November 1994

Open-minded intellectual curiosity is required to realize that the broadest possible perspective will yield the best data for analysis, and lead to greater understanding of a particular subject. This approach to scientific investigation describes an unbiased, open perspective, and indicates respect for the intellectual integrity of those with different viewpoints. A predetermined or biased approach inhibits the development of broad

Open-minded intellectual curiosity is required to realize that the broadest possible perspective will yield the best data for analysis, and lead to greater understanding of a particular subject. This approach to scientific investigation describes an unbiased, open perspective, and indicates respect for the intellectual integrity of those with different viewpoints. A predetermined or biased approach inhibits the development of broad

The 1,200-member, Chicago-based Council of Biology Editors, established in 1957 by a joint action of the National Science Foundation and the American Institute of Biological Sciences, provides resources for journal editors in the life sciences, offers a means for them to collaborate, and fosters "effective communication practices," according to its mission statement. The group sponsors an annual meeting (next year's gathering, s

The 1,200-member, Chicago-based Council of Biology Editors, established in 1957 by a joint action of the National Science Foundation and the American Institute of Biological Sciences, provides resources for journal editors in the life sciences, offers a means for them to collaborate, and fosters "effective communication practices," according to its mission statement. The group sponsors an annual meeting (next year's gathering, s

Sidebar:A New Look For Summary Statements Sidebar: What is Triage? The expanded use of triage--under which certain grant applications deemed to be "noncompetitive" (NC) are not discussed in study sections--by the National Institutes of Health Division of Research Grants (DRG) has met with enthusiasic response from many NIH administrators. The new system, however, has engendered controversy in the extramural community. NIH welcomes

The moratorium on human embryo research coincided with the Republican presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Both administrations opposed abortion, with support from some conservative political and religious groups, based on the view that human life begins when the ovum is fertilized and that the resulting embryo has legal rights to protection similar to those of an infant, child, or adult. In recent years, the Bush administ

Back To: Science Community Gives Mixed Reviews To 'Triage' The National Institutes of Health announced in the September 23 NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts that it will extend its use of a triage system to all investigator-initiated research grant (R01) and "FIRST Award" (First Independent Research Support and Transition Award, R29) applications submitted for October/November 1, 1994 receipt dates and reviewed by the NIH

Back To:Science Community Gives Mixed Review To 'Triage' Summary statements for National Institutes of Health grant applications (often referred to as "pink sheets," although they have not been printed on pink paper since 1991) will be formatted differently from now on: Summary statements will consist primarily of the individual reviewers' critiques. Scientific review administrators (SRAs) will write summaries of the s

Bassam Shakhashiri, a professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who was assistant director for science and engineering education at the National Science Foundation from 1984 to 1990, contends that industry involvement in this effort is more than a welcome contribution; it is a necessity. "The business community must be involved intimately in the science education reform arena because they have expertise that ac

Back to:New Funds Possible for Embryo Research The ethical reasoning of the panel advising the National Institutes of Health on human embryo research was clearly expressed by its policy cochairwoman at a news conference at which the group's report was released in September. "The basic finding of the panel is that it is acceptable public policy to fund research on the human embryo, subject to stringent guidelines," said Pa

Colleagues Laud 1994 Nobelists As Overdue For Coveted Prize Author: Edward R. Silverman Date: November 28, 1994 Colleagues of the recently announced winners of the 1994 Nobel Prizes in chemistry, physics, and medicine or physiology, in praising the decisions of the Nobel committee, say the coveted Swedish honor is long overdue for each of this year's recipients. For their part, the winners are using their newfound re

Blueprints for a Greenhouse Long plagued by logistical problems and dogged by controversy, the troubled Biosphere 2, under new management, is attempting to revitalize one of the most criticized aspects of the program--the quality of its science. Since the summer, more than a dozen geologists, biogeochemists, ecologists, and climate modelers have visited the 3.15-acre Oracle, Ariz., facility--the world's largest enclosed artificial

Adolfo J. deBold, a professor of pathology and physiology at the University of Ottawa and director of research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Ontario, Canada, and Ervin G. Erdos, a professor of pharmacology and anesthesiology and director of the Peptide Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, have received the Ciba Award for Hypertension Research. Cosponsored by the Houston-bas

Back to:New Funds Possible for Embryo Research The ethical reasoning of the panel advising the National Institutes of Health on human embryo research was clearly expressed by its policy cochairwoman at a news conference at which the group's report was released in September. "The basic finding of the panel is that it is acceptable public policy to fund research on the human embryo, subject to stringent guidelines," said Pa

Adolfo J. deBold, a professor of pathology and physiology at the University of Ottawa and director of research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Ontario, Canada, and Ervin G. Erdos, a professor of pharmacology and anesthesiology and director of the Peptide Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, have received the Ciba Award for Hypertension Research. Cosponsored by the Houston-bas

Colleagues Laud 1994 Nobelists As Overdue For Coveted Prize Author: Edward R. Silverman Date: November 28, 1994 Colleagues of the recently announced winners of the 1994 Nobel Prizes in chemistry, physics, and medicine or physiology, in praising the decisions of the Nobel committee, say the coveted Swedish honor is long overdue for each of this year's recipients. For their part, the winners are using their newfound re

