By Jeffery Kahn
Oxidative damage has been implicated in a range of diseases including cancer, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and even aging. Now, life scientists believe they have linked it to Cockayne syndrome, a rare hereditary disorder in which infants suffer severe developmental failure and early death.
In recent papers published in Science magazine and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the research team led by Priscilla Cooper of the Life Sciences Division provides the first evidence that Cockayne's results from mutations that prevent the body from rapidly repairing oxidative damage to DNA. In pinpointing what goes wrong during Cockayne's--a disease where normal development is severely impaired--the findings also shed new light on how vital DNA repair processes must work in order for normal development to occur.
The research team includes Steven Leadon of the University of North Carolina, and Stuart Clarkson and Thierry Nouspikel of the University of Geneva Medical Center in Switzerland. Leadon was an LSD staff scientist at Berkeley Lab from 1985 to 1991.
Currently, there is no treatment for Cockayne's. Babies born with this syndrome appear fairly normal at birth, but fail to develop normally. During their short lives, they become dwarfed and have other skeletal abnormalities. Though they are profoundly retarded, these children typically are very friendly and very interested in people. In most cases, they die in infancy or childhood.
Up until now, the prevailing theory has been that Cockayne's is due to subtle defects in transcription. That is, scientists believed that these children's genetic machinery for synthesizing proteins needed by the body does not operate at normal capacity. Over time, the theory says, this results in developmental failure and death.
The Cooper team has found a different explanation, focusing on how the body deals with the repair of oxidative damage.
Every minute, the body pumps 10 to 20 liters of oxygen through the blood, carrying it to billions of cells in our bodies. In its normal molecular form, oxygen is harmless. However, cellular metabolism involving oxygen can generate several highly reactive forms of oxygen, called free radicals. These free radicals can cause oxidative damage to cellular components, including the DNA.
In an average human cell, several thousand lesions occur in the DNA every day. Many of these lesions result from oxidative damage. Each lesion--a damaged section of DNA--must be snipped out and the DNA repaired to preserve its normal function. Unrepaired DNA can lose its ability to code for proteins. Mutations also can result. These mutations can activate oncogenes or silence tumor suppressor genes.
Normal cells efficiently recognize and repair damaged sections of their DNA. In fact, Cooper and her colleagues have found that the repair of oxidative damage occurs faster in active genes (which make up less than five percent of the genome) than in inactive regions of the DNA. In the case of children with Cockayne syndrome, Cooper says, these latest findings establish that oxidative damage to active genes is not preferentially repaired, and in the most severe cases, repair is slowed throughout the whole genome. The resulting accumulation of oxidative damage could impair the normal functions of the DNA and may even result in triggering a program of cell death (apoptosis).
"We have not yet proved this is the case," Cooper says. "However, we have shown a very strong correlation between the inability to repair oxidative damage and severe developmental failure and early death. We believe that the inability to repair oxidative damage is the underlying cause of Cockayne's."
Cooper says one novel implication of the research is that two repair mechanisms thought to be independent of one another appear to work together to repair oxidative DNA damage.
Nucleotide excision repair (NER) removes many types of DNA damage, including lesions produced by chemical carcinogens or sunlight, either of which can cause cancer if not repaired. This repair process is general in nature, snipping out defective stretches of DNA that consist of some 30 nucleotides. The process is initiated not because of the recognition of a specific defect but because of the detection of a general distortion produced in the DNA helix by lesions. Until now, NER was thought to be the only repair process that can select the transcriptionally active portion of the genome for preferential repair.
In contrast, base excision repair (BER) relies on specialized enzymes to recognize and repair very specific types of damage, including the damage produced by free radicals. This process cleaves and repairs a section of DNA consisting of one to five nucleotide bases.
After tackling what amounts to a mind-twisting scientific brain teaser, Cooper's team reached the conclusion that NER and BER work together to repair oxidative damage.
Cockayne syndrome can result from defects in any of five separate genes. Different defects in three of these genes can cause another disease called xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), which is not clinically related to Cockayne's. Individuals with XP, which is known to be a repair-deficiency disease, are extremely sensitive to ultraviolet light and chemical carcinogens, and are highly susceptible to skin cancer.
To solve the puzzle, the research team focused on the XPG gene, one of the genes that can result in either of the two diseases. It is among a family of seven genes, all of which are necessary for NER, and any one of which, when defective, can result in XP. As reported in Science, the team showed that oxidative damage is removed normally by BER from the cells of XP patients who have NER defects only, but not from those patients who have Cockayne's due to defects in the XPG gene. Thus, they concluded, one normal function of the XPG gene is to play a role in the removal of oxidative lesions by BER. The researchers report that some mutations in this gene destroy its ability to function in NER, thus causing XP. Different mutations also destroy its ability to direct efficient removal of oxidative damage by BER, and result in Cockayne syndrome.
Currently, Cooper's group is investigating what goes wrong with BER in Cockayne's patients. Eventually, resolution of this biochemical conundrum could have medical and pharmaceutical implications not only for children born with Cockayne syndrome but for those afflicted with other repair-deficiency disorders.
Photo: Team leader Priscilla Cooper. (XBD9705-02189)
By Ron Kolb
Open House '97, a day of public tours and displays that will convey the excitement of science at Berkeley Lab to thousands of visitors, is beginning to take shape as planners develop program ideas for the October 18 event.
Divisions and programs have identified their Open House planning coordinators, and the Technical and Electronic Information Department (TEID) is gearing up for orders in printing and design to accommodate exhibit and signage needs.
