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The main goal of this important meeting, which around 2,000 participants are expected to attend, is to bring together policy makers from both the political and the administrative world, and members of the scientific community at large, to reflect together on the future of scientific research, its impact on society and the demands of society on science.

This World Conference, which is part of the overall activities of UNESCO in its role of development and co-ordination of international relations in education, culture but also science, will also be the first time an event has been cosponsored by UNESCO, a United Nations governmental organisation, and by ICSU, an independent scientific non-governmental organisation.

This is for ICSU, not only an opportunity to reach society outside ICSU's natural community of scientists and researchers, but also an opportunity to become more of a player in the new global system of international co-operation among governmental, regional and international bodies. The Conference will also be a very crucial forum for ICSU and the scientific community to increase public understanding and perception of science and scientific research in a society which sometimes doubts or fears scientific progress.

This six day long Conference will be organised around keynote speeches and three fora, two of which are more scientific with round-tables on various topics of interest for both science and society (ethical, educational, economic or international aspects of science) whilst the third will be more devoted to the presentations of national science policy and projects.

• FORUM II: Science in society

• FORUM III: Toward a new commitment to science

The ICSU community has been very active in the preparation of the World Conference on Science for the 21st Century through its participation in the work of the International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) chaired by Werner Arber, President of ICSU, with the ICSU Unions, Scientific Committees and Associates taking responsibility for the organisation of round-tables and with ICSU National Members playing a vital role in the choice of topics for discussion and in the designation of high level panel members and keynote speakers.

Finally, the Conference will also be the beginning of a new commitment by the governments of the world towards basic and long term scientific research, which is vital for the development of society in the next century. The outcome will be embodied in two documents:

• Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge
• Science Agenda-Framework for Action.

These two draft documents will be discussed early next year by all national members of UNESCO and ICSU.

The Hungarian Government and the Hungarian Academy of Science are very proud to see Hungary as host for this prestigious scientific event.

Istvan Lang
Chairman, Local Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on Science

Dr Peter D. Clarkson, Executive Secretary, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research,
Scott Polar Research Institute, Lensfield Road,
Cambridge, CB2 1ER, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 1223 362061
Fax: +44 1223 336549
e-mail: execsec@scar.demon.co.uk

A common perception is that Antarctica is a frozen continent and that is predominantly correct. In the more northerly coastal regions of the continent, particularly in the Antarctic Peninsula, summer temperatures may rise above 0°C and, on warm sunny days, streams may flow from melting glaciers and snow fields. Not surprisingly, therefore, there are many small lakes and ponds that can lose their ice cover during the summer. What is surprising, however, is that the largest known lake in Antarctica is about twenty-five times the area of Lake Geneva in Switzerland (or somewhat smaller in area than Lake Ontario on the United States-Canada border, but it has a larger volume of water) and it is sandwiched between the bedrock of the continent and about 4 km of the overlying ice sheet.

The lake lies beneath the ice sheet in the vicinity of Vostok Station, originally established by the Soviet Union in late 1957 during the first Soviet Antarctic Expedition of the International Geophysical Year. The station lies at an altitude of 3,488 m above sea level on the Antarctic ice sheet, half way between the nearest point on the coast (1,253 km) and the South Pole (1,260 kin) along the 106°49'E meridian.

In 1964, a single seismic record through the ice sheet showed a strange reflection at about 3,700 m that was interpreted at the time as a reflection from loose deposits under the ice. During the 1970s, an extensive programme of radio-echo sounding over the ice sheet of Greater Antarctica, by the National Science Foundation / Scott Polar Research Institute / Technical University of Denmark, showed several areas where the reflection from the base of the ice sheet was quite flat over large areas. These were correctly interpreted and the term "subglacial lake" came into use. However, at that time none of the available data were considered to indicate a subglacial lake in the vicinity of Vostok Station. When satellite imagery of the ice sheet became available from ERS-1 it was possible to detect the largest of these subglacial lakes on the images where the flat area on the surface of the ice sheet, corresponds to the flat area across the "surface" of the underlying lake.

Ice-drilling at Vostok Station, to obtain a unique, long record of climate change, began in 1970 and continued until 1997. Several holes have been drilled and studies by Russian and French scientists, of the ice cores extracted have yielded a wealth of climatic data covering the last 426,000 years. Analysis of oxygen isotopes trapped in falling snow indicates the air temperature at the time the snow fell. Carbon dioxide and methane, similarly trapped in the ice, show how the atmospheric concentrations of these "greenhouse" gases have fluctuated with time.

At an informal half-day workshop in Cambridge during 1993, the available data were assessed and a serious concern was raised for the scientific community. If there was a subglacial lake there, the body of water in the lake could be very ancient and of enormous importance to science; but if the borehole of the deep ice-drilling entered the lake it would be contaminated for ever and its value to science would be dramatically reduced. Thus there would be a conflict between those who wished to preserve the integrity of the lake and the palaeoclimatologists who wanted the maximum possible length of core from the drilling to give the longest possible climate record. Subsequent re-examination of the Soviet seismic record and the radio-echo sounding survey in the region of Vostok Station indicated that there could be a subglacial lake beneath Vostok Station.

By September 1994, the presence of a lake had been confirmed beyond reasonable doubt and Recommendation XXIII-12 was adopted by Delegates at the Twenty-third Meeting of SCAR in Rome, Italy. This Recommendation recognized the existence of the lake and its value to science and proposed that drilling should not proceed deeper than a point that would continue to ensure the undisturbed integrity of the reported lake; that drilling should not proceed beyond that point until an environmental impact evaluation and relevant scientific investigations had been carried out; and that a workshop be held soon to consider all aspects of the situation.

A formal workshop was held in Cambridge during May 1995 in response to the SCAR Recommendation. This allowed a full discussion by scientists of all relevant disciplines (glaciology, geophysics, geology and biology) to determine the current state of knowledge and to identify areas for further research. Among the recommendations of the workshop was the need to determine more precisely the physical parameters of the lake using remote-sensing methods, including satellite imagery; to determine the glaciological flow regime across the lake; and to determine as far as possible the geological setting of the lake.

Studies begun in 1995 have provided some of the required new data. The lake is up to 230 km long and has a maximum width of about 85 km. At the southern end, in the vicinity of Vostok Station, the icewater interface lies about 3,760 m beneath the surface of the ice sheet, or about 260 m below sea level. The underlying body of water is 490m deep at this point and increases to 670 m a short distance away. Between the water and the acoustic basement surface (continental bedrock) there is a sedimentary layer between 90 and 330 m thick.

The area of the lake is approximately 13,000 km² and the volume of water is estimated at about 1,800 km³. The water is considered to be fresh, or possible brackish, and is estimated to have a minimum residence time of 50,000 years in the lake. The overlying ice sheet has yielded micro-organisms that have been carried to Antarctica as airborne particles. These would melt into the lake from the basal ice up to one million years after deposition on the surface of the ice sheet. The sediments on the lake bottom could be several million years older and could provide valuable information to biologists and geologists.

The geological setting of the lake is not known with certainty but it may lie in a rift valley. This has evoked comparison with Lake Baykal in the Buryatskaya province of central Russia, but on a smaller scale. In a rift situation there could be a higher than average heat flow which might account in part for the existence of the lake. The sedimentary column could also have a much longer history than the current lake and may record pre-glacial erosion of the Antarctic shield. There could also be an interesting fossil record in the sediments, particularly if the oldest sediments were from an earlier lake, predating the onset of glaciation.

In order to provide evidence in support of these speculations it will be necessary to sample the lake water and the underlying sediment. This can only be done by drilling through the ice sheet and there are serious concerns about possible contamination of the lake. Biologists, in particular, are worried that any pollutants introduced into the water could modify any ecosystem that might exist there. SCAR responded to these concerns in Recommendation SCAR XXIV-10 that called for further research and the development of suitable techniques for sampling the water and sediment. Any proposal to enter the lake would be subject to environmental impact assessment under the terms of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.

The surface of the Europa moon of Jupiter is believed to be ice, beneath which there could be liquid water. In 1996, scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the United States National Aeronautical and Space Administration, involved with preparations for a mission to Europa, saw an analogy between Vostok Lake and their own programme. The possibility of using Vostok Lake as an experimental test site for a Europa probe was an attractive proposition. Initially this possibility alarmed the Antarctic community by the thought that a unique research opportunity in the Antarctic might be jeopardized by becoming an experimental test site.

The two scientific communities have since met to discuss the needs of their own programmes and this is now developing into a joint research programme. Each community has much to offer the other in terms of technological and research expertise and the mutual benefits could be extensive. Another workshop was held in November 1998 and a further SCAR sponsored workshop is being planned for 1999. The potential gains for both Antarctic and planetary science, by successfully sampling the lake and the sediment using contamination-free methods, are enormous. Much technological development work remains to be done and the logistics of mounting the field operation at such a remote site on the Antarctic ice sheet, where the mean annual air temperature is about-55°C, should not be underestimated. Nevertheless, the programme represents one of the most exciting, multi-disciplinary research opportunities in Antarctica today.

Elizabeth Gross,

Executive Director, SCOR

The last two decades have been marked by an extraordinary expansion in the occurrence of the marine phenomenon we now call "harmful algal blooms". These blooms of toxic or harmful micro-algae, often inaccurately referred to as "red tides", represent a significant and expanding threat to human health and fisheries resources throughout the world. They take many forms, ranging from massive accumulations of cells that discolor the water, to dilute, inconspicuous populations that are noticed only because of the harm caused by the highly potent toxins these cells contain. The impacts of these phenomena include: mass mortalities of wild and farmed fish and shellfish; human poisonings and fatalities from the consumption of contaminated shellfish or fish; alterations of marine ecosystem structure through adverse effects on larvae and other life history stages of commercial fisheries species; and the death of marine mammals, sea birds, and other animals. On this last point, there is now a growing appreciation of the extent to which HABs impact resources other than shellfish and fish. Human illnesses and fatalities due to five syndromes associated with harmful algae are being recorded around the world in increasingly large numbers.

There are many reasons for this dramatic expansion in HAB problems. Several are simply related to our increasing skill in detecting toxins or negative impacts from blooms and communicating these findings to others throughout the world. There is, however, no doubt that human activities are making the problems worse. One common claim is that toxic or harmful species have been introduced to new regions as a result of ballast water transport by ships. Another common theme is that changes in HAB frequency and extent are linked to increased pollution of coastal waters. The concept is simple: added nutrients from pollution will increase the biomass of all phytoplankton including toxic forms, so more severe and longer lasting toxic outbreaks are the result. A more controversial argument is that pollution has selectively stimulated HAB species: that anthropogenic inputs to coastal waters deliver the major plant nutrients in ratios that differ from natural, unperturbed levels, leading to the disproportionate dominance of algal species that are better suited to the new nutrient environment. Significant removal of shellfish -often grazers of algae-from coastal environments due to overfishing has changed the structure of the ecosystems. Some workers argue that we are witnessing a change of epidemic proportions, that the increase in HABs reflects a fundamental alteration of the composition and flow of nutrients and energy in coastal planktonic communities. If true, this is a serious concern that strikes to the heart of our ability to sustain the coastal ecosystems that are a source of livelihood, food, and enjoyment to so many societies.

