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BrightSurf.com Science News Headlines April 2003
April 30, 2003
What makes the body absorb too much iron?: Researchers at EMBL and Harvard gain new insights into the most common inherited disease in the Western world.
Gene activated in 80% of breast cancer patients: A George Washington University Medical Center team has discovered that the gene BP1 is activated in 80% of breast cancer patients. The researchers believe that this gene may offer a useful new target for early breast cancer detection and therapy.
Adult stem cells shown to develop into all brain cell types: Researchers at the University of Minnesota provide evidence for the first time that stem cells derived from adult bone marrow and injected into the blastocyst of a mouse can differentiate into all major types of cells found in the brain.
Finding the ashes of the first stars: Recent observations with the Hubble Space Telescope suggest that the first stars formed as little as 200 million years after the Big Bang. This is much earlier than previously thought.
Watching over the Amazon forest by remote sensing: Researchers of the IRD Space Unit conducted an investigation from January 2000 to December 2002, on deforestation in the Amazon Basin. Their overall procedure is based on the use of remote-sensing data obtained from satellites and aircraft.
Microgel polymer beads may provide general vehicle for vaccines, gene therapy: A simple method of shuttling proteins into cells via microscopic polymer beads shows promise as a general way of carrying vaccines or bits of DNA for gene therapy.

April 29, 2003
Unintended consequences of US counter-terrorism policies: Current world events would not suggest that a decline in terrorism incidents has taken place during the post-Cold War era. Economists are building new theoretical models to enlighten policymakers.
Research holds promise for optical chip: Researchers have developed a hybrid plastic that can produce light at wavelengths used for fibre-optic communication, paving the way for an optical computer chip.
Study of bacterial enzyme reveals one key to cancer cell survival: An enzyme that helps disease-causing bacteria withstand attacks by the body's natural defenses turns out to be a key to human cell survival and growth and may help explain why cancer cells can multiply unchecked.
Galaxy Evolution Explorer on its way: The mission features an orbiting telescope that will observe millions of galaxies across 10-billion years of cosmic history.
Researchers isolate protein needed for stem cell maintenance: Scientists have finally laid hands on the first member of a recalcitrant group of proteins called the Wnts two decades after their discovery. Important regulators of animal development, these proteins were suspected to have a role in keeping stem cells in their youthful, undifferentiated state.
The sap flow through trees: The sap flow in birch trees is known by the general public, because it is commercially exploited. However, sap flow does not only occur in birch trees; it occurs in all trees.

April 28, 2003
Los Alamos restores U.S. ability to make nuclear weapons: Los Alamos National Laboratory has successfully made the first nuclear weapons pit in 14 years that meets specifications for use in the U.S. stockpile.
Geologists raise questions about controversial theory of species survival: A recent study by a team of geologists has punched holes in a relatively new theory of species evolution called coordinated stasis; the theories involved are based on findings from fossil-bearing rocks that underlie Central New York.
Checking how cells grow: Research published today in Journal of Biology challenges an assumption about cell growth that underpins modern cellular biology.
Biology breakthrough could aid understanding of cancer: Researchers have made a fundamental advance in the understanding of cell biology that helps to explain how cells in higher organisms, including humans, send out signals that control cell division, cell death and other key functions.
Energy recovery experiment could lead way to new accelerators: Jefferson Lab physicists will soon begin their own version of reuse — not with run-of-the-mill materials, but with radiofrequency energy and the high-energy electrons that they energize.
Scientists show ecological interaction between 'competing' pathogens: Epidemiologists have long known that when enough individuals in a population get sick and build immunity or die, the epidemic will end.
Real-time imaging reveals the dynamic architecture of plant cells: All animal, fungal and plant cells feature guide-wire-like structures called microtubules, which help move chromosomes into two daughter cells, direct the movement of other organelles within the cell, and create a framework for cell shape and movement.
International Space Station Status Report: A major step in assuring the continued permanent human presence in space aboard the International Space Station was realized Friday night with the flawless launch of a cosmonaut and an astronaut aboard a Russian rocket.

