Scientists study how to destroy asteroids
TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Israeli scientists say they are studying how Earth might avoid a collision with an asteroid, as fictionally shown in the 1998 movie Armageddon.
But Noah Brosch, director of Tel Aviv University's Wise Observatory, and doctoral student David Polishook said while the chances of an asteroid hitting the Earth are very real, blowing up an asteroid would be much more complicated than movies depict.
Astrophysicists agree the best method for avoiding a catastrophic collision would be to change the path of the asteroid heading toward our planet, said Polishook, but he said for that to work, scientists need to be able to predict what would happen in such an explosion.
Although blowing up an asteroid might avoid a collision, the researchers said it might also create many equally dangerous smaller asteroids, each about 325-feet in diameter -- twice the size of the asteroid that created the famous Barringer crater in Arizona 50,000 years ago.
"Science needs to know whether asteroids are solid pieces of rock or piles of gravel, what forces are holding them together and how they will break apart if bombed," said Polishook.
The most recent results of the research were presented in July during the 2008 meeting of Asteroids, Comets and Meteors, sponsored by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Some T cells linked with Lyme disease
LA JOLLA, Calif., Dec. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've identified a group of natural killer T cells that play an important role in fighting Lyme disease.
Led by the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology and Albany Medical College, the researchers said their finding -- based on a mouse model of the disease -- demonstrates white blood cells are central to clearing the bacterial infection and reducing the intensity and duration of arthritis associated with Lyme disease.
"Our findings are that the NK T cells are critical to preventing the chronic inflammatory infection that causes Lyme arthritis and they participate in clearing the bacteria which cause it," said Mitchell Kronenberg, president of the La Jolla Institute and the study's co-senior author.
"What this study demonstrates is that NK T cells are an important part of our defense against Lyme disease," said Albany College Associate Professor Timothy Sellati, co-senior author of the study. "This offers the possibility that we can exploit that knowledge therapeutically and potentially develop immunological agents that can trigger more NK T cells to aide in fighting this disease."
The research was reported in last week's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Hubble finds CO2 on extrasolar planet
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its Hubble Space Telescope has discovered carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting another star.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the discovery is an important step toward finding chemical biotracers of extraterrestrial life.
Although the extrasolar, Jupiter-sized planet called HD 189733b is too hot for life, NASA said the Hubble observations are a proof-of-concept demonstration that the basic chemistry for life can be measured on planets orbiting other stars. NASA scientists also said organic compounds also can be a byproduct of life processes and their detection on an Earthlike planet someday might provide the first evidence of life beyond our planet.
"Hubble was conceived primarily for observations of the distant universe, yet it is opening a new era of astrophysics and comparative planetary science," said Eric Smith, NASA's Hubble program scientist. "These atmospheric studies will begin to determine the compositions and chemical processes operating on distant worlds orbiting other stars. The future for this newly opened frontier of science is extremely promising as we expect to discover many more molecules in exoplanet atmospheres."
Spinal muscular atrophy genetic test urged
BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The American College of Medical Genetics says a genetic test for spinal muscular atrophy should be offered to all couples.
The statement appears in the November issue of the organization's journal Genetics in Medicine.
ACMG officials said spinal muscular atrophy is a severe neuromuscular genetic disease caused by mutations in the SMN1 gene. It affects approximately 1 in 10,000 infants, causing progressive muscle weakness and death.
The ACMG said tests to identify carriers of the gene responsible for SMA have generally been offered only to people with a family history of the disease.
"Because SMA is a common genetic disorder in all populations, carrier testing should be offered to all couples regardless of race or ethnicity," said Ohio State University Professor Thomas Prior, the author of the recommendation issued by the ACMG's Professional Practice and Guidelines Committee.
"It is important that all individuals undergoing testing understand that a carrier is a healthy individual who is not at risk of developing the disease, but has a risk of passing the gene mutation to his/her offspring," according to the statement.
"The new recommendation to extend SMA carrier screening to the general population is a good example of the way in which technical capabilities and knowledge in the field of genetics are advancing to the point that entire populations stand to benefit," said Dr. James Evans, editor-in-chief of the journal.
