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The U.S. government last week took the first steps toward developing a coordinated scientific effort to combat terrorism. Despite an official blackout on the event, Science has learned that White [...]

Diplomacy is often noted for its slow pace and bland language. But last week an unusually fast-moving National Academy of Sciences (NAS) panel offered the U.S. State Department some plain-spoken [...]

The article presents an analysis on the condition of medical science industry in the United States. It is argued that high standard of medical science is threatened of being priced out of reach by technical complexity, poor management and extensive paperworks. It examines the reasons why testing of new medical treatments are expensive, followed by discussion on why pharmaceutical and medical companies are taking poor corporate policies on medical research. The cost of testing a new drug in the U.S. rose and new treatments emerging has fallen.

Public Library of Science (PLoS) has launched a free electronic, open-access journal "PLoS Biology" based on author fees. For decades academic librarians in the United States, Europe and Japan, who buy the bulk of technical journals have complained that they can't keep pace with rising subscription prices. Faced with stagnating budgets, libraries have reluctantly pruned their holdings, a response that they say threatens the progress of science. This step taken by PLoS to launch electronic journal is a boon. The new journal appears to be off to a solid start. Its October 13, 2003 inaugural issue included nine research papers, including one headline-grabber on a monkey whose brain had been wired to move a robotic arm. Curious readers have created a gridlock on the web site of PLoS. Each monthly issue is expected to contain about 10 research papers and an array of less technical offerings. PLoS is also distributing about 30,000 free print copies of the first three issues. INSETS: The Fight Over a Phrase;Money Woes Force Some to Change Course;House Bill Triggers Internecine Battle.

Describes how science lobbyists are achieving unprecedented success in the United States Congress. Fierce competition for government cash; Desire to shape regulations; Factors that will test the science lobby's clout; Involvement of research universities, medical colleges, scientific societies and industry groups; Stand out science lobbyists. INSETS: Can ASTRA Restore a Glow to the Physical Sciences?;Tools of the Trade;Faces in the Crowd;Hawaii Rides a Wave of Research Earmarks

Reports the implications of the plan of United States President Bill Clinton to increase the budget of the National Science Foundation as of August 2000. Views of Clinton on the benefit of the budget to the economy; Reaction of science advocates on the plan.

Long-simmering dissatisfaction with the U.S. President George W. Bush Administration's handling of scientific advice has come to a hearty boil. Stung by charges by more than 60 prominent researchers that the Administration has manipulated science to advance its political agenda, White House science adviser John Marburger this week moved to rebut what he calls a troubling misperception based on a deeply flawed report. Fueling the flames are two documents released by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based advocacy group, on February 18. All of the incidents have been reported by Science and other media, including a decision to delete language on climate change from a report published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and moves to alter the membership of several advisory panels dealing with controversial lead pollution or ergonomics standards.

Presents information on various developments in the field of science as of March 7, 2003. Cancellation of a graduate fellowship program in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Introduction of a program for crewless missions to the moon by the director of the China National Space Administration; Permission granted to gene therapy studies that were stopped for an emergency review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Presents developments related to science in U.S. as of February 28, 2003. Reaffirmation of human genome sequencers to share genome data following the new draft policy of the National Human Genome Research Institute; Need for the U.S. government to launch a research program to detect land mines; Plan of U.S. National Academies to create a panel to review advisory panel.

Presents news briefs related to science as of November 2002. Factors that have made the researchers of France wait for importing human embryonic stem cells; Career background of former science editor Ellis Rubinstein who became the president of 185 year old institution; Views of Rubinstein on his appointment.

Reports developments on science and technology. Appointment of Jean-Pierre Raffarin as science chief in France; Career highlights of Raffarin; Details of the annual budget guidance to research agencies in the U.S.

Provides updates related to science in the U.S. as of March 2002. Discussion about the regulation of stem cell research; Derivation of stem cell lines from spare embryos; Recognition of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for nanoscience center.

Focuses on developments related to science, current as of May 11, 2001. Reed Elsevier's planned acquisition of publisher Harcourt General; World Medical Association's reconsideration of guidelines that would restrict the use of placebos in clinical trials.

