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BrightSurf.com Science News Headlines July 2003
July 31, 2003
Ground-breaking work in understanding of time: A bold paper which has highly impressed some of the world's top physicists and been published in the August issue of Foundations of Physics Letters, seems set to change the way we think about the nature of time and its relationship to motion and classical and quantum mechanics.
Close encounters of the stellar kind: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has confirmed that close encounters between stars form X-ray emitting, double-star systems in dense globular star clusters.
NASA scientist discovers new species of organism in Mars-like environment: They thrive without oxygen, growing in salty, alkaline conditions, and may offer insights into what kinds of life might survive on Mars.
Ion drives - Science fiction or science fact?: Science fiction movie fans know that, if you want to travel short distances from your home planet, you would use a sublight 'ion drive'. However, is such an ion drive science fiction, or science fact?
'Twinning' phenomenon found in nanocrystalline aluminum: Using a powerful electron microscope to view atomic-level details, Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a "twinning" phenomenon in a nanocrystalline form of aluminum that was plastically deformed during lab experiments.
Professor skeptical about use of hydrogen-fueled cars: Hydrogen-powered cars became the nation's hot wheels during the State of the Union speech in January, when the Bush administration proposed more research and predicted that the cars could be commercially practical by 2020.
Space shows way to EuropeÕs renewable energy future: How can we more effectively harness the free and endless energy resources of the Sun, wind and water? One answer is orbiting above us.
Scientists develop recyclable catalyst for solvent-free reactions: Chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a catalyst that achieves complete conversion of reactants to products and can easily be recovered and reused with no waste.

July 30, 2003
NASA observations confirm expected ozone layer recovery: NASA satellite observations have provided the first evidence the rate of ozone depletion in the Earth's upper atmosphere is decreasing. This may indicate the first stage of ozone layer recovery.
Anthrax research might provide more time for treatment: Researchers have been awarded new federal grant money to develop experimental compounds that may someday extend the period during which a person exposed to anthrax can be treated successfully.
Titania nanotubes make supersensitive hydrogen sensors: Titania nanotubes are 1500 times better than the next best material for sensing hydrogen and may be one of the first examples of materials properties changing dramatically when crossing the border between real world sizes and nanoscopic dimensions, according to a Penn State materials scientist.
Music therapy strikes a chord with cancer patients: Music therapy for patients who have undergone a bone-marrow transplant reduces their reports of pain and nausea and may even play a role in quickening the pace at which their new marrow starts producing blood cells.
World's largest astronomical CCD camera installed on Palomar Observatory telescope: The world's largest astronomical camera has been installed on Palomar Observatory's 48-inch Oschin Telescope in California. This telescope has been working to improve our understanding of the universe for nearly 55 years. The new upgrade will help it to push the limits of the unknown for years to come.
Hygiene is most potent force in tackling deadly diseases: Rapid and sustained implementation of stringent infection control procedures by healthcare workers in hospitals – such as wearing masks, gowns and washing hands regularly – is the single most important measure in combating the spread of new, infectious diseases for which there is no treatment of vaccine.
Lowering salt content in DNA solutions may help improve gene therapy success: Researchers have found they can control the size of densely packed DNA structures by changing the salt concentration in solutions containing DNA. The finding could improve the efficiency of gene delivery for medical treatment and disease prevention.
Thymus transplant might save babies born without immune systems: Babies destined to die because they were born without a thymus -- the organ that generates immune cells -- can be given lifesaving tissue normally discarded during cardiac surgery on other infants, researchers have found.

July 29, 2003
Embryonic stem cell model could provide clues to causes, cures for diabetes: By studying embryonic stem cells from a mouse, researchers have identified a potential model system for elucidating the stages of normal pancreatic development, as well as for developing a source of insulin-producing cells for people who need them to treat their diabetes.
Milestone marked in space - 1,000 days of human presence on station: A milestone will be marked in space Tuesday, the 1,000th consecutive day of people living and working aboard the International Space Station.
New discoveries about old-growth forests: It is generally accepted that old-growth forests are ecosystems defined as forests with old trees and related structural attributes like large trees, large dead woody material on the forest floor, and horizontal and vertical canopy diversity.
Cell 'suicide' enzymes are a missing link in Alzheimer's disease: Northwestern University researchers have found that caspases, a family of protein-cutting enzymes involved in programmed cell death (apoptosis), may be a missing link in the chain of molecular events leading to Alzheimer's disease.
Rocket telescope gets closest look at the sun: Scientists got their closest-ever ultraviolet look at the Sun from space, thanks to a telescope and camera launched aboard a sounding rocket.
Birth control for brain neurons: Nitric Oxide regulates stem cell division in the adult brain; Strategy seen for repairing brain damage caused by neurodegenerative disease and stroke.
NYU scientists develop more accurate mathematical method to analyze genetic data: A multi-disciplinary group of scientists at New York University, led by Bud Mishra, professor of computer science and mathematics, has developed a mathematical method for analyzing genetic data that could drastically improve the reliability of research findings.
Single gene controls leaf form: A single gene, called PHANTASTICA (PHAN), controls whether a plant makes feathery leaves like a tomato or umbrella-like leaves like Oxalis. The same mechanism is shared by a wide group of flowering plants.

