January 12th, 2002
issue

  • Ancient Gene Takes Grooming in Hand
    A gene involved in body development also plays a critical role in regulating the grooming behavior of mice, a discovery that may advance the understanding of certain psychiatric disorders. (p. 20)
  • Record science budget evaded proposed cuts
    Congress and the Bush administration have now agreed on unprecedented rises in funding for research and development programs. (p. 20)
  • Milky Way galaxy: Cloaked in a hot shroud?
    Spacecraft observations indicate that a vast, unseen halo of hot gas envelopes our home galaxy, the Milky Way, and could literally be brushing up against its nearest neighbors. (p. 21)
  • Genes make potential target in lymph cancer
    Scientists looking for DNA variations in a cancer called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma have found that excess activity in certain genes may indicate whether the disease will be fatal. (p. 21)
  • Hanging around Mom's web helps everybody
    For nearly grown spiderlings, lingering in their mother's web instead of setting off on their own turns out to be a boon for the mom, as well as themselves. (p. 22)
  • Earth's inner core could include silicon
    Laboratory experiments investigating the crystal structure of iron-silicon alloys at high temperatures and pressures may yield new insights into the mineral composition of Earth's core. (p. 22)
  • New structure reveals catalysts' details
    Researchers have created a new compound that contains a palladium atom bonded in a unique way to six silicon atoms. (p. 23)
  • Viruses stop antibiotic-resistant bacteria
    Bacteriophages, viruses that destroy bacteria, can protect mice from bacteria that are impervious to antibiotics. (p. 23)
  • Biological Dark Matter
    The discovery that some genes encode RNA strands instead of proteins has surprised biologists. (p. 24)
  • Tadpole Science Gets Its Legs . . .
    The amazingly complex tadpole now shines in ecological studies. (p. 26)
  • Ominous drug-resistance hints appear
    The first signs of partial resistance to an important class of drugs called quinolones have appeared in Haemophilus influenzae, a bacterium that can cause pneumonia and meningitis. (p. 29)
  • Suppressive drug therapy hinders herpes
    A daily regimen of the antiviral drug valacyclovir controls genital herpes vastly better than does the same medication when used only to treat outbreaks of the disease. (p. 29)
  • Will new approach cure Chagas disease?
    Scientists may be able to disable the parasite that causes Chagas disease by targeting the enzyme it uses to make essential fats. (p. 29)
  • Rwandan patients show unusual HIV
    Blood tests on people in Rwanda who have had HIV infections for years without symptoms of AIDS indicate that the viruses in these patients have rare mutations. (p. 29)
  • Satellites could help track sea level
    Experiments that used signals from Global Positioning System satellites to precisely measure altitude above a lake's surface may pave the way for fleets of spaceborne sensors that can quickly and inexpensively monitor local and global changes in sea level. (p. 31)
  • Finding fault for an old earthquake
    Scientists in Southern California believe they've found evidence that finally identifies the source of one of the region's largest quakes, a magnitude 7-plus temblor that struck the area on Dec. 21, 1812. (p. 31)
  • Liquid computer takes key quantum step
    The first, rudimentary implementation of a method, called Shor's algorithm, for using quantum mechanics in computations suggests that larger-scale implementations are possible and may eventually break the codes used today to protect secret messages on the Internet and elsewhere. (p. 31)
  • Electrons grab unexpected energy share
    When atoms or molecules react with a metal surface, even briefly, they can inject much more energy into surface electrons than previously realized. (p. 31)
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