bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Judgment Pries Open Expert Panel
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: July 2002

While much of the government operates in a glare of publicity, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), which forms expert panels that advise the government on scientific matters, has always worked behind closed doors. But that may have ended last week, when a U.S. court ruled in favor of an animal-welfare group that had argued that meetings and documents of an NAS panel should have been publicly accessible.
An Array of Arrays
Authors: Mervis Jeff
Published: July 2002

With the National Science Foundation about to give the go-ahead for the Millimeter Array and several smaller projects under way, some astronomers fear that there won't be enough money to support research on these new instruments.
New “Guiding” Protein Discovered
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: July 2002

Compared to nature's chemical wizardry, human chemists are all thumbs. Inside plant cells, for instance, tiny chemical factories manage to crank out just one version of a chemical flawlessly, while most test-tube reactions yield messy mixtures of many isomers. But now researchers report on page
362
that they have discovered what appears to be a whole new class of compounds, so-called “dirigent” proteins that seem to grab and maneuver chemical building blocks so they join in the proper orientation. The finding could be a boon for drug companies and the paper industry.
NSF Fits In New Projects Despite Squeeze on Funding
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey
Published: July 2002

Next week, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will ask Congress, as part of its 1998 budget request, to approve starting two new projects: the Millimeter Array and the Polar Cap Observatory. The agency is able to fund such expensive projects while its budget is constrained thanks to a new mechanism it created 3 years ago that aims to fund big science in an orderly manner.
A “Master Control” Gene for Fly Eyes Shares Its Power
Authors: Roush Wade
Published: July 2002

Two years ago, biologists thought they had identified a master control gene for eyes, a gene called
eyeless
that apparently could single-handedly cause surplus eyes to sprout from wings and antennae of fruit flies. Now a new gene,
dachshund
, appears to work in tandem with
eyeless
—suggesting that the “master controller” may merely be a member of a committee instead.
Death in Norse Greenland
Authors: Pringle Heather
Published: July 2002

What triggered the collapse of the medieval Norse colony on Greenland? Theories have ranged from a cold climate to warring Thule hunters, ancestors of the modern Inuit.
New studies
combine data from ice cores, archaeological digs, and fossil flies to create a picture of desperation and disaster in the final days of one settlement—and finger climate as well as culture as causes of the settlers' demise.
Bold Prediction Downplays the Sun's Next Peak
Authors: Glanz James
Published: July 2002

Conventional methods for predicting the next peak in the sun's magnetic cycle, due around 2000, suggest it will be the most intense in history. That could be bad news for space agencies and satellite operators, because the flares and magnetic storms of a solar maximum are a threat to spacecraft. But a new technique, based on the physics of the solar cycle, says that the sun's current magnetic state foreshadows only a modest peak, the lowest in decades.
How One Radiologist Turns Up the Heat
Authors: Taubes Gary
Published: July 2002

There are plenty of substantive disputes in the controversy over mammography screening for women in their forties. But one individual has raised the level of acrimony even further, say his colleagues. This screening advocate has repeatedly charged his opponents with fraud and deception, an approach some of his colleagues consider intemperate.
R&D Confronts Political, Fiscal Problems
Authors: Lawler Andrew
Published: July 2002

SEATTLE
—The Annual Meeting and Science Innovation Exposition of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, held here from 13 to 18 February, opened with a panel of top science policy officials from around the world discussing inadequate research budgets and the growing R&D gap between the industrialized countries and those of the developing world. Attendees also heard a description of the remarkable resurgence of a community of bizarre creatures around deep-sea vents that had been devastated by an underwater volcano.
Did Birds Sail Through the K-T Extinction With Flying Colors?
Authors: Gibbons Ann
Published: July 2002

By now, everyone knows of the giant asteroid that slaughtered the dinosaurs at the end of Cretaceous—but did the extinction really wipe out thousands of terrestrial animals? Not according to a new study of the genes in modern birds. The molecular study on
page 1109
of this week's issue of
Science
suggests that many bird lineages (including those of penguins, parrots, and chickens) arose before the extinction and flew through it unscathed.
Atomic Parity Violation and the Nuclear Anapole Moment
Authors: Haxton W. C.
Published: July 2002

In 1957, T. D. Lee and C. N. Yang received the Nobel Prize in physics for their discovery that the basic forces of nature distinguish slightly between left and right. This parity violation means that in another universe, identical to our own but mirror-reversed, the laws of physics would be slightly different. In his Perspective, Haxton describes results presented in the same issue by Wood
et al
. (
p. 1759
) on high-precision measurement of this fundamental symmetry principle in cesium atoms. At the same time, the experiments have provided the first measurement of a long-sought phenomenon called the anapole moment, which results from parity violation coupling to an electromagnetic field. The precision of these observations is such that they now offer tests of the standard model of particle physics.
Beating Scientists into Plowshares
Authors: Kurland C. G.
Published: July 2002

Industry is successfully eroding political confidence in a well-proven division of labor in science. Formerly, most long-term basic research was carried out at universities, and most short-term product development was done at commercial sites. Now, Industry is trying to take command of certain areas of basic research at universities in order to redirect their efforts toward Industry’s short-term agenda. Here, Charles Kurland discusses aspects of this policy shift.
Inhibition of Pathogenicity of the Rice Blast Fungus by
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
α-Factor
Authors: Beckerman Janna L. , Naider Fred , Ebbole Daniel J.
Published: July 2002

Magnaporthe grisea
is a fungal pathogen with two mating types,
MAT1-1
and
MAT1-2
, that forms a specialized cell necessary for pathogenesis, the appressorium.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
α-factor pheromone blocked appressorium formation in a mating type–specific manner and protected plants from infection by
MAT1-2
strains. Experiments with α-factor analogs suggest that the observed activity is due to a specific interaction of α-factor with an
M. grisea
receptor. Culture filtrates of a
MAT1-1
strain contained an activity that inhibited appressorium formation of mating type
MAT1-2
strains. These findings provide evidence that a pheromone response pathway exists in
M. grisea
that can be exploited for plant protection.
Microbial Invention
Authors: Neidhardt Frederick C.
Published: July 2002

Regulation of Gene Expression in
Escherichia coli
.

