NASA's 50-year history show on Web site

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency is commemorating its 50th anniversary with an interactive multimedia Web site that details its five decades of exploration.

"Combining current and historic video with state-of-the-art computer animation, the virtual exhibit takes a World's Fair approach to NASA history, featuring pavilions that host each decade of the agency's challenges and achievements," the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in a statement, adding visitors will be presented with unique insight into NASA's activities over the years.

"We're very excited to have people come and take a look at NASA's history," said Brian Dunbar, the space agency's Internet services manager. "We've been able to take a wide range of material and weave it into a virtual tour that allows people to explore at their own pace."

David Mould, NASA's associate administrator for public affairs, said the Web site marks the agency's "first real foray" into animation.

"It represents a new communications medium for us and we have been fortunate to get the support of a lot of people that has enabled us to include some recognizable historic figures as part of this interactive commemoration," said Mould.

The Web site is available at http:///www.nasa.gov/50years.

Robotic bladder cancer surgery effective

NEW YORK, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists say they've determined robotic surgery provides bladder cancer patients with dramatically faster recoveries.

Urologic surgeons at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center say they have demonstrated considerable success with robotics for removal of the bladder -- a procedure known as a cystectomy.

Led by Dr. Douglas Scherr, the researchers showed the robotic approach provides similar benefits to prostate resection, including dramatically faster recoveries with equal, or better, surgical precision.

During the procedure involving the da Vinci surgical system, a surgeon makes five to six small abdominal incisions, through which surgical instruments and a tiny stereoscopic camera are inserted. Once the bladder is removed, the surgeon creates a new channel for urine to pass from the body.

"While we are only beginning to collect long-term empirical data for the bladder, there are early indications that the surgery is at least as good as open surgery at removing cancer," said Scherr. "Our research found that patients treated with robotic surgery had just as good a cancer outcome as those individuals treated at the same center with traditional open surgery."

The study appeared in a recent edition of the British Journal of Urology-International.