Open House '97, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature a full range of lectures, demonstrations, children's activities, food and entertainment. When a similar event was staged in fall 1995, more than 5,000 people ascended the hill to enjoy the festivities and learn more about the work here.
Employees who wish to volunteer as hosts, tour guides or program assistants during the Open House are encouraged to contact their respective department coordinator or Rich Wilson (X7391), who is overseeing site-wide volunteer services.
The following individuals are responsible for Open House activity planning in their units: David Gilbert (Life Sciences), Jan Stultz (Human Genome Center), Vangie Peterson (Structural Biology), Jon Bashor (Computing Sciences), Susan Torrano (Chemical Sciences), Tom Daley (Earth Sciences), Paul Berdahl (Environmental Energy Technologies), Joel Ager (Materials Sciences), Michael O'Keefe (NCEM), Pat Butler (CXRO), Diana Attia (AFRD), Fred Schlachter (Advanced Light Source), Sue Bowen (Fusion), Kathleen Erickson-Weber (Superconducting Magnets), Anne Marie Piche (Nuclear Science), Kathie Hardy (Physics), Donald Foster and Nancy Tallarico (Engineering), Bruce Davies (Technology Transfer), George Rosas (Facilities) and Forrest Gee (Environment, Health and Safety).
TEID is urging participants to submit their orders early for posters, brochures, signs or displays in order to avoid last-minute rushes. Services provided by TEID include World Wide Web demonstrations, editorial services, printing, illustration, and multi-media electronic programs. Printing services include:
By Allan Chen
Technologies developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Center for Building Science have helped energy users in the United States and throughout the world save energy since the 1970s.
To save energy and money by applying energy-efficient technology and practices in its own facilities, as well as set an example for the rest of the world, Berkeley Lab launched an energy-savings program in 1985. The efforts of the In-House Energy Management Program (IHEM) have led to an annual savings of $2.3 million in energy costs at Berkeley Lab. Additional benefits include reduced maintenance from capital equipment improvements (far surpassing federal energy use reduction goals for government agencies), decreased pollution, improved worker productivity, and the dissemination of knowledge about energy-efficient technologies.
Success at Home
"IHEM meets its energy-saving objectives by first performing studies to identify energy-efficiency retrofit projects, and then managing the retrofit projects that are found to be cost-effective," says IHEM section chief Doug Lockhart. Since 1985, the organization has conducted more than 40 studies on Berkeley Lab facilities. Between 1990 and 1995, IHEM implemented 27 projects that collectively saved an estimated 94,250 million BTUs--more than 28 percent of the Lab's annual energy consumption before the retrofit.
"Since 1985, IHEM has reduced the Lab's energy use by 41 percent through the 1996 fiscal year," says Lockhart. "This figure exceeds a federal goal for all agencies to reduce their energy use 7 percent within the same period." Berkeley Lab's utilities cost $3.86 million in the 1995 fiscal year. The programs managed by IHEM are saving the Lab $2.3 million per year.
In addition to two architecture and engineering firms, IHEM also draws on the Center's many researchers in energy-efficient technology and program design. This cooperation led in 1994 to the creation of the Applications Team, a joint venture intended to speed the deployment of energy-efficient technologies and financing programs in markets throughout the U.S.
IHEM's numerous retrofits span the full array of available energy-efficient technologies. Berkeley Lab's wide variety of buildings ranges from temporary office trailers, to specialized laboratory buildings, to large multilaboratory structures with complex lighting, HVAC, and energy requirements. IHEM's efforts have included lighting, motor, and HVAC retrofits; chiller upgrades and replacements; and the installation of variable-speed drives and improved energy monitoring and control systems (EMCS).
One example of the program's willingness to adopt a new technology is its push toward more energy-efficient lighting. "IHEM standardized the Lab on T-8 fluorescent lighting and installed it throughout the Lab when it was still an emerging technology," says Lockhart. In a retrofit of emergency exit signs, IHEM adopted LED signs that are up to three times as efficient as their incandescent counterparts.
In the area of controls engineering, IHEM engineers oversaw the installation of an EMCS with more than 8,000 monitoring and control points, with another 2,000 to be installed. All research at the Lab that requires HVAC controls, laboratory pressurization, and central plant equipment is tied into this system, which optimizes energy use and maintains energy services at a high level of quality. The group also analyzes utility bills to ensure that the Lab's energy charges are accurate, and manages an employee energy-awareness program.
Environmental Benefits
In addition to the energy benefits of IHEM's work, there are other environmental benefits. For example, eight retrofit projects completed in 1996 saved more than 16 million kWh in energy annually and reduced the emissions from fossil-fuel power plants by 8,200 tons of carbon dioxide, 9,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 12,300 tons of nitrogen oxides. Replacing an old chiller with new, efficient technology also reduced the CFCs in use at the Lab, and a refrigerant recovery program helped ensure that refrigeration equipment was well maintained, to prevent CFC leakage.
Future Plans--Working Outside the Lab
As the number of new opportunities to save energy at Berkeley Lab decreases, IHEM staff members are focusing more on the outside world through the Applications Team. These projects include developing an energy measurement and verification protocol, retrofiting the federal building in San Francisco, developing a design guide for energy-efficient labs, and collaborating with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Park Service.
"With the terrific support we've had from the DOE IHEM program, and now from the Federal Energy Management Program, we are in a unique position to leverage our expertise in ways that will effect a reduction in federal energy use nationwide," Lockhart says.
