August 1994

Some Researchers Are Pleased, Others Indifferent, As RU 486 Moves Toward Ready Availability In U.S. Author: KAREN YOUNG KREEGER, pp.1 Date: August 22,1994 Biomedical researchers working with the antiprogestin RU 486 are expressing varied opinions on the mid-May announcement that the controversial drug will eventually be more readily available in the United States and how that availability may affect their investigations. Some scie

Whistle-Blower's Legal Victory Seen As Supporting Industry Scientists Who Criticize Their Employers Author: FRANKLIN HOKE, pp.1 Date: August 22,1994 Mobil Oil toxicologist who was fired after he voiced concerns about safety standards is awarded $3.5 million An industry toxicologist's legal victory over his former employer may reflect an inclination on the part of the courts to extend greater protections to whistle-blowers who ra

Science Community Praises White House Policy Report Author: Barton Reppert Date: August 22, 1994 Long-awaited `white paper' receives high grades from most observers, although some say it misses target. A long-awaited White House report on United States science policy, released earlier this month, is drawing generally strong praise from key scientific and educational association leaders, as well as senior officials

Some Researchers Are Pleased, Others Indifferent, As RU 486 Moves Toward Ready Availability In U.S. Author: KAREN YOUNG KREEGER, pp.1 Date: August 22,1994 Biomedical researchers working with the antiprogestin RU 486 are expressing varied opinions on the mid-May announcement that the controversial drug will eventually be more readily available in the United States and how that availability may affect their investigations. Some scie

Whistle-Blower's Legal Victory Seen As Supporting Industry Scientists Who Criticize Their Employers Author: FRANKLIN HOKE, pp.1 Date: August 22,1994 Mobil Oil toxicologist who was fired after he voiced concerns about safety standards is awarded $3.5 million An industry toxicologist's legal victory over his former employer may reflect an inclination on the part of the courts to extend greater protections to whistle-blowers who ra

Science Community Praises White House Policy Report Author: Barton Reppert Date: August 22, 1994 Long-awaited `white paper' receives high grades from most observers, although some say it misses target. A long-awaited White House report on United States science policy, released earlier this month, is drawing generally strong praise from key scientific and educational association leaders, as well as senior officials

Chaos Theory Finding New Applications In Life Sciences Author: NEERAJA SANKARAN, pp.3 Date: August 22,1994 Researchers from a broadening array of life science disciplines say they are finding applications of chaos theory in their work. These scientists point out that it was recognition of the mathematical theory's relevance to their field that prompted psychologists four years ago to form the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology,

Chaos Theory Finding New Applications In Life Sciences Author: NEERAJA SANKARAN, pp.3 Date: August 22,1994 Researchers from a broadening array of life science disciplines say they are finding applications of chaos theory in their work. These scientists point out that it was recognition of the mathematical theory's relevance to their field that prompted psychologists four years ago to form the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology,

Watchdog Group On Lookout For Misuse Of Science In Policymaking Author: KAREN YOUNG KREEGER, pp.6 Date: August 22,1994 Scientists from a variety of disciplines in industry, academia, government, and other areas are reportedly lending their support to The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC), an organization that has pledged to scrutinize the quality of scientific research that influences federal regulations. According to

Watchdog Group On Lookout For Misuse Of Science In Policymaking Author: KAREN YOUNG KREEGER, pp.6 Date: August 22,1994 Scientists from a variety of disciplines in industry, academia, government, and other areas are reportedly lending their support to The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC), an organization that has pledged to scrutinize the quality of scientific research that influences federal regulations. According to

Regal Rewards Stamp of Approval Mathletes Illuminating Bioluminescence Importing Botanical Knowledge The Pocket Merck Changing Monikers The Royal Society, the United Kingdom's national academy for promoting both the natural and applied sciences, recently announced the winners of two of its prestigious awards: The Royal Society Mullard Award, consisting of a silver gilt medal and Pounds Sterling 2,000 (approximately $3,500 U.S.),

Regal Rewards Stamp of Approval Mathletes Illuminating Bioluminescence Importing Botanical Knowledge The Pocket Merck Changing Monikers The Royal Society, the United Kingdom's national academy for promoting both the natural and applied sciences, recently announced the winners of two of its prestigious awards: The Royal Society Mullard Award, consisting of a silver gilt medal and Pounds Sterling 2,000 (approximately $3,500 U.S.),

Editor's Note: A recent essay in The Scientist ("Science, Religion Must Share Quest For Global Survival," May 16, 1994, page 12) sounded a call on behalf of Planet Earth by Van Rensselaer Potter, Hilldale Professor of Oncology, emeritus, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In his essay, Potter praised what he considers to be unprecedented efforts by German theologian Hans Küng to forge, for the sake of humankind's survi

