References:

Global Temperatures Spark Hot Debate

Errors may have crept into satellite-based measurements of global temperatures.

References:

Hurrell, J.W., and K.E. Trenberth. 1997. Spurious trends in satellite MSU temperatures from merging different satellite records. Nature 386(March 13):164.

Further Readings:

Monastersky, R. 1997. 1996: Year of warmth and weather reversals. Science News 151(Jan. 18):38.

Picture of world forests pieced together

Of the world's original forests, only one-fifth remains as relatively large, undisturbed tracts.

References:

Bryant, D., D. Nielsen, and L. Tangley. 1997. The Last Frontier Forests: Ecosystems and Economies on the Edge. Washington, D.C.: World Resources Institute.

Additional information is available at http://www.wri.org/wri/ffi/.

Further Readings:

Monastersky, R. 1993. The deforestation debate. Science News 144(July 10):26.

Does yo-yo dieting pose cancer threat?

An estrogen-mimicking pollutant is released from fat during periods of weight loss and may spur the growth of hormone-sensitive tumors.

References:

Bigsby, R.M., A. Caperell-Grant, and B.V. Madhukar. 1997. Xenobiotics released from fat during fasting produce estrogenic effects in ovariectomized mice. Cancer Research 57(March 1):865.

Steinmetz, R., A. Caperell-Grant . . .R.M. Bigsby. 1996. Novel estrogenic action of the pesticide residue beta-hexachlorocyclo hexane in human breast cancer cells. Cancer Research 56(Dec. 1):5403.

Further Readings:

Allen, R.H., et al. In press. Breast cancer and pesticides in Hawaii. Environmental Health Perspectives.

Bradlow, H.L., et al. 1995. Effects of pesticides on the ratio of 16 alpha/2-hydroxyestrone: A biologic marker of breast cancer risk. Environmental Health Perspectives 103, Supplement 7(October):147.

Davis, D.L. . . .M.P. Osborne. In press. Environmental influences on breast cancer risk. Science and Medicine.

Davis, D.L. In press. Hormones, hormone metabolism, environment and breast cancer. Environmental Health Perspectives.

Davis, D.L. . . .M.P. Osborne, and H.L. Bradlow. In press. Medical hypothesis: Bifunctional genetic-hormonal pathways to breast cancer. Environmental Health Perspectives.

Davis, D.L., and H.L. Bradlow. 1995. Can environmental estrogens cause breast cancer? Scientific American 273(October):166.

Mussalo-Rauhamaa, H., et al. 1990. Occurrence of beta-hexachlorocyclohexane in breast cancer patients. Cancer 66(Nov. 15):2124.

Raloff, J. 1996. Estrogenic agents leak from dental sealant. Science News 149(April 6):214.

______. 1996. The pesticide shuffle. Science News 149(March 16):174.

______. 1995. Beyond estrogens. Science News 148(July 15):44.

______. 1995. Additional source of dietary 'estrogens'. Science News 147(June 3):341.

______. 1994. That feminine touch. Science News 145(Jan. 22):56.

______. 1994. The gender benders. Science News 145(Jan. 8):24.

______. 1993. EcoCancers. Science News 144(July 3):10.

Shape, not bonds may drive DNA synthesis

Contrary to what scientists had thought, the enzyme that synthesizes DNA seem to rely more on shape than on hydrogen bonds when matching up complementary bases.

References:

Moran, S. . . .E.T. Kool. 1997. Difluorotoluene, a nonpolar isostere for thymine, codes specifically and efficiently for adenine in DNA replication. Journal of the American Chemical Society 119(Feb. 26):2056.

Further Readings:

Peterson, I. 1996. Sticking tough with new hydrogen bonds. Science News 150(July 20):37.

How fowl: Chickens that behave like quail

A researcher has transplanted developing brain cells from quail embryos into chicken embryos, creating chickens that reproduce some characteristics of quail crowing behavior.

References:

Balaban, E. 1997. Changes in multiple brain regions underlie species differences in a complex, congenital behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 94(March 4):2001.

Further Readings:

Balaban, E. 1988. Application of the quail-chick chimera system to the study of brain development and behavior. Science 241(Sept. 9):1339.