April 25, 2003
Titan reveals a surface dominated by icy bedrock: Scientists who have peered through the smoggy orange haze of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, have discovered that the surface is not entirely covered by liquid and solid organic materials that rain out of the atmosphere.
Hurricane winds carried ocean salt & plankton far inland: Researchers found surprising evidence of sea salt and frozen plankton in high, cold, cirrus clouds, the remnants of Hurricane Nora, over the U.S. plains states.
Volcanic eruptions in Costa Rica inevitable: It might be 500,000 years or five years, but the Central Valley of Costa Rica will definitely experience major volcanic activity again.
Gene variation raises risk of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: A research team has traced increased susceptibility to bipolar disorder to two overlapping genes found on the long arm of chromosome 13.
Scientists observe nanosize microtubules treadmilling across plant cells: A study is offering new insights into a long-standing mystery about plant growth which could open new avenues of research for developing more effective herbicides and pharmaceuticals.
Purdue researchers determine age of fossilized human ancestor: In a finding that could shed light on the earliest origins of mankind, fossil remains found in South Africa of an ancestral human species have proven far older than expected when evaluated by a Purdue University research team.
Green tea linked to skin cell rejuvenation: Research into the health-promoting properties of green tea is yielding information that may lead to new treatments for skin diseases and wounds.
NASA satellite measures Earth's carbon metabolism: Data from the Terra and Aqua satellites are helping scientists frequently update maps of the rate at which plant life on Earth is absorbing carbon out of the atmosphere.

April 24, 2003
Unusually long and aligned buckytubes grown at Duke: Duke University chemists have developed a method of growing one-atom-thick cylinders of carbon, called nanotubes, 100 times longer than usual, while maintaining a soda-straw straightness with controllable orientation.
Stem cells improve heart function of seriously ill heart failure patients: Injecting a person's own stem cells directly into heart muscle appears safe and useful in treating end-stage heart failure.
Whale study links genetics and reproductive success: A recent study focusing on the humpback whales of the Gulf of Maine revealed that differences in reproductive success of whale mothers may play a significant role in changing genetic variation in the population.
Black water turns the tide on Florida coral: In early 2002, a patch of black water spanning over 60 miles in diameter formed off southwestern Florida and contributed to severe coral reef stress and death in the Florida Keys.
A kindler, gentler cut for LASIK: For people considering LASIK eye surgery but who are still hesitant about undergoing the knife, a new laser-only surgical method may help reduce complications and improve overall results.

April 23, 2003
Key to Heptitis virus persistence found: Scientists have discovered how hepatitis C virus thwarts immune system efforts to eliminate it. The finding could lead to more effective treatments for liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus.
Galaxy Evolution Explorer Looks Back in Time: NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer will carry a telescope into Earth orbit that will observe a million galaxies across 10 billion years of cosmic history to help astronomers determine when the stars we see today had their origins.
Continental roots go deep, but not as deep as some people thought: The roots of the continents go down between 200 and 250 kilometers (125-160 miles), forming a distinct boundary with the underlying mantle like that seen under the oceans.
Molecular machine shuffles beads on a DNA string: Yards of DNA are packed into cells by wrapping the DNA around proteins called nucleosomes. But that tight packing makes it hard for the cell's machinery to get at the DNA code to read, copy or repair it.
Natural and synthetic substances: Concerns over the implications of natural vs. synthetic compounds are raised in topics ranging from herbal supplements and medicinal agents to chemical warfare.
Roads pave the way for weed invasions: Improved roads in wilderness areas spread more invasive weeds than primitive roads, while roadless areas act as refuges for native species against invasions.

April 22, 2003
Scientists discover unique source of postnatal stem cells: Scientists report for the first time that baby teeth, the temporary teeth that children begin losing around their sixth birthday, contain a rich supply of stem cells in their dental pulp.
Rice uses buckyballs to reinvent antibiotic of last resort: Rice University chemists hope a new variant of vancomycin that contains buckyballs, tiny cage-shaped molecules of pure carbon, could become the first targeted antibiotic, creating a new line of defense against bioweapons like anthrax.
Glowing hot transiting exoplanet discovered: More than 100 exoplanets in orbit around stars other than the Sun have been found so far. But while their orbital periods and distances from their central stars are well known, their true masses cannot be determined with certainty, only lower limits.
Nanotechnology may help overcome current limitations of gene therapy: Scientists have created a hybrid nanodevice composed of a scaffolding of titanium oxide nanocrystals attached with snippets of DNA that may one day be used to target defective genes that play a role in cancer, neurological disease and other conditions.
White noise delays auditory organization in the brain: Exposure to continuous white noise sabotages the development of the auditory region of the brain, which may ultimately impair hearing and language acquisition.
Novel method identifies hidden genes: Scientists announced this week the development of a new computational method that provides a reliable way to estimate the total number of miRNA genes in different animals.