E. C. C. LIN and A. SIMON LYNCH, Eds. Chapman and Hall, New York, and Landes, Austin, TX, 1996. xvi, 592 pp., illus. $99.95 or £59. ISBN 0-412-10291-9.
Formation of a Silicate
L
3
Phase with Continuously Adjustable Pore Sizes
Authors: McGrath K. M. , Dabbs D. M. , Yao N. , Aksay I. A. , Gruner S. M.
Published: July 2002

The lyotropic
L
3
phase was used as a template to form nanoporous monolithic silicates with continuously adjustable pore sizes. The monolith was optically isotropic and transparent with a nonperiodic network. The pore size was adjusted by a change in the solvent volume fraction rather than by a change of the surfactant. Unlike other silicates, the bicontinuous pores were water-filled; removal of surfactant was not necessary to access the pores. Measured characteristic dimensions were from six to more than 35 nanometers. For a given solvent fraction, x-ray scattering indicated little variation of pore widths, in marked contrast to the polydisperse pores of aerogels.
Crosses in Nature
Authors: Levin Donald A.
Published: July 2002

Natural Hybridization and Evolution.
MICHAEL L. ARNOLD. Oxford University Press, New York, 1997. xiv, 215 pp., illus. $60 or £45, ISBN 0-19-509974-5; paper, $29.95 or £22.50, ISBN 0-19-509775-3. Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution.
Sequencing the Human Genome
Authors: Rowen Lee , Mahairas Gregory , Hood Leroy
Published: July 2002

The human genome project is at the halfway point. The genomes of 11 microbes,
Escherichia coli
, and yeast are finished, yet the human genome is only 2 percent finished. The scale-up to finish by 2005 presents a significant challenge.
Paleoecology: A Redirection
Authors: Erwin Douglas H.
Published: July 2002

Paleontological Events.
Stratigraphic, Ecological, and Evolutionary Implications. CARLTON E. BRETT and GORDON C. BAIRD, Eds. Columbia University Press, New York, 1997. xviii, 604 pp., illus. $75 or £52. ISBN 0-231-08250-9.
The Machine Age in Medicine
Authors: Rettig Richard A.
Published: July 2002

Beginnings Count.
The Technological Imperative in American Health Care. DAVID J. ROTHMAN. Oxford University Press, New York, 1997. xiv, 189 pp. $24.95 or §18.95. ISBN 0-19-511118-4. A Twentieth Century Fund Book.
Evolution of the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge South of the Udintsev Fracture Zone
Authors: Géli Louis , Bougault Henri , Aslanian Daniel , Briais Anne , Dosso Laure , Etoubleau Joël , Le Formal Jean-Pierre , Maia Marcia , Ondréas Hélène , Olivet Jean-Louis , Richardson Chris , Sayanagi Keizo , Seama Nobukazu , Shah Anjana , Vlastelic Ivan , Yamamoto Michiko
Published: July 2002

Because of the proximity of the Euler poles of rotation of the Pacific and Antarctic plates, small variations in plate kinematics are fully recorded in the axial morphology and in the geometry of the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge south of the Udintsev fracture zone. Swath bathymetry and magnetic data show that clockwise rotations of the relative motion between the Pacific and Antarctic plates over the last 6 million years resulted in rift propagation or in the linkage of ridge segments, with transitions from transform faults to giant overlapping spreading centers. This bimodal axial rearrangement has propagated southward for the last 30 to 35 million years, leaving trails on the sea floor along a 1000-kilometer-long V-shaped structure south of the Udintsev fracture zone.
Thawing Science
Authors: Kojevnikov Alexei
Published: July 2002

New Atlantis Revisited: Akademgorodok, the Siberian City of Science.
PAUL R. JOSEPHSON. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1997. xxii, 353 pp., illus. $39.50 or £27.50. ISBN 0-691-04454-6.
Anomalous Strain Accumulation in the Yucca Mountain Area, Nevada
Authors: Wernicke Brian , Davis James L. , Bennett Richard A. , Elósegui Pedro , Abolins Mark J. , Brady Robert J. , House Martha A. , Niemi Nathan A. , Snow J. Kent
Published: July 2002

Global Positioning System (GPS) surveys from 1991 to 1997 near Yucca Mountain, Nevada, indicate west-northwest crustal elongation at a rate of 1.7 ± 0.3 millimeters per year (1σ) over 34 kilometers, or 50 ± 9 nanostrain per year. Global Positioning System and trilateration surveys from 1983 to 1997 on a 14-kilometer baseline across the proposed repository site for high-level radioactive waste indicate that the crust extended by 0.7 to 0.9 ± 0.2 millimeter per year (50 to 64 ± 14 nanostrain per year), depending on the coseismic effect of the
M
s
5.4 1992 Little Skull Mountain earthquake. These strain rates are at least an order of magnitude higher than would be predicted from the Quaternary volcanic and tectonic history of the area.
Early Neuro Networks
Authors: Constantine-Paton Martha
Published: July 2002

The History of Neuroscience in Autobiography
. Vol. I. LARRY R. SQUIRE, Ed. Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC (distributor, Academic Press, San Diego). xii, 607 pp., illus. $49. ISBN 0-12-660301-4.
A Sense of Place
Authors: Gottlieb Robert
Published: July 2002

Water, Culture, and Power.
Local Struggles in a Global Context. JOHN M. DONAHUE and BARBARA ROSE JOHNSTON, Eds. Island Press, Washington, DC, 1998. xiv, 396 pp., illus. $50. ISBN 1-55963-521-5. Paper, $30. ISBN 1-55963-522-3.
Virtual Valet
Authors: Dreher Theo , Matsuda Daiki
Published: July 2002

Gene Construction Kit 2
. Textco Inc. West Lebanon, NH. Retail $1399; academic $999. Phone: (603) 643-1471
www.textco.com

Gene Construction Kit 2 (GKC2), which runs on a Macintosh computer, can test the feasibility of cloning manipulations and assist in their design, and also can document and archive the precise sequence rearrangements of a cloning experiment in either graphical or sequence format.
Far From the Finish
Authors: Goodstein David L.
Published: July 2002

What Remains to Be Discovered
. John Maddox. Free Press, New York, 1998. 448 pp. $26. ISBN 0-684-82292-X.

