The National Cancer Institute at FrederickFrederick

What is it? Where is it?

Story on page 12.

Spring Research Festival JUNE 2005

Nobel Laureate Featured at Spring Research Festival: IN THIS ISSUE J. Michael Bishop Addresses Full House New Faces at NCI-Frederick 3 Dr. J. Michael Bishop, Chancellor MET oncogenes to beta catenin to of the University of California at San HCC and from hepatoblastoma/HCC Poster People Profi le 4 Francisco, who shared the 1989 Nobel to HCC/adenomas. Prize for Physiology or Medicine Exploring the mechanisms of tumor Platinum Publications 6 with former NIH Director Harold E. lymphoma, they have been able to Science Today 9 Varmus, was the keynote speaker at mimic Burkitt’s lymphoma in the May’s Spring Research Festival. mouse model, leading to possible International Women’s Day treatment of this Celebration 10 aggressive disease. Civil War Medicine 11 Using a new generation of mouse models for The Poster Puzzler 12 preclinical testing of therapeutics, based Did You Know? 13 on Dr. Andrei Goga’s Campus Improvement research in Dr. Bishop’s Committee 14 laboratory, they’ve found that treatment for as Student Intern Program 15 little as three weeks with Outreach and Special Purvalanol to inhibit cell Programs 16 cycle kinases in cells overexpressing MYC Frederick Employee Diversity seems to arrest tumors. Team 18 Dr. Bishop emphasized the utility of mouse Off-Site Programs 20 models to provide McKesson BioServices 21 Dr. Bishop lectured on “Mouse insight into genetic contributions to Models for Human Cancer” to a tumorigenesis and facilitate molecular Technology Transfer Branch 22 “full house,” noting that his group exploration of tumorigenesis. had gotten “unexpected lessons from Science in the Cinema showed Race Environment, Health, and Safety mouse models.” His group has done for the Double Helix, exploring the Program 24 extensive research using mouse work of James Watson and Francis Charles River Laboratories 24 models of liver cancer. Crick, with the assistance of Maurice Among these lessons, Dr. Bishop said Wilkins, in defi ning the double helix Data Management Services 25 that potential roles for MET and MYC structure of DNA and earning them SAIC-Frederick, Inc. 26 oncogenes have been authenticated; the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or they’ve determined that the mouse Medicine. After the movie, Dr. Mary Wilson Information Services model is indeed a reasonable facsimile Carrington, a principal investigator in Corporation 27 of human HCC (hepatocellular human genetics with the Laboratory of cancer); and that there are specifi c, Genomic Diversity and director of the Employment Opportunities 28 distinctive pathways leading from the continued on page 2 Spring Research Festival continued from page 1 Basic Science Directorate, discussed the DNA discovery and its impact, and the role of Dr. Rosalind Franklin and other scientists. More information on Dr. Bishop is available at: http://nobelprize.org/redirect/ links_out/prizeawarder .php?from=/ medicine/laureates/1989/presentation- speech.html&object=ki&to=http:// info.ki.se/index_en.html

Read the text of Dr. Bishop’s Nobel Lecture and learn more about his research at the e-Nobel site: http://nobelprize.org/medicine/ laureates/1989/index.html 

The NCI-Frederick Poster 2 June 2005 New Faces at NCI-Frederick

NCI-Frederick Welcomes New Staff Melissa McKay Sixty-three people joined our Facility in December 2004, and January and February 2005.

Cyril Barinka Charles River Labs welcomes…

Lauren Putman Mary Rostkowski  Mary Rostkowski

NCI-Frederick welcomes…

Cyril Barinka Won-Jun Choi Won-Jun Choi Arun Dakshinamurthy WISCO welcomes… Casper Groth Anjali Joshi Chris Miller Ourania Kosti Jeanne Hazzard  Junghwa Lim Hong Lou Melissa McKay Daniel Monson SAIC-Frederick, Inc., welcomes… Radek Malik Snehalata Pawar Judy Becerra-Pineros Susan Mertes Arti Santhanam Craig Belldina Daniel Meyers Lauren Putman Manjistha Sengupta Karen Blackburn Tracey Miller Bo Zhu  Francis Bonsu Juan Morales-Contreras Liang Cao Claes Ohlen Jeanne Hazzard Keysha Charles Brooke Overcash Brenda Chasteen Mark Parta Kelly Cochran Anil Patri Kathryn Compton Joan Pontius Run Cung Ester Rozenblum Marina Dobrovolskaia Sally Rucker Qian Dong Kimberly Shafer Johnny Epps Donald Shriner Naheed Fatima Poonam Sood Mildred Gapara Stephan Stern Chris Miller Leah Giambarresi Paul Stokely Arun Dakshinamurthy Jennifer Gnuschke Shari Thomas Elizabeth Goddard Jannean Williams Nicole Hoffman Rita Zaledonis Richard Jackson Liubov Zaritskaya  Mohamad Jamiluddin Cynthia Kleppinger Vasantha Kumar Casey Matthews

The NCI-Frederick Poster 3 June 2005 Poster People Profi le

What Do You Do? How long have you worked at NCI- medical judgment and decision- Frederick? In what capacity? making skills, very important in Mary Carol Fleming accident response. I fi rst worked I was hired as an occupational as clinical staff; now, as a senior health nurse in Occupational nurse practitioner, I provide clinical Health Services (OHS) nearly 15 leadership. years ago. What have been the most interesting or What is your specifi c job title exciting changes you’ve seen here? and what are your duties? What training or education do you have The facility has grown so much. for your current job? We now provide services for approximately 2,000 employees. Many Today, my job title is Senior work off-site, so some consultations Nurse Practitioner. I am board- are done by phone. We coordinate certifi ed as an advance practice tests, vaccines, and blood work into registered nurse for adults and one offi ce visit, when possible. The a board-certifi ed occupational OHS staff has expanded; computer health nurse specialist. In software facilitates scheduling addition to my regular duties as and recordkeeping. Obtaining and an experienced nurse practitioner, supplying multiple donor specimens I manage the international travel has become a daily part of the OHS medicine program and the herpes morning routine. I am most excited by simplex virus surveillance the NCI clinical trials being done in program. I continue to provide collaboration with other countries. I Mary Carol Fleming, expertise to the Ergonomics prepare employees medically prior to Senior Nurse Practitioner, Team, and I have a special interest their traveling to Uganda, Mali, China, Occupational Health Services in the prevention and treatment of and elsewhere. cumulative trauma disorders. I completed my master’s degree in How do you participate in the NCI- What do you like best about your work nursing at the University of Maryland, Frederick community—committees, here at NCI-Frederick? Baltimore, for the Adult Nurse other awards, or recognition, etc.? Practitioner in 2000 and also was As a senior nurse practitioner, I work board-certifi ed by the American Board In 2001, I received the SAIC- with many employees one-to-one. I of Nurses as a Certifi ed Registered Frederick, Inc., Scientifi c Achievement enjoy the diversity of the employees, Nurse Practitioner-Adult (CRNP). To award for my participation on the and providing services to protect their maintain certifi cations, actual work Ergonomics Team. I established the health and safety at work is rewarding, experience and continuing education Ergonomic Program and served as the both personally and professionally. credits are required annually. fi rst ergonomic program coordinator, The fi eld of occupational health providing ergonomic training to services bridges the disciplines of How do the demands of your job now employees, supervisors, and engineers. medicine and nursing with program differ from what you did when you fi rst A specifi c work task analysis of management, industrial hygiene, began working here? 13 different job positions was also safety, and risk management. That completed, and an occupational makes my job extremely interesting I function independently as an therapist/ergonomist was on-site for and challenging. Fortunately, occupational health care provider. individual referrals.  scientifi c experts on site and medical Although I act under a collaborative experts at the CDC and NIH are agreement with an M.D., my job available for consultation. requires excellent, independent

The NCI-Frederick Poster 4 June 2005 Poster People Profi le

What Do You Do, Too? headquarters in Wilmington, I Cliff Hubbard came to Frederick. It’s hard to believe that 10 years have passed since that decision, because What do you like best about your work it’s been so enjoyable living in at NCI-Frederick? this area.

