A group known as The Center for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine (CSCRM), which is comprised of Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve university, University Hospitals, and Athersys Inc., has been awarded a $5 million grant from Ohio's Third Frontier Commission under the Research Commercialization program. This funding will help to support new and innovative stem cell technologies, and will include two commercial, for emerging, and three pilot projects. Each of the projects will match the funding, creating a $10 million grant to benefit stem cell and regenerative medicine within the state of Ohio.

These research efforts will result in efficient clinical applications, as well as the commercialization of stem cells to benefit patients located throughout Ohio. Thus far, these kinds of efforts have brought in $170 million in new commercial development and investment in the state.

Current healthcare is limited to using drugs or devices to treat disease and injury. Stem cell research such as that which is being done by CSCRM could change the way disease and injury are treated, as they are uniquely positioned to rapidly implement new stem cell technologies in both the commercial and therapeutic areas.

Japanese researchers have identified a gene that may be responsible for hair loss in humans, giving hope the millions of balding men and women around the world. In genetic experiements on mice, researchers were able to create mutant rodents that lacked the Sox21 "master regulator" gene - a gene also found in humans - whose function they said is to ensure hair retention.

Scientists found that when they blocked the gene in rodents, it led to hair loss. Mice began to shed their fur "from postnatal day 11 beginning at the head and progressing toward the tail region of the back." Eventually the genetically altered mice became bald, losing all their body hair, including whiskers.

Researchers concluded: "The lack of this gene results in a loss of the interlocking structures required for anchoring the hair shaft in the hair follicle." Lead research Yumiko Saga said that the findings could lead to the development of a treatment against thinning hair in humans.

For the second day in a row, NASA has been forced to delay the scheduled landing of the space shuttle Atlantic. Thunderstorms have prevented the shuttle from returning to its home base on Saturday, keeping the astronauts circling Earth after a successful repair job at the Hubble Space Telescope.

Offshore storms were what prompted the space agency to skip both morning landing attempts at the Kennedy Space Center. Sunday's forecast isn't looking too good either, but NASA is still opting to wait out the bad weather instead of taking a detour to California.

The Atlantis crew are hoping to soon wrap up their Hubble repair mission, which started on May 11. It was NASA's last visit to the now 19-year-old space observatory, and the $1 billion overhaul and repairs are expected to keep the telescope working for a good five to ten years.

The shuttle's backup landing site, Edwards Air Force Base in California, is expected to have good weather all weekend. However, NASA is holding off on using the backup landing site as it takes quite a bit of time and money - about $2 million - to have a shuttle ferried across the country.

Meet Ruby Puppy, one of four cloned pups that glow because they have genetic information from sea anemones, a breakthrough that scientists are hoping will aid in the study of human diseases. According to New Scientist Magazine, the dogs produce a protein that glows under ultraviolet light.

The first transgenic dog - called this because it has genes transferred from another speciies - was created by cloning and inserting cells expressing a red flourescent gene which is produced by sea anemones. They hope that it will eventually lead to transgenic dog models of human diseases.

One of the researchers involved with this project, CheMyong Ko of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, said:

"The next step for us is to generate a true disease model."

The team was lead by Byeong-Chun Lee of Seoul National University in South Korea. He was also a part of the 2005 scientific effort with stem cell researcher Woo Suk Hwang that created the first cloned dog.

Al Gore is bringing the global warming issue back in the book stores later this year when the former vice president releases "Our Choice" in November. This is a follow up to Gore's ''An Inconvenient Truth," which was released which was released in 2006.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Gore's book will be printed on 100% recycled paper. All proceeds from the book will be donated to Alliance for Climate Protection

One scientist says 'Yes'.

Neuroscientist Susan Greenfield, an Oxford University neuroscientist, says that social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter are said to shorten attention spans, make young people more self-centered, and encourage instant gratification.

Facebook claims more than 150 million users, while Twitter has around 6 million. While these sites are considered extremely popular, as well as profitable, a number of psychologists and neuroscientists believe that they may be doing more harm than good.

Greenfield believes that repeated exposure could effectively "rewire" the brain. Other factors include computer games and fast-paced television shows.

"We know how small babies need constant reassurance that they exist. My fear is that these technologies are infantilising the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment," said Greenfield.

President Barack Obama is soon expected to issue an executive order that would lift an eight-year ban on embryonic stem-cell research that was enacted during the Bush administration.

Adviser David Axelrod said on Sunday, "We're going to be doing something on that soon . . . The president is considering that right now."

President George W. Bush limited federal funding for stem cell research in 2001 to only human embryonic stem cell lines that already existed. It was a nod to conservative Christian supporters that regard this kind of research as destroying human life. During his presidential campaign, Obama vowed to reverse Bush's ban.

Scientists, however, believe that embryonic stem cell research could eventually produce cures for such devastating diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and even spinal cord injuries.

Last month the FDA cleared the way for the first trial to see if these stem cells could safely treat people. The trial will use stem cells from existing lines to regrow nerve tissue in patients with crushed spinal cords.

A study spanning sixty years has shown that overnight temperatures in Ohio have gradually risen, and experts are left wondering what it means. Ohio State University researcher Jeffrey Rogers is now looking into whether the warmer Ohio nights may be a sign of global warming.

Rogers figures indicate that the difference between average summer nighttime low and average nighttime high temperatures in Cleveland is 1.5 degrees. In Columbus the difference is much greater, with nighttime temperatures having increased by 3 degrees. Day time temperatures have remained largely constant.

What Rogers and his fellow researchers currently believe is that increasing clouds and humidity are making heat retention more likely, thus the higher nighttime temps. This theory falls in line with other global studies, says the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

NASA Glenn Research Center's Visitor Center will pay tribute to those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of space exploration on Thursday. Amongst those to be honored are the crews of Apollo, Challenger, and Columbia, as well as all other members of the NASA family that have died in the pursuit of knowledge.

A minute of silence of be observed at 12:59pm EST on Thursday January 29, 2009. Immediately following the moment of silence will be a presentation entitled "Space Heroes" given by Jeff Woytach of Glenn's Speakers Bureau. The presentation will be repeated again on Saturday, Feburary 7, 2009 at 1:30pm. There is also the astronaut memorial wall in the Visitor Center, which is available to view. Both presentations are free and open to the public.

The Visitor Center is open Monday-Friday 9am to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm, and Sunday 1pm to 5pm, and is located at 21000 Brookpark Road. Adult visitors are required to present government issued photo ID. Access to the Visitor Center is limited to US citizens.

According to my car's temperature reading, it was as cold as -12°F this morning. Factoring in the 10 to 12mph winds we have blowing across Northeast Ohio this morning, and temperatures easily feel as if it's at least -25°F. In extreme cold such as this, it is important take take several precautions to protect not only yourself and your loved ones, but also your pets and home.

The number one tip for cold weather is to limit your outdoor activity, and cover any exposed skin when you do have to venture out in the cold. At the temperatures forecast, frostbite can occur in just a few minutes. Keep warm by dressing in layers and try to stay dry. Now is not a good time to go sledding, as tempting as the nicely packed snow may be. Avoid prolonged exposure to the cold, hypothermia can easily set in.

If you have pets, make sure they stay indoors. If they must be left outdoors, make sure they have shelter, extra food, and water. Pets burn more calories trying to stay warm, and dehydration can be a serious problem in the winter.