Given that HAB problems are expanding and that they have many causes, both natural and human assisted, what can be done about them in a practical sense? What information is needed to efficiently manage affected marine resources, protect public and ecosystem health, encourage and support aquaculture development, and contribute to policy decisions on coastal zone issues such as waste or sewage disposal, aquaculture development, or dredging? If human activities are making the HAB problem worse, how can that be verified, and what steps should be taken to minimize further impacts? The answers to these important practical questions, of course, require a much-improved scientific understanding. To date, however, there is little effective international coordination at least in the realm of scientific research.

While there are a number of valuable and effective national monitoring programs, many fundamental scientific questions remain unanswered. We do not even understand the basic ecological and physical oceanographic processes which influence the development and evolution of harmful algal outbursts. Even the term "harmful algal blooms" is a misnomer- not all harmful species are algal- many exhibit the properties of both plants and animals. And not all harmful events occur as "blooms" or sudden high density occurrences of toxic cells. Some cells are so toxic that, even at low densities, they have serious impacts. Many harmful species have complex life cycles, involving multiple stages, and the environmental factors controlling these various life-stages are poorly known. Current models are entirely inadequate to meet the need for a strong predictive capability.

What is clearly needed is a coordinated international scientific program on HABs that incorporates the full participation of numerous countries. Fifty-seven countries were represented at the last international conference on HABs. In 1997, SCOR was approached independently by two key players in the current HAB community and asked to assume a significant role in helping to formulate and implement a program on the ecology and oceanography of harmful algal blooms. The first of these approaches came from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, which has formally requested SCOR to assist in the creation of a "science agenda" for its HAB Program. The second came from the US research community where plans for a national program (ECOHAB) are relatively advanced, but where the need for international collaboration has been recognized.

SCOR and IOC agreed to cosponsor an international workshop at which the HAB science community could develop a consensus on the priorities for coordinated, multidisciplinary research needed to understand the ecological and oceanographic processes which are involved in the formation of toxic events and which influence the population dynamics of harmful species. This workshop took place in Denmark in October 1998 and was attended by 37 scientists from 20 countries. It recommended to the sponsors that an international program be established to address the issues described above.

The SCOR General Meeting and the IOC Executive Council meeting both took place within a month of the workshop and both organizations have enthusiastically approved this recommendation. We are now moving quickly to establish a Scientific Steering Committee for it and to ensure that adequate funding is in place to take advantage of the current scientific excitement and momentum to move quickly into more detailed planning for GEOHAB. The ICSU grant will be invaluable in this important first phase of the program. In anticipation of these developments SCOR applied to ICSU, on behalf of SCOR, for one of the new grants which are intended to encourage new scientific initiatives in the ICSU family. SCOR is grateful that ICSU responded with a generous grant which will be invaluable as we launch the intensive period of GEOHAB planning in 1999. GEOHAB meets all the usual ICSU criteria: it is scientifically excellent and innovative; it requires international cooperation for its success and the importance of involving developing countries, many of which suffer disproportionately from HABs was immediately recognized by the SCOR-IOC workshop; the societal relevance of the GEOHAB program is obvious and the rapidly increasing anthropogenic pressures on the coastal zone must be understood if we are to understand the causes of HABs.

For a copy of the GEOHAB workshop report, please contact:.
Elizabeth Gross,
Executive Director of SCOR, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Tel: 1-410-516-4070; Fax: 1-410-516-4019;
E-mail: scor@jhu.edu.

Sheila Lunter,

Information Officer, IGBP

Despite a postponement and a preparation that was marked by adversity, a successful Fifth Scientific Advisory Council (SAC-V) Meeting of IGBP was held in Kenya. Many African scientists attended the meeting, which had a total participation of some 170 scientists. SAC-V was hosted by the Kenyan National Academy of Science (KNAS), with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) generously offering the use of the conference facilities at their headquarters in Gigiri, just outside Nairobi.

The meeting was officially opened by the Hon. Mr. Andrew Kiptoon, Minister for Research, Science and Technology of the Republic of Kenya. In his opening speech he expressed the appreciation of the Kenyan people for the decision to have the meeting in Nairobi and the importance of global change in this part of the world. After the opening session a science policy panel was held, consisting of brief remarks by invited participants, followed by a discussion in plenary. The session began with remarks by Nelson Sabogal on the spirit of the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer. He noted that the overall production of CFCs is still increasing, since developing countries have a "grace period" under the Protocol (until 2010), during which they have no obligation to limit the production of CFCs.

The Protocol is rounded on certain scientific principles, and, where scientific knowledge is not the direct basis, it is guided by the precautionary principle.

Peter Tyson based his presentation on the activities of START. He linked the scientist's interests with those of the policy maker in relation to the broad subject of global change science. He noted that policy-makers are more immediately concerned with local and regional interests than with the more broad-based issues such as global change. He urged for the creation of a greater interface between the global change scientist's domain and that of the policy-maker.

Joao Morais reported that in 1997 the SC-IGBP established a committee to catalyze a better understanding on the interplay between science and policy making. This activity was prompted by the fact that the IGBP's ten-year contribution to our understanding of global change issues is not yet fully appreciated by those involved in policy-making, legislation, and public affairs.

The Chairman of the session, the Hon. Mr. Kiptoon, took the occasion to reflect on certain aspects of the Kenyan experience. He emphasized the importance in Africa of achieving a real dialogue between science and policy, and of informing governmental action by scientific input and expertise.

The final presentation was made by C. O. Okidi of UNEP, who noted that a major impediment to the use of science information in Africa has been the gap that exists between those who generate science information (in the universities and research institutes), and those who should use such information, in the industrial and agricultural sectors.

In the discussion the theme of communication was all-pervading, and that to address this gap in communication better channels should be opened up between the developed and developing countries, and between the scientific community and the policy community in the developing countries themselves.

The meeting then moved to a formal review of the progress and future plans for the IGBP Programme Elements. This review continued the following day and concluded with presentations by Larry Kohler for IHDP and John Marks on the future of WCRP, IGBP, and IHDP from the IGFA (International Group of Funding Agencies) perspective. In the second part of the formal review the meeting was divided into parallel sessions which addressed themes of:

The session on synthesis discussed the need to review the research progress made so far, and at the same time, to develop new insights. The identification of gaps can help to revise and develop a new research agenda. Obvious additional benefits from a synthesis are the demonstration of the power of integrated research, as well as the policy and societal relevance that arises from the development of new insights. The synthesis process will be an open process with opportunities for external input from companion programmes, national committees, and other groups.

The second session on result's transfer recommended that IGBP should actively share and explain its scientific programme and results in partnership with policy-makers, both public and private. It should engage in results transfer with different groups, such as national governments, national groupings, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and the general public. A particular need was identified for IGBP to engage with the global business community.

The third session on regional consequences was re-baptized into regional emphasis of global change research. Discussion centred on the need to emphasize regional research and collaboration, the need for capacity building, and the need to build upon existing regional institutions. The group recommended that IGBP and national committees should encourage regionally integrated approaches such as transects, through (i) focussing on critical areas that are subject to natural or anthropogenic threats; (ii) facing the multiple integration problems through integrated projects, such as LBA or BENEFIT; and, (iii) favouring cross-programme element collaboration/integration through what could be labelled "IGBP Regional Projects"-involving at least three or four countries and Programme Elements, and including a significant socio-economic component. Finally they recommended that data availability at the regional level should be improved through the development of regional data sets and data and information systems.

After a free day, the meeting continued with a day dedicated to the National Committees. After presentations by several National Committees on their progress and plans, the plenary split into parallel sessions on:

The group on international cooperation identified the main bottlenecks to be funding, information storage and dissemination, and a current profile of scientists and institutions involved in IGBP activities or IGBP related science. The group recommended that, for example, research proposals made to national governments should demonstrate a clear focus on addressing national concerns, and that National Committee offices should be the repository and clearing house for IGBP matters. On the regional level the group recommended that transboundary issues be considered in programmes to initiate and catalyze cooperation among developing countries. Between developed and developing countries the group recommended more joint research programmes and exchanges of research visits.

The group discussing the role of National Committees in the IGBP synthesis recommended that the National Committees identify and motivate national scientists to participate in the global and regional syntheses, as well as perform regional syntheses where appropriate. Towards the end of the synthesis, National Committees should assist in translating global and regional syntheses for national policymakers, the private sector, and the general public.

The third group concluded that the development of regional collaboration is instrumental for syntheses, capacity building, and the visibility of science and funding on the national level. This can be achieved through an increase in the use of electronic communication, establishing and making available a list of participating scientists in each country, and establishing regional communication networks.

The meeting concluded with a two-day Science Symposium on "Living with Global Change in Africa". On the first day presentations were made on regional climate change scenarios for low-lying African coastal zones; past climate change in the lakes of East Africa; hydrological impacts of land use and climate change in southern Africa; climate variability and food supply; comparative productivity of two coastal upwelling systems; and, a regional cooperative programme in marine scientific research and capacity building in the Benguela current region. The second day featured presentations on Africa and the chemistry of the global atmosphere; atmospheric deposition in Africa; integrated view of land-use change in Miombo woodlands; and, the SALT transect in West African savannahs. In addition to these presentations there were poster sessions each day on different themes, such as climate variability and hydrological impacts; atmospheric chemistry and deposition; palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate; global change and health; land-use and land-cover change; marine and coastal studies; human dimensions of environmental change; and data management.

The meeting provided an excellent occasion to share experiences between scientists from different parts of the world, and to develop plans for more extensive regional cooperation.

For more information contact:

IGBP Secretariat, Box 50005, 104 05 Stockholm,Sweden.
E-mail: sheila@igbp.kva.se

Heike Schroeder,

IHDP secretariat, Bonn

Health has become one of the major new integrative global change research areas, and indeed the links between environment and health are becoming increasingly visible and complex. Extreme weather patterns highlighted by the recent El Niño cycle, emergent diseases, viral mutations and environmental degradation are all contributing to this development.

The IHDP, on behalf of the GEC programmes IGBP, WCRP and DIVERSITAS, and the IGU and IUPS, jointly submitted a proposal to ICSU for a Large Grant Award on "Setting an Agenda for Research on Health and the Environment", which has now been approved by ICSU. The project seeks to incorporate the latest concepts and methodologies from a range of disciplines and sub-disciplines, and integrate leading scientists already conducting research in this area.

Four regional workshops focussing on specific questions, and integrating key researchers, but also young and "local" scientists, will be held in 1999.

The first workshop will deal with human health vulnerability resulting from major environmental events (such as floods, droughts, forest fires or earthquakes) and their health implications. The second workshop will focus on human health vulnerability through long-term changes in environmental trends, such as global warming or desertification, in the context of numerous inherent risks to human health. A third workshop will assess the use of technology in linking environmental and health research by examining the use of the latest developments in satellite photoimagery, remote sensing and geographical information systems. Fourthly, there will be a workshop dealing with a population health perspective, i.e. integrating socioeconomic factors and social and physical environment variables, in order to understand the ongoing changes in the health status of populations.

