March 31st, 2001
issue

  • Starry Data Support Revved-Up Cosmos
    Astronomers have confirmed one of the weirdest properties of the universe: Some mysterious force is pushing galaxies apart at a faster and faster rate. (p. 196)
  • Ancient tree rings reveal past climate
    Using tree-ring analysis, an international team of researchers has reconstructed the earliest record of annual climate variation. (p. 197)
  • Urine tests can foretell bladder cancers
    U.S. and Chinese researchers find that two unconventional urine tests can often predict when a person is developing bladder cancer even before tumors appear. (p. 197)
  • Bacterial cells reveal skeletal structures
    The finding of a cytoskeleton in Bacillus subtilis bacteria eliminates a fundamental difference between bacteria and higher (eukaryotic) cells. (p. 198)
  • Microbes put ancient carbon on the menu
    Scientists have found microorganisms within Kentucky shale that are eating the ancient carbon locked within the rock, a previously unrecognized dietary habit that could have a prevalent role in the weathering and erosion of similar sedimentary rock at many other locations. (p. 198)
  • Moon may radio cosmic rays' biggest hits
    Efforts to use the moon to detect the highest-energy cosmic rays get a boost from an experiment showing that gamma rays zipping through a giant sandbox cause the kind of microwave bursts moon-watchers are hoping to see. (p. 199)
  • Touching legs turns shy locusts gregarious
    Researchers have discovered that sensing repeated touch on the hind leg triggers a shy, green locust to flip into swarming mode. (p. 199)
  • Distressed amoebas can call for help
    Amoebas having trouble dividing produce a chemical signal that draws other amoebas to the scene. (p. 200)
  • DNA-cutting enzyme looks like scissors
    One type of restriction enzyme not only cuts a DNA strand but also looks like a pair of scissors. (p. 200)
  • Gene found for chloroplast movement
    Scientists have found the gene that directs chloroplasts to dance out of a cell's shaded edges to soak up the sun or back into that shade when the light is too intense. (p. 200)
  • Breathing on the Edge
    Researchers are exploring how both sea-level lowlanders and high-altitude natives cope with low oxygen levels. (p. 202)
  • Depression linked to heart deaths
    In a community sample, people suffering from moderate to severe depression exhibited an elevated death rate from heart disease over a 4-year study period, even if they had no discernable heart disease to begin with. (p. 205)
  • Dyslexia gets a break in Italy
    Although dyslexia involves a common disruption of reading-related brain activity, the reading performance of people with dyslexia appears to improve if they use a language that has consistent spelling rules. (p. 205)
  • Leaden calcium supplements
    Consuming calcium along with lead limits, and may prevent, the body's absorption of the toxicant. (p. 205)
  • POPs in the butter
    Governments may be able to monitor trends in the release and transport of persistent organic pollutants by sampling butter. (p. 205)
  • Blood Relatives
    After decades of research, several companies are about to release the first line of artificial blood products. (p. 206)
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