As the United States has made strides toward civil rights for everyone over the past 40 years, so has the medical profession made strides toward health care for everyone. This was the message delivered by Cornelius Hopper, UC vice president for health affairs, at a noontime talk in the Bldg. 50 auditorium on Feb. 13.
But, Hopper said, we should not forget the lessons learned during this time, especially in light of the recent UC Regents' decision regarding affirmative action, which could decrease medical school enrollments of African Americans and Hispanics.
Hopper spoke as part of the Lab's celebration of Black History Month.
"The social policy decisions UC made years ago was that medical schools weren't just about providing educational opportunity," Hopper said. "We train physicians to take care of people."
It has been to the University's advantage as a social agency, he said, to produce a diverse pool of physicians. According to Hopper, studies have repeatedly shown that minority physicians tend to move into areas where there are minority patients.
Hopper's talk chronicled his 40-year career as a doctor and academician, a career that began when the U.S. medical system still experienced segregation by class. Although the legal barriers to segregation had by then been essentially dismantled, there were two drastically different worlds when it came to health care.
Hopper described the Cincinnati public hospitals where he worked in the late-1950s while he was in medical school: large open wards packed with beds separated by curtains, a far cry from the sophisticated facilities and privacy found at the expensive private hospitals of the time.
"It wasn't really racial segregation at that time, but economic," he said.
After graduating from medical school, Hopper served time in the Marines, then received specialty training in neurology. He re-entered the medical field in the midst of a social revolution, the civil rights movement. "African Americans found a leader in Martin Luther King," he said. "The hope and expectation African American felt was palpable."
A revolution was also underway in health care, Hopper said, with the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. "The nation got around to making health care a priority for every one," he said. "Many poor and elderly finally gained access to mainstream medical care."
With the new health care programs also came a need for more physicians--more than 80,000, according to Hopper. To fill the need, the number of U.S. medical schools jumped from 86 to 126 from 1965 to 1970, while student enrollments increased from 40,000 to 63,000.
Opportunities for African Americans in medicine also improved dramatically. Their enrollment in medical schools doubled from 1965 to 1970, a period of time Hopper called the "Age of Euphoria."
"This was a time when the nation was finally willing to put up resources to solve the social problems related to medical care," he said.
Today, the gains made are being threatened, Hopper said. However, the inflexibility that made it difficult to create social change in the first place may work to keep the improvement over the past 40 years in place.
"Universities and other large institutions have a ponderous inertia," he said. "This can be a strength in times like this. I expect the advances we've made over the past years will stay with us for years to come, in spite of the recent decision by the Board of Regents."
CAPTION: Cornelius Hopper, UC's vice president for health affairs, gave a noontime talk in the Bldg. 50 auditorium on Feb. 13 as part of the Lab's celebration of Black History Month. Photo by Don Fike
When it comes to pursuing research partnerships between University of California campuses and Department of Energy laboratories, the guiding vision was probably provided six decades ago by Ernest Orlando Lawrence.
"He developed science of scale," Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank told an audience of UC Berkeley faculty last week. "Lawrence taught us a new way to do science, one that involves more than one person, across disciplinary lines. His legacy has given us this extraordinary opportunity."
In the first of what could be a series of campus meetings, the directors of the three UC-managed laboratories outlined their programs and discussed possible areas of collaboration at a Feb. 6 meeting with invited UC Berkeley deans, department chairs and professors.
Chancellor Chang-lin Tien hosted the session, designed to provide academic leaders with ideas to develop research partnerships with the labs. A group of about 75 participated in the two-hour presentation and discussion, held at the UC Berkeley Faculty Club. Similar events are anticipated at other UC campuses.
Joining Shank were Los Alamos National Lab Director Sig Hecker, and Lawrence Livermore's Bruce Tarter.
Tien said the idea of promoting shared resources and intellect was first proposed among University leaders about two years ago and finally took shape as a program in the last six months. He offered to be Lab Day's first sponsor.