Each of these workshops will generate 5 position papers and a workshop report, which will be used as a basis for drafting the final report for a global agenda for research on health and environment.

DIVERSITAS promotes the study of biodiversity in all its dimensions: the study of origins and maintenance, inventorying and classification, assessment and monitoring, the role played in ecosystems functioning and conservation and restoration, including the socio-economic anthropological aspects. The Programme, through its unified approach, provides an international framework in order to compare the various ongoing activities and attempt to eliminate duplication and redundancy, and present coherent syntheses that can be used by both scientists and policy-makers.

DIVERSITAS has formed a close working relationship with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Programme has been formally cited by the 4th Conference of Parties (Bratislava 1998) to provide scientific advice to the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA).

As part of its programme, DIVERSITAS is proposing an initiative entitled the "International Biodiversity Observation Year" (IBOY). DIVERSITAS/IBOY is an important step in the effort to know and better understand the biological diversity of our planet, and to bring biodiversity science to the forefront of the scientific agendas of nations and international organizations interested in this subject. One of the most important objectives will be to educate the general public.

There is an urgent need to fill in the gaps of information about biodiversity, at every level from the genetic variability of individual species to the workings of ecosystems - and to add that to data about how human societies interact with, and depend on, natural systems. IBOY would cover the levels of biological diversity (genetic, species and ecosystems), surveying the field for the most obvious lacks in our knowledge of global patterns of biodiversity, focusing on those areas most amenable to a short term, intensive year of international cooperation in data collection.

The results of the integrated products of such a programme would be of great value in managing the Earth System and providing tools for stemming the tide of diversity losses.

IBOY is inspired by the 1957 International Geophysical Year, when scientists worked together across national and academic boundaries to advance knowledge about the earth, oceans and atmosphere. It brought unprecedented cooperation among disciplines as well as added momentum to these disciplines. Similarly, it is hoped that IBOY will generate unprecedented long-term interest and momentum for research on, and conservation of, biodiversity. Like the IGY, DIVERSITAS/IBOY will focus on projects amenable to international cooperation in data collection, with room for scientists from developing nations to participate, however modestly. It is expected to integrate what is already known and to add new data to advance the state of knowledge about biodiversity and earth's living systems.

Scientists are asked to send ideas and proposals to the DIVERSITAS Secretariat. These projects should be short term (three years) and should be international in character but can be complemented by national and regional efforts. They must be designed to achieve concrete results and deliver a product in the year's duration of the Programme. An idea should be given of the major players to be involved. Projects already proposed for IBOY include: a project to launch a worldwide system to watch out for the health of coral reefs: scientists experienced in evaluating coral ecosystems will train scientists in tropical nations to monitor their own local reefs; a revisit of the locations encountered on the pioneering voyages of some of the great naturalists of the last century (C. Darwin, A. von Humboldt, etc.), a series of new explorations in ocean depths, a large-scale synthesis of the magnitude of the populations of various fish species utilizing new technology, a census of global centres of biological richness and of invasions using rapid assessment techniques, building a phytogenetic tree of life utilizing all of the genetic information becoming available along with analytical tools for quantifying relationships among organisms, establishing a global network of decomposition experiments utilizing standardized techniques and substrates.

Information on IBOY will be posted on the Diversitas homepage at: http://www.icsu.org/DIVERSITAS/

Diversitas Secretariat: UNESCO-MAB, 1 rue Miollis, 75015 Paris, France
Tel: 33 1 4568 4054/4093 Fax: 33 1 45685832
Email: c.adam@unesco.org / diversitas@unesco.org / diversitas2@unesco.org

Heike Schroeder,

IHDP Secretariat, Bonn

One area for potential collaboration is possible initiatives and activities arising from an increasing number of demands for support which are being addressed to the GEC programmes. These are, however, too many considering the programmes' constraints in time, manpower and "glue" money. One way of overcoming these constraints is to strengthen collaboration between the programmes and participation of researchers within the various core projects.

The Forum representatives identified four cross cutting priority areas in which close collaboration by means of joint workshops, etc., is sought in future. They include health, water, food security and the carbon cycle. ICSU recently made a Large Grant Award to the IHDP and IGU to carry out a special one-year initiative to prepare an 'Agenda for Research on Health and the Environment". The IHDP agreed to represent the GEC programmes within this initiative and to facilitate collaboration from all four programmes as well as with other relevant ICSU bodies in its implementation. On water, there are many initiatives already underway, at regional, national and international levels. The IHDP offered to convene a special workshop on "Global Change Research and Water" in November 1999 and bring together representatives from the key water-related GEC research initiatives in order to discuss priority areas for collaboration and to identify specific follow-up action for the period 1999-2002. On food security, the GEC programmes agreed to consider convening a "Global Change Forum" in late 1999 or 2000, to bring together the GEC research, policy and funding communities, and asked IGBP to take the lead. This Forum could effectively contribute to initiatives such as Climate Prediction for Agriculture (CLIMAG) and the proposed GCTE/LUCC/GECHS Food Security meeting in South Africa, and be held in collaboration with the FAO. Lastly, the carbon cycle, having become a critical research priority for all four GEC programmes in the post-Kyoto period, should become a focus for collaboration. It was agreed that the IGBP should take the lead in developing a more coordinated approach on this topic, and request funding from the Dutch Government, which has made available resources for such joint GEC initiatives.

The Forum reviewed the very significant contributions being made by START to all four GEC programmes. The participants examined ways in which they might enhance their already close collaboration in the management and development of START and in the support of START regional research activities. It was agreed that the CLIMAG project warranted special priority, and that IHDP and WCRP should make additional efforts to mobilise support from their communities before the CLIMAG workshop in early 1999.

The participants discussed at length the role of IGFA in the GEC programmes. They agreed to continue their close collaboration with IGFA, and stressed the importance of trying to rationalise and improve the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of IGFA's coordinating and catalytic efforts. It was also agreed that special emphasis was needed to ensure that stable and sufficient "glue" money was available to the GEC programmes so that they could continue to provide critical international and regional added value to the GEC research funding process. The participants decided to undertake a coordinated approach at the IGFA session in Ispra, in October 1998. Some critical issues were also identified, including the changing role, size and consistency of national contributions to GEC programmes, potential competition for funding between global and regional programmes, and significant benefits resulting from enhanced "glue" money.

The participants recommended that a special collaborative effort should be encouraged by relevant core projects (e.g., BAHC, LUCC, PAGES, DIVERSITAS) to prepare a joint GEC programme contribution to the Year of the Mountains in 2002. It was agreed that the GEC programmes should provide a coordinated contribution to the UNESCO World Science Conference in June 1999, which would draw special attention to topics such as data access, commercialisation and the state of the observing systems. The GEC programmes will continue to monitor opportunities for improving the visibility and availability of their research results strategies. They agreed that new efforts should be made to facilitate the joint representation of GEC programmes at major meetings in order to decrease the costs of representation.

The Forum also exchanged views regarding opportunities and constraints in respect to the collaboration with the Convention Secretariats, the UN system and integrated assessment initiatives, such as the IPCC. It was agreed that the programmes welcomed the opportunity to share their advice but generally preferred not to become too involved or enter into any formal agreements with these bodies, as this risks shifting too much energy away from the programmes own priority areas of activity. Further points of discussion were some common problems concerning the administration of the programmes and their project offices (e.g., international staffing, employment status and practices, contracts) which basically arose from inflexibilities in national administrative practices. It was also stressed that the role and contribution of the national committees to the scientific work of the GEC programmes and the representation of young, developing country researchers within the programmes and projects needed strengthening.

M. Dacombe

Executive Secretary, IUCr

The IUCr has 40 National Members and three Regional Associates [the American Crystallographic Association (ACA), the European Crystallographic Association (ECA) and the Asian Crystallographic Association (AsCA)]. The IUCr receives its income from its publications, subscriptions from Adhering Bodies, investments, advertising and royalties.

One of the main reasons for the formation of the IUCr was the need for a new journal run by crystallographers. Thus, it was not long before Acta Crystallographica was launched in 1948. Acta has made many advances since those early days and now appears in four Sections:

To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the IUCr and the launch of Acta, a number of events hove taken place in 1998. Symposia have been held in connection with the meetings of the three Regional Associates: the ACA (Arlington, USA, 18-23 July); the ECA (Prague, Czech Republic, 16-20 August); and the AsCA (Bangi, Malaysia, 13-15 October). These symposia contained presentations by eminent crystallographers on:

• the IUCr and its work in an historical context and
• the impact of crystallography on physics, chemistry, biology, geology and materials science (now and in an historical perspective).

The November 1998 issue of Section A of Acta is accompanied by a Special Issue containing some 25 papers highlighting the impact of crystallography on other disciplines. This Special Issue is also available as a book.

It was also a great pleasure for the IUCr that its first General Secretary, Dr. Robert Evans, was able to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the IUCr's admission to ICSU by officially opening the new editorial offices in Chester on 7 April 1997.

In addition to the four Sections of Acta, the IUCr publishes another two journals:

A series of textbooks and monographs is also published in collaboration with Oxford University Press.

Electronification of the IUCr publications has been continuing and in 1999 Acta Section D: Biological Crystallography will be available free of charge to subscribers to the printed journal. This will be closely followed by the other IUCr journals.

New Editions and Revisions of the existing three Volumes of International Tables

are in hand and five more Volumes are in preparation.

The IUCr also maintains an active web site (http://www.iucr.org/) at its offices in Chester (UK). This site is presently mirrored in France, Israel, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA. More sites will be added in due course.

The IUCr Newsletter is produced quarterly and distributed free of charge to 15,000 individuals in 39 countries. It is a most useful channel for feature articles, meeting announcements and reports and many other items of crystallographic interest.

Much of the work of the IUCr is carried out through its 17 Commissions which cover a wide spectrum of interests: Journals; International Tables; Aperiodic Crystals; Biological Macromolecules; Charge, Spin and Momentum Densities; Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials; Crystallographic Computing; Crystallographic Nomenclature; Crystallographic Teaching; Electron Diffraction; High Pressure; Neutron Scattering; Powder Diffraction; Small Angle Scattering; Structural Chemistry; Synchrotron Radiation; XAFS and its Sub-Committees.

The Sub-Committee on the Union Calendar considers requests for sponsorship and financial support of meetings of crystallographic interest. One of the most important aspects is the financial support given to young scientists to enable them to attend these meetings. The IUCr currently has an annual budget of USD 72,000 for support of young scientists.

The IUCr also has a Visiting Professorship Scheme. This enables eminent scientists to visit developing countries (or countries with particular problems) to present short courses on particular aspects of crystallography. For example, Visiting Professorships have been held in Africa, Central America, South America, Bulgaria, and Russia and have been much appreciated by the hosts. The Visiting Professorship Scheme also forms part of a broader initiative to promote crystallography in Africa.