Blueprints for a Greenhouse Long plagued by logistical problems and dogged by controversy, the troubled Biosphere 2, under new management, is attempting to revitalize one of the most criticized aspects of the program--the quality of its science. Since the summer, more than a dozen geologists, biogeochemists, ecologists, and climate modelers have visited the 3.15-acre Oracle, Ariz., facility--the world's largest enclosed artificial

Sidebar:A New Look For Summary Statements Sidebar: What is Triage? The expanded use of triage--under which certain grant applications deemed to be "noncompetitive" (NC) are not discussed in study sections--by the National Institutes of Health Division of Research Grants (DRG) has met with enthusiasic response from many NIH administrators. The new system, however, has engendered controversy in the extramural community. NIH welcomes

The moratorium on human embryo research coincided with the Republican presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Both administrations opposed abortion, with support from some conservative political and religious groups, based on the view that human life begins when the ovum is fertilized and that the resulting embryo has legal rights to protection similar to those of an infant, child, or adult. In recent years, the Bush administ

Back To: Science Community Gives Mixed Reviews To 'Triage' The National Institutes of Health announced in the September 23 NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts that it will extend its use of a triage system to all investigator-initiated research grant (R01) and "FIRST Award" (First Independent Research Support and Transition Award, R29) applications submitted for October/November 1, 1994 receipt dates and reviewed by the NIH

Back To:Science Community Gives Mixed Review To 'Triage' Summary statements for National Institutes of Health grant applications (often referred to as "pink sheets," although they have not been printed on pink paper since 1991) will be formatted differently from now on: Summary statements will consist primarily of the individual reviewers' critiques. Scientific review administrators (SRAs) will write summaries of the s

Bassam Shakhashiri, a professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who was assistant director for science and engineering education at the National Science Foundation from 1984 to 1990, contends that industry involvement in this effort is more than a welcome contribution; it is a necessity. "The business community must be involved intimately in the science education reform arena because they have expertise that ac

Three new DNA markers have been developed to allow sizing and quantitation of linear and supercoiled, double-stranded DNA. The Kb DNA Ladder contains 15 linear fragments from 250 bp to 12 kb. Bands are produced in 1,000-bp increments from 1 kb to 10 kb. The ends of each fragment have 5_ overhangs and may be radiolabeled with a-labeled dATP, dTTP, or dUTP. Alternatively, the ladder may be radiolabeled by exchanging the 5_ phosphate u

Three new DNA markers have been developed to allow sizing and quantitation of linear and supercoiled, double-stranded DNA. The Kb DNA Ladder contains 15 linear fragments from 250 bp to 12 kb. Bands are produced in 1,000-bp increments from 1 kb to 10 kb. The ends of each fragment have 5_ overhangs and may be radiolabeled with a-labeled dATP, dTTP, or dUTP. Alternatively, the ladder may be radiolabeled by exchanging the 5_ phosphate u

I. Rayment, W.R. Rypniew-ski, K. Schmidt-Base, R. Smith, D.R. Tomchick, M.M. Benning, D.A. Winkelmann, G. Wesenberg, H.M. Holden, "Three-dimensional structure of myosin subfragment-1: A molecular motor," Science, 261:50-8, 1993. (Total citations through October 1994: 107) I. Rayment, H.M. Holden, M. Whittaker, C.B. Yohn, M. Lorenz. K.C. Holmes, R.A. Milligan, "Structure of the actin-myosin complex and its implications

M.J. Alter, H.S. Margolis,K. Krawczynski, F.N. Judson, A. Mares, W.J. Alexander, P.Y. Hu, J.K. Miller, M.A. Gerber, R.E. Sampliner, E.L. Meeks, M.J. Beach, "The natural history of community acquired hepatitis-C in the United States," New England Journal of Medicine, 327:1899-1905, 1992. (Total citations through October 1994: 76) This paper reports the results of a study tracking the onset and course of hepatitis C virus (H

M.B. Kastan, Q. Zhan, W.S. El-Diery, F. Carrier, T. Jacks, W.V. Walsh, B.S. Plunkett, B. Vogelstein, A.J. Fornace, Jr., "A mammalian cell cycle checkpoint pathway utilizing p53 and GADD45 is defective in ataxia-telangiectasia," Cell, 71:587-97, 1992. (Total citations through October 1994: 246) This paper is one of a number of publications from the laboratory of Michael Kastan at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center in Baltimo

M.J. Alter, H.S. Margolis,K. Krawczynski, F.N. Judson, A. Mares, W.J. Alexander, P.Y. Hu, J.K. Miller, M.A. Gerber, R.E. Sampliner, E.L. Meeks, M.J. Beach, "The natural history of community acquired hepatitis-C in the United States," New England Journal of Medicine, 327:1899-1905, 1992. (Total citations through October 1994: 76) This paper reports the results of a study tracking the onset and course of hepatitis C virus (H

