| Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107
Special Coverage |
March 31, 2003 |
| Wide Annual Fluctuations
in Arctic Ozone Loss: Ozone depletion over Earth's Arctic
region varies widely from year to year in its amount, timing and pattern
of loss. |
| A gamma-ray burst
bonanza: ESA's Integral satellite is detecting gamma-ray
bursts at a rate of nearly one per day, establishing itself as a key
player in the hunt for these enigmatic explosions. |
| Laser micro-scalpel
yields biological insights into tissue dynamics: Using
a laser beam scalpel so fine it could inscribe words on the surface
of a fly egg, researchers have snipped their way to a new understanding
of a key process in a fruit fly's embryonic development. |
| Researchers develop
flexible, biocompatible polymers with optical properties of hard crystalline
sensors: Researchers have discovered how to transfer
the optical properties of silicon crystal sensors to plastic, an achievement
that could lead to the development of flexible, implantable devices. |
| Redheaded women
respond better to painkilling drug: A gene associated
with red hair and fair skin may also be responsible for how females
respond to painkillers. |
| International Space
Station Status Report: Expedition 6 crewmembers are finishing
their 18th week on the International Space Station, preparing for a
second spacewalk and for their return to Earth in a Russian spacecraft
in May. |
March 28, 2003 |
| New advance in fuel
cell technology may help power medical implants: With
designs that hurdle several scientific barriers, two new fuel cells
developed at Brown University are models for power sources that may
one day energize medical implants or remote sensors. |
| Spectacular Views
Of An Exploding Star: An astronomer from the Isaac Newton
Group of Telescopes has obtained spectacular images of the star V838
Monocerotis which became the brightest in our Galaxy when it exploded
in January 2002. |
| Scientists report
important data in stem cell debate: Developmental biologists
have long maintained that adult stem cells cannot be reprogrammed.
Once a stem cell commits to a specific tissue, such as the brain, it
can't turn back its biological clock and become blood, bone, or any
other type of adult stem cell. |
| ESA Studies Missions
to Safeguard the Earth: Early on the morning of 30 June
1908, the vast forest of western Siberia was illuminated by a strange
apparition: an alien object streaking across the cloudless sky. |
| Genome analysis
sheds light on drug-resistant pathogen: Jumping elements
of DNA have enabled the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis to acquire
stubborn resistance to a range of antibiotics, including a drug of
last resort, used against such bacterial pathogens. |
| Integration of
nanotechnology with biology and medicine will result in major medical
advances: Biomedical nanotechnology, in which bio-engineers
construct tiny particles combining inorganic and biological materials
is pushing to the forefront of this rapidly advancing field of science. |
| Grand Finale for
Twin-Telescope Survey: The celestial harvest from astronomy's
most thorough high-resolution digital survey of the entire sky, completed
by twin infrared telescopes, is now online for scientists to scrutinize
and the entire world to savor. |
| Humongous fungus
a new kind of individual: The world's biggest fungus,
discovered in Oregon's Blue Mountains in 2001, is challenging traditional
notions of what constitutes an individual. |
March 27, 2003 |
| Primary search
for Columbia material passes halfway mark: As the search
of more than 500,000 acres of primary recovery area for Space Shuttle
Columbia material reached its halfway mark, NASA Administrator, Sean
O'Keefe, visited key sites in east Texas to thank recovery crews for
their diligence and hard work. |
| Researchers discover
new breast cancer gene: Scientists have discovered a
new gene that is expressed at abnormally high levels in nearly 50%
of the breast cancer specimens they examined, and is similarly overexpressed
in a large proportion of lung cancers (35%). |
| Hubble watches
light from mysterious erupting star reverberate through space: In
January 2002, a dull star in an obscure constellation suddenly became
600,000 times more luminous than our Sun, temporarily making it the
brightest star in our Milky Way galaxy. |
| Fuel cell starting
materials are industrially available: Fuel cells presently
in use work just fine, but they require some exotic and expensive materials
to convert chemical energy - whether from hydrogen or methanol or swamp
gas - into electrical energy. |
| New species of earliest-known
salamanders found in China: A 161 million-year-old Mongolian
fossil not only reveals a new species of salamanders, but also provides
proof that much of the evolution of salamanders occurred in Asia. |
| Doomed matter
near black hole gets second lease on life: Supermassive
black holes, notorious for ripping apart and swallowing stars, might
also help seed interstellar space with the elements necessary for life,
such as hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and iron, scientists say. |
| Climate change linked
to migratory bird decrease: Biologists believe that climate
