April 1995

Computer compatibility and investigator reluctance blamed for the long delay in agency's move into the digital age. The Internal Revenue Service began accepting electronic transmission of federal income tax forms in 1986. This time-saving option has become quite popular, and by 1994 was used by some 14 million taxpayers. Yet at the National Institutes of Health--which funds some of the most scientifically sophisticated researchers in the world--grant proposals are, for the most part, still bei

PUSHED ASIDE: E. Loren Buhle was a cofounder of OncoLink, but later battled with Penn administrators over its content. University's move to rein in a junior professor raises questions about responsibility for patient-care advice and the appropriate role of experts on the Internet. A recent struggle for control of a popular Internet cancer-information service at the University of Pennsylvania represents more than just an M.D.-vs.-Ph.D. rivalry in an academic department, according to physicians

Document questions conduct of HIV researcher and NIH,but many grass-roots scientistssay they are tiring of the case. ROBERT GALLO: The NIH researcher calls the subcommittee report "bizarre" and a personal attack on him. Grass-roots scientists have had a muted response to the underground release of an investigative report on alleged misconduct by National Institutes of Health HIV researcher Robert C. Gallo prepared by a former majority congressman's staff. Notwithstanding the relative lack of

Using the immune system to fight the deadly disease shows promise, executives say, but vaccines may take years to bring to market. Biotech executives and cancer researchers are excited about a resurgence in basic studies and clinical trials involving immunotherapeutic approaches to fighting the disease. They caution, however, that because cancer is so poorly understood, products in the marketplace may still be years away. FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT: A technician from Cytel, one of the many immun

A growing number of researchers contend that the traditional scientific journal--with its peer-review gatekeeping and relatively high printing and mailing costs--is seeing its last days. From now on, they predict, researchers will use the Internet to directly disseminate their papers to each other as part of a more flexible system that will progressively replace print journals--and, perhaps, their publishers. But publishers, while acknowledging the power of Internet distribution, insist they wi

NIH Grant Submission Computer compatibility and investigator reluctance blamed for the long delay in agency's move into the digital age. The Internal Revenue Service began accepting electronic transmission of federal income tax forms in 1986. This time- saving option has become quite popular, and by 1994 was used by some 14 million taxpayers. Yet at the National Institutes of Health--which funds some of the most scientifically sophisticated researchers in the world--grant proposals are, for the

The emergence and proliferation of the global Internet computer network represents a milestone in increased information exchange and access. Tens of thousands of Internet users now regularly traverse "cyberspace," as the vast assemblage of online data has come to be commonly known. Attending the benefits of these new electronic resources, however, is the prospect of legal conflict. Until recently, the network has been the exclusive domain of a relatively small and homogeneous group of scientis

J. Philippe Rushton certainly hits the nail on the head in his Commentary on "one-party science" (The Scientist, Oct. 3, 1994, page 13). His research on physical traits as related to race has caused him to be scorned as a pariah in the scientific community, without regard to his work's factual merits. But the "one-party system" goes far beyond Rushton. What if a life-sciences researcher stated that he doubted the hypothesis that evolution is responsible for the present diversity of biological

Science And Religion Discussions of religion and science miss the basic point that religion and theism, or belief in God, are not the same thing (B. Goodman, "Religious Scientists Sense The Divine In Their Work," The Scientist, Jan. 9, 1995, page 1). In fact, belief in God is not a central feature of all religions; one example is the more traditional forms of Buddhism. Trying to reintroduce God as a purpose in evolution is a new version of the "God of the gaps," as are many other attempts to s

Discussions of religion and science miss the basic point that religion and theism, or belief in God, are not the same thing (B. Goodman, "Religious Scientists Sense The Divine In Their Work," The Scientist, Jan. 9, 1995, page 1). In fact, belief in God is not a central feature of all religions; one example is the more traditional forms of Buddhism. Trying to reintroduce God as a purpose in evolution is a new version of the "God of the gaps," as are many other attempts to stitch things together.