In this survey of the broad expanses of the scientific frontiers Maddox, the former editor of
Nature
, marshals his forceful opinions and fearless predictions to demonstrate that we are currently far from the end of science.
The Long Life of a Thoughtful Teacher
Authors: Wilczek Frank
Published: July 2002

Geons, Black Holes, and Quantum Foam
A Life in Physics. John Archibald Wheeler with Kenneth Ford. Norton, New York, 1998. 380 pp. $27.95, C$39.99. ISBN 0-393-04642-7.

Wheeler, who coined such terms as "black hole" and "wormhole," tells the story of his lengthy and influential career, which included substantial contributions to nuclear physics, quantum electrodynamics, and general relativity.
Patterns in Nature--No Assembly Required?
Authors: Dullemeijer P.
Published: July 2002

The Self-Made Tapestry
Pattern Formation in Nature. Philip Ball. Oxford University Press, New York, 1999. 295 pp. $37.50, £18.99. ISBN 0-19-850244-3. Paper, £8.99, ISBN 0-19-850243-5.

In this profusely illustrated book, Ball explains how self-organization--involving simple, local interactions among components--can produce similar natural patterns and forms in settings that seem completely unrelated. He draws on examples ranging from bacteria, through shells, trees, dunes, and urban sprawl, to the atmosphere of Jupiter.
Seasoned Suggestions for Success
Authors: Kaas Jon H.
Published: July 2002

Advice for a Young Investigator
.
By Santiago Ramón y Cajal, translated by Neely Swanson and Larry W. Swanson
. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999. 172 pp. $22.50. ISBN 0-262-18191-6.

Neely Swanson and Larry W. Swanson present a modern translation of the classic commentary from Ramón y Cajal (a 1906 Nobel laureate in medicine) on how science is and ought to be done.
The Heart of the Matter
Authors: Blandford Roger
Published: July 2002

Active Galactic Nuclei
From the Central Black Hole to the Galactic Environment. Julian H. Krolik. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1999. 620 pp. $99.50, £60. ISBN 0-691-01152-4. Paper, $39.50, £23.95. ISBN 0-691-01151-6.

In this graduate-level text, Krolik offers a theorist's perspective on the high energy astrophysics of quasars, Seyfert galaxies, and other manifestations of active galactic nuclei.
A Line in the Sand
Authors: Drake Tom
Published: July 2002

Against the Tide
The Battle for America's Beaches. Cornelia Dean. Columbia University Press, New York, 1999. 295 pp. $24.95. ISBN 0-231-08418-8.

Dean weaves explanations of coastal ecology and the physics of the nearshore into her discussions of numerous attempts to protect coastal construction, many of which have led to the loss of valuable beaches.
A Genetic Code Napoléon?
Authors: Ansorge Wilhelm
Published: July 2002

French DNA
Trouble in Purgatory. Paul Rabinow. University of Chicago, Chicago, 1999. 209 pp. $25, £17.50. ISBN 0-226-70150-6.

Rabinow provides an anthropologist's account of the complex interactions among genomics, bioethics, patients groups, venture capital, nationalism, and governments that doomed a proposed Franco-American collaboration to identify diabetes genes.
Mega Roles for Microorganisms
Authors: Harwood Caroline S. , Greenberg E. Peter
Published: July 2002

Intimate Strangers
Unseen Life on Earth. Baker & Simon Associates in association with Oregon Public Broadcasting. On PBS, Tuesday evenings, 9 to 30 November 1999.

This four-part series on PBS, developed in association with the American Society for Microbiology, combines interesting and informative stories of scientists and their research, clever animation, and metaphors drawn from everyday life to demonstrate the evolutionary and ecological successes of Earth's most numerous inhabitants.
Reason Now and Then
Authors: Todd Peter M.
Published: July 2002

Within Reason
Rationality and Human Behavior. Donald B. Calne. Pantheon, New York, 1999. 345 pp. $26, C$39. ISBN 0-375-40351-5

Basing his discussion on our current understanding of the human mind and human cognition, Calne examines the application of reason to a wide spectrum of human activities, from language, through religion and art, to science. He finds reason to be a powerful biological tool, but one that cannot determine or change the uses to which it is put.
Experimental Tunneling Ratchets
Authors: Linke H. , Humphrey T. E. , Löfgren A. , Sushkov A. O. , Newbury R. , Taylor R. P. , Omling P.
Published: July 2002

Adiabatically rocked electron ratchets, defined by quantum confinement in semiconductor heterostructures, were experimentally studied in a regime where tunneling contributed to the particle flow. The rocking-induced electron flow reverses direction as a function of temperature. This result confirms a recent prediction of fundamentally different behavior of classical versus quantum ratchets. A wave-mechanical model reproduced the temperature-induced current reversal and provides an intuitive explanation.
Short-Lived Oxygen Diffusion During Hot, Deep-Seated Meteoric Alteration of Anorthosite
Authors: Mora Claudia I. , Riciputi Lee R. , Cole David R.
Published: July 2002

