LBL Currents -- December 9, 1994


Rolling Stones give boost to Internet conferencing venue

LBL researcher helped develop "M-Bone"

By Jeffery Kahn, [email protected]

In March 1992, an exciting new venue opened on the Internet--one in which users worldwide could meet in a common electronic window and not only see and talk to one another, but work on a shared "whiteboard." But despite its popularity within the select group that used the new technology--called the Multicast Backbone, or M-Bone--few others knew of its existence.

That began to change two weeks ago. Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones brought their "Voodoo Lounge" concert to M-Bone, performing for 50,000 people in Dallas' Cotton Bowl as well as a small audience at workstations around the world. The event made international news, and brought M-Bone into prominence.

Van Jacobson of LBL's Information and Computing Science Division is one of the three principal creators of M-Bone. The others are Steve Deering, of Xerox Corp.'s Palo Alto Research Center, and Steve Casner of the University of Southern California. Deering and Casner developed the protocols that make the virtual network possible, and Jacobson created many of the tools that make it valuable.

As Jacobson told Newsweek magazine in a December 5 article, the Stones' concert should inspire new ways to use the medium. But well before Jagger strutted online, more than 10,000 people in 30 countries routinely used the M-Bone for collaborative work.

In multicasting, rather than send information to a single location, the network distributes it from senders to every receiver who has signed up for the session. While simple in concept, the magic underlying M-Bone is its ability to dynamically construct distribution trees using the shortest, most efficient paths. Because M-Bone usually includes live video, which means huge volumes of traffic, efficiency was a prerequisite to prevent congestion and collapse of the Internet.

M-Bone was first used to simulcast the March 1992 Internet Engineering Task Force conference. Since then, it has provided around-the-clock coverage of space shuttle flights, an opportunity for surgeons to observe and question a San Francisco surgeon performing a complex liver operation, and a place for Ph.D. candidates to defend their dissertations to committee members.

"The tools are so easy to use that anybody can announce a session and be their own producer," Jacobson says. "Somebody actually sent out to the universe live pictures of their pet iguana climbing a tree."

The heaviest use of M-Bone has been by network researchers to conference and collaborate with each other. It offers a number of advantages over teleconferencing, which joins a few sites with expensive dedicated transmission lines. M-Bone links anyone to the Internet who has a workstation with audio/video capabilities and a high-speed connection. Jacobson says this flexibility has resulted in moves by both NASA and DOE to replace teleconferencing with M-Bone meetings.

Jacobson's research group at LBL includes Steve McCanne and Sally Floyd. Jacobson and McCanne designed the whiteboard, which Jacobson calls an "infinite piece of paper." It allows participants in an M-Bone session to write, type, and draw on a shared drawing window. It even has a memory, so that those using it can flip pages, scrolling back to earlier versions of the contents, or import other drawings and text.

Jacobson also developed the session directory, a conference coordination tool that provides a menu of what is currently available or upcoming on M-Bone. The Session Directory allows the user to join a session, or to announce and advertise an upcoming session.

The tool pack developed by Jacobson's group also includes VIC (Video Conferencing) and VAT (Visual Audio Tool). These make it possible for all parties to both talk and listen. It also makes possible the transmission of a video stream to an unlimited number of participants.

Currently, Jacobson says, M-Bone is handicapped in that most of the routers that forward packets around the Internet do not support the Internet Protocol multicast addressing system developed by Deering. In the next year, new commercial routers are scheduled to be introduced that support multicasting. As this happens and as efficiency improves, Jacobson predicts that multicasting will become so ubiquitous that M-Bone will essentially disappear as a distinct entity on the Internet.

For those who want to know more about M-Bone, information is available on LBL's World Wide Web from Introduction to Videoconferencing and the MBONE Additional information can be obtained on the Web from the M-Bone Home Page


Director's Annual Holiday Reception

All employees are invited to attend the Director's Annual Holiday Reception between 3:30 and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 14. Refreshments will be served.


Women in Science & Engineering Seminar

Lisa Borland, a post-doctoral fellow with the Center for Functional Imaging in the Life Sciences Division, will speak at the next Women in Science and Engineering Seminar. Her talk, titled "Learning the Dynamics of Nonlinear Stochastic Processes," is scheduled from 12:10 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12, in Bldg. 70A-3377. All employees are invited to attend; refreshments will be served at noon.

