to form an adapted population? Researchers have shown that genes can sweep through populations, indicating that the process of evolution in bacteria is very similar to that of sexual eukaryotes.

Tiny hitchhikers attack cancer cells: Gold nanostars first to deliver drug directly to cancer cell nucleus

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Nanotechnology offers powerful new possibilities for targeted cancer therapies, but the design challenges are many. Scientists have now developed a nanoparticle that can deliver a drug directly to a cancer cell's nucleus. They have also directly imaged nanoscale dimensions showing how nanoparticles interact with the nucleus, which dramatically changes shape. The researchers found this shape change linked to cells dying and the cell population becoming less viable.

Shifting sands: New model predicts how sand and other granular materials flow

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Sand in an hourglass might seem simple and straightforward, but such granular materials are actually tricky to model. From far away, flowing sand resembles a liquid, streaming down the center of an hourglass like water from a faucet. But up close, one can make out individual grains that slide against each other, forming a mound at the base that holds its shape, much like a solid.

Microflora have decisive role with autoimmune illnesses, some good, some bad

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 04:52 AM PDT

When the right microorganisms are at work, immune cells involved in the development of autoimmune illnesses like psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and arthritis, can develop anti-inflammatory properties. Scientists have now demonstrated that particular fungi activate the immune cells involved in the development of certain illnesses, whereas other microorganisms, in particular bacteria that are found naturally on our skin, lend an anti-inflammatory function to them.

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