Reports on developments relevant to different scientific fields in the United States as of December 22, 2000. Efforts of the U.S. Committee for the National Laboratories to restore the reputation of national laboratories as guardians of national security; Preparations by the National Science Foundation for an increase in public outreach.

Reports on developments related to science as of December 15, 2000. Request of the United States Defense Department to revive the Iridium satellite phone network; Debate on the budget allocations of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Complaints of top science organizations in Germany on the financing of their projects.

Reports on science-related news items as of December 8, 2000. Distribution of British government grant and the Wellcome Trust charity for the top 28 university laboratories; Donation of unused campaign funds to biomedical science by retiring United States politician John Porter; Appointment of neuroscientist Gerald Fischbach to the vice presidency for health and medical sciences at Columbia University.

Covers news briefs on science as of September 8, 2000. Conservation of the tropical copaiba tree; Celebration of the start of the Southern African Large Telescope in the town of Sutherland, South Africa; Plans of the United Kingdom government to relax its strict immigration laws.

Presents news briefs on science worldwide as of September 2000. Status of the regulation of the use of laboratory animals in the United States; Details on the appointment of the director general of the National Centre for Scientific Research in France.

Presents news briefs on science worldwide as of August 2000. Details on a DNA typing plan from siblings in North and South Korea; Status of the campaign to increase the budget of the National Institutes of Health in the United States.

Presents update on science as of August 18, 2000. Reason behind the decision of the United States (U.S.) Department of Commerce to propose a sanctuary for horseshoe crabs off Delaware Bay; Explanation to the decision of Scotland's Roslin Institute to halt its efforts to engineer pigs; Reaction of biomedical and animal rights group to the plan of the U.S. government to change the way researchers characterize pain and distress in lab animals.

Presents news briefs on science in the United States as of August 2000. Details on a team up of the government and the cellular telephone industry on mobile telephone risks studies; Views on the use of government funds by the Lawrence Livermore National Library to improve its public image; Update on the building of the Terascale computer of the National Science Foundation.

Presents news briefs on science as of July 28, 2000. Plan of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration to send a single lander to Mars in 2003; Number of academic teams named by California Governor Gray Davis that are running for state funds to set up research institutes; Expiration of physicist Catherine Brechignac's term as director general of CNRS, France's basic research agency.

Covers news briefs on science-related issues as of June 9, 2000. Responsibilities of the Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board; Estimated amount for the development of the National Programs of Excellence in Biomedical Computing by the National Health Institutes.

Deals with the plan to put the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Efforts done by United States Energy Secretary Bill Richardson for the laser project; Total budget for the project; Applications of the laser beams.

Presents science-related news briefs in the United States as of March 10, 2000. Death of evolutionary biologist William Hamilton; Additional money requested by Representative Curt Weldon, chairman of the House Armed Services, for military research and development.

Presents articles pertaining to science. Amount of money the Japanese government is willing to allocate for science and technology; Move of the American Rivers and other conservation groups in urging United States (US) President Bill Clinton to organize a summit to address the issue of endangered Pacific salmon; Plans of US Energy Secretary Bill Richardson to recruit and retain scientists at the national laboratories of the Department of Energy.

Presents articles pertaining to science. Status of the case of Marguerite Kay, an immunologist at the University of Arizona in Tucson, who was dismissed for scientific misconduct; Laws on research and development tax credits; Meetings held by the United States Food and Drug Administration on genetically modified food.

Presents articles pertaining to science. Result of the problems experienced by the Fritz Space shuttle to the upcoming launches of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Refusal of French scientists to fire up major x-ray sources; Aims of a Russian initiative to bridge the gulf between universities and the nation's science strongholds.

Focuses on the United States budget for the fiscal 2000 and discusses how it will affect science research. Tax cut bills proposed by House and Senate lawmakers; Concerns of science lobbyists; Efforts of Neal Lane, White House science adviser; Chart showing reductions by House in high-profile science programs.

Presents news briefs related to science. United States legislation for permanent tax credit for research and development investments; Controversy over the Kennewick Man, found in the bank of Washington's Columbia River; Failure to date the remains; Claims laid by Native American tribes.

Reports on the United States research and development budget for 1999. Increases given to the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense, among others; Statistics; Where the money will be concentrated such as research on fusion energy; Efforts of state legislators to make these increases a reality.