change is affecting living things worldwide, and the latest evidence
suggests that warmer winters may mean fewer migratory birds. |
March 26, 2003 |
| Research suggests
better nerve agent treatment: Research suggests that
a promising new treatment for nerve agent toxicity may exist, and scientists
involved in the experiments say further work should reveal the most
appropriate conditions and timing for its use. |
| New class of hot-tempered
black holes bucks trend: NASA scientists have found two
smoking-gun features of an intermediate-mass black hole that suggest
these newly identified objects are fundamentally different from other
types of black holes, running hotter than expected. |
| Chemical force
microscopy chooses materials for lightweight nanotube-based composites: A
microscopy technique originally developed to image the molecular-scale
topography of surfaces is now helping engineers choose the right materials
for a new generation of lightweight high-strength composites based
on carbon nanotubes. |
| Teaming up to attack
free radicals: Researchers have combined the precision
of antibodies with the power of an antioxidant enzyme to create a new
way to protect transplanted lungs from oxidative stress. |
| Space Observatory
to Study the Old, the Cold and the Dusty: By using infrared
technology to study celestial objects that are either too cool, too
dust-enshrouded or too far away to otherwise be seen, NASA's Space
Infrared Telescope Facility will pierce the thick dust that permeates
the universe. |
| Argonne researchers
use electric field to manipulate tiny particles: Intricate
patterns formed by granular materials under the influence of electrostatic
fields have scientists dreaming of new ways to create smaller structures
for nanotechnologies. |
| New South Pole seismic
station is one of world's quietest and most sensitive: Data
collected by a new seismic observatory at the Amundsen-Scott South
Pole Station indicate that it is the quietest listening post on the
planet for observing shudders produced by earthquakes around the world
as they vibrate through the Earth. |
| Appetite-altering
peptide in anorexia nervosa: New research shows that
levels of a peptide associated with appetite control are elevated in
anorexic women. |
| Encrustation provides
clues about ancient seas: A student in Virginia Tech's
Department of Geological Sciences, has been studying encrustation,
or the colonization of seashells by other marine organisms that live
permanently attached to hard surfaces. |
March 25, 2003 |
| NASA develops long-term
planning process for Space Shuttle: Last week, during
the first of what will be an annual Service Life Extension Program
(SLEP) Summit, NASA led the U.S. space flight community in a comprehensive
debate on the long-term requirements to extend the life of the Space
Shuttle fleet. |
| Powered by your
liquor cabinet, 'biofuel cell' could replace rechargeable batteries: Researchers
have developed a new type of biofuel cell, a battery that runs off
of alcohol and enzymes, that could replace the rechargeable batteries
in everything from laptops to Palm Pilots. |
| Pasteur - Payload
Opportunities to Search for Life on Mars: In order to
determine whether life ever evolved on Mars, the European Space Agency
intends to launch an exobiology mission, known as ExoMars, to the Red
Planet in 2009. |
| New Measurements
Show Silicon Nanospheres Rank Among Hardest Known Materials: Researchers
have made the first-ever hardness measurements on individual silicon
nanospheres and shown that the nanospheres' hardness falls between
the conventional hardness of sapphire and diamond, which are among
the hardest known materials. |
| New high-purity
plutonium sources produced at Los Alamos: New high-purity
plutonium sources for use as primary analytical chemistry standards
have been produced at Los Alamos National Laboratory using a new extrusion
method developed at the Laboratory. |
| Cosmic forensics
confirms gamma-ray burst and supernova connection: Scientists
announced today that they have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
to confirm that a gamma-ray burst was connected to the death of a massive
star. |
| Age-related changes
in the brain's white matter affect cognitive function in old age: Age-related
changes in the brain starting around age 60, with the appearance, of
white-matter lesions among the brain's message-carrying axons, significantly
affect cognitive function in old age. |
| Atomic force microscope
powerful new tool for measurement of particle attraction: A
student in geological sciences is developing a new method for calculating
sticking efficiency at the nanoscale with the aim of someday developing
improved filters for removing contaminants from solutions, such as
bacteria from groundwater. |
March 24, 2003 |
| Researchers Discover
New Method to Treat Cancer: Research has identified a
novel therapeutic regimen for the treatment of cancer that provides
significant advantages over the existing methods of cancer treatment. |
| Ion trek through
polymer offers better batteries: Researchers at the Department
of Energy's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory
(INEEL) have overcome another barrier to building more powerful, longer-lasting