The people. I work with a group who How do the demands of your job like to do a good job and are proud of now differ from what you did what they do. They also have a sense when you fi rst began working of humor, so when you go home in the here? evening you have a feeling of a job well done and you are laughing. It’s a I came to Frederick as the great feeling. Facility Manager, so basically I am still doing the same job. I How long have you worked at NCI- suppose that when you really like Frederick? In what capacity? what you do on a daily basis, it doesn’t make a difference what I have been at NCI-Frederick for ten your duties are. years now, as the Facility Manager for Charles River Labs. What have been the most interesting or exciting changes What is your specifi c job title, and you’ve seen here? what are your duties? What training Cliff Hubbard, Facility Manager, or education do you have for your I like the way the facility has Charles River Laboratories current job? grown. Buildings have been put up and jobs have been created. There is a I am the Facility Manager, lot of construction now going on and responsible for producing and there is talk of more. shipping high-quality laboratory I am a member of the Employee animals to investigators all over the What are some of the things you’ve Recreation Committee (ERC) and the world. I am a high school graduate done to participate in the life of NCI- Café Users Committee. In the past I and started with Charles River in 1965 Frederick—committees, other awards have also been on the Take Your Child in an animal barrier production room or recognition, etc.? to Work Day Committee.  as an animal technician. At the main facility in WWilmington,ilmington, Massachusetts, I was involved in virtually every aspect of producing animals, working in isolators, making shipping containers, delivering animals to customers, running autoclaves, and working in cage wash. Because of my background, I was asked to be the Production Manager at CRL’sCRL’s facility in Margate,Margate, England, where I worked for two years. After moving back to Wilmington,Wilmington, I became Plant Manager in Portage, Michigan, for six years. After several more years at corporate

The NCI-Frederick Poster 5 June 2005 Platinum Highlight

Dr. Toshiyuki Mori and Illinois Chicago’s Health Sciences science using HTS technologies to Dr. Barry R. O’Keefe, Center in 1994. Since that time, both screen the NCI’s Natural Products Molecular Targets have worked in the Molecular Targets Repository for novel anti-cancer and Development Program Development Program (MTDP), under anti-HIV compounds. Dr. O’Keefe’s Dr. James B. McMahon. Protein Chemistry Group specializes This quarter’s Platinum in isolating and characterizing Highlight features Dr. Toshiyuki novel proteins from natural product Mori and Dr. Barry R. O’Keefe. extracts, while Dr. Mori’s research They and their colleagues wrote has further extended the application the article whose abstract is of phage display technology to isolate below. While the two men trained unique peptides and antibodies for on opposite sides of the world, molecular-targeted cancer research. their training was very similar. Eventually, their work may lead to Majoring in drug metabolism and development of new prophylactic and toxicology, Dr. Mori obtained his therapeutic agents for the prevention PhD in 1995 in pharmaceutical and treatment of HIV; specifi cally, the sciences at Hokkaido University, potential development of anti-HIV Sapporo, Japan, while Dr. female-controlled microbicides, which O’Keefe earned his PhD in The MTDP’s discovery of Griffi thsin are urgently needed worldwide.  pharmacognosy at the University of refl ects the program’s focus on team

Mori T, O’Keefe BR, Sowder RC, Bringans S, Gardella R, Berg S, Cochran P, to various viral glycoproteins in a Turpin JA, Buckheit RW, McMahon JB, Boyd MR monosaccharide-dependent manner. Isolation and Characterization of Griffi thsin, a Novel HIV- GRFT could be a potential candidate microbicide to prevent the sexual Inactivating Protein, from the Red Alga Griffi thsia sp. transmission of HIV and AIDS.  J Biol Chem 280(10):9345-9353, 2005

Griffi thsin (GRFT), a novel anti-HIV binding to receptor-expressing cells protein, was isolated from an aqueous and bound to viral coat glycoproteins extract of the red alga Griffi thsia (gp120, gp41, and gp160) in a sp. The 121-amino acid sequence glycosylation-dependent manner. of GRFT has been determined, GRFT preferentially inhibited gp120 and biologically active GRFT was binding of the monoclonal antibody subsequently produced by expression (mAb) 2G12, which recognizes of a corresponding DNA sequence a carbohydrate-dependent motif, in Escherichia coli. Both native and and the (mAb) 48d, which binds to recombinant GRFT displayed potent CD4-induced epitope. In addition, antiviral activity against laboratory GRFT moderately interfered with the strains and primary isolates of binding of gp120 to sCD4. Further T- and M-tropic HIV-1 with EC50 data showed that the binding of values ranging from 0.043 to 0.63 GRFT to soluble gp120 was inhibited nM. GRFT also aborted cell-to-cell by the monosaccharides glucose, fusion and transmission of HIV-1 mannose, and N-acetylglucosamine, infection at similar concentrations. but not by galactose, xylose, fucose, High concentrations (e.g., 783 nM) N-acetylgalactosamine, or sialic See on-line article at http://www.jbc.org/cgi/ of GRFT were not lethal to any tested acid-containing glycoproteins. Taken content/full/280/10/9345 to view complete fi gures and detailed information. host cell types. GRFT blocked CD4- together, these data suggest that GRFT dependent glycoprotein (gp) 120 is a new type of lectin that binds