Editor's Note: A recent essay in The Scientist ("Science, Religion Must Share Quest For Global Survival," May 16, 1994, page 12) sounded a call on behalf of Planet Earth by Van Rensselaer Potter, Hilldale Professor of Oncology, emeritus, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In his essay, Potter praised what he considers to be unprecedented efforts by German theologian Hans Küng to forge, for the sake of humankind's survi

A Prerequisite To Success In Science Two recent articles--one in the New York Times Magazine, the other in Nature--set me to thinking about the role pure genius plays in stimulating and sustaining the scientific enterprise. On one hand, individual displays of awesome intellect can certainly be inspiring; but I suspect they can also be discouraging for budding researchers who realize that their grasp on things will never equal that

A Prerequisite To Success In Science Two recent articles--one in the New York Times Magazine, the other in Nature--set me to thinking about the role pure genius plays in stimulating and sustaining the scientific enterprise. On one hand, individual displays of awesome intellect can certainly be inspiring; but I suspect they can also be discouraging for budding researchers who realize that their grasp on things will never equal that

A follow-on comment to the recent correspondence regarding scientists on corporate boards (R. Finn, The Scientist, Jan. 10, 1994, page 21; I.S. Johnson, The Scientist, May 2, 1994, page 13) is in order. Further to the excellent comments of Johnson, it should be pointed out that serving on boards of directors for young companies is not without potential personal financial exposure as a result of the frequent legal action directed ag

The article by Paul McCarthy in the May 30, 1994, issue of The Scientist [page 1] on peer review struck a responsive note. I, too, have come to distrust journal reviewers and National Institutes of Health pink sheets despite good fortune with publications and grants over many years. Responsibility and devotion are far less than they were one and two generations ago, perhaps a mirror of our end-of- century society. But I have a solu

Regarding Lee Katterman's article about the Westinghouse Science Talent Search [The Scientist, May 2, 1994, page 1], a portion of the eligibility requirements should be of interest to many life science researchers. The following is taken from the Westinghouse Science Talent Search entry form. "VERTEBRATE ANIMALS: No projects involving live vertebrate animal experimentation will be eligible. However, if a student is working in a lab

A follow-on comment to the recent correspondence regarding scientists on corporate boards (R. Finn, The Scientist, Jan. 10, 1994, page 21; I.S. Johnson, The Scientist, May 2, 1994, page 13) is in order. Further to the excellent comments of Johnson, it should be pointed out that serving on boards of directors for young companies is not without potential personal financial exposure as a result of the frequent legal action directed ag

The article by Paul McCarthy in the May 30, 1994, issue of The Scientist [page 1] on peer review struck a responsive note. I, too, have come to distrust journal reviewers and National Institutes of Health pink sheets despite good fortune with publications and grants over many years. Responsibility and devotion are far less than they were one and two generations ago, perhaps a mirror of our end-of- century society. But I have a solu

Regarding Lee Katterman's article about the Westinghouse Science Talent Search [The Scientist, May 2, 1994, page 1], a portion of the eligibility requirements should be of interest to many life science researchers. The following is taken from the Westinghouse Science Talent Search entry form. "VERTEBRATE ANIMALS: No projects involving live vertebrate animal experimentation will be eligible. However, if a student is working in a lab

Coming Of Age Structural biology--the study of the three-dimensional shapes of biological macromolecules--has always been a facet of biological research, from the detection of cells in the earliest days of microscopy in the late 17th century to the first X-ray crystallographic images of proteins in the 1950s and the development of DNA technologies that made proteins more accessible for study through the 1970s and 1980s. BUILDING

Coming Of Age Structural biology--the study of the three-dimensional shapes of biological macromolecules--has always been a facet of biological research, from the detection of cells in the earliest days of microscopy in the late 17th century to the first X-ray crystallographic images of proteins in the 1950s and the development of DNA technologies that made proteins more accessible for study through the 1970s and 1980s. BUILDING

J.M. Backer, M.G. Myers, Jr., S.E. Shoelson, D.J. Chin, X.J. Sun, M. Miralpeix, P. Hu, B. Margolis, E.Y. Skolnik, J. Schlessinger, M.F. White, "Phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase is activated by association with IRS-1 during insulin stimulation," EMBO Journal, 11:3469-79, 1992. Morris F. White (Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston): "Nailing down the pathways involved in insulin signaling