Borland will describe a promising new approach for the analysis of time-series of data, a technique with a wide range of potential applications for the study of both biological and physical systems. An extended form of Jaynes maximum information principle together with a dynamical learning algorithm is used to explicitly determine the equations of motion of the time-series. This results in a method which automatically determines the nature of the deterministic and stochastic forces underlying an observed process.

Borland completed a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, in 1993. Before joining the Center for Functional Imaging this year, she worked with James Crutchfield in the UC Berkeley Physics Department, developing a method for detecting non-stationarity in time-series of data.


DOE applauds quality work

Carol Kielusiak, LBL's program manager for NEPA/CEQA (National Environmental Policy Act/California Environmental Quality Act) compliance, received the first Quality Award for NEPA Planning given by the DOE Office of Energy Research. NEPA compliance officer James K. Farley presented the award to Kielusiak at the Energy Research Semiannual ES&H Coordination Meeting in Washington last month.

Kielusiak was recognized for using the NEPA process as a planning tool by incorporating its requirements into the LBL Institutional Plan. The availability of this information to LBL and DOE personnel better enables them to implement the NEPA process early and effectively.

The National Environmental Policy Act requires the evaluation of projects and initiatives for environmental impact, and the receipt of approval before any of them can begin. Some projects might require the compilation of Environmental Assessments and DOE approval from the Oakland Field Office.

Projects with no environmental impact may need only a determination by DOE that the work involved is categorically excluded from preparation of a NEPA document. Determinations to recommendations may be made by Kielusiak's office or in some cases by the NEPA coordinator within the respective division.

Three other awardees, two from DOE and another national lab employee, were recognized for environmental stewardship, NEPA process improvement, and for the production of quality NEPA documents.


Lab takes lifting seriously

By Diane LaMacchia, [email protected]

With lots of delicate equipment and superheavy building materials to move around safely, LBL takes great pains with its lifting.

Crane engineer Peter Neubauer, who heads the Lab's Hoisting and Rigging Office, says LBL uses the latest hoisting and rigging methods. (The hoist is the part that does the lifting; the rigging, including cables and nets, is what wraps the package to be lifted.)

There are 240 cranes at LBL, ranging from small hoists at Building 2 that lift up to three tons to the 30-ton perimeter crane at the Advanced Light Source. They all must meet OSHA safety standards and be certified by DOE. LBL's 400 crane operators attend training sessions and are certified every three years.

Safety is not the only reason the standards are strict.

"If a piece of equipment such as the Keck Telescope mirror is damaged," Neubauer says, "it can set an entire program back several years."

In addition to guiding in-house procedures, Neubauer has established methods for repairing and inspecting cranes and reviewing training programs for Lawrence Livermore's "Site 300," the area where scientists work with explosives. He is now in the process of helping LLNL set up a safety and maintenance system for their main site. In addition, he is helping to set up safety, maintenance, and training programs for the Stanford Linear Accelerator.

Last month, the bi-annual meeting of the Committee for the DOE Hoisting and Rigging Manual was held at LBL for the first time. The rules and regulations for conducting hoist, crane, and rigging operations are written and refined at the meetings. The November meeting was attended by both the DOE committee members and representatives from the national labs, who participated in the rule-making process. It ended with a tour of LBL, which included a technical review of two large cranes that were rebuilt for the ALS.


Tarter named Director of Livermore Laboratory

The University of California has named C. Bruce Tarter as Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Acting on the recommendation of UC President Jack Peltason, the UC Board of Regents approved Tarter's appointment in a special meeting at the University's headquarters in Oakland on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Tarter, an astrophysicist, has been acting director at Lawrence Livermore since last May, when he took over the position upon the resignation of former director John H. Nuckolls. In his 27-year career at Livermore, Tarter has been associate director for physical sciences, associate director for physics, and division leader in theoretical physics. He is the author of numerous publications in his field of expertise and has served on national and international committees and panels in these fields.

President Peltason praised Tarter as "a dynamic and decisive leader who will establish the priorities, oversee the programs, and foster the attitude of teamwork and partnership needed to guide the lab in this new and challenging era of its history."

Peltason based his recommendation of Tarter on the advice of a 12-member committee consisting of regents, research scientists, and representatives of the Livermore laboratory's staff, as well as former directors of the laboratory.

"It is a great privilege and an extraordinary opportunity to be selected as the laboratory's next director," Tarter said. "I believe the Livermore laboratory is the outstanding applied science institution in the country, and it will be my job to ensure that its capabilities are applied to the nation's highest priorities." Tarter is the tenth person to hold the director's position since the Livermore laboratory was established in 1952.