lithium-based batteries. |
| Fire frequency
determines forest carbon storage: Scientists studying
trees ranging from saplings to 130 years old in Canada's northern forests
have discovered that the period since a fire last swept through an
area determines how much carbon the forest can store. |
| Is North America's
Ozone Homegrown or Imported?: Scientists have clarified
the process by which ozone -- an essential shield in the stratosphere,
but a pollutant at lower levels--reaches its peak abundance across
North America each spring. |
| Nano-sediment highways
in catalyst: Dutch chemists have visualised how the porous
structure of a zeolite catalyst depends on the production method. |
| Treatment for minor
depression: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has
launched a four-year study to determine the safety and effectiveness
of St. John's wort, a common herbal supplement, and citalopram, a standard
antidepressant, compared to placebo. |
| Can whales survive
in the vicinity of drilling platforms?: The oil production
which started in 1999 on the Sakhalin shelf has already spoiled the
life of the Okhotsk grey whales inhabiting the area. |
| The hormone ethylene
is necessary for plant resistance: Phytopathologists
have shown that ethylene is vital for the protection of plants against
bacteria and fungi. This is another function for the plant hormone
already known to play a role in plant aging and fruit ripening. |
| International Space
Station Status Report: Expedition 6 crewmembers on the
International Space Station this week continued science investigations
and made repairs and upgrades to their orbital home. They also studied
plans for the second spacewalk of their mission. |
March 21, 2003 |
| Study finds increasing
solar trend that can change climate: Since the late 1970s,
the amount of solar radiation the sun emits, during times of quiet
sunspot activity, has increased by nearly .05 percent per decade, according
to a NASA funded study. |
| A Family Portrait
of the Alpha Centauri System - VLT Interferometer Studies the Nearest
Stars: Observations with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer
(VLTI) at the ESO Paranal Observatory (Chile) have provided the first-ever
direct determination of the angular sizes of the disks of the solar-type
stars Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B. |
| Gold "Nanoplugs" Wire
Up Enzymes: Scientists have devised a way to use gold
nanoparticles as tiny electrical wires to plug enzymes into electrodes.
The gold nanoplugs help align the molecules for optimal binding and
provide a conductive pathway for the flow of electrons. |
| The development of
stem cells - not only which and where but also when: During
the last ten years much progress has been made in finding out what
determines how various types of nerve cells develop from a stem cell
and where, above all in the brain, what cell is created. |
| NASA selects next
Medium-class Explorer mission: A swarm of spacecraft,
designed to fly through the space storms that cause aurora, has been
chosen as the next mission in NASA's Medium-class Explorer (MIDEX)
program. |
| Native American
artifacts pose pesticide exposure risk: An analysis of
museum artifacts returned to California's Hoopa tribe through a federal
repatriation act reveals traces of mercury and various pesticides,
including DDT. |
| ESA's Rosetta
mission, a status report: Following the decision not
to launch Europe's comet chaser, Rosetta, in January, scientists and
engineers in the programme have been examining several alternative
mission scenarios. |
| Mars Express leaves
for Baikonur: Mars Express, the first European spacecraft
to visit the planet Mars, has completed its tests at Toulouse, France. |
March 20, 2003 |
| Lightning has
big effect on atmospheric chemistry: Scientists were
surprised to learn summer lightning over the U.S. significantly increases
regional ozone and other gases that affect air chemistry 3 to 8 miles
above Earth's surface. |
| Researchers Identify
Signals that Cause Hair Follicles to Sprout: The delicate
interplay of two chemical signals coaxes stem cells into becoming hair
follicles, according to new research. |
| Metastasis gene
may be useful for diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer: By
analyzing the genes that are active in tumor cells, scientists may
be able to predict whether the most common form of liver cancer, hepatocellular
carcinoma, is likely to spread from its original site. |
| Alcohol dependence
linked to chemical deficit: Anxiety has long been linked
to substance abuse. It is the key psychological factor driving the
impulse to drink alcohol and one of the first symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. |
| Race to gamma ray
burst reveals gigantic explosion, death and birth: Scientists
arriving on the scene of a gamma ray burst, just moments after the
explosion, have witnessed the death of a gigantic star and the birth
of something monstrous in its place, quite possibly a brand-new, spinning
black hole. |
| Europe to the Moon
with SMART-1: SMART-1 is a prototype for space missions
of the future. It is a small, low-cost mission that emphasises miniaturisation.