Heterogeneous oxygen isotope compositions of plagioclase from the Boehls Butte anorthosite include some of the most oxygen-18–depleted values (to −16 per mil) reported for plagioclase in meta-igneous rocks and indicate high-temperature (
T
> 500°C) isotopic exchange between plagioclase and nearly pristine meteoric fluid. Retrograde reaction-enhanced permeability assisted influx of meteoric-hydrothermal fluids into the deep-seated anorthosite. Isotopic gradients of about 14 per mil over 600 micrometers in single crystals require short-lived (about 10
4
years) diffusional exchange of oxygen and locally large effective water:rock ratios, followed by rapid loss of water and cessation of oxygen diffusion in the anorthosite.
The Baryon Halo of the Milky Way: A Fossil Record of Its Formation
Authors: Bland-Hawthorn Joss , Freeman Ken
Published: July 2002

Astronomers believe that the baryon (stellar) halo of the Milky Way retains a fossil imprint of how it was formed. But a vast literature shows that the struggle to interpret the observations within a consistent framework continues. The evidence indicates that the halo has built up through a process of accretion and merging over billions of years, which is still going on at a low level. Future satellite missions to derive three-dimensional space motions and heavy element (metal) abundances for a billion stars will disentangle the existing web and elucidate how galaxies like our own came into existence.
Before the Fall of the Wall
Authors: Sauer Joachim
Published: July 2002

Science Under Socialism
East Germany in Comparative Perspective. Kristie Macrakis and Dieter Hoffmann, Eds. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999. 396 pp. $55, £34.50. ISBN 0-674-79477-X.

Naturwissenschaft und Technik in der DDR
. Dieter Hoffmann and Kristie Macrakis, Eds. Akademie Verlag, Berlin, 1997. 294 pp. DM 78. ISBN 3-05-002955-2.

These two volumes are English and German versions, with some differences in content, of a study of the roles of science and technology in the former German Democratic Republic. Using interviews and many of the archives that have been opened since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the researchers--six Americans, four former East Germans, and three former West Germans--examine general policy issues, institutions, disciplines, and biographies in their social and political context.
Wondrous Senses
Authors: Gregory Richard
Published: July 2002

Sensory Exotica
A World Beyond Human Experience. Howard C. Hughes. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999. 359 pp. $26.95, £16.95. ISBN 0-262-08279-9.

Writing for nonspecialists, Hughes offers an introduction to the interface between sensory psychology and animal behavior. His discussions of hearing and echolocation, orientation, electroreception, and pheromones combine anecdotes, history, and fairly in-depth accounts of current research.
A Sheep and a Metaphor
Authors: Silver Lee M.
Published: July 2002

The Second Creation
The Age of Biological Control by the Scientists Who Cloned Dolly. Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell, and Colin Tudge. Headline, London, 2000. 366 pp. £18.99. ISBN 0-7472-2135-9.

The authors present a personal account of the research that led to Dolly the cloned sheep. They pay particular attention to what went on at the Roslin Institute (and in the minds of Wilmut and Campbell). Our reviewer believes that they have overlooked Dolly's significance as a metaphor for the power of scientists to create and control life.
Quantum Mechanics at the End of the 20th Century
Authors: von Baeyer Hans Christian
Published: July 2002

The Odd Quantum
. Sam Treiman. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1999. 270 pp. $24.95, £15.95. ISBN 0-691-00926-0.

Writing for anyone who is not afraid of mathematical equations they do not have to manipulate, Treiman provides a fresh overview of the well established and amply debated oddities of quantum theory.
Tools for Thinking
Authors: Imhof Peter
Published: July 2002

Models as Mediators
Perspectives on Natural and Social Science. Edited by Mary S. Morgan and Margaret Morrison. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1999. 413 pp. $64.95, £42.50. ISBN 0-521-65097-6. Paper, $24.95, £15.95. ISBN 0-521-65571-4.

Using case studies drawn from economics, physics, and chemistry, the contributors discuss the wide range of uses of models in science.
The Global Drug Gap
Authors: Reich Michael R.
Published: July 2002

Global inequities in access to pharmaceutical products exist between rich and poor countries because of market and government failures as well as huge income differences. Multiple policies are required to address this global drug gap for three categories of pharmaceutical products: essential drugs, new drugs, and yet-to-be-developed drugs. Policies should combine “push” approaches of financial subsidies to support targeted drug development, “pull” approaches of financial incentives such as market guarantees, and “process” approaches aimed at improved institutional capacity. Constructive solutions are needed that can both protect the incentives for research and development and reduce the inequities of access.
Views of the Final Frontier
Authors: Pasachoff Jay M.
Published: July 2002

Cosmos
From Romanticism to the Avant-Garde. Jean Clair, chief curator, and Pierre Théberge, director. At the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 17 June to17 October 1999; Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, 24 November 1999 to 27 February 2000; Palazzo Grassi, Venice, 25 March to 23 July 2000.

Cosmos
From Romanticism to the Avant-Garde. Jean Clair, Ed. Published for the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts by Prestel, New York, 1999. 396 pp. $75, £45. ISBN 2-89192-231-X.

The paintings, photographs, sculptures, and displays gathered in the exhibit Cosmos fuse astronomy, art, politics, and humanistic thought. Those unable to arrange a trip to Italy (where it opens this week) will still find much of interest in the accompanying catalog.
From Sequence to Chromosome: The Tip of the
X
Chromosome of
D. melanogaster
Authors: Benos Panayiotis V. , Gatt Melanie K. , Ashburner Michael , Murphy Lee , Harris David , Barrell Bart , Ferraz Concepcion , Vidal Sophie , Brun Christine , Demailles Jacques , Cadieu Edouard , Dreano Stephane , Gloux Stéphanie , Lelaure Valerie , Mottier Stephanie , Galibert Francis , Borkova Dana , Minana Belen , Kafatos Fotis C. , Louis Christos , Sidén-Kiamos Inga , Bolshakov Slava , Papagiannakis George , Spanos Lefteris , Cox Sarah , Madueño Encarnación , Pablos Beatriz de , Modolell Juan , Peter Annette , Schöttler Petra , Werner Meike , Mourkioti Foteini , Beinert Nicole , Dowe Gordon , Schäfer Ulrich , Jäckle Herbert , Bucheton Alain , Callister Deborah M. , Campbell Lorna A. , Darlamitsou Areti , Henderson Nadine S. , McMillan Paul J. , Salles Cathy , Tait Evelyn A. , Valenti Phillipe , C. Robert D. , Saunders  , Glover David M.
Published: July 2002