July 28, 2003
The 'fixed' hotspot that created Hawaii was not stationary after all: Geologists have long assumed that the Hawaiian Islands owe their existence to a 'hotspot' - stationary plumes of magma that rise from the Earth's mantle to form Mauna Loa, Kilauea and Hawaii's other massive volcanoes.
ESA is hot on the trail of Geminga: Astronomers using ESA's X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton, have discovered a pair of X-ray tails, stretching 3 million million kilometres across the sky.
University of Toronto team maps halos around galaxies: Two University of Toronto astronomers and a U.S. colleague have made the first-ever measurements of the size and shape of massive dark matter halos that surround galaxies.
Counting the molecules that pull cells apart: Scientists at the MPI-CBG in Dresden and EMBL in Heidelberg map forces that help cells divide.
Increasing carbon dioxide relieves drought stress in corn: Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will benefit photosynthesis in U.S. corn crops in the future by relieving drought stress, say researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
International Space Station Status Report: The Expedition 7 crew, Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu, wound up a busy week with a Canadarm2 session that could lead to operation of the Station's robotic arm by controllers on the ground without crew participation.

July 25, 2003
Why are things in space the shape that they are?: You cannot fail to notice it – space is littered with spherical shapes, from our own Earth to the enormous planet Jupiter. Why is Nature obsessed with all things round?
New research challenges prevailing theory of microbial biodiversity: A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has found genetic differences in a sampling of a species of hot spring-loving microbes from around the world.
Whale populations are too low to resume commercial hunting: Scientists have vastly underestimated the number of humpbacks and other great whales that inhabited the North Atlantic Ocean before the advent of whaling.
Small galaxy springs 'dark matter' surprises: Astronomers from the University of Cambridge, UK, have found for the first time the true outer limits of a galaxy. They have also shown that the dark matter in this galaxy is not distributed in the way conventional theory predicts.
X-37 technology demonstrator completes structural tests in preparation for atmospheric flight test program: An approach and landing test version of the X-37, a spacecraft designed to demonstrate technologies for NASA's Orbital Space Plane Program, successfully completed structural testing.
Rising height of atmospheric boundary points to human impact on climate: A team of scientists, including several from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), has determined that human-related emissions are largely responsible for an increase in the height of the tropopause--the boundary between the two lowest layers of the atmosphere.
Los Alamos releases new maps of Mars water: Breathtaking new maps of likely sites of water on Mars showcase their association with geologic features such as Vallis Marineris, the largest canyon in the solar system.
Engineers discover in nature exotic structures envisioned by mathematicians: Three years before he received the Nobel Prize in Physics, Eugene Wigner published an article entitled 'The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences' (1960).
Hydrothermal vent systems could have persisted for millions of years, incubated early life: The staying power of sea-floor hydrothermal vent systems like the bizarre Lost City vent field is one reason they also may have been incubators of Earth's earliest life.

July 24, 2003
Self-assembling devices at the nanoscale: Scientists have demonstrated a technique that could one day allow electronic devices to assemble themselves automatically--giving semiconductor manufacturers a way to mass-produce 'nanochips' that have circuit elements only a few molecules across, roughly ten times smaller than the features in current-generation chips.
NASA Marshall Center team recreates first liquid-fueled rocket in celebration of centennial flight: A team of engineers from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., is hard at work on a project to 'recreate history' by building a pair of replicas of the world's first liquid-fueled rocket.
NASA mishap board identifies cause of X-43A failure: The NASA mishap investigation board, charged to review the loss of the X-43A Hyper-X program research vehicle during its June 2, 2001 launch, concluded no single factor or potential contributing factor caused the mishap.
People with large pupils can now get lasik and avoid night vision disturbances: People who previously were not considered good candidates for LASIK because of large pupils can now get the procedure, according to a study.
Sandia microfluidic device rapidly captures and releases proteins: A microdevice whose business end looks like the gold-coated spine of a very tiny mouse, with each vertebrae line separated from the next by about a third the width of a human hair, has been demonstrated to easily collect and release proteins in aqueous solution in less than a second.
Amphibians' life stages influence contaminant transfer from aquatic to terrestrial environments: Scientists at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory have taken the first step toward understanding how variations in the life stages of amphibians may influence contaminant transfer from aquatic to terrestrial environments.
Helping coral reefs survive climate change: While the high ocean surface temperatures during the 1997-98 El Nino bleached coral reefs in more than 50 tropical countries worldwide, patches of coral did survive in or near the damaged reefs.

