Cell Biology 1: Protein Components Identified in RNA Splicer Cell Biology 2: How Does Nucleus Tell Signals Apart? It's in the Timing Tissue Engineering: Mammalian Teeth Regrown in Lab Global Environment: Report Documents Health Effect of Biodiversity Diversity: HMS Minority Faculty Development Program Named Federal Center of Excellence Neurology: New Center to Focus on Nervous System Repair The Autumn Bookshelf: Recent Books by Faculty of HMS, HSDM, and HSPH   Learning the Patient's Perspective   Cell Death Signals May Model Future Cancer Drugs HIV Transmission from Mother to Child Boosted by Vitamin A Stem Cell Types Share Key Genetics Program Drug Promising for Complication of Stem Cell Transplants   New Appointments to Full Professorships HSPH Alum Rides "Race of Remembrance" Scott Professorship Highlights Care of Children Reception Held for Incoming Minority Students Honors and Advances News Briefs In Memoriam: Robert Gould Sanford Palay William Quinby Douglas Richardson David Tapper J. Gordon Scannell   'Fat Bias': A Barrier to the Treatment of Obese Patients Front Page

NEW BOOKS The Autumn Bookshelf Recent Books by Faculty of Harvard Medical, Dental, and Public Health Schools William R. Beardslee Out of the Darkened Room: When a Parent is Depressed: Protecting the Children and Strengthening the Family Little, Brown and Company "Not only is depression common, it is becoming increasingly common," writes William Beardslee, chairman of psychiatry at Children's Hospital and the Gardner Monk professor of psychiatry at HMS, who has spent almost 30 years tackling the most pressing concern of depressed parents: "Will my child be all right?" Out of the Darkened Room addresses the depression of a caregiver as a family illness, not just the parent's private battle. The book explores the detrimental effects of depression on multiple levels and offers a stepwise therapeutic strategy. Appropriately titled to reflect the core component of the prevention model outlined, it journeys with the featured families as they struggle to recognize, accept, and manage their illness. It encourages an out-of-the-darkness, open family milieu that leads to dynamic healing and shows that solidarity can protect the children. Fernando Dangond Disorders of Myelin in the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems Butterworth-Heinemann Coupling descriptive text with illustrative diagrams, this book presents the multidisciplinary basic science underlying demyelinating and dysmyelinating syndromes and their mechanisms, which remain elusive to laboratory scientists and clinicians. Fernando Dangond, HMS assistant professor of neurology, and 26 contributing authors draw on the recent advances in research in the fields of molecular biology, pathophysiology, and biochemistry to further investigate the disorders of myelin in the human central and peripheral nervous systems. The book highlights the mechanical details involved in the current treatment of these neurodegenerative conditions and devotes several chapters to exploring future approaches to therapy. "I believe this book provides a starting point, more than a retrospective view, for the interested reader," says Dangond. The aim of the authors is to provide for the medical and scientific community a platform from which further discussion about these complex human disorders can be launched. Gerald Shklar and David Chernin A Sourcebook of Dental Medicine: Being a Documentary History of Dentistry and Stomatology from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Twentieth Century Maro Publications Gerald Shklar, the Charles A. Brackett professor emeritus of oral pathology, and David Chernin, clinical instructor in restorative dentistry, both of HSDM, have amassed in this four-part book an extensive array of historical texts related to the science, diagnosis, and treatment of oral diseases. This is the first comprehensive documentary of dentistry and stomatology, beginning from the early ages of civilization to the 20th century and spanning numerous cultures and countries. Working with colleagues, the authors present for the first time English translations of important documents originally written in several other languages: Sanskrit, Greek, German, French, Latin, and Arabic. The book also looks at the clinicians who taught and influenced the dentists who would later became the founders of modern dentistry in the U.S. Scott Lee, Michael Turner, and Grant Lee BrainChip for Biochemistry Blackwell Publishing One in a series of review guides for the United States Medical Licensing Examination, Step 1, BrainChip for Biochemistry is designed to help students develop a better understanding of the complexities of biochemistry while allowing for a rapid review of the subject in a week or less. All the authors are medical students themselves, including lead author Turner, HMS '05. Beginning with general principles, the first part of the book covers acid-base concepts; the structure and function of DNA, RNA, and proteins; and laboratory techniques of biotechnology and molecular biology. Subsequent chapters treat more specialized topics, including the hormonal control of metabolism; the TCA cycle and electron transport