Biodiversity hotspots identify conservation priorities
The new book Hotspots Revisited identifies 34 regions worldwide where 75 percent of the planet's most threatened mammals, birds, and amphibians survive within habitat covering just 2.3 percent of the Earth's surface (roughly equivalent to the combined areas of the five largest U.S. states). This habitat originally covered 15.7 percent of the Earth's surface, an area equivalent in size to Russia a...UW-Madison scientists zero in on drugs' sweet spots
Employing a simple new technique to manipulate the sugars that power many front-line drugs, a team of Wisconsin scientists has enhanced the antic-cancer properties of a digitalis, a drug commonly used to treat heart disease. Reporting the work in the Aug. 8 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team led by University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of pharmaceuti...Medieval diaries aid scientists ascertain increase in hot spots due to global warming
The temperature of the northern hemisphere has increased over a larger area in the last century than at any time in the past millennium a report published in Science reveals this week. The study finds that the number of 'hot spots' has increased dramatically in the Northern Hemisphere in the last century compared to the past 1200 years - adding to the growing evidence of wide-scale global...Chimpanzee study reveals genome variation hotspots
Researchers believe that dynamic regions of the human genome -- "hotspots" in terms of duplications and deletions -- are potentially involved in the rapid evolution of morphological and behavioral characteristics that are genetically determined. Now, an international team of researchers, including a graduate student and an associate professor from Arizona State University, are finding simi...Snakes' virtual glasses, leopard spots and all-optical transistors
Even in the dark, snakes on a plane (at least those of the pit viper and boa varieties) could keep a close watch on terrorized passengers and crew thanks to small cavities near their snouts known as pit organs. The organs are sensitive to the infrared radiation emitted by warm prey such as rats, rabbits, and Samuel L. Jackson. An optical analysis of pit organs suggests that snakes shouldn't be ab...Location, location, location: Spots to consider for online ads
In recent months, popular search engines have undergone significant changes: Google allows marketers to target specific ad positions within...Two Wisconsin companies hold spots on Computerworld employee survey
The magazine released its 12th annual "100 Best Places to Work in IT" report on Monday, ranking 30th in the coun...Midwest states in top 10 small-tech hotspots
Before I provide you with the...New Method To Identify Protein Hot spots
Though Proteins are stable there are certain conditions under which they loose their stability and aggregates with the unbounded proteins leading to protein aggregation called as Amyloid Fibers// which is though to be responsible for causing neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer and Parkinson Diseases. The Research team from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, led by the researcher...Mercury Contamination (Hotspots) Identified
Researchers surveying mercury contamination in fish and birds in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada has identified five "hotspots" where concentrations// of the element exceed those established for human or wildlife health. The US and Canadian research team focused on levels of the potent neurotoxin in yellow perch and common loons, but it also took into account cont...Antarctic Icebergs Serve as 'hotspots' for Ocean Life
Antarctica's icebergs have a major impact on the ecology of the ocean around them, serving as 'hotspots' for ocean life, according to a new study by American researchers. The icebergs hold trapped terrestrial material, which they release far out at sea as they melt. This process produces a "halo effect" with significantly increased nutrients, chlorophyll and krill out to a radius of...