SPACE SCIENCE: Europe Set to Work on Hubble's Replacement

NASA scientists and engineers working on the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) got a boost from across the Atlantic last week. On 15 September in Paris, the European Space Agency's top science advisory committee recommended that the agency become a major partner in the project. The recommendation puts NGST--along with a handful of other missions the committee also endorsed last week--one short step away from officially becoming part of Europe's space program.     

促进山西藜麦种植规模化及产业链形成的建议

藜麦是南美洲印加人的传统粮食,在北美及欧洲市场作为保健品被逐渐推开。引进藜麦并对其进行了品种试验及种植方面的研究,由于藜麦的生长特性符合山西气候及生态特性,尤其在一些气候干旱、土壤瘠薄的地区,与种植地方小杂粮相比具有比较高的竞争优势,在山西省推广种植藜麦,逐步形成完整产业链及具有山西地标特色的高档农产品,对提升山西精品农业、提高农民收入具有一定的促进作用。     

SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION: Push to Revive Pluto Mission May Mean Competition for JPL

An unusual coalition of scientists, activists, and politicians is pressuring NASA to rethink a September decision to put a 2004 mission to Pluto on hold because of budget constraints. The growing clamor is shaking up the planetary science community, which is also preparing for a mission at mid-decade to Europa, a moon of Jupiter. The biggest impact may be felt at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, which could face serious competition for the first time in decades on contracts to build planetary missions.     

Lunar receiving laboratory

The Lunar Receiving Laboratory will be the permanent depository of a portion of the collection of lunar samples; it will safeguard the collection, providing continuing security and ensuring scientific integrity. In carrying out the time-dependent experiments and continuing functions of the laboratory, NASA will rely on visiting expert scientists supplementing a relatively small resident staff; outside scientists will be relied upon for most investigations and detailed analyses of samples. It is believed that the designed procedures and facilities provided will ensure the maximum scientific return from the Apollo Program in the way of information from lunar samples.     

SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION: NASA Blasted for Rising Costs, Cancellations

When NASA cancelled a project last month that would have sent a tiny rover crawling over an asteroid, the community of planetary scientists issued a public tongue lashing of the agency. Its letter warned of larger problems in the U.S. program caused by spiraling costs and recommended a sweeping reexamination of the outer solar system effort.     

U.S. SPACE SCIENCE: Earmarks, Rising Costs Threaten NASA Missions

The House and Senate are working out a final 2001 budget plan that should leave NASA with a small increase over this year. But the increase will be more than swallowed up by projects costing hundreds of millions of dollars that politicians have added to satisfy their constituents. At the same time, rising mission costs in the wake of two recent Mars failures are forcing agency officials to steal money from lower priority efforts such as a trip to Pluto. The two trends, warn NASA and science community officials, could prove devastating to NASA's space science efforts.     

INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE: Scientific Ballooning's Buoyant Mood

For the past decade, scientific ballooning has been in a steady decline, but a comeback is now in the works here at the National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF). This year's Decadal Review of astronomy has for the first time recommended that NASA increase support for this oft-neglected stepchild of the space program. And in June, the NSBF completed a milestone test flight of its Ultra-Long Duration Balloon, a sealed balloon capable of carrying several tons to 37,000 meters for 100 days that could make balloons competitive with satellites for doing research.     

Soufriere volcano, st. Vincent: observations of its 1979 eruption from the ground, aircraft, and satellites

Rapid response by earth, atmospheric, and space scientists made possible diverse observations during the explosive phase of the 1979 eruption of Soufriere Volcano. The 11 reports that follow indicate that, with the availability of appropriate personnel, equipment, and logistical support, a significant body of geophysical data can be gathered on short notice at erupting volcanoes in remote parts of the world.     

Changes in Earth's albedo measured by satellite

NASA global satellite data provide observations of Earth's albedo, i.e., the fraction of incident solar radiation that is reflected back to space. The satellite data show that the last four years are within natural variability and fail to confirm the 6% relative increase in albedo inferred from observations of earthshine from the moon. Longer global satellite records will be required to discern climate trends in Earth's albedo.     

石羊河流域NDVI的季节时空变化研究

利用NASA提供的逐月合成的石羊河流域2007年MODIS-NDVI数据,配合气象台站资料,分析了该流域NDVI季节时空变化特征。结果表明:石羊河流域NDVI季节变化与植被的生物学特性、物候变化相一致,具有明显的季节性规律;在空间上具有明显的分异性,表现为南部祁连山高寒半干旱半湿润区季节变化显著,中部走廊平原温凉干旱区季节变化明显,北部温暖干旱区除少数绿洲外季节变化不明显。     

2001 BUDGET: NSF and NASA Score Last-Minute Victories

Congress last week gave both NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) significant hikes for 2001: NSF got $4.42 billion, a $522 million boost over this year that nearly matched NSF's 17% request, and NASA received $14.3 billion, nearly twice the White House's request for a 3% boost-but with hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks added on.     

