More Stories from the January 12, 2002 issue
- Health & Medicine
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.
- Health & Medicine
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.
- Health & Medicine
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.
- Health & Medicine
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.
- Earth
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.
- Earth
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.
- Physics
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.
- Physics
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.
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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.
- Humans
Record science budget evaded proposed cuts
Congress and the Bush administration have now agreed on unprecedented rises in funding for research and development programs.
- Astronomy
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.
- Health & Medicine
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.
- Animals
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.
- Earth
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.
- Chemistry
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.
- Health & Medicine
Viruses stop antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Bacteriophages, viruses that destroy bacteria, can protect mice from bacteria that are impervious to antibiotics.
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Biological Dark Matter
The discovery that some genes encode RNA strands instead of proteins has surprised biologists.
- Ecosystems
Tadpole Science Gets Its Legs . . .
The amazingly complex tadpole now shines in ecological studies.
