bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blockade of morphine‐induced behavioral sensitization by a combination of amisulpride and RB101, comparison with classical opioid maintenance treatments
Authors: Cordonnier L , Sanchez M , Roques B P , Noble F
Published: March 2007

Background and purpose:

Maintenance treatments with methadone or buprenorphine are more or less efficient procedures for helping heroin addicts to stop or reduce drug abuse. Another approach to treat opiate dependence could be to target the endogenous opioid system by enhancing the effects of enkephalins by protecting them from enzymic degradation by the dual peptidase inhibitor RB101.

Experimental approach:

As chronic treatment with the dopamine D2 antagonist amisulpride facilitates RB101‐induced behavioral effects, we chose in this study to treat mice previously sensitized to the hyperlocomotor effects induced by morphine with a combination of amisulpride and RB101.

Key results:

Expression of morphine‐induced locomotor sensitization was abolished after combined treatment with amisulpride (20 mg.kg−1, i.p.) and RB101 (80 mg.kg−1, i.p.), whereas these drugs were not effective when used alone. We then compared these results with the effects of amisulpride combined with buprenorphine (0.1 mg.kg−1, i.p.) or methadone (2.5 mg.kg−1, i.p.) upon morphine‐induced behavioral sensitization. Whereas the combination of amisulpride and buprenorphine partially blocked the expression of morphine sensitization, amisulpride+methadone was not effective in this paradigm.

Conclusions and implications:

The combination of amisulpride+RB101 appears to be very efficient in blocking the expression of morphine‐induced behavioral sensitization. This could reflect a reinstatement of a balance between the function of the dopamine and opioid systems and could represent a new approach in maintenance treatments for opiate addiction.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2007)151, 75–83. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707195
Mechanisms of G protein activation via the D2 dopamine receptor: evidence for persistent receptor/G protein interaction after agonist stimulation
Authors: Quirk K , Roberts D J , Strange P G
Published: March 2007

Background and purpose:

The aim of this report is to study mechanisms of G protein activation by agonists.

Experimental approach:

The association and dissociation of guanosine 5′‐O‐(3‐[35S]thio)triphosphate ([35S]GTPγS) binding at G proteins in membranes of CHO cells stably transfected with the human dopamine D2short receptor was studied in the presence of a range of agonists.

Key results:

Binding of [35S]GTPγS was dissociable in the absence of agonist and dissociation was accelerated both in rate and extent by dopamine, an effect which was blocked by the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist raclopride and by suramin, which inhibits receptor/G protein interaction. A range of agonists of varying efficacy increased the rate of dissociation of [35S]GTPγS binding, with the more efficacious agonists resulting in faster dissociation. Agonists were able to dissociate about 70% of the pre‐bound [35S]GTPγS, leaving a component which may not be accessible to the agonist‐bound receptor. The dissociable component of the [35S]GTPγS binding was reduced with longer association times and increased [35S]GTPγS concentrations.

Conclusions and implications:

These data are consistent with [35S]GTPγS binding being initially to receptor‐linked G proteins and then to G proteins which have separated from the agonist bound receptor. Under the conditions used typically for [35S]GTPγS binding assays, therefore, much of the agonist‐receptor complex remains in proximity to G proteins after they have been activated by agonist.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2007) 151, 125–133. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707197
Modulation of angiogenesis by dithiolethione‐modified NSAIDs and valproic acid
Authors: Isenberg J S , Jia Y , Field L , Ridnour L A , Sparatore A , Del Soldato P , Sowers A L , Yeh G C , Moody T W , Wink D A , Ramchandran R , Roberts D D
Published: March 2007

Background and purpose:

Angiogenesis involves multiple signaling pathways that must be considered when developing agents to modulate pathological angiogenesis. Because both cyclooxygenase inhibitors and dithioles have demonstrated anti‐angiogenic properties, we investigated the activities of a new class of anti‐inflammatory drugs containing dithiolethione moieties (S‐NSAIDs) and S‐valproate.

Experimental approach:

Anti‐angiogenic activities of S‐NSAIDS, S‐valproate, and the respective parent compounds were assessed using umbilical vein endothelial cells, muscle and tumor tissue explant angiogenesis assays, and developmental angiogenesis in Fli:EGFP transgenic zebrafish embryos.

Key results:

Dithiolethione derivatives of diclofenac, valproate, and sulindac inhibited endothelial cell proliferation and induced Ser78 phosphorylation of hsp27, a known molecular target of anti‐angiogenic signaling. The parent drugs lacked this activity, but dithiolethiones were active at comparable concentrations. Although dithiolethiones can potentially release hydrogen sulphide, NaSH did not reproduce some activities of the S‐NSAIDs, indicating that the dithioles regulate angiogenesis through mechanisms other than release of H2S. In contrast to the parent drugs, S‐NSAIDs, S‐valproate, NaSH, and dithiolethiones were potent inhibitors of angiogenic responses in muscle and HT29 tumor explants assessed by 3‐dimensional collagen matrix assays. Dithiolethiones and valproic acid were also potent inhibitors of developmental angiogenesis in zebrafish embryos, but the S‐NSAIDs, remarkably, lacked this activity.

