By Ron Kolb
Berkeley Lab has asked the state of California, the city of Berkeley, and the community to help develop a plan for the independent monitoring of tritium levels in the air, soil, water and plants in and around the Lab's National Tritium Labeling Facility (NTLF), located in Bldg. 75.
The NTLF releases minute amounts of tritium as a consequence of its operations. Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen that also occurs naturally in the environment as a result of cosmic ray interactions with the earth's atmosphere.
Laboratory Director Charles Shank said he hopes the program will allay concerns about contamination that have been expressed by some community members.
"Although we consider our monitoring program to be extremely rigorous, and we are confident that our emissions are well within nationally accepted safe exposure levels and regulatory guidelines, we welcome additional sampling by independent agencies which we trust will corroborate our findings," he said.
Berkeley Lab has begun discussions with the state Department of Health Services (DHS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the City of Berkeley's Toxics Management Department. The state's Department of Toxic Substances Control and the U.S. Department of Energy have also participated in initial talks. The group has expressed its intention to receive input from the broader Berkeley community in the development of protocols for an independent sampling program. Shank will commit up to $100,000 of laboratory funds to support the monitoring effort. The regulatory agencies plan to engage an independent facilitator to coordinate the process.
Shank has also asked that the data be evaluated and interpreted by the relevant agencies and has committed to making changes at the facility, if necessary, to ensure safety at the Laboratory and in the surrounding community. He anticipates the process will take approximately one year.
"We believe this monitoring program is in keeping with the desires of the Berkeley City Council, Mayor Shirley Dean, and Polly Armstrong, the council member from our district," Shank said.
Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, is used in the NTLF to "tag" molecules so that their functions and reactions can be traced. Such investigations by universities, research laboratories and pharmaceutical companies are invaluable for the development of new drugs and methods for treatment and cure of diseases such as Alzheimer's and breast cancer. The National Institutes of Health funds the facility.
The three DOE laboratories managed by the University of California were again ranked "excellent" to "outstanding," according to an annual report issued by the UC President's Council on the National Laboratories.
The council's report was presented to the UC Regents' Committee on Oversight of the National Laboratories last week by Sid Drell, chairman of the council and deputy director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.
"All three labs are healthy, they are managed well, and their achievements in science, technology and engineering are a credit to the University of California," Drell said. "They are contributing essentially to the scientific and technical strength of this nation."
Drell emphasized that the relationship between UC and the labs is mutually beneficial. UC's reputation and tradition of excellence contribute to the high level of achievement at the labs, and in return, the labs have proven to be of great value to the overall science and engineering strength of the University, he said.
The 20-member council, established four years ago, meets annually on a rotating basis at the three labs to assess the areas of science and technology, environmental, safety and health issues, and the national security performance of Livermore and Los Alamos.
"As was the case last year, our final ratings, when all is ground up and mixed together, rank each of the three labs between excellent and outstanding," Drell said. "This is on a scale that also includes good, marginal and unsatisfactory. These high marks, in part, reflect our reluctance to rule out room for improvement by just saying outstanding."
Drell noted that the increased cooperation between the labs was exemplified in the creation of the DOE Joint Human Genome Project, announced last October in Livermore by Martha Krebs.
Among the other areas of excellence, Drell cited the Advanced Light Source.
"The ALS continues its very successful operation as a valuable research tool for physicists, chemists and medical researchers," Drell said. "Berkeley Lab is also a major contributor to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland, an important international effort."
The recently relocated National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) represents a major commitment by Berkeley Lab and is doing very well, Drell added.
Regent S. Sue Johnson, who was part of a Regents' visit to Berkeley Lab last fall, also cited NERSC as a "truly amazing" facility serving 2,000 scientific users at labs and universities around the world.
Ex-officio member Duncan A. Mellichamp (who chairs the UC Academic Council), extended the thanks of the council to Lab Director Charles Shank, adding, "You have some tremendous facilities just up the hill from the Berkeley campus."
On the management side of lab operations, Drell said, "We have seen significant evidence of the decrease of burdensome regulations and administrative requirements," leading to real reductions in overhead costs and improved productivity.
The findings of the UC Council on the National Laboratories are a major component of the DOE-Oakland Operations Office annual appraisal of the Laboratory, which will be forthcoming.
Copies of the lab rating reports are available for viewing at the UCOP Lab Administration Office (987-9350). A copy will also be available at Berkeley Lab in the near future.
-- Contributed by Jon Bashor of LLNL Newsline
By Jeffery Kahn
Sometimes what goes around comes around. Prior to the existence of the Bevalac biomedical facilities, biologists at Berkeley Lab used three other accelerators as a source of charged particles for their investigations: the 88-Inch Cyclotron, the 184-Inch Cyclotron and the SuperHILAC. Their basic studies and the subsequent Bevalac program led to improvements in cancer therapy that are now used worldwide. They also provided insight into the mechanisms used by cells in cell division and DNA repair.
When the Bevalac shut down four years ago, Eleanor Blakely and Aloke Chatterjee of the Life Sciences Division's Department of Radiation Biology and DNA Repair approached the Nuclear Science Division and the 88-Inch Cyclotron operations group. Seeking an onsite facility to continue their work, they asked if it would be possible to create a new beamline suitable for radiobiology. In response, former NSD Director James Symons and Cyclotron head Claude Lyneis agreed to help support Life Sciences' ongoing research program.
Radiobiology program
Within a year of the initial request, a new radiobiology experimental program debuted at the 88-Inch. The focus of this program is to delineate the biological effects of low energy particles. These particles deposit a great deal of energy as they slow down. The ability of cells to tolerate such exposures is dependent upon the endpoint studied and the type of cell exposed. Particles produced by the cyclotron that are important for these investigations include alpha particles that simulate radon exposures, heavier charged particles and protons that are found in the space radiation environment, and protons and helium ions that are used in cancer therapy. In concert with the quantitative studies, the goal of the investigations is to determine which biological processes influence the nature of the biological response.