April 21, 2003
Researchers solve molecular structure involved with heart disease: A group of researchers have solved the crystal structure of a molecule switch that can trigger heart disease and cancer, paving the way for future drug designs to mitigate these diseases.
Can Cannabinoids Counter ParkinsonÕs Drug Side-effects?: The Clinical Trials Unit at the Peninsula Medical School is carrying out a new study exploring the impact of the extract of cannabis, Cannador, on involuntary abnormal movements associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Engineers design new optical microprobe to detect subsurface organ abnormalities: Photonics and ultrasound engineering researchers have collaborated to design an optical scanner miniaturized enough to be inserted into the body, where its light beams could someday detect abnormalities hidden in the walls of the colon, bladder or esophagus.
The salt of life and genes: Mineral salts are essential for living organisms. To be precise, it is from these, living cells get their basic components, the ions.
NASA delays SIRTF launch: NASA managers have decided to postpone the launch of SIRTF (Space Infrared Telescope Facility) aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket until no earlier than mid-August 2003.
International Space Station Status Report: The Expedition 6 crewmembers on board the International Space Station stepped up their preparations for returning to Earth this week, while the next permanent crew for the station received its final certification for a launch scheduled for the end of next week.

April 18, 2003
Low lead levels pose risk to children's cognitive functioning: A five-year study has found that lead is harmful to children at concentrations in the blood that are typically considered safe.
Researchers develop new plastic recycling process: Plastics are everywhere these days, but current recycling techniques allow only a very limited portion to be reclaimed after initial use.
Scientists returning to field of eerie thermal spires: The bizarre hydrothermal vent field discovered a little more than two years ago surprised scientists not only with vents that are the tallest ever seen but also because the fluids forming these vents are heated by seawater reacting with million-year-old mantle rocks.
Researchers find obesity receptor: A cellular receptor that balances the accumulation of fat and fat burning in the body may be a new target for anti-obesity and cholesterol-fighting drugs.
Scientists break down patterns in nature: Nature has many patterns and ecologists seek to both describe and understand them. Nature also is very complex. One challenge is to find patterns in that complexity and to ask whether simple explanations lie beneath them.
High-speed images show how cells mobilize for immune response: New high-speed imaging techniques are allowing scientists to show how a single cell mobilizes its resources to activate its immune response, a news research study shows.

April 17, 2003
New DNA Chip Rapidly Detects, Identifies Dangerous Pathogens: Detecting pathogens, whether from natural diseases or biological weapons, is about to get faster and more convenient, thanks to a new technique that can sense harmful DNA and immediately alert a doctor or scientist.
Engineer is studying type of composite material under spotlight in Columbia accident: Researchers in a University of Maine mechanical engineering laboratory have characterized the high temperature degradation of carbon-carbon composites, the same type of material that is a current focus of attention by the board investigating the space shuttle Columbia accident.
Gene variation in immune system cells lowers heart disease risk: Scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have found strong evidence that a genetic variation affecting immune system cells protects against heart disease.
Researchers ID Gene Key to Cold Tolerance in Plants: Scientists have discovered a critical cold-tolerance gene in a cruciferous plant - Arabidopsis - which is related to cabbage and broccoli.
Scientists find AmericaÕs oldest image of a deity: Archaeologists have found a 4,000-year-old gourd fragment that bears an archaic image of the Staff God – the principal deity in South America during thousands of years.
Yellowstone wolves, grizzlies and moose dysfunctional study says: A recent study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) warns that a proposal to remove grizzly bears and wolves living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) from the Endangered Species List is premature.