One of the rewards of having a
Drosophila melanogaster
whole-genome sequence will be the potential to understand the molecular bases for structural features of chromosomes that have been a long-standing puzzle. Analysis of 2.6 megabases of sequence from the tip of the
X
chromosome of
Drosophila
identifies 273 genes. Cloned DNAs from the characteristic bulbous structure at the tip of the
X
chromosome in the region of the
broad
complex display an unusual pattern of in situ hybridization. Sequence analysis revealed that this region comprises 154 kilobases of DNA flanked by 1.2-kilobases of inverted repeats, each composed of a 350–base pair satellite related element. Thus, some aspects of chromosome structure appear to be revealed directly within the DNA sequence itself.
Many Facets of a Noble Dane
Authors: Jardine Nicholas
Published: July 2002

On Tycho's Island
Tycho Brahe and His Assistants, 1570-1601. John Robert Christianson. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2000. 463 pp. $34.95, £30. ISBN 0-521-65081-X.

Christianson explores Tycho Brahe's roles as scientist, administrator, reformer, and natural philosopher. His account of the rise and fall of Uraniborg, Europe's first great scientific research center, includes capsule biographies of scores of Tycho's assistants and associates.
Et tu
Homo sapiens
?
Authors: Hauser Marc D.
Published: July 2002

The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition
. Michael Tomasello. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999. 254 pp. $29.95. ISBN 0-674-00070-6.

Tomasello examines how, and why, humans differ from other species, particularly other primates. He argues that the we are distinguished by our unique capacity to put ourselves into the minds of others, which has allowed us to learn by imitation and inform by teaching.
Ancient Reasons for Monsters
Authors: Greene Mott T.
Published: July 2002

The First Fossil Hunters
Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times. Adrienne Mayor. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2000. 381 pp. $35, £21.95. ISBN 0-691-05863-6.

Mayor, a classical folklorist, interprets Greek and Roman accounts of giant bones in light of modern vertebrate paleontology. She argues that many of the mythic monsters were grounded in the remains of long-extinct animals.
Unreal Science
Authors: Foster Kenneth R.
Published: July 2002

Voodoo Science
The Road from Foolishness to Fraud. Robert Park. Oxford University Press, New York, 2000. 240 pp. $25. ISBN 0-19-513515-6.

In this collection of essays written for a general audience, Park uses examples of pathological science to launch far-reaching discussions of science and society.
Cancer Research by Way of Metaphor
Authors: Cairns John
Published: July 2002

Cancer
The Evolutionary Legacy. Mel Greaves. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000. 288 pp. $27.50, £19.99. ISBN 0-19-262835-6.

Writing for non-scientists, Greaves offers a perspective that emphasizes the evolutionary context of the diverse illnesses we call cancer.
How Cannabis Acts
Authors: Childers Steven R.
Published: July 2002

The Science of Marijuana
. Leslie L. Iversen. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000. 301 pp. 29.95, £18.99. ISBN 0-19-513123-1.

An important contributor to the House of Lords Select Committee report on cannabis, Iversen provides a well-balanced account of the scientific background for the current debates on the uses of marijuana.
Selling a Dream Defense
Authors: Sessler Andrew M.
Published: July 2002

Way Out There in the Blue
Reagan, Star Wars and the End of the Cold War. Frances FitzGerald. Simon and Schuster, New York, 2000. 592 pp. $30, C$43.50. ISBN 0-684-84416-8.

In this history, Fitzgerald shows how Reagan's political skills created and nurtured a multi-billion-dollar research program to build a perfect shield against Soviet nuclear weapons despite the seemingly critical flaw that the required technology was not remotely feasible.
Stability of Ferropericlase in the Lower Mantle
Authors: Dubrovinsky L. S. , Dubrovinskaia N. A. , Saxena S. K. , Annersten H. , Hålenius E. , Harryson H. , Tutti F. , Rekhi S. , Bihan T. Le
Published: July 2002

We have heated ferropericlases (Mg
0.60
Fe
0.40
)O and (Mg
0.50
Fe
0.50
)O to temperatures of 1000 kelvin at pressures of 86 gigapascals, simulating the stability of the solid solution at physical conditions relevant to Earth's lower mantle. The in situ x-ray study of the externally heated samples in a Mao-Bell–type diamond anvil cell shows that ferropericlase may dissociate into magnesium-rich and iron-rich oxide components. The result is important because the decomposition of ferropericlase into lighter and heavier phases will cause dynamic effects that could lead to mantle heterogeneity.
Of Tuna and
Tonnaroti
Authors: Block Barbara A.
Published: July 2002

Mattanza
Love and Death in the Sea of Sicily. Theresa Maggio. Perseus, Cambridge, MA, 2000. 279 pp. $25, C$37.95, £17.50. ISBN 0-7382-0269-X.

Based on a decade of observing Sicilian fishermen and their annual trapping of giant bluefin tuna, Maggio's lyrical tale combines the natural history of the fish with a heartfelt account of a dying tradition.
Terrorists and Toxins
Authors: Finn John T.
Published: July 2002

Toxic Terror
. Assessing Terrorist Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons. Jonathan B. Tucker, Ed. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2000. 320 pp. $45. ISBN 0-262-20128-3. Paper, $20. ISBN 0-262-70071-9.

Incidents of chemical and biological terrorism (CBT) have been infrequent, with relatively few casualties. The contributors' discussions of 12 widely cited cases of CBT highlight the motivational and operational constraints on terrorists and demonstrate a powerful approach to assessing the CBT threat.
Fossils, G-Men, Money, and Museums
Authors: Pojeta John
Published: July 2002

Tyrannosaurus Sue
The Extraordinary Saga of the Largest, Most Fought Over
T. rex
Ever Found.
By Steve Fiffer
. Freeman, New York, 2000. 248 pp. $24.95. ISBN 0-7167-4017-6.