Though radiobiology accounts for less than five percent of the beam time at the 88-Inch, the request for a suitable beam line was not a minor one. The 88-Inch Cyclotron has been principally dedicated to nuclear physics since it generated its first beam in 1961. Beams that are designed to break apart an atomic nucleus are very different from those targeted at a substantially larger biological sample. And a customized beam line was just the beginning of what was required to adapt the facility for radiobiology experiments.
Berkeley Lab researchers have used the new facility at the 88-Inch to explore topics including the nature of chromatin structure, DNA damage and repair following simulated radon exposure, genetic constraints on the occurrence of mutations, and the biological basis of radiation-induced cataract formation.
Speaking for this research community, Life Sciences Division scientist Amy Kronenberg says a large, collective effort made possible the 88-Inch radiobiology program.
"People from four divisions worked together to make this happen," said Kronenberg. "Members of the Nuclear Science, Engineering, EH&S and Life Sciences divisions combined to design a beam line that would accommodate the needs of Life Sciences researchers." This beam line also has proven useful for other applications.
Learning process
Building and tuning a life sciences beamline involved a learning process. The beams used in the study of the atomic nucleus are typically 1-2 centimeters in diameter. A much broader beam, 10 centimeters in diameter, is required for radiobiology experiments. Broadening the beam would be relatively simple except for the requirement that its intensity be uniform, that is, equal whether at the middle or at the edge of the beam. Don Syversrud and Doug Garfield led the mechanical engineering effort required to create a beam that has 95 percent uniformity across its breadth.
The operations staff at the 88-Inch played a crucial role in the development of beam optics and uniformity for the new beamline and is intimately involved in beam delivery. The biology runs are unusual in that investigators use different types of particles within a few hours of one another. This is different than a typical nuclear physics run, and the biology runs require constant activity on the part of the operations staff. On duty around-the-clock, this team is headed by Aran Guy and includes Reba Siero, Tom Gimpel, Bob Coates, Vicki Sailing, Jim Morel and Ed Diaz.
Radiobiologists cannot do research at an accelerator unless they can measure the radiation dose that the beam delivers to the biological sample. Over decades, very precise dosimetry systems were developed for the Bevalac facility. Physical equipment and expertise critical for dosimetry for biological experiments were transferred from the Bevalac to the 88-Inch by a team that included Peggy McMahan, Bill Holley, Bernhard Ludewigt, Cary Zeitlin, and Lawrence Heilbronn.
To control the dosage, a Macintosh-based system was developed by McMahan, Roger Dwinell, and several visiting engineers to allow biologists to control the beam and to document the dose level and uniformity delivered to each sample. This capability is very important, especially since exposures are often brief and accuracy is crucial.
New safety issues
Radiobiology research poses a new set of environment, health, and safety issues at the 88-Inch. Unlike typical experiments run by nuclear scientists, life scientists go in and out of the experimental caves to change experimental samples repeatedly throughout the course of a run. As a result, new procedures and controls have been set up to guarantee safety. Occasionally, an experiment requires that the samples be labeled with radioisotopes. The EH&S team that oversees the coming and going of these samples includes Ruth Mary Larimer, Roger Kloepping, Glenn Garabedian, and Jim Hayes.
Speaking for a very grateful group of biologists, Kronenberg said that the efforts of this diverse and talented group of individuals helped ensure the continuation of accelerator-based radiobiology onsite at Berkeley Lab.
CAPTION: Standing, from left, Jim Morel, Aran Guy, Abraham Katzanek, Tom Gimpel, and seated, Vickie Saling, and Peggy McMahan are among those who work at the 88-Inch Cyclotron. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
On Jan. 20, William Jefferson Clinton was sworn in for his second term as the 42nd President of the United States. Noting that he is the last president to be elected in this millennium, Clinton recapped the accomplishments of the 20th century and called special attention to the key role played by science in our nation's march through history. "Americans ... built unrivaled centers of learning and opened public schools to all, split the atom and explored the heavens, invented the computer and the microchip..." The President also tipped a figurative hat toward the role science will play in forging the bridge to the 21st century--his major campaign slogan. "Ten years ago the Internet was the mystical province of physicists; today it is a commonplace encyclopedia for millions of school children. Scientists now are decoding the blueprint of human life. Cures for our most feared illnesses seem close at hand." Whether the President's recognition will improve the budgetary outlook for science remains to be seen, but it is a positive start.
DOE Secretary-Designate Gets Briefing, High Marks:
Energy Secretary-designate Federico Pena is trying to cover a lot of ground in a hurry. Widely acknowledged to have little direct experience with DOE, Pena has been meeting with senior department staff members and leaders in the national laboratory system, including Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank. Those who have met Pena, including Shank, are encouraged. He is said to be open, and a good listener. He is known to be in good standing at the White House and is experienced at running a large agency with multiple missions. Perhaps the best news for the national labs is that Pena is a strong believer in research and development and the benefits of technology. Noah Rifkin, who served as Pena's science advisor at the Department of Transportation (which Pena headed during Clinton's first term), says, "Pena sees technology as a means to an end and is not the type to necessarily focus on technology for technology's sake. His vision is that technology and research is an engine with which we create jobs, improve our international competitiveness and solve problems facing us. He has a faith that technology will ultimately find solutions, and he is a devout believer in investing for the future."