July 23, 2003
Chemical 'scissors' yield short carbon nanotubes: Chemists at Rice University have identified a chemical process for cutting carbon nanotubes into short segments. The new process yields nanotubes that are suitable for a variety of applications, including biomedical sensors small enough to migrate through cells without triggering immune reactions.
Astronomers count how many stars there are in the Universe: There are more stars in the sky than all the grains of sand on every beach and in every desert on earth, according to an Australian National University astronomer who has made the most accurate calculation of star numbers to date.
Cool 'eyes' above help track hot fires below: NASA satellites' 'eyes' above Earth are providing scientists and fire managers with powerful monitoring tools.
Unlocking the dark secrets of dwarf galaxies: New research on dwarf spheroidal galaxies by a team of astronomers at the University of Cambridge promises a real astronomical first: detection, for the first time, of the true outer limits of a galaxy.
Marine scientists now cruising into icy arctic to research major process affecting global climate: University of Delaware marine scientists are now working aboard the 420-foot U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy on a National Science Foundation project to track the fresh water flowing out of the Arctic Ocean into the Atlantic.
Industry asked to design Mars rover and payload: Is there life on other worlds or is planet Earth the only place in our Solar System where living organisms have evolved? ESA is inviting European and Canadian industry to participate in its exciting ExoMars mission in order to provide an answer to this age-old question.
Models show gene flow from crops threatens wild plants: In a river valley just southwest of Mexico City stands a small patch of teosinte - a wild, weedy grass thought to be the ancient ancestor of corn.
Vacuum technology developed to control insects in wood: Virginia Tech wood scientists hope that their vacuum-drying project will benefit wood pallet and container manufacturers and hardwood sawmill businesses across the nation.

July 22, 2003
Oceanographers catch first wave of gravity mission's success: The joint NASA-German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (Grace) mission has released its first science product, the most accurate map yet of Earth's gravity field.
US bald eagle counts continue to climb slowly: Winter counts of bald eagles increased nearly 2 percent annually from 1986-2000 in the contiguous United States, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) analysis.
Researchers pinpoint genes involved in cancer growth: In a study made possible by the sequencing of the human genome, scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified 57 genes involved in the growth of human tumor cells.
USA-France tandem satellite mission serving up fresh sea fare: Take one well-seasoned oceanography satellite, the joint NASA-CNES (French Space Agency) Topex/Poseidon, nearing its 11th year in orbit to study the world's ocean circulation and its effect on climate, mix in a fresh sibling satellite, Jason, and you get what scientists are calling the Jason-Topex/Poseidon tandem mission.
Single protein is key in response to bacterial, viral infections: A single protein acts as a key switch point in frontline immune system reactions to both bacterial and viral infections, according to a report published online today in the journal Nature.
Research cruise in Celtic Sea to measure crucial stocks of marine algae: A team of scientists from Southampton Oceanography Centre (SOC) and three other research institutions will set sail for the Celtic Sea on Friday 25 July on a three-week mission to measure stocks of marine algae, or phytoplankton.
NASA team gives FUSE spacecraft triple brain transplant: NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite was given a new lease on life following the successful implementation of new software in three computers that work together to control the precision pointing of the telescope.
UGA scientists test less lethal means to determine contaminant uptake: When scientists need to determine how much of a contaminant in an environment actually remains in the animals that live there, traditionally they have had to sacrifice test animals to collect tissue for contaminant level testing.