chain; and the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and cholesterol, proteins and nitrogen, and nucleotides. The final chapter is an overview of nutrition, complete with tables of vitamins and minerals and deficiency diseases. Throughout, the book features plentiful visual aids and blends clinical cases with basic science concepts to demonstrate the application of biochemical principles to medical practice. Bevil R. Conway Neural Mechanisms of Color Vision: Double-Opponent Cells in the Visual Cortex Kluwer Academic Publishers How does the human brain perceive color? What mediates vision? How do we visually respond to physical cues when they do not always directly correlate with our perception? These are the questions that inspired the creation of this four-chapter book, which provides the first clear map of the double-opponent mechanism of color-sensitive cells in primates. Bevil Conway, HMS research fellow in neurobiology, has successfully used computer averaging and cone-isolation techniques to demonstrate the antagonistic interactions of the three classes of cones, L, M, and S, popularly known as red, green, and blue, which mediate color perception. The book includes a summary of the history of color research and a clear discussion of the spatial and temporal structure of cone cells in the primary visual cortex of macaque monkeys, a model for human color vision because their performance of visual tasks is almost identical to that of human cone cells. David Ropeik and George Gray Risk: A Practical Guide for Deciding What's Really Safe and What's Really Dangerous in the World Around You Houghton Mifflin Slated for publication Oct. 28, Risk! was co-authored by Ropeik, director of risk communication, and Gray, acting director, both at HSPH's Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. The book explains more than 50 risk issues of widespread public concern, from air bags to X-rays. It is divided into three general areas: risks associated with home, work, and transportation; environmental risks; and medical risks. The authors explain what the hazardous substance or process is, the range of consequences from the hazard, the range of exposures to the hazard, and what someone can do to reduce the exposure. The information is based on current scientific understanding, and each chapter has been peer reviewed by two or more experts in the field. The book also provides "risk meters," giving a sense of how big or small each risk might be based on analysis by the authors. It is designed to help inform readers about individual risks so they can make wiser choices about what, if anything, to do about that risk. Douglas M. Surgenor Edwin J. Cohn and the Development of Protein Chemistry Center for Blood Research Douglas Surgenor was an MIT doctoral student and later colleague of Edwin Cohn, the protein chemist whose revolutionary work formed the foundation for clinical blood separation techniques in modern medicine. Cohn once said, "New knowledge is created by men who build new schools of thought which transcend past knowledge," a statement that encapsulates his vision of his role in science. In this book, Surgenor, a senior investigator emeritus and former president of the Center for Blood Reseearch, traces the life of Cohn, focusing on his 20-year academic career. Cohn directed the first protein chemistry laboratory at HMS where he pioneered the elucidation of the structure and nature of proteins. His development of fractionation procedures in the 1940s led to the use of blood-derived products such as human serum albumin to treat the wounded in World War II. John D. Stoeckle, Laurence J. Ronan, Linda Emanuel, Carol Ehrlich, and Cynthia Cardon Hughes Doctoring Together: A Physician's Guide to Manners, Duties and Communication in the Shared Care of Patients Massachusetts General Hospital This slim book concisely puts forth guidelines of communication for physicians with each of the kinds of providers they are bound to encounter while caring for patients: nurses, residents, and medical students. But perhaps most importantly, it addresses the professional manners and communications necessary for doctor-doctor interactions at a time when managed care makes caring for a patient a shared duty. Good communication and a respect for colleagues is vital to the proper care of the patient. As the authors John Stoeckle, HMS professor emeritus of medicine, and collegues from the Primary Care Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, write, "Doctoring together means doing well by patients by doing good by one another." Henry Wechsler and Bernice Wuethrich Dying to Drink: Confronting Binge Drinking on College Campuses Rodale Henry Wechsler, lecturer on social psychology in the Department of Health and Social Behavior at HSPH and director of the HSPH College Alcohol Studies Program, has researched the drinking habits of college students for more than 10 years. He has released four studies, each warning about the menace of binge drinking on college campuses. Now he has written a book on the subject with science writer Bernice Wuethrich. Wechsler's research has revealed that two out of five college students binge drink at least once