Another outgrowth of the program planning was the initiation of a home page on the World Wide Web, entitled "National Laboratory Research Forum" (http://labs.ucop.edu/forum.html) Coordinated by the Office of the President and Berkeley Lab, the Web site provides a listing of key research collaboration areas at all three laboratories. The fields include biological sciences, computing and information infrastructure, energy and environment, materials sciences, economic and policy issues, physics and cosmology, and nuclear science and technology. Key lab contacts are identified for each area.
Shank described Berkeley Lab programs that have historically provided the most campus interaction--high energy and particle physics, biological sciences and genomics, computation, energy sciences, chemistry, and molecular structure and design, among others. He pointed especially to the Drosophila project, a partnership between the Lab's Human Genome Center and campus scientists led by Jerry Rubin; and the Advanced Light Source, including the emerging beamline for structural biology that offers prospects for exciting new collaborations.
"We at Berkeley Lab value--and find essential to the life and vitality of the Laboratory--our partnerships with the campuses," he said. "With these special relationships, we can work together in developing new scientific directions for our mutual benefit."
Hecker focused on the five pieces of Los Alamos' national mission that constitute three-fourths of its budget--ensuring the safety and security of the nuclear weapon stockpile, managing the stockpile, managing nuclear materials, stopping the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and providing environmental stewardship over weapons production sites. "To do this job," he said, "we need the help of the smartest people in the world," and he encouraged the faculty to find ways to get involved in the programs. "You bring special capabilities to deal with world problems," he said.
Tarter reviewed Livermore's primary programs, in particular its university relations component that supports three research institutes--the Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, the Institute for Scientific Computing Research, and the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectronomy. He also discussed the Campus/Lab Collaboration fund, whose $3 million is available at the defense labs to support joint activities resulting from a competitive proposal process.
Oliver Williamson, chair of the UC Berkeley Academic Senate, noted that collaborations are a way to maximize the dwindling resources facing scientific programs at all institutions.
The general discussion that followed focused on joint appointments for non-faculty, access to user facilities, laboratory participation in campus teaching programs, and bureaucratic barriers to completing collaboration agreements.
The George Blumenthal Professor of International and Public Affairs, Business and Law at Columbia, Nelson has published extensively in the economics of technological change and public policy towards high-technology industries. His recent research concerns the comparative analysis of the development of high-technology industries in the United States, Western Europe and Japan, as well as the economics of intellectual property rights.
Nelson received his doctorate degree from Yale University. He is a former assistant professor at Oberlin College and the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He was an economist with the RAND Corporation and a senior staff member of the Council of Economic Advisors. He has also been a professor of economics at Yale University, and director of the Institute for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University.
The cafeteria will implement a price increase--on a few select items--on March 1. The changes are necessary in order to cover the increasing cost of food and supplies, said cafeteria manager Basil Friedman.
Of more than 140 menu items, 15 will have higher prices. Grill special, entree, and sandwich prices will go up by 30 cents, and several other items at the grill and Mexican bar will also cost more. Soft drink, salad, soup, potato, and dessert prices will not change.
Friedman said he has compared his prices to those at similar local eateries. He said the new prices will be more consistent with the competitors' but will remain significantly lower. Burrito prices will still be lower than they were in 1994.
"It's still a bargain," he said, "and we hope to keep it that way." He said the challenge at the cafeteria is to remain competitive and still pay the bills. While admittedly unable to compete with prices at Taco Bell and Burger King, Friedman said that for multi-specialty, lower-volume service, the cafeteria will still be unbeatable for value and quality.
In addition to the skyrocketing cost of paper products and plastic containers, he said that bread prices have gone up once and dairy product prices twice since his arrival in July. "Vendor prices have just necessitated an increase at this time," he said.
He also said there are things employees can do to help keep costs down at the cafeteria:
Initially, the new service will operate 6:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Once the bar is open, coffee drinkers will be polled to determine if changes should be made to either the food and beverage selection, or hours of operation. The opening date for the bar, when set, will be announced in Currents.