July 21, 2003
Fetal exposure to two chemicals cause of male reproductive disorders later in life: Over the last ten years, US researchers have observed a marked increase in some male reproductive disorders, including undescended testicles, increased instances of testicular cancer, and decreased sperm count.
Is there an alternative to expensive testing for HIV diagnosis and AIDS management?: Lesser-developed countries can make use of alternative testing methods to measure their progress in the war against HIV/AIDS.
Mars in opposition - One for the record books: On 27th August, Mars will be at its closest to Earth for almost 60,000 years. On that date, the Red Planet will approach to within 34,646,418 miles (55,758,006 km) - 145 times the distance of the Moon.
Ancient DNA analysis unveils mystery of history's most horribly deformed man -- The Elephant Man: The Discovery Health Channel has united three distinguished medical researchers from three different continents in an attempt to put an end to the mystery of what really afflicted Joseph Merrick, notoriously known as the Elephant Man.
Stars rich in heavy metals tend to harbor planets: A comparison of 754 nearby stars like our sun - some with planets and some without - shows definitively that the more iron and other metals there are in a star, the greater the chance it has a companion planet.
Space engineering helps drill better holes in planet Earth: Expertise derived from working on the joint NASA-ESA Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and its moon Titan is now being applied to underground drilling machines.
Microflares could play macro role in heating corona: The sun's big, bright, explosive flares are the attention grabbers, but tiny, more numerous microflares may have nearly as much influence on the solar atmosphere, according to new data from the University of California, Berkeley's RHESSI satellite.

July 18, 2003
Study suggests interplay of gene, stress can predict depression: When a loved one dies, families usually gather together to grieve. While some members cope with the loss, others sink into depression. Who will experience the telling signs of this mental illness depends in part on genetic make-up.
New location of deep convection may exist in North Atlantic: Deep convection, or mixing, of ocean waters in the North Atlantic, widely thought to occur in only the Labrador Sea and the Mediterranean, may occur in a third location first proposed nearly 100 years ago by the explorer and oceanographer Fridtjof Nansen.
Hydrogen-fueled cars not best way to cut pollution, greenhouse gases and oil dependency: As politicians and the public leap aboard the hydrogen fuel bandwagon, a University of California, Berkeley, energy expert suggests we all step back and take a critical look at the technology and consider simpler, cheaper options.
Hubble tracks down a galaxy cluster's dark matter: Using the powerful trick of gravitational lensing, a European and American team of astronomers have constructed an extensive ‘mass map’ of one of the most massive structures in our Universe.
Key cellular machinery predated rise of animals: With the help of an obscure microorganism with ancient roots, scientists have discovered that critical biological processes at work today in humans and other animals were in place before the advent of multicellular life on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago.
Changes in deep brain tissue signal an increased risk for strokes: Changes in the brain's white matter, a common occurrence among the elderly, increase a person's risk of having multiple strokes.
New approach to gene knockouts reveals the 'master planners' of the skeleton: In an exceptionally demanding series of experiments, researchers knocked out entire sets of two families of genes suspected in playing a central role in establishing the pattern of the skeleton in the mammalian embryo.
Low-level perchlorate detection method shows promise: A Los Alamos National Laboratory evaluation of a relatively new method to detect miniscule amounts of perchlorate in water indicates that the detection method holds promise in detecting perchlorate at concentrations of less than one part per billion.

July 17, 2003
Fewer earthbound asteroids will hit home: Researchers from Imperial College London and the Russian Academy of Sciences have built a computer simulation that predicts whether asteroids with a diameter up to one kilometre (km) will explode in the atmosphere or hit the surface.
Researchers discover novel mechanism of how anthrax impairs immunity: In the first study of its kind, researchers have shown that anthrax lethal factor (LF) impairs the function of dendritic cells and thereby compromises the immune system's ability to fight the microbe.
Satellites will join search for source of Ebola virus: Microscopes are not the only tools available to study disease. A new ESA project employs satellites to predict and help combat epidemic outbreaks, as well as join the hunt for the origin of the deadly Ebola virus.
Manatee's cousin faces extinction on Tanzanian coast: Known worldwide for its diversity of large species, Tanzania could soon lose one of its most unique mammals--the dugong--to a combination of net entanglement and habitat destruction.
Astronomers reveal the first detailed maps of galaxy distribution in the early universe: Peering back in time more than 7 billion years, a team of astronomers using a powerful new spectrograph at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii has obtained the first maps showing the distribution of galaxies in the early universe.
Voltage issue identified in Los Alamos flash x-ray machine: Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have identified a component performance issue during early commissioning work for the second axis of the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility at Los Alamos.
Smoking supernovae solve a ten billion year-old mystery: A team of UK astronomers have announced the discovery that some supernovae have bad habits - they belch out huge quantities of 'smoke' known as cosmic dust.
Evolutionary 'fast-track,' in which the hunted outwit their hunters, could explain why human diseases progress so rapidly: In the fishbowl of life, when hordes of well-fed predators drive their prey to the brink of extinction, sometimes evolution takes the fast track to help the hunted survive -- and then thrive to outnumber their predators.

