Kepler planet-detection mission: introduction and first results.

The Kepler mission was designed to determine the frequency of Earth-sized planets in and near the habitable zone of Sun-like stars. The habitable zone is the region where planetary temperatures are suitable for water to exist on a planet's surface. During the first 6 weeks of observations, Kepler monitored 156,000 stars, and five new exoplanets with sizes between 0.

Kepler's optical phase curve of the exoplanet HAT-P-7b.

Ten days of photometric data were obtained during the commissioning phase of the Kepler mission, including data for the previously known giant transiting exoplanet HAT-P-7b. The data for HAT-P-7b show a smooth rise and fall of light from the planet as it orbits its star, punctuated by a drop of 130 +/- 11 parts per million in flux when the planet passes behind its star. We interpret this as the phase variation of the dayside thermal emission plus reflected light from the planet as it orbits its star and is occulted.

A reappraisal of the habitability of planets around M dwarf stars.

Stable, hydrogen-burning, M dwarf stars make up about 75% of all stars in the Galaxy. They are extremely long-lived, and because they are much smaller in mass than the Sun (between 0.5 and 0.

Recovery of exotic alleles in semiexotic maize inbreds derived from crosses between Latin American accessions and a temperate line.

Genetic diversity of elite maize germplasm in the United States is narrow relative to the species worldwide. Tropical maize represents the most diverse source of germplasm. To incorporate germplasm from tropical maize landraces into the temperate gene pool, 23 Latin American maize accessions were crossed to temperate inbred line Mo44.

The biomechanical response to doses of TGF-beta 2 in the healing rabbit medial collateral ligament.

Ligament injuries result in significant disability in over 100,000 patients each year. Despite current methods of treatment, 13% of patients with medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury develop early signs of arthritis, suggesting an incomplete return of knee stability. The principal hypothesis of this work was that the addition of TGF-beta 2 to the healing MCL would accelerate the development of scar strength and stiffness.