Found: Mouse Circadian Rhythm Gene

Investigators have found the first gene involved in the mammalian biological clock, the internal timepiece that regulates activities ranging from sleeping to eating.

Computer triumphs over human champion

Deep Blue defeated world chess champion Garry Kasaprov in a six-game match.

Can preventive mastectomies prolong lives?

A computer model suggests that preventive mastectomies for some women carrying a breast cancer gene may add to their life expectancy.

Health may succumb to grief reaction

A particularly severe form of bereavement known as traumatic grief appears to increase the likelihood of physical and mental problems as many as two years after a spouse's death.

Grim prospects for flood-ravaged R&D

Many researchers in Grand Forks, N.D., are tallying staggering -- and, in some cases, long-term -- losses.

Checking out Hubble's new eyes

Two new instruments installed aboard the Hubble Space Telescope last February are proving their mettle.

Impurities give crystals that special glow

Crystal structure and impurities may explain why some materials give off light when fractured.

A price tag on the planet's ecosystems

Research Notes:

Astronomy

More planets

Astronomers have deduced the presence of additional planets orbiting nearby stars.

Gamma-ray burst mystery continues

A new interpretation of a recent pair of Hubble Space Telescope images has revived controversy about the origin of a gamma-ray burst detected in late February.

Biology

What good is the cystic fibrosis gene?

Researchers suggest cystic fibrosis is widespread because the genetic mutations that produce the disease can also offer protection against typhoid fever.

Bacteria that don't say no to cocaine

An enzyme isolated from bacteria that feed on cocaine may one day serve as a simple sensor of the drug.

Archeology

Urban planning in ancient Near East

Excavations at a 4,000-year-old city in Turkey have uncovered a planned community of dwellings that bears a strong resemblance to modern urban settings.

Biomedicine

Death zone for stroke

A 153-county area in the southeastern United States has a particularly high incidence of stroke.

Vaccine shields chimps from AIDS

A DNA vaccine protects chimps from HIV infection.

Articles:

Those Old Dioxin Blues

Some small fry are exquisitely sensitive models of dioxin vulnerability

In studying the hitherto largely unrecognized toxicity of dioxinlike compounds in fish, scientists stumbled onto a new model for probing the pollutants' effects in higher animals.

Proliferation of Pills

Antibiotics don't fight many infections well, yet doctors continue to prescribe them

As resistance to antibiotics grows, doctors scramble for new ways to deal with tougher bugs.

Departments:

Our Weekly Listing of New Publications

Letters:

A Selection from Letters to the Editor

For More Information on this Week's Articles:

Further Readings People to Contact

Home Page - This Week