UC research published in scientific journals was cited as a basis for a U.S. invention in 3,125 instances during fours years in which patents were examined by the NSF study. The study is, according to the NSF, the most thorough examination of the scientific foundation of American patents and shows that publicly financed science lies at the heart of most commercial innovations.
"This is another excellent indicator of just how well the University of California does when compared to other research institutions," said UC President Richard C. Atkinson, "and how powerfully university research drives the economy."
The NSF study, which ranked the top 25 most frequently cited research institutions, showed that when the research was broken down by topic, UC campuses had 2,106 citations in biomedical papers, 288 in chemistry, 483 in physics and 248 in engineering and technology.
After the citations were totaled by individual campuses among the top 25 research universities, UC San Francisco ranked fifth in biomedical references with 930, UCLA was ninth with 642 and UC San Diego was 13th with 534.
In chemistry, UC Berkeley ranked fifth with 139 references, UCLA was 15th with 74 and UC San Diego was 24th with 65.
In physics, UC Santa Barbara was ninth with 110 citations, UC Berkeley was 11th with 100, Lawrence Livermore Lab was 17th with 80, Berkeley Lab was 19th with 74, Los Alamos Lab was 22nd with 63 and UC San Diego was 25th with 56.
In engineering and technology, UC Berkeley was third with 189 references and UCLA was 14th with 59.
Other U.S. author institutions that placed high were AT&T Bell Labs, which was first in both physics and engineering and technology, Harvard University, which was first in biomedical and third in chemistry, and MIT, which was first in chemistry and in the top seven in all other categories.
In the ranking for number of citations among top U.S. support agencies, the Department of Energy ranked third in three out of the four categories, and 15th in biomedical.
The study, conducted by CHI Research Inc. for the NSF, found strong evidence that publicly financed scientific research funded by the federal government or nonprofit agencies at both public and private research universities and laboratories plays a surprisingly important role in breakthroughs and inventions produced by private industry in the United States.
The study concluded that publicly financed science research was cited 73 percent of the time in research papers leading to patents as the basis for the discovery or innovation. Private companies paid for the rest of the patent research.
CHI examined the science references on the front pages of U.S. patents during four years, 1987, 1988, 1993 and 1994, looking at all 397,660 patents issued. It is, according to the NSF, the most thorough examination of the scientific foundation of American patents and shows that publicly financed science lies at the heart of most commercial innovations.
The study will cite 30 "partners" who can be contacted as exemplary models for performance measurement. Only two governmental agencies will be represented: DOE (by this effort) and the Veterans Administration. The other 28 partners will be from U.S. industry.
The process for being named a partner included a screening by questionnaire, phone interview and a follow-up site visit for organizations that met or exceeded threshold criteria. The criteria for inclusion of a partner included consideration of whether an organization was involved in customer and stakeholder inputs, continuous improvement initiatives, benchmarking, balancing cost against performance, use of accountability systems and integration into strategic planning.
Robert Ritchie, head of the Structural Materials Department in the Materials Sciences Division and a UC Berkeley professor, has been elected president of the International Congress on Fracture. The Congress, which is the premier organization worldwide governing the study and application of fracture--with delegates from more than 50 countries--made the election at its quadrennial meeting in Sydney, Australia, in April. Ritchie will serve a four-year term ending in 2001.
During Silverman's tenure at Berkeley Lab, he directed the UC Systemwide Biotechnology Research and Education Program. In addition to other prestigious positions, he served as associate chancellor at UC Irvine, in charge of the Center for Health Sciences from 1994 until his retirement in 1996.
Photo: Bruce Pelton (center), vice president of Lumatech Corp. in Emeryville, Calif., recently presented Lab Director Charles Shank (left) with a royalty check for a lighting technology developed at Berkeley Lab and licensed to Lumatech. Inventor Michael Siminovitch (right) of the Lab's Lighting Research Group, developed the technology with Pelton.
Lumatech, one of the larger manufacturers of lighting retrofit products, makes a line of compact fluorescent lights used as replacements for incandescent down lights. Siminovitch and Pelton developed an efficient fixture geometry that includes novel optical and thermal management systems. The new technology, which was jointly patented by Lumatech and Berkeley Lab, is 15 to 20 percent more efficient than conventional technologies, and will advance the use of energy-wise, compact fluorescent lights. (XBC9705-02313)
By Jon Bashor
As a Lab computer scientist working with the Energy Sciences Network, Joe Metzger knows all about sitting in one place and working in another via computer networks.
In fact, for Metzger, telecommuting isn't just a nifty idea--it's a way of life.
Three weeks out of every month Metzger drives a short distance to his office at a national laboratory and hooks up to Berkeley Lab via ESnet, thereby saving a 1,618-mile commute--each way.
Though a Lab employee, Metzger lives and works in Ames, Iowa, in the Ames Laboratory on the Iowa State University campus. Ames is one of more than 30 major DOE institutions linked to each other and to other sites around the world by ESnet.
"The group I'm in manages higher-level information services, much of it by remote access," says Metzger. "You can manage it from down the hall, which isn't a lot different from managing it from half-way across the country."
As a member of the Network Information and Services Group with the Energy Sciences Network, or ESnet, one of Metzger's jobs is postmaster for the worldwide data communications e-mail system. It's a job that lends itself well to telecommuting, which is one of the reasons he accepted the position in January.
Last summer, Metzger interviewed for several jobs in Computing Sciences here, and even went so far as to talk with a real estate agent. That's when sticker shock hit.