-- Lynn Yarris
CAPTION: A group of 40 students from the biotechnology program at Oakland's Fremont High School made a whirlwind tour of the Laboratory on Jan. 13. The students were hosted by Materials Sciences Division's John Brown at the X-ray Microscopy beamline at the ALS, and at the Visualization Laboratory by Terry Ligocki of Computing Sciences Division. One of the groups is shown here alongside the new DNA preparation machine in Bldg. 64 with Technology Development group leader Bruce Kimmel (right) of the Human Genome Center. Fremont students will be seeking biotech-related internships this summer. If you are interested in hosting a student in your lab, contact David Gilbert at X6096 or degilbert@lbl.gov. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
On a more serious note, Seaborg was recently interviewed for an upcoming one-hour PBS documentary on nuclear energy. Richard Rhodes, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Making of the Atomic Bomb," is the correspondent for the program, which is scheduled to be shown in March. Seaborg also recently served as a resource for a two-hour documentary on the history of 20th-century physics and astronomy. This program will be featured in a PBS mini-series entitled "Century of Discovery," scheduled to begin in November 1997.
-- Kristin Balderfroid
Thirty years after the musical "Hair" made its debut, and years after most of the "flower children" have shorn or shed their locks, the Age of Aquarius has finally dawned. On Thursday, Jan. 23, at 12:56 p.m., the planets Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune came into an alignment with the sun in or very near to the Aquarius sector of the heavens. This alignment combines with the position of the moon, Mars, Saturn, Pluto, and an astrological measurement known as the "ascendant" to form a six-pointed star on astrological charts. The star is viewed by astrologers as a talisman, signifying the arrival of the Age of Aquarius, an era of peace and harmony.
M.R.C. Greenwood, chancellor of UC Santa Cruz and former associate director of science for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Clinton, has been chosen president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She will take office at the annual AAAS meeting, which will be held next month in Seattle. With more than 143,000 members, AAAS is the nation's largest science organization.
UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry and the family of Nobel Laureate Melvin Calvin invite his friends and colleagues to a memorial celebration in his honor at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, in Hertz Hall on campus. Calvin, University Professor Emeritus, and founder of the Laboratory's Chemical Biodynamics Division (now Structural Biology), died on Jan. 8 (see Jan. 10 Currents). Donations in Calvin's name may be sent to the Melvin Calvin Memorial Fund, College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720. If attending the memorial service, please use the west entrance to Hertz Hall.
The full text of each edition of Currents is published on the Lab's home page on the World Wide Web. View it at http://www.lbl.gov/ under "Research News and Publications." To set up your computer to access the World Wide Web, call the Mac and PC Support Group at X6858.
By Monica Friedlander
It is highly unlikely that many school children in the small newly-independent countries of Central and Eastern Europe have heard much about Berkeley Lab. Yet in schools throughout Slovenia, as well as in formerly-Soviet Estonia, students are using a simple technique conceived here by a Berkeley Lab scientist and an Illinois high school teacher to measure air pollution. The low-tech equipment, which yields results comparable to those obtained by standard scientific instruments, consists of a piece of tissue paper, a vacuum cleaner, two disposable cups, a plastic bag, and a photographic print.
With the help of these gadgets, students, teachers, and scientists on two continents are working together as part of the International Air Pollution Project, run by the Lab's Center for Science and Engineering Education (CSEE), to measure the amount of black carbon--or soot--in the atmosphere. By participating in this program, the students and teachers hope to learn first-hand about scientific research methodology, become familiar with the work and cultures of people in other countries, and raise general consciousness about worldwide environmental problems.
"It's very exciting to have an educational project that can utilize lab technology throughout the world," says project coordinator Eileen Engel of CSEE. "We're hoping this is just the beginning."
The project falls under the umbrella of a larger Berkeley Lab program entitled Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) in Science. Sponsored by the Human Genome Field Operations Office, the project is designed to highlight research activities at the Lab while stimulating discussion about the consequences of scientific research. Participants in the project consider questions such as how to best use available resources and weigh the benefits and drawbacks of scientific research and discovery.
Through the International Air Pollution Project, teachers guide students through environmental observations about air pollution and integrate sample collection and computer work into classroom activities. Students exchange the results of their experiments over the Internet and through e-mail and faxes, thereby making the data available for further research and educational activities. While the project is only now beginning to be piloted in a few U.S. classrooms, in Slovenia it is part of the official national curriculum.
The project grew out of an idea developed in 1989 by Berkeley Lab physicist Tony Hansen and high-school teacher Dean Rockwell, a participant in the DOE Teacher Research Associate Program. Hansen had developed an instrument for measuring airborne carbon particles known as soot, which are a major atmospheric pollutant. Soot particles are released into the air from the burning of fuel in cars, homes and industry. Diesel engines are a major source of this type of pollution, which can have serious health and environmental consequences.
After working together, Rockwell and Hansen decided to devise a method for measuring atmospheric soot based on the principles developed by Hansen, but which could be used by students--that is, one that would be both inexpensive and easy to use and understand.
"The important thing to show is that science is not hidden in a box," Hansen says. "A lot of science today is mediated by a piece of apparatus that relies on sophisticated technology that no one understands. It's really important to convey to students that, deep down, science is not based on magic."
Hansen was particularly concerned about the alarming levels of air pollution--particularly soot--in parts of eastern and central Europe. In some of those countries, soot concentration can be more than 10 times higher than that on a smoggy day in Los Angeles. Monitoring the pollution is the first step towards alleviating the problem.
Hansen contacted Dr. Mirko Bizjak, a fellow scientist at the National Chemistry Institute of Slovenia, who immediately bought into the idea of involving school children in pollution monitoring experiments. Rockwell was subsequently invited by the Slovenian national science academy to travel to their country and demonstrate the ingenious air sampler to school teachers there. The idea caught on and spread to Estonia as well. Today, 60 schools in Slovenia and 12 in Estonia use classroom materials developed for all grade levels to receive and analyze data on air pollution using the simple technique invented at Berkeley.
"In Estonia," Hansen says, "this is the only air pollution measurement in the whole country."