Shank up for five-year review

In accordance with its policy to conduct five-year reviews of all campus chancellors and DOE Laboratory Directors, the University of California is now conducting a review of LBL Director Charles Shank.

For directors of the UC-managed laboratories, reviews are performed by a Special Review Board appointed by the University President.

The Board will meet in closed sessions at the Lab on Dec. 12-13. On Jan. 10-11, 1995, the Board will hear from employees selected by the Board who have asked to comment in person. This meeting will be held off-site in order to maintain the confidentiality of those requesting to speak.

In the interest of time and efficiency, the Board encourages employees who wish to comment to do so in writing. Employees also may ask to be heard in person.

Written statements may be sent to the Chairman of the Review Board: Dr. John Armstrong, c/o University of California, Office of Laboratory Affairs, 300 Lakeside Drive, 18th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612-3550. Written statements should be submitted no later than Jan. 6, 1995.

Employees who wish to address the Board in person may request to do so by writing to the same address or by calling the Office of Laboratory Affairs at 987-9409. These requests should be submitted no later than Dec. 22. The University welcomes your input to this process.


Retirement fete

A retirement luncheon is being held for Dave Shepherd, manager of the Office of Contract Management, on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant, 3199 Powell St., Emeryville. Lunch is at noon, with no-host bar at 11:30 a.m. For reservations, contact Gloria Acosta, X5132.


Researchers unlock secret of RNA's versatility

By Lynn Yarris, [email protected]

Evidence is in that could help explain the variety of complex shapes that RNA--ribonucleic acid--assumes to carry out its many biological functions.

RNA is the workhorse of the genetic world, transcribing the coded instructions of DNA and assembling amino acids into proteins. It has been shown that chains of RNA can fold back on themselves and assume complex formations that enable them to perform their tasks. Until now, however, there has been little or no detailed information to explain RNA's amazing versatility.

Stephen Holbrook, a chemist in the Structural Biology Division, has found that uracil, one of the four types of nitrogenous "bases" that represent the letters of the genetic code, can pair off with any other letter, including itself. This contradicts the exclusive two-letter base-pairing pattern in DNA, which was first discovered by Nobel laureates Francis Crick and James Watson.

"Uracil can now be called the universal partner in RNA structure," says Holbrook. "That it can pair with any other base helps explain why RNA is so flexible in terms of how it interacts with itself and why, unlike DNA, it can take on so many different shapes." DNA has only one form--the double helix.

Determining the structure of biological macromolecules such as RNA requires that the material first be crystallized so that its atoms are firmly fixed in an orderly pattern. This pattern can then be identified by sending a beam of x-rays through the crystal (the x-rays are diffracted or scattered by the atoms). Whereas other researchers have used x-ray crystallography to determine protein structural shapes, Holbrook is one of the few to use it to study the structural shapes of RNA. He attributes this in part to the difficulty in synthesizing, purifying, and, ultimately, crystallizing RNA.

"Virtually all crystallizations of DNA have resulted from similar conditions of salt, buffer, precipitant, and additives, but these standard conditions are not successful for many of the different forms of RNA," says Holbrook. He and his research group have been experimenting with novel ways of crystallizing RNA, focusing on sequences of base-pairs that form structures known as "internal loops."

One of the first results of Holbrook's crystallization research was the direct observation of an RNA double helix formation that incorporated four unconventional base-pairs. Watson and Crick demonstrated that DNA's double helix is held together by chemical bonds formed between complementary pairs of bases. These complementary base-pairs are cytosine (C) and guanine (G), and adenine (A) and thymine (T). RNA has a similar structure, except that thymine is represented by uracil (U).

Watson-Crick base-pairs--C-G and A-T (or A-U in RNA)--were once thought to be the only arrangement possible in nature. Holbrook's crystals however, showed two uracil-guanine (U-G) and two uracil-cytosine (U-C) base pairs in the middle of the sequence. This mismatched pairing resulted in the formation of a stable RNA double helix in the crystal with just a slight shape distortion.

"The U-C base pairs were joined by only a single hydrogen bond (conventional base-pairs are joined by two or three bonds)," says Holbrook, "but were stabilized by the presence of numerous, tightly bound water molecules."