To get a home in the Bay Area comparable to his home in Iowa, Metzger figures he'd have to spend up to $500,000. Cost aside, living in Iowa means his kids get to see their grandparents more often.
"That was one of the big things, we wanted to be closer to family," he says. "We also enjoy the slower pace of life there."
Ames is a town of about 50,000 people, which includes 20,000 university students. While his commute from the outskirts of town is usually easy, Metzger admits he sometimes hits a jam.
"During rush hour, which is from 8:50 to 8:55 a.m., sometimes I have to wait through two stoplights," Metzger says with a smile. "It turns my five-minute commute into a seven-minute one."
Telecommuting isn't a new idea for ESnet and there is a dedicated telecommuting center in Livermore for Berkeley Lab employees who live in the Central Valley. In fact, Metzger's group leader, Allen Sturtevant, telecommutes up to three days a week, two of them from the Livermore telework center.
Sturtevant cites the ability to telecommute as an incentive to join the staff at Berkeley Lab when ESnet moved here from LLNL. "This way I get to spend more time being a real dad, attending soccer games and playing with my kids," he says.
Jim Leighton, the head of ESnet and leader of the effort to get Metzger on staff, said the remote-work option can be a strong suit in the very competitive recruiting game. In fact, Metzger turned down the job before the option of working from Iowa emerged.
Sturtevant said about 60 percent of the ESnet staff regularly telecommutes from one to three days a week, many of them from the telework center, and he hasn't noticed any drop in productivity. Even when the group worked all together in Livermore, they usually communicated primarily by e-mail.
Each week, each ESnet staff member logs into a web-based locator, noting where he or she will be each day that week, Sturtevant said, making it easy to reach everyone.
Metzger, who worked at Ames Lab for four years before joining Berkeley Lab, is still in the same office on the Iowa State campus.
"I think people here (Berkeley Lab) are getting adjusted to the idea that I'm not just down the hall," Metzger said. "But we hold weekly group meetings and monthly staff meetings by videoconference."
Metzger says his situation has drawn some inquiries and comparisons.
"Some of the people here tell me how they occasionally like to work one day at home because there are fewer interruptions," he said. "I can work for days in Iowa with very few interruptions."
Photo: During his most recent trip to the Lab, Joe Metzger stopped by the ESnet Network Operations Center, the site of group meetings in which Metzger usually participates via videoconferencing. The map in the background shows the sites linked by ESnet. (XBD9705-02246) Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
By Monica Friedlander
Starting June 16, responsibility for the mail service to the Laboratory will be transferred from the Lab-operated Mail Room to an outside vendor. Berkeley Lab management took this significant step in an effort to improve the mail service to employees while reducing costs to the Laboratory.
No Mail Room career employees will be laid off as a result of the change. Rather, they will be reassigned to other positions within the Facilities Department.
"This is good business for us," said Fred Lothrop, support services manager for the Facilities Department. "It's a sound economic decision and a step forward for the Laboratory."
Two key factors played into the decision to outsource mail services, Lothrop said. Over the past year, the U.S. Postal Service has introduced significant reforms that have drastically increased its reliance on automation. As a result, organizations that operate in a way that facilitates the handling of envelopes by machines instead of people were granted postage discounts. Unfortunately, the Lab Mail Room had no experience in this area. "We wanted to get someone who is instantly familiar with USPS rules," Lothrop said, "instead of having to retrain the entire staff."
Furthermore, he said, the Lab is not an expert in mail handling. An organization that specializes exclusively in mail service operations is bound to run them more efficiently. "This is not the fault of the Mail Room personnel," Lothrop said. "But there comes a time when it makes sense to get hold of experts in the field. When you want bread, you go to the bakery. The same principle applies to mail service."
The change will have no immediate effect on the way mail is being delivered and picked up at the Lab. The mail operation will continue to be run out of the same location on the Hill (Bldg. 69), on a similar schedule. Over time, Lothrop expects to see improvements, particularly in the turnaround service and reduction in number of misdeliveries.
Services now handled by the Shipping Department (including priority mail and packages) will not be affected by the change.
The new vendor, Pitney Bowes Manage-ment Services, was selected based on competitive bidding. The four selection criteria were: approach to providing mail service (including equipment used), personnel qualification and experience, postal performance history, and cost. A national company with a long standing track record in mail service, Pitney Bowes also holds the distinction of having pioneered the postage meter.
The new Mail Room manager will be Rick Ferguson, and he can be reached at X2209. The general Mail Room telephone number remains the same (X5353).
By Monica Friedlander
Have you ever wondered what makes bulletproof vests bulletproof? Or how materials as different as diamonds and the graphite used in pencils can made of the same element?
The answers to these and many other questions are waiting to be found in "MicroWorlds," a web-based interactive educational "magazine" for high school students and teachers. Created by the Lab's Technical and Electronic Information Department (TEID), MicroWorlds focuses on materials sciences research being conducted at the Advanced Light Source (ALS). The site seeks to engage students in challenging activities that help them unlock the mysteries of materials they encounter in everyday life, and hopefully, to also spark a lasting interest in science.
"There are other interactive sites out there, and there are educational sites," says Jane Cross of the ALS/TEID team. "But what makes MicroWorlds unique is that its puts the two together. Students learn not just by reading on the web, but by figuring out puzzles and putting in some effort. It's a step by step process."