It carries ten experiments that will test a host of technological innovations
in the context of the first European scientific mission to the Moon. |
| University of
Toronto study charts new realm of physics: By constructing
artificial materials that break long-standing rules of nature, a researcher
has developed a flat lens that could significantly enhance the resolution
of imaged objects. |
| Underwater sensor
system could protect reservoirs, drinking water: A sensor
system that can autonomously, continuously and in real-time monitor
streams, lakes, ocean bays and other bodies of liquid may help solve
problems for environmentalists, manufacturers and those in charge of
homeland security. |
| Luminescence Dating,
a new method of age determination: Luminescence dating
is a new technology for the determination of the age of sediments such
as sand. |
March 19, 2003 |
| Scientists find
new way to grow human embryonic stem cells: Scientists
have discovered that primitive human embryonic stem (ES) cells, temperamental
in the lab, can be grown with the help of special cells from bone marrow,
offering an easily obtained and well-studied source of human cells. |
| Why Does Caffeine
Delay Exercise-Induced Fatigue?: The popular stimulant
blocks adenosine receptors, and is the most likely mechanism of central
nervous actions that delay exercise-related fatigue, a new study finds. |
| Observatory Boldly
Goes Where Human Eye Cannot: Equipped with advanced infrared
technology, NASA will peer into unknown territories of the universe
with the long-anticipated Space Infrared Telescope Facility. |
| Experiment may help
size up neutrinos: Our planet is bombarded every second
with a large number of chargeless, seemingly massless, particles that
originate in nuclear fusion reactions that power the sun. They're called
neutrinos. |
| Artemis relays first
images for Envisat: The first satellite-relayed images
from Envisat have been received, via the Artemis data-relay spacecraft
in geostationary orbit, at ESA's data processing centre at ESRIN, near
Rome. |
| Meals-Ready-to-Eat
(MRE) heating technology developed at RIT: Steaming hot
entrée selections like Pasta with Alfredo Sauce and Thai Chicken
could be straight from the menu of any five-star restaurant--but on
the battlefield? |
March 18, 2003 |
| Genetic link may
tie together pesticides, ADHD, Gulf War syndrome and other disorders: Research
at the Salk Institute has identified a gene that may link certain pesticides
and chemical weaponry to a number of neurological disorders, including
the elusive Gulf War syndrome and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD). |
| Miniature spectrometer
can detect biological hazards: Researchers have developed
a miniature device that can identify as little as a fraction of a spore
of anthrax and other biological hazards within 30 milliseconds. |
| Upside-down underwater
telescope to study visitors from space: Scientists will
soon be able to study some of the most elusive particles known to man,
thanks to a giant telescope under the sea that looks down towards the
centre of the Earth rather than up into the sky. |
| Worried about
asteroid-ocean impacts?: The idea that even small asteroids
can create hazardous tsunamis may at last be pretty well washed up. |
| Scientists study
roundworms for behavior patterns: Inside a drawer in
Luis Rene Garcia's biology lab, tens of thousands of roundworms are
bumping into one another, slithering together and breeding. |
| MIT research in
Hawaii could impact state's management of fresh water: During
a recent expedition to Hawaii, 20 researchers from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology collected data from land, sea and air in work
that could have an impact on the state's management of fresh water. |
| Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107
Special Coverage |
March 17, 2003 |
| Can vitamins slow
the progression of Alzheimerˇs disease?: Researchers
have published the encouraging results of a preliminary study and are
leading a 40 center therapeutic trial to see whether three common vitamins
-- folic acid, B12 and B6 -- can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s
disease. |
| Tiny cell-based
chemical detectors have homeland security potential: A
highly sensitive, inexpensive lab-on-a-chip that provides warning within
seconds of even trace amounts of toxic chemicals in water. |
| New Crystalline
Structures May Open Door to Molecular Filters: Imagine
a mask that could allow a person to breathe the oxygen in the air without
the risk of inhaling a toxic gas, bacterium or even a virus. |
| Researchers find
link between estrogen, brain structure changes: Scientists
have discovered how estrogen initiates physical changes in rodent brain
cells that lead to increased learning and memory; a finding that illustrates