Holbrook subsequently determined the three-dimensional structure of an RNA molecule containing U-U base pairs. Unlike the U-G and U-C base pairs, the U-U partners formed two hydrogen bonds that were stable without the presence of tightly bound water molecules.

"Non-standard base pairs such as the U-G, U-C, and U-U partners we have observed are common in ribosomal RNA, viroids, messenger RNA, and retroviruses," says Holbrook. "Runs of these mismatched pairs in the middle of double helical RNA form internal loops."

To date, Holbrook's best x-ray crystallography images have come when using the facilities at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory. Although SSRL's resolution of about two angstroms provided him with "the clearest views ever obtained of RNA structures," it was still not as high as he would have liked. When the x-ray crystallography beamline opens at the Advanced Light Source, he will probably be one of its first users.

"The availability, proximity, and unique facilities for measurement of x-ray diffraction data at the ALS crystallography beam will allow us to collect data much faster and determine molecular structures which would not otherwise be feasible," Holbrook says.

With the improved resolution and other advantages of the ALS, Holbrook says he would like to tackle longer and more complex stretches of RNA. "If we know the shape of an RNA structure and can design molecules that will bind to it," he says, "we can then study and possibly control the function of that structure."


KEY TERMS

Amino acid--Any of a group of 20 molecules that combine to form proteins in living cells. A protein's structure and function is determined by the sequence of its amino acids.

Base pairs--Two nucleotides (i.e., cytosine and guanine, or adenine and thymine) that are joined by weak bonds. The bonds between base pairs hold together DNA's two strands into the shape of the double-helix.

DNA--Deoxyribonucleic acid, the double-stranded molecule in the shape of a double-helix that encodes the genetic information which determines the sequence of amino acids in protein synthesis.

Protein--A large molecule composed of chains of amino acids arranged in a specific sequence according to the instructions in the genetic code. Proteins are responsible for the structure, function, and regulation of living cells.

RNA--Ribonucleic acid, a molecule similar in structure to DNA that is found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of cells and plays an important role in protein synthesis and other vital chemical activities.

X-ray crystallography--A technique for determining the location of atoms in a crystal, based on the diffraction pattern created when a beam of x-rays is passed through the crystal.


PHOTO CAPTION: Using their own crystallization and structure solution techniques, Stephen Holbrook, a chemist in the Structural Biology Division and graduate student Heasook Kim have found evidence that the key to RNA's amazing versatility is the nucleotide base uracil.Photo by PaulHames


Currents online edition

The full text of each edition of Currents is published electronically on the World Wide Web. Back issues in the electronic archive date to January 1994; individual issues or the entire archive can be searched by keyword. Online, Currents is found at the following URL: http://www.lbl.gov/Publications/Currents/Currents.html

To set up your computer to access the World Wide Web, call the Mac and PC support Group at X6858.


ICSD staff design super-fast network for hi-tech conference

LBL's computing science programs have a long history of participation in the SuperComputing conference, an annual event put on by the IEEE Computer Society and the Association for Computing Machinery that showcases high performance computing equipment. This year's conference, held in Washington, D.C., on November 15-17, was no exception.

SCinet '94, the network infrastructure of Super-Computing '94, set new records for network capacity and reliability. Designed by staff in the Information and Computing Sciences Division, it provided the conference with the world's first all multi-mode fiber multi-gigabit per second HiPPI (High Performance Peripheral Interconnect) computer network.

For the three days the exhibit hall was in operation, many gigabytes of data were sent and received--utilizing three T3 (45 Mbps) circuits--from the Internet and various special networking projects (e.g., the MAGIC Gigabit testbed). It is estimated that more than 20 terabytes (thousands of gigabytes) of data were exchanged over the fiber optic-based HiPPI network as part of the supercomputer application demonstrations at the event. Such network reliability is unparalleled in the history of the conference.

The event also included a keynote address by U.S. Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary that was multicast to the Internet by way of M-Bone, many key components of which were developed at LBL. More than 40 sites in 11 countries linked into the conference over the network to hear the address.

ICSD Director Stu Loken volunteered the support staff for the development of SCinet '94. Bob Fink, head of ICSD's Computing and Networking Resources Department, handled the overall planning for SCinet, while Ted Sopher, manager of the Lab's network, LBLnet, designed and implemented the network infrastructure. Cindy Rogers of ICSD Computing Services was in charge of administrative support for the project.

Other Lab personnel who contributed to SCinet included Dan Cocosa and Al Early from CNR; and Hanan Herzog and Jason Lee from the Computing Science Research Imaging Technology Group.