Conceived in 1994, MicroWorlds went online in January 1995 as a pilot project created by TEID with the help of local high school teachers and students. Its aim was to demonstrate the feasibility of publishing electronic instructional materials on the web, while also making the work at Berkeley Lab accessible to the outside world.
The project caught on quickly, with more than 100 new teachers and students registering each month. MicroWorlds provides a curriculum that has been adopted by educational institutions around the world. Ascension College in Australia, for example, uses the site as part of its curriculum for senior science students. Earlier this year the web site received the Platinum Award from NetGuide Live, a web-based guide to the internet.
"I believe one key reason for the success and recognition of Microworlds is that it is a team effort, combining the talents and expertise of many groups," says Cross. "Teachers and students helped define its original content and continue to do so. The illustration group created its eye-catching graphics, the photo lab helped us put up a virtual reality page of the experiment floor, and the editing group combined all the parts in to an integrated informative web-based magazine."
Lab webmaster Jeffery Kahn says much of the credit for Microworlds goes to former TEID editor Gloria Lawler. "This was a labor of love for her."
In addition to research guides and curriculum materials, MicroWorlds provides a variety of fun features, such as puzzles, a virtual tour of the ALS, a variety of hands-on-activities (such as building cubes and pyramids out of straws to help students understand molecular structures), and biographies of ALS staff people.
Entitled "The Bright and the Busy," the biographies are a key feature of MicroWorlds. The feature acquaints students with real-world scientists, teaches them about possible careers, and allows them to interact on a personal level with Lab staff. What's more, the biographies are written by students. The original design and first biography was initiated by Andy Macfie of University High School in San Francisco.
You can visit MicroWorlds at http://www.lbl.gov/MicroWorlds
Photo: Needle Only
DOE Considers "Chargeback" for Waste Generators
The Department of Energy intends to change how it handles waste management funds. One way would be to return financial responsibility for waste management to the scientific organizations responsible for conducting the research. This change may result in more efficient waste management within DOE, and provide incentives for additional waste reductions at facilities such as Berkeley Lab. The incentives come primarily from returning savings that result from waste reduction to the waste generators.
DOE may transfer the responsibility for direct costs of waste management at Berkeley Lab to the waste generating organizations as early as FY2000. To prepare for this possibility, the EH&S Waste Management Group has initiated a generator cost awareness program and has distributed divisional waste management statements covering the first quarter of FY97 to each division director. A second set of statements, covering the second quarter of FY97, will be distributed in early June.
Each principal investigator should examine these statements to become familiar with the direct costs of waste management at Berkeley Lab. Further information on the proposed DOE "Chargeback" program will be distributed through this column. If you have questions or comments, Waste Management would like to hear from you. Please contact Anne Kumaranayagam (X4962) or Brian Smith (X6508).
Recap of Earth Month Activities
As you read in the last issue of Currents, the April 1997 Earth Month activities, focusing on water and water-related activities, were a big success. Among the activities were tours of EBMUD, Strawberry Creek, and the San Francisco Bay Model in Sausalito, a Berkeley Marina beach cleanup, a litter cleanup, and special guest lectures. As in the past, the EcoFair was the most attended event.
Earth Month activities are brought to you by the Waste Management group, which hopes you enjoyed them. Thanks to all who participated. Anyone wishing information about events or speakers should contact WM's Shelley Worsham (X6123), this year's coordinator.
Waste Pick-up Times Normal Again
The new Waste Management Facility (Bldg. 85) started operations on April 21. As was communicated to waste generators, traditional services, especially waste pick-ups, were likely to be a little slower than normal as Waste Management staff moved waste from the old facility down to the new facility. The waste permit requires that this be done fairly quickly after start-up. That move and other transitions are nearly complete and waste pick-up times should return to normal (i.e., within seven working days of receiving your faxed waste requisitions). Contact Michelle Flynn (X5877) or your generator assistance specialist if you have questions or concerns.
Brought to you monthly by the EH&S Waste Management Group
Photo: Ernest Moniz (foreground), former associate director of physical sciences in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, checks out the gel pouring station for the high-throughput sequencing process at the Lab's Human Genome Center. He is joined by Lab Director Charles Shank (center) and the Center's Keith Lewis. Moniz, currently a professor of physics at MIT, is rumored to be under consideration for Under Secretary of Energy. He visited the Lab in May as part of a DOE review of the Human Genome Project. (XBD9705-02247-02) Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
The Employee Buying Service offers a variety of items and services for employees and guests. Among the goods currently for sale are T-shirts, polo shirts, denim shirts, and caps bearing the Berkeley Lab logo. You may also purchase See's Candy, postage stamps, film, and refillable mugs. In addition, the Buying Service offers one-day film developing at competitive prices. In most cases, film dropped off by 10 a.m. in the cafeteria lobby dropbox will be ready for pickup the next day.
Buying Service representative Helen Coleman is in the cafeteria lobby from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
On May 9, the Lab's Payroll Unit relocated to the Human Resources Department in Bldg. 938A (1936 University Ave., second floor). The new Payroll mailstop is 938A. Payroll staff telephone numbers, fax numbers and electronic mail addresses remain the same.
The Technical and Electronic Information Department (TEID) is just completing its relocation into newly remodeled office space in the former Bevatron building, Bldg. 51. The group's illustrators and editors have moved, and the web services group will follow at a later date. All phone extensions and fax numbers remain the same.
TEID has a new acting head, Dennis Hall, who may be reached at X6053. The TEID illustration group has a new supervisor, Cheryl Ventimiglia, who may be reached at X6541.