The NCI-Frederick Poster 6 June 2005 Platinum Publications

Editor’s note: The following 29 articles have been selected from a quarterly listing Sun GP, Liu XL, Mercado P, Jenkinson Genomics, Proteomics and of publications in 12 of the most prestigious SR, Kypriotou M, Feigenbaum L, Galera Bioinformatics science journals. P, Bosselut R. The zinc fi nger protein Ckrox directs CD4 lineage differentiation Liotta LA, Lowenthal M, Mehta A, Apoptosis during intrathymic T cell-positive selection. Conrads TP, Veenstra TD, Fishman DA, Croft DR, Coleman ML, Li SX, Rob- Nat Immunol 6(4):373–381, 2005. Petricoin EF. Importance of communica- ertson D, Sullivan T, Stewart CL, Olson tion between producers and consumers MF. Actin-myosin based contraction is DNA: Replication, Repair, and of publicly available experimental data. responsible for apoptotic nuclear disinte- Recombination J Natl Cancer Inst 97(4):310–314, 2005. gration. J Cell Biol 168(2):245–255, 2005. Williams KL, Zhang YJ, Shkriabai N, Karki RG, Nicklaus MC, Kotrikadze N, Salvador JM, Mittelstadt PR, Guszc- Biological Sciences Hess S, Le Grice SFJ, Craigie R, Pathak zynski T, Copeland TD, Yamaguchi H, Kanugula S, Pauly GT, Moschel RC, VK, Kvaratskhelia M. Mass spectro- Appella E, Fornace AJ, Ashwell JD. Pegg AE. A bifunctional DNA repair pro- metric analysis of the HIV-1 integrase- Alternative P38 activation pathway medi- tein from Ferroplasma acidarmanus exhib- pyridoxal 5´-phosphate complex reveals a ated by T cell receptor-proximal tyrosine its O-6-Alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase new binding site for a nucleotide inhibitor. kinases. Nat Immunol 6(4):390–395, 2005. and endonuclease V activities. Proc Natl J Biol Chem 280(9):7949–7955, 2005. Acad Sci USA 102(10):3617–3622, 2005. Staats B, Qi LQ, Beerman M, Sicotte Gene Expression H, Burdett LA, Packer B, Chanock SJ, Biophysics Kim YS, Nedospasov SA, Liu ZG. Yeager M. Genewindow: An interactive Ma BY, Pan YP, Gunasekaran K, Ven- TRAF2 plays a key, nonredundant role In tool for visualization of genomic variation. kataraghavan RB, Levine AJ, Nussinov LIGHT-lymphotoxin beta receptor signal- Nat Genet 37(2):109–110,37(2):109–110, 2005. R. Comparison of the protein-protein ing. Mol Cell Biol 25(6):2130–2137, 2005. interfaces in the P53-DNA crystal struc- Teeling EC, Springer MS, Madsen tures: Towards elucidation of the bio- Yant SR, Wu XL, Huang Y, Garrison O, Bates P, O’Brien SJ, Murphy WJ. logical interface. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA B, Burgess SM, Kay MA. High-resolu- A molecular phylogeny for bats illumi- 102(11):3988–3993, 2005. tion genome-wide mapping of transposon nates biogeography and the fossil record. integration in mammals. Mol Cell Biol Science 307(5709):580–584, 2005. Cell and Tumor Biology 25(6):2085–2094, 2005. Sun RH, Gao P, Chen L, Ma DL, Wang Glycobiology and JM, Oppenheim JJ, Zhang N. Protein Genes: Structure and Extracellular Matrices kinase C zeta is required for epidermal Regulation Mori T, O’Keefe BR, Sowder RC, Brin- growth factor-induced chemotaxis of Pengt B, Hodge DR, Thomas SB, gans S, Gardella R, Berg S, Cochran P, human breast cancer cells. Cancer Res Cherry JM, Munroe DJ, Pompeia C, Turpin JA, Buckheit RW, McMahon JB, 65(4):1433–1441, 2005. Xiao WH, Farrar WL. Epigenetic silenc- Boyd MR. Isolation and characterization ing of the human nucleotide excision of Griffi thsin, a novel HIV-inactivating Cellular Immunology and repair gene, Hhr23b, in interleukin-6-re- protein, from the red alga Griffi thsia sp. Immune Regulation sponsive multiple myeloma KAS-6/1 cells. J Biol Chem 280(10):9345–9353, 2005. Lyakh LA, Sanford M, Chekol S, J Biol Chem 280(6):4182–4187, 2005. Young HA, Roberts AB. TGF-beta and Hematopoiesis vitamin D-3 utilize distinct pathways to Genetics Jelacic T, Linnekin D. PKC delta plays suppress IL-12 production and modulate Kobiler O, Rokney A, Friedman N, opposite roles in growth mediated by wild- rapid differentiation of human monocytes Court DL, Stavans J, Oppenheim AB. type Kit and an oncogenic Kit mutant. into CD83(+) dendritic cells. J Immunol Quantitative kinetic analysis of the bacterio- Blood 105(5):1923–1929, 2005. 174(4):2061–2070, 2005. phage lambda genetic network. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102(12): 4470–4475, 2005. Sugaya M, Watanabe T, Yang A, Starost Rodriguez-Galan MC, Bream JH, Farr MF, Kobayashi H, Atkins AM, Borris A, Young HA. Synergistic effect of IL-2, Svenningsen SL, Costantino N, Court DL, Hanan EA, Schimel D, Bryant IL-12, and IL-18 on thymocyte apop- DL, Adhya S. On the role of Cro in MA, Roberts N, Skobe M, Staskus KA, tosis and Th1/Th2 cytokine expression. lambda prophage induction. Proc Natl Kaldis P, Blauvelt A. Lymphatic dysfunc- J Immunol 174(5):2796–2804, 2005. Acad Sci USA 102(12): 4465–4469, 2005. continued on page 8 The NCI-Frederick Poster 7 June 2005 Platinum Publications continued from page 7 tion in transgenic mice expressing KSHV 1 polarization. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA Microbiology K-cyclin under the control of the VEGFR-3 102(8):2880–2885, 2005. promoter. Blood 105(6):2356–2363,105(6):2356–2363, 22005.005. Nikolenko GN, Palmer S, Maldarelli Tai XG, Cowan M, Feigenbaum L, F, Mellors JW, Coffi n JM, Pathak VK. Immunology Singer A. CD28 co-stimulation of Mechanism for nucleoside analog-medi- Herbeuval JP, Boasso A, Grivel JC, developing thymocytes induces Foxp3 ated abrogation of HIV-1 replication: Hardy AW, Anderson SA, Dolan MJ, expression and regulatory T-cell differ- Balance between Rnase H activity and Chougnet C, Lifson JD, Shearer GM. entiation independently of interleukin 2. nucleotide excision. Proc Natl Acad Sci TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand Nat Immunol 6(2):152–162, 2005. USA 102(6):2093–2098, 2005. (TRAIL) in HIV-1-infected patients and its in vitro production by antigen-presenting Zhang N, Inan S, Cowan A, Sun RH, Oncogenes cells. Blood 105(6):2458–2464, 2005. Wang JM, Rogers TJ, Caterina M, Op- Sithanandam G, Fornwald LW, Fields J, penheim JJ. A pro-infl ammatory chemo- Anderson LM. Inactivation of Erbb3 by Jones KS, Akel S, Petrow-Sadowski C, kine, CCL3, sensitizes the heat- and capsa- Sirna promotes apoptosis and attenuates Huang Y, Bertolette DC, Ruscetti FW. icin-gated ion channel TRPV1. Proc Natl growth and invasiveness of human lung Induction of human T-cell leukemia virus Acad Sci USA 102(12):4536–4541, 2005. adenocarcinoma cell line A549. Oncogene type I receptors on quiescent naive T 24(11):1847–1859, 2005. lymphocytes by TGF-beta(1,2). J Immunol Infl ammation 174(7):4262–4270, 2005. Cataisson C, Pearson AJ, Torgerson Weber HO, Ludwig RL, Morrison D, S, Nedospasov SA, Yuspa SH. Protein Kotlyarov A, Gaestel M, Vousden KH. Mohamadzadeh M, Olson S, Kalina kinase C alpha-mediated chemotaxis of HDM2 phosphorylation by MAPKAP WV, Ruthel G, Demmin GL, War- neutrophils requires NF-kappa B activity kinase 2. Oncogene 24(12):1965–1972, fi eld KL, Bavari S, Klaenhammer TR. but is independent of TNF alpha signal- 2005.  Lactobacilli activate human dendritic ing in mouse skin in vivo. J Immunol cells that skew T cells toward T helper 174(3):1686–1692, 2005.

CCR Fellow Wins Ruth and William Silen, M.D., Award

Dr. Samuel T. Waters, one of four Dr. Waters is a postdoctoral fellow This is the second year for the Silen CCR fellows who participated in in the Genetics of Vertebrate awards; Dr. Silen was dean for Faculty the March New England Science Development Section, headed by Development and Diversity at Harvard Symposium in Boston, has won the Dr. Mark Lewandoski, Cancer and Medical School and is now Harvard’s Ruth and William Silen, M.D., Developmental Biology Laboratory, Johnson & Johnson Distinguished award for his talk, “Genetic Analysis which is part of the Cancer and Professor of Surgery, emeritus.  of Mouse Gbx Transcription Factors Developmental Biology Laboratory During Neural Development.” headed by Dr. Colin Stewart.

The NCI-Frederick Poster 8 June 2005 Science Today

Three-dimensional explain and predict the outcome Graphics, Inc. (SGI; Dr. Curtis Analysis of Molecular of complex molecular pathways Lisle) is developing automatic image Pathways in Tissue operating in tissue. analysis algorithms and 3D image Until now, a major bottleneck visualization and interaction tools. The Tissue development and function, preventing widespread use of end-user will be able to effi ciently and and disease-related processes such analyses has been the lack accurately segment tens to hundreds such as tumorigenesis, are driven of an effi cient method to segment of cells of the user’s choosing from in large part by communications individual, whole cells and cell nuclei a 3D tissue image; in addition, users between neighboring cells. In order from 3D images of intact tissue or will be able to use the software from to understand the molecular basis tissue models grown from cultured their own computer via a web browser of these communications, we must cells. To accomplish this segmentation connection to the ABCC. quantitatively analyze the molecular task, a consortium of scientists from The fi gures below illustrate our pathways of individual cells while the Image Analysis Laboratory preliminary results. the cells remain alive in their natural (Dr. Prabhakar Gudla, Mr. Jason Please contact Dr. Stephen Lockett, tissue environment. Collins, and Dr. Stephen Lockett), [email protected], 301-846- Several simple steps are involved in the Advanced Biomedical Computing 5515, if you anticipate applications performing such analyses. Researchers Center (ABCC; Dr. Dean McCullough of this software in your research or use fl uorescence to label tissue and Dr. Jack Collins), SAIC–McLean are interested in collaborating in its samples for specifi c molecules of (Dr. Weicheng Shen), and Silicon development.  interest, followed by three-dimensional (3D) image acquisition with a confocal microscope. Next, the images are analyzed by computer algorithms that fi rst segment (delineate) the individual cells or cell nuclei in the tissue, followed by quantifi cation of the Figure 1: Example of the two-dimensional (2D) version of the levels and spatial-temporal distribution segmentation algorithm. A: 2D image of whole cells labeled with Oregon of specifi c molecules in each cell in Green 488 phalloidin, which predominantly labels the cell membranes in the context of neighboring cells. The this sample. B: Image overlaid with the borders of the segmented cells. eventual goal is to mathematically Note that the user did not choose to segment all cells, and avoided those model this quantitative and dynamic cells whose borders were not clearly discernible by visual inspection. C: spatial information so that we can Segmented cells displayed in different colors (Excerpted from Baggett et al., Cytometry, accepted, 2005). 

Figure 3: Surface-rendered views at three different angles of cell nuclei segmented Figure 2: Schematic of the image data fl ow and analysis. Images using a 3D dynamic programming acquired from the microscope will be automatically archived and algorithm (McCullough et al., manuscript analyzed at the ABCC. Users will view and interact with the images in preparation).  in real time at their own computer through a web browser. A: Volume rendering of a 3D image of cell nuclei in tissue. B: Interactive selection of a sub-volume for analysis. C: Segmentation of cell nuclei Our thanks to Dr. Stephen Lockett, Image in the sub-volume. (Courtesy of Dr. Curtis Lisle, SGI)  Analysis Laboratory, for this article.