CSEE would like to see the program expand both nationally and to other countries, thereby fostering further cooperation between American and other students around the world. To register or to find out more about the International Air Pollution Project, call Eileen Engel at X5719, or visit the project web site at http://csee.lbl.gov/elsi/index.html. For more information on the measuring equipment, contact Tony Hansen, X7158, ADHansen@lbl.gov.
CAPTIONS: Teacher Dean Rockwell with the components of a simple pollution detection device.
Students in Slovenian towns such as Kamnick (above) are measuring pollution using a simple device developed at Berkeley Lab.
By Monica Friedlander
Measuring air pollution is more than a side interest to veteran Lab scientist Tony Hansen, who spent his first 13 years at Berkeley Lab as part of the Atmospheric Aerosols Research Group. More than 10 years ago, Hansen developed a new technique to measure suspended black carbon particles, or soot. The resulting instrument, which is in commercial use worldwide, will now help Hansen achieve a life-long dream of his--taking his research to the polar expanses of Antarctica.
Undaunted by the sub-freezing climate awaiting him at the South Pole, Hansen will spend three weeks on ice, installing two monitors which will measure traces of pollution in a region most people mistakenly believe to be covered by nothing but pristine ice.
"There's more pollution in the Arctic in the springtime than the annual average in the Bay Area," says Hansen, who has already been on several research missions in the far north. The major source of pollution there, he explains, is smoke--largely from Russia--which accumulates in a region that lies north of a certain meteorological boundary beyond which the air gets trapped. At the South Pole, much of the pollution results from the burning of fuel for heating and diesel-powered electric generators. Because of the low temperatures at the pole, Hansen says, pollutants do not degenerate and could, in the long run, affect world climate.
This time, Hansen's project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation for the installation of equipment at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station. The data will be transmitted back to the U.S. every two weeks, and will be subsequently analyzed for environmental impact by scientists at other universities.
While on his trip (San Francisco-South Pole, via New Zealand and McMurdo on the Antarctic Coast), Hansen will be in constant touch via cyberspace with fellow scientists, friends, and even school children connected to the Internet.
Hansen plans to post daily updates on his World Wide Web site (http://www.mageesci.com), which will include personal observations as well as digitized pictures. Hansen looks forward to receiving feedback and e-mail (TonyHansen@MageeSci.com) from friends and strangers alike who are interested in his expedition.
Hansen will leave for Antarctica on Jan. 27 and return to the Lab on Feb. 18. A self-proclaimed "gadget man," he currently works with the Instrumentation Group in the Engineering Division, where he devises robotics for use in biotechnology projects.
All employees are invited to attend the following events in celebration of Black History Month during February.
Video Montage
Month of February
A video montage of African art will be exhibited in the cafeteria lobby.
African American Art Exhibit
Tuesday-Friday, Feb. 11-14
Cafeteria Lobby
Artwork by African American artists, including works from Black Art Productions and the artist Anne Marie, will be on display.
Video Presentation
Feb. 12, 13, 17, 18, 24 and 27
Noon, Bldg. 50 auditorium
The documentary "Eyes on the Prize," about the history of civil rights in America, will be shown over six days.
Lecture on Ebonics
Thursday, Feb. 20
Noon, Bldg. 50 auditorium
Carolyn M. Getridge, superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District, will speak on issues surrounding the district's Ebonics Plan that has put Oakland schools at the center of a national debate over the education of black students.
Storytelling by Marijo
Friday, Feb. 28
Noon, Bldg. 50 auditorium
Due to popular demand, the actress, comedienne, and storyteller Marijo will return to the Lab for the third year. Children are welcome.
The following celebrations are planned at the Laboratory for 1997. Individual events will be announced in Currents as they arise. If you have ideas for guest speakers, entertainers, etc. for any of the celebrations, or would like more information, please contact the Work Force Diversity Office at x4130.
February
Black History Month (see column at left for details)
March
International Women's Month
April
Daughter's To Work Day
May
Asian Heritage Month
June
Gay Pride Month
September
Hispanic Heritage Month
October
Disability Awareness Month
National Gay History Week
November
Native American Heritage Month
December
World Aids Day
A crime has been committed and the solution lies in a lab filled with hands-on chemistry activities. Visitors of all ages become science detectives as they step inside the crime scene--a specially constructed beach house filled with clues. What are the mystery crystals? Whose fingerprints are on the cup? To investigate these and other questions, visitors use chromatography to analyze inks, match DNA and fingerprint samples, examine hidden messages, and more. There are separate mysteries for ages 5 and up, and for older children and adults. The ChemMystery exhibit opens at the Hall on Saturday, Feb. 1.
The Hall is also scheduling a number of special events in February in celebration of Black History Month. The planetarium show "African Skies" will be shown at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 8, 9, 22, and 23 (tickets are $2 each). "Medicine Man," a live performance by the Oakland Ensemble Theatre, will be presented at 1 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 9 and 17 (free with price of admission). The student presentation "Young Researchers Exploring Black Scientists" will be presented at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23 (free with price of admission).
For more information about these events, call the Hall at 642-5132.
Waste Watchers is brought to you monthly by EH&S's Waste Mangement group
Waste Management Home Page
The Waste Management Group (WM) is developing a home page. It will provide information, resources, and updates on activities to support waste generators. In this developmental stage, WM would like to hear from you. Send e-mail to Nancy Rothermich at NERothermich@lbl.gov.
The WM home page will contact the following major "launch points" and information:
Generator Assistance and Waste Characterization
Supplies and Services
Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention
The home page will include previous Waste Watcher articles (in case you missed one), announcements, upcoming topics, new regulations, etc.
Reengineering Waste Management
Changes aimed at offering generators incentives to reduce waste and costs are afoot within DOE. Support for change accelerated in May 1995, when two independent studies reached similar conclusions. Compared to private industry, DOE doesn't provide generators enough financial incentive to minimize waste or operate a cost-effective waste management program.