Vice President Al Gore and a report to Congress on how federal R&D funds should be allocated were two of the highlights at the 1996 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. A gloomy mood prevailed over this year's edition of the nation's biggest science meeting. Throughout the six-day gathering (Feb. 8-13) in Baltimore, concern over shrinking budgets was heard everywhere. In an address on Monday, Gore charged that budget-cutting Republicans in Congress are "approaching science with all the wisdom of a potted plant." Gore cited cuts in such areas of research as global warming, supercomputers, advanced materials, and solar energy as prime examples of Congressional short-sightedness. The biggest response came when he praised F. Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina, who shared the 1995 Nobel prize in chemistry for their warning 22 years ago of the dangers chlorofluorocarbons pose to the ozone. Two weeks after the prize was awarded, Gore noted, Rep. Tom Delay, R-Texas, declared that an international agreement to phase out the use of CFCs was based "only on a media scare." Such remarks, said Gore, "ought to send shivers up our spines and ... are symptomatic of a deep disregard for science itself."
Also at the AAAS, a panel discussion was held on a report entitled "Allocating Federal Funds for Science and Technology." The report was prepared for Congress by a joint committee of the National Academies of Science and Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. On the panel were Frank Press, former NAS president who headed the blue-ribbon report committee; Jack Gibbons, science advisor to President Clinton; and Rep. Robert Walker (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Science Committee. Press told AAAS attendees that the nation needs to rethink its process for supporting federal R&D. His committee proposed a new approach in which the many disjointed pieces of the federal R&D budget would be combined into a single budget picture. "This would mean funding the best projects and people, and cutting ineffective or outdated activities to free funds for important new opportunities," Press said.
A big first step, he added, would be for the government to accurately calculate its R&D budget. The $70 billion most often reported is misleading because nearly half this amount is spent on establishing production lines and developing operational systems for weapons. Though important, these activities seldom contribute to the creation of new knowledge or technologies, Press said. The true federal R&D expenditures are between $35 and $40 billion. Jack Gibbons praised the committee's report, saying that it "reaffirms the President's view that science and technology are critical to the Nation's future and that we need to maintain world-class research and education even as we move to balance the budget." Chairman Walker agreed with the committee's recommendation that the R&D budget should be considered as one unified account. However, he said this would probably not be possible under the current committee structure. He also chided the scientific community for failing to set forth its own priorities. "Too often, when we ask witnesses what choices they'd make, the answer is an elegant, well-worded version of `they are all good and all should be funded,'" said Walker. "That (approach) just won't do any longer."
"Searching for CP/T-Violation in Neutron Decay" will be presented by Eric Wasserman of LBL at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 50A-5132; refreshments, 3:40 p.m.
Crane/Hoist (Supplemental) for Incidental Operators (EHS 212), 8 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 70A-3377
Adult CPR (EHS 123), 9 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 48-109
Recertification for Supplemental Crane/Hoist (Level 1) (EHS 213), 1-3 p.m., Bldg. 70A-3377
"Monitoring In Situ Bioremediation: The Hope and The Hype" will be presented by Dr. Terry Hazen of the Savannah River Technology Center at noon in 338 Koshland Hall.
SURFACE SCIENCE AND CATALYSIS SCIENCE SEMINAR
"Reactions of Methyl Radicals on Oxides and Metals" will presented by Charles Mims of the University of Toronto, Canada, at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 Auditorium.
DEPARTMENT OF ASTRONOMY COLLOQUIUM
"Results from the ORFEUS-I Mission" will be presented by Mark Hurwitz of UCB at 4 p.m. in 1 Le Conte; refreshments, 3:30 p.m., 661 Campbell Hall.
PHYSICS DIVISION RESEARCH PROGRESS MEETING
"Recent Electroweak Results from CCFR" will be presented by Kevin McFarland from FNAL at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 50A-5132; refreshments, 3:40 p.m.
"The Next Generation Photoinjector" will be presented by Dennis Palmer of SLAC at 10:30 a.m. in the Bldg. 71 Conference Room.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN A COMPETITIVE WORLD LECTURE
Columbia University professor Richard Nelson, a member of the Galvin Committee, will speak on "Recent Changes in University Interaction with Industry: What Is and What Should be Going On?" at 11:45 a.m. in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium.