The NCI-Frederick Poster 9 June 2005 International Women’s Day Celebration

Dr. Grace Yeh Speaks at NIH for International Women’s Day Celebration Mother’s Day isn’t the only day that women are celebrated. International Women’s Day is another. Recently, Dr. Grace Yeh, Chief of the Cellular Defense and Carcinogenesis Section, Cellular Defense and Carcinogenesis Section, Laboratory of Metabolism, NCI. Laboratory of Metabolism, NCI, was From left: Omar Memon; Sara Bass; Dr. Grace Yeh, chief; Dr. Henry Ciolino; one of three panelists who spoke and Dr. Chris MacDonald. about their research and career paths at the NIH International Women’s Day celebration honoring women in science. phytochemicals. Dr. Yeh’s Cellular Dr. Rosalind Franklin, a pioneer Defense and Carcinogenesis Section molecular biologist responsible for Familiar Cancer Statistics has used the aryl hydrocarbon much of the research and discovery In her talk, Dr. Yeh focused on the receptor pathway as a molecular that led to understanding DNA’s powerful statistics of cancer, reminding target of chemoprevention—the structure, but who died from ovarian her audience that NCI’s goal is to inhibition, reversal, or retardation of cancer in 1958, four years before eliminate the suffering and death due carcinogenesis by the administration Watson, Crick and Wilkins received a to cancer by 2015 through careful of natural or synthetic agents. Nobel prize for the double-helix model treatment, early detection and diagnosis, of DNA; and Dr. Yeh’s sister, Theresa and prevention of the disease. Women Scientists’ Lan, who died of cancer at age 38. She pointed out that of the more than Advisory Board Dr. Yeh said that her speech at the 1.2 million Americans who develop Dr. Yeh also fi nds time to participate Women’s Day celebration was in part cancer every year, nearly half die of in the Women Scientists’ Advisory to honor her sister. the disease. Approximately 5-10% of Board (WSA), established in all cancers result from inherited gene 1992 [see The Poster http://web. Celebrating Women’s mutations. Tobacco use contributes ncifcrf.gov/ThePoster/archive/ Achievements in Science 175,000 deaths each year, while other May03POSTER527WEB.pdf]. The “International Women’s Day gives cancers develop from infections/ WSAs advise the Scientifi c Director us the opportunity to celebrate the infl ammatory disorders and/or a diet that about issues relevant to women important achievements in science of is high in fats, sugars, and total calories. scientists; represent women scientists women all over the world,” said FIC She noted that diets rich in fruits at Lab/Branch Chief meetings; Acting Director, Dr. Sharon Hrynkow. and vegetables are associated with a inform and solicit opinions from the Dr. Vivian W. Pinn, Associate reduced risk of most types of cancers. Institute’s women scientists on issues Director for Research on Women’s For example, according to World that will affect them; attend NIH-wide Health and Director for the NIH Health Organization data, adapted by WSA meetings; and serve on search Offi ce of Research on Women’s the American Cancer Society, 1992, committees for tenure-track, tenured Health, added, “In particular, we are the incidence of breast and prostate scientists, and Lab/Branch Chiefs in recognizing women worldwide for the cancer is markedly higher in the their institutes. valuable impact they have had on our Western world than in Asian countries. quality of life.” Asian immigrants to the US who Powerful Women Scientists Dr. Elias Zerhouni, NIH Director, maintain an “Eastern” diet retain the Infl uenced Career Choice introduced the late-afternoon program, lower rates of cancer development, Dr. Yeh identifi ed three women while Dr. Karen Hofman, FIC Director while those who adopt a “Western” who infl uenced her own career of the Division of Advanced Studies diet increase their cancer risk. decisions: Dr. Margaret Pittman, the and Policy Analysis, moderated. Talk of diet risks led easily into fi rst female NIH laboratory chief, The event was sponsored by the a discussion of Dr. Yeh’s research: who made signifi cant contributions Fogarty International Center (FIC) fruits, vegetables, and grains contain to microbiology, including work on and the Offi ce of Research on thousands of chemicals called pertussis and tetanus toxin vaccines; Women’s Health. 

The NCI-Frederick Poster 10 June 2005 Civil War Medicine

Civil War Medicine: Another lesson came with methods unknowingly, they were also making Lessons We’ve Learned— for taking care of wounds. Some the horsehair sterile. Improving Survival Rates surgeons didn’t suture the end of an Another lesson: Iodine helped in amputation; instead, they packed it healing. Despite what doctors were with lint. The packing was changed learning about amputations and [Editor’s note: This is the fi rst in a two-part daily, the wound rinsed with tepid dressing wounds, the biggest single series on some of the medical lessons learned water, repacked and rewrapped. killer of the soldiers was infection, not during and after the Civil War—lessons that Doctors soon realized that soldiers guns. Draining accumulated fl uid from have helped shape modern medicine. The second part, “Caring for the Wounded,” will treated this way—wounds cleaned wounds left a horrible smell. To reduce be covered in our September issue. If you have and re-dressed each day—had fewer the odor, the stewards, or male nurses, any information on these topics you’d like to infections and thus were more likely to sprayed iodine in areas where soldiers share with us, please contact the editors at survive than those with sutures alone. with smelly, infected wounds lay; Scientifi c Publications, Graphics & Media, The Confederates, too, soon, the stewards noticed that 301-846-5248/6281.] contributed lessons. those in the sprayed areas Short on supplies, were healing better In many ways, the American Civil they boiled than those in other War, or the War Between the States, horsehair areas of the rooms. 1861–1865, was a watershed era. It to make Unknowingly,Unknowingly, represented a tremendous rip in the it more the stewards American social fabric that has taken pliable for were killing much of the past 143 years to mend. stitching germs as well However, it was also a pivotal learning wounds; as odor!  experience, especially in the realm of medicine. A number of medical procedures, commonplace today, were Interested in learning more about American medical practices during the developed, often accidentally, during Civil War? Visit these demonstrations and events: the Civil War. In the Battle of Antietam (September Gettysburg Battlefi eld, Gettysburg, PA: 17, 1862), 23,000 men were wounded, Interesting events for all ages; take ranger-led walking tours of battlefi eld killed, or missing in action. Surgeons sites July 1-3, or attend “Casualties of War,” a one-hour program on Civil during that battle and during its War medicine held at the Cyclorama Center. aftermath amputated about 7,000 Antietam Battlefi eld, Sharpsburg, MD: limbs, averaging less than 8 minutes for each! Later on, surgeons realized You don’t have to go to the National Mall in Washington, DC, to enjoy that the amputations increased terrifi c music in celebration of the United States’ Independence Day. Just soldiers’ survival as much as 80%. go to Antietam Battlefi eld—but be sure to get there early. However, despite the increased The National Museum of Civil War Medicine (NMCWM), Frederick, MD: survival rates, many soldiers still died Contact the NMCWM by e-mail at [email protected] of infection. A second lesson came about as surgeons noticed that, when Run by the NMCWM, Pry House Field Hospital Museum is located at instruments sticky with blood were Antietam Battlefi eld. A summer lecture, “The Battlefi eld Embalmer: boiled to clean them, soldiers who Preserving the Civil War Dead,” will take place June 25–June 26; were operated on with these clean 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (sterilized) instruments survived NMCWM’s annual Civil War medical conference takes place longer. Today, we have such stringent September 30-October 2, in Hagerstown, MD. demands for “clean” rooms that in For more information on these and other events, go to many biosafety level 2 and above laboratories, researchers must gown http://www.nps.gov/gett/gettevents/summer05.htm. up and then don fresh uniforms or http://www.nps.gov/anti/salute.htm. “scrubs” if they leave the lab and http://www.civilwarmed.org/.  return later.

The NCI-Frederick Poster 11 June 2005 Poster Puzzler

What is it? Where is it?

Your challenge, should you decide to accept it, is to correctly identify the item and its location from the picture to the left. Clue: It’s somewhere at Fort Detrick/NCI-Frederick. Win a framed photograph of the Poster Puzzler by e-mailing your guess, along with your name, e-mail address, and daytime phone number, to Poster Puzzler at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can send us your guess, along with your name and daytime phone number on one of The Poster forms found on the front of The Poster stands in the lobbies of Buildings 426 and 549. All entries must be received by Good luck and good hunting!  Friday, August 12, and the winner will be drawn from all correct answers received by that date.