A major development in recent years has been the development of the Crystallographic Information File (CIF). This is a standard file format for the rapid and accurate transfer of crystallographic data between authors, journals and databases. This was initially developed for small molecules and use of this format for publication in Acta Section C is now mandatory. CIFs can be checked automatically for conformance with the standard, internal consistency and for the numerical accuracy of the derived data. A paper in a format suitable for publication can also be generated easily. Trials with other publishers who are interested in using this facility are currently underway.

Following the success of the small molecule CIF, which is now the de Facto standard for small molecules, CIFs for powder data and data for biological macromolecules have been developed and others are in preparation.

As part of its mandate, the IUCr is keen to foster cooperation with other bodies and has two Scientific Associates (the International Centre for Diffraction Data and the International Organization for Crystal Growth) and has representatives on the Interdivisional Committee on Nomenclature and Standards of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the International Council for Scientific and Technical Information, ICSU, ICSU CODATA, ICSU COSTED/IBN, ICSU COSPAR and ICSU PCBS. The IUCr has also joined with the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics in planning an initiative on bio-informatics.

A.C.T. North,

Secretary General, IUPAB

Most biophysicists have probably had the same experience as me and been faced by a look of blank incomprehension after giving the answer "biophysics, "to the question "what is your subject?".

The subject has, however, been well-defined in dictionaries such as Collins, as "the physics of biological processes and the application of methods used in physics to biology". A slightly different slant is given by Chambers' definition as "a form of biology dealing with biological structures and processes in terms of physics". My belief is that the first of these definitions would be generally preferred by present-day biophysicists, the vast majority of whom have started their careers as physical scientists and have decided to apply their approach in an attempt to understand the functioning of living systems in terms of physical concepts and by the use of physico-chemical methods.

From the last century one could cite Michael Faraday's observation of the effect of applying an electric potential to a frog's leg or Louis Pasteur's remarkably prescient remarks in a letter written in 1850 to Chappuis "I am inclined to think that life, as manifested to us, must be a function of the disymmetry of the universe and of the consequences it produces", and "there are wonders hidden in crystallisation and, through it, the inmost construction of substances will one day be revealed" (a prediction that came to fruition through the work of von Laue and the Braggs about 60 years later). A major impetus to the development of the subject came after the second world war when physical scientists such as (in the U.K.)Crick, Wilkins and Kendrew, who had been engaged in the war effort, turned their attentions to living systems when peace came. The International Organisation for Pure and Applied Biophysics was rounded in 1961 at a meeting in Stockholm and it became the International Union in 1966, when also it was affiliated to ICSU (interestingly, IUPAB is the only one of the ICSU Unions that is "for" its subject rather than "of" if).

Biophysics tends to fall into subdisciplines: one of these is electrophysiology, exemplified by studies of the conduction of impulses in nerves and the gating mechanisms controlling the flow of ions; a second is structural molecular biology, i.e. understanding the functioning of living systems in terms of the 3-dimensional structures of the constituent molecules, their modes of interaction and assembly; there are also important applications in medicine, such as magnetic resonance and other imaging techniques, and indeed a substantial number of biophysicists nowadays work in medical schools. There are of course many other sub-disciplines in which biophysicists play pivotal roles.

The stated objectives of IUPAB are: to organise international co-operation in biophysics and promote communication between the various branches of biophysics and allied subjects; and to encourage within each adhering body co-operation between the societies that are interested in the advancement of biophysics in all its aspects.

The number of Adhering Bodies of IUPAB is now in the mid-40's; as with most other Unions, the break-up of the Soviet Union and related changes in Eastern Europe have led to the addition to membership of several of their component countries; a number of countries do, however, have great difficulty in meeting their subscriptions and in 1996 a new category of membership, 'Observer' was introduced with a nominal subscription level, the hope being that their financial difficulties will be overcome in due course, so allowing them to become full members. Unfortunately, the Union's finances are not greatly helped by this situation, but IUPAB feels that its highest priority must be to give what support it can to biophysicists world-wide.

General Assemblies of the Union take place triennially; the governance of the Union is in the hands of its Council, which comprises the five Officers (who constitute the Executive Committee) and 12 other members. The Council meets on the occasion of the General Assembly and has one additional meeting in mid-term. The Executive Committee has two further meetings in the 3-year cycle.

Reviews have been carried out during the current triennium of two aspects of the Union's work: it's internal governance and its external relations and finances. Consideration was given at the last Council meeting as to whether some financial economies could be achieved by reducing the Council's size or the number of its meetings. The Council concluded that a reduction in its size would inevitably lead to a reduced representation of the smaller countries, which was the opposite of its perceived international mission, while alternatives to meetings, such as video conferencing, would not achieve the invaluable interplay of ideas that often occurred in the informal discussions between sessions of a meeting. It was clear that it would be likely to be counterproductive to attempt to raise membership subscriptions in order to increase the Union's financial resources and various alternative strategies were discussed by the Council. As described below, collaboration with other Unions and the regional organisations is an approach that would be both intellectually and financially rewarding.

Until 1996, the Union had a number of Special Commissions on various aspects of its activities. Unfortunately, the level of activities had become very inconsistent, partly because the membership of the Commissions had become very unwieldy.

It was therefore decided in 1996 to attempt to provide a sharper focus by dissolving the Commissions and replacing them by Task Forces with Mission Statements, and Sunset Clauses, each Task Force having about 6 members; in order to facilitate information flow with the Adhering Bodies, member countries were invited to nominate representatives to an Advisory Committee with which each Task Force could interact. The following Task Forces were established:

With the establishment of the Inter-Union Bioinformatics Group under Berendsen's Chairmanship J. Garnier (France) has taken over as Convenor of the Bioinformatics Task Force.

The triennial Congresses are, of course, held in different parts of the world and for a number of years there was a national cycle between America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Asia. The 1993 meeting took place in Budapest and the 1996 one in Amsterdam, consecutive European meetings having been planned before the end of the Cold War, since when the distinction between Eastern and Western Europe has become politically superfluous, although there remains financial disparity.

The 1999 Congress is due to take place in New Delhi and the mission of the Union to support and encourage biophysicists in those parts of the world classified as developing, led to the decision to accept the invitation of Argentina to hold the 2002 Congress in Latin America (in Buenos Aires) despite concerns that other venues might have had financial advantages.

In each of the non-Congress years, grants are awarded for the support of symposia, workshops and schools. The Union's limited financial resources restrict the support of meetings to the provision of seed money, in the expectation that this will allow the meeting organisers to use the Union's support as a lever to gain other financial resources. An important factor in the award of grants is the Union's objective of capacity building: in the case of meetings in developing countries, the Union's grant should be used to facilitate the participation of lecturers from developed parts of the world, while for meetings in developed countries, a primary purpose must be to support the participation of young scientists, especially from the developing regions. In the period 1993-1996, IUPAB supported four meetings in Asia, four in Western Europe, seven in Eastern (former Soviet bloc) Europe and three in South America. Additional venues supported in 1997/8 have included Colombia and Armenia, both countries where there are active groups but where financial difficulties have impeded contacts between students and senior scientists from elsewhere.

In Congress years, a substantial part of the Union's funds is assigned to a Travel Fellowship programme aimed at facilitating the participation of young scientists in the Congress. Awards are made on a competitive basis, taking into account the scientific quality of the contribution offered in the applicant's poster abstract and the strength of the support given by the applicant's supervisor. Competition is high, with a success rate of about 20%.

Regional associations of biophysicists are at various stages of development. The Biophysical Society covers the whole of North America; the European Biophysical Societies Association (EBSA) is a rapidly developing association of all the major European societies and holds its own Congresses; the Society of Biophysicists of Latin America (SOBLA), which maintains close contacts with Iberian scientists, is actively concerned with education and capacity building in that continent; there have now been two Symposia arranged by the biophysicists of South East Asia and a third one is planned, although a formal body has not yet been established. IUPAB is looking forward to developing and integrating the activities of these regional groupings.

While it has been said that there are too many "Bio" Unions, the number of different unions in this area of science has not arisen by deliberate fragmentation, but rather as a result of scientists from different backgrounds converging on biological problems. Indeed, the majority of biophysicists in IUPAB probably regard themselves as physical scientists.

There is, however, recognition of very important areas in which different Unions could, and should, work together in order to maximise their effectiveness within the perennial financial restrictions. Such collaboration has of course been strongly supported by ICSU, particularly since the recent review. With ICSU support, IUPAB is leading a joint project with IUBMB and IUCr in the field of Bioinformatics with a two-fold aim: harmonisation of data formats in order to facilitate transfer of data between different computer programme suites; and capacity building for Bioinformatics research in developing countries in recognition of the major importance of this rapidly developing field and the fact that, given the necessary infrastructure, computer-based research is now relatively inexpensive to implement.

A new development is the proposed establishment by IUBMB, IUBS and IUPAB of a BioUnion Commission on Science Education in Developing Countries, a primary objective of which is to collaborate in the provision of training courses in the many technical areas which the Unions share.

It is unfortunately the case that standards of science education and scientific awareness are a matter of concern in the "developed" countries, not just in "developing" countries.

IUPAB has not itself been concerned directly with publishing activities, but Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics is published on its behalf by Cambridge University Press;

QRB comprises a valuable series of high quality review articles. IUPAB NEWS serves primarily to report the business of the General Assembly, Council and Executive Committee for the benefit of the Union's Adhering Bodies and their members.

It is generally agreed that there is a shortage of textbooks in biophysics and the Union's Council considers that, partly because the content of biophysics courses in different universities varies greatly and partly because different areas of the subject are developing at different rates, the problem would best be approached by supporting the publication of monographs on defined topics. Biophysics groups in several countries have already been responsible for such texts and, as a first step towards the exchange of information, a new Biophysics Books page is to be established on the Union's Web site.

Meeting reports

Report by Professor Paul G. Mezey, Canada Secretary General of CODATA

SATELLITE MEETINGS
The Conference was preceded by two CODATA Task Group Satellite Meetings and Symposia, held at the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi. On November 6 and 7, 1998, the CODATA Task Group for Data Sources in Asia-Oceania held a Meeting and Seminar, whereas on November 7, 1998, the CODATA Task Group for Data/information and Visualization held a Study-Tutorial Workshop on "Information, Visualization, and Management of Heterogeneous Systems". Both meetings were well attended. The high scientific level and the special Tutorial feature of the Data/Information and Visualization Task Group Symposium provided inspiration for future, similar meetings.

The main CODATA Conference, superbly organized by the Indian National CODATA Committee and the Indian National Science Academy, had representation from 20 countries, with approximately 70 international and 100 indian delegates and participants. It was devoted to the topics of "Scientific & Technical Data and Communication for the Sustainable Development of Nations- Data Management in the Evolving Information Society,

The inaugural session included inspiring talks by Professor M.G.K. Menon, Co-Chairman, Task Force on Information Technology and Software, by Prof. J .-E. Dubois, President of CODATA, as well as by Dr. S. Vardarajan, Prof. Raiaraman, Prof. A.S. Kolaskar, Dr. Krishan Lal and Dr. P.C.Kothari.