the likely value of the hormone to enhance brain functioning in women. |
| Ultraviolet radiation
induced flux of nitrogen oxides from pine needles: A
group of scientists present a novel observation - ultraviolet radiation
induced a flux of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from pine needles to the atmosphere. |
| Weather affects
Lyme Disease in northeast USA: Weather and changing climate
are contributing to the pattern of Lyme disease fluctuation seen throughout
the northeastern United States, according to new research. |
| International Space
Station Status Report: The Expedition 6 crew aboard the
International Space Station, Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer
Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit, spent their
week doing routine maintenance, completing the troubleshooting the
Microgravity Science Glovebox and continuing a survey of the outside
of the station using the Canadarm2 robotic arm. |
March 14, 2003 |
| NASA's Mars Odyssey
Changes Views About Red Planet: "In just one year,
Mars Odyssey has fundamentally changed our understanding of the nature
of the materials on and below the surface of Mars," said Dr. Jeffrey
Plaut, Odyssey's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif. |
| How to make the
smallest, most perfect, densest nanowire lattices†and itˇs a SNAP: Researchers
participating in the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) have invented
a new technique for producing Ultra High Density Nanowire Lattices
and Circuits. |
| Hand-portable device
detects biological agents: A portable system for detecting
biological agents has just gotten smaller. |
| Scientists discover
an evaporating 'cometary' planet in another solar system: The
first-ever good look at the upper atmosphere of a planet outside our
solar system has turned up what a hot Jupiter-like planet quickly evaporating
as it revolves close to its sun-like, yellow star. |
| HHS study finds
life expectancy in the U.S. rose to 77.2 years in 2001: Life
expectancy of Americans hit an all-time high in 2001, while age-adjusted
deaths hit an all-time low, according to a new report released today
by HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. |
| Global warming
could trigger cascade of climatic changes: Global warming
and the partial melting of polar ice sheets can dramatically affect
not only sea levels but also Earth's climate, in ways that may be complex,
rapid and difficult to adjust to. |
| Clouds mitigate
effects of warming on the Arctic: Cloudy weather may
dampen the human spirit, but it also may dampen the effects of global
warming on the Arctic. |
| Scientists discover
possible new treatment for genetic diseases: Scientists
have found a way to stop certain types of genetic diseases from occurring
by modifying the way DNA is turned into proteins. |
| Could Bt transgenic
crops have nutritionally favourable effects on insects?: Researchers
from Imperial College, England have just shown in a forthcoming article
in the journal Ecology Letters, that insect larvae can use an engineered
toxin (Cry1Ac) as a supplementary food source. |
March 13, 2003 |
| Pulsar Bursts Coming
From Beachball-Sized Structures: In a major breakthrough
for understanding what one of them calls 'the most exotic environment
in the Universe,' a team of astronomers has discovered that powerful
radio bursts in pulsars are generated by structures as small as a beach
ball. |
| The 1991 Mt. Pinatubo
eruption provides a natural test for influence of Arctic circulation
on climate: A recent NASA-funded study has linked the
1991 eruption of the Mount Pinatubo to a strengthening of a climate
pattern called the Arctic Oscillation. |
| First step towards
detecting exposure to biowarfare agents: Army researchers
are laying the groundwork for what one day could be a test to identify
individuals who have been exposed to biological agents. |
| Deep-sea ecosystem
engineers: Tube worms living at deep-sea oil seeps in
the Gulf of Mexico significantly alter their habitat, similar to beavers
altering the flow of a river. |
| Study pinpoints
regulator of imprinted gene expression: New research
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers an important
contribution to a new wave of thinking in genetics: the idea that not
all human disease states are due to alterations in DNA sequence. |
| Oxygen deficiency
is an endocrine disruptor in fish: A lack of oxygen in
waters around the world could be doing more than just suffocating fish
- It may be acting as an endocrine disruptor and impeding their ability
to reproduce, posing a serious threat to the survival of many populations. |
March 12, 2003 |
| Hubble detects
the ongoing evaporation of an extra-solar planet: More
than 100 planets are known to orbit stars other than the Sun. About
