REPORT NO.

 MODEL

COVERING LAW

PHENOMENON EXPLAINED

 1

1600 atoms

128 polymer chains

 Physical theory Energy dissipation

 2

55-256 atoms  Physical theory Structure and stability of liquids

 6

Phosphorus coupling with C, O2, and Fe  Heuristic rate equations Stabilization of atmospheric oxygen during the phanerozoic

 7

Any non-specific immune process  Heuristic rate equations Clearance of HIV from the blood

 9

Structure of selected proteases; CES  Heuristic parsimony algorithm Serine protease diversity
       

  REPORT NO.

 MODEL

 CAUSE

 EFFECT

 8

 KD cells Decreased cyclin-E/CDK2 activity Loss of anchorage
Increased CDK inhibitors decreased phosphorylation of Thr160  Decreased cyclin-E/CDK2 activity

 11

 A31.C1 cells  Osteopontin  Activation of CD44 receptor

 12

 10 human subjects  Vigilance  Increased brain blood flow

 13

 CES Mutant enzyme and Cu2+ chelation  Altered catalysis
 CES Cu2+ chelation  Altered cell growth

 14

 CES  High density lipoprotein  Activation of SR-B1 receptor

 15

 CES  Products of ALG-2, ALG-3  Apoptosis

 16

 5 barn owls  Ligation of NMDA receptor  Auditory learning

TABLE 1. The two kinds of scientific reasoning employed in Science Issue 5248 were explanations based on the application of a covering law (Reports 1, 2, 6, 7, 9), and proof of cause-effect relationships (Reports 8, 11-16). Because Report No. 9 contained both kinds of reasoning, its classification in this Table is arbitrary. Note that, whether or not consciously, the editor of Science grouped the Reports on the basis of the kind of reasoning employed, as evidenced by their order of appearance in the Journal (Report No.). CES, cell expression system. Reports No. 3-5 and 10 involved invention or discovery, but did not utilize formal reasoning processes. They were therefore not considered further. The lines in the last column provide a brief summary of the individual reports. The reports are numbered in the order of their appearance in the Journal.


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