In 13 Sessions of Plenary Oral Presentations and two Poster Sessions, the Conference provided an important forum for interactions among experts of different scientific and technical fields, as well as the exchange of information and ideas covering latest, revolutionary developments and applications, reflecting the revolutionary changes and rapidly increasing importance of Data Science in the Computer Age. Data sources, data management, and data mining are among the rapidly emerging areas of human activities, preparing us for the high-technology, information-rich age of the next millennium. The pivotal role of CODATA in fostering a conscientious use and development of scientific and technical data management within an international setting was well reflected in the Conference.

The main events of the General Assembly were the review of recent CODATA activities, including the various CODATA Task Groups and Commissions, followed by the approval of several new Task Groups, and the election of new CODATA Officers.

New CODATA officers after the election
Dr. John Rumble Jr., USA, President (1998-2002)
Prof. Jacques-Emile Dubois, France, Past-President (1994-20001
Academician Fedor A. Kuznetsov, Russia, Vice-President (1996-2000)
Prof. Akira Tsugita, Japan Vice-President (1998-2002)
Prof. Paul G. Mezey, Canada, Secretary General (1998-2002)
Dr. Michael A. Chinnery, USA, Treasurer (1996-2000)
Executive Director:. Mrs. Phyllis Glaeser,
CODATA Executive Committee:
Ms. Lois Blaine, USA (1998-2000)
Prof. Ekkehard Fluck, Germany (1994-2000)
Prof. A.S. Kolaskar, India (1994-2000)
Dr. Steve F. Rossouw, South Africa (1998-2000)
Dr. Jean-Jacques Royer, France (1998-2000)
Prof. Sun Honglie, Chinese Academy of Sciences (1996-2000)
Prof. Mitsuo Tasumi, Japan (1994-2000)
Dr. Jen-Leih Wu, Academy located in Taipei (1996-2000)

The Publications Advisory Board Chair Dr. E. Fluck,
Members Prof. David Abir, Mr. Keith W. Reynard, Dr. Jack H. Westbrook, Dr. Gordon H. Wood. Ex-officio & CODATA Newsletter Editors: Mrs. P. Glaeser and Prof. E.F. Westrum, Jr.

Biological Macromolecules Chair: Arthur Lesk (UK)
CODATA and the World WideWeb James Crease (US/UK)
Comparative Mathematical Methodologies of Data Handling Alexi Gvishiani (Russia)
Data, Information and Visualization Nahum Gershon (US)
Data Quality and Database Compatibility: Development of General CODATA Safeguards Paul Mezey (Canada)
Fundamental Constants Peter Mohr (US)
Global Plant Checklist Karen Wilson (Australia)
Materials Database Management Charles Sturrock (US)
Outreach, Education and Communication Micah Krichevsky (US)
Standardization of Physico-Chemical Property Electronic Data Files Henry Kehiaian (France)
Survey of Data Sources in Asian-Oceanic Countries Akira Tsugita (.Japan

Data Access Ferris Webster (US)
Standardized Terminology for Access to Biological Data Banks Frank Bisby (UK)

Environmental Life Cycle Inventaries Bo Weidma (Denmark)
Molten Salts Marcelle Gaune Escard (France)

Environmental Ecosystem Conservation Yuri Arsky (Russia)

D.F. Shaw,
ICSU Press

An international workshop was held in Paris at UNESCO HQ in mid October, sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the International Council for Science (represented by ICSU Press) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). It was intended that the workshop should examine the impact of electronic publication on scientific journals and explore the development of internationally accepted practices and standards. It would thus follow up one of the recommendations of the Joint ICSU Press/UNESCO Conference of Experts, February 1996 "... to organize the most appropriate type of forum involving scientific societies in order to formulate codes of ethics and conduct For electronic publication which would spell out the reciprocal obligations of the scientist and the community on such matters as peer review, citation, integrity and authentication of material, and archiving".

The first assignment was to define what constitutes publication in electronic media. Three distinct iterations of an electronic publication were identified, the existence of which could cause confusion if not properly referenced, and therefore it was recommended that each version should carry a full specification of its status and content. This led naturally into a discussion of citation which requires a fully descriptive specification of the content of a digital object. The workshop recommended that the scientific community should participate in the development of a system of standardised user friendly citation practices.

In discussing peer review, which although imperfect is widely accepted as essential by a large section of the international scientific community, it was reiterated that it was essential to retain a user friendly, formal, peer review procedure. It was recommended that guidelines should be established by scientific societies and journal publishers so that the quality and accuracy of the refereeing process may be guaranteed. It was also agreed that research was needed into the application of electronic methods for the detection of scientific misconduct.

Website managers can now collect detailed information on users' access to their databases, therefore guidelines should be developed to cover the use of such statistics.

Electronic publishers should adopt and publicise policies that inform users of the nature and destination of readership statistics collected automatically.

The inadequacy of measures for archiving digital publications was identified as a major factor to be addressed by institutions and governments. The establishment of national archives for the preservation of electronic publications should be afforded as high a priority as for hard-copy material.

An adequate infrastructure and telecommunications provision are essential to the maintenance of the electronic publishing environment and this must be drawn to the attention of governments and funding agencies. This is particularly relevant in relation to developing countries.

It is expected that a fuller report on the workshop, together with detailed recommendations, will be published on the ICSU Press Website http://associnst.ox.ac.uk/-icsuinfo early in 1999.

IDF Secretariat

Specialists from 22 countries as far apart as Canada, Finland, Japan and Thailand attended the International Dairy Federation's Nutrition Week from 9-11 March 1998. The New Zealand hosts, the Milk and Health Research Centre of Masey University and the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute, welcomed 191 participants to an ambitious programme with leading nutrition scientists from all around the world. A dinner cruise was arranged on Wellington Harbour for participants. The kind weather and the festival atmosphere in Wellington combined to make the event enjoyable for all.

The conference was opened by John Luxton, Acting Minister of Agriculture, New Zealand, and keynote address on Food for the 21st Century was given by Dr. Susan Harlander of the Pillsbury Company, Minneapolis (USA). Dr. Harlander argued that consumers are now being bombarded with nutrition advice and understand better than before the powerful influence of diet on health and well-being. Dietary habits are changing as people see foods associated with prevention of certain chronic diseases, such as cancer, osteoporosis and coronary heart disease, and at the same time seek out "beneficial" dietary components, for example in fruits and vegetables, antioxinants, mono-unsaturated fatty acids and herbs. Food companies are responding with an array of so-called nutraceuticals, functional foods and genetically-improved foods.

Professor Otakar Koldovsky, University of Arizona, Tucson (USA) spoke on the increasing body of knowledge on growth factors and hormones in milk and their importance in feeding the newborn infant and premature babies.

Professor Daniel Tome, lNRA, Paris (France) dealt with recent investigations into the nutritional and physiological role of milk protein components. Milk proteins are a high-grade source of dietary nitrogen and amino acids for the growth and development of human beings.

Milk enzymes can contribute to the carbohydrate and fat digestion in newborn babies. Different milk protein components (of which the best known, perhaps, is lactoferrin) may interact with the absorption of nutrients, modulate the overall digestion process and the immune response.

In addition to milk proteins, complex carbohydrates derived from milk lactose (galacto-oligosaccharides) were also discussed in the context of stimulating the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the gut, such as bifidobacteria. The value of fermented milks, especially the more newly-developed types in avoiding the uncomfortable symptoms of lactose malabsorption were also discussed. In addition, investigations into the availability in milkfat of beneficial conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) and into the mechanisms by which they work were reported.

Professor David McCarron, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland (US) inspired the conference with his presentation on the effect of higher consumption of dietary calcium and/or dairy products on lower blood pressure in humans. A major US Government funded study (DASH), reported in 1997, established that all individuals would experience life-long cardiovascular benefits from consuming a diet rich in low fat dairy products on a regular basis. Turning to dietary supplements, Professor McCarron's message to the dairy industry was that it is always better to obtain one's nutrients from foods rather than from capsules. This should be what is conveyed to the consumer.

Professor Ranjit Chandra, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. Johns (Canada) spoke on nutrition, immune function and disease resistance. Some nutrients are extremely important for the immune system, trace elements such as zinc, iron, copper and selenium, vitamins A, B6, C, E and b-carotene and lipoproteins. The interaction of nutrition and immunity is especially interesting in infancy and old age. Nutritional supplements can enhance immunity and thereby reduce suffering in a striking example of preventive and therapeutic medical application. Milk was described as containing a number of components capable of improving the performance of the immune system to protect consumers from illness.

An exciting presentation by Steve Kirchner, Colombus (USA) described advances in molecular biology and gene expression systems that can be exploited by biotechnology to produce active ingredients for use in infant formula and other nutritional products, such as human milk oligosaccharides, specific proteins and plant systems for long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Diabetes and milk has been discussed before in New Zealand. Type 1 diabetes which results from auto-immune destruction of the insulin-severity islet cells, shows some suggestion of a link with cows milk consumption though these findings have been challenged by others. Type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity, hypertension, disliproprotainemia and precocious artherosclerosis, is the subject of similar discussion but the consumption of skimmed milk has been associated with lower blood pressure and a lacto-vegetarian diet is considered helpful in such cases. Other keynote speakers included Professor Robert Heaney (USA) who discussed calcium and mineral bioavailability in dairy products and Professor Peter Reeds, Houston, Texas, (USA) who described the nonnutritional roles of the amino acids in milk proteins. The conference ended with a forum which debated the important issues relating to nutri-marketing or the promotion of nutritional and health benefits from consumption of dairy foods to consumers. Professor Mark Wahlqvist from Melbourne (Australia) addressed the important issues of scientific substantiation and risk assessment in this forum.

Participants left the meeting with the clear message that milk products play an essential role in a balanced diet for good health and were looking forward to its benefits being described by sound nutritional science in the years ahead.

The International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research (IGFA) is an informal body of representatives of agencies and ministries of 21 countries plus the European Union responsible for the funding of global change research.

The purpose of the group is to facilitate international global change research in the natural, social and economic sciences by bringing the perspective of these national and regional funding agencies to strategic planning and implementation of such research.

At the October, 1998 IGFA meeting in Ispra, Italy it was decided that the new ICSU/UNESCO/SCOPE/IUBS sponsored programme DIV,RSITAS would become the 4th global change programme with WCRP. IGBP and IHDP that IGFA will deal with in its meetings.

There was a consensus that IHDP is developing fast and in a satisfactory way but is in strong need of support by IGFA members.

At this meeting a Resource Assessment for the 3 programmes was presented. It contains some interesting figures on the scope of global change research programmes. The study concerns individual research projects, which were found to be relevant in the following three categories:

• Category I: Core research or Focused research
  These fall within the international plans of WCRP, IGBP and IHDP (core) projects.
• Category II: Regional/National research
  These projects are closely linked to the three programmes.
• Category III: Relevant and Other research projects and Operational Services.

A comparison between the first and this second assessment shows that:

In addition, the proportion of funds assessed, which contributes directly or indirectly (Cat. l and II) to the research fields, has strongly increased from 38% in 1992 to 65% in 1995.