Mapping helium atoms' quantum states

Physicists have, for the first time, experimentally determined the quantum state of helium atoms passing through a pair of slits.

References:

Freyberger, M., and W.P. Schleich. 1997. True vision of a quantum state. Nature 386(March 13):121.

Kurtsiefer, C., T. Pfau, and J. Mlynek. 1997. Measurement of the Wigner function of an ensemble of helium atoms. Nature 386(March 13):150.

Further Readings:

Leibfried, D., et al. 1996. Experimental determination of the motional quantum state of a trapped atom. Physical Review Letters 77(Nov. 18):4281.

Leonhardt, U. 1995. Quantum-state tomography and discrete Wigner function. Physical Review Letters 74(May 22):4101.

Leonhardt, U., and M.G. Raymer. 1996. Observation of moving wave packets reveals their quantum state. Physical Review Letters 76(March 18):1985.

Lipkin, R. 1996. Schrodinger's cat: Two atoms in one? Science News 149(May 25):325.

Raymer, M.G., M. Beck, and D.F. McAlister. 1994. Complex wave-field reconstruction using phase-space tomography. Physical Review Letters 72(Feb. 21):1137.

Smithey, D.T., et al. 1993. Measurement of the Wigner distribution and the density matrix of a light mode using optical homodyne tomography: Application to squeezed states and the vacuum. Physical Review Letters 70(March 1):1244.

Ear infections now more widespread

Childhood middle-ear infections have become more entrenched, but researchers differ on how often black children suffer from bouts of the illness.

References:

Lanphear, B.P., et al. 1997. Increasing prevalence of recurrent otitis media among children in the United States. Pediatrics Electronic Pages 99:3.

Paradise, J.L., et al. 1997. Otitis media in 2,253 Pittsburgh-area infants. Pediatrics 99:318.

Top 10 winners in top science contest

High school students from New York, California, and Montana won top scholarships in the 56th annual Westinghouse Science Talent Search.

References:

Additional information about the winners and their projects is available at http://www.westinghouse.com.

Further Readings:

Mlot, C. 1997. Search for science talent scores 40 finalists. Science News 151(Feb. 1):69.

Research Note:

Biomedicine:

Certain foods influence diabetes risk

Women who eat little cereal fiber and a lot of carbohydrate-rich foods increase their chance of developing diabetes to 2.5 times the normal rate.

References:

Salmeron, J., et al. 1997. Dietary fiber, glycemic load, and risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in women. Journal of the American Medical Association 277(Feb. 12):472.

Stubborn digitalis debate continues

The heart drug digitalis has both health benefits and medical drawbacks.

References:

Garg, R., R. Gorelin, et al. 1997. The effect of digoxin on mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure. New England Journal of Medicine 336(Feb. 20):525.

Packer, M. 1997. End of the oldest controversy in medicine -- Are we ready to conclude the debate on digitalis? New England Journal of Medicine 336(Feb. 20):575.

Articles:

Running on One-Third Empty

Primates on a low-cal diet are in a metabolic slow lane, perhaps to longer life

Metabolism -- particularly glucose use -- is central to the aging process.

References:

Lane, M., D. Ingram, and G. Roth. 1997. Beyond the rodent model: Calorie restriction in rhesus monkeys. Age 20:39.

Ramsey, J., et al. In press. Energy expenditure of adult male rhesus monkeys during the first 30 months of dietary restriction. American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Weed, J., et al. In press. Activity measures in rhesus monkeys on long-term calorie restriction. Physiology and Behavior.

Weindruch, R. 1996. Calorie restriction and aging. Scientific American 274(Jan.):46.

Further Readings:

1995. Low cholesterol linked to suicide tries. Science News 147(March 11):157.

Beil, L. 1988. Lean living. Science News 134(Aug. 27):142.

Raloff, J. 1992. Paring protein. Science News 142(Nov. 21):346.

______. 1991. Searching out how a severe diet slows aging. Science News 140(Oct. 5):215.

A Fresh Look at Vintage Photos

Exhibit classes science images by visual characteristics

About 100 of the photos sent out by Science Service's news syndicate from the 1920s to 1960s will be on display from March 28 to June 22 at the International Center for Photography in New York.