15% of them are very close to their star and orbit in a few days, like
the planet around the star HD209458 with a year of 3.5 days. |
| Interferons effective
against smallpox: Proteins produced by the immune system,
known as interferons, may be an effective treatment for smallpox. |
| Earthquake study
improves model, shows hazard to structures located near the fault: An
interdisciplinary team of scientists have discovered a peculiar and
important aspect of how seismic waves are generated during an earthquake. |
| Virtual observatory
prototype produces surprise discovery: A new approach
to finding undiscovered objects buried in immense astronomical databases
has produced an early and unexpected payoff - a new instance of a hard-to-find
type of star known as a brown dwarf. |
| Bacterial viruses
make cheap easy vaccines: Genetically altered bacterial
viruses appear to be more effective than naked DNA in eliciting an
immune response and could be a new strategy for a next generation of
vaccines. |
| Mayo Clinic proves
new heart muscle cells can come from bone marrow: Researchers
have proven for the first time that cells produced by the bone marrow
can form new heart-muscle cells in adults, providing an important boost
to research that could enable the body to replace heart muscle damaged
by heart attack. |
March 11, 2003 |
| Chemical in soy
alters reproductive organs in male rats: Researchers
report that male rats whose mothers were fed diets containing genistein,
a chemical found in soybeans, developed abnormal reproductive organs
and experienced sexual dysfunction as adults. |
| Hydrogen vehicle
wonˇt be viable soon, MIT study says: Even with aggressive
research, the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle will not be better than the
diesel hybrid (a vehicle powered by a conventional engine supplemented
by an electric motor) in terms of total energy use and greenhouse gas
emissions by 2020. |
| Clues about the
Earthˇs movements: A team of scientists have come to
the ESRF to study materials submitted to extreme conditions of pressure
and temperature, similar to those found at the boundary between the
core and the mantle of the Earth. |
| DNA Analysis Technique
in Fight Against Bio-Terrorism: A University of Ulster
researcher has pioneered new analytical techniques that could save
thousands of lives in the event of a bioterrorist attack. |
| New way to study
history of the universe: For the first time, scientists
have identified and analyzed single grains of silicate stardust in
the laboratory. This breakthrough provides a new way to study the history
of the universe. |
| Climate change
may increase extreme rain and snow events in California: Increasing
carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere may lead to a rise in the number
of annual extreme precipitation events in the Sierra Nevada Mountains,
which in turn could increase the frequency of flooding in California. |
| New hints into
development of osteoporosis: Defects in a protein called
alphaV beta3 ntegrin appear to contribute to the development of osteoporosis,
and these effects can be reversed by enhancing a protein called macrophage-colony-stimulating
factor (M-CSF). |
March 10, 2003 |
| Australian overturns
15 years of nano-science doctrine: An Australian mathematician
has thrown 15 years of accepted scientific practice out the window
by discovering a design flaw in a key component of the Atomic Force
Microscope. |
| Pushing back the
frontiers of the universe to the era of the first stars: UK
astronomers have used three of the most powerful telescopes in existence
to identify some of the farthest galaxies yet seen. |
| Wind's energy
transfer to ocean quantified for first time: Scientists
have finally been able to field-test theories about how wind transfers
energy to ocean waves, a topic of debate since the 19th century that
had previously proved impossible to settle experimentally. |
| Asteroid Hunting: Ukrainian
scientists have suggested that a radio-telescope should be used to determine
precise trajectory of asteroids flying Earth-bound. |
| Newly identified
molecules contribute to normal silencing of most human genes: Most
of the time, most of the estimated 35,000 genes in the human genome
are silent, securely stored away in the tightly coiled structure of
chromatin, which makes up chromosomes. |
| Astrophysicist discovers
new source of high-energy neutrinos: High-energy neutrinos,
particles that rarely interact with other matter, are produced in the
accretion discs of neutron stars in amounts significant enough to be
detected by the next-generation of neutrino telescopes. |
| First molecule
discovered that directs nerve cells to connect with each other: Scientists
have identified for the first time a molecule that directs neurons
to form connections with each other during an animal's early development – creating