As a "biblical literalist" Christian and Ph.D. student in microbiology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, I read with great interest your articles on science and religion [B. Goodman, The Scientist, Jan. 9, 1995, page 1; E. Scott, The Scientist, Jan. 9, 1995, page 12]. I expected the usual portrayal of Christians as nave and narrow-minded, but your articles were quite fair. One point that was not mentioned is the dilemma that, if a Christian cannot take the Genesis creation accou

Sens. James Exon (D-Neb.) and Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) have introduced the Communications Decency Act of 1995 (S.314), which would establish criminal penalties for anyone who "makes, transmits, or makes available any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or other communication" if that communication is "obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent." These penalties would apply to the author of the messages as well as telecommunications-service providers, including educational instituti

The ends of centuries are momentous times for immunology. Edward Jenner introduced the first vaccine, against smallpox, in 1798. New York surgeon William Coley originated immunotherapy in 1893, when he infected cancer patients with killed bacteria to stimulate immunity against their tumors. And now, in the 1990s, "cancer vaccines" are finally in widespread clinical trials. Cancer vaccines are making headlines and have been the focus of five international scientific conferences in the past two y

End Of Century Marks Dawn Of Clinical Trial Era For Cancer Vaccines By Ricki Lewis The ends of centuries are momentous times for immunology. Edward Jenner introduced the first vaccine, against smallpox, in 1798. New York surgeon William Coley originated immunotherapy in 1893, when he infected cancer patients with killed bacteria to stimulate immunity against their tumors. And now, in the 1990s, "cancer vaccines" are finally in widespread clinical trials. Cancer vaccines are making headlines

Edited by: Neeraja Sankaran C.R. Trepte, R.E. Viega, M.P. McCormick, "The poleward dispersal of Mount Pinatubo volcanic aerosol," Journal of Geophysical Research, 98:18563-73, 1993. (Cited in 12 publications through January 1995) Comments by Charles R. Trepte, Science Applications International Corp., Hampton, Va. 23681 This paper describes the distribution of aerosols emitted from the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. The aerosols, primarily tiny droplets of sulphuric acid,

Edited by: Neeraja D. Sankaran R.M. Chicz, R.G. Urban, J.C. Gorga, D.A.A. Vignali, W.S. Lane, J.L. Strominger, "Specificity and promiscuity among naturally processed peptides bound to HLA-Dr alleles," Journal of Experimental Medicine, 178:27-47, 1993. (Cited in 107 publications through January 1995) Comments by Roman M. Chicz,department of molecular and cellular biology, Harvard University One of the most important findings in this article, according to its authors, was the observation of pr

The growth of the Internet has furnished researchers with unparalleled opportunities for exchanging information, but it's also burdened them with unprecedented confusion, scientists say. While the standard cliche has it that the Internet is an information superhighway, some cynics reacting to its bewildering complexity have dubbed it the information supercollider. It may be more apt to liken it to a vast library with a badly organized card catalog. The library not only is poorly indexed, but a

Cell culture is widely used today in the production of various biologically active materials, such as viral vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, hormones, enzymes, and tumor-specific antigens. These items are produced by normal, transformed, and genetically engineered cells. The large-scale cultivation of specific cell lines is of major importance in the cost- effective manufacturing of many therapeutic proteins. >From laboratory benchtops to production floors, and even in outer space (see accompa

A Cell-abration At Rockefeller SEC Alleges Cyberspace Scam An Upholsterer's Dream Underendowed Stealth Stethoscope Heat-Seeking Enzymes Self-Improvement, Writ Large No Barneys Here Extinction for the Masses Shipping Science Rockefeller University (RU) marked the 50th anniversary of the use of the electron microscope in cell biology with a symposium, entitled "Journey Into the Cell," March 16-18. Lectures and special events highlighted the past, pres-ent, and future of the discipline. The pro