The Poster Puzzler: Brick pattern on Building 469

Originally constructed in 1951 by the Department of Defense as the Bacteriological Development Laboratory, Building 469 actually began as three buildings, 467, 468, and 469. For 20 years, the buildings housed labs, showers/ changing rooms, animal holding rooms, a glassware washing facility, a machine shop, and administrative and support rooms. Then they sat unoccupied from 1970 until 1982, when a major interior renovation was done for the Laboratory of Molecular Oncology. By 1990, more labs were added, Building 434 was annexed, and the complex of buildings was given the single building number, 469. The arrow-shaped pattern above the main entrance was originally an air-intake louver for an air-handling unit in the attic. During the 1982 renovation, this unit was removed, and the louver opening was bricked over, leaving the permanent pattern that we see today.

Special thanks to Rocky Follin, FME, for providing Congratulations to our March 2005 winner: information for this article. Eileen Downey, Senior Financial Analyst, Applied Developmental Directorate.  Thanks to all participants in the March Poster Puzzler! 

The NCI-Frederick Poster 12 June 2005 Did You Know?

A Look Back 1990

1988 The Frederick Cancer Research Facility assumes a new name: NCI- Take a trip down your computer’s Frederick Cancer Research and “memory lane”: Some of the Development Center. recommended software in use in 1988 at FCRF (Frederick Cancer Research 1991 Facility) was Wordperfect 4.2, Lotus The American Stop Smoking 1-2-3, Symphony 1.2, dBASE III, Intervention Study (ASSIST) was REFLEX 1.1, and Windows 2.03. launched by NCI, in partnership with the American Cancer Society. This C&SS and the Publications 8-year study was the largest federally Department (now known as Scientifi c funded demonstration project to help Publications, Graphics & Media) states develop effective strategies moved to their current location, to reduce smoking (http://www. Building 362. An Open House was cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/ held to celebrate the move. ASSIST).

The December 1988 issue of 1992 NCI-FCRF Network, the facility’s The Scientifi c Library announced its newsletter, carried a defi nition of the project underway for automating its Internet, and then went on to describe card catalog system. a manual published by the ASCL (Advanced Scientifi c Computing By now the use of microcomputers Laboratory) explaining the services on campus had grown at an and capabilities of this new-fangled exponential rate, with the attendant network. demand for service and repair. In the fi rst quarter of 1992, over 200 trouble C&SS added microcomputer services calls had been logged.  with one part-time hardware specialist; within 6 months, the position was made full time. 1989 A Steering Committee was established to plan and implement a facilitywide electronic data communication and mail system network.

The Publications Department purchased a Polaroid passport camera capable of instantly producing two photographs, eliminating the need to wait for darkroom prints. The Photography Department was proud to announce the purchase of a numbering slide mounter that automated the mounting of slide fi lm. The wonders of modern technology!

The NCI-Frederick Poster 13 June 2005 Campus Improvement Committee

Campus Improvement Under the direction of Ken According to Tim Rowe, chairman Committee Makes Michaels, chairman of the signage of the planting subcommittee, “This Signifi cant Improvements subcommittee, the banners were truly was a volunteer project, and designed to instill a sense of pride in we weren’t really sure how it was Walking or driving around campus our facility by presenting a permanent, going to work out. But the response lately, you have probably noticed visual reminder to employees and has been good—NCI-Frederick is something new—the visitors alike of the important work supportive, and there really is quite red and white banners that goes on here. “Much of our a bit of interest within the campus.” on many utility poles, facility is located at Fort Detrick,” Mr. Rowe believes that interest will marking the perimeter commented Mr. Michaels, “but we continue to grow, and, “as people and main traffi c routes are the National Cancer Institute, and walk around and start to notice some of the NCI-Frederick that’s a lot more clear to visitors now of these small improvements, we can campus. The banners that the NCI logo is conspicuously build momentum for next year and the were installed in evident all around campus.” following years.” He is particularly early May as part of a Your walks around campus should impressed with the sense of teamwork Campus Improvement be even more visually appealing by and community this project has Committee project to now, with the planting of hundreds of fostered, noting, “It’s a great highlight the National fl owers throughout the NCI-Frederick community spirit builder—you have Cancer Institute campus. Geraniums, petunias, scientists and administrative people presence at Fort asters, impatiens, zinnias, four-o- and maintenance staff all working Detrick. clocks, black-eyed susans, and many together to make their workplace a The 33 new banners other perennials and annuals were little nicer.” are the same size as the distributed to over a dozen volunteers, Upcoming projects include planting banners featuring an who planted them in their areas of two Wye oak seedlings this summer, American fl ag design choice. Many of the plants were repair and/or upgrading of picnic the Army installed a few years ago in grown from tables, and “green space” reclamation remembrance of the September 11th cuttings and improvement projects. Watch victims. They are also mounted with and seeds your e-mail for these and other the same style of fi xtures and at the planted by opportunities to participate in the same height as the Army banners, volunteers Campus Improvement Committee’s making them similar, yet unique. The in February, activities. Or, if you’d like to make artwork on the banners was designed and now a comment or offer a suggestion, by Scientifi c Publications, Graphics & should visit the Web site: http://web. Media and uses symbols suggestive of be in full, ncifcrf.gov/campus/committees/ a scientifi c environment. glorious campusimprovement/.  bloom.

The NCI-Frederick Poster 14 June 2005 Student Intern Program

SIP Students Winners at their strong interest in science and she entered high school, and she International Science Fair helping them channel these interests selected and scheduled her courses into specifi c directions. Amanda will specifi cally to work as an intern her Two students from NCI-Frederick’s be going on to Ursinus College, where senior year. Alan, too, knew early on Werner H. Kirsten Student Intern she hopes to major in neuroscience that he would be an intern because it Program (SIP) brought home high and minor in biology or law. “I’ve had become a family “tradition.” “My honors from the Intel International always been intrigued by science, brothers and sisters did it before me, Science and Engineering Fair, held and I’ve always wanted to make a so I just expected to be a part of the in early May in Phoenix, Arizona. difference in someone’s life,” she program,” he explained. Amanda Leatherman, a senior at commented, and she believes using When they fi rst arrived as interns, Urbana High School, won Second her knowledge of science is a great they were a little apprehensive. Alan Place in the Microbiology category, way to help people. was sure he’d be in over his head, for her research on inhibitors of SIV Alan is a self-proclaimed “math and Amanda expected to spend the fusion, entitled “Kinetic Analysis person” (“I loved the Challenge-24 summer cleaning trays in the labs. But of Viral Fusion Using Peptide game!”), but before he came to NCI- they can’t speak highly enough about Inhibitors.” Alan Gee, a senior at Frederick, he wasn’t sure what kind their mentors and their experiences Frederick High School, won the top here. Amanda’s enthusiasm overfl ows scholarship award of $5,000 from the as she refl ects on the past year: “I’m National Anti-Vivisection Society. spoiled. This is an amazing experience. Entitled “Metastable Conformations My mentor shows me everything. in the Secondary Structure of the I’m so lucky!” And Alan echoes her Poly (A) Signal in the Human feelings: “This is great. My mentor Immunodefi ciency Virus Type-1,” his shows me everything. I didn’t know research used complex mathematical any programming before, but now and computational algorithms to study I use lots of different programs and the structure and function of HIV-1. operating systems, including Unix.” The largest pre-college science When they are not “doing” science, fair in the world, this event brought Amanda and Alan enjoy lives as together over 1,400 students from 40 typical teenagers. Both love to hang different countries for the week-long out with friends, go to movies, or just competition. In addition to meeting relax. Amanda also makes time to students from all over the world, one participate in sports year-round (soccer of the highlights of the trip, according in the fall, indoor track in winter, to Alan, was getting to eat ostrich. and outdoor track in the spring), The road to Phoenix wasn’t and was recently named Female easy. Amanda and Alan fi rst had Frederick County Scholar Athlete to enter—and win—the Frederick by the Frederick County Coaches County Science and Engineering Fair Alan Gee and Amanda Leatherman, Association. in March, in which 110 middle and winners at the Intel International Science Their advice to incoming interns? high school students presented 315 and Engineering Fair. Amanda advises, “Get involved. Take projects. Amanda took home grand advantage of everything you can.” prize from this fair, with Alan placing of math he wanted to pursue. After a Alan says, “Be ambitious. Take on a as fi rst runner-up, making them the year in the LECB, he now knows he project and make it your own.” representatives for Frederick County wants to study some form of applied Amanda and Alan, thank you for at the international event. math. He will pursue his studies when your excellent work here. The Poster Amanda works with Dr. Catherine he enters the California Institute of staff joins the rest of the community in Finnegan, and Alan works with Dr. Technology in the fall. wishing you great success at college Bruce Shapiro, both in the Laboratory Becoming a student intern at and beyond.  of Experimental and Computational NCI-Frederick was always part of Biology (LECB). They credit their their plans. Amanda said she became See page 16 for a complete listing of internship experience here as nurturing interested in the program even before the 2004-2005 student interns. 