There's scent-sational family fun at the Lawrence Hall of Science from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 31, in honor of National Sense of Smell Day. An afternoon of hands-on and "noses-on" activities will help visitors "get in touch" with their sense of smell.
Smell Day activities are included with admission to LHS. Highlights include:
The Laboratory welcomed the following new career employees during the month of April:\
The agreement with the Laboratory, which also receives power from Grizzly Peak, requires the University to upgrade the existing substation for Laboratory use. In return, the Laboratory has agreed to vacate land adjacent to the substation to permit the University to build a new substation to provide the campus with power.
The campus program calls for the start of construction in early 1998. The Facilities Department will have the area cleared and ready for that work by December 1997. Clearing the area means relocation of the Property Reuse Center and demolition of Bldg. 42.
After an extended feasibility study, it was decided that the most cost-effective and least disruptive alternative for relocating the Property Reuse Center was to move it to the Lab's warehouse, Bldg. 903. This will provide more space for the center and allow consolidation of the Salvage and Property Reuse functions in a single location.
The Property Reuse Center will remain operational at its present location through Friday, July 18. Visitors between now and then are invited to add their names and mailstops to the center's mailing list. The center will reopen in Bldg. 903 on August 1.
Employees looking for surplus materials will be welcome to browse at Bldg. 903. Meanwhile, ways to minimize the impact of this move on browsers will be explored.
Information about the move will be posted on the Web through the Property Home Page. You may also contact Monte Clevenger (X4587) for more information.
As reported in the May 16 issue of Currents, the Lab's procedures for ordering cylinder gases have changed. The new procedures were outlined in a May 21 informational meeting, and described in Currents. Please note that the handout distributed at the informational meeting contained an incorrect fax number for placing orders. It was also incorrect in the Currents article. The correct fax number is 652-6513.
IDS Couriers, the Lab's contract courier service, operates 24 hours a day with pick-up and delivery throughout the Bay Area. For prices and service, call 548-3263 with pick-up/delivery location, time requirement (rush, two-hour, four-hour, or same-day), and a valid Lab account number.
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.
Health Services is once again sponsoring a Skin Screening Clinic for Lab employees. This year's clinic is scheduled for 8 a.m. to noon on Friday, June 13, in Bldg. 26. Call X6266 to make an appointment. Parking is limited, so please plan to take the Lab shuttle to your appointment.
This is the eighth year the free clinic has been offered to Lab employees. Dr. Elizabeth Ringrose, a Berkeley dermatologist, will conduct the screenings.
The following are some skin cancer facts from the Skin Cancer Foundation:
The Ergonomics Display Center is located at Health Services, Bldg. 26. It is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. No appointment is necessary. Simply stop by the front desk for directions to the center.
The Laboratory will hold its annual Ergonomics Fair in late July. Watch Currents for news about this upcoming event. For more information about the Ergonomics Display Center, contact Larry McLouth at X5286.
DOE/OAK Challenge Tournament
The annual DOE/OAK Challenge Golf Tournament will be held on Thursday, Aug. 7, at the Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore. The start time is 7 a.m.
Guests are welcome to participate. The entry fee is $65 for NCGA member, and $75 for non-members. The cost includes green fee, 1/2 cart, range balls and prize fund. The deadline for entering the tournament is Tuesday,
July 1. For more information, contact Denny Parra at X4598.
Berkeley Lab's Library is offering the following 20-30 minute small group training sessions:
The following courses are held from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Bldg. 936-12. The registration deadline for each course is the Monday prior to the week the class is held.
To register for a class, send an e-mail to RLBrown@lbl.gov or call X5999. Course participants are advised to arrive on time. For information about class content, see http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/EDT/computers/oracle.html
The following courses for Windows are taught from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Bldg. 51L computer room. The cost is $100 for each of these one-day courses (except for Windows 95 Transition and Windows 95 Fundamentals, which are free).
Below is the June/July schedule for some free three-hour courses covering the basics of cc:Mail and Meeting Maker.
To enroll, please complete an AIM Enrollment Form (http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/ EDT/computers/PC_Classes.html), obtain your supervisor's approval, and fax it to 827-1614. You will receive a confirmation call within two business days. If you must cancel, your division account will be charged unless you cancel five working days prior to the date of the class.
Pre-registration is required for all courses except Introduction to EH&S. To pre-
register, send e-mail to RLBrown@lbl.gov or a fax to X4072 with your name, employee ID number, extension, and class name, date & code (or call X5999).
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
Noon-1 p.m. in Bldg. 90-4133.
Noon-1 p.m. in Bldg. 90-4133.
Noon-1 p.m. in Bldg. 90-4133.
General meeting at noon in the lower cafeteria.
Toastmasters'
General meeting at 12:10 p.m. in Bldg. 2-100.
7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Bldg. 54 parking lot.
African American Employees Association
General meeting at noon in Bldg. 90-1099.
BodyWorks Aerobics Class
Noon-1 p.m. in Bldg. 90-4133.
Dermatologist Elizabeth Ringrose will conduct screening between 8 a.m. and noon at Health Services, Bldg. 26. Call X6266 to make an appointment.
The next Berkeley Lab Golf Club Tournament will be played at San Ramon Royal Vista Golf Course. Call X4598 for information.