April 16, 2003
Five studies look at risks of differing particulate matter, including exposures on 9/11: In the hours and days following the September 11 World Trade Center disaster, rescue and clean-up workers continually breathed in air dense with particulate matter (PM) from the explosion and resulting fires.
SIRTF astronomers to study evolving planetary systems: Astronomers soon will look at dust disks evolving around Milky Way stars to learn if solar systems like ours are rare or commonplace.
Nanometer-thick clay may yield groundbreaking technology: An ultrathin film containing 1-nanometer thick clay particles has been created for the first time, an accomplishment that may yield new materials and devices for medicine, electronics and engineering
NASA and Naval Research Lab study coastal eddies: Swirling coastal eddies off southern California will be studied by NASA and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) this month.
Biologists unveil more mysteries of firefliesÕ flash: A new study by biologists at Tufts University has translated what male fireflies are saying to females when they flash their lights - and it looks like the males are bragging.
Common thyroid cancer gene mutation found: Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have found that a single genetic mistake causes about two-thirds of papillary thyroid cancers.
Tiny bubbles are key to liquid-cooled system for future computers: Researchers have made a discovery that may lead to the development of an innovative liquid-cooling system for future computer chips, which are expected to generate four times more heat than today's chips.
Looking at pesticide labels through multi-colored glasses: Pesticides are one of the most significant sources of poison to the human nervous system when misused. New research indicates that various cultures may misinterpret the directions provided by the manufacturers, thereby increasing the chances for mishandling.

April 15, 2003
NASA improves computers with tiny carbon nanotubes on silicon chips: The life of the silicon chip industry may last 10 or more years longer, thanks to a new manufacturing process developed by NASA scientists.
Nanotechnology for Space Applications: Ever more fastidious missions for the scientific investigation of space as well as the increasing use of satellite-based services require the development of more efficient, more economical and more resistant space technologies and systems in the future.
Water quality in Adirondack lakes responding to acid rain regulations: After years of bombardment with acid rain, lakes in the Adirondack region of New York are finally showing signs of recovery.
X-rays found from a lightweight brown dwarf: Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, scientists have detected X-rays from a low mass brown dwarf in a multiple star system, which is as young as 12 million years old.
Peril in Peru? NASA Takes a Look at Menacing Glacier: An Earth-monitoring instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite is keeping a close eye on a potential glacial disaster-in-the-making in Peru's spectacular, snow-capped Cordillera Blanca (White Mountains), the highest range of the Peruvian Andes.
Astronomers Stretch Celestial Yardstick to New Lengths: Astronomers' yardstick for measuring vast distances across the cosmos grew longer today as scientists at The Johns Hopkins University announced they had identified and closely analyzed two distant new instances of a kind of exploding star known as a Type Ia supernova.
Cloned gene may help crops and livestock meet future needs: Improved digestibility of livestock feed, hardier crops and higher yield of biofuels may result from information that Purdue University researchers are learning about the sorghum gene that controls plant cell wall hardness.
Firefly Light Helps Destroy Cancer Cells: Researchers inserted the firefly gene that activates bioluminescent light into modified cancer cells, hoping to set off a chain of events that has a proven track record at fighting the disease.

April 14, 2003
NASA rovers slated to examine two intriguing sites on Mars: NASA has chosen two scientifically compelling landing sites for twin robotic rovers to explore on the surface of Mars early next year.
Thin cells for solar energy: A new type of very thin solar cell made from inexpensive materials has been invented. The new device will be much cheaper to make because it uses less expensive semiconductor materials than conventional solar cells.
B-Vitamins Prove Effective In Relieving Chronic Pain: New findings reveal that this treatment could be highly effective in alleviating neuropathic pain caused by injury to the nervous system.
Building nanotubes of gallium nitride rather than carbon yields optically active nanotubes: Nanowires and carbon nanotubes, each with their pluses and minuses, are advertised as the next-generation building blocks for electronic circuits a thousand times smaller than todays semiconductor circuits.
Understanding Obesity - New research examines how hunger signals work in the brain: Obese people are not getting critical chemical signals to their brains that tell them to stop eating, findings suggest.
Skinny galaxy harbors massive black hole at core: Scientists have uncovered a supermassive black hole at the core of a svelte, spiral galaxy, a finding that questions a recently devised rule of thumb in which only galaxies with bulging cores have such black holes.
New wildfire-detection research will pinpoint small fires from 10,000 feet: The U.S. Forest Service soon will have the advantage of an entirely new tool that will identify and locate wildfires as small as 8-to-12 inches in diameter from 10,000 feet altitude.
International Space Station Status Report: A remarkable week of spacewalk and science activities is winding down for the International Space Station’s Expedition 6 crew, Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit.

