Researchers Find Trigger for Devastating Digestive Disease, Propose Treatment
Researchers have found a peptide molecule that triggers celiac sprue -- a severe inflammation of the intestine that results from eating wheat and related grains -- and propose a treatment strategy that relies on bacterial enzymes to break down the offending molecule in the digestive tract. As many as 1 in every 200 Americans suffers from the condition. In the September 27 issue of Science, Chaitan Khosla and his coworkers at Stanford University and the University of Norway in Oslo, report disassembling the large, complex mixture of gluten proteins and identifying a single component that triggers the autoimmune response characteristic of celiac sprue.
More... (posted October 2, 2002)

The Sock Genie, designed by Christopher Baxter of SUNY at Buffalo, makes the task of putting on and taking off socks easier for individuals with limited range of motion in their legs or knees.

Young Engineers Build Accessibility
To graduate from accredited, undergraduate engineering programs, students need to complete a senior design course. As part of an NSF program, engineering seniors across the country devote their course time to solving an accessibility problem for a person with disabilities. Beginning in 1988, the program - now called the Research to Aid Persons with Disabilities Undergraduate Design Projects' Activity - has supported rising engineers at many universities. "Participants in the activity have a hands-on, face-to-face, relationship with specific disabled individuals," said NSF program director Gilbert Devey.
More... (posted September 27, 2002)

Anne Tréhu (Co-Chief Scientist; USA) and Brad Julson (Laboratory Officer) discuss one of the first sediment cores recovered during Leg 204. Photo: ODP/TAMU

Scientists Explore Large Gas Hydrate Field off Oregon Coast
Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) scientists have completed a two-month expedition off the coast of Oregon to investigate the origin and distribution of frozen deposits of natural gas known as "gas hydrates." Funded largely by NSF, their research could identify locations and quantify amounts of this potential natural resource, which may eventually serve as a major new worldwide energy source.
More... (posted September 27, 2002)

NRC Report Touts Government Investments in Information Technology Research
According to a recent report from the National Research Council (NRC), government agencies have a unique ability to invest in long-term research for improving information technology (IT). Such research would benefit computer science and greatly improve the efficiency of digital government programs. The NRC's Committee on Computing and Communications Research to Enable Better Use of Information Technology in Government drafted the report, "Information Technology Research, Innovation, and E-government," at the request of NSF.
More... (posted September 27, 2002)

The song of the Zebra Finch is helping scientists better understand how the human brain produces the signals for motor control and learning activities.

Songbirds Use Mental Pointer When Playing Tunes
That spontaneous serenade from the zebra finch is not only more rehearsed than cellist Yo-Yo Ma's chamber music, but the bird even keeps its "finger" on its mental sheet music both day and night. In an NSF-supported study at Lucent Technology's Bell Laboratories, researchers have discovered that signals serving as "mental pointers" are produced in the brains of zebra finches while they sing, and also while they dream about, or "rehearse," their song during sleep. This long-term, fundamental neural research is helping scientists understand brain mechanisms and, specifically, how the brain produces signals for motor control and learning. By studying how songbirds learn their songs, scientists hope to understand how humans learn to speak.
More... (posted September 27, 2002)