EXETER, England (UPI) — British scientists who last year identified the first common version of a gene influencing height have now identified 20 genome regions that do the same. The researchers said the findings in independent studies from Peninsula Medical School in Exeter and the University of Oxford mean scientists now know of dozens of […]

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TOULOUSE, France (UPI) — The European Space Agency said it has cleared the Jules Verne spacecraft to proceed with the first automated docking with the International Space Station. The event is scheduled for 10:41 a.m. EDT Thursday. Wednesday’s official go-ahead followed two flawless Monday tests during which the automated transfer vehicle proved its operational capabilities. […]

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BERKELEY, Calif. (UPI) — U.S. and Chinese scientists say they’ve found a hormone called insulin-like growth factor directs nerve connection formation in an area of the brain. IGF had formerly been known only to stimulate the growth of cells throughout the body but the new study showed it also plays a critical role in establishing […]

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MONTREAL (UPI) — A team of Canadian and French researchers said it has identified a gene responsible for a significant fraction of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases. ALS — commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease — is an incurable neuromuscular disorder. Researchers at the University of Montreal and Waterloo and Laval Universities in Canada, along […]

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (UPI) — Now that the latest space shuttle Endeavour mission is completed, the U.S. space agency said it’s preparing for the May launch of space shuttle Discovery. National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials said Discovery’s two solid rocket boosters and 15-story external tank are undergoing final work and checkouts in the Kennedy […]

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Craters come in all shapes and sizes, some more bizarre than others. Recent photos of Mercury have revealed two new categories of crater that scientists are puzzling over how to explain. When NASA‘s MESSENGER spacecraft flew by the planet Jan. 14 it snapped pictures of several craters with strange dark halos and one crater with […]

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