April 11, 2003
DNA sequence of chromosome 7 decoded: Scientists have compiled the complete DNA sequence of human chromosome 7 and decoded nearly all of the genes on this medically important portion of the human genome.
NASA helps link gamma ray burst and supernova: Scientists have discovered one of the brightest and closest gamma ray bursts on record is also a supernova.
Eight-fold quantum states blossom in a high-temperature superconductor: Researchers have used a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to reveal eight-fold patterns of quasiparticle interference in the high-temperature superconductor Bi-2212 (bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide).
Giant solar tadpoles born in explosion: Dark features resembling Earth-sized tadpoles were seen swimming in the atmosphere of the Sun after it was heated to millions of degrees following an enormous explosion, according to scientists who made the observation using NASA's Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) spacecraft.
Aerosol cyclosporine spray improves lung function in transplant patients, say researchers: An aerosol form of the anti-rejection drug cyclosporine allows for improved lung function in lung transplant patients.

April 10, 2003
50 Arctic lakes show dramatic effects of climate warming: Dramatic clues to North American climate change have been discovered by a team of Queen’s University scientists in the bottom of 50 Arctic lakes.
Link made between dietary folate, genetic instability and bladder cancer risk: Individuals who are especially susceptible to genetic damage to their cells and who don't eat enough dietary folate are almost three times as likely to develop bladder cancer.
Legacy of starburst is a nest of X-ray pulsars: Millions of years after the star-birth rate in our close galactic neighbour, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) went through a boom, astronomers are witnessing the consequences in the form of powerful blasts of X-rays from evolved stellar binaries sytems undergoing mass transfer from one to the other.
NASA scientists to drill for new, exotic like near acidic spanish river: NASA scientists will visit Spain to search for drilling sites where later this fall they plan to look for exotic life forms that may live underground near the Rio Tinto, a river in southwestern Spain.
Researchers hope to sunproof solar cells: Scientists may have solved a mystery that has plagued the research community for more than 20 years: Why do solar cells degrade in sunlight?
First European Node for the International Space Station passed acceptance review: Node 2 will be formally delivered to the European Space Agency by ASI, the Italian Space Agency in mid-May 2003. Last week the Acceptance Review was successfully conducted.
Compound developed from mussels may lead to safer, more effective medical implants: Medical implants may soon get better at preventing life-threatening clogs and bacterial infections thanks to an unusual coating that is being developed from mussels.
Galileo Millennium Mission Status: NASA Galileo spacecraft serendipitously discovered seven to nine space rocks near Jupiter's inner moon Amalthea when Galileo flew past that moon five months ago.

April 9, 2003
New high-tech approach identifies two proteins involved in lung cancer: Researchers have devised an advanced technique that uses mass spectrometry to identify specific proteins that are over-expressed in cancer cells, blood, urine, or any substance that contains proteins.
Patented cantilever epitaxy growth process overcomes previous problems that have limited LEDs' performance: A new process of growing gallium nitride on an etched sapphire substrate, called cantilever epitaxy, may help light up the world with brighter green, blue, and even white semiconductor light emitting diodes (LEDs) - solid-state lighting.
The most powerful quasar in the local universe blows its top: Material has been discovered moving at nearly 10% the speed of light away from the centre of the nearby quasar PDS456 - the most powerful object in the local universe.
Researchers find second anthrax toxin receptor: Researchers have found a second anthrax toxin doorway, or receptor. The finding could offer new clues to preventing the toxin's entrance into cells.
Arsenic in drinking water may be linked to cancer: Exposure to small amounts of arsenic in drinking water may inhibit expression of genes involved in a critical housekeeping function that enables cells to repair damaged DNA.
Archeoastronomy links Stone-Age tomb builders with the Sun: Scientific research at the prehistoric Passage Tomb Cemetery at Loughcrew, one of Ireland's premier archaeological sites, is revealing new data on the astronomical orientations of the passage tombs and relationships in the way they are laid out.
Early detection of Alzheimers disease a possibility: Research investigating concentrations of magnetite, a magnetic form of iron, in Alzheimer’s disease tissue has produced preliminary results that suggest the possibility of developing a technique to detect Alzheimer’s disease before clinical symptoms appear.
New view of X-ray jet blasting through nearest radio galaxy: By combining radio and X-ray observations, astronomers have obtained their most detailed view yet of the effects a powerful galactic jet has as it blasts its way through stars and gas on its way out from the centre of a galaxy.
Researchers encouraged by collision-avoidance test results: NASA and industry researchers are increasingly confident a pilot in a remote ground station can safely detect and avoid collisions between an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and other aircraft.
International Space Station Status Report: Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox and NASA Science Officer Don Pettit reconfigured critical power cables and continued the external outfitting of the International Space Station during a 6 hour, 26 minute spacewalk designed to complete a number of get-ahead tasks for future ISS assembly.

