Giant storms collide on Jupiter
For the first time, scientists have been able to watch the process of two of Jupiter's giant "white oval" storms, each about half the size of Earth, colliding and merging to form an even bigger storm.

Serious head injuries linked to Alzheimer's disease
A new analysis of head injuries among World War II veterans links serious head injury in early adulthood with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in later life. The study, by researchers at Duke University and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), also suggests that the more severe the head injury, the greater the risk of developing AD.

Weather Forces Another Delay; Discovery to Try Landing Tuesday
Discovery's astronauts will remain in space another day after rains near Edwards Air Force Base prevented landing on either of two opportunities at the California site. Discovery had two landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center, but high winds there made landing weather unacceptable.

Northwestern programs aims at revealing genetic causes of spina bifida
Johnny Doe (not his real name) is a little boy who is helping unravel a mystery for scientists at Northwestern University Medical School and Duke University.

Insect defenses point the way to defeating bacterial antibiotic resistance
Insects dominate the animal kingdom, both in terms of numbers and variety. One reason for their success is their remarkably swift and effective system of defense against infections, which differs dramatically from the immune systems of higher-order animals, including humans. Key to the insect immune system is an array of small antimicrobial peptide molecules. Most act, in essence, by latching on to the outer or inner membranes of bacteria and punching holes in the membranes, thereby killing the bacteria.

Progress in auditory hair cell studies in birds points way to possible human hearing improvement
Scientists have known for years that birds' ears do something human ears cannot: when hair cells in the avian ear are destroyed, the bird goes deaf only temporarily. Now, research at the University of Washington is showing why.

Lead accelerates aging process years after exposure
Lead exposure on the job can cause progressive declines in memory and learning abilities nearly two decades later, according to a study in the October 24 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

New technique improves quality of life for head and neck cancer patients
A new radiation treatment technique that targets head and neck tumors without completely destroying the salivary glands saves patients long-term discomfort and enables them to function more normally, a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has shown. Using this sophisticated technique, researchers sculpted radiation beams so they could attack tumors in the neck while sparing lobes of the parotid salivary glands‹the glands below the ear. At intervals after therapy, they assessed saliva flow and quality of life.