The SCinet team also included staff from Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore and Sandia national labs, Ames Laboratory, and several commercial companies.


PHOTO CAPTIONS -- The SCinet network operations booth, command central for the network in infrastructure at SuperComputing '94.
ICSD's Bob Fink, Ted Sopher, and Al Early monitor the network at SuperComputing '94.


Revised Lab holiday schedule

The Laboratory has announced a revised schedule for the upcoming holiday shutdown:

Please note that Laboratory operations will resume and employees will return to work on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 1995.

*Employees may use either vacation or leave without pay for Thursday, Dec. 29. New employees who have not had sufficient time to accrue adequate vacation may receive advances against their future vacation accruals.


LBL honors its volunteers

LBL honored 450 volunteers who contributed to the Center for Science and Engineering Education's Outreach Program at a reception on November 16--Volunteer Appreciation Day at the Lab.

Deputy Director Pier Oddone welcomed the attendees, acknowledging the many areas LBL employees volunteer their time at the Lab, in schools, and in the community. The program also included brief talks from volunteers about their specific contributions.

Those who shared their experiences included John Byrd of AFRD, a volunteer mentor for the Summer Research Program (an eight-week internship program for high school students); Laura Slusher of Facilities who works with students at Washington Elementary School in Berkeley; Mark Lasartemay of EH&S, who helped develop the LBL National Teacher Enhancement Project; and Eric Norman of Nuclear Science, who speaks to students visiting LBL and works with teachers on staff development.

The Outreach Program is open to all LBL staff; new recruits are sought year-round. For more information, contact CSEE Outreach Coordinator Marva Wilkins at X5640.

CSEE Outreach Program activities include the following:


PHOTO CAPTIONS -- Desiree Elvira, Mari Shine, Marva Wilkins, and Kelly Overcamp mingle at the CSEE Volunteer Appreciation Reception.
CSEE Director Rollie Otto chats with Al Ghiorso about the Lab's educational outreach programs.
Photo by Steve Adams


Food drive for needy seniors

The LBL Professional Firefighters Association, the Berkeley Lions Club and the Berkeley Fire Fighters Association are sponsoring a Christmas Food Drive for needy seniors in Albany, Berkeley, and Emeryville through December 15. Collection barrels have been set up at the LBL Fire Station, the LBL Cafeteria, and other locations in Berkeley and Albany. The food will be distributed by the Berkeley Tri City Nutrition Project. Suggested foods include canned meats, beans, peanut butter, tuna, hearty soups, pasta, fruit juice, rice, vegetables, and low salt foods.


AIDS talk

LBL Health Services is sponsoring a guest speaker from the AIDS Foundations of San Francisco at noon on Monday, Dec. 12, in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium. All employees are invited to attend.


CALENDAR -- December 12 to 16

12 m o n d a y

EH&S CLASS

8 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 66-317; Radiation Protection - Radiological Worker I (EHS 430) concludes on Wednesday; pre-registration required, X6612

EH&S CLASS

10 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 90-2063; Accident Reporting/Investigation (EHS 815); pre-registration required, X6612

LBL HEALTH SERVICES GUEST SPEAKER

Noon, Bldg. 50 Aud.; V. Vachit-Vavakan, AIDS Foundation of San Francisco

WOMEN IN SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

12:10 p.m., L. Borland, "Learning the Dynamics of Nonlinear Stochastic Processes" Refreshments at noon

13 t u e s d a y

EH&S CLASS

8 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 90-4133; Pressure Safety/Compressed Gases (EHS 230); pre-registration required, X6612

EH&S CLASS

8:30 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 66-316; EH&S Roles and Responsibilities for Supervisors in Research Settings (EHS 25), concludes on Thursday; pre-registration required, X6612

NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION

10 a.m., Bldg. 66 Aud.