In the table below, the allocation data are presented separately for the three international programmes for the year 1995, and- for comparison the requirement data for the years 1998 and 2000. Focused allocations for the WCRP (Cat I=248M$) combined with funds supporting projects in that same research field (Cat. II) amount to 471 Million US$. Almost double as much is spent by IGFA members for the IGBP in both categories (Cat. L=264M$), ie: 822 Million US$. Human dimensions related research (Cat. II) reaches a level of 90 Million US$.

B. Babuji

Senior Scientific Officer, CISTED-IBN, Madras

• Country presentations on S & T status
• Current and emerging global S & T senario
• Identification of priority areas for Asian regional cooperation
• Modes of cooperation
• Resource mobilisation and way forward

COSTED and FASAS jointly organized a two-day symposium on "Identification of S & T Priorities for Asian Regional Cooperation" on 23-24- November 1998. The symposium was attended by the heads of the Science Academies of eight Asian countries. The meeting was held at the Conference Hall of the COSTED International Secretariat in Chennai (Madras), India.

COSTED's mandate is promoting science and technology in the developing countries. This is being done by organising activities in priority areas of science and technology of relevance to the developing countries. COSTED works with the other ICSU bodies, which have in them the relevant human resource and infrastructure, in the pursuit of its objectives. It also works in close cooperation with other national, regional and international scientific bodies wherever there is overlapping interest.

The Federation of Asian Scientific Academies and Societies (FASASI is a non-governmental scientific organisation of the Asian region composed of twelve scientific academies and societies (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand). Its principal objectives are the advancement of science and technology and the organisation of national and regional programmes for the development of Asian countries. The Federation desires to maintain close relations and work in cooperation with intergovernmental and non-governmental scientific organisations, such as COSTED, in the furtherance of its objectives.

In the FASAS council meeting held in October 1997 in Chiang Mai, members stressed the need for strengthening cooperation among the FASAS member organisations by identifying priority areas for organising activities on a sustained basis. The subject areas to be covered include environment, climate change, renewable energy, microelectronics, IPR management and biotechnology. Further, it was also emphasised that formulation of concrete programmes on major issues of concern to the region will attract the interests of other agencies which have similar concerns to join hands in these efforts. The members wholeheartedly endorsed the idea of holding a meeting to identify such priority areas in science and technology for programme formulation by COSTED & FASAS in the region.

Considering the relevance of the symposium to their activities the regional office for UNESCO in New Delhi came forward to cosponsor this important meeting. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) were the other cosponsors. The Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-aligned and other Developing countries participated. The symposium was inaugurated by Dr. R.K. Bhandari, Head, International Scientific Affairs Directorate, CSIR, New Delhi, under the Chairmanship of Prof. Conrado S. Dayrit, President, FASAS.

In addition to representatives of the national science academies of the Asian region, some science policy makers from scientific bodies and working scientists from a few selected scientific institutions within India participated. The symposium arrived at suitable recommendations for programme formulation and implementation at national, regional and international levels, details of which will be published in Science International.

Daniel Schaffer,

Information Officer, Third World Academy of Sciences

The initiative was launched in 1986. As the title suggests, the goal of the program is to aid the careers of young, talented scientists in the developing world. The selection process takes place not in the TWAS secretariat, located in Trieste, Italy, but among national science academies across the South. Academy officials, with the help of an advisory committee, select their most promising young researchers for special recognition. In addition to the publicity they receive, the award winners are given a cash prize of about US$2000.

"Over the past 12 years, some 28 scientific academies have participated in the program." says Mohamed Hassan, the Executive Director of TWAS. "For example, we have worked with national science academies in Colombia, Ethiopia, Jordan, Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal and Uruguay."

"I don't want to underestimate the value of the cash award," Hassan adds. "The money researchers receive often enables them to continue working in their research fields as they seek more permanent sources of funding. But the project also helps raise the public profile of national science academies throughout the South. That, in turn, has long-term value for institutions that often find it difficult to make their voices heard."

The prizes, which number about 10 each year, are rotated among the four fields of "pure" basic science: biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. Efforts are also made to provide widespread geographical distribution. "We are not talking about a great deal of money," notes Hassan. "The annual program budget is less than US$25,000. Yet, we receive a good return on our investment-in terms of both basic science and the promotion of national research agendas."

Bruno Lomonte Vigliotti, who turned 40 this fall, received a TWAS Young Scientist Award in 1997, from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICIT) in San Jose, Costa Rica. CONICIT recognized Lomonte for his research on the biochemistry and immunology of toxins present in snake venom. What follows is a discussion of his scientific explorations into an endlessly fascinating subject, which inspires both fear and loathing among large segments of the world's population. Put another way, most of us prefer to deal with snake bites from a distance. Lomonte, as you will see, takes a more hands-on approach to the problem.

Born in Naples, Italy; raised in San Jose, Costa Rica; awarded a Ph.D. in immunology at the University of Goreborg in Sweden. Bruno Lomonte Vigliotti, Director of the Research Division at the University of Costa Rica's Instituto Clodomiro Picado, sees no reason for people to be surprised by his trans-Atlantic journeys.

A similar dynamic-marked by a comfortable mixture of personal drive, opportunity and circumstance helped to determine the direction of Lomonte's career path.

"From my earliest school days I was always interested in science. My grades and the recognition l received from my teachers spurred my enthusiasm," notes Lomonte. "Then, in 1976, when I entered the University of Costa Rica far my undergraduate studies, l chose microbiology as my major. The decision was not a difficult one far me. During the earlier part of this century, under the leadership of Clodomiro Picado (for whom my institute is named), the university had established a regional reputation in microbiology-and more specifically the study of snake venoms. That reputation continued to grow, making microbiology the strongest scientific field at the university."

Lomonte began his career as a laboratory assistant at the University of Costa Rica's Instituto Clodomiro Picado, soon after receiving his undergraduate degree in 1981.

He has remained at the institute ever since except for a one-year Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Wisconsin in the United States, and a three-year stint at the University of Goteborg in Sweden, where he was awarded a doctorate in immunology in 1994. His studies in Sweden were made possible in part by a grant from Costa Rica's National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICIT). "By the time I entered the doctorate program, l had a masters degree in hand and had been appointed an associate professor. I realized, however, that I would have to obtain a doctorate if I hoped to advance any further. Fortunately, CONICIT offered me financial support to continue my education."

Today, Lomonte serves as the Director of Research at the institute to which he has devoted virtually all his career. The institute's staff consists of about 30 people, including seven full-time researchers.

"Our work can be divided into two major activities: antivenom production and research," says Lomonte.

A key part of the institute's antivenom production facility consists of a ranch with approximately 40 horses that serve as "antivenom studs." Each horse receives a small dose of venom two or three times a month over a six-month period. As a result of this procedure, the horses build an immunity to the venom that is expressed biologically through the creation of antibodies in their blood streams. When these antibodies reach a sufficient level, the horses' blood plasma, which contain the antibodies, are removed and purified. The antivenom can then be consumed by humans for counteracting the debilitating effects that sometimes accompany poisonous snake bites.

"Our production and research facilities are linked in several ways," explains Lomonte. "First, the sale of antivenom enables the institute to generate a small amount of income that is used in part to finance our research. Our scientific studies and laboratory experiments-modest to begin with - would be curtailed even further without this money."

Lomonte's own research has focused on the impact that snake venom has on muscle destruction, or what the medical research community refers to as myonecrosis. He is excited by some recent findings that suggest a snake bite's adverse effects are triggered within particular molecular regions located in the protein toxins.

"If we can identify the source of the problem at a molecular level," he says, "we raise the prospects far developing a "blocking action" that may neutralize the venom's adverse impacts. That could lead to more effective treatments."

The TWAS Award for Young Scientists, which Lomonte won two years ago, has drawn attention both to his research and institution. At the same time, it has enabled him to leverage the funds in ways that has helped him to work with other institutions with similar research agendas. For example, in 1997 Lomonte worked closely with colleagues in Costa Rica, France and Spain on a project that explored the ability of snake venom components to kill bacteria.

Lomonte, in fact, laments the fact that in small countries like Costa Rica, "basic research is not a priority. These countries, which often have limited resources and deep-seated economic and social problems, believe that their money is better spent on more pressing social problems or on applied scientific research that promises more immediate results."

He cites the current woes of his own institute as an example of the financial difficulties faced by scientific research centres in small developing countries across the South. Beyond the money derived from the sale of antivenom, his institute has just a few government grants, each of which totals less than US$1000. "We're fortunate." Lomonte observes. "We have our own modest self-generating source of income. Three research fellowships from the International Foundation for Science (IFS) in Sweden, each amounting to roughly US$12,000 a year, also help a great deal. Other research institutes are not so lucky. And even in our case, available resources are not enough to satisfy the needs of a modern research facility."

Such situations, which persist throughout the developing world, led to the creation of the TWAS Award for Young Scientists more than a decade ago. For a small sum of money, the Academy hopes to ease at least for a brief time-the financial burden faced by many young researchers throughout the South. At the same time, the program seeks to bring greater public attention to the third world's national science academies, which researchers in the South often use as a lifeline for information about their disciplines and colleagues.

South's Centres of Excellence
(New volume published)

Daniel Schaffer,

Information Officer, Third World Academy of Sciences

The Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO), in collaboration with the South Centre and Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), has announced the publication of the second edition of Profiles for Scientific Exchange and Training in the South. With more than 430 entries, the book represents a unique inventory of the capabilities and accomplishments of the most prominent research and training centres in the developing world.

"The new volume contains more than twice as many institutions as the first edition" notes Jose I. Vargas, President of TWNSO and TWAS. "The higher total," he goes on to say, "reflects a more vigorous effort on our part to encourage institutions to send us information. Given the success of the first volume, many institutions were eager to respond. We thank them for their efforts and hope they are pleased with the results."

Julius K. Nyerere, Chairperson of the South Centre, contends that "As with the first edition, we anticipate that the second volume will not only serve as a compendium of past progress, but will help nurture the expansion of scientific networks throughout the South by providing researchers and institutions with information about other people and places involved in activities similar to their own."

To be sure, the South's scientific and technological infrastructures continue to face serious problems that not even the region's centres of excellence have fully overcome. For the most part, both the equipment and overall working conditions in the South's scientific research facilities lag far behind those in the North. Pay remains inadequate, especially for those facilities seeking to compete with their counterparts in the developed world for the 'best and brightest.' In addition, some areas of the developing world-rural districts in general and sub-Saharan Africa in particular-rarely have joined in the progress that has become characteristic of the South's more dynamic regions over the past few decades.

Despite such shortcomings, Vargas notes that "All those involved in the campaign to raise the level of science and technology in the developing world should be proud of the progress that has been made. We can all be assured that the momentum now in place makes it even more likely that the pace of change will be even more dramatic in the future. As a result, our next volume describing the South's centres of scientific excellence should contain even more examples of state-of-the-art research facilities."