DOE has since worked to implement the study recommendations through pilot re-engineering programs at several laboratories. WM funding would revert to the research/support programs or site landlords. Generators would then pay directly for WM services (through "charge-backs") based on how much waste they generated. Savings from projected WM costs would revert to the generator's program.
Much remains to be negotiated between DOE, OMB, and Congress, especially at multi-program research labs. To best measure the potential of reengineering, OMB has approved a limited transfer of FY98 WM funds to DP, ER, and NE at the following sites: Kansas City Plant ($7M); Fermi ($2M); SLAC ($2M); Argonne-W ($1M); Savannah River ($1M). Results there may influence additional implementation.
At Berkeley Lab, questionnaires and informational invoices covering waste pickup, treatment, storage, and disposal will be distributed in March/April 1997 to each division that generates radioactive and/or hazardous waste. The invoices will allow generators to trace costs and quantities of waste in a first step toward reductions in those areas.
ER has proposed that actual charge-backs could begin at Berkeley Lab in FY2000. WM staff will be working with generators to ensure a smooth, timely transition to the new procedures. Stay tuned to DAC for news on implementation.
By Jeffery Kahn
Life scientists already have capitalized on the new radiobiology beam line at the 88-Inch Cyclotron. A number of investigators have conducted experiments to date, including the following.
To probe the structure of chromatin, Rydberg used ionizing particles from the cyclotron to create fragments of chromatin. As predicted four years ago by Life Sciences Deputy Head Aloke Chatterjee and his colleague William Holley, the size distribution of the chromatin fragments provides a signature of the structure. These experiments have challenged the previously accepted model of chromatin structure and support the so-called "Zig-Zag model."
Cooper has discovered that base damage in DMA induced by alpha particles is repaired more slowly than base damage caused by x-rays. She hypothesizes that the clusters of damage caused by alpha particles are more difficult for DNA repair enzymes to correct than the isolated damages caused by x-rays.
Former postdoctoral fellow Markus Lobrich, who recently returned to Germany after completing his fellowship in the Cooper lab, has accomplished an elegant experimental proof of a long-held theory concerning DNA double-strand break production and rejoining. The theory suggests that incorrectly rejoined double-strand breaks may be an important mechanism by which mutations occur.
CAPTION: Daryl Horler, Eric Anderssen, and Kevin Bradley prepare the outer field cage of the STAR time projection chamber for insertion into the gas vessel, the inside of which can be seen in the foreground. Both structures are ultra lightweight honeycomb construction. The chamber, which will be used in the search of the quark gluon plasma at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven, is to be shipped in Fall 1997. The photo was taken in November 1996. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
The charge rate for Motor Pool vehicles maintained for use by various employees, groups and departments (not assigned to an individual or group) is changing. Effective immediately, the rate for pool vehicles will be $7.50 per use plus $0.51 per mile. The old rate of $0.77 per mile rate was not adequate to recover costs. For round trips of about 32 miles or more, the cost of using a pool car under the new structure will be less than under the old rate. Fleet Operations has pool vehicles available at Bldg. 76; call Leslie Striplin at X5475 for reservations. Other pool vehicles are placed around the Hill for joint use by departments. For more information, contact Striplin or Fred Lothrop (X7726).
The Employee Development and Training Unit has scheduled an on-site Franklin Quest time management class for 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 20, in Bldg. 51-201.
Participants will learn how to:
If you receive unwanted junk mail at the Lab and want it to stop, the Mail Room (Bldg. 69) has correspondence cards just for that purpose. Complete the card by addressing it to the appropriate company, and be sure to check the box that specifically asks to remove your name from the company's mailing list. The cards can also be used as a change of address notification. Postage will be paid by Berkeley Lab. Beginning in February, the cards will also be available from division safety coordinators, mail stops, bulletin boards, and other convenient locations.
If you want to stop junk mail at home, you can write an East Coast company called Mail Preference Service, give them the various spellings of your name, and asked that they be removed from junk mailing lists. The company's address is:
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
Box 9008
Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735
A retirement luncheon is being held for Carl Quong of Computing Sciences, who retired on Dec. 31 after 39 years of service at the Lab. The buffet lunch will begin at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at Hs Lordships Restaurant, 199 Seawall Dr., Berkeley. The cost is $20 per person, which includes a contribution towards the gift. (If you cannot attend the luncheon, contributions of $5 for a gift are being accepted.) Please pay in cash to Bea Edwards (X5139) or make checks payable to Arie Shoshani (Quong's Luncheon) and mail to Edwards at M.S. 50B-3238 by Friday, Feb. 7. There is a card to sign in Suite 50B-3238.
The West Contra County Science Fair needs volunteers from the scientific community to serve as judges at this annual fair for secondary school students. Here is your chance to support budding young scientists from junior high and high schools in the West Contra Costa Unified and John Swett school districts. Winners from this competition will go on to compete in the San Francisco Bay Area Science Fair in March.
The fair will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 12:30 p.m. to about 5 p.m. in the Contra Costa College Gym Annex (2nd floor), in San Pablo. A light lunch will be served prior to the judging.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Emilio Gallegos at 235-5496 before Friday, Jan. 31.