Conclusions and implication:

S‐NSAIDs and S‐valproate have potent anti‐angiogenic activities mediated by their dithiole moieties. The novel properties of S‐NSAIDs and S‐valproate to inhibit pathological versus developmental angiogenesis suggest that these agents may have a role in cancer treatment.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2007) 151, 142–151. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707198
Interactions between NO, CO and an endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) in maintaining patency of the ductus arteriosus in the mouse
Authors: Baragatti B , Brizzi F , Barogi S , Laubach V E , Sodini D , Shesely E G , Regan R F , Coceani F
Published: March 2007

Background and purpose:

Prenatal patency of ductus arteriosus is maintained by prostaglandin (PG) E2, possibly along with nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO), and cyclooxygenase (COX) deletion upregulates NO. Here, we have examined enzyme source and action of NO for ductus patency and whether NO and CO are upregulated by deletion of, respectively, heme oxygenase 2 (HO‐2) and COX1 or COX2.

Experimental approach:

Experiments were performedin vitroandin vivowith wild‐type and gene‐deleted, near‐term mouse fetuses.

Key results:

NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME) contracted the isolated ductus and its effect was reduced by eNOS, but not iNOS, deletion. L‐NAME contraction was not modified by HO‐2 deletion. Zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) also contracted the ductus, an action unaffected by deletion of either COX isoform. Bradykinin (BK) relaxed indomethacin‐contracted ductus similarly in wild‐type and eNOS−/− or iNOS−/−. BK relaxation was suppressed by either L‐NAME or ZnPP. However, it reappeared with combined L‐NAME and ZnPP to subside again with K+increase or K+channel inhibition.In vivo, the ductus was patent in wild‐type and NOS‐deleted fetuses. Likewise, no genotype–related difference was noted in postnatal closure.

Conclusions and implications:

NO, formed mainly via eNOS, regulates ductal tone. NO and CO cooperatively mediate BK‐induced relaxation in the absence of PGE2. However, in the absence of PGE2, NO and CO, BK induces a relaxant substance behaving as an endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor. Ductus patency is, therefore, sustained by a cohort of agents with PGE2and NO being preferentially coupled for reciprocal compensation.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2007)151, 54–62. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707211
P2X receptor characterization and IL‐1/IL‐1Ra release from human endothelial cells
Authors: Wilson H L , Varcoe R W , Stokes L , Holland K L , Francis S E , Dower S K , Surprenant A , Crossman D C
Published: March 2007

Background and purpose:

The pro‐inflammatory cytokine, interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, potentially via its release from vascular endothelium. Endothelial cells (EC) synthesize IL‐1β in response to inflammatory stimuli, but the demonstration and mechanism of release of IL‐1 from ECs remains unclear. In activated monocytes, efficient release of bioactive IL‐1β occurred via activation of ATP‐gated P2X7 receptors (P2X7Rs). Activation of P2X7R in ECs from human umbilical vein (HUVECs) released IL‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1Ra). The purpose of this study was to provide a quantitative investigation of P2XR expression and function, in parallel with IL‐1β and IL‐1Ra synthesis, processing and release, in HUVECs under pro‐inflammatory conditions.

Experimental approach:

Quantitative RT‐PCR, immunoblotting, ELISA, flow cytometry, and whole‐cell patch clamp recordings were used to determine protein expression and receptor function. IL‐8‐luciferase‐reporter was used as an IL‐1 sensitive bioassay.

Key results:

HUVECs expressed P2X4R and P2X7R subtypes and both were significantly up‐regulated under inflammatory conditions. P2X7R currents were increased 3‐fold by inflammatory stimuli, whereas no P2X4R‐mediated currents were detected. Caspase‐1, but not IL‐1β, was present intracellularly under basal conditions; inflammatory stimuli activated the synthesis of intracellular pro‐IL‐1β and increased caspase‐1 levels. Activation of P2X7Rs resulted in low‐level release of bioactive IL‐1β and simultaneous release of IL‐1Ra. The net biological effect of release was anti‐inflammatory.

Conclusions and implications:

Endothelial P2X7Rs induced secretion of both pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory IL‐1 receptor ligands, the balance of which may provide a means for altering the inflammatory state of the arterial vessel wall.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2007) 151, 96–108. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707213
A new class of nitric oxide‐releasing derivatives of cetirizine; pharmacological profile in vascular and airway smooth muscle preparations
Authors: Larsson A‐K , Fumagalli F , DiGennaro A , Andersson M , Lundberg J , Edenius C , Govoni M , Monopoli A , Sala A , Dahlén S‐E , Folco G C
Published: March 2007

Background and purpose:

The pharmacological properties of compounds NCX 1512 and NCX 1514, synthesized by linking the histamine H1‐receptor antagonist cetirizine to NO‐releasing spacer groups, are reported. The aim was to establish if the compounds retained the antihistamine action of the parent compound, to assess their efficacy as NO donors and to test if they had broader antiallergic activity than cetirizine in the lung.

Experimental approach:

Antihistamine activity of NCX 1512 and NCX 1514 was investigated in vitro in the guinea pig ileum, in tracheal rings (GPTR) and lung parenchymal strips (GPLP) of the guinea‐pig. The NO‐releasing capacity was investigated in vascular preparations; the isolated rabbit and guinea‐pig aorta and guinea‐pig pulmonary artery. Kinetics of NO release were assessed in a rat whole blood assay.