CENTER FOR PARTICLE ASTROPHYSICS SEMINAR

12:30 p.m., 375 Le Conte Hall; P. Green, Univ. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, "X-ray Properties of a Thousand Quasars: ROSAT Observations of the LBQS"

STRING THEORY SEMINAR

2:10 p.m., Bldg. 50A-3106; E. Kiritsis, CERN, "Curved Spacetime as IR Regulator in Superstring Theory: Towards a Full Calculation of 1-Loop Threshold Corrections"

CENTER FOR BEAM PHYSICS SPECIAL SEMINAR

3:30 p.m., Bldg. 71 Conf. Rm.; T. Tajima, Univ. of Texas at Austin, "Laser Wakefields and T^3 Lasers"

LIFE SCIENCES DIVISION SEMINAR

4 p.m., Bldg. 66 Aud.; P. Olive, British Columbia Cancer Research Ctr., "Chromatin Structure and Sensitivity to Ionizing Radiation"

14 w e d n e s d a y

EH&S CLASS

8 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 66-317; Radiation Protection - Radiological Worker I (EHS 430) continued from Monday; pre-registration required, X6612

EH&S CLASS

8:30-10 a.m., Bldg. 90-3132; Forklift Truck Safety (EHS 225); pre-registration required, X6612

LATINO & NATIVE AMERICAN (LANA) ASSOCIATION

Noon, lower cafeteria; general meeting

DIRECTOR'S ANNUAL HOLIDAY RECEPTION

3:30-5 p.m., cafeteria

15 t h u r s d a y

EH&S CLASS

8:30 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 66-316; EH&S Roles and Responsibilities for Supervisors in Research Settings (EHS 025), continued from Tuesday; pre-registration required, X6612

BUILDING ENERGY SEMINAR

Noon, Bldg. 90-3148; M. Hanemann, UCB, "Economics as if People Were Human"

EH&S CLASS

2-3:30 p.m., Bldg. 48-109; Fire Extinguisher Use (EHS 530); pre-registration required, X6554

SURFACE/CATALYSIS SCIENCE SEMINAR

1:30 p.m., Bldg. 66 Aud.; B. Gates, UCD, "Catalysis of Structure-Insensitive Reactions by Supported Iridium Clusters"

PHYSICS DIVISION RESEARCH PROGRESS MEETING

4 p.m., Bldg. 50A-5132; M. Ronan, LBL, "Lepton Linear Colliders: A Report on the u+u- Collider Workshop," Refreshments, 3:40 p.m.

16 f r i d a y

CENTER FOR BEAM PHYSICS SEMINAR

10:30 a.m., Bldg.71 Conf. Rm.; D. Meyerhofer, Univ. of Rochester, "Nonlinear Compton Scattering Experiments at SLAC"


Menu

monday

Banana pancakes

Black bean chili

Roast game hen side

Chili dog

tuesday

Eggs Benedict

Turkey noodle

Jamaican jerk pork chop

Tuna melt

wednesday

Biscuit & gravy w/eggs

Lentil vegetable

Carved ham

Santa Fe chicken

thursday

Big blueberry pancakes

Creamy clam chowder

Tandori chicken

Philly cheesesteak

friday

Ham scramble

Chicken w/rice

Italian meatballs w/fettuccine

Seafood salad on sourdough


F L E A M A R K E T

Flea Market ads may be sent via Lab mail to Bldg. 65B, electronic mail to [email protected], or via Fax to X6641. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday.

AUTOS/SUPPLIES

'75 PORSCHE 914 V-8 conversion, Chevy 305, modified 901 transaxle, everything new or rebuilt, mint cond., $7500. 530-3933

'77 CHEVROLET Nova, very gd cond., a/t, 2-dr hatchbk, gold, 56K mi., $950. Joan, 526-5075

'82 MAZDA 626, rebuilt engine (15K mi.), 5-spd, 2-dr, a/c, am/fm/cass., runs exc., leaving country, $2600. Simone, X4829, 849-0948

'86 SAAB 900, dk blue, p/s, a/c, a/t, am/fm cass., 115K mi., $4K/b.o. David, X7326, 943-2274

'87 TOYOTA Corolla LE, 99K mi., 4-dr, new brakes, p/s, p/b, a/c, very reliable, $3K/b.o. 642-1948, 849-1948

'88 CORVETTE, black on black coupe w/2 tops, auto, Z52 pkg., exc. cond., 33K mi., $17600/b.o. Mark, X7451, 895-0151

'88 PLYMOUTH Colt DL, 5-dr wgn, gray, new clutch & tires, nice shape, runs great, avail. 12/15, $1500/b.o. Jean-Pierre, 642-6171, 235-3512

TICKETS

49ERS, 2 tix, playoffs, 1/7 or 1/8. John, (415)924-3210

49ERS, 2 tix, Sat., 12/17 vs. Denver Broncos, sec. 47 upper res., row 19, seats 9 & 10 (10-15 yd line), $39.75 ea. + $15 res. parking pass. Al Salazar, X5901, 672-2716

