November 1997

The start of a clinical trial with an AIDS vaccine developed by French company Pasteur-Mérieux Connaught made front-page news in several major papers in September. The vaccine, composed of three HIV genes inserted into a canarypox vector, was administered to 420 human volunteers in a Phase II trial that tested the vaccine's safety and ability to provoke an immune response. Some researchers view the undertaking as one more trial of a technology that is unlikely to result in a useful compo

TIME TO RETHINK: The old discussions about reporting HIV infection must be reviewed in light of a changing epidemic, says CDC's John Ward. As the AIDS epidemic enters a new phase of changing demographics and combination drug therapy, support is mounting for a national system of HIV case reporting. Even some civil rights activists who previously opposed HIV reporting now are admitting the need for it to help contain the elusive disease. However, the long-debated question of whether HIV-positive

SCIENCE PRIORITY: Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) is sponsoring legislation to double all nondefense research funding in 10 years. Congress has been discussing proposals to double biomedical research funding over five years, double nondefense research funding over 10 years, and raise additional funds to benefit science. So should scientists start celebrating a renaissance in research funding? INFLATION EROSION: AAAS's Al Teich notes that science funding in many categories has declined over the pas

A proposal to elevate the National Institutes of Health's Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) into an institute fell short during the appropriations process, but a 60 percent increase in funding represents a victory of sorts for the office. The $8-million boost proposed by a conference committee would raise OAM's current $12-million budget to $20 million for FY1998. The conference committee's decision was a surprise considering earlier requests. The House and the Clinton administration both so

Distributed by Vanguard International, the Proline is available in five separate models that cover a total volume range of 0.5 µl to 5 ml. Volume is adjusted by turning the piston knob; each incremental change is accompanied by an audible "click" that sets the volume. The digital display window is located on the side of the barrel and is visible during right-handed use. Tip ejection is achieved by depressing a thumb-controlled button on the back of the handle, and a balancing hook on the fr

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It is incongruous that in an era of great economic strength, with low unemployment, low inflation, a booming stock market, and high consumer optimism, a walk down the streets of any of our metropolises will reveal homeless people who are bedraggled, poor, and in many cases disabled by illness. It is all the more perturbing when one considers that these visibly destitute individuals, the sight of whom often offends the sensibilities of passersby, represent the mere tip of an iceberg of poverty

Does your department have a bully who routinely belittles and berates the support staff or rules his or her students through fear and intimidation? Do you have a colleague whom you've learned not to trust on matters small or large? If this conduct is going unaddressed, you are party to a pattern that is inimical to an academic community, because academic communities rely upon truth, trust, and collegial behavior to function well. Alone, you may not be able to change this behavior, but you can c

Robert Moss's desire to clarify the meaning of "evolution" for students is one that I share. Unfortunately, in his Opinion piece (R. Moss, "The Problem with Evolution: Where Have We Gone Wrong?", The Scientist, Oct. 13, 1997, page 7), Moss perpetuates an elementary confusion. He writes that evolution "is correctly defined as 'descent with modification.'" Fine. But just a few lines down he agrees with Darwin that evolution is "a process of change over time, by natural selection. Period." Evidenc

In what seems like a parody of the academic process, C. Robert Phillips III, a classics professor at Lehigh University, suggests that Ph.D. dissertations be filed and forgotten, rather than exposed to public view (P. Gwynne, "Electronic Posting Of Dissertations Produces Publishing Dilemmas," The Scientist, Oct. 27, 1997, page 1). He worries: "In five years' time, people may not want to be associated with their Ph.D. dissertations. With my own, I thought: 'I'm really glad that this isn't on libr

We read with interest Harvey Black's recent article on transgenic insects ("Scientists Refining Methods For Genetically Altering Insects," The Scientist, Oct. 13, 1997, page 1). While the report was timely and informative and included the majority of the major transposon systems being examined for this purpose, the highly promising results that have been obtained using the piggyBac transposon in diverse insect orders were overlooked. This short, inverted-repeat transposon was originally isolate

The cornea used to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the eye. Once jokingly dismissed as a mere dust cover by scientists who study the retina, the cornea is gaining new respect as research reveals its complexities. IMPETUS FOR INTEREST: UC-Davis's Mark Mannis maintains that advances in technology and molecular and cell biology are spurring interest in cornea research. "Probably the reason for the interest, first of all, is the burgeoning technology in refractive surgery and in implantation devices

HONING SKILLS: Trinity biologist Robert Blystone says dissection provides the opportunity for students to develop scientific observational skills. Poring over a frog's insides once was nearly synonymous with biology class. Although many life scientists contend that dissection is crucial to understanding body form and function, several factors have converged to challenge such use of animals in the classroom. "The dissection of anatomical specimens such as the fetal pig has fallen on hard times

Simplicity, high throughput, reagent compatibility-all considerations when searching for an automated cell stainer. BioGenex (San Ramon, Calif.) has addressed these considerations with its OptiMax Plus Automated Cell Staining System, available in two system configurations. The Open System configuration includes a programmable user interface for custom protocols with up to 16 user-defined steps. Special rinsing, blocking, and pause/alarm steps can be introduced at any step. Simplified Cell Cult

Consistency may be the hobgoblin of small minds, but it is absolutely essential to studies requiring electrophoretic separations of proteins. Consistency, high resolution, and stability are all important when trying to determine levels of protein expression, for example, or when documenting a purification scheme of a protein. Novex's latest offering of precast polyacrylamide gels, the NuPAGE Neutral pH Electrophoresis System, provides advantages in all these areas. Western blot of proteins syn

Textco Inc. a software company based in West Lebanon, N.H., has introduced an updated version of its Gene Construction Kit for the design and tracking of complex plasmids. This version incorporates a number of features not contained in the original version, many of which were suggested by users. The original Gene Construction Kit, released in 1990, was given a perfect 10 rating by Biotechnology Software and Internet Journal for the "wealth of functions for publication quality graphics, database

Putting the Freeze on Menopause In Defense of Pesticides Pushing Drug Discovery Race and Health Tumor Stopper Jewel of a Specimen Birth of a Journal Conservation Wins GOLDEN EGG: Michael Tucker caused a media stir when he facilitated the birth of twins using frozen eggs. The birth of twins rarely makes national headlines. But this pair, whose birth was announced on the front page of the New York Times on October 17, sparked a flurry of media attention. A team of researchers at Reproductive Bi