Key results:

Both NCX 1512 and NCX 1514 retained activity as H1‐receptor antagonists in the guinea pig ileum and airway preparations. The NO‐releasing NCX compounds relaxed the rabbit aorta, an action prevented by the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor ODQ (10 μM). NCX 1512 and NCX 1514 did not relax the antigen (ovalbumin) pre‐contracted GPTR, whereas the NO donors NCX 2057 and DEA‐NONOate relaxed guinea‐pig pre‐contracted vascular and tracheal preparations. Cetirizine (1–100 μM) and NCX 1512 (1–100 μM) reduced the cumulative (0.01–100 μg ml−1) ovalbumin‐induced constriction in GPTR, but had no significant effect in GPLP.

Conclusions and implications:

NCX 1512 and NCX 1514 act as antihistamines and NO donors. However, there was no improved effect compared to cetirizine on antigen‐induced constriction of the central and peripheral lung.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2007) 151, 35–44. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707214
Synergistic vascular protective effects of combined low doses of PPARα and PPARγ activators in angiotensin II‐induced hypertension in rats
Authors: De Ciuceis C , Amiri F , Iglarz M , Cohn J S , Touyz R M , Schiffrin E L
Published: March 2007

Background and Purpose:

Protective cardiovascular effects of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)α and PPARγ activators have been demonstrated. If used as vasoprotective agents in high risk vascular patients rather than for their metabolic benefits, these agents could be associated with unwanted side effects. As a proof of concept to support the use of combined low doses of PPARα and PPARγ as vascular protective agents in high risk vascular patients, we tested the hypothesis that combined low doses of PPARα (fenofibrate) and PPARγ (rosiglitazone) activators would provide vascular protective benefits similar to full individual doses of these PPAR agonists.

Experimental Approach:

Male Sprague‐Dawley rats infused with Ang II (120 ng kg−1 min−1) were treated with rosiglitazone (1 or 2 mg kg−1 day−1) alone or concomitantly with fenofibrate (30 mg kg−1 day−1) for 7 days. Thereafter, vessels was assessed on a pressurized myograph, while NAD(P)H oxidase activity was determined by lucigenin chemiluminescence. Inflammation was evaluated using ELISA for NFκB and Western blotting for adhesion molecules.

Key Results:

Ang II‐induced blood pressure increase, impaired acetylcholine‐induced vasorelaxation, altered vascular structure, and enhanced vascular NAD(P)H oxidase activity and inflammation were significantly reduced by low dose rosiglitazone+fenofibrate.

Conclusions and Implications:

Combined low doses of PPARα and PPARγ activators attenuated development of hypertension, corrected vascular structural abnormalities, improved endothelial function, oxidative stress, and vascular inflammation. These agents used in low‐dose combination have synergistic vascular protective effects. The clinical effects of combined low‐dose PPARα and PPARγ activators as vascular protective therapy, potentially with reduced side‐effects and drug interactions, should be assessed.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2007) 151, 45–53. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707215
Endothelin‐1 activates ETAreceptors to cause reflex scratching in BALB/c mice
Authors: McQueen D S , Noble M A H , Bond S M
Published: March 2007

Background and purpose:

Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) is present in murine and human skin and causes itch (pruritus) when injected in humans. This behavioural study examined the scratch reflex evoked by ET‐1 in mice.

Experimental approach:

An automated detector was used to determine whether ET‐1 causes reflex scratching, the behavioural correlate of itching, in BALB/c mice. Selective agonists and antagonists were used to probe the ET receptor(s) involved.

Key results:

ET‐1 evoked dose‐related reflex scratching lasting up to 20 min following intradermal injection (0.1‐100 ng; 0.04‐40 pmol). The ED50for ET‐1 induced scratching was 2.1 ng and desensitization occurred with cumulative dosing. High doses of the ETBreceptor agonist IRL1620 (10 μg; 5.5 nmol), also caused scratching (ED501.3μg, 0.7 nmol). The ETAreceptor antagonist BQ123 significantly reduced scratching evoked by ET‐1 and IRL 1620, suggesting that both agonists caused scratching via an ETAreceptor‐dependent mechanism. The ETBreceptor antagonist BQ788 significantly reduced scratching evoked by IRL1620 but had no effect on scratching evoked by ET‐1. This indicated that activation of ETBreceptors by high doses of ETBagonist, but not ET‐1, can trigger scratching.

Conclusion and implications:

ET‐1 is a potent endogenous activator of reflex scratching (itch). Mechanisms for ET‐induced scratching are considered, including direct action of ET‐1 on pruriceptive nerve endings and indirect actions via release of endogenous mediators such as histamine from mast cells. ET‐1 and ETAreceptors, possibly also ETBreceptors, are potential targets for developing specific anti‐pruritic drugs to treat pruritic skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2007)151, 278–284. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707216
Metabotropic P2Y receptors inhibit P2X3receptor‐channels via G protein‐dependent facilitation of their desensitization
Authors: Gerevich Z , Zadori Z , Müller C , Wirkner K , Schröder W , Rubini P , Illes P
Published: March 2007

Background and purpose:

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the endogenous metabotropic P2Y receptors modulate ionotropic P2X3receptor‐channels.