April 8, 2003
Huge pulsed power machine enters fusion arena: Throwing its hat into the ring of machines that offer the possibility of achieving controlled nuclear fusion, Sandia National Laboratories' Z machine has created a hot dense plasma that produces thermonuclear neutrons.
Harnessing Microbes to Kill Cancer: Medical scientists have developed a new way of attacking cancer using a tiny organism called Clostridia which likes being inside tumours.
Prolific NASA Orbiter Adds Thousands of Photos to Mars Album: The winds of Mars leave their marks on many of the 11,664 new pictures being posted on the Internet by the camera team for NASA's Mars Global Surveyor mission.
Organic practices slightly affect corn and soybean yields: Scientists demonstrated yields of corn and soybeans were only minimally reduced when organic production practices were utilized as compared with conventional production practices.
Genetic Risk Factor for Parkinson's Disease Discovered: Inherited variations in proteins that produce energy for the body may provide protection from developing Parkinson's disease, according to a new study by scientists at Duke University Medical Center.
Wild ape population undergoing catastrophic decline: The population of apes in Western Equatorial Africa has declined severely over the last 20 years and, without aggressive intervention, may soon reach the brink of extinction, a study has found.
Evaluating The Threat From Earth's Radiation Belts: Near-Earth space can be a very dangerous place for both astronauts and satellites. One of the most hazardous environments is the van Allen belts, a doughnut-shaped region, filled with trapped energetic particles, which surrounds the Earth.
International Space Station Status Report: International Space Station crewmembers, Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit, spent much of this week preparing for their 6 1⁄2-hour spacewalk today.

April 7, 2003
It's a nova € it's a supernova € it's a HYPERNOVA: Two billion years ago, in a far-away galaxy, a giant star exploded, releasing almost unbelievable amounts of energy as it collapsed to a black hole.
Fossils show extreme plant diversity in South America 50 million years ago: The extreme biological diversity found in today's New World tropical forests began much earlier than previously thought and has researchers rethinking its origins, according to an international team of researchers studying fossil plants from Argentina.
Novel treatment results in less brain damage following stroke: Stroke patients will be welcoming the news of a discovery by a University of Alberta scientist that may have significant future implications for treatment of the disease.
New astronomical catalogue to become reference source: Monday sees the release of one of the largest catalogues of celestial X-ray sources ever made. The result of a year of observations by the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton space telescope, the new Serendipitous Source Catalogue locates tens of thousands of previously unknown X-ray emitting stars and galaxies.
New engineering methods turn medical scans into plastic replicas: A method of integrating medical imaging with engineering design has been developed by a University of Sussex engineer.

April 4, 2003
Drug slows progression of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease: A drug that quashes the activity of a key brain chemical is the first effective treatment for patients in the later stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Practical Options for Regulating Human Cloning: Practical regulatory options and research concerns related to cloning - from a system for tracking every egg to maintaining strict boundaries between fertility clinics and cloning laboratories--are the subject of a report released today by AAAS.
Pioneering spacecraft celebrates 20 years of service: NASA's original Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-1), launched from the Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-6) in April 1983, went from almost being lost in space, to a remarkable example of the agency's 'can do, never quit' attitude.
Technologists create 'cool' gelsuit for athletes: Scientists in Manchester have developed sportswear that gives a new meaning to dressing 'cool'.
Hitchhiking bacteria could compromise the detection of life on Mars: Conditions on Mars are capable of supporting dormant bacteria, known as endospores. This raises concern about future attempts to detect Martian life forms because endospores originating on Earth could potentially hitch a ride to Mars and survive on its surface.
Brain can reorganize after injury at any age: No matter when the brain is injured -- early in life, in middle age, or later -- it shows a remarkable ability to reorganize to help the body recover normal motor functions.
Insights into the functional neuroanatomy of motor imagery: Motor imagery has been extensively studied with positron emissions tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques.
Think small when powering today's electronic soldier: Revolutionary microscale fuel processor, which consolidates several chemical processes and operations into one package, is considered the smallest integrated catalytic fuel reformer in the world.

