August 30, 1997
Recent discoveries argue that a fossil long considered a jellyfish is actually an ancestor of mollusks. Fedonkin, M.A., and B.M. Waggoner. 1997. The late Precambrian fossil Kimberella is a mollusc-like bilaterian organism. Nature 388(Aug. 28):868. Further Readings:
Monastersky, R. 1995. The Ediacaran enigma. Science News 148(July 8):28.
Imaging shock waves via proton snapshots Proton radiography was used for the first time to obtain images of shock fronts produced inside an explosion. References:
Additional information is available at the Los Alamos National Laboratory website: http://www.lanl.gov/projects/PA/Releases/97-114.html. Further Readings:
Peterson, I. 1997. Computing nuclear crash and burn scenarios. Science News 152(July 5):5. ______. 1996. Sparking fusion. Science News 150(Oct. 19):254. Novel gene defect for colorectal cancer Researchers have found a genetic mutation among Ashkenazi Jews that doubles an individual's risk of colorectal cancer. References:
Laken, S.J. . . . K.W. Kinzler. 1997. Familial colorectal cancer in Ashkenazim due to a hypermutable tract in APC. Nature Genetics 17(September):79. Further Readings:
Jass, J.R., et al. 1995. Diagnostic use of microsatellite instability in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer. Lancet 346(Nov. 4):1200. Nicolaides, N.C., et al. 1994. Mutations of two PMS homologues in hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer. Nature 371(Sept. 1):75. Rustgi, A.K. 1994. Hereditary gastrointestinal polyposis and nonpolyposis syndromes. New England Journal of Medicine 331(Dec. 22):1694. Sorensen, T.I.A. 1995. Is there an inherited general susceptibility to cancer? New England Journal of Medicine 333(Dec. 14):1633. Sternberg, S. 1996. Colorectal cancer: To screen or not? Science News 150(Dec. 7):358. Dioxin's fowl deed: Misshapen brains Birds exposed to dioxin during fetal maturation develop asymmetrical brains that can affect behavior. References:
Henshel, D.S., J.W. Martin, and J.C. DeWitt. 1997. Brain asymmetry as a potential biomarker for developmental TCDD intoxication: A dose-response study. Environmental Health Perspectives 105(July):718. Further Readings:
Environment Canada and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Great Lakes concerns today. In The Great Lakes Atlas, available at http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/. Gilbertson, M., et al. 1991. Great Lakes embryo mortality, edema, and deformities syndrome (GLEMEDS) in colonial fish-eating birds: Similarity to chick-edema disease. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 33:455. Jacobson, J.L., et al. 1992. Effects of prenatal PCB exposure on cognitive processing efficiency and sustained attention. Developmental Psychology 28:297. Raloff, J. 1997. Those old dioxin blues. Science News 151(May 17):306.
______. 1997. A new world of pollutant effects. Science News 151(March 1):S19. ______. 1996. Banned pollutant's legacy: Lower IQs. Science News 150(Sept. 14):165. ______. 1996. Because we eat PCBs . . . Science News Online (Sept. 14). ______. 1995. PCBs' legacy can affect next generation. Science News 148(Nov. 11):310. Weiss, B. 1990. Risk assessment: The insidious nature of neurotoxicity and the aging brain. NeuroToxicology 11:305. Antitumor gene finds long-lost sibling The first known relative of p53, a gene responsible for controlling cellular growth, resides at a location in the human chromosome long suspected of playing a role in several cancers. References:
Kaghad, M. . . . F. McKeon, and D. Caput. 1997. Monoallelically expressed gene related to p53 at 1p36, a region frequently deleted in neuroblastoma and other human cancers. Cell 90(Aug. 22). Endangered seals suffer massive die-off A quarter of the world's Mediterranean monk seals, apparently stricken by a virus, have died since May. References:
Osterhaus, A. 1997. Morbid monks. Nature 388(Aug. 28):838. Further Readings:
Raloff, J. 1994. Something's fishy. Science News 146(July 2):8. Mammograms better when timed to cycles Fewer tumors are missed when women get mammograms during the first 2 weeks of their menstrual cycle. References:
Baines, C.J., et al. 1997. Impact of menstrual phase on false-negative mammograms in the Canadian National Breast Screening Study. Cancer 80(Aug. 15):720. Further Readings:
Kopans, D.B. 1992. Detecting breast cancer not visible by mammography. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 84:745. Social links may counter health risks Increased risk of death among elderly people and elevated blood pressure among black adults appear linked to chronic social isolation. References:
Berkman, L.F. 1997. Looking beyond age and race: The structure of networks, functions of support, and chronic stress. Epidemiology 8(September):469. Cerhan, J.R., and R.B. Wallace. 1997. Change in social ties and subsequent mortality in rural elders. Epidemiology 8(September):475. Strogatz, D.S., et al. 1997. Social support, stress, and blood pressure in black adults. Epidemiology 8(September):482. A protein isolated from insects acts as a potent antifreeze. References:
Graham, L.A., et al. 1997. Hyperactive antifreeze protein from beetles. Nature 388(Aug. 21):727. Walker, V.K., et al. 1997. Chilling out with an insect antifreeze. Nature Biotechnology 15(September):887. Further Readings:
1992. Something fishy about frozen livers. Science News 141(March 21):189. Peterson, I. 1988. Fish antifreeze with an electrical twist. Science News 133(May 21):325. Peterson, I. 1986. A biological antifreeze. Science News 130(Nov. 22):330. Research
Notes: Biology Northern birds laying eggs earlier Many birds in the United Kingdom now lay eggs earlier in spring than they did 25 years ago. References:
Crick, H.Q.P., et al. 1997. UK birds are laying eggs earlier. Nature 388(Aug. 7):526. Further Readings:
Monastersky, R. 1997. Warmth in north pushes spring forward. Science News 151(May 10):290. Whiff of grass helps kill bugs fast Molasses grass planted along with corn is effective in warding off the destructive stem borer. References:
Pickett, J.A., et al. 1997. Intercropping increases parasitism of pests. Nature 388(Aug. 14):631. Where birds reign, ants rain Ants crawling up trees often jump down to escape predatory birds. References:
Haemig, P.D. 1997. Effects of birds on the intensity of ant rain: A terrestrial form of invertebrate drift. Animal Behaviour 54(July):89. Biomedicine Revising the risk of prostate surgery Nerve-sparing surgery for prostate cancer may not work as well as previously believed. References:
Talcott, J.A. 1997. Patient-reported impotence and incontinence after nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 89(Aug. 6):1117. Smokers' hearts don't pick up pace Compared to nonsmokers, smokers whose heart rates fail to increase in response to exercise run a five times greater risk of heart attack. References:
Lauer, M.S., et al. 1997. Association of cigarette smoking with chronotropic incompetence and prognosis in the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation 96(Aug. 5):897. Earth Science How warming helps Antarctic ice Climate warming may thicken Antarctic ice shelves instead of melting them. References:
Nicholls, K.W. 1997. Predicted reduction in basal melt rates of an Antarctic ice shelf in a warmer climate. Nature 388(July 31):460. Sea tales from lead A mineral crust growing on deep-sea rocks yields a bonanza of information about ancient ocean history. References:
Christensen, J.N., A.N. Halliday, et al. 1997. Climate and ocean dynamics and the lead isotopic records in Pacific ferromanganese crusts. Science 277(Aug. 15):913. Material Science Solid hydrogen resists becoming metal Theoretical calculations reveal that hydrogen molecules become partially ionic under ultrahigh pressure, hindering the transformation of solid hydrogen to a metallic state. References:
Edwards, B., and N.W. Ashcroft. 1997. Spontaneous polarization in dense hydrogen. Nature 388(Aug. 14):652. Further Readings:
Edwards, P.B., and F. Hensel. 1997. Will solid hydrogen ever be a metal? Nature 388(Aug. 14):621. Lipkin, R. 1996. The lightest metal in the universe. Science News 149(April 20):250. The force of a cell's footsteps A micromachined device measures the force exerted by cells creeping slowly over its surface. References:
Galbraith, C.G., and M.P. Sheetz. 1997. A micromachined device provides a new bend on fibroblast traction forces. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 94(Aug. 19):9114. A guitar only an amoeba could love A tiny guitar made of silicon demonstrates a new technology for making microscopic devices. References:
Carr, D.W., and H.G. Craighead. 1997. 41st Electron, Ion and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication Conference. Dana Point, Calif. Further information is available at http://www.news.cornell.edu/science/July97/guitar.ltb.html. Further Readings:
Peterson, I. 1997. From microdevice to smart dust. Science News 152(July 26):62. Articles:
Researchers unearth ancient medical secrets Analysis of ancient DNA makes an important contribution to the history of disease. References:
David, A.R. 1997. Disease in Egyptian mummies: The contribution of new technologies. Lancet 349(June 14):1760. Guhl, F. 1997. Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in human mummies. Lancet 349(May 10):1370. Further Readings:
Christensen, D. 1994. Pre-Columbian mummy lays TB debate to rest. Science News 145(March 19):181. Monastersky, R. 1997. On a roll: Robot attempts desert voyage. Science News 151(June 21):382. A cancer cell's physical environment controls its growth Cells from different organs and tissues become almost indistinguishable when removed from their normal surroundings. References:
Boudreau, N. . . . M.J. Bissell. 1995. Suppression of ICE and apoptosis in mammary epithelial cells by extracellular matrix. Science 267(Feb. 10):891. Weaver, V.M. . . . M.J. Bissell. 1997. Reversion of the malignant phenotype of human breast cells in three-dimensional culture and in vivo by integrin blocking antibodies. Journal of Cell Biology 137(April 7):231. Further Readings:
Horwitz, A.F. 1997. Integrins and health. Scientific American May:68. Schehr, R.S. 1997. Rethinking the development of breast cancer. Nature Biotechnology 15(June):517. Schipper, H., E.A. Turley, and M. Baum. 1996. A new biological framework for cancer research. Lancet 348(Oct. 26):1149. 
Ancient Animal Sheds False Identity
References:
Freeze! Insect proteins halt ice growth
Outside Influences
Table of Contents - 8/30/97