The NCI-Frederick Poster 15 June 2005 Outreach and Special Programs

Take Your Child to reader, studied under a microscope, Planning and development time Work Day: and then photographed, so the children has been minimal, according to Ms. will have something to take home with Reifsnider. One reason for this is One Lab’s First Experience them. “We want to give the children that Dr. Monks has involved all four a hands-on experience, to see what members of her lab, to spread out [Editor’s note: This is the fi rst of a two-part science is really like in the lab,” Ms. the work. All they need to do now series on developing and presenting a Take Reifsnider said. is determine which colors will work Your Child to Work Day program. The fi rst part describes the planning that goes into a Once the group determined what best, and then run the experiment to program, and the second part, to appear in the they wanted to do, a member of the see how it works and where it may September issue, will focus on what actually TYCTWD planning committee and a need improvement. happens on the day itself.] Safety representative came to the lab to review the program and inspect the “Being a scientist is like being a child Dr. Anne Monks’ Laboratory of space, to ensure that the children would who never grows up.” Functional Genomics decided to be safe. While they haven’t needed participate in Take Your Child to specifi c help from the committee so Dr. Monks is a fi rm believer in the Work Day for the fi rst time this year. far, Dr. Monks commented, “Barbara TYCTWD program because it gives Dr. Monks has always believed in [Birnman, member of the planning children a fi rst-hand glimpse at what supporting the program because “It is committee] is very enthusiastic, and we it’s actually like to be a scientist in developed and run by NCI-Frederick, know the committee would help us if a lab. She’s especially interested in and we should participate.” But in we needed it.” reaching the girls in the program. “If previous years, vacation and work They decided to limit their program we can make young girls aware that schedules precluded full participation. to children ages 8 to 13, and run two women can be scientists, if they can This year, however, the timing was sessions in the morning only. Dr. see women at work in the lab, maybe better, and her staff are off and running. Monks explained, “We only wanted more of them will grow up to be Nikki Reifsnider, one of the lab’s to do the mornings because this is scientists, too.” And, she explained, research technicians, has been active our fi rst year, and we want to see “Being a scientist is like being a child in the Elementary Outreach Program, how it goes. Also, we’ll still have the who never grows up. It’s the only so she has taken the lead on the afternoon to get some work done.” career I know of where I can keep project. Dubbed “Dilution Solutions,” Each session will be limited to 9 asking questions and then have the the program involves using food children, and they will rotate through 3 freedom to pursue the answers.” She coloring to study dilutions. Each child stations, with 3 children at each station. hopes that in some small way she will will use a pipette to create a design They have deliberately kept it small, so inspire a new generation of scientists, from the dilutions in a 96-well plate. they can easily manage the children. who will keep asking questions and The plates will be read on a plate pursuing the answers. 

2005 Student Interns There are 37 sponsors for this year’s Werner H. Kirsten Student Intern Program (SIP) on the NCI-Frederick campus. Thanks to all the 2005 interns for your hard work, and best wishes for success in your future studies!

Kevin Anthony Salvatore Cremona Kaitlin Jacobson Rachael Murphy-Ryan Kristie Stultz James Benjamin Christopher DeForce Eloise Jean-Bart Kyle Myers Justin Taylor Alysia Birkholz Bridget Dixon Grace Kim Catherine O’Connor Sara White Ellen Bodine Samantha Draper Jason Koontz Chelsea Powell Yuze Yang Sarah Breen Livia Ehardt Tyler Koontz Monique Roberts Christina Zimmerman Bethany Buzzell Mennie Eldridge Amanda Leatherman Sara Rosendale Jessica Castelow Rachel Gardner Scott Long Justine Ross For information about all the Maia Chisholm Alan Gee Andrea Luquette Samantha Sadtler NCI-Frederick internships, Jihee Choe Meredith Healy Krysten Mesner Savita Sathya visit the Web site: http://web. Erika Chow Kelsey Holmes Stanley Mordensky Kathryn Schumacher ncifcrf.gov/careers/student_ Jason Collins Emily Howe Kathy Mou Joshua Spurrier programs/internships/. 

The NCI-Frederick Poster 16 June 2005 Outreach and Special Programs

Annual EOP Picnic EOP staff invite the Frederick County Well Attended Public Schools’ (FCPS) math and science facilitators to attend, as well, Fresh air, good company….couldn’t creating a two-way opportunity to think of a better event to attend. The show appreciation: that of the EOP for Elementary Outreach Program held the FCPS support, and that of FCPS its third Annual Picnic on Wednesday, for EOP volunteers who bring science June 8th, at noon at the Nallin Pond. to the children in the county.  Julie Hartman, the EOP director, says that “The picnic is a time for all of the programs’ volunteers to share classroom stories from the year, ‘drum up’ new ideas for the next year, and share good food. Everyone brings a dish of their choice to share, which as one can fi gure, leads to recipes shared!”

MTDP realize the extent to which chemistry and 562 to see the highly technical Hosts Science Teachers separations, spectrophotometric equipment used to perform assays methods, and NMR were employed. on natural products. WCPS biology The Molecular Targets As a chemistry teacher I was glad to see teacher Carl Wise said, “I was very Development Program (MTDP), that chemists have a large role in some impressed with the dedication of directed by Dr. James McMahon, very current research.” the employees at NCI. I could tell recently hosted eight Washington Natural Products Repository that they are called upon to conduct County science teachers for a day-long manager Dan Danner described the many tasks that may take away from experience. The tours were arranged two-story repository’s set up and their research. It is great to know by the Offi ce of Scientifi c Operations, showed a few products. Dr. Thomas that people are working on such an Outreach and Special Programs McCloud, Natural Products Processing important task. Their work will benefi t Department, which often hosts tours to Laboratory, took the teachers on a many in the years to come.” diverse community groups. complete lab tour, starting with the Tours can be very informative to our Dr. Kirk Gustafson, Senior “chiseling” of whole products to the surrounding community, so please Investigator, Natural Products bottle of just the “natural product” contact the Outreach and Special Chemistry, presented an overview of the used in experiments. Programs Offi ce if your area would MTDP. Kathy Turk, WCPS chemistry After lunch, the teachers toured the like to host a tour.  teacher, commented, “I did not MTDP laboratories in Building 560

The NCI-Frederick Poster 17 June 2005 Frederick Employee Diversity Team

SEER Program Identifi es Some observations drawn from the cancer, African-American women Cancer Disparities SEER report are detailed below. have the highest fatality rate for this disease. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, • For males, African-American men • Hispanics/Latinos have lower and End Results (SEER) Program have both the highest incidence incidence and fatality rates for of the National Cancer Institute (new diagnosis) and fatality rates. cancer as a whole than either collects data and analyzes trends on • For females, white women have the African-Americans or whites, but cancer incidence and survival rates. highest incidence, while African- Hispanic/Latina women have the Recently, the SEER cancer registry American women have the highest highest incidence of cervical cancer. investigated US racial, ethnic, and fatality rates. • Asians/Pacifi c Islanders have the socioeconomic factors to determine • African-American women have the lowest overall cancer fatality rate, signifi cant differences in cancer trends highest incidence rates for several but they have the highest incidence across the various population groups, cancers, including lung/bronchus rates of liver cancer and stomach termed “cancer disparities.” and colon. cancer. The SEER data have revealed a • Similarly, African-American men • Asian/Pacifi c Islander women have number of such interesting disparities. have the highest incidence rates the lowest fatality rates for both An NCI Fact Sheet, Cancer for lung/bronchus and intestinal breast cancer and colon cancer. Health Disparities (www.cancer. cancers, plus prostate cancer. • For women, American Indian/ gov/newscenter/healthdisparities), African-American men also have Alaska Natives have the lowest addresses differences in cancer trends the highest fatality rates for each of breast cancer incidence rate. for the more than 500,000 Americans these diseases. • For men, American Indian/Alaska dying annually from neoplastic • Although white women have the Natives have the lowest prostate disease. highest incidence rates for breast cancer incidence rate.

Cancer Incidence Rates (Number of new cases each year). Statistics are for 1996-2000, are adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard million population, and represent the number of new cases of invasive cancer per year per 100,000 of three groups: both sexes, males, and females, respectively.

Group Both Sexes Males Females African-American 521.7 696.8 406.3 White 479.8 555.9 431.8 Asian/Pacifi c Islander 341.7 392.0 306.9 Hispanic/Latino 352.1 419.3 312.2 Amer Ind/Alaska Nat 239.6 259.0 229.2

Cancer Death Rates (Number of deaths each year). Statistics are for 1996-2000, are adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard million population, and represent the number of deaths per year per 100,000 of three groups: both sexes, males, and females, respectively.

