June 10th, 2000
issue

  • Enzyme Shortage May Lead to Lupus
    Without the enzyme DNase I, mice are vulnerable to symptoms of lupus, a debilitating autoimmune disease. (p. 372)
  • Bt corn variety OK for black swallowtails
    The first published field study of butterflies and genetically altered corn finds no harm to black swallowtail caterpillars from a common corn variety. (p. 372)
  • Cancer patients accentuate the positive
    Group therapy that promotes positive types of personal growth in breast cancer patients may also result in beneficial physiological changes. (p. 373)
  • Algal bloom is smothering Florida coral
    The anomalous growth of a native alga—now blanketing the seabed in a huge swath off the southern coast of Florida—points to overfertilization with upwelling sewage. (p. 373)
  • Debate over Alzheimer's enzyme flares up
    Scientists continue to tussle over the identity of an enzyme implicated in Alzheimer's disease. (p. 374)
  • Survey confirms composition of the cosmos
    A team of astronomers announced this week that after measuring the redshifts of 100,000 galaxies, they have new evidence for what makes up most of the mass of the universe. (p. 374)
  • Light pulses flout sacrosanct speed limit
    Faster-than-light firsts: Restless laser pulse leaves before it arrives, while merging microwaves send out a superluminal scout. (p. 375)
  • X rays reveal Eros' primitive nature
    Aided by a blast of X rays from the sun, a spacecraft orbiting the near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros has gathered preliminary evidence that the rock is a primitive relic, apparently unchanged since the birth of the solar system. (p. 375)
  • Tsunami! At Lake Tahoe?
    Surprised tourists could catch the ultimate wave. (p. 378)
  • Fly Genome Creates a Buzz
    Scientists try to make sense of an insect's myriad genes. (p. 382)
  • Dancing with feeling
    Indian classical dance provides a new way for scientists to explore cross-cultural understanding of emotions. (p. 376)
  • Neural-learning ventures
    Sets of neurons may modify their activity in several ways to facilitate a basic type of learning. (p. 376)
  • Pelvic infection tied to bacterial gene
    A newly discovered gene may explain why some gonorrheal infections turn even more serious. (p. 376)
  • Bacteria, this spud's for you
    A compound in potato extracts stops bacteria from sticking to their targeted cells. (p. 376)
  • Bypass surgery in elderly works fine
    Coronary bypass surgery works as well in people over age 75 as it does in people 15 years younger. (p. 381)
  • An alternate approach to Parkinson's
    While levodopa is the treatment of choice for Parkinson's disease, drugs called dopamine agonists, which mimic the neurotransmitter dopamine, may work as well early in the disease, cause fewer side effects, and preserve levodopa's effectiveness. (p. 381)
  • Forecast: Heavy winds, plasma showers
    A new spacecraft has snapped the first images of a region of ionized gases in Earth's magnetic field. (p. 381)
  • Getting to know carbon
    A new research initiative will focus on the complex life of carbon as it cycles through Earth's land, water, and atmosphere. (p. 381)
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