Discussed are novel ways of blocking gene expression by using antisense RNA. The use of antisense technology in plant development and its possible use in human disease therapy are described. (KR)

An approach that may be used to introduce the fundamental ideas of thermodynamics using a mathematical background with the knowledge of the behavior of matter is described. The physical background, conservation of energy, predicting the behavior of a system, and solving problems are topics of discussion. (KR)

"Exploring Career Options in Engineering and Science" at the Stevens Institute of Technology (New Jersey) introduces talented female students (entering grade 11 or 12) from all over the country to engineering and science in a 2-week residential program involving hands-on laboratory work; on-site visits and seminars; and student research.…

An understanding of the motives behind teaching and research is developed and the harmonies and dissonances they can create are described. The relationship between intrinsic and external motives for both research and teaching are discussed. (KR)

Discussed are means of enhancing engineering education and the process of bridging the gap between industry and academe. The change in the corporate culture is described. Partnerships between schools and industry are advocated. (CW)

Discussion of issues that should be addressed when catalogers in small public libraries begin to automate as part of a consortium uses library cooperatives from Massachusetts (Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing, CLAMS) and Florida as examples. Topics discussed include characteristics of the catalogers; cataloging standards; decision…

Describes a study that identified factors influencing the number of citations received by articles published in the field of chemical engineering, based on a set of 226 papers by 18 internationally recognized scientists and citations to those papers. Factors identified include how prolific the author is and the number of references. (Contains 37…

Describes the Academic Excellence Workshops program at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, as a potential model for an academic support system specifically designed for underrepresented students in math-based disciplines. (PR)

The impact of interestingness and "narrativity" on comprehension, attention, and reading speed and the role of topic familiarity were studied for 16 college students in psychology classes and 8 from engineering classes who read excerpts from psychology and engineering texts. Results support schema-based comprehension theory. (SLD)

Describes a 10-year study of interlibrary loan data from the University of California, Santa Barbara that was used to document the impact of serials cancellations. Also details a project involving a number University of California campuses that uses faxes to fill requests for science and engineering journal articles. (LRW)

Discusses applications of recombinant DNA technology and the controversies surrounding that technique. Provides a cooperative learning project idea that involves teams of students investigating and debating these issues. (DDR)

Identifies core journals in environmental geology and explores facets of interdisciplinarity to consider the visibility of this field to collection-development librarians. Intercitation analysis of citing and cited patterns in 1995 articles revealed the journal network of environmental geology. Titles clustered into three categories:…

Focuses on gender gaps in the science, mathematics, and engineering disciplines. Describes both the Douglas Project for Rutgers Women in Math, Science, and Engineering, and Project SUPER (Science for Undergraduates: A Program for Excellence in Research) which was developed for women students. Presents a list of additional resources including web…

Discusses the Engineering Criteria 2000 adopted by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The new criteria provide a framework by which chemical engineering faculties can develop programs to meet modern industrial needs without jeopardizing their accreditation standing. The criteria also require a change in emphasis from…

Discusses the opportunities and dangers associated with various aspects of implementing the Engineering Criteria 2000. Topics include: (1) understanding the continuous quality improvement process; (2) use of assessment terminology; (3) development of performance criteria; (4) use of local resources; (5) hiring an expert to aid the transition; (6)…