July 16, 2003
Sandia researchers use quantum dots as a new approach to solid-state lighting: In a different approach to creating white light several researchers at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Sandia National Laboratories have developed the first solid-state white light-emitting device using quantum dots.
STARS flight tests space-based tracking methods: The tests demonstrate the capability to utilize existing space-based platforms such as the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) to provide reliable communication, telemetry and tracking for Range Safety and Range Users.
NASA research seeks to discover if comets seeded life: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center will lead the effort to discover if comets supplied the raw material for the origin of life on Earth, and if they could do so for alien worlds, as part of its participation in NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) research.
17-year study confirms that lead in the soil descends slowly: In a 17-year experiment on Vermont's Camel's Hump, three Dartmouth researchers find that lead moves very slowly though the soil. Using the highly accurate technique of isotopic analysis for the first time at this field site, the researchers traced several varieties of lead with different atomic weights.
Researcher discovers 'Brain Temperature Tunnel': Yale researcher M. Marc Abreu, M.D., has identified an area of the brain he calls the brain temperature tunnel, which transmits brain temperature to an area of skin and has the potential to prevent death from heat stroke and hypothermia, and detect infectious diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Icebound Antarctic telescope delivers first neutrino sky map: A novel telescope that uses the Antarctic ice sheet as its window to the cosmos has produced the first map of the high-energy neutrino sky.
African dust brings drought, rain across Atlantic: Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa may help modify clouds and rainfall both in Africa and across the tropical North Atlantic, as far away as Barbados, according to a study that uses 16 years of data from NASA satellites, ground measurements and computer models.

July 15, 2003
Satellites see lightning strikes in ozone's origins: During summertime ozone near the Earth's surface forms in most major U.S. cities when sunlight and heat mix with car exhaust and other pollution, causing health officials to issue 'ozone alerts.'
New fast lane towards discoveries of clusters of galaxies inaugurated: Using the ESA XMM-Newton satellite, a team of European and Chilean astronomers has obtained the world's deepest wide-field X-ray image of the cosmos to date. This penetrating view, when complemented with observations by some of the largest and most efficient ground-based optical telescopes, has resulted in the discovery of several large clusters of galaxies.
Cadmium exposure and risk of breast cancer - Is there a relationship?: For the first time, there is scientific evidence that exposure to cadmium, a naturally occurring metal, may be a direct risk factor for developing breast cancer in a woman and her unborn baby.
Brain stem cells are not rejected when transplanted: For the first time scientists have shown that brain stem cells are immune privileged, which means that they are invisible to a transplant recipient's immune system and do not trigger the immune system to reject them.
Biological clock more influenced by temperature than light: Biological clocks, which drive circadian rhythms, are found in almost every living organism. In mammals, including humans, these clocks are responsible for 24-hour cycles in alertness and hormone levels.
Unexpected rapid evolution in Caribbean lizards: Despite social notions of race, human populations around the world are genetically so similar that geneticists find no different sub-species among them. The genetic continuity of human populations is the exception rather than the rule for most animal species, however.
Age-related stem cell loss prevents artery repair and leads to atherosclerosis: Aging has long been recognized as the worst risk factor for chronic ailments like atherosclerosis, which clogs arteries and leads to heart attacks and stroke. Yet, the mechanism by which aging promotes the clogging of arteries has remained an enigma.

July 14, 2003
Precise nuclear measurements give clues to astronomical X-ray bursts: Argonne physicists have precisely measured the masses of nuclear isotopes that exist for only fractions of a second or can only be produced in such tiny amounts as to be almost nonexistent in the laboratory.
Physicists find new form of matter: A five-Quark state has been discovered, first reported by a group of physicists working at the SPring-8 physics lab in Japan.
Telomere shortening may be early marker of cancer activity: Telomere shortening may be one of the earliest and most prevalent changes on a cell's path to cancer, according to two studies presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
Researchers search for cause of delayed sleep phase syndrome: Two new research studies to determine the cause of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS), a serious sleep disorder thought to affect between 500,000 and several million Americans, are being undertaken.
New target for skin cancer confirmed: A University of Minnesota study has confirmed the pivotal role of an enzyme known as JNK2 in the development of nonmelanoma skin cancers.
Researchers study interpersonal effects of hypochondriasis: Hypochondriasis, or excessive worry over one's health, is a psychiatric disorder that can affect every aspect of a person's life -- especially interpersonal relationships.
Geneticists redefine the nature of hybrid corn: Scientists at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, have unlocked an important door to understanding one of the most important crops in the world - corn.
International Space Station Status Report: The International Space Station’s Expedition 7 crewmembers concentrated on Station upgrades and routine maintenance during their 11th week on orbit.