空间辐射对植物的诱变效应

空间环境具有强辐射、高真空、微重力、变化的磁场等特点,与地球环境有所不同,对进入其中的生物具有诱变作用。自从20世纪60年代开始进行空间生物学实验以来,空间环境的生物学效应一直受到科学家的关注,许多国家进行了大量植物种子的搭载实验,获得了作物的优良品种,并研究了空间辐射环境引起植物种子变异的特点、规律和机制。综述了空间辐射对植物学性状、细胞学效应、生理生化特性、蛋白质组和基因组的影响,以及空间诱变育种等方面的研究进展。     

Erratum

In R. Jeffrey Smith's article "Beggs takes a leave of absence at NASA" (News and Comment, 20 Dec., p. 1363), NASA acting administrator William R. Graham was incorrectly identified as "Thomas Graham."     

International Cooperation in Space: A wide variety of joint projects contribute to science and have practical applications

NASA has developed an extensive program of international cooperation, which opens the entire range of its space activities to foreign participation and benefit. The program has involved developing as well as advanced countries in activities that are fruitful scientifically, technically, economically, and (it may be hoped) politically. "Gaps" or limitations in the program are found in the areas of manned space flight and large booster development and in cooperation with the Soviet Union. In the first case, the low level of European budgeting is the prime explanation, perhaps reflecting Europe's late start in the space business and an early underestimate of its values and possibilities. In the second case, the explanation seems to rest with Soviet political views rather than with technical problems or any lack of interest by the United States. Openhanded efforts are currently under way to raise the level of foreign participation in the space programs of the next decade, but it is too early to estimate their chances of major success. Public commentary could undoubtedly assist these efforts more effectively if it were directed more clearly to the actual sources of restriction on foreign participation. Despite the restricting factors abroad, however, there is every reason to persevere with existing and improved programs for international cooperation.     

Gender differences in patenting in the academic life sciences

We analyzed longitudinal data on academic careers and conducted interviews with faculty members to determine the scope and causes of the gender gap in patenting among life scientists. Our regressions on a random sample of 4227 life scientists over a 30-year period show that women faculty members patent at about 40% of the rate of men. We found that the gender gap has improved over time but remains large.     

Bioethics. Financial conflicts get more scrutiny in clinical trials

At a national conference on clinical research last week, the incoming head of the federal government's new Office for Human Research Protections, Greg Koski, surprised his audience by suggesting that some conflicts should be avoided. His support for the idea that scientists should have no financial ties to companies whose products they are testing hints at an upcoming shift in government rules that govern the relationship between scientists and the pharmaceutical industry. But most of the discussion at the conference revolved around questions of how to "manage" conflicts rather than do away with them.     

全球气候变化对农业生态系统的影响及研究对策

全球气候变化在不同时间和空间尺度上对农业生态系统产生深刻的影响,并引起了世界各国科学家、政府的极大关注。本文从CO2浓度和气温升高、UV-B辐射增强等方面综述了全球气候变化对作物、土壤、畜牧业、病虫害以及气候灾害的影响,提出了全球气候变化下未来应加强研究的领域。     

人类生命现象新论

人类有着奇异性的生理、心理结构效应模式．这种效应模式由３个层次９个子系统构成，是生命与文化内在的嵌套，构成了人类的生命现象，成为人的存在基础．据此认为自然科学家在研究人类生命现象时，要从“辩析毫厘”中看到文化的作用，社会科学家在研究人性时，要从“纵横六合”中注意到生命现象的奇异性．     

基于MODIS数据的海南岛干呈监测研究

利用NASA提供的MODIS陆地产品NDVI和LST,采用植被供水指数法对海南岛2010年1～4月的地表干旱情况进行遥感监测,将监测结果与同期的综合气象干旱指数对比分析。结果表明:对于植被覆盖度较高的热带岛屿海南岛,利用植被供水指数进行干旱的动态监测是可行的,MODIS数据可很好地满足大范围的实时动态监测。2010年1～4月间VSWI遥感监测分析显示海南岛地表干旱存在着明显的区域差异,西南沿海比中东部严重,在此期间干旱有持续加重的发展趋势。     

Virology. Evolution on life's fringes

Earlier this summer, two dozen scientists gathered here to take another crack at the question of viral origins and evolution. Fresh evidence that viruses have existed for billions of years suggests that they were on hand when the first cells arose. That has scientists wondering what role these stripped-down microbes played in the evolution of life.