Experimental approach:

Whole‐cell patch‐clamp experiments were carried out on HEK293 cells permanently transfected with human P2X3receptors (HEK293‐hP2X3cells) and rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons.

Key results:

In both cell types, the P2Y1,12,13receptor agonist, ADP‐β‐S, inhibited P2X3currents evoked by the selective agonist, α,β‐methylene ATP (α,β‐meATP). This inhibition could be markedly counteracted by replacing in the pipette solution the usual GTP with GDP‐β‐S, a procedure known to block all G protein heterotrimers. P2X3currents evoked by ATP, activating both P2Y and P2X receptors, caused a smaller peak amplitude and desensitized faster than those currents evoked by the selective P2X3receptor agonist α,β‐meATP. In the presence of intracellular GDP‐β‐S, ATP‐ and α,β‐meATP‐induced currents were identical. Recovery from P2X3receptor desensitization induced by repetitive ATP application was slower than the recovery from α,β‐meATP‐induced desensitization. When G proteins were blocked by intracellular GDP‐β‐S, the recovery from the ATP‐ and α,β‐meATP‐induced desensitization were of comparable speed.

Conclusions and Implications:

Our results suggest that the activation of P2Y receptors G protein‐dependently facilitates the desensitization of P2X3receptors and suppresses the recovery from the desensitized state. Hence, the concomitant stimulation of P2X3and P2Y receptors of DRG neurons by ATP may result both in an algesic effect and a partly counterbalancing analgesic activity.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2007)151, 226–236. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707217
Methyl p‐hydroxybenzoate causes pain sensation through activation of TRPA1 channels
Authors: Fujita F , Moriyama T , Higashi T , Shima A , Tominaga M
Published: March 2007

Background and purpose:

Parabens are commonly added in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food products because of their wide antibacterial properties, low toxicity, inertness and chemical stability, although the molecular mechanism of their antibacterial effect is not fully understood. Some agonists of the transient receptor potential (TRP) A1 channels are known to have strong antibacterial activities. Therefore, a series of experiments was conducted to find out the effects of parabens on TRP channels expressed in sensory neurons, particularly the TRPA1 channels.

Experimental approach:

Effects of parabens, especially of methyl p‐hydroxybenzoate (methyl paraben) on TRP channel activities were examined using Ca2+‐imaging and patch‐clamp methods. In addition, an involvement of methyl paraben in the development of pain‐related behavior in mice was investigated.

Key results:

Methyl paraben specifically activated TRPA1 in both HEK293 cells expressing TRPA1 and in mouse sensory neurons with an EC50 value of 4.4 mM, an attainable concentration in methyl paraben‐containing products. Methyl paraben caused pain‐related behavior in mice similar to that caused by allyl isothiocyanate, which was blocked by the TRP channel blocker, ruthenium red.

Conclusions and implications:

Our data indicate that methyl paraben is able to activate TRPA1 channels and can cause pain sensation. As such, methyl paraben provides a useful tool for investigating TRPA1 function and development of antinociceptive agents acting on TRPA1 channels.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2007) 151, 134–141. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707219
Multifunctional Conducting Molecular Materials
Authors: Maesato Mitsuhiko
Published: March 2007

The use of conducting molecular materials is a rapidly developing, multidisciplinary field of research, offering a wide variety of possibilities for the future. It is of particular relevance to nano fabrication and technology because it offers high density, small size integrated and multifunctional properties that can be fabricated under mild conditions. Multifunctional Conducting Molecular Materials covers a wide range of topics including: molecular conductors and superconductors; design and synthesis of functional molecular materials; organic/inorganic hybrids and photoinduced phenomena; fullerenes, nanotubes and other related nano materials. The book concludes with a look at integration and functionalities of molecular materials such as organic field effect transistors (OFET). This high level book is ideal for researchers in both industry and academia who are interested in this new and exciting field.
Changes in the Community of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi and Increased Fine Root Number Under Adult Beech Trees Chronically Fumigated with Double Ambient Ozone Concentration
Authors: Grebenc T. , Kraigher H.
Published: March 2007

Abstract: Forest soils are an important but under‐studied part of forest ecosystems. The effects of O3 on below‐ground processes in a mature forest have only received limited attention so far. In our study, we have analysed the community of ectomycorrhizal fungi and beech fine root dynamics over two growing seasons (2003–2004) in a 70‐year old mixed spruce‐beech forest stand, in which two groups of five adult beech trees were either fumigated by 2 × ambient ozone concentration or used as control. The main difference between previous studies and our approach was that previous studies were performed on seedlings in pot experiments or in closed or open top chambers, and not in situ, in a mature forest stand. Although beech is a relatively unresponsive species to tropospheric O3, we found a pronounced effect of 2 × O3 on the number of vital ectomycorrhizal root tips and non‐turgescent fine roots. Both categories of roots were significantly increased when compared to controls in two consecutive years at each sampling event. The number of types of ectomycorrhizae and species richness increased in 2004, but not in the extremely dry year 2003. We hypothesised that the observed changes might be an expression of a transitional state in below‐ground succession of niches caused by an O3 induced effect on carbon allocation to roots and the rhizosphere. We have detected changes in ectomycorrhizal species level, however Shannon‐Weavers species diversity index and percentage of types of ectomycorrhizae did not change significantly in any sampling year thus indicating our results cannot be unequivocally explained by summer drought in year 2003 or by O3 exposure alone.
Werner Heisenberg and Albert Einstein
Authors: Holton Gerald
Published: March 2007