HR NEWS is the new on line newsletter for the Human Resources department. You will find it behind the Newspaper box on the main HR home page. The newsletter provides a comprehensive overview of information to both lab employees and outside visitors from the web. Contributions come from all departments, including Foreign Visitors, Benefits, Training, and Labor Relations. Related information is welcome from lab employees. HR NEWS may be accessed at http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/HumanResources/HRNEWS.v2no1.html
Oracle Channel Courses
The following Oracle Channel courses will all be held from 8:45 a.m. to
1 p.m. in Bldg. 936-12. The registration deadline is 5 p.m. on the Monday prior to the week the class is to be held. To register for a class, send a fax to X4072 or call X5999.
| Date | Course |
| 2/4-5 | Developer 2000 Forms |
| 2/6 | Developer 2000 Tuning |
| 2/11-12 | DBA II |
| 2/13 | Symmetric Replication Overview |
| 2/18 | Oracle Express Objects Product Overview* |
| 2/19 | Oracle Universal Server: Multimedia Technologies |
| 2/20 | Oracle WebServer Overview |
| 2/25 | Object Technology Overview* |
| 2/26 | Oracle Products and Services Overview* |
| 2/27 | SQL Statement Tuning |
| *new course |
Computer Courses
The following on-site computer courses for Windows are taught from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Bldg. 51L computer room (next to the lower level of the Bevatron). The cost for these one-day courses is $100.
| Date | Course |
| 2/5 | Word 7.0 - Fundamentals |
| 2/13 | Excel 7.0 - Intermediate |
| 2/18 | Excel 7.0 - Fundamentals |
| 2/20 | PowerPoint 7.0 - Intermediate/Advanced |
| 2/24 | Word 7.0 - Fundamentals |
| 2/25 | Excel 7.0 - Advanced |
| 2/28 | PowerPoint 7.0 - Fundamentals |
| 2/11 | cc:Mail & Meeting Maker 8-10 a.m. 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 2-4 p.m. |
EH&S Classes
| Date | Course | Time | Location |
| 2/4 | Basic Electrical Hazards (EHS 260) | 9:30-11:30 a.m. | 48-109 |
| 2/11 | Fire Extinguisher Use (EHS 530) | 10-11:30 a.m. | 48-109 |
| 2/12 | Compressed Gas Safety (EHS 231) | 10:30-11:30 a.m. | 51-201 |
| 2/13 | First Aid (EHS 116) | 8 a.m. - noon | 48-109 |
| 2/13 | Radiation Protection: Sealed Sources (EHS 438) | 10-11 a.m. | 51-201 |
| 2/13 | Radiation Protection: Fundamentals & Lab Safety (EHS 400 & EHS 432) | 8 a.m. - noon | 51-201 |
| 2/20 | Adult CPR (EHS 123) | 9 a.m. - noon | 48-109 |
| 2/20 | Introduction to EH&S at LBNL (EHS 010) | 9-11:30 a.m. | 66 Aud. |
| 2/25 | Chemical Hygiene and Safety (EHS 348) | 1-3:00 p.m. | 51-201 |
| 2/25 | Earthquake Safety (EHS 135) | 10-11:30 a.m. | 48-109 |
| 2/25 | Laser Safety (EHS 280) | 1-3 p.m. | 71 Conf. Rm |
The Berkeley Lab Calendar is published biweekly here on the World Wide Web and in Currents by the Public Information Department. Employees can list a meeting, class, or event in the Calendar by using this submission form. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. on Monday in the week that Currents is published.In addition to the events listed below, Berkeley Lab's Washington, D.C. Projects office is hosting a Science and Technology Seminars series.
Scientific Conferences
SHOEMOBILE
7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., near Bldg. 79.
TIME MANAGEMENT CLASS REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Today is the last day to register for the Franklin Quest time management class
scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 20, in Bldg. 51-201. For
details, see the Jan. 24 Currents (accessible on the Web via the Lab's home
page), or call the Employment Development and Training Unit at X5999.
Video Montage
In celebration of Black History Month, a video montage of African art will be
exhibited in the cafeteria lobby.
Workers' Compensation SUPERVISORY Training
9:30-11:30 a.m. in Bldg. 51-201.
JANUARY 28, Tuesday
Biosciences Distinguished Lecture
"Regulation of mRNA: The Ferrilin-IRE Model" will be presented by Elizabeth
Theil of North Carolina State University at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 66-316.
Physics Division Research Progress Meeting
"LEP at 7" will be presented by Jordan Nash of Imperial College at 4 p.m. in
Bldg. 50A-5132; refreshments, 3:40 p.m.
JANUARY 30, Thursday
Building Energy Seminar
"Energy-Efficiency Market Transformation: Can it Provide the Basis for Future
Publicly Supported Energy Efficiency Policies?" will be presented by Joseph Eto
of E&E at noon in Bldg. 90-3148.
Center for Environmental Biotechnology Seminar
"Aerobic Bioremediation of TCE Contaminated Groundwater: Bio Augmentation with
Burkholderia Cepacia PRL201" will be presented by Al Bourquin of Camp, Dresser
and McKee Inc., at noon in Bldg. 50A-5132.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"Dynamic Ice Surface in the Polar Stratosphere" will be presented by Steven M.
George of the University of Colorado at Boulder at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66
auditorium.
Physics Division Research Progress Meeting
"Some Interesting Hadronic Decays of Charmed Strange Mesons" will be presented
by Jon Bartelt of Vanderbilt University at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 50A-5132;
refreshments, 3:40 p.m.
FEBRUARY 6, Thursday
Building Energy Seminar
"Innovative Low NOx Burner Developed at LBNL" will be presented by Robert Cheng
of E&E at noon in Bldg. 90-3148.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"Nanostructurally Defined Catalysts: Dimensional and Support Effects" will be
presented by Howard Saltsburg of the University of Rochester at 1:30 p.m. in
the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
'80 DATSUN 210 sta. wgn, 80K orig. mi., new paint & tires, tune-up, smogged, many new parts, runs & looks great, $1350/b.o. 210-1119
'81 FORD Mustang, grn, 6-cyl, a/t, CD player, new brakes, gd cond., 110K mi., $1100/b.o. Jing, X7239, X5118, (415) 992-5722 (eve.)