per week; more students binge drink than smoke cigarettes or take illicit drugs; and an estimated 1,400 college students die each year from binge drinking, the majority from drunk driving accidents. While acknowledging that students are responsible for their own decisions, Wechsler sees an unhealthy relationship between colleges and the alcohol industry. "Big Alcohol" strategizes about how to reach college students, in particular because they drink more than their noncollege peers, says Wechsler. To remedy the situation, he offers a 12-point action plan for colleges, parents, and communities. Kimberly Thompson and Debra Fulghum Bruce Overkill: How Our Nation's Abuse of Antibiotics and Other Germ Killers Is Hurting Your Health and What You Can Do About It Rodale Press "It's time to put the public back into public health," said HSPH's Kimberly Thompson when talking about her recently released book, Overkill: How Our Nation's Abuse of Antibiotics and Other Germ Killers Is Hurting Your Health and What You Can Do About It, written with Debra Fulgham Bruce. Thompson is an HSPH assistant professor of risk analysis and decision science in the Department of Health Policy and Management. "Overuse of antibiotics and other germ-killers may be opening the door to a public health crisis, and the solution lies in making sure that individuals become empowered to make better choices when they manage their risks from germs," Thompson said. The book offers a series of questions to help individuals characterize their personal risk profile and then suggests practical steps to take for protection from germs and from the misuse of antibiotics and antibacterial products. Thompson offers further information at her website, Age of Risk Management, at www.aorm.com. David C. Lai, Editor Holding Court with the Ghost of Gilman Terrace: Selected Writings of Ralph Milton Waters Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of academic anesthesiology, the Wood Library- Museum of Anesthesiology has published this volume of the selected writings of longtime University of Wisconsin faculty member Ralph Milton Waters, a seminal figure in the maturation of anesthesiology as a profession, "so that one may spend more time appreciating what he has done for the field of anesthesiology," said editor David Lai, HMS instructor in anesthesia at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Lai has collected some of the lesser known works of Waters that illustrate how he helped transform anesthesiology from a surgical technique to a medical profession. The selected research papers describe how Waters contributed to the metamorphosis by requiring the education and training of anesthesiologists to include general medicine, basic science, and research and by improving anesthetic drugs, equipment, and safety procedures. Ralph F. Wetmore, Harlan R. Muntz, and Trevor J. McGill, Editors Pediatric Otolaryngology: Principles and Practice Pathways Thieme Diseases of the head and neck may progress similarly in patients of all ages, but they can have very particular effects on children. "A child is not a smaller version of an adult," Trevor McGill, HMS associate professor of otology and laryngology, and his colleagues write in their preface. Rather than outline practice guidelines, the authors' goal is to promote among clinicians "a thoughtful approach to the care of infants and children, knowing that each child must be considered as an individual with specific needs." The book begins with an overview of pediatric patient care, molecular genetics, and other topics. The remaining five sections are devoted to in-depth explorations of specific disorders of the ear, nose and sinuses, oral cavity and pharynx, larynx and trachea, and the neck. "The clinician can utilize this text as a ready reference or as a springboard to further investigation of a topic," write McGill, Ralph Wetmore of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Harlan Muntz of the Washington University School of Medicine. Jon Beckwith Making Genes, Making Waves: A Social Activist in Science Harvard University Press In 1969, Jon Beckwith made a stunning announcement, namely that he and his colleagues had cloned the first gene. In an afterword that was equally startling, he went on to warn the world that this work could unleash a dangerous age of genetic engineering. The announcement would launch him into the forefront of two arenas--science and social activism. In this memoir, Beckwith, the American Cancer Society research professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, traces the path to and from this historic event, a career that has spanned most of modern genetics and molecular biology. In chapters such as "The Myth of the Criminal Chromosome," "It's the Devil in Your DNA," and "I'm Not Very Scary Anymore," he weaves together his experiences as scientist and science critic. Beckwith's personal narration provides an insider's view of the changes that have taken place in late 20th century science. At the same time, it steps back to offer a sweeping look at the consequences of those changes for the world we live in. Beckwith will give a reading from his book at HMS on Oct. 9, 4 p.m., in Goldenson 122.