synapses essential to all behavior. |
| International Space
Station Status Report: The crew of the International
Space Station’s sixth expedition passed the benchmark of 100
days in space this week while focusing on routine maintenance of station
systems and a survey of the station using the Canadarm2 robotic arm. |
March 7, 2003 |
| Scientists say Mars
has liquid iron core: New information about what is inside
Mars shows the Red Planet has a molten liquid-iron core, confirming
the interior of the planet has some similarity to Earth and Venus. |
| Silicon and graphite
- a materials match made in battery heaven: More powerful,
longer-lasting lithium batteries on the horizon with Sandia-developed
materials breakthrough. |
| Rising Storms
Revise Story of Jupiter's Stripes: Pictures of Jupiter,
taken by a NASA spacecraft on its way to Saturn, are flipping at least
one long-standing notion about Jupiter upside down. |
| NASA's Newest
Maps Reveal a Continent's Grandeur and a Secret: From
Canada to Central America, the many grandeurs of North America's diverse
topography star in a just-released high-resolution map from NASA's
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. |
| Do vaccines cause
asthma, allergies or other chronic diseases?: Large scientific
studies do not support claims that vaccines may cause chronic diseases
such as asthma, multiple sclerosis, chronic arthritis and diabetes. |
| Scientists pinpoint
stellar production of helium, yielding new insights into the young
universe: Astrophysicists report in this week's issue
of the journal Science that they have calculated the rate of helium
production by stars in our universe with greater precision than ever
before. |
| With toxic crystals,
bacterium targets - and takes out nematodes: Roundworms,
hookworms, watch out. Scientists this week announced that a soil bacterium's
crystal proteins, long an effective weapon against many insect pests,
are toxic to some nematodes, too. |
March 6, 2003 |
| Changes in the
Earth's rotation are in the wind: Because of Earth's
dynamic climate, winds and atmospheric pressure systems experience
constant change. These fluctuations may affect how our planet rotates
on its axis, according to NASA-funded research that used wind and satellite
data. |
| Brains of Dyslexic
Children Can Be 'Rewired' to Improve Reading Skills: In
a scientific first, researchers have shown that the brains of dyslexic
children can be rewired through intensive remedial training to function
more like those found in normal reader. |
| Alaska oil and
gas exploration good and bad for area life: The cumulative
effects of oil and gas exploration on the Alaska North Slope region
present a classic case of the tradeoffs that society faces when natural
resource development is balanced against a desire to preserve and protect
the environment. |
| New method for
producing carbon nanoscrolls, an alternative to nanotubes: UCLA
chemists report in the Feb. 28 issue of Science a room-temperature
chemical method for producing a new form of carbon called carbon nanoscrolls. |
| NASA-funded research
looking at El Ničo events to forecast western US snowfall: A
NASA-funded study uses a computer model to understand an observed link
between winter and spring snowfall in the Western U.S. and El Niño
Southern Oscillation. |
| New Procedure Lets
Scientists Probe Short-Lived Molecules: Some of the most
important compounds are the shortest lived -- transient molecules that
exist for only thousandths of a second or less during chemical reactions. |
| Evolution boosted
anti-cancer prowess of a primordial gene: Researchers
have looked back in evolutionary time and identified what may be a
gene that was once only moderately effective in slowing down cellular
reproduction, until it linked up with a more efficient set of genes
to create a powerful anti-cancer response. |
| Most sick sea lions
are inbred: A team of scientists has studied sea lions
undergoing rehabilitation in order to assess the effects of inbreeding
on disease susceptibility. |
March 5, 2003 |
| Turning back natureˇs
clock to reveal how new species arise: Scientists have
turned back the evolutionary clock to reveal a hidden mechanism for
differentiation between species of the same family. |
| Diamond film may
enable critical new sensors for detecting dangerous biological agents: In
this time of the chronic threat of terrorism and the possibility of
war with an adversary who may be armed with biological weapons, high
on the wish list of security agencies and battlefield commanders is
a quick and easy way to detect the presence of dangerous biological
agents. |
| Mathematical models
have given physicists a new look at DNAˇs chemical counterpart, RNA: The
models -- showing that RNA behaves differently depending on the temperature