For additional information about the Profiles of Institutions for Scientific Exchange and Training in the South, please contact:
TWNSO c/o the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, 3,4014 Trieste, Italy. Telephone: 39 40 2240 386 Fax: 39 40 224 559 e-mail: twnso@ictp.trieste.it

The awards are presented every four years at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) together with a prize of 15 000 Canadian dollars. Four medals are presented at each ceremony to mathematicians who are not more than forty years old. The age limit is intended to guarantee that not only past work is rewarded. The Fields Medal is also intended to encourage the winners to make further contributions.

"Fields Medal" is in fact only the unofficial name for the "International medal for outstanding discoveries in mathematics". John C. Fields (1863-1932), a Canadian mathematician, was the organiser of the International Congress of Mathematicians in 1924 in Toronto. Fields was able to attract so many sponsors that money was left over at the end of the Congress, and this was used to fund the medals. The first Fields Medal was awarded in 1936 at the world congress in Oslo. Due to the great expansion in mathematical research, four medals have been presented at each congress since 1966. The awards are often referred to as the "Nobel Prize for Mathematics", since the Swedish Academy of Sciences itself can only honour mathematicians indirectly through the natural sciences or social sciences. There is no Nobel Prize for mathematics.

The Fields Medal is made of gold, and shows the head of Archimedes (287-212 BC) together with a quotation attributed to him: "Transire suum pectus mundoque potiri" (Rise above oneself and grasp the world"). The reverse side bears the inscription: "Congregati ex toro orbe mathematici ob scripto insignia tribuere." (The mathematicians assembled here from all over the world pay tribute for outstanding work).

The prize is also in the form of a gold medal and a cash award of 15 000 Canadian dollars. It is donated by the University of Helsinki in memory of the Finnish mathematician Roll Nevanlinna, who was President of the International Mathematical Union 1959-1962 and organiser of the World Congress in Stockholm in 1962. One side of the medal shows the bust of Nevanlinna, and the other bears the seal of Helsinki University and a rectangle of noughts and ones. The word "Helsinki" in coded form.

In order to select the winners of the Fields Medals and the Nevanlinna Prize, the Executive Committee of the International Mathematical Union appoints two bodies, the "Fields Medal Committee" (in this form since 1962) consisting of eight mathematicians, and the "Nevanlinna Prize Committee" with three mathematicians.

This conjecture was formulated at the end of the '70s by the British mathematicians John Conway and Simon Norton and presents two mathematical structures in such an unexpected relationship that the experts gave it the name "Moonshine". In 1989, Borcherds was able to cast some more light on the mathematical background of this topic and to produce a proof for the conjecture.

The Moonshine conjecture provides an inter-relationship between the so-called "monster-groups" and elliptical functions. These functions are used in the construction of wire-frame structures in two-dimensions, and can be helpful, for example, in chemistry for the description of molecular structures. Monster groups, in contrast, only seemed to be of importance in pure mathematics. Groups are mathematical objects which can be used to describe the symmetry of structures. Expressed technically, they are a set of objects for which certain arithmetic rules apply (for example, all whole numbers and their sums form a group). An important theorem of algebra says that all groups, however large and complicated they may seem, all consist of the same components - in the same way as the material world is made up of atomic particles. The "monster group" is the largest "sporadic, finite, simple" group- and one of the most bizarre objects in algebra. It has more elements than there are elementary particles in the universe (approximately 8 x 10'53). Hence the name "monster". In his proof, Borcherds uses many ideas of string theory - a surprisingly fruitful way making theoretical physics useful for mathematical theory. Although still the subject of dispute among physicists, strings offer a way of explaining many of the puzzles surrounding the origins of the universe. They were proposed in the search for a single consistent theory which brings together various partial theories of cosmology. Strings have a length but no other dimension and may be open strings or closed loops.

Richard Ewen Borcherds (born 29 November 1959) has been "Royal Society Research Professor" at the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at Cambridge University since 1996. Borcherds began his academic career at Trinity College, Cambridge before going as assistant professor to the University of California in Berkeley. He has been made a Fellow of the Royal Society, and has also held a professorship at Berkeley since 1993.

He has been influenced by the work of Richard Feynmann and Edward Witten. Kontsevich is an expert in the so-called "string theory" and quantum field theory.

He made his name with contributions to four problems of geometry. He was able to prove a conjecture of Witten and demonstrate the mathematical equivalence of two models of so-called quantum gravitation. The quantum theory of gravity is an intermediate step towards a complete unified theory. It harmonises physical theories of the macrocosm (mass attraction) and the microcosm (forces between elementary particles). Another result of Kontsevich relates to knot theory. Knots mean exactly the same thing for mathematicians as for everyone else, except that the two ends of the rope are always joined together. A key question in knot theory is, which of the various knots are equivalent? Or in other words, which knots can be twisted and turned to produce another knot without the use of scissors? This question was raised at the beginning of the 20th century, but it is still unanswered. It is not even clear which knots can be undone, that is converted to a simple loop. Mathematicians are looking for ways of classifying all knots. They would be assigned a number or function, with equivalent knob having the same number. Knots which are not equivalent must have different numbers. However, such a characterisation of knots has not yet been achieved. Kontsevich has found the best "knot invariant" so far. Although knot theory is part of pure mathematics, there seem to be scientific applications. Knot structures occur in cosmology, statistical mechanics and genetics.

Maxim Kontsevich (born 25 August 1964)is professor at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (I.H.E.S)in France and visiting professor at the Rutgets University in New Brunswick (USA). After studying at Moscow University and beginning research at the "institute for Problems of Information Processing", he gained a doctorate at the University of Bonn, Germany, in 1992. He then received invitations to Harvard, Princeton, Berkeley and Bonn.

These two fields apparantly have little to do with each other, and a significant achievement of Gowers has been to combine these fruitfully.

Functional analysis and combination analysis have in common that many of their problems are relatively easy to formulate, but extremely difficult to solve. Gowers has been able to utilise complicated mathematical constructions to prove some of the conjectures of the Polish mathematician Stefan Banach(18921945), including the problem of "unconditional bases". Banach was an eccentric, preferring to spend his time in the care rather than in his office in the University of Lvov. In the twenties and thirties he filled a notebook with problems of functional analysis while sitting in the "Scottish Care", so that this later became known as the Scottish Book. Gower has made significant contribution above all to the theory of Banach spaces. Banach spaces are sets whose members are not numbers but complicated mathematical objects such as functions or operators. However, in a Banach space it is possible to manipulate these objects like numbers. This finds applications, for example, in quantum physics.

A key question for mathematicians and physicists concerns the inner structure of these spaces, and what symmetry they show. Gowers has been able to construct a Banach space which has almost no symmetry. This construction has since served as a suitable counter-example for many conjectures in functional analysis, including the hyperplane problem and the Schroder-Bernstein problem for Banach spaces. Gowers' contribution also opened the way to the solution of one of the most famous problems in functional analysis, the so-called "homogeneous space problem".

A year ago, Gowers attracted attention in the field of combination analysis when he delivered a new proof for a theorem of the mathematician Emre Szemeredi, which is shorter and more elegant than the original line of argument. Such a feat requires extremely deep mathematical understanding.

William Timothy Gowers (born 20 November 1963) is lecturer at the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at Cambridge University and Fellow of Trinity College. From October 1998 he will be Rouse Professor of Mathematics. After studying through to doctorate level at Cambridge, Gowers went to University College London in 1991, staying until the end of 1995. In 1996 he received the Prize of the European Mathematical Society.

McMullen has made contributions in numerous fields of mathematics and fringe areas. He already provided one important result in his doctoral thesis. The question was how to calculate all the solutions of an arbitrary equation. For simple equations it is possible to obtain the solutions by simple rearrangement. For most equations, however it is necessary to use approximation. One well-known form is the "Newton method"-already known in a rudimentary form in ancient times. For second-degree polynomials this provides very good results without exception. A key question therefore was whether a comparable method which happened not to have been discovered -also existed for equations of higher degrees.

Curtis T. McMullen's conclusion was that there is definitely no such universal algorithm for equations above degree three; only a partially applicable method is possible. For degree-three equations he developed a "new" Newtonian method and could thus completely solve the question of approximation solutions. A further result of McMullen relates to the Mandelbrot set. This set describes dynamic systems which can be used to model complicated natural phenomena such as weather or fluid flow.

The point of interest is where a system drifts apart and which points move towards centres of equilibrium. The border between these two extremes is the so-called Julia set, named after the French mathematician Gaston Julia, who laid the foundations for the theory of dynamic systems early in the twentieth century.

The Mandelbrot set shows the parameters for which the Julia set is connected, i.e. is mathematically attractive. This description is very crude, but a better characterisation of the boundary set was not available. Curtis T. McMullen made a major advance, however, when he showed that it is possible to decide in part on the basis of the Mandelbrot set which associated dynamic system is "hyperbolic" and can therefore be described in more detail. For these systems a well-developed theory is available. McMullen's results were suspected already in the sixties, but nobody had previously been able to prove this exact characterisation of the Julia set.

Curtis T. McMullen (born 21 May 1958) is visiting professor at Harvard University. He studied in Williamstown, Cambridge University and Paris before gaining a doctorate in 1985 at Harvard. He lectured at various universities before becoming professor at the University of California in Berkeley. Since 1998 he has taught at Harvard.

The Fields Medal is his tenth major award. In 1998 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He received worldwide recognition in 1994 when he presented a computational method for "factorising large numbers" which, theoretically, could be used to break many of the coding systems currently employed. The drawback is that Shor's algorithm works on so-called quantum computers, of which only prototypes currently exist. Quantum computers do not operate like conventional ones, but make use of the quantum states of atoms, which offers a computing capacity far in excess of current parallel supercomputers. Shor's result unleashed a boom in research amongst physicists and computer scientists. Experts predict that quantum computers could already become a reality within the next decade, but this rapid development is also a cause of concern for some observers. Shor has been able to prove mathematically that the new computers would mean that current standard encrypting methods such as "RSA", which are used for electronic cash and on-line signatures would no longer be secure. "RSA" was developed in 1977 by the mathematicians Ronald Rivest, Adi Shamir and Leonard Adelmann (hence the acronym). It makes use of the fact that factorising a number is a so-called one-way function. This means that while it is very easy to make a large number from smaller ones, it is takes much longer to find all the factors of a large number. This time factor is the basis for the security offered by many encryption methods. Using Shor's algorithms, factorising large numbers on a quantum computer would be just as fast as multiplication. "RSA" and other procedures would no longer be safe. Experts have been making reassuring noises, since a lot of work remains to be done before such computers can even be constructed, but cryptographers are already working on the next generation of encryption techniques.

Peter Shot (born 14 August 1959) is mathematician at the AT&T Labs in Florham Park, New Jersey (USA). His research interests include quantum computing, algorithmic geometry, and combinatorial analysis. After studying at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), he gained a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Before going to AT&T in 1986, he was postdoc for a year at the Mathematical Research Center in Berkeley, California (USA).