'83 HONDA Civic, light blue, 4-dr, 5-spd, AM/FM cass., moonrf, clean, needs engine work, $300/b.o. Marta, X4709, 525-1459
'86 VW Jetta, 98K mi., 4-dr, 5-spd, sunrf, AM/FM/cass., gd. cond., $1800. Ken, X6775, 486-8138 (home)
'88 MAZDA MX6, 92K mi., dk blue, great cond., blue book $5-$6K, best offer. X7176
'90 CHEVROLET Corsica, brownish-gray, a/t, a/c, 92K mi., well-maintained, very dependable, blue book $5100, asking $3600/b.o. Carla, X6297, 642-4274 X136, 524-9493 (eve.)
'90 GEO Metro, 5-spd, 2-dr hatchbk, AM/FM, 86K mi., runs great, $2K. Michele, X4555, 843-1633 (eve.)
'91 VW Fox, 90K mi., gd. cond., 4-dr, 5-spd manual trans., a/c, AM/FM cass. pull out, $5200/b.o. Jhane, X4622, (415) 386-8997
'94 FORD Explorer, 62K mi., white w/gray leather int., loaded, incl.6-disc CD system & moonrf, exc. cond., $14.5K. William, X7659, 846-3052
ENGINE, Ford 390, manual C6 transmission, Hollie carburetor, headers, many extras, very low mi. 906-9786
HARD DRIVE, sm., for a Mac Plus (<100MB), cheap. Martin, X6187
HOUSE-SITTING for academic couple from Toronto while in Berkeley in Feb. & March, exc. w/plants & animals, great local refs. Andrea, X4695
LAPTOP COMPUTER, to borrow or buy for writing dissertation, must have Word 5.1a or 6.0, prefer Mac, PC OK, not too fancy. Marilee, X7478, (415) 464-0191 (eve.)
PHONOGRAPH, gd cond. Nanyang, X5814, 528-8861
STORAGE SPACE for 20' classic car, secure, covered. Bill, 527-3788
VOLUNTEER TUTORS, help campus employees strengthen theirwriting, speaking, reading & basic math skills, noon-time tutor training begins Wed., 2/26. Jane, 643-5280
BIKE, men's 29", 10-spd, great shape, $80. Jim, X6919, 235-5389
CAPPUCCINO MAKER, Krups, makes espresso, but steamer broken, best offer. Doug, 237-2233
COMPUTER, PC-clone 486-25 MHz, 200 MB HD, 8 MB RAM, 13.9" viewable, .28 pitch non-interlaced monitor, Trident video w/1 MB Ram, Win 3.1, PC Tools & other software, $450. Scott, X6248
COMPUTER, Cannon BJ-200ex printer, new cond. w/warranty, $65; black leather type sofa & love seat, both for $450; dining set, glass table, 4 chairs, modern style, $100. X5063, 549-0914
COUNTRY KITCHEN TABLE, 60"x 30" & 4 chairs, wht/oak, $100; gas range wht/blk, $300; gas dryer, older Maytag, gold, $50; whitewash ent. ctr, will fit 27" TV & stereo, $75; "Big Man's" Lazyboy, brn, $50; microwave oven, $25. Sasha, X6560, Ben, X4659
ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, oak, 56"L x 21.5"W x 50.5"H, contains 4 shelf stereo cabinet w/oak & glass doors, TV stand, 2-drwrs & VCR enclosure, exc. cond., $220; butcher block w/2 lower shelves, 48"L x 24"W x 35"H, $150; recliner, black leather, Scandinavian Designs, contemporary design w/foot stool, hardly used, $450; extension ladder, 28', extra heavy duty, $150. Mike, X5224, 482-1700
FILING CABINETS (3), metal, 4-dr, $75 ea., $150/b.o. for all. Ed, X6047
FUTON, queen sz., pine frame, 6'' mattress, grn cover, like new (1 yr.), $135. 235-2572
FUTON, solid oak frame, SW design cover, oak end table & lamp, $550/b.o. takes all. Jeff, 625-8752
KEYBOARD, O1/W ProX, gd cond., w/SKB case, $2300. Dan, 532-7470
LASER DISKS, The Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad, $22.50; Sinbad & The Eye Of The Tiger, $22.50; Powder, $20; Poltergeist, $17.50; Perez Family, $15; Brain Doners, $10; Circle Of Friends, $15; Madonna Blond Ambition Tour, $15; Ewoks-The Battle For Endor, $15; Reality Bites, $15; The King of Kings (Criterion Coll), $15; None But The Brave (Frank Sinatra), $15; Mr. Sat. Night, $15; Cabin Boy, $12.50; Iceman, $10; Weekend At Bernie's, $10; Mark Twain & Me, $10; Used People (Shirley MacLaine), $10; Free Ride, $10. Mary, X7933, 455-0917
MAC SE, brand new keyboard, color Imagewriter II, exc. cond., best offer. Nanyang, X5814, 528-8861
MACINTOSH POWERBOOK 165C, 8M RAM, color display, case, $600. Mike, X6083, 797-7141
MODEL RAILROAD TRACK, LGB #10600 24" straight sections, new in box, unused, $6.50 ea. Dave, X6393, 262-0320
MOVING SALE, futon, VCR, assorted kitchenware, low prices. Chris, X4263
MOVING SALE, leather furn., coffee tables, kitchen table set, paintings, Canon copier, antiques, other household items, sale on 1/24-26, Oakland Hills area. 635-6012
OFFICE DESK, classic oak, 30x60, Salem maple finish, 6 drwrs, 8 legs, gd cond., $200. David, X7803
PONY, American Shetland, paint, very cute & exc. w/children, $800/b.o. Sherry, X4115, 236-9310
SKIS, K2 VO Slalom, 195 cm, $100; Rossignol Quantum 828, 195 cm, $125; Rossignol FP, 180 cm, $100; ski boots, Raichle, men's sz. 9, $100; Nordica 955, men's sz. 9.5, $80. X6598, 689-7213
SNOWBOARD BOOTS, Burton, sz. 12, min. use, gd cond., $125/b.o.; Lego's, a lot of them, many different sets, some sets in orig. boxes, most w/instructions, $250/b.o. Greg, 527-1196
SOLAR PANELS (2), w/2 tanks (1 leaks), 4x6.5 ft., $100 ea.; Nintendo game system, complete w/7 games, only 1 controller, $75; chandelier, 5 light, $30/b.o. Guy, X4703, Kathy, 482-1777
SWIVEL ROCKER, upholstered brown velvet, gd cond., $25; ski boots, woman's sz. 8, worn twice, $75. Jane, X4832
UPRIGHT PIANO, early 20s, exc. cond., $950; hollow body elec. guitar, Guild T-100-D, primo cond., '66, $550; acoustic guitar, Goya, early 60s, hard case, $200; Fender Deluxe revere amp, vacuum tube type, $200; Precision base, elec., Seville, like new, hard case, $100; Miracle Piano Teaching System, keyboard, cables, manual & disk, $100, or $1700 for all. Nick, 938-7969
UPRIGHT VACUUM, Eureka, used 5 times, exc. cond., incl. carton of extra bags, $39. Sherry, X6972, (415) 564-7881
VIOLIN 1/2 sz. w/shoulder rest & case, $150. X6479
BERKELEY, Larina/Russell, furn. studio, nr Berkeley Bowl, shopping, UC & trans., sunny, quiet, pvt, 2nd flr, avail. 2/1, $630/mo. 843-1907 (msg.)