M. Mullan, F. Crawford, K. Axelman, H. Houlden, L. Lilius, B. Winblad, L. Lannfelt, "A pathogenic mutation for probable Alzheimer's disease in the APP gene at the N-terminus of b- amyloid," Nature Genetics, 1:345-7, 1992. Mike Mullan (Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of South Florida, Tampa): "The discovery of a handful of mutations in the b-amyloid precursor protein (bAPP) gene leading to famili

A.D. Martin, W.J. Stirling, R.G. Roberts, "New information on parton distributions," Physical Review D, 47:867-82, 1993. Alan D. Martin (Centre for Particle Theory, University of Durham, England): "The use of energetic electrons (and other leptons) to probe the structure of the proton has had a long and successful history. These so-called deep-inelastic experiments have shown that the proton is composed of quark and gluon constitue

J.M. Backer, M.G. Myers, Jr., S.E. Shoelson, D.J. Chin, X.J. Sun, M. Miralpeix, P. Hu, B. Margolis, E.Y. Skolnik, J. Schlessinger, M.F. White, "Phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase is activated by association with IRS-1 during insulin stimulation," EMBO Journal, 11:3469-79, 1992. Morris F. White (Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston): "Nailing down the pathways involved in insulin signaling

M. Mullan, F. Crawford, K. Axelman, H. Houlden, L. Lilius, B. Winblad, L. Lannfelt, "A pathogenic mutation for probable Alzheimer's disease in the APP gene at the N-terminus of b- amyloid," Nature Genetics, 1:345-7, 1992. Mike Mullan (Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of South Florida, Tampa): "The discovery of a handful of mutations in the b-amyloid precursor protein (bAPP) gene leading to famili

A.D. Martin, W.J. Stirling, R.G. Roberts, "New information on parton distributions," Physical Review D, 47:867-82, 1993. Alan D. Martin (Centre for Particle Theory, University of Durham, England): "The use of energetic electrons (and other leptons) to probe the structure of the proton has had a long and successful history. These so-called deep-inelastic experiments have shown that the proton is composed of quark and gluon constitue

Among today's rapidly growing fields of biological study are those focusing on neurotransmitters, hormones, and various immunological and pharmacological agents. Central in many of these investigations is the analysis of biologically active peptides--chains of amino acids ranging from as few as two to more than 50 acids. Since these peptides can't be derived naturally in sufficient quantities--indeed, some cannot be naturally deriv

Among today's rapidly growing fields of biological study are those focusing on neurotransmitters, hormones, and various immunological and pharmacological agents. Central in many of these investigations is the analysis of biologically active peptides--chains of amino acids ranging from as few as two to more than 50 acids. Since these peptides can't be derived naturally in sufficient quantities--indeed, some cannot be naturally deriv

Bio-Rad's new universal beam accessory creates multiple external beams for any current model of the company's FT-IR spectrometers. According to the manufacturer, the low-cost accessory enhances the versatility of its spectrometers and can be added at any time. Bio-Rad's external sample compartment (ESC), micro/IR, GC/IR, or TGA/IR accessories can be attached to the exit beam ports. Bio-Rad, Digilab Division, Cambridge, Mass. Bo

Bio-Rad's new universal beam accessory creates multiple external beams for any current model of the company's FT-IR spectrometers. According to the manufacturer, the low-cost accessory enhances the versatility of its spectrometers and can be added at any time. Bio-Rad's external sample compartment (ESC), micro/IR, GC/IR, or TGA/IR accessories can be attached to the exit beam ports. Bio-Rad, Digilab Division, Cambridge, Mass. Bo

Learning The Trade: Advice For Scientists Seeking Book Publishers The well-publicized commercial successes of science books for the lay, or trade, market--going all the way back to The Double Helix by James Watson (New York, Atheneum Publishers, 1968), and through the more recent A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (New York, Bantam Books, 1988)--provide indisputable evidence that science titles can have broad appeal and eve

Learning The Trade: Advice For Scientists Seeking Book Publishers The well-publicized commercial successes of science books for the lay, or trade, market--going all the way back to The Double Helix by James Watson (New York, Atheneum Publishers, 1968), and through the more recent A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (New York, Bantam Books, 1988)--provide indisputable evidence that science titles can have broad appeal and eve

Chemist And Mathematician Are Named Winners Of Two 1994 Kyoto Prizes Paul C. Lauterbur, a chemist and director of the Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Laboratory at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana-Champaign, and André Weil, a French mathematician who is currently an emeritus professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J., have been named winners of the 1994 Kyoto Prizes in the advanced tec

Chemist And Mathematician Are Named Winners Of Two 1994 Kyoto Prizes Paul C. Lauterbur, a chemist and director of the Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Laboratory at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana-Champaign, and André Weil, a French mathematician who is currently an emeritus professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J., have been named winners of the 1994 Kyoto Prizes in the advanced tec