Werner Heisenberg is suddenly in the news again, this time thanks to the award-winning new play Copenhagen by Michael Frayn. The play centers on the ambiguous reasons for Heisenberg's visit in 1941 to his early mentor, Niels Bohr, in German-occupied Copenhagen. It speculates on what might have transpired during the evening walk they took at that time, which Bohr ended abruptly, disturbed by something Heisenberg had said. (See David Cassidy's article on page 28.)
The Tau Neutrino Has Finally Been Seen. Has the Higgs also been Seen?
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

Twenty-five years after the discovery of the tau lepton (τ±), its neutrino (ντ) has at long last been detected. At a Fermilab seminar in July, Byron Lundberg of the international DONUT (Direct Observation of Nu Tau) collaboration reported that five months of exposing a photographic-emulsion target to an intense neutrino beam from the Tevatron had netted four identifiable ντ interactions.
Theorists and Experimenters Seek to Learn Why Gravity Is So Weak
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

At the recent Marcel Grossmann Meeting on General Relativity in Rome, Jens Gundlach of the University of Washington's Eot-Wash laboratory reported a provisional result from the group's examination of gravity at submillimeter distances. At distances as small as 0.2 mm, he said, the group's specially designed torsion balance has not, as yet, revealed any departure from Newtonian 1/r2 gravity.
Physics Nobel Prize Honors Roots of Information Age
Authors: Fitzgerald Richard
Published: March 2007

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics to Zhores Alferov, director of the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute in Saint Petersburg, Russia; Herbert Kroemer of the University of California, Santa Barbara; and Jack Kilby, now retired from Texas Instruments Inc (TI) in Dallas, Texas, “for basic work on information and communication technology.” Alferov and Kroemer will share half of the SKr 9 million (about $900 000) prize “for developing semiconductor heterostructures used in high-speed and opto-electronics.” Kilby is to receive the other half “for his part in the invention of the integrated circuit.”
The Continuing Debate on National Missile Defenses
Authors: Gronlund Lisbeth , Lewis George N. , Wright David C.
Published: March 2007

Over the past several years, the Clinton administration has developed a national missile defense (NMD) system, the first phase of which could be operational sometime in the second half of this decade. President Clinton was scheduled to decide this fall whether to begin deployment of the system next spring; on 1 September he announced that he did not have “enough confidence in the technology, and the operational effectiveness of the entire NMD system, to move forward to deployment,” and would leave that decision to his successor. Whether or not to go forward with deployment of this system—or any other one, perhaps based on different technologies—will be a central policy concern for the next administration.
NIF Moves Forward Amid Controversy
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

A task force finds no showstoppers in developing the National Ignition Facility’s laser system.
Hydrodynamics May Explain Like-Charge Colloidal Attraction
Authors: Fitzgerald Richard
Published: March 2007

As two like-charged particles are repelled by a nearby charged wall, the resulting fluid flow can make them move toward each other.
Some Physicists Urge Changes in DOE Science
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

A group of leading physicists say physical sciences aren’t properly recognized or supported by federal government policy-makers.
Lane Leaves White House for Rice University
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

Federal science spending is on an upward trajectory and should track overall economic growth, Lane says.
Joseph Loschmidt, Physicist and Chemist
Authors: Bader Alfred , Parker Leonard
Published: March 2007

When atoms and molecules were still quite hypothetical, Loschmidt used kinetic theory to get the first reasonable estimate of molecular size.
Attracting and Retaining R&D Talent for Defense
Authors: Holzrichter John F.
Published: March 2007

As the defense sector turns the corner on a decade of budget cuts, turmoil, and uncertainty, the outlook for meaningful long-term employment for scientists is brightening.
Novel B Factories Close In on the Violation of CP Symmetry
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

How well does CP violation obey standard particle theory? Electron-positron colliders of a new kind were built in the US and Japan to find out.
DESY Unveils Plan for the TESLA Collider
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

The superconducting 500-GeV e+e− linear collider would run under town and country for 33 kilometers.
Most Federal Science Money Flat or Falling as Bush Favors Medical and Defense R&D in Fiscal 2002
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

With the concept of a “balanced portfolio” for federal science funding gone from the Bush budget, Capitol Hill supporters of the physical sciences will spend the summer engaged in what looks to be a difficult search for more money.
Buckyball Crystals Made to Superconduct at 117 k
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: March 2007

By slipping molecules between C60 spheres in a crystal, researchers have raised the critical temperature as high as those of many copper-oxide superconductors.
Bell Labs Research Regroups as Parent Lucent Shrinks
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