Group Both Sexes Males Females African-American 257.1 356.2 198.6 White 199.1 249.5 166.9 Asian/Pacifi c Islander 124.5 154.8 102.0 Hispanic/Latino 137.9 176.7 112.4 Amer Ind/Alaska Nat 138.0 172.3 115.8

Source: http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/healthdisparities 

The NCI-Frederick Poster 18 June 2005 Frederick Employee Diversity Team

The Holocaust: A Sobering Account from One Survivor

The Diversity Team makes special Attempt at Escape Allied bombers were overhead. But efforts to bring to the NCI-Frederick with so many air raids taking place, the community numerous events and Three years later, the prisoners Germans closed the camp and sent the programs that refl ect the diversity attempted an escape during the prisoners to Fussenberg, where they of our workforce, and perhaps will blackout of an air raid. Unfortunately, sorted and bundled piles of clothes. also help make all of us a little more the fl oodlights came back on before thoughtful. Such a program was the everyone got away, and many, including Liberation in 1945 May 2 lecture that Henry Greenbaum, Mr. Greenbaum, were shot. When Mr. Russian bombing came ever closer. Holocaust survivor, gave. Greenbaum became conscious, he ran The prisoners were sent even deeper Born in Poland, the 80-year- to the women’s barracks, searching for into Germany. In February 1945 Mr. old Greenbaum volunteers at the his sister. A cousin tended his wound, Greenbaum was sent on a forced Holocaust Museum. An enthusiastic but his sister wasn’t there. The guards “Death March” through snow and rain speaker, Mr. Greenbaum quickly had began shooting into the barracks at to Slossenberg. Hitler Youth would see his audience identifying with him random, and everyone lay fl at on the them along the roads, yell at them, and as he described his childhood with fl oor. Waiting for the fl oodlights to throw stones. Mr. Greenbaum said, eight siblings in a small town—going pan another area, he darted back to his “Don’t you think the kids who saw us, to school, reading, enjoying music, own barracks. He knew he would be told their parents what they’d seen?” playing sports—all typical of most shot if he were caught in the women’s He doesn’t believe those who said they European children in the 1930s. barracks. didn’t know what was going on. All that changed with the German In the morning, the guards called In the fi nal days of captivity, when invasion of Poland in 1939: Jews had everyone out of the barracks. Then the area was being bombed again, to wear yellow stars and live in the new they were told to turn around, facing guards hid the prisoners in the woods. 4-block-square ghetto cordoned off the fence. For the fi rst time, Henry As the Americans advanced, the by barbed wire; school was forbidden; could see the hole and realized how guards ran away. Finally, an American badly treated, forced-labor crews, close they had come to escaping. tank commander found the POWs, including Mr. Greenbaum, dug deep, Suddenly, he saw his sister lying dead. told them they were free, and to follow zig-zagged trenches outside the town. A Polish police offi cer who had been the tank to safety. This was April helping them to escape sat beside her, 25, 1945; Mr. Greenbaum was about Ghetto a Breeding Ground badly wounded. The guards shot and 17 and weighed only 75 pounds. He for Infectious Diseases killed each wounded person, forcing told his audience that every day, he By mid-winter, with no soap and the prisoners to watch. had prayed to God to keep him alive little food, the crowded ghetto Soon Mr. Greenbaum and more than so that he would be able to come to had become a breeding ground for 100 others prisoners were herded into the U.S. to tell his sister what had infectious diseases. “Killing units”— another cattle car. Traveling for three happened to the family. volunteer soldiers—periodically raided days, with no water, no food, and only the ghetto and took the sick to the one bucket for waste, they fi nally The Search for His Family trenches dug earlier in the year—and arrived at the infamous Auschwitz, In a Displaced Persons Camp shot them. Two of Henry’s fi ve sisters, where selections started again. They in Frankfurt, run by the United ill with typhus, died this way. were tattooed on their forearms with Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Then, “selections” began in October numbers; their hair was shaved; they Administration, he found his brother, 1942. Old people, pregnant women, showered with disinfectants and who had fought in the Polish army. and small children, including Mr. donned striped uniforms and wooden They were reunited with their Greenbaum’s mother and youngest shoes with canvas tops. remaining sister, who had moved sister, were sent away to their After about 3 months, Mr. Greenbaum to the U.S. in 1937. There, they deaths. Mr. Greenbaum was taken was among a group sent to Buna discovered that another brother to Treblinka, where three men were Monowitz—a satellite camp—to help had survived, escaping to the U.S. assigned to each bunk, on the theory build roads. The Germans kept 75- after 1941. that one or two would be working gallon drums in the corners of the camp continued on page 23 while the other two slept. to shroud the camp with smog when

The NCI-Frederick Poster 19 June 2005 Off-Site Programs

Laboratory of Molecular In the Genomics Section, Dr. Shirley group is developing a 1,500-feature Technology (LMT) Tsang’s staff is involved in marker monoclonal antibody array for human [Editor’s Note: This is the fi rst in a series association analysis of prostate, and murine research applications, of articles focusing on the various off-site colon and cervical cancers; in genetic a 6 K virus chip for detection and programs that NCI-Frederick hosts.] analysis of genomic instability and identifi cation of known and new modifi er loci in mouse cancer models; mammalian viral pathogens, custom Just a few blocks from the Seventh and is developing new technology peptide arrays, and a self-assembling Street Ft. Detrick gate is the platforms for single nucleotide protein array. Laboratory of Molecular Technology polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, The Peptide Biochemistry Section (LMT), a state-of-the-art facility LOH detection, mutation detection, headed by Dr. Carl Saxinger is and clinical diagnosis. developing a high-throughput, cost- They provide standard effective peptide synthesis platform to and customized support the peptide synthesis needs of Taqman™ SNP and the NCI and ongoing studies of protein- indel (insertion/ protein interaction during HIV infection deletion) genotyping; and disease progression. screening assays The Affymetrix Microarray Services for genotyping of Section, headed by Ms. Nicole Lum, transgenic/knock-out offers microarray hybridization, mice using mouse scanning, and data analysis; and tail DNAs and whole whole genome analysis, using the mouse LOH genome Affymetrix Mapping 10 K and 100 K analysis in mouse SNP array sets. tumor DNAs; and The Oligonucleotide Synthesis comprising seven sections. Headed are developing additional genomic Section, headed by Dr. Leo Lee, by Dr. David Munroe, director; Dr. technologies for basic research and provides high-quality standard and Ester Rozenblum, associate director; clinical diagnosis. specialized oligonucleotide synthesis and Martin H. White, program The Molecular Diagnostics Section, and purifi cation services; generates administrator, LMT develops new headed by Ms. Kristen Pike, provides “specialized” oligonucleotides, genomic and proteomic technologies state-of-the-art clinical and research creating oligonucleotide derivatives and makes them available to the diagnostics to NCI researchers, that require a100% base pair (bp) NCI research community through including mutation detection under match for hybridization to develop collaborations, contracts or services. CLIA certifi cation on various genes; microarray-based SNP genotyping; DNA Sequencing and Laboratory SNP analysis and pathogen detection, and is synthesizing oligonucleotides Automation Section, headed by including mycoplasma and viral testing with spacer arms of varying lengths Ms. Claudia Stewart, provides of cell lines; highly accurate sizing coupled to labeling agents (such as standard and high-throughput DNA and quantitation of PCR products on biotin or fl uorescent dyes) for probes sequencing, BAC sequencing, bi- the Agilent Bioanalyzer and the new of increased sensitivity. sulfi te sequencing, SNP/micro-satellite high-throughput Automated Lab- The Laboratory of Molecular genotyping, library construction/ on-a-Chip platform; and is adapting Technology is located at 915 Tollhouse arraying, data storage/retrieval current PCR/sequencing protocols to Avenue, Suite 211, Frederick. You and data analysis capabilities. The the Affymetrix re-sequencing chip for can reach staff at 301-846-5676; or DNA Sequencing and Laboratory future research projects. by fax at 301-846-6100. To access the Automation Section offers custom Dr. Lisa Gangi’s Microarray Laboratory Information Management automation solutions to NCI, Technology Development Section Systems (LIMS), please contact managed through LMT’s Laboratory provides production-scale printing Ms. Stewart, 301-846-5924, or Information Management Systems and scanning capabilities; data [email protected]. For pricing and (LIMS). Designed to organize and storage/retrieval, data analysis and detailed information about each of the maintain collaboration, contract assistance in protocol development laboratories, refer to the LMT Web and service projects, it will soon be and experimental design for both site: http://web.ncifcrf.gov/rtp/LMT.  available to NCI laboratories. spotted and Affymetrix arrays. The