of its environment -- may help biologists better understand how life
evolved on Earth. |
| Current theory on
cause of kidney stones refuted: New research into the
origin of kidney stone formation published in the March 1 issue of
the Journal of Clinical Investigation may well change the direction
of the most basic level of research in that area. |
| Scientists get
first close look at stardust: For the first time, scientists
have identified and analyzed single grains of silicate stardust in
the laboratory. This breakthrough provides a new way to study the history
of the universe. |
| Radiation and
intratumoral injection turn on immune system to attack brain tumor
cells: Researchers are working to develop a non-surgical
approach to brain cancer that uses radiation and the injection of specially
cultured bone marrow cells into the tumor. |
| The timing of
hormone replacement therapy could be key to success: The
timing of treatment may be a key factor in whether hormone replacement
therapy (HRT) can slow heart vessel disease. |
March 4, 2003 |
| The Smallest Sight
- Researchers Zoom In on the Nanoscale: Researchers at
the University of Rochester have created the highest resolution optical
image ever, revealing structures as small as carbon nanotubes just
a few billionths of an inch across. |
| CHIPS begins interstellar
search for birthplace of solar systems: The Cosmic Hot
Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS) satellite is living up to
the adage 'good things come in small packages,' as the suitcase-size
spacecraft is entering its second month of providing data to scientists
about the birthplace of solar systems. |
| Organically grown
foods higher in cancer-fighting chemicals than conventionally grown
foods: Fruits and veggies grown organically show significantly
higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally grown
foods, according to a new study of corn, strawberries and marionberries. |
| Alcohol researchers
relate a genetic factor to anxiety in women: Combining
DNA analysis, recordings of brain activity, and psychological tests,
investigators found that Caucasian and American Indian women with the
same gene variant had similarly high scores on tests that measure anxiety. |
| Infertility and
cancer linked to late stage repair defects: Exonuclease
1 is part of a DNA repair system that functions to maintain genomic
integrity. Exo1 removes mutations in DNA that can occur during replication,
recombination and through DNA damaging agents. |
| Active carbon supercondenser: Supercondensers
(SC’s) are made up of two porous electrodes insulated from possible
electrical contact by a separator paper impregnated with an ion-conducting
medium or electrolyte. |
| Bear researchers
ensure population survival, growth: The Cooperative Alleghany
Bear Study (CABS) was initiated in 1994 as a 10-year study to ensure
survival of Virginia’s hunted black bear population of western
Virginia. During the first six years of the study, researchers have
placed radio collars on 376 of the 746 bears captured. |
March 3, 2003 |
| Scientists discover
gene defect responsible for epilepsy: Some 70 million
people world-wide suffer from what is known as idiopathic epilepsy.
The symptoms can vary considerably, ranging from brief unconsciousness
and twitching of arms or legs to serious attacks of cramp. |
| WWII discovery
may counter bioterrorists: A compound developed by British
scientists early in World War II as a treatment against chemical weapons
has value against today's threat of bioterrorism. |
| International Space
Station Status Report: Approaching their 100th day in
orbit, the International Space Station’s Expedition 6 crewmembers
completed an important test of on-orbit spacewalk preparation this
week, while program managers cleared the way for a crew rotation scenario
that will bring the three-man crew back to Earth in Kazakhstan in May. |
| Scientists Make
Strides in Addressing Mysteries of Ozone in the Human Body: In
what is a first for biology, a team of investigators at The Scripps
Research Institute (TSRI) is reporting that the human body makes ozone. |
| Geneticists discover
new role for antisense RNA: Geneticists studying the
biological clock have opened yet another window into the role of an
unusual form of RNA known as antisense that blocks the messages of
protein-encoding genes. |
| Vitamin D can prevent
fractures in older people: Participants in the vitamin
D treatment group had a 22% lower rate for first fracture at any site
and a 33% lower rate for a fracture occurring in common osteoporotic
sites (hip, wrist or forearm, or vertebrae). |
| Researcher advances
understanding of attention deficit disorder and schizophrenia: A
Rutgers-Newark researcher is using magnetic imaging to paint a revealing
and groundbreaking picture of the brain's activities as it reacts to
real-world events. |
|