With Lucent Technologies in meltdown, many researchers mournfully predict the demise of Bell Labs. Lab leaders, however, maintain they will stay at the forefront of research.
New Themes and Audiences for the Physics of Music
Authors: Gibson George N. , Johnston Ian D.
Published: March 2007

Music offers a powerful yet accessible context for introducing the techniques and principles of the scientific method.
Magnetism and Superconductivity Fight for Control in High-tc Superconductors
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: March 2007

Researchers interested in exploring the competition between forces that pair electrons and those that align the atomic spins have found it useful to look at the area around magnetic flux lines threading through the material.
The Grid: A New Infrastructure for 21st Century Science
Authors: Foster Ian
Published: March 2007

As computer networks become cheaper and more powerful, a new computing paradigm is poised to transform the practice of science and engineering.
From Superfluid to Insulator: Bose–Einstein Condensate Undergoes a Quantum Phase Transition
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: March 2007

The atoms in a BEC assemble gregariously into a coherent whole, but in a periodic potential that’s sufficiently strong, they can separate into an array of isolated atoms.
MIT Media Lab Spawns International Offshoots
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

Famed for its fun, quirky, high-tech research and for zipping together industry and academia, the MIT Media Lab is expanding at home and abroad.
Meeting Energy Challenges: Technology and Policy
Authors: Moniz Ernest J. , Kenderdine Melanie A.
Published: March 2007

Effectively addressing today’s energy challenges requires advanced technologies along with policies that influence economic markets while advancing the public good.
Recent Nearby Supernovae May Have Left Their Marks on Earth
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

A close encounter with a supernova two million years ago might be responsible for a widespread extinction of mollusks.
Quantum Point Contact Mysteries Reexamined
Authors: Fitzgerald Richard
Published: March 2007

The Kondo effect is well established in metals and in quantum dots. Could something similar be occurring in quantum point contacts?
Orbach Brings Enthusiasm for Research and Desire for Increased Funding to Office of Science
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

The DOE’s new Office of Science director expresses particular interest in nanoscience and fusion research and wants the US involved in ITER.
Two Realization Schemes Raise Hopes for Superconducting Quantum Bits
Authors: Fitzgerald Richard
Published: March 2007

Researchers have extended by two orders of magnitude the time over which two-state superconducting systems maintain phase coherence.
Enrico Fermi in Rome, 1931–32
Authors: Bethe Hans A. , Bethe Henry
Published: March 2007

A Nobel laureate recalls the two semesters he spent as a postdoctoral fellow with the boys of Via Panisperna, led by the young Enrico Fermi.
Bell Labs Convenes Committee to Investigate Questions of Scientific Misconduct
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: March 2007

Is there an innocent explanation for the appearance of similar figures in different publications?
The Art of Selling Science in a Political World
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

To get policy-makers to pay attention to a new National Research Council report on the need for science funding at the boundary of physics and astronomy, an astrophysicist works the halls of power in Washington.
Search for Optical Gamma-Ray Burst Signals Ratchets Up
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

A smattering of robotic telescopes around the globe aims to crack the mysteries of gamma-ray bursts by watching them happen.
Observing the Cosmic Microwave Background at High Resolution Bolsters the Inflationary Big Bang Scenario
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

The angular resolution of the new Cosmic Background Imager is fine enough to reveal, for the first time, the primordial seeds of galaxy clusters.
Science and Technology Are a Focus of Debate on New Homeland Security Department
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

Congress, the administration, and a National Research Council committee have come up with myriad ideas for creating a department of homeland security, but just what role science and technology will play is unclear.
Deep-Sea Km3 Neutrino Detector Gets Thumbs Up
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

To realize a humongous underwater neutrino detector, scientists from the various smaller deep-sea detectors should start laying the groundwork for an international collaboration, says a panel of experts.
Solar and Space Physics Get a Detailed 10-Year Plan
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

A comprehensive National Research Council study weaves a decade’s worth of projects together into a tapestry that could reveal the answers to some of the most difficult questions in solar and space physics.
Evidence Found for a New Type of Radioactivity: Two-Proton Emission
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: March 2007

Further studies of the two protons emitted by iron-45 can shed light on how the protons are paired within the nucleus.
OSTP Issues Blueprint for Improving US Neutron-Scattering Capabilities
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

There is a shortage of neutron sources available to US scientists, and while the SNS will help, demand is expected to eventually outstrip even that facility.
Solar System Report Sets 10-Year Exploration Priorities
Authors: Dawson Jim , Guinnessy Paul
Published: March 2007

The National Research Council report considers “compelling science,” technology, and cost in recommending a wide range of missions to be launched by 2013.
Physics Nobel Prize Is Awarded to Giacconi, Davis, and Koshiba
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

When physicists and astronomers got to look at the heavens in x rays and neutrinos, they found wondrous surprises.
New APS Ethics Guidelines Address Research Misconduct and Professional Responsibilities
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

Scientific fraud incidents at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Bell Labs have ended the “innocent thinking” that marked the society’s earlier ethics guidelines.
Thermal Gradients Can Boost the Local Concentration of DNA in Solution
Authors: Day Charles
Published: March 2007

Did thermal diffusion and convection initiate the creation of the first biomolecules 3.5 billion years ago?
X-ray Observations Deepen Mystery of What Happens in the Cores of Galaxy Clusters
Authors: Day Charles
Published: March 2007