July 11, 2003
Hubble helps confirm oldest known planet: Long before our Sun and Earth ever existed, a Jupiter-sized planet formed around a sun-like star. Now, almost 13 billion years later, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has precisely measured the mass of this farthest and oldest known planet.
First West Coast baby born using frozen egg technique: The University Fertility Consultants at the Oregon Health & Science University have successfully frozen human eggs that have resulted in the birth of a baby boy to a Forest Grove couple.
Catching a comet's tail in the earth's upper atmosphere: For more than 20 years, NASA has flown high-altitude research aircraft to collect cosmic dust – debris of comets and asteroids that fills the inner solar system. In late April though, they made the first attempt to collect dust particles from a very specific target – comet Grigg-Skjellerup.
Researchers identify key molecular signal in plant pollination: Nearly 80 percent of the world's food begins as seeds, including such staple crops as corn, wheat and rice. Despite the importance and ubiquity of seeds, researchers have learned precious little about the processes that regulate plant fertilization, the essential first step in seed formation.
Crabs switch skeleton types: Working with blue crabs, biologists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have discovered what may turn out to be a previously unrecognized, fundamental and widespread support mechanism in crabs, lobsters, insects and other arthropods that periodically shed their hard external skeletons.
Columbia researchers divide world according to evolutionary genetics: Scientific determinations of 25 global hotspots - habitats with high concentrations of unique species vulnerable to human activity--are too large to be effectively managed by local conservation authorities, much less put aside as protected areas.
Helios investigation team wraps up field work, analysis begins: The NASA Mishap Investigation Board (MIB) that is probing the causes of the in-flight mishap that led to the loss of the Helios Prototype solar-electric aircraft June 26 has completed the on-site portion of their task, will now turn towards coming up with a probable cause of the accident.

July 10, 2003
Details of the life cycle of SARS coronavirus: A team of scientists studying Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has, for the first time, described how the SARS virus manufactures several of the materials required for making copies of itself.
Miniature biolab embedded on silicon chip: Researchers from Cornell University have developed a miniaturized DNA-based biological testing system that fits on a silicon chip and can be customized to detect a wide variety of microorganisms.
Plant genes imported from unrelated species more often than previously thought: Scientists have long thought gene exchange between individuals of unrelated species to be an extremely rare event among eukaryotes -- the massive group of organisms that counts among its members humans, oak trees, kelp and mushrooms -- throughout the group's 2 billion year history.
'Pointing and showing' problems for autistic children: Difficulties that children with autism have in pointing and showing objects to other people may emerge from earlier problems with simple face-to-face interaction.
How quantum dots line up: A method that can be used to predict the growth of earthquake faults also aids prediction of the tiniest of phenomena--how arrays of 'artificial atoms,' or quantum dots, assemble and stack themselves on semiconductor materials.
'Getting the dirt' from space, sky and ground, scientists dig high and low for soil moisture data: By learning how to better gauge the amount of moisture in the soil, scientists are pursuing the long-range goal of eventually helping to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts and better estimate crop yields through remote-sensing methods.
Genome researcher analyze chromosome 7: A detailed analysis of the reference sequence of chromosome 7 has uncovered structural features that appear to promote genetic changes that can cause disease.
NIST technology helps ensure reliability of military communications: The Army, Navy and Air Force use thousands of miles of optical fibers on ships, planes and land-based installations to transmit voice and data.
July 9, 2003
Nanotech strategy could create new organs: Scientists from Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a strategy that could one day be used to create functional human organs such as kidneys and livers.
New class of superweak particles may reveal secrets of hidden mass in universe: A University of California, Irvine study has revealed a new class of cosmic particles that may shed light on the composition of dark matter in the universe.
Researchers use lab cultures to create robotic ÔSemi-Living Artist': U.S. and Australian researchers have created what they call a new class of creative beings, 'the semi-living artist' - a picture-drawing robot in Perth, Australia whose movements are controlled by the brain signals of cultured rat cells in Atlanta.
Wildlife markets and disease transmission: A consortium of scientists from the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society announced this week that one way to reduce the risks of future SARS-like diseases is to control wildlife markets.
NASA data mining reveals a new history of natural disasters: NASA is using satellite data to paint a detailed global picture of the interplay among natural disasters, human activities and the rise of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere during the past 20 years.
Sleep disorders linked to faulty brain chemistry, study finds: The first tantalizing clues that chemical imbalances in the brain may be partly to blame for certain life-disrupting sleep disorders are being reported in two new studies.
Study results show promise for development of gene therapy to treat blood diseases: Researchers have developed a promising new approach for gene therapy of inherited blood disorders that may help overcome therapeutically limiting human stem cell gene transfer efficiency.

