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Monday, September 10, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


Increase in metal concentrations in Rocky Mountain watershed tied to warming temperatures

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:28 PM PDT

Warmer air temperatures since the 1980s may explain significant increases in zinc and other metal concentrations of ecological concern in a Rocky Mountain watershed, reports a new study.

Mountain forest study shows vulnerability to climate change

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:04 PM PDT

A new study that ties forest "greenness" in the western United States to fluctuating year-to-year snowpack indicates mid-elevation mountain ecosystems are most sensitive to rising temperatures and changes in precipitation and snowmelt.

Enough wind to power global energy demand: New research examines limits, climate consequences

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:04 PM PDT

There is enough energy available in winds to meet all of the world's demand. Atmospheric turbines that convert steadier and faster high-altitude winds into energy could generate even more power than ground- and ocean-based units. New research examines the limits of the amount of power that could be harvested from winds, as well as the effects high-altitude wind power could have on the climate as a whole.

Forest mortality and climate change: The big picture

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:04 PM PDT

Over the past two decades, extensive forest death triggered by hot and dry climatic conditions has been documented on every continent except Antarctica. Forest mortality due to drought and heat stress is expected to increase due to climate change. Although research has focused on isolated incidents of forest mortality, little is known about the potential effects of widespread forest die-offs.

Novel airborne germ-killing oral spray effective in fighting colds and flu

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:04 PM PDT

A new oral antiseptic spray is effective in killing 99.9 percent of infectious airborne germs that cause colds and the flu.

New potential targets discovered for treating squamous cell lung cancers

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:04 PM PDT

A new study holds out hope that people with the second most common type of lung cancer may one day benefit from targeted therapies that have transformed treatments for other lung cancer patients. Scientists have identified many potential targets based on the large number and variety of DNA alterations they discovered in most tumors.

Nano-velcro clasps heavy metal molecules in its grips

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:03 PM PDT

Researchers have devised a simple, system based on nanoparticles, to detect mercury as well as others pollutants. This technology makes it possible to easily and inexpensively test for these substances in water and, importantly, also in the fish that we eat.

Protecting genes, one molecule at a time

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:03 PM PDT

Scientists have shown at an unprecedented level of detail how cells prioritize the repair of genes containing potentially dangerous damage. The research studied the action of individual molecules in order to understand how cellular repair pathways are triggered.

Why an AIDS vaccine has been so difficult to develop

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:03 PM PDT

New research explains a decades-old mystery as to why slightly weakened versions of the monkey AIDS virus were able to prevent subsequent infection with the fully virulent strain, but were too risky for human use, and why severely compromised or completely inactivated versions of the virus were not effective at all.

Giant 'balloon of magma' inflates under Santorini's volcano

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:03 PM PDT

The chamber of molten rock beneath Santorini's volcano expanded 10-20 million cubic meters -- up to 15 times the size of London's Olympic Stadium -- between January 2011 and April 2012, according to a new survey. The growth of this 'balloon' of magma has seen the surface of the island rise 8-14 centimeters during this period, the researchers found.

First evidence for a genetic cause for Barrett's esophagus

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:03 PM PDT

Genetic variations that are linked with the onset of Barrett's esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition of the lower end of the gullet, have been identified for the first time. The discovery of variations in regions on two chromosomes makes it possible to develop screening tests for people at high risk of developing the disease.

Genetic clues to the causes of primary biliary cirrhosis: Researchers find new risk regions associated with primary biliary cirrhosis

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:02 PM PDT

Researchers have used a new technology to uncover three genetic regions associated with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), the most common autoimmune liver disease. With this technology, scientists will now be able to survey more thoroughly regions of the genome known to underlie other autoimmune diseases to discover if they play a role also in PBC susceptibility.

Cost-effectiveness of HIV testing in drug abuse treatment programs demonstrated

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:02 PM PDT

Less than half of community-based substance abuse treatment programs in the United States currently make HIV testing available on-site or through referral. A new study shows the cost-effectiveness of integrating on-site rapid HIV testing into drug treatment programs.

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