Simple physics says huge amounts of gas in cluster cores should cool and collapse. Simple physics is wrong—but why?
L’Oréal and UNESCO Award Women Physicists $500 000
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

Not just cosmetic: L’Oréal and UNESCO are rewarding five women from around the globe for their scientific contributions in crystallography, disordered materials, scaling laws of fluids and complex systems, and electron microscopy of crystals and quasicrystals.
Quantum Entanglement: A Modern Perspective
Authors: Terhal Barbara M. , Wolf Michael M. , Doherty Andrew C.
Published: March 2007

It’s not your grandfather’s quantum mechanics. Today, researchers treat entanglement as a physical resource: Quantum information can now be measured, mixed, distilled, concentrated, and diluted.
Pentagon Revamps Nuclear Doctrine
Authors: Guinnessy Paul
Published: March 2007

The US government’s plan to overturn a ban on designing new nuclear weapons is generating controversy.
New Mexico Plans Optical Interferometer and Fast-Slewing Telescope
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

Thanks to pork-barrel funding, a small university in New Mexico is building an observatory with scientific, educational, and military applications.
The Search for a Permanent Electric Dipole Moment
Authors: Fortson Norval , Sandars Patrick , Barr Stephen
Published: March 2007

Small-scale experiments sensitive to tiny effects could offer profound insights into what lies beyond the standard model of elementary particles.
Inertial-Confinement Fusion Driven by Pulsed Power Yields Thermonuclear Neutrons
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

Pulsed-electric-power drivers might be an efficient, low-tech alternative to lasers in the quest for an inertial-confinement thermonuclear reactor.
Experiments Vindicate a 50-Year-Old Explanation of How Liquid Metals Resist Solidification
Authors: Day Charles
Published: March 2007

Diffracted x rays reveal a sequence of structural changes in a levitated drop of metal as it cools and freezes.
Band on the Run: Light Meets Shock Fronts in Virtual Photonic Crystals
Authors: Blau Steven K.
Published: March 2007

When light interacts with dynamically changing photonic structures, the results can be surprising—and in some cases unprecedented.
Gamma-Ray Images Uncover Solar Flare Surprises
Authors: Day Charles
Published: March 2007

A new space-based observatory is providing unprecedented views of solar activity.
Why Many Undergraduate Physics Programs Are Good but Few Are Great
Authors: Hilborn Robert C. , Howes Ruth H.
Published: March 2007

No single action, activity, or curricular reform will rescue a struggling physics department. Rather, it takes many elements, interacting over time, to make a department thrive.
Paradigms in Physics: Restructuring the Upper
Authors: Manogue Corinne A. , Krane Kenneth S.
Published: March 2007

Eight years ago, Oregon State University’s physics faculty reshaped their curriculum into one focusing on themes and concepts that cut across a variety of subjects. Students, faculty, and teaching assistants discuss the changes.
Applying Physics and the Law
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

Name a member of the National Academy of Engineering who is a physicist and a lawyer, but not an engineer. Try Richard Meserve, whose illustrious and varied career attests to the success of marrying different disciplines.
Nuclear Bunker Busters, Mini-Nukes, and the US Nuclear Stockpile
Authors: Nelson Robert W.
Published: March 2007

The Bush administration is contemplating a new crop of nuclear weapons that could reduce the threat to civilian populations. However, they’re still unlikely to work without producing massive radioactive fallout, and their development might require a return to underground nuclear testing.
Promoting Physics and Development in Africa
Authors: Zingu Edmund
Published: March 2007

To advance economically and technologically, many African nations need to simultaneously develop a culture of physics and a supporting infrastructure.
DOE Warms to Cold Fusion
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

Whether outraged or supportive about DOE’s planned reevaluation of cold fusion, most scientists remain deeply skeptical that it’s real.
Special Issue: A Look at the Galilean Satellites After the Galileo Mission
Authors: Johnson Torrence V.
Published: March 2007

From volcanic eruptions hotter than those typically found on Earth to ocean sandwiches with water trapped between ice layers, the Galileo mission revealed fascinating phenomena on Jupiter’s four largest moons.
Marburger Refutes Claims That Bush Administration Misuses Science
Authors: Dawson Jim , Guinnessy Paul
Published: March 2007

White House rebuttal fails to persuade many in the science community
Taking Measure With Hardware and Software
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

The researchers who founded National Instruments Corp switched from building their own equipment to beefing up other people’s.
Reevaluation of Top Quark Data Raises Estimate of Higgs Boson’s Mass
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

An improved method for weighing the heaviest quark promises more stringent tests of particle theory.
From the Archives: The Scientist’s Code of Ethics
Authors: Leys Wayne A. R.
Published: March 2007

The fact that a scientist spends a good deal of his time in studies from which he tries to exclude moral judgments, the author of this article points out, does not mean that the scientist and his activity will not be subject to moral judgment.
Van Allen, at 90, Sifting Data, Writing Papers, and Enjoying Icon Status
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

