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Male Insects Rule in This Society
Males have long been considered the underbugs of the social insect world, but scientists have now found a wasp species in which guys take charge.
Enzyme erases DNA's molecular coating
A newly discovered enzyme strips DNA of clusters of atoms called methyl groups-a function implicated in the regulation of gene activity.
Martian close-up images tell a watery tale
The sharpest images of Mars ever recorded from an orbiting spacecraft suggest that water was once plentiful on or just beneath the crust of the Red Planet.
New combination vaccine may fight malaria
A gene synthesized from a malaria parasite's DNA produces a protein that stimulates an immune response against the parasite in all its life stages.
Skull canals spark speech-origins dispute
A pair of bony canals at the base of the skull, previously reported to be indicators of speech capability in ancient human ancestors, may in fact bear no relation to the ability to talk.
Decays may reflect matter-antimatter rift
New evidence that elementary particles called B mesons behave slightly differently than their antiparticles may shed light on why the universe has so little antimatter.
Dioxin can harm tooth development
Exposure to breast milk tainted with moderate levels of dioxins can cause defects in developing teeth, rendering them especially vulnerable to cavities.
Mediterranean diet proves value again
A French study reconfirms that a diet rich in canola oil, fish, fruits, cereals, and beans limits heart disease.
A Nonconformist Compound
A material that shrinks when heated may keep thermal problems in check
Zirconium tungstate could be used in computer chips, dental materials, and heat-sensitive devices that then will be less likely to crack.
Modus Operandi of an Infamous Drug
Mutant mice provide clues to how DES wreaked havoc in the womb
The synthetic hormone DES may do its damage by suppressing the activity of a gene that normally plays a vital role in the development of the male and female reproductive tracts.
Behavior
Neural ties that bind perception . . .
Human perception and learning may depend on the collective electrical discharges of huge brain-cell assemblies.
. . . and have a moving impact
Experimental evidence implicates synchronized activity among motor neurons in monkeys' ability to carry out planned actions.
Biomedicine
No genetic link to late Parkinson's
A study of 161 sets of twin men suggests that Parkinson's disease that strikes after age 50 doesn't stem from a genetic cause.
Deaf people seem to hear signing
Deaf people use a portion of the auditory cortex, a part of the brain usually reserved for hearing, to process sign language.
Food & Nutrition
Of carotenoids and diabetes
People with diabetes or prone to it may benefit from diets rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids.
Do carrots ward off heart attacks?
A Dutch study finds that diets rich in beta-carotene seem to afford elderly men and women some protection from heart attacks.
Ferreting out beta-carotene's toxicity
An animal study suggests that high doses of beta-carotene break down to products that can promote cancer growth.
Paleontology
Dinosaur shifts metabolic gears
Dinosaurs may have breathed with a diaphragm, allowing them to be as active as warm-blooded animals while remaining cold-blooded.
Dinosaur family hails from Texas
The oldest known hadrosaur fossil, found in Texas, opens up the possibility that these duck-billed dinosaurs evolved in North America, not Asia.
