This discussion focuses on the problem in neurobiology in which neurons are able to make correct connections as the brain develops in utero. (Author/SA)

The specialized regions of the brain which control mental activity and language development are discussed in this article. (Author/SA)

An introduction to the field of paleoanthropology is presented. Contributions from a score of disciplines are replacing guesswork in the description of the environments that accompanied the stages of humankind. (BB)

The author reviews research on the origins of life, beginning with Thales (636 B.C.), synthesized by C. Darwin in "The Origin of Species," continued by H. DeVries' mutation theory, and enhanced by the discovery in 1944 of DNA. For journal availability, see SO 505 260. (AV)

Presented are accounts of how two local jurisdictions in the United States have dealt with the question of regulating recombinant DNA research. Arguments used to devise guidelines for consideration by the New York State Legislature and the recommendations made by a citizens group in Cambridge, Massachusetts are detailed. (CS)

Reproduced is the report made by a citizens' group in Cambridge, Massachusetts and presented to the city council that outlines safety regulations for the conduct of recombinant DNA research at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (CS)

Arnold Beckman is a chemist, businessman, and inventor who was the first to apply electronics to chemical measurement. For 17 years, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation has given over $300 million to science, focusing on biology and chemistry. The National Academy of Sciences will honor Beckman with its most prestigious award for his…

Describes a series of exercises intended to help students develop a better understanding of chromatography that employ plant pigments. A collaborative approach leads students to a level of competence that permits them to complete an open-ended exercise. (WRM)

Individuals who engage in sexual offenses may be afflicted with a paraphilic disorder or sexual deviation syndrome. Paraphilias are psychiatric disorders characterized by deviant and culturally non-sanctioned sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or behaviors. A proportion of these individuals may also suffer from symptoms of mental illness that can go…

To provide graduate students in pharmacology/toxicology exposure to, and cross-training in, a variety of relevant laboratory skills, the Duquesne University School of Pharmacy developed a "methods" course as part of the core curriculum. Because some of the participating departmental faculty are neuroscientists, this course often applied…

Describes the experimental procedure and expected outcome in the growth of rice seedlings with light conditions and water aeration as variables. (GS)

Literature citations were analyzed to identify periodical literature used in the field of limnology. Journals published in four different countries during 1976 were selected as source journals of cited literature. The results of this analysis were compared to those of a similar study conducted in 1968 using conference proceedings as source…

Describes current experiments that help to explain chemical processes which probably existed prior to the first living cells. Some experiments suggest that a significant portion of a major metabolic pathway, the Krebs cycle, may have developed in the earth's primitive atmosphere to be later incorporated into living organisms. (JR)

This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publication lists 116 species of living and recently extinct marine mammals of the world. Included are 36 species of Order Carnivora (polar bear, sea otter, and 34 pinnipeds); 5 species of Order Sirenia; 10 of Order Mysticeti (baleen whales); and 65 species of Order Odontoceti (tooth whales).…

In response to a provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 which called for a study that would serve as a scientific basis for revising the primary drinking water regulations that were promulgated under the Act, a study of the scientific literature was undertaken in order to assess the implications for human health of the constituents of…