Growing up on a small Iowa farm, James Van Allen enjoyed a “closely knit family which had a strong resemblance to that of earlier pioneer families.” It was that solid beginning that spurred him on to a life of scholarship
Integrated Simulation of Fusion Plasmas
Authors: Batchelor Donald B.
Published: March 2007

Magnetically confined plasmas, with their many coupled phenomena, pose great difficulties to computer modelers. Several initiatives worldwide are working to meet the challenges.
Special Report: War, Terrorism, and Growing Deficits Limit Bush FY 2006 R&D Budget; Civilian Science Funding Flat
Authors: Dawson Jim , Guinnessy Paul
Published: March 2007

With the administration attempting to hold non-security domestic spending flat across the board, R&D increases are limited primarily to homeland security and the president’s Moon/Mars initiative.
Evolution Wars Show No Sign of Abating
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

Scientists have been fighting creationists and intelligent-design advocates on school boards and in state legislatures, the courts, and even the Smithsonian Institution.
GE Makes High-Profile Pledge to Green Up
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

From fluorescent light bulbs to power stations, General Electric is betting on profits from energy-efficient and environmentally friendly products.
Einstein’s Unknown Insight and the Problem of Quantizing Chaos
Authors: Stone A. Douglas
Published: March 2007

Chaotic systems were beyond the reach of an ingenious coordinate-invariant quantization scheme developed by Albert Einstein, and to this day, their quantization remains a challenge.
Tiny mirror asymmetry in electron scattering confirms the inconstancy of the weak coupling constant
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

The standard model of particle theory predicts that all three fundamental coupling “constants” vary with distance. But demonstrating the variation for the weak interactions required an experimental tour de force.
Devices Based on the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect May Fulfill the Promise of Quantum Computing
Authors: Day Charles
Published: March 2007

Recent theoretical work suggests the most arcane variant of quantum computing could become the most practicable.
Science Community Rallies to Aid Students and Researchers Displaced by Hurricane Katrina
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

What will it take for devastated Gulf Coast universities to get back on their feet?
US Is Creating a Virtual Library to Help Restore Iraqi Science
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

Scientists working in the US State and Defense departments are championing a program intended to reconnect the once-vibrant Iraqi science community with researchers around the globe.
Mauna Kea telescopes step up collaborations
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

Tight budgets and pricey instruments are spurring a trend among observatories to swap time. To work, though, cultural, technical, financial, and administrative wrinkles need to be ironed out.
Oil on troubled waters: Benjamin Franklin and the honor of Dutch Seamen
Authors: Mertens Joost
Published: March 2007

Men who worked at sea knew of the calming effects of oil on water long before Franklin began his investigations. Was their practical knowledge any different from the later scientific knowledge of the learned?
Vehicle design and the physics of traffic safety
Authors: Ross Marc , Patel Deena , Wenzel Tom
Published: March 2007

Light trucks cannot safely coexist with passenger cars under existing conditions. The problem becomes particularly urgent as more and more light trucks are used simply as car substitutes.
Bush budget boosts NSF, DOE, and NIST science for FY 2007
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

Although nearly all non-defense spending takes a big hit under Bush’s proposed FY 2007 budget, basic research and science education get strong support.
Is there a Slowing in the Atlantic Ocean’s Overturning Circulation?
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: March 2007

A shift in the pattern of ocean currents might signal a long-term trend, or it might simply reflect large, natural fluctuations.
Canada accelerates heavier isotopes to higher energies
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

A Canadian accelerator’s newly gained supremacy in some regimes of radioactive beams may last longer than expected because of setbacks to the Rare Isotope Accelerator planned in the US.
Photon science and quantum control
Authors: Bucksbaum Philip H.
Published: March 2007

Recent advances in laser technology have hastened developments in other fields–precision measurement, atomic cooling, gravitational-wave sensing, quantum computing, cryptography, and many more. Like the laser itself, those fields may transform society.
Scientists, security, and lessons from the cold war
Authors: Holbrow Charles H.
Published: March 2007

In the years following World War II, the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb, President Truman decided the US would develop a hydrogen bomb, Communist North Korea invaded South Korea, Congress quadrupled US defense spending, and the US government turned to a small cadre of physicists for advice.
Gyromagnetic ratio of a lone trapped electron is measured to better than a part per trillion
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

The new measurement subjects quantum electrodynamics to its most stringent test yet. And the theory passes once again, thwarting hopes of a revealing discrepancy.
Beijing collider intensifies focus on tau–charm physics
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: March 2007

High-energy physics at a Beijing collider is just one of the myriad scientific projects benefiting from China’s thriving economy.
Neural-network model may explain the surprisingly good infrared vision of snakes
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: March 2007

The pit organs of rattlesnakes and their cousins are infrared pinhole cameras of very poor optical quality. That presents something of a paradox in view of the snakes’ demonstrated skill as night hunters.
A look at physics in Cuba
Authors: Baracca Angelo , Fajer Víctor , Rodríguez Carlos
Published: March 2007

Some people might believe that the history of physics in Cuba is like that of many other countries, except for the Soviet influence on a socialist country during the cold war. The full story is very different.
Corporations embrace bottom-line global warming plan
Authors: Dawson Jim
Published: March 2007

A number of large corporations are turning “green” not because of the reality of global warming, but in anticipation of federal regulations.