July 8, 2003
Is there a benefit to having been vaccinated against smallpox as a child?: Adults who were vaccinated against smallpox as children can be successfully revaccinated by using diluted doses of the vaccine and with fewer side effects.
Spectrum of West Nile symptoms includes paralysis: As the nation gears up for another season of West Nile virus, a new study extends the understanding of the clinical spectrum of West Nile symptoms, and points to extreme muscle weakness or paralysis as a significant cause of complications in affected patients.
Tracking premature babies - girls grow bigger than boys: After tracking the physical growth rates of very premature babies over a 20-year period, researchers have discovered that male premature babies lag behind their female counterparts, while the young women not only catch up in weight and height to their normal birth weight counterparts but also exhibit similar rates of obesity.
Titanate thin films becoming a reality with crystal ion slicing: The recently developed method of crystal ion slicing (CIS) is rapidly gathering interest and attention as a novel way of successfully obtaining single-crystal thin films.
Climate scientists reaffirm view that late 20th Century warming was unusual: Leading climate scientists has reaffirmed the 'robust consensus view' emerging from the peer reviewed literature that the warmth experienced on at least a hemispheric scale in the late 20th century was an anomaly in the previous millennium and that human activity likely played an important role in causing it.
NASA helps reclaim 15,100 acres of San Francisco Bay salt ponds: NASA technology is helping state and federal governments reclaim 15,100 acres of salt evaporation ponds in South San Francisco Bay, during one of the nation's largest restoration projects.
Researchers contribute to nation's new experiment in land management: Researchers this summer have begun projects to help land managers decide fire policy and other management practices for 89,000 acres of spectacular public land near Los Alamos in north-central New Mexico.
Farming the tigers of the sea undermines the promise of aquaculture: Timely report examines the impacts of farming salmon and warns that the trend toward farming additional carnivorous fish species, including tuna, cod, and halibut, will likely generate many of the same problems.
July 7, 2003
Scientists discover planetary system similar to our own: An international team of scientists has discovered a planet and star that may share the same relationship as Jupiter and our Sun, the closest comparison that researchers have found since they began their search for extra-solar planets nearly a decade ago.
Cold-climate creatures may be the ultimate survivors of global warming, study finds: Animals that thrive in high temperatures are more likely to survive global warming than those that are less tolerant to heat. While this conclusion may seem obvious, a new study in the journal Science finds that the opposite may be true.
Researchers find new cost-effective catalyst for hydrogen production for fuel cells: Researchers at Tufts University have discovered that it's possible to make hydrogen from fossil fuels using far less platinum or gold than current fuel processing technology has required.
Human settlements already existed in the Amazon Basin (Equador) 4000 years ago: An important discovery by IRD archaeologists in Equador reveals that, more than 4000 years ago, early Andean civilizations had become established in a tropical environment where they were not hitherto known to have existed.
Slide projector kills Herpes Simplex Virus: A lot of people suffer from herpes for all their lives. The herpes simplex virus (Type 1) constantly inhabits the organism revealing its presence from time to time. Once highly active anti- herpes drugs were developed (acyclovir and phosofonoacetic acids), the virus responded with new forms resistant to theses drugs.
Electric vehicles promise economic benefits in the billions: Move over gas-guzzlers. The year is 2025 and 50 percent of all vehicles are electrically powered. Hybrid electrics, pure electrics and fuel cell vehicles share the road with the conventional gasoline-driven variety.
Scientists use 'GPS' to monitor developing southwestern monsoon: Atmospheric scientists from the University of Arizona in Tucson and their colleagues at the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, Mexico, are ready for the summer monsoon.
New transistor makes brighter future for display screens: Researchers from Myongji University, Korea, have developed a way to improve liquid crystal displays (LCD), which could revolutionise display technology.

