Without enough estrogen-like hormone in their systems, female plainfin midshipman fish turn a deaf ear to the alluring love songs of the males. And, according to Cornell biologists, a similar steroid-sensitive response could underlie changes in the hearing sensitivity of humans.
PASADENA, Calif. -- Since the beginning of January the Cornell University team running the panoramic cameras, or Pancams, on the two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, has been largely functioning out of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena. That's where instructions are uplinked, or sent, to the two roving vehicles. But as the mission ages -- in April NASA extended its life until at least mid-September -- demand is growing for space at JPL for other missions, such as Deep Impact and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. (Both missions also have Cornell involvement; the first studies the interior of a comet, the second will get even higher-resolution orbital data on Mars.) In addition, the Mars science team members need to get back to their universities. (July 14, 2004)
Don't categorically reject hormone replacement therapy (HRT) just yet: When women begin HRT before age 60, their risk of death is 39 percent less than women not on hormones, according to a new survey. The findings are based on a Cornell University-Stanford University meta-analysis (a study of other previously published studies), which pooled the results of 30 clinical trials of HRT with almost 27,000 women. (July 13, 2004)
The Cornell Public Service Center has announced the selection of the two fellows for the fourth annual Cornell Civic Leaders Fellowship Program, Gary Ferguson and George Ferrari.
Cornell University scientists are launching a full-scale study on the influence of climate on mosquito populations that transmit diseases such as West Nile virus (WNV) to humans. Funded by a $495,000 Global Programs grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the three-year project is a collaborative effort involving medical entomologists, climatologists, social scientists and risk analysts, as well as local and state health department officials. "We propose to develop a system for predicting and monitoring risk of mosquito vectors, West Nile virus transmission and human health risk that will be readily usable by public health professionals for decision-making," says Laura Harrington, Cornell assistant professor of entomology and the project's principal investigator. "This system will provide a mechanism for early warning of West Nile virus risk and serve as a model for other existing and future vector-borne disease risks for which vectors are already present in the United States. These risks include Rift Valley fever, Japanese encephalitis and Ross River viruses." (July 12, 2004)
Researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Report Findings of Phase I Clinical Trial of Monoclonal Antibody Treatment for Advanced Prostate Cancer.
Steven B. Belkin, a Cornell alumnus, chairman and founder of Trans National Group, a Boston-based privately held corporation, and the principal owner of the professional sports teams the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Thrashers, will be honored on Oct. 14-15, as Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2004.
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Gardeners tending even the most modest pea patches know it's a jungle out there when it comes to managing weeds. But a new two-volume CD-ROM set, developed and produced by a Cornell University weed scientist, provides comprehensive, user-friendly instruction whether you're weeding a backyard garden or landscaping a golf course. The innovative program, now available to the public, is humbly titled "Weed Identification, Biology and Management," and it's an encyclopedic tour de plantes of more than 100 Northeastern weed species. "You don't have to be a botanist or a taxonomist to understand the program; it's practical and accessible to just about anyone," said Antonio DiTommaso, Cornell assistant professor of weed science in the university's Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. "We're hoping this CD package helps people to learn more about these often strikingly beautiful plants, which at times interfere with our activities." (July 6, 2004)
Cornell Law School students scored a coup when they persuaded Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to comment in print on women's advances in the law profession. Ginsburg's "Remarks on Women's Progress at the Bar and on the Bench" was just published in Vol. 89 of the Cornell Law Review, a publication produced by law students at Cornell University. It includes, among other things, her lively, candid assessment of the bad old days when the prevailing view among "men of the bench and bar" was that "women and lawyering, no less judging, do not mix." Ginsburg's spunky reply: "It ain't necessarily so." (July 01, 2004)
David Wippman has been appointed associate dean of academic affairs at Cornell Law School, effective this June. Wippman is a professor at the Law School whose areas of expertise include public international law, human rights and the laws of war. Wippman received his B.A. in 1976 from Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude; his M.A. in 1978 from Yale University; and his J.D. in 1982 from Yale Law School, where he was editor in chief of the Yale Law Journal. That same year he started his clerkship with Judge Wilfred Feinberg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Following a stint as an associate with the law firm of Powell, Goldstein, Frazer and Murphy in 1982-83, Wippman joined a new Washington, D.C., law firm, Reichler and Appelbaum, in 1984, becoming a name partner in 1987. (July 01, 2004)
Karen Comstock has been named the first assistant dean for public service law at Cornell Law School. The new position and Comstock's appointment to it were announced recently by Stewart Schwab, the Allan Tessler Dean of the Law School.
