February 19th, 2000
issue

  • Two Meningitis Bacteria Yield Genomes
    Scientists have sequenced all the genes of two strains of a bacterium that causes meningitis, which may lead to the development of a much-needed vaccine (p. 116)
  • Migration may reawaken Lyme disease
    Lyme disease can hide in healthy-looking birds until the stress of migration drives it into a potentially infectious state. (p. 116)
  • Melting nuclei re-create Big Bang broth
    The seething primordial matter that existed in the first microseconds after the Big Bang may have briefly reappeared in fireballs created at a European particle accelerator. (p. 117)
  • Fly naps inspire dreams of sleep genetics
    Researchers have discovered a sleep-like state in the fruit fly. (p. 117)
  • Tryst in space: Craft, asteroid rendezvous
    On Valentine's Day, the NEAR spacecraft cozied up to the asteroid 433 Eros, becoming the first craft to orbit a tiny body. (p. 118)
  • Volcanoes aren't a big source of CFCs
    Ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere come mainly from human-made sources, not from volcanoes as some have suggested. (p. 118)
  • Testosterone shows hurtful, helpful sides
    A small but significant portion of men taking large doses of testosterone experience mania, although moderate doses of the male sex hormone show promise in boosting the mood and sex drive of HIV-infected men. (p. 119)
  • Pancreatic enzymes may play role in shock
    Pancreatic enzymes used for digestion may cause shock when they leach out of the small intestine and form a substance that activates white blood cells. (p. 119)
  • Hunting for Higher Dimensions
    Inspired by recent theoretical insights, physicists at accelerators and gravitational laboratories are searching for clues to dimensions beyond the four dimensions of space-time. (p. 122)
  • Eau, Brother!
    The combination of advanced sensor materials and powerful computer chips promises devices that can sense threats ranging from bacteria in food to explosives in land mines. (p. 125)
  • A possible signal from Polar Lander
    Astronomers may have heard a faint signal from the vanished Mars Polar Lander spacecraft last month but, as of mid-February, have not detected another. (p. 120)
  • A chance to point Hubble
    Get out your heavenly wish list: Astronomers working with the Hubble Space Telescope are soliciting suggestions for where to point the orbiting observatory this summer. (p. 120)
  • Protein may help the eyes tell time
    A human version of melanopsin, originally found in the skin, eyes, and brains of frogs, has been discovered in the inner retina and may be the long-sought photoreceptor for the human biological clock. (p. 120)
  • Nogo makes cord regrowth a no go
    Researchers have identified the gene for a protein that inhibits the regrowth of nerves in the spinal cord. (p. 120)
  • Glowing bacteria gobble gook in soil
    A genetically engineered bacterium lights up as it breaks down organic contaminants in soil. (p. 127)
  • Don't eat the pepper-flavored paint
    A derivative of the spicy chemical in chili peppers could find its way into a variety of products, including veterinary sutures and fiber optic cables. (p. 127)
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