July 3, 2003
Einstein's gravitational waves may set speed limit for pulsar spin: Gravitational radiation, ripples in the fabric of space predicted by Albert Einstein, may serve as a cosmic traffic enforcer, protecting reckless pulsars from spinning too fast and blowing apart.
UK to make multi-million dollar investment to develop nanotechnology: UK Science and Innovation Minister Lord Sainsbury today announced a cash injection of $150 million (£90 million) over the next six years to help industry harness the commercial opportunities offered by nanotechnology.
Ultracold molecules pave way for quantum 'Super Molecule': A team of researchers has done the physics equivalent of efficiently turning yin into yang. They changed individual potassium atoms belonging to a class of particles called fermions into molecules that are part of a fundamentally different class of particles known as bosons.
Gene mutation predicts outcome for lung cancer patients: Patients with the earliest form of the most common type of lung cancer are more than twice as likely to die of the disease within four years if they have a mutation in a well known cancer-causing gene.
Leaf fall in ancient polar forests still a mystery: Explorers in the 1800s discovered through fossils that deciduous forests once covered the poles, but researchers still do not know why leaf-dropping trees were preferred over evergreens.
Novel bacterium detoxifies chlorinated pollutants: Researchers have isolated a novel bacterium that flourishes as it destroys harmful chlorinated compounds in polluted environments, leaving behind environmentally benign end products.
Salk scientists identify pathway that determines when plants flower: Salk scientists have defined a new pathway that controls how plants flower in response to shaded, crowded conditions, and their findings may have implications for increasing yield in crops ranging from rice to wheat.

July 2, 2003
Nighttime clouds excite sky watchers: A NASA project to study the ionosphere using man-made nighttime clouds excited sky watchers in the mid-Atlantic and lower northeastern United States on Sunday night.
Cross talk between bacteria, host leads to E. coli infection: A strain of E. coli that causes severe, sometimes deadly, intestinal problems relies on signals from beneficial human bacteria and a stress hormone to infect human cells.
Protecting vessel loss in the eyes of premature infants: As premature infants often have under-developed lungs, oxygen is administered following birth. One devastating side effect, however, is the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
Burning forests speedily space-mapped for fire fighters: Maps of burning Spanish forests taken from space have been relayed to local fire fighters in near real-time.
Cancer researchers describe new class of angiogenesis proteins: Researchers describe a new class of proteins that not only promotes therapeutic angiogenesis in an entirely new way, but also avoids vascular permeability - a troubling side effect seen with other agents now being tested.
Mediterranean fishery recovers, thanks to manmade pollutants: After the closure of the Aswan high dam in 1965, the flow of nutrients from the Nile into Mediterranean coastal waters was reduced by more than 90 percent, and the once productive fishery collapsed.
Circadian influence in plants more widespread than previously thought: While picking apart the genetic makeup of the plant Arabidopsis, two Dartmouth researchers made a startling discovery. They found that approximately 36 percent of its genome is potentially regulated by the circadian clock, which is three and a half times more than had previously been estimated.

July 1, 2003
Firehose-like jet discovered in action: An X-ray movie of the Vela pulsar, made from a series of observations by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, reveals a spectacularly erratic jet that varies in a way never seen before.
EuropeÕs master plan for space technology: ESA and its 16 national delegations have come together with the European Commission and more than a hundred separate industries to develop future road maps for space technology research and development across the continent.
Structure of HIV-neutralizing antibody solved: A team of scientists whose leaders are funded by the National Institutes of Health has solved the structure of an antibody that is able to neutralize HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Researchers find a new way to potentially thwart anthrax: In a new study, NYU School of Medicine researchers have found what may be an Achilles' heel of deadly anthrax -- a system that the bacteria use to communicate their presence to others of their kind.
Crawler reconnaissance: These 90-lb, fully autonomous amphibious reconnaissance vehicles may look like no more than overgrown remotely operated toy tanks, but they have been used to search under the World Trade Center after 9/11, to search Afghan caves, to look at underwater wreckage off Normandy's beaches, and several are now currently deployed in Iraq.
Canada's first space telescope sucessfully launched: The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) confirmed the successful launch of its first space telescope from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.
Men, mammals, and machines: In March, when supply and hospital ships were on their way into Iraq's port of Umm Qasr, and the sea channels had to be cleared of the mines the Iraqis had planted, a group of Marine Corps reconnaissance swimmers, Navy SEALS, Explosive Ordnance divers, dolphins, and underwater drones joined forces.
Another new spitting cobra discovered: When staff at the Reptile House in London Zoo thought they had an unidentified species of cobra on their hands, they turned to an expert in snake species identification.

[ June 2003 News Archive ]
 
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