"Effects of Water on the Chemistry and Morphology of NaCl Surfaces: Implications for Atmospheric Chemistry of Sea Salt Particles" will be presented by J.C. Hemminger of UCI at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
Physics Division Research Progress Meeting
"New Results from the CERN Hyperon Beam Experiment" will be presented by Eva Wittmann of the Max-Planck-Institute at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 50A-5132; refreshments, 3:40 p.m.
"Possibility of Measuring Parity Nonconservation in Relativistic Ions" will be presented by Max Zolotorev of CBP at 10:30 a.m. in the Bldg. 71 conference room.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"Recent LEEM and SPLEEM Studies" will be presented by Ernst Bauer of Arizona State University at Tempe at 3 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
"New Perspective on Biological Diversity: The Natural Microbial World" will be presented by Norman R. Pace of UCB at 4 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
"Gain and Fluctuations in FELs Starting from Noise" will be presented by Prof. Claudio Pellegrini of UCLA at 10:30 a.m. in the Bldg. 71 conference room.
'86 JEEP Cherokee, blue, 4x4, 2.5L, 120K mi., rebuilt eng., new radiator, gd cond., $3500/b.o. Jens, 845-3442
'87 MAZDA RX7, 96K mi., gd cond., dk gray, asking $4K/b.o. Marek, X5029
'88 TOYOTA truck, 4x4, 5-spd, roll bar w/KC lights, deluxe push bar, AM/FM cass., new tires, sliding rear window, 170K mi., very gd cond., $3100/b.o. X7840, 709-1395
'88 VW Cabriolet, white, int. & ext. in immac. cond., reliable, leather seats & steering wheel, Ungo alarm, Sony CD/FM/AM detachable face stereo, $4500/b.o. (415) 568-3313
'90 ACURA Integra GS, red, 4-dr, all pwr, cruise, new tires/brakes, high fwy mi. (150K), $7200 bluebook, $5800. X5832
'90 NISSAN King Cab pick-up truck, chrome bumper, 5-spd, 46K mi., sliding rear window, in great shape, $6500. Phyllis, 548-0591 (7-9 p.m.)
'91 HYUNDAI Sonata, 4-dr, 60K mi., a/t, a/c, p/s, p/b, AM/FM cass., $3K. Abe, X7708, 283-5386
BRA for Porsche 911 or 912, blk leather, like new, $50. X5297
PICKUP TRUCK TOPPER, Six-Pac quarter cab-over topper, made in '90, 40" high, about 350 lb., gd cond., fits Chevy pickups, w/8' box, from '88 on, lg. rear cargo dr w/center passenger dr, looks like camper from outside, $650. X7394, 525-2885 (msg.)
HOUSE TO SIT, this summer, all or part, anywhere in Bay Area, exc. plant & pet care, refs. avail. Amy, 843-5433
ROCKING CHAIR or glider, used. Jan, X5614
BIKE, Marin City, 21 spds, shifts on handle bar, st. tires, new-not used, $499 value, asking $299. Marek, X5029
BLOCK SALE, Sat., 6/7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 7+ families, Curtis St. between Dwight & Channing. X7156
COMPUTER SYSTEMS, brand new Pentium 200 MMX w/14" c. monitor, 16MB EDO RAM, HD, 8x CD-ROM, Windows '95, $1450; 5x86 133MHZ system w/above equip., $875. X8606, X5208
EXERCISE EQUIP., Lifestyler Cardiofit plus, paid $260, take $120; director's fold up chair w/grn seat & back, $18; 170 MB IDE Conner hard drive, $30; 2X IDE CD-ROM w/driver, $20. Kris, X5571
GARAGE SALE, Sat. & Sun., 5/31 & 6/1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 719 Wash. St., Albany, 1 blk from Solano, misc. items. Paul, X5902
GIRL'S FURNITURE, off-white w/gold trim, 5-drwr chest, 6-drwr dresser, mirror (fits over chest or dresser), student desk w/attached bookshelf & light, night stand, all in very gd cond., $450. 376-7677
LAWNMOWER, Craftsman, gas, exc. cond., seldom used, recent tune-up, $100; Chipper/mulcher, Mont. Ward, gas, low hours, 3 hp, mulches leaves & branches up to 1/2-inch, $250. Travis, 525-9281 eves.
MOVING SALE, hi-fi stereo TV, 20", 1 yr. old, $140; VCR, 1 yr., $120; futon, queen sz., $20; 3-drwr chest, $25; microwave oven, $30; coffee maker, $10; 2 matching sleeping bags, $20 ea.; lamps, $5 ea.; vacuum, Hoover, 1 yr., $45; dinner table + 5 chairs, $30; folding chairs, various household items. Abe, X7708, 283-5386
MUSIC SYSTEM, Panasonic, for use in Geneva & on European Continent, nearly new. Senta, 524-4654
ROAD BIKE, Specialized Allez Comp, 54 cm, Shimano 105, extras, exc. cond., $450/b.o. Tim, X5304
SKIN CARE, make-up, nail care, fragrances, cosmetic accessories, Jafra, prices reduced for quick sale, former consultant. Tricia, 855-1328 (eve.)