April 3, 2003
New Spin on Einstein's Relativity Theory: Albert Einstein might be astonished to learn that NASA physicists have applied his relativity theory to a concept he introduced but later disliked namely that two particles that interact could maintain a connection even if separated by a vast distance.
Cosmic chemistry in interstellar clouds points to galactic wind of low-energy cosmic rays: A bit of Earth-bound chemistry has led scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, to conclude that there is an unsuspected wind of low-energy cosmic ray particles blowing through the galaxy.
NASA ties El Nino induced drought to record air pollution from fires: Scientists using NASA satellite data have found the most intense global pollution from fires occurred during droughts caused by El Nino.
Families with severe form of bipolar disorder help scientists narrow the search for disease genes: Researchers studying families with a severe form of manic depressive illness, called psychotic bipolar disorder, may be one step closer to finding the genetic underpinnings of both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Dinosaur cannibal unearthed in Madagascar: The exotic island of Madagascar, situated off the southeast coast of Africa, was a dangerous place to live 65 million to 70 million years ago.
Vegetation essential to balancing climate models: Just as vegetables are essential to balancing the human diet, the inclusion of vegetation may be equally essential to balancing Earth’s climate models.
Brain injury patients now turning to alternative medicine for treatment: More patients than ever before with traumatic brain injuries are turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies to supplement conventional medical care for their injuries.

April 2, 2003
Antibody therapy can increase the effectiveness of cancer vaccine, early studys: The benefit of some cancer vaccines may be boosted by treating patients with an antibody that blocks a key protein on immune system T cells.
NASA detects one of the closest and brightest gamma-ray burst: The Universe clearly works weekends; delivering one of the brightest and closest gamma ray bursts yet on Saturday, March 29, at 6:37 a.m. EST.
Scientists define adult stem cell healing abilities: Research reveals how bone marrow-derived stem cells can be transformed into cells for the treatment of liver disease.
Expedition 7 crew set to launch: Veteran Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko (Col., Russian Air Force) and veteran NASA astronaut Ed Lu have been named as the primary crew for the planned April 26, 2003, launch of a Russian Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft to the International Space Station.
Accident in animal lab raises questions about a chemical used in some plastics: A sudden increase in chromosome abnormalities in a mouse colony has raised questions about the safe level of exposure for bisphenol A, a chemical used to make some common plastics and resins.
Structure of tiger eye reevaluated after 125 years: Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but when it comes to what gives tiger's eye its beauty, geologists may have been wrong for years, according to Penn State geoscientists.
Splashing down on Titan's oceans: Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is a mysterious place. Its thick atmosphere is rich in organic compounds. Some of them would be signs of life if they were on our planet.
Two brain systems tell us to breathe: Scientists believed that a single area in the brain generated breathing rhythm, enabling breathing to speed up or slow down to adapt to the body’s activity and position. But neurobiologists have discovered that two systems in the brain interact to generate breathing rhythm.

April 1, 2003
Searching for habitable planets with Eddington: The scientific community involved in the search for habitable planets will meet in Palermo (Italy) on April 9-11 to take an important step towards the discovery of other worlds which might harbour life.
Folic acid-iron supplements reduce risk of low birth weight: Multiple vitamin supplements during pregnancy may not be any more effective than folic acid-iron supplements in reducing the risk of low birth weight babies.
Sunquakes Reveal The Solar Furnace: Most people are familiar with the fact that sensitive instruments known as seismographs can detect earthquakes taking place many hundreds or thousands of miles away. By studying the waves from these tremors, scientists can find out about the conditions deep inside our rocky planet.
Ultra-Simple Desktop Device Slows Light to a Crawl: Though Einstein put his foot down and demanded that nothing can move faster than light, a new device developed at the University of Rochester may let you outpace a beam by putting your foot down on the gas pedal.
New hope for correcting irregular heartbeat: People who suffer from irregular heartbeat now have a different treatment option, thanks to a new procedure being offered.
Black holes really are holes, astronomers say: Black holes really are holes - objects without a surface - say Drs Christine Done and Marek Gierlinski in a paper accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Early flash flood warning system may save lives, property: Weather forecasters may soon be able to predict deadly flash floods several days in advance using a new technique developed by Penn State researchers and the National Weather Service.

[ March 2003 News Archive ]
 
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