Fiffer offers a lively account of the 20th-century bone war that culminated with a record-breaking auction for a fossil. The competing factions included commercial fossil hunters, an ambitious prosecutor, armed law enforcement officers, a Native American tribe, academics, major museums, and corporate giants.
Looking for Balance
Authors: Steinzor Rena I.
Published: July 2002

The Environmental Pendulum
A Quest for the Truth about Toxic Chemicals, Human Health, and Environmental Protection. R. Allan Freeze. University of California Press, Berkeley, 2000. 337 pp. $50. ISBN 0-520-22046-3. Paper, $19.95. ISBN 0-520-22047-1.

Freeze, a distinguished expert on groundwater, argues for a middle ground environmental policy against the polarization that he believes has favored the extremes of neglect and overkill.
Science, Art, and Dinosaurs
Authors: Witmer Lawrence M.
Published: July 2002

Dinosaur Imagery
The Science of Lost Worlds and Jurassic Art. The Lanzendorf Collection. Academic Press, San Diego, 2000. 176 pp. $49.95, C$69.95. ISBN 0-12-436590-6.

Reflecting some of the interactions between science and art, this volume presents dinosaur artwork from the collection of Chicago philanthropist John Lanzendorf alongside commentaries written for the general reader by vertebrate paleontologists.
The Big Bang's Radical Brother
Authors: Hogg David W. , Zaldarriaga Matias
Published: July 2002

A Different Approach to Cosmology
From a Static Universe Through the Big Bang Towards Reality. Fred Hoyle, Geoffrey Burbidge, and Jayant V. Narlikar. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2000. 369 pp. $59.95, £35. ISBN 0-521-66223-0.

Rejecting the Big Bang models favored by most cosmologists, the authors present a polemical summary of the steady state alternative they have developed and defended over the last several decades.
Rhetoric and the Math Melodrama
Authors: Wallace David Foster
Published: July 2002

The Wild Numbers
. Philibert Schogt. Four Walls Eight Windows, New York, 2000. 159 pp. $18. ISBN 1-56858-166-1.

Uncle Petros & Goldbach's Conjecture
. Apostolos Doxiadis. Bloomsbury USA, New York, 2000. 219 pp. $23.95. ISBN 1-58234-067-6.

These two recent novels have been translated into English by their authors. They have gained some attention for their depictions of how mathematicians search for mathematical truth. Our reviewer, who finds major shortcomings in both works, discusses them as representatives of a new genre he identifies as "Math Melodrama."
Games Cichlids Play
Authors: McCune Amy
Published: July 2002

The Cichlid Fishes
Nature's Grand Experiment in Evolution.
By George W. Barlow
. Perseus, Cambridge, MA, 2000. 351 pp. $28, C$42.50. ISBN 0-7382-0376-9.

Although it emphasizes reproductive behavior and parental care over other aspects of cichlid biology, this lively account of an extraordinarily diverse group of fishes will interest evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and aquarium enthusiasts alike.
Nota Bene: Microbial Resolution and Reality
Authors: Ash Caroline
Published: July 2002

Growth and Form
Biomedical Images--Awards and Interpretations. Denna Jones, Curator. The Wellcome Trust, Two10 Gallery, London. 22 February to 4 May 2001.
www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/misexhtwo.html

The current exhibit at the Two10 Gallery in London presents a selection of recent submissions to the Wellcome Trust's biomedical-image library and works by contemporary artists that have been inspired by biological research.
Mouse-Colonizing
Helicobacter pylori
SS1 Is Unusually Susceptible to Metronidazole Due to Two Complementary Reductase Activities
Authors: Jeong Jin-Yong , Berg Douglas E.
Published: July 2002

In most strains of
Helicobacter pylori
, mutational inactivation of the
rdxA
(HP0954) gene, which encodes a nitroreductase that converts metronidazole (MTZ) from a harmless prodrug to a mutagenic and bacteriocidal product, is sufficient to make this pathogen resistant to clinically significant levels of MTZ. Here we report that SS1, a strain with the special ability to colonize mice, is unusual in being susceptible to very low concentrations of MTZ (0.5 μg/ml) and in being especially difficult to mutate to MTZ resistance (Mtz
r
). These phenotypic traits were traced to expression in this strain of the normally quiescent
H. pylori frxA
gene (HP0642, an
rdxA
paralog) along with rdxA. Transformation tests using
rdxA
::
cam
and
frxA
::
kan
insertion mutant DNAs, with selection solely for the chloramphenicol and kanamycin resistance markers, and sequence analyses of
frxA
in spontaneous Mtz
r
derivatives of
rdxA
null mutant strains each showed that the development of Mtz
r
in SS1 required inactivation of both
rdxA
and
frxA
. Inactivation of either gene alone left SS1 susceptible to MTZ, although it was readily mutable from an MTZ-susceptible to an Mtz
r
phenotype. Reverse transcriptase PCR tests showed that
frxA
mRNA was at least 10-fold more abundant in SS1 than in reference strain 26695. It is proposed that these reductases play primarily nutritional roles during bacterial growth.
Mutations in Ribosomal Protein L16 Conferring Reduced Susceptibility to Evernimicin (SCH27899): Implications for Mechanism of Action
Authors: Adrian Peter V. , Zhao Wenjun , Black Todd A. , Shaw Karen J. , Hare Roberta S. , Klugman Keith P.
Published: July 2002

