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)

Lyme disease can hide in healthy-looking birds until the stress of migration drives it into a potentially infectious state. (p. 116)

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)

Researchers have discovered a sleep-like state in the fruit fly. (p. 117)

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)

Ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere come mainly from human-made sources, not from volcanoes as some have suggested. (p. 118)

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 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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

Researchers have identified the gene for a protein that inhibits the regrowth of nerves in the spinal cord. (p. 120)

A genetically engineered bacterium lights up as it breaks down organic contaminants in soil. (p. 127)

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)