Vol. LIX, No. 16		NIH RECORD HOME NIH RECORD ARCHIVES NIH HOME PAGE August 10, 2007
	Features NCI’s Mittelstadt Is Maryland Cycling Champion NIH Offers Monthly Vodcasts NIH Communicators Take Part in Genome Science Writers’ Seminar ORWH Seminar Examines Health of Adolescent Girls  Departments Briefs Digest Milestones Volunteers printer friendly version		Gateway Center's Green Roof Is Among County's First By Belle Waring     "Chicks & hens" thrive in dry, rocky soil and beautify Gateway Center's green roof. Some plants need a patch of ground plumped up by the gardener's hand, while their hardier cousins bloom in the wilderness where rainfall is scanty and winters are rough. These toughies sprout in mountainous rock, which serves as a microclimate: shallow roots settle in cracks that trap precious water; stones bank heat that extend the growing season. For instance, "chicks & hens" and other succulents bloom in rocky soil with little moisture. With their affinity for rugged places, these beauties are welcome in eco-design; seven various patches now grace the NIH Gateway Center's new green roof. "The benefits are multipurpose and they are clear," said Shah Saleh, project officer with the Office of Research Facilities Development and Operations (ORFDO) for the Gateway Center project, whose green roof helps prevent flooding while cleaning and cooling the runoff. more… Testing the Future STEP Forum Makes Robotic Medicine Come to Life By Sarah Schmelling It seemed more fantasy novel than symposium: a paralyzed woman moves a circle on a monitor using only her thoughts, a robot assists in surgery, a student practices an operation on a simulated person and medics-in-training treat soldiers in a virtual version of the streets of Baghdad. "But this is not science fiction. This is happening," said Dr. John Donoghue, director of the Brain Science Program at Brown University, referring to just some of the technology described in a recent Staff Training in Extramural Programs forum here. Yet, his statement could be applied to all of the areas of research covered by the event titled, "Robotic Medicine: Dr. R2D2 Will See You Now." more…