M.B. Kastan, Q. Zhan, W.S. El-Diery, F. Carrier, T. Jacks, W.V. Walsh, B.S. Plunkett, B. Vogelstein, A.J. Fornace, Jr., "A mammalian cell cycle checkpoint pathway utilizing p53 and GADD45 is defective in ataxia-telangiectasia," Cell, 71:587-97, 1992. (Total citations through October 1994: 246) This paper is one of a number of publications from the laboratory of Michael Kastan at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center in Baltimo

I. Rayment, W.R. Rypniew-ski, K. Schmidt-Base, R. Smith, D.R. Tomchick, M.M. Benning, D.A. Winkelmann, G. Wesenberg, H.M. Holden, "Three-dimensional structure of myosin subfragment-1: A molecular motor," Science, 261:50-8, 1993. (Total citations through October 1994: 107) I. Rayment, H.M. Holden, M. Whittaker, C.B. Yohn, M. Lorenz. K.C. Holmes, R.A. Milligan, "Structure of the actin-myosin complex and its implications

Advanced Biotechnologies Inc. Columbia, MD Advanced Genetic Technologies Corp San Diego, CA Ahlstrom Filtration Inc. Mount Holly Springs, PA American Bioanalytical Inc. Natick, MA Boehringer Mannheim Corp. Indianapolis, IN P.J. Cobert Associates St. Louis, MO Crescent Chemical Inc. Hauppauge, NY DuPont NEN Boston, MA Fluka Chemical Corp. Ronkonkoma, NY Gallard-Schlesinger Industries Inc. Carle Place, NY Hoefer Scientific

Advanced Biotechnologies Inc. Columbia, MD Advanced Genetic Technologies Corp San Diego, CA Ahlstrom Filtration Inc. Mount Holly Springs, PA American Bioanalytical Inc. Natick, MA Boehringer Mannheim Corp. Indianapolis, IN P.J. Cobert Associates St. Louis, MO Crescent Chemical Inc. Hauppauge, NY DuPont NEN Boston, MA Fluka Chemical Corp. Ronkonkoma, NY Gallard-Schlesinger Industries Inc. Carle Place, NY Hoefer Scientific

pp.15 Date: November 28, 1994 Back to:Oceanic Plants Are At The Root Of Ecology's Most-Cited Studies What's Hot In Ecology And Environmental Sciences Rank (Through 1992)PaperCitations thru 1992Citations - 1/93-9/94 1O. Holm-Hansen, B.G. Mitchell, "Spatial temporal distribution of phytoplankton and primary production in the western Bransfield Strait region," Deep-Sea Research, 38:961-80, 1991.2616 2 T.-H. Peng, W.S. Broecker, "Dyna

A little more than a year ago, the newsletter Science Watch, published by the Philadelphia-based Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), began conducting analyses of the citation record of ecology and environmental sciences on a regular basis (The Scientist, Feb. 7, 1994, page 15). Since then, the newsletter has found that citation leaders in this burgeoning area come from a wide array of disciplines, including plant science, oc

pp.15 Date: November 28, 1994 Back to:Oceanic Plants Are At The Root Of Ecology's Most-Cited Studies What's Hot In Ecology And Environmental Sciences Rank (Through 1992)PaperCitations thru 1992Citations - 1/93-9/94 1O. Holm-Hansen, B.G. Mitchell, "Spatial temporal distribution of phytoplankton and primary production in the western Bransfield Strait region," Deep-Sea Research, 38:961-80, 1991.2616 2 T.-H. Peng, W.S. Broecker, "Dyna

A little more than a year ago, the newsletter Science Watch, published by the Philadelphia-based Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), began conducting analyses of the citation record of ecology and environmental sciences on a regular basis (The Scientist, Feb. 7, 1994, page 15). Since then, the newsletter has found that citation leaders in this burgeoning area come from a wide array of disciplines, including plant science, oc

Musical Chairs Another Electoral Battle Job Security PCAST Session Online Headaches New Year's Persecutions Date: November 28, 1994, pp.4 The Republican electoral earthquake that rumbled through Capitol Hill this month will result in the unseating from committee chairs of veteran Demo-crats, including Rep. George E. Brown, Jr., widely recognized as Congress' "Mr. Science." Brown has headed the House Science, Space, and Technolo

Musical Chairs Another Electoral Battle Job Security PCAST Session Online Headaches New Year's Persecutions Date: November 28, 1994, pp.4 The Republican electoral earthquake that rumbled through Capitol Hill this month will result in the unseating from committee chairs of veteran Demo-crats, including Rep. George E. Brown, Jr., widely recognized as Congress' "Mr. Science." Brown has headed the House Science, Space, and Technolo

An additional goal is "a stable, science-based regulatory system." The Clinton-Gore report asserts that the administration has "taken significant steps . . . towards accelerating the development of technologies critical for long-term economic growth and for increasing productivity while reducing environmental impact . . . [via] fundamental science." The reality is that at the same time that funding is down, biot

An additional goal is "a stable, science-based regulatory system." The Clinton-Gore report asserts that the administration has "taken significant steps . . . towards accelerating the development of technologies critical for long-term economic growth and for increasing productivity while reducing environmental impact . . . [via] fundamental science." The reality is that at the same time that funding is down, biot