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., near Bldg. 77.
BODYWORKS
General meeting at noon in the lower cafeteria.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT
Troy Duster, director of UC Berkeley's Institute for the Study of Social Change, will speak on "The Regents' Decision on Affirmative Action and the CCRI: Context and Impacts," at noon in the Bldg. 50 auditorium.
Basic Electrical Hazard Awareness (EHS 260), 9-11 a.m., Bldg. 51-201
LIFE SCIENCES DIVISION SEMINAR
"Lipoprotein-Proteoglycan Interactions in Atherosclerosis" will be presented by Alan Chait of the University of Washington at 4 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 Auditorium.
Forklift Truck Safety (EHS 225), 8-10 a.m., Bldg. 70A-3377
TOASTMASTERS' MEETING
12:10-1 p.m., Bldg. 2-100.
Earthquake Safety (EHS 135), 10-11:30 a.m., Bldg. 48-109
SURFACE SCIENCE AND CATALYSIS SCIENCE SEMINAR
"A Surface Science Approach to Environmental and Atmospheric Chemistry" will presented by Vicki Grassian of the University of Iowa at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 Auditorium.
DEPARTMENT OF ASTRONOMY COLLOQUIUM
"From Antarctica to Mars: Searching for Life" will be presented by Chris McKay of NASA Ames at 4 p.m. in 1 Le Conte; refreshments, 3:30 p.m., 661 Campbell Hall.
"Poisoning and Promotion in Ammonia Synthesis" will presented by Ken Waugh of the University of Manchester, England, at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 Auditorium.
Computing Services has put up more information on "macro" viruses, the electronic nuisances that have been showing up at Berkeley Lab and worldwide, primarily on computers running Microsoft Word 6.0. Users can access the latest news on the World Wide Web:
The page has a link to a Microsoft web site where users can download software that detects files infected with macro viruses on Macintoshes and PCs. (The viruses can infect files on both platforms.)
To date, DOE's Computer Incident Advisory Capability has reported six different macro viruses "in the wild." Five of them infect Microsoft Word 6.0 documents; one infects Microsoft Excel worksheets. Two of the Word-based viruses can damage other files.
Macros are customizable features in Word, Excel, and other software applications. With macros, users can program certain keystrokes to execute certain commands, or specify certain processes to run when documents are opened or closed.
Macro viruses are written in the computer languages responsible for creating macros. The viruses travel from computer to computer as macros contained in document files. The Word macro viruses named "FormatC" and "Hot" delete files on a user's hard drive. The Word macro virus named "Colors" changes a user's screen colors.
The new macro viruses are particularly alarming because they spread by way of document files. Computer viruses have traditionally traveled by way of executable files, which are what standard virus detection programs examine when looking for viruses.
For more information on computer security, contact Mark Rosenberg, Berkeley Lab's computer protection program manager, at X6708.
Karlan Bolin -- Engineering
Patrick Casey -- Engineering
Eduardo Díaz -- Nuclear Science
Kristen Kadner -- Life Sciences
Donald Ledwith -- Operations
Thomas McKone -- E&E
Shripa Patel -- Life Sciences
Steve Virostek -- Engineering
Huber Warner -- Life Sciences
'78 DODGE Tradesman van, rebuilt eng. '94, gd cond., 8-cyl., a/c, new parts, furn. (bed, closets, table), runs well, $2500/b.o. Martin, X4800
'87 MERCURY Lynx, needs clutch & battery, gd engine & tires, 70K mi., $800/b.o. 635-4417, (after 6 p.m.)