SKIS, Rossignol, 190cm w/Tyrolia 290 bindings, Rossignol poles, woman's boots, Lange, 2 pr., sz. 7-1/2 & 8-1/2, lightly used, all for $175 or avail. sep. Auben, X4796, 245-0343
SOFA, exc. cond., like new (3 yr. old), blk cotton canvas, modern, simple lines, $175. Marnie, 641-1128, 843-0886
SPEAKERS, Fisher, 3-way w/15" woofers, $75/pr. 938-8020
BERKELEY, Oxford/Cedar, furn. apts, summer rentals, 2-bdrm, 2-bth, 2 wk min., $350/wk. 524-8122
BERKELEY, Elmwood, furn., sunny, 1-bdrm apt in duplex, short term (up to 1 yr. only), no smokers, $650/mo. + util. + $650 dep. Lara, X7276, 548-4832
BERKELEY, Carleton/Grant, nr BART & Berkeley Bowl, 10 min. drive to LBNL, newly renovated 2-bdrm apt, ground flr of 2-story Victorian house, sunny so. exposure, front garden, washer/dryer, custom tile flrs, no smoking, no pets, $1100/mo. incl. part utils. Richard, X6320
NO. BERKELEY, short term sublet, furn. studio cottage, pvt., no smoking, no pets, 6 blks from shopping, 8 min. walk to LBNL bus stop, prefer visiting scholar or professional, avail. 6/12 thru 7/30, $880/duration + dep. Pam, X4465
NO. BERKELEY, furn. 3-bdrm duplex, exc. loc., linens, dishes, laundry fac., enclosed garden, exc. schools, shopping & UCB within walking distance, min. 6 mo. lease, avail. 7/1, $1470/mo. 527-3856
OAKLAND HILLS, house for a single person/couple, view, avail. from about 7/5 to 8/31 for reasonable rent, care for 2 cats & water the yd, 20 min. from LBNL, walking distance to several regional parks, 5 min. from Montclair Village, non-smokers. Sue, 339-0243 (before 6/5)
WANTED: 2-3 bdrm house/apt in Berkeley or surrounding area for LBNL postdoc & spouse, starting anywhere between 7/15 - 9/1, no smoker, no kids. Karen or Clem, (801) 581-4793 (work), (801) 463-6796 (home), schmeichel@biology.utah.edu
WANTED: July-Aug. (2 full mo.), furn. 3-bdrm house for visiting French scientist, wife, 3 children (1 daugther & her 2 girlfriends, all 16), non-smoker, quiet & nice place, No. Berkeley. R. Cheng, X5438, I. Shepherd, X6683, gokalp@cnrs-orleans.fr
WANTED: apt/house for visiting university scientists from Italy (married couple), 7/1 - 9/30, for under $1K/mo. (or house-sitting arrangement), they will also wish to buy an inexpensive car. 559-5687, 559-5773 (6/1-17)
WANTED: house to rent for 1 or 2 years, for French postdoc & family arriving Aug., 3 children (8, 7 & 3), nonsmoker, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito or surrounding area, can take care of pets. Alicia, X4251
WANTED: furn. 1-bdrm apt w/kitchen, nr LBNL or shuttle, for visiting postdoc. gcong@george.lbl.gov
WANTED: short term rental, 7/1 to 8/31, 1 or 2-bdrm apt/house or shared housing for French visiting scientist at UCB w/spouse. Brigitte/Olivier,
643-6013, 528-5419, bboitel@uclink2.berkeley.edu
WANTED: Italian visitor looking for lg. 2/3 bedroom, 2-bth gd home in a gd neighborhood, >1 yr. rent, unfurn. prefer equipped kitchen. X6304
WANTED: sm. house in gd No. Berkeley, Albany or close in El Cerrito area for visiting senior scientist & wife from Israel, July '97 thru March '98. Al, X5301, athodgson@lbl.gov.
WANTED: furn. apt for visiting postdoc, nr LBNL, approx. 6/15 to 7/25. Ian, X4174
WANTED: furn. house/apt for visiting scientist & family, approx. 7/7 to 9/13. Ian, X4174
WANTED: 3-bdrm house in No. Berkeley, Lab family w/mature children, no pets, long-term rental. Carol, X4812, chearls@lbl.gov
WANTED: 2-bdrm townhouse, condo or house (a garage is a plus), from June '97-May '98 for visiting scientist & family, within a 2 mi. radius of LBNL. Y.-C. Wang, (201) 216-8310 (ofc.), (201) 963-5397 (home), (201) 216-8306 (fax), y1wang@attila.stevens-tech.edu. G. Hermes, X5006
WANTED: 1 bdrm in an apt/house in LBNL area for 27 yr. old female Belgian visiting researcher & 3 yr. old daughter, visiting LBNL for 1 year, beginning 7/1, speaks Dutch, English, French & German, likes to cook, and make desserts. Karen Verbist, 32-3-218-02-63, 32-3-218-02-57 (fax), karen_verbist@ruca.ua.ac.be, G. Hermes, X5006
WANTED: furn. house for the mo. of July for visiting German Prof., wife & 3 children (4, 6, 10), Berkeley, Oakland, or surrounding areas OK. Jen, X4058
HERCULES, 4-bdrm, 2.5 bth home, pool w/child safety cover, French doors, RV parking, new roof & more, $214.5K. X6783, 799-9541
SONOMA COAST, 2.16 acres, Timbercove, Ft. Ross area, all utils. Nick, 527-1965
HAWAII, 20 mi. below Hilo on rainy side of Big Island, convenient to Univ. of Hawaii & orchid plantation, 2-bdrm, 2-bth house, nr schools, shopping & rec. center, 1 mi. to ocean bluff, $450/mo., possible lease-option to buy for $60K. X6005
LAGUNA BEACH, 2+bdrm, 1-1/2 bth house, washer/dryer, utils. incl., 2 blks to beach, walk to village, $2K/mo. or $1800/mo. for 3. 845-5563
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