BERKELEY (3 listings), all 10 min. walk So. of UCB, utils. incl., part./fully furn, nr shops, bus & park, two 1-bdrm, one 2-bdrm split level, prefer 1 yr. lease, $625-$1200. Kathy 482-1777
BERKELEY, Prince/Fulton, 1-bdrm apt, off-st. parking, BART, 12 min. drive to LBNL, avail. 1/31, $727/mo. Claudia, X6174
NO. BERKELEY, furn. lg. rm w/pvt bth, sep. entrance. nr bus & shopping, share kitchen, washer/dryer, $500/mo. 527-4497
EL CERRITO HILLS, nr Kensington/Berkeley, 3-bdrm, 2-bth home, panoramic bay view, piano, 3 decks, sauna, washer/dryer, no smoking, no pets, BART, bus or 10 min. drive to LBNL, prefer yr. lease, $1500/mo. X6005
KENSINGTON, 5-bdrm house to share w/1 person, private bth, view of bay & Golden Gate, garden w/trees, nr shopping/buses, $500/mo. + 1/3 utils. 524-7086
MORAGA, Ascot Dr., 3-bdrm, 2-bth condo, carport, pool, frpl,view, $950/mo. Bob, 376-2211
EXCHANGE: family house in Oxford, UK, offered in exchange for similar in Berkeley area, July-Dec. '97, 1 mi. east of city center, convenient for the Univ. of Oxford, Oxford Brookes Univ. & the hospitals, 3-bdrms (1 dbl, 1 twin, 1 single), 1.5 bth, all appliances, garden, car exchange possible. cvph2@lboro.ac.uk.
WANTED: professional couple moving back to Bay area for work needs housing, short term to start, ASAP. Stan, 758-8017
WANTED: furn. house/apt for 4 visiting Russian scientists, for 2 mo. approx. March & April, nr LBNL. Ian, X4174
WANTED: 1 bdrm apt/house, No. Berkeley/No. Berkeley Hills, Kensington, Albany, El Cerrito area w/a possibility to have a dog there. Erika, X5399, 848-8173
WANTED: 2-bdrm in-law cottage/apt/house w/kitchen privilege for elder German couple visiting campus 3/12-4/4, Berkeley/Rockridge/Albany area. Y. R. Shen, 642-4856, 643-8923 (FAX), shenyr@physics.berkeley.edu
WANTED: unfurn. 2-bdrm house/apt. in Berkeley/Albany/El Cerrito for postdoc, wife & kid by March. Luis, X4229, 845-2963 (eve.), lhespino@ux5.lbl.gov
WANTED: sm. apt/rm for visiting researcher from mid Feb.-mid. March. John, X6329, 234-3925, JMByrd@lbl.gov
WANTED: Berkeley Hills, 4+bdrm house for visiting scientist & family, mid-Aug. '97 to mid-Aug. '98, possibility of exchange for a house in Jerusalem. 525-2095
SONOMA COAST, 2.16 acres, Timbercove, Ft. Ross area, all utils. Nick, 527-1965
SO. LAKE TAHOE, Tahoe Keys, 3-bdrm, 2.5 bth house, upstairs living, quiet area, nr skiing & other attractions, views of water & mountains. Bob, 376-2211
BBQ, gas Thermador, needs paint & TLC. Sasha, X6560, Ben, X4659
OWNER'S MANUAL, Apple Imagewriter II. Jon, X5974
Please note also:
Published once a month by the Communications Department for the employees and retirees of Berkeley Lab.
Reid Edwards, Public Affairs Department head
Ron Kolb, Communications Department headEDITOR
Pamela Patterson, 486-4045, pjpatterson@lbl.gov
Associate editor
Lyn Hunter, 486-4698, lhunter@lbl.govSTAFF WRITERS
Dan Krotz, 486-4019
Paul Preuss, 486-6249
Lynn Yarris, 486-5375CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Ucilia Wang, 495-2402
Allan Chen, 486-4210
David Gilbert, (925) 296-5643DESIGN
Caitlin Youngquist, 486-4020
Creative Services OfficeBerkeley Lab
Communications Department
MS 65, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley CA 94720
(510) 486-5771
Fax: (510) 486-6641Berkeley Lab is managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Flea Market is now online at www.lbl.gov/fleamarket