A clinical isolate of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
(SP#5) that showed decreased susceptibility to evernimicin (MIC, 1.5 μg/ml) was investigated. A 4,255-bp
Eco
RI fragment cloned from SP#5 was identified by its ability to transform evernimicin-susceptible
S. pneumoniae
R6 (MIC, 0.03 μg/ml) such that the evernimicin MIC was 1.5 μg/ml. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this fragment revealed that it contained portions of the S10-
spc
ribosomal protein operons. The nucleotide sequences of resistant and susceptible isolates were compared, and a point mutation (thymine to guanine) that causes an Ile52-Ser substitution in ribosomal protein L16 was identified. The role of this mutation in decreasing susceptibility to evernimicin was confirmed by direct transformation of the altered L16 gene. The presence of the L16 mutation in the resistant strain suggests that evernimicin is an inhibitor of protein synthesis. This was confirmed by inhibition studies using radiolabeled substrates, which showed that the addition of evernimicin at sub-MIC levels resulted in a rapid decrease in the incorporation of radiolabeled isoleucine in a susceptible isolate (SP#3) but was much less effective against SP#5. The incorporation of isoleucine showed a linear response to the dose level of evernimicin. The incorporation of other classes of labeled substrates was unaffected or much delayed, indicating that these were secondary effects.
Efficacies of Imipenem, Meropenem, Cefepime, and Ceftazidime in Rats with Experimental Pneumonia Due to a Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing β-Lactamase-Producing Strain of
Enterobacter cloacae
Authors: Mimoz Olivier , Leotard Sophie , Jacolot Anne , Padoin Christophe , Louchahi Kamel , Petitjean Olivier , Nordmann Patrice
Published: July 2002

The antibacterial activities of imipenem-cilastatin, meropenem-cilastatin, cefepime and ceftazidime against
Enterobacter cloacae
NOR-1, which produces the carbapenem-hydrolyzing β-lactamase NmcA and a cephalosporinase, and against one of its in vitro-obtained ceftazidime-resistant mutant were compared by using an experimental model of pneumonia with immunocompetent rats. The MICs of the β-lactams with an inoculum of 5 log
10
CFU/ml were as follows for
E. cloacae
NOR-1 and its ceftazidime-resistant mutant, respectively: imipenem, 16 and 128 μg/ml, meropenem, 4 and 32 μg/ml, cefepime, <0.03 and 1 μg/ml, and ceftazidime, 1 and 512 μg/ml. The chromosomally located cephalosporinase and carbapenem-hydrolyzing β-lactamase NmcA were inducible by cefoxitin and meropenem in
E. cloacae
NOR-1, and both were stably overproduced in the ceftazidime-resistant mutant. Renal impairment was induced (uranyl nitrate, 1 mg/kg of body weight) in rats to simulate the human pharmacokinetic parameters for the β-lactams studied. Animals were intratracheally inoculated with 8.5 log
10
CFU of
E. cloacae
, and therapy was initiated 3 h later. At that time, animal lungs showed bilateral pneumonia containing more than 6 log
10
CFU of
E. cloacae
per g of tissue. Despite the relative low MIC of meropenem for
E. cloacae
NOR-1, the carbapenem-treated rats had no decrease in bacterial counts in their lungs 60 h after therapy onset compared to the counts for the controls, regardless of whether
E. cloacae
NOR-1 or its ceftazidime-resistant mutant was inoculated. A significant decrease in bacterial titers was observed for the ceftazidime-treated rats infected with
E. cloacae
NOR-1 only. Cefepime was the only β-lactam tested effective as treatment against infections due to
E. cloacae
NOR-1 or its ceftazidime-resistant mutant.
Antiviral Properties of a Series of 1,6-Naphthyridine and 7,8-Dihydroisoquinoline Derivatives Exhibiting Potent Activity against Human Cytomegalovirus
Authors: Bedard Jean , May Suzanne , L'Heureux Lucille , Stamminger Thomas , Copsey Alice , Drach John , Huffman John , Chan Laval , Jin Haolun , Rando Robert F.
Published: July 2002

A series of 1,6-naphthyridine (L. Chan, H. Jin, T. Stefanac, J. F. Lavallee, G. Falardeau, W. Wang, J. Bedard, S. May, and L. Yuen, J. Med. Chem. 42:3023–3025, 1999) and isoquinoline (L. Chan, H. Jin, T. Stefanac, W. Wang, J. F. Lavallee, J. Bedard, and S. May, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 9:2583–2586, 1999) analogues exhibiting a high level of anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) activity were investigated in a series of studies aimed at better understanding the mechanism of action of some representatives of this class of compounds. In vitro antiviral profiling revealed that these compounds were active against a narrow spectrum of viruses, essentially the human herpesviruses and type 2 rhinovirus. In HCMV assays, a 39- to 223-fold lower 50% inhibitory concentration was obtained for compound A1 than for ganciclovir against strains AD 169 and Towne. In addition, ganciclovir, foscarnet, cidofovir, and BDCRB (2-bromo-5,6-dichloro-1-β-
d
-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole)-resistant HCMV strains remained susceptible to 1,6-naphthyridines and 7,8-dihydroisoquinolines tested in this study, supporting the view that a novel mechanism of action could be involved. Drug combination studies showed a small but significant synergistic antiviral effect between compound B2 and ganciclovir. Cytotoxicity profiling of representative compounds under various cell growth conditions indicated a generally similar cytotoxic effect, relative to ganciclovir, in log-phase growing cells. However, in stationary cells, a relatively higher level of toxicity was observed than that for control compound. Effect of time of drug addition showed that the anti-HCMV activity of compound A1, ganciclovir, and cidofovir was lost at approximately the same time (72 h postinfection), indicating that the compound was affecting events at the early and late stage of virus replication. This interpretation is also supported by reduction of de novo synthesis of pp65 tegument protein and lack of any effect of the compound on viral adsorption. A reduction of the HCMV enhancer-promoter-directed luciferase expression was also observed in a stably transfected cell line when compound A1 was present at relatively high concentrations.
Effects of Mutations in Ribosomal Protein L16 on Susceptibility and Accumulation of Evernimicin
Authors: McNicholas Paul M. , Mann Paul A. , Najarian David J. , Miesel Lynn , Hare Roberta S. , Black Todd A.
Published: July 2002