WANTED

CHILDCARE, seeking friendly Au Pair for 2 young children, 4-8 weeks during late June to late Aug., terms can be discussed, i.e., room & board, stipend, use of car, travel allowance. Pat, X7156, 649-0236

CONSTRUX plastic construction toys for kids (Fisher Price?). Guy, X4703, Kathy, 548-0120

HI-FI (tube-type) & HAM gear. 845-2625

ELECTRIC DRYER in gd cond., trade for our Whirlpool gas dryer, Lafayette. Mari, X5437

HOST VOLUNTEERS for International students living on campus, to maintain informal contact & hosting throughout the year, during school breaks & holidays. John Ruzek, X5987, 939-5181 (eve.)

HOMES for several LBL feral cats who reside nr the HILAC trailers, 3 females (2-3 yrs. old), 1 old male (all orange & white, short hair tabbies), all are neutered & have been tested for diseases & given shots, 1 female (1-2 years old), gray & black strip, short hair tabby, just had kittens & is available when the kittens have been weaned (approx. 4 wks), must relocate cats immediately. Vicky Donelson, X6431 X7737

HOUSE TO SIT over Christmas holidays, family is coming to visit & we can't fit them all in our house, prefer No. Berkeley. Lindsay, X5009, Vern, X7504

TRICYCLE OR WAGON for East Oakland elem. school; picture books suitable for kindergarten children also needed. Frank McLarnon, X4636, 253-1735

MISCELLANEOUS

BIKE, Peugeot road bike, 10-spd, new tire, man frame, $50. Simone X4829, 849-0948

BISTRO TABLE, 35.5"L x 22.5"W x 28.25"H, black metal base w/white top, $40; end table 20" x 20" x 16"H, black, wood, $30; iron, steam/dry, Sunbeam, $15; hairdryer, 2-spd 2-heat, $10; cooler, 20 qt., extra tall, $8; baby gym w/melody, $8; diaper pail, Fisher Price, $8. Lisa or Eric, 528-3980

BRONZEWARE, setting for 12, from Bangkok, Thailand, circa 1967, only used twice, elegant, unique, set consists of 144 pieces, twelve 11-piece place settings & 12 serving pieces, wooden case, $3250/b.o. Auben, X4613, 245-0343

BORLAND C++ 4.0 & Object Windows, 3 1/2" disks-unopened & unregistered w/full orig. documentation, $100/b.o. Steve, X7256, 481-8315

BUNK BEDS, pine frame, can also be used separately, $50; 2 swinging chairs, $25 ea.; 2 unfinished night tables, need assembly, $5 ea.; sewing machine, $25; ironing board, $5. Jane, X7153, 652-3116

CLARINET w/case. Exc. cond. $250. Pam X4045 or 829-7520.

COMPUTER, Hewlett Packard 486/33 MHz, EISA server, 1 yr. old, 16Mb 72-pin SIMMs, Adaptec EISA SCSI controller w/420Mb hard drive, internal 14.4 fax/modem, mono VGA, high quality, reliable system, software, $1500. Mike, 642-1021, 268-0674

CAMERA, 35mm SLR Minolta X-570, auto/man full-metered aperture, Vivitar 35-105mm zoom/macro lens, Sunpak autozoom 344D electronic flash, other lenses avail., $150; audio CD changer, JVC XL-M700, 6 disc cartridge + single CD drwr, programmable, random play, intro scan, full remote ctrl, headphone jack w/level ctrl, incl. 6 cartridges, $150. Jim Gregor, X7790

COFFEE TABLE, $25/b.o.; sofa bed, $50, 6' couch, $20. Sajid, X5184, 548-0641

DINING RM SET, table w/6 chairs, turned legs, dark finish, $300; antique camelback sofa, carved panels between legs, upholstery in gd cond., $500/b.o. Ted Gartner, X4203, 548-9235

HANDHELD AMATEUR Radio, Dual-Band 2 Meter/70 CM, Icom IC32AT, with charger, extra high capacity BP8 battery, speaker mic, collapsible gain antenna, excellent condition, $350. Alan X7700, 758-7104

FUTON & FRAME, 3'x5' oak, sofa bed, orig. $600, asking $300/b.o. Ernest, X7565, 530-1208

LAWN EDGE CUTTER, elec., Black & Decker, $50; Apple ImageWriter I printer, $50; Apple 1200B Modem, $25; portable elec. heater w/fan, $10, all in exc. cond. Ming, X5616, 530-0462

NINTENDO video game system w/2 controllers, light gun, cleaner, & 6 games, total cost over $400 when new, $65/b.o. Steve, X5064, 655-8379

PIANO w/bench. Walnut spinet. Beautiful condition & sound. $1100. Pam X4045 or 829-7520.