'88 MERCURY Tracer, hatchbk, a/t, p/s, AM/FM/cass., 110K mi., blue, $2K/b.o. Tony, X6373, 843-5632
'88 SUZUKI Samurai jeep, 4 WD, 5-spd, 82K mi., 2 soft tops, leaving country, $2400/b.o. Markus, X6113, 526-4013, 654-6200
'89 FORD Aerostar XL, 7-passenger van, V-6, 1 owner, new tires & brakes, a/c, tow pkg., silver, 150K fwy mi., great cond., $5800. Laura, 339-9356
'89 HYUNDAI Excel, 4-dr, 80K mi., AM/FM cass., p/s, p/b, new tires, clutch & belts, silver, runs great, $1390. Edas, X7780, 848-6137, 849-1147
'89 TOYOTA pickup, 4x4, 5-spd, w/camper shell, great cond., $5500. X7176
'94 CHEVY Starcraft van conversion, 7K mi., exc. cond., picture windows, white, bed, a/c, alarm, upgraded tires, low roof, $21K. 452-3802 (eve.)
MOTORCYCLE, '82 Yamaha Seca 650, exc. cond., $1800. Judy, X6540, 631-6642
TIRES, 2 ea., Michelin, 205/65/SR 15, V rated, low mi., $25 ea. R. Arri, X4593
DONATIONS for AIDS Ride '96, bicycle ride from SF to LA, in June, benefits AIDS research & awareness, $2500 needed in order to participate in the ride. Karla, X7717
INFORMATION regarding Berkeley HS 1986 graduates for ten year reunion planning committee. Alicea, 849-3321
CD/CASSETTE STAND, black, 51" Hx9.5" Wx6" D, 8 adj. shelves, gd as new, $50/b.o. Rob, X4213, 652-3621
COLOR PRINTER, new, Epson Stylus Color II (highest rated), in unopened factory carton, Mac or PC compatible, orig. discounted price was $460, asking $400/b.o. Ed, X7501, 649-0409
COMPUTER, laptop, Acernote 786, 8M Ram 500MB HD, 486DX4/75, 256 color display, 2 card slots, trackball, many programs installed, orig. box & manuals, exc. cond., $1500/b.o. 235-3983
COMPUTER, PC-AT 286, 10MHz, 640K, 32MB HD, 5.25" floppy, 2400 baud modem, amber monochrome EGA monitor, $150/b.o. D. Merrill, X5063, 549-0914
FREE-STANDING HEATER, Schwank-Perfection, 50K BTU, used twice, exc. cond., $490. Denny, 237-8171
FUTON, queen sz., oak w/side arm rail, incl. designer cover & matching pillows, $300/b.o.; futon, single sz., oak wood w/designer cover, $200/b.o.; full sz. sleeper, part of sectional unit, modern print fabric, $200/b.o. Dee, 235-6587
FUTON, queen sz., solid natural wood frame, black/red mattress w/bedding, $80; Zenith TV, $80, everything 1 yr. old, leaving country. Markus, X6113, 526-4013, 654-6200
GARAGE SALE, bedroom supplies (sheets, blankets, pillows), kitchen supplies, misc. items, desk, $50; corner desk, $50; computer table, $50; book cases, $30 ea., all in exc. cond.; chairs, $10. Rose, X7554, 233-8620 (eve.)
LIFT TICKET VOUCHERS, Squaw Valley, reg. $45, $38; men's ski boots, Nordica, blk, sz. 11, $100; ladies ski jumpsuit, white w/other colors, sz. 10, $50; water filters, NSA, models 50C & 100S. Marek, X5029, 582-5867
MTB BIKE PARTS, Mag-20 suspension fork, 1-1/4 dia., 15 cm threaded; Tange Evolution fork, 1-1/4 dia., 16 cm threaded; Control Tech Aluminum alloy seat post, 1-1/4 dia, best offer. Tim, X5304
PERSIAN RUG, antique, 60 yrs. in the family, perfect cond., hand-knotted Hammedan, 5'X7', predominately red/multi., $700/b.o. 883-1652
REFRIGERATOR, 36" wide, side-by-side, auto-defrost, white, $100/b.o. Jim, X7302
SAILBOATS (2), 22' Columbia fiberglass w/fin keel, sails, 7.5 HP outboard engine, toilet & galley, slps 4, $2K; Mystic 24' w/full keel, sails, 4 cyl. atomic gas inboard engine, standing headroom, toilet & galley, slps 4, $3K. Nan, 527-4298
SPEAKERS, DA Pro Poly series, high-end floor standing, 43-25K Hz range, 10" woofer, 3.5" mid., 3.25" tweeter, handles up to 125 watts, oak, exc. cond., valued at $500+, must sell, $225/b.o. Sékou, X4270, 533-9075
VOLLEYBALL NET, full set, new, $30. Edas, X7780, 848-6137, 849-1147
ALBANY HILL, Jackson St., 3-bdrm, 2-bth condo, sweeping hill view, $1150/mo. + $1500 dep. 235-3983
BERKELEY, 2 rms avail. in furn. home, nr UCB & Rose Garden, washer/dryer, views, frpl, hot tub, decks, avail. 3/1, $450 & $500/mo. David, 525-4470
BERKELEY, sublet from mid-March to mid-May, sunny studio, Northside, 1 blk from UCB & LBL bus, $460/mo., utils. incl. 548-8593 (eve.)
