March 15, 2004

Federal investigators scrutinize segments prepared for local television news programs in which Bush administration paid people to pose as journalists praising benefits of new Medicare law and its prescription drug benefit; segments were created by Home Front Communications production company for Health and Human Services Department; government also provided scripts for news anchors to use to introduce segments; General Accounting Office lawyers discovered materials while looking into use of federal money to pay for fliers and advertisements publicizing Medicare law; administration defends propriety and legality of materials, but some Democrats disagree; photos of TV segments featuring Pres Bush and Health and Human Services Sec Tommy G Thompson (M)

Article on Vertical Inc, tiny publishing house in Manhattan that translates contemporary Japanese fiction into English, and its editorial director, Ioannis Mentzas; Mentzas and company founder, Hiroki Sakai, comment on effort to capitalize on fact that Japan is increasingly viewed as a source of hip culture; photos (M)

New research is calling into question long-held assumptions about benefits of high levels of HDL, so-called good cholesterol; some heart experts now conclude that HDL level should play at most a minor role in decisions about prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs; good cholesterol hypothesis came from studies finding that among people with similar levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, those with high HDL levels were less likely to have heart disease; new research reveals more complicated picture in which HDL does not necessarily offset LDL; part of confusion arises from evolving view of immense importance of reducing LDL, particularly recent research finding that ultra-low LDL levels may significantly reduce incidence of heart attacks; chart (M)

Six more American soldiers in Iraq are killed by homemade bombs that military officers say are becoming increasingly sophisticated and effective; one soldier is killed by roadside bomb west of Baghdad, and three more while on patrol in southeast Baghdad; attack in Tikrit day before kills two soldiers; officers say new explosives are smaller, can be planted more quickly and are being detonated from greater distances; bombs remain leading cause of American casualties since end of major combat operations on May 1; countermeasures range from surveillance planes to ground patrols who fire at suspected explosives to detonate them; photo (M)

Chart shows selections and brackets for NCAA tournament; photos (S)