Chemical mutagenesis of
Staphylococcus aureus
RN450 generated two strains that displayed a stable reduction (30- to 60-fold) in susceptibility to evernimicin. Cell-free translation reactions demonstrated that the resistance determinant was located in the ribosomal fraction. Compared to ribosomes isolated from a wild-type strain, ribosomes from the mutant strains displayed an 8- to 10-fold reduction in affinity for [
14
C]evernimicin. In contrast, the mutants displayed no alteration in either binding affinity or in vitro susceptibility to erythromycin. Exponential cultures of the mutant strains accumulated significantly less [
14
C]evernimicin than the wild-type strain, suggesting that accumulation is dependent on the high affinity that evernimicin displays for its binding site. Sequencing
rplP
(encodes ribosomal protein L16) in the mutant strains revealed a single base change in each strain, which resulted in a substitution of either cysteine or histidine for arginine at residue 51. Introduction of a multicopy plasmid carrying wild-type
rplP
into the mutant strains restored sensitivity to evernimicin, confirming that the alterations in
rplP
were responsible for the change in susceptibility. Overexpression of the mutant alleles in
S. aureus
RN450 had no effect on susceptibility to evernimicin, demonstrating that susceptibility is dominant over resistance.
Inhibition of Isoniazid-Induced Expression of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Antigen 85 in Sputum: Potential Surrogate Marker in Tuberculosis Chemotherapy Trials
Authors: Wallis Robert S. , Phillips Manijeh , Johnson John L. , Teixeira Luciléia , Rocha Lia Márcia Massini Canedo , Maciel Ethel , Rose Lynn , Wells Charles , Palaci Moisés , Dietze Reynaldo , Eisenach Kathleen , Ellner Jerrold J.
Published: July 2002

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
antigen 85 is induced in vitro by isoniazid (INH); its sustained induction in sputum during tuberculosis (TB) therapy predicts relapse. In this trial, rifampin or rifalazil inhibited the induction of sputum antigen 85 by INH in a dose-dependent fashion. This approach may facilitate the evaluation of new TB drugs.
Antimicrobial Activities of Gatifloxacin against Nosocomial Isolates of
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
Measured by MIC and Time-Kill Studies
Authors: Cohn Michael L. , Waites Ken B.
Published: July 2002

We determined in vitro activities of gatifloxacin and seven other drugs against 100 isolates of
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
using the agar gradient diffusion (Etest) method. Percentages of susceptible isolates were as follows: trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 90%; gatifloxacin, 71%; levofloxacin, 57%; ticarcillin-clavulanic acid, 54%; ceftazidime, 49%; ciprofloxacin, 29%; cefepime, 21%; and piperacillin-tazobactam, 20%. Time-kill studies of three isolates indicated that gatifloxacin was bactericidal at times as early as 3 h of incubation when tested at concentrations equivalent to twice the MIC (two isolates) and 4 times the MIC (one isolate).
Mechanism of Therapeutic Effectiveness of Cefixime against Typhoid Fever
Authors: Matsumoto Yoshimi , Ikemoto Akiko , Wakai Yoshimi , Ikeda Fumiaki , Tawara Shuichi , Matsumoto Keizo
Published: July 2002

β-Lactams have been considered ineffective against organisms growing inside mammalian cells because of their poor penetration into cells. However, cefixime has been shown to be clinically effective against typhoid fever. The probable mechanism of therapeutic effectiveness of cefixime against typhoid fever was investigated usingSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium instead ofS. entericaserovar Typhi both in a cellular and in a mouse infection model. Cefixime was able to inhibit the growth of serovar Typhimurium inhabiting monocyte-derived THP-1 cells. Elongation of serovar Typhimurium in THP-1 cells was observed microscopically. Apparent morphological changes of serovar Typhimurium in THP-1 cells were also observed by electron microscopy. The concentration of cefixime inside THP-1 cells was almost half (46 to 48%) of the concentration outside the cells when serovar Typhimurium coexisted in the solution. The length of time after oral dosing (8 mg/kg) that cefixime was present—calculated from levels in serum—at a concentration above the MIC at which 90% of the serovar Typhi organisms inside human cells were inhibited was presumed to be more than 12 h. Cefixime also showed excellent activity in the mouse systemic and oral infection models based on infections caused by serovar Typhimurium. It is concluded that a fair amount of cefixime can enter mammalian cells and inhibit the growth of bacteria inside cells when the bacteria are sensitive enough to cefixime, as are serovars Typhimurium and Typhi.
Development of Genetic Tools for
Lactobacillus sakei
: Disruption of the β-Galactosidase Gene and Use of
lacZ
as a Reporter Gene To Study Regulation of the Putative Copper ATPase, AtkB
Authors: Stentz Régis , Loizel Christophe , Malleret Christine , Zagorec Monique
Published: July 2002

Downstream from the
ptsHI
operon of
Lactobacillus sakei
, the genes
atkY
and
atkB
, organized in an operon, were observed. The two putative proteins, AtkB and AtkY, show sequence similarity to the
Enterococcus hirae
copper P-type ATPase, responsible for copper efflux, and its negative regulator. Characterization of AtkB as a copper P-type ATPase could not be demonstrated since an
atkB
mutant did not show any phenotype. Thus, another strategy was followed in order to investigate the transcriptional regulation of the
atkYB
locus, leading to the development of new genetic tools for
L. sakei
. A plasmid was constructed, the use of which allowed gene replacement at the
lacLM
locus in
L. sakei
by two successive crossovers. A strain deleted of the
lacLM
operon encoding the β-galactosidase of
L. sakei
was constructed by this method, and the
Escherichia coli lacZ
gene could then be used as a reporter gene to investigate the regulation of
atkYB
. Results show that the
atkYB
operon is induced by small concentrations of CuSO
4
(30 to 40 μM) but not when CuSO
4
is omitted or added at higher concentrations.