NO BERKELEY, furn. lg. rm in 4-bdrm house, bay view, shopping, bus stop, parking, $425/mo. 528-6953
NO. BERKELEY, 2 lg. rms in lg. 4-bdrm, 2-bth house, w/d, lg. yd, bay views, walk to LBL shuttle, easygoing but responsible household, 1 rm, own bath, avail 3/1, $585/mo. + utils, $1015 last/deposit, other $465/mo. + utils, $850 last/deposit. Spencer, X5470, 559-8942
CASTRO VALLEY, 2 bdrms avail. in home, one w/pvt bth, laundry & kitchen privs., short/long term, rent + dep. negot. Marek, X5029, 582-5867
CONCORD, 1-bdrm condo, upper unit, new carpet/paint, pool, deck, laundry fac., nr hwys 4 & 242, walk to BART, water, garbage, basic cable, refs. req'd, $575/mo. + dep. (negot.). Martin/Bobbie, 370-6002
EL CERRITO, furn. 2-bdrm townhouse, 1-1/2 bth, 2-car garage, washer/dryer, inner courtyard nr swimming pool, avail. 4/1-9/30, $850/mo. 525-2135
HERCULES, 2-bdrm, 2-bth townhouse, w/all amenities, nr trans., schools, etc., 2-car enclosed garage. John, X4631, 709-0220 (eve.)
MONTCLAIR, 3-bdrm, 2-1/2 bth, loft+, 2 decks, hot tub, new carpets & paint, $1800/mo. 339-1055
RICHMOND, off Arlington, unfurn., 3-bdrm, 1-bth house, partial bay view, frpl, W/D hook-ups, garage, hardwd flrs, refrig., stove, yd, nr bus & BART, 1 yr. lease, avail. negot., $1200/mo. + 1 mo. dep. Dee, 235-6587 (eve.)
RICHMOND ANNEX, Bayview, 2-bdrm, 1-bth, frpl, hardwd flrs, lg. yd, $1235/mo. D. Merrill, X5063, 525-7798
RODEO, 2-bdrm, 1-bth, 4-plex apt, upstairs, lg. rms, garage, fenced, remodeled inside & out, 15 mi. from LBL, $555/mo. Robby, 799-3309
WANTED: furn. 3-4 bdrm house for LBL guest scientist, Berkeley/Berkeley Hills, from end of May - end of Aug. (flex.). Sabine, X7621
WANTED: furn. house/apt for visiting teacher & wife (no children), 6/23-8/23, East or No. Bay Area, willing to commute to LBL; also willing to exchange home nr Boston (Marblehead, MA). Karin, X5513, Michael, (617) 631-6860
SO. LAKE TAHOE, Tahoe Keys, 3-bdrm, 2.5-bth house, W/D, mountain & water views, XC & downhill skiing nearby. Bob, 376-2211
SO. LAKE TAHOE, The Ridge, exc. view, slps 6, pool, hot tub, ski in/out at Heavenly, avail. 2/17-23. Todd, 339-8268