PIANO w/bench, antique tiger oak, 1914 upright, ivory keys, $1850. Peter or Anne, 531-7837

PUPPIES, Labrador Retriever, AKC, chocolate & black, ch. lines, OFA, Wind-Morgan, ready 12/30, $500. Edward Tully, X5907, 944-5304

QUEEN BED, Spinal-Pedic mattress & box spring, $150/b.o.; twin bed mattress & box spring, $60/b.o. Hannah, X4781, 528-6386

TWIN MATTRESS and box spring, Sealy, barely used, exc. cond. $175; assorted antique southwest chairs, Royal Worchester Lavinia dinner service for 12, make offer. Marta, (415)457-8091

VGA PC MONITOR, color 14" screen, as new, in box, $250 new, $175/b.o. Paul, X7018

HOUSING

ALBANY, furn. in-law studio for 1 person, avail. Jan., $550/mo. incl. utils. Helen, 525-3847

BENICIA, share 2-bdrm, 2-bth condo (own bdrm & bth) w/mature woman, bay view, patio, garden, no smoking, 1/2 hr. from Berkeley, $425/mo. incl. utils. (707)747-6558

BERKELEY, nr San Pablo Ave. & Ashby, 2-bdrm, 1-bth duplex, yd, parking, $600/mo. 548-9869

BERKELEY, sunny studio, wood floors, skylight, sm. garden area, $515/mo. 540-0385

BERKELEY (2 listings), furn. studio, $535/mo.; furn. 1-bdrm, $600/mo., 5 min. walk to UC/LBL shuttle, incl. heat, water & parking, long/short term, no pets. 527-1358

EL CERRITO HILLS, 2-bdrm, 2-1/2 bth townhouse, modern, family rm, 2 balc & frpl, W&D, D/W, refrig., 2X garage, tennis/pool/clbhs, view of Wildcat Cyn. Pk.- hike/bike trails. 236-0966

KENSINGTON, furn. studio, pvt., non-smokers, avail. 1/21, $450/mo. 559-8021

MONTCLAIR, furn. studio apt (~600 sq. ft.), $500/mo. + dep. 653-1654

MONTCLAIR, Paso Robles Dr. off Shepard Cyn Rd., lg. rm in 3-bdrm, 2-1/2 bth house, wooded setting, hot tub, frpls, 2-car garage, washer/dryer, full kitchen incl. microwave & dishwasher, ofc. space w/computer desk, avail. 12/15, $460/mo. + utils. Debbie, 423-2428, 339-0336 (eve.)

WANTED: 2-bdrm. house/apt. for German couple, visiting scholar at LBL, pref. Berkeley north or east, Albany. 236-8087

VACATION

BAHAMAS, 1-bdrm condo on beach, w/amenities, slps 4, Taino Beach Resort Club, 2 mo. adv. notice needed, $500/wk (Sat. to Sat.). 528-1614

NATURE CRUISE, 3/25 - 4/3, Sea of Cortez & Baha California, aboard 70-passenger MV Seabird, whales, snorkeling, land exploration, birds & more, benefits Mono Lake Committee. M. Bennett, 526-1260

NO. TAHOE, new 3-bdrm, 2-1/5 bth home, slps 8+, greenbelt views, shopping, lake, Northstar & casinos within 10 min., avail. for wkend/wkday ski season incl. 12/30-1/1, x-country & resort skiing. Wayne Nordby, X7685, 837-2409

SO. LAKE TAHOE, 4-bdrm cabin, exc. loc., 2 mi. from Heavenly Valley, AEK, washer/dryer. Bill Holley, X4822, 283-3094

REAL ESTATE

ROSSMORE, co-op, 2-bdrm, 1-bth condo, LR, dining area, veranda w/view of hills, wood-slat shades, like new carpet, linoleum, appliances in top cond., nr clubhouse, golf & swimming, $54.5K, $475/mo. covers bal. on mortgage ($10K), landscape maint., sec. & more. 524-9473

FOR FREE

CAT, 2 yr. old fem., Calico, recently abandoned. Mark, X6554


Currents Staff

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