A Study by David Hall,

King's College, London

The author of this report was asked to examine what opportunities exist for the sciences to play in ensuring food security in the next century. In parallel to this, would there be a role for ICSU members and scientists of varied disciplines to play, which would be effective and not duplicate existing efforts?

The results of a synthesis of the present food security situation and of food production for the future are presented. Synopses of 38 interviews with individuals and those in Intergovernmental Organizations and International Non-governmental Organizations, and a large literature base are given.

It is concluded that ICSU should play an important and niche role in the sciences of food security. Possible actions include capacity building in resource poor/food insecure countries, mechanisms to influence agriculture and food related policies, and others. It is essentials that whatever course is followed results in a proactive, well-directed, fundable body which is totally independent.

It was proposed that, as a first step, a Panel be set up to focus on helping scientists and technologists (in Universities, Institutes, NGO's and CBO's) in resource-poor countries or regions where there are food insecurity problems. The aim is to strengthen national scientific organizations and community projects with practical support and backing from ICSU, thereby enhancing the scientific basis of food security work at the national level.

If the initial endeavour proves successful then ICSU could consider setting up a more ambitious organization which would combine synthesis of food security issues with multidisciplinary targeted research by a multidisciplinary network of scientists, like IPCC or IGBP. It was proposed that the present Committee make an input to CSD-8 (UN Commission on Sustainable Development) meeting in 2000 the theme of which is Agriculture and Rural Development.

Copies of the report can be obtained from the ICSU Secretariat and on http://www.icsu.org/Publications/index.htm

To further support our work in the strengthening and development of the dissemination of research results, we are in the process of bringing together a series of articles and Internet documents which we have found interesting and insightful.

A draft pilot document has been prepared for discussion at the journal workshop in Sri Lanka.

Further details from: Hans M. Zell inasp@gn.apc.org

INASP Links and Resources "Access to Information"

The INASP Links section provides a quick-access guide to selected Web sites and Internet resources which will be off special interest to the library and information science communities, and to scientists and publishers in developing countries. In particular it is designed to assist organisations involved in electronic networks for development, and those who are thinking of moving to an electronic environment for scholarly communication. (http://www.oneworld.org/inasp)

An International Conference on The Discovery of Polonium and Radium: its scientific and philosophical consequences, benefits and threats to mankind was organized by the Polish Government in Warsaw in September 1998.

The International Council for Science jointly co-sponsored this important scientific event with UNESCO. ProfessorJ.C.I. Dooge, Past President of ICSU and Foreign member of the Polish Academy of Science was one of the keynote speakers with Professor Helene Langevin-Joliot and Federico Major, Director General of UNESCO. A good number of scientists associated with ICSU such as Professors Paul Crutzen, F. Sherwood Rowland, Marianne Grunberg Manago and Jan-Krystof Frackowiak were amongst the invited speakers.

DL R. Brian Beechey, the Treasurer of IUBMB, has tendered his resignation as from 31 December 1998, citing his wish to pursue other interests.

We thank Dr Beechey most warmly for his services to the Union.

Pending the appointment by the Executive Committee of an Acting Treasurer, the former President and Treasurer of the Union, Dr E.C. (Bill) Slater has agreed to act in the interim.

Dr. Slater's address is:
9 Oaklands, Lymington, Hants S041 3TH, UK.
Telephone: +44 1590 679 455. Fax: +44 1590 689 079.
E-mail ecslater@btinternet.com

Over the past two years INASP has received a number of requests for advice in the areas of book marketing and distribution. With support from DANIDA, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SIDA (the Swedish International Development Agency) work has now started on the preparation of a practical handbook with chapters on marketing and promotion, distribution and rights sales and case studies from around the developing world. Expected publication date: May 1999.

For more information contact Hans M. Zell at inasp@gn.apc.org

UNIVERSALITY OF SCIENCE:

A new edition of the handbook of ICSU's Standing Committee on Freedom in the Conduct of Science SCFCS has been printed.

It incorporates changes in the text that resulted from discussions in the two last meetings of SCFCS, 1997 in Bern, Switzerland and 1998 in Beijing, China. In particular, a number of amendments were made to the section "Advice to Organizers of International Scientific Meetings" reflecting past experience with visa problems. The fundamental message remains however unchanged and is based on article 5 of ICSU's statutes.

The addresses of National Scientific Members, Associates and Observers have been updated, while the addresses of Scientific Unions, changing more rapidly than new editions of the book are published, are no longer included in the blue book.

The new edition of the blue book has been mailed to all Members of the ICSU family. Additional copies can be obtained from ICSU headquarters in Paris or from the secretariat of SCFCS.

A very short version of the "Advice to Organizers of International Scientific Meetings" is available on Internet under the ICSU home page.

Dr. Peter Schindler,
SCFCS Secretariat, Swiss Academy of Sciences, CH 3011 Bern, Baerenplatz 2
e-mail schindler@sanw.unibe.ch
http://www.sanw.unibe.ch
phone+41 31 312 2726 fax+41 31 312 3291

house news

A French national, Anne studied biological sciences and later obtained a PhD in Plant Ecophysiology from the University of Montpellier in 1985. Anne has been involved in many research programmes, in France, the United States and in Switzerland, dealing with the response of terrestrial ecosystems to elevated carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. This has allowed her to familiarize herself with several different ecosystems: the Mediterranean ecosystems of France and California, the deserts of California, the pine forests of the American South-East, the arctic tundra of Alaska, and the alpine meadows and calcareous grasslands of Switzerland.

Working on these global change issues led Anne to become interested in environmental policy. In 1995, she moved from research policy to take charge of the coordination of the Swiss National Research Programme in biological diversity, where she had the opportunity to represent the Swiss scientific community at the scientific body (SBSTTA) of the Convention of Biological Diversity. Through this work, Anne became very interested in finding ways to feed science into this Convention at both the local, national, and international levels.

One of Anne's current duties at ICSU is to help develop research programmes on biodiversity and, in particular, DIVERSITAS. She is also familiarizing herself with all the other ICSU programmes on the environment and looks forward to a closer collaboration with colleagues in this field.

Qiu Wei succeeds Zhang Hong, on secondment from the China Association for Science and Technology for another period of six months as of November 1998. Qiu Wei, 26 years old, worked with the Department of International Affairs, Division of International Organizations at CAST as Program Coordinator. His major task is to facilitate international academic exchanges between scientists from different fields of work to participate in international scientific forums. He is also responsible for liaising closely with scientists within the CAST Executive Board to other important international organizations.

Qiu Weis main responsibility at ICSU, like his predecessors, will be the upkeep of the ICSU home page.

After four years at the ICSU Secretariat, Catherine Leonard left in December. During her time at ICSU, Catherine's responsibilities have included administering the ICSU Grants Programme and editing the ICSU Year Book. Catherine will be moving to London, UK, to work at the head office of Penal Reform International as that organizations Administrative Director. She is wished well by all her colleagues and friends throughout the ICSU network.

ICSU is pleased to announce that around one million dollars has been awarded to ICSU bodies under the ICSU grants programme for 1999. Almost half that amount has been allocated to category I grants in the $50,000 - $100,000 range for new innovative projects of high profile potential.

This project aims to address the accumulating evidence that climate change, stratospheric ozone, desertification and the loss of biodiversity -in addition to localized environmental problems such as water and air pollution - are contributing to the problems of human health. Understanding and managing the interactions among environmental change, development and population health presents a key scientific challenge requiring cooperation between different disciplines, and the IGU and IHDP hope to collaborate with other members of the ICSU community on this important project.

This project, which SCOPE is developing in cooperation with UNESCO, will address the problems and opportunities of the post-industrial information society in regard to environmental issues. It aims to identify emerging priorities for environmental research and management.

This aims to review, integrate and synthesise the results of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programmes research effort from the inception of the Programme in 1986 until the present. This major synthesis will be carried out at both the core-project and programme-wide levels.

For 2000, ICSU is opening up its Category I grants programme to all of ICSU's Joint Initiatives - as it did for the 1999 Programme- and to all ICSU Scientific Associates. These bodies must however make joint applications with at least one traditionally eligible ICSU body, namely, an International Scientific Union Member, an ICSU Interdisciplinary body or COSTED. The applications must be for new initiatives of high profile potential.

The ICSU Executive Board looks forward to seeing a significant number of innovative and multi-body projects being proposed for the 2000 programme, and hopes that its broadening the base of the Programme in Category I will assist this development.

Lars Ernster died in his 79th year in November. Although born in Budapest he spent almost all his working life in Sweden and most of his academic life at the University of Stockholm. He began a close and long association with ICSU in 1969 when he was appointed Secretary of the Swedish National Committee on Biochemistry and this led to greater demands on his organizational talents when shortly after this he took over the Chairmanship of the Organizing Committee for the highly successful 9th International Congress on Biochemistry, which was held in Stockholm in 1973.

He served the maximum three terms of office as Secretary General of ICSU being elected at the General Assembly in Cambridge in 1982 , when the first delegation from the People's Republic of China attended an ICSU General Assembly. His tenure as Secretary General ended in 1988 at the first General Assembly of ICSU held in the People's Republic of China in Beijing. It was during this period that he was also elected the President of the International Cell Research Organization (ICRO) with which he had been involved for several years.

As a result of his concern with the problems of the environment he participated in the work of SCOPE and became engrossed in the study of the Environmental Consequences of Nuclear War (ENUWAR). He also became a devoted supporter and advocate of the study of Global Change that developed into the IGBR He took a keen interest in many aspects of publishing and was involved in, and a firm supporter of, the ICSU Press. He was a member of the Editorial Boards of several journals devoted to various aspects of biochemistry and cell research. He also edited a number of books including one, on the Dynamics of Energy-transducing Membranes, in honour of one of his many friends, Britton Chance.

He had many interests other than science and publishing, in particular music and the arts but also with his wife Edit entertaining many national and international visitors to Stockholm. One such occasion that remains firmly engraved on the memories of those present was a feast of conversation, drink and food on the occasion of the meeting of the Scientific Advisory Council of IGBP in 1988.

His departure will leave a void that will affect all who knew him -family, friends colleagues and the many students who were so much influenced by him.

The first IUPAC Workshop on Advanced Materials: Nanostructured Systems (IUPAC-WAM-1) will be held on the campus of the Hong Kong University for Science and Technology from 15-17 July 1999.

The philosophy of the series is to foster interaction among active scientists from different parts of the world with similar interests in new research areas of chemistry.

The scientific programme will cover Theory, Nanoparticles, Quantum Dots and Quantum Wells, Nanotubes, Nanowires and Nanorods, Self-assembly, Bio-inspired structures, Applications to nanotechnology.

Each session will include plenary and invited lectures, and contributed papers (oral and posters).

For further information please visit
http://wvvw.iupac.org/symposia/conferences/wam1,
or contact Professor M.A. El-Sayed, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA. Telephone:+1 404 894 0292, Fax + 1 404 894 0294, email mostafa.el-sayed@chemistry.gatech.edu

ICSU has a new web site
http://www.icsu.org
Please bookmark this new address

Our email address has also changed to:
Secretariat@icsu.org
Please make a note

Copyright 1998 ICSU Press

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