The NCI-Frederick Poster 20 June 2005 McKesson BioServices

Selection of Ultra-low in an electronic inventory system. confi guration is available nearby. The Freezers (-80 °C) Racks provide greater effi ciencies Central Repository at NCI-Frederick [Editor’s note: This is the fi rst in a two-part for sample relocation in the event of manages a laboratory freezer back-up series provided by Dr. Kathleen Groover, freezer failure. Finally, racks help program for just this purpose. McKesson BioServices.] ensure that the proper amount of air Power failure is a more diffi cult space is maintained in the interior risk to manage. Dry ice can be used Long-term storage and preservation of the unit. Studies have shown that to maintain temperature within the of biological specimens usually insuffi cient air space can lead to poor freezer for a short time. (This is require low-temperature storage freezer function and the development more easily accomplished with a devices. The storage temperature and of hot spots within the unit. chest freezer and may play a role device chosen depend on what’s being in selecting an upright vs. a chest stored, eventual use, and the length of Other Facility Issues unit.) Some freezer models have time the material will be stored. One to Consider integrated back-up carbon dioxide of the most common types of storage Other facility issues must also be or nitrogen options, especially is the ultra-low freezer. NCI-Frederick considered prior to purchase of a valuable to the investigator who Repositories, operated by McKesson freezer. There must be suffi cient has only one or two freezers. This BioServices, house more than 350 of ventilation, because ultra-low freezers option should be cleared with facility these units, and many more are located give off an enormous amount of heat. safety personnel prior to purchase around campus. With brand names like If this heat is not quickly dissipated to ensure adequate ventilation is Revco, Harris, Forma, Sanyo, and So- by the facility HVAC system, the present. Back-up emergency generator Low, they safeguard the integrity of units will overheat and not function power is the choice for large-scale past, present and future research. properly. Noise may also be a facilities containing many freezers. consideration. Although newer units Investigators may be able to request Not All Freezers Are are fairly quiet, the compressors that their ultra-low freezers be tied Created Equal do make noise. Compare different into the facility generator. Many factors must be considered brands if your space requires silent Communication between the when you purchase an ultra-low freezer. operation. Facility voltage must scientist, building manager, facility The fi rst decision is which model match the voltage of the selected engineers and purchasing department best fi ts your needs: chest or upright. unit. Many brands are available in is key to making sure that the right Chest freezers are the most energy- either a 110-volt or 208-volt option. selection for ultra-low storage is made. effi cient; maintain the most stable The 208-volt option is much more Taking the time to consider all of these temperature when the door is open; energy-effi cient and promotes longer issues before going with the lowest and are especially appropriate for compressor life; however, many cost option will ensure the security active collections accessed many facilities have only 110-volt available and viability of research specimens for times daily or those which must meet power and upgrading electrical the long term.  strict temperature requirements, such outlets to accommodate the voltage as collections managed under current requirements of the more effi cient Good Manufacturing Practices. The 208-volt freezer involves added one- upright option is the best choice time cost. if fl oor space is at a premium and collections are not often accessed. Back-Up Options The next decision is the confi guration Last, but in many ways the most of the interior. Select shelf and racking important, is consideration of back- systems that best fi t the workfl ow and up options. Ultra-low freezers are ergonomic considerations. Racking machines that require power to systems come in myriad sizes and function. Provision must be made to confi gurations to suit every kind protect valuable specimens in case the of ultra-low freezer and specimen freezer or the power fails. The simplest container. Racks defi ne the internal way to manage the risk of mechanical freezer space and allow assignment of failure is to ensure that back-up sample locations, which can be tracked space of the same temperature and

The NCI-Frederick Poster 21 June 2005 Technology Transfer Branch (TTB)

“Potential Weapons 1981 and 2002 could be traced to organizations (including for-profi t) of Mass Destruction” natural origins. under the terms of the NPR-MTA, Available at NCI-Frederick In addition, 61% of all new chemical an agreement which provides for entities (NCE) introduced worldwide benefi t-sharing to the original No, these are not the long sought- as drugs during that same period could extract providers. after Iraqi weapons, but instead are be traced to or were inspired by natural Another collaborative mechanism approximately 150,000 naturally products. In an era when the number used by the NPB is the NCI occurring plant, marine and microbial of NCEs approved by the FDA or its Memorandum of Understanding extracts and pure compounds— foreign equivalents has gone from (MOU) which forms the basis for potentially useful as weapons a high of 78 (69 small molecules/9 agreements for collaboration in against disease, including cancer biologicals/vaccines) in 1987 to 19 drug discovery and development and viral targets. They can be found (16 small molecules/3 biologicals/ with suitably qualifi ed organizations in the Natural Products Repository vaccines) in 2004, the lack of such in source countries generally (NPR), part of NCI’s Developmental NCEs is evident. However, with the not accessible to NCI collection Therapeutics Program (DTP), Building dearth of approved small-molecule contractors (e.g., Brazil, Mexico, 1073. Administered by the DTP- NCEs, researchers are showing more South Africa). In this scenario, the Natural Products Branch (NPB), the interest in combinatorial libraries now drug discovery phase is performed NPR consists of aqueous and organic being built around selected structures, by the source country organization at extracts from 50,000 plant samples often related to natural product its own expense, and the NCI-DTP from 15,000 species, 13,000 marine structures considered “privileged” collaborates through provision of animals, and 1,000 marine plants, because of their frequency of high training and technology transfer, and as well as 25,000 fungal extracts; biological activity. Natural products through collaboration in the preclinical taxonomy data is also included. are also a potentially rich source of development of novel agents which Since 1986, these extracts and molecular probes, due primarily to meet the NCI selection criteria. compounds have been obtained their “privileged” nature, as evidenced from materials from more than 30 by their incorporation into the NIH TTB Serves as Point of Contact tropical or sub-tropical countries. This Roadmap acquisition programs. The NCI Technology Transfer resource can provide a lead compound Branch (TTB) serves as the point- through screening, whose biological NCI Agreements Used to of-contact with source countries/ activity can be further optimized Acquire/Transfer organizations for both the LOC and through focused chemical libraries These Resources the MOU, as well as with academic/ and other synthetic methodologies. How did NCI acquire this treasure? commercial collaborators for the NPR- These resources are available to The NCI Letter of Collection (LOC) MTA. Issues uniquely addressed in intramural and extramural, academic forms the basis for agreements with these documents include: or commercial collaborators and can source countries collaborating with be transferred using the NPR Material NCI collection contractors to gather • training of source country (SC) Transfer Agreement (MTA). plants and marine organisms for the scientists at NCI or collaborating Natural Products Branch. The LOC sites as Guest Researchers; Many Cancer/Infectious dictates the terms of collaboration • patent or other intellectual property Disease Drugs Have with source country scientists, and issues; Natural Origins of benefi t-sharing and use of source • provision of tangible benefi ts, e.g., But why should NCI spend all these country resources in the event of royalties or other compensation, efforts to properly collect, categorize the development and subsequent back to SC organizations and/or and screen biodiversity materials, licensing of a promising drug indigenous peoples by licensees of then isolate and characterize pure candidate. Extracts of materials any technologies which arise from compounds responsible for the collected under the terms of the LOC, the materials supplied under LOC’s biological activities? Two oft-quoted which are both active and inactive in and MOU’s; and NCI reviews,1a,b indicate that 60% and the NCI anticancer screen, are then • compensation to the SC for 75% of cancer and infectious disease available for distribution to qualifi ed conservation measures. drugs, respectively, approved between investigators and collaborating

The NCI-Frederick Poster 22 June 2005 Technology Transfer Branch (TTB)

1aNewman DJ, Cragg GM, and Snader KM. In these agreements, the NCI adheres academic, not-for-profi t and commercial Natural products in drug discovery and to the principles cited in the U.N. components working on multiple development. J Nat Prod 60(1):52–60, 1997. Convention on Biological Diversity targets; and by NPR-MTA academic 1bNewman DJ, Cragg GM, and Snader KM. (1992), a document which has yet signatories to identify agents against Natural products as sources of new drugs over to be ratifi ed by the United States any disease of interest to the NIH. the period 1981-2002. J Nat Prod 66(7):1022– Congress. The MOU and LOC and 1037, 2003. 2Mahoney RT, ed. Handbook of Best Practices the principles therein are held in high Wealth of Resources Yet to Be Explored for Management of Intellectual Property in esteem by the U.S. State Department Health Research and Development. Oxford, in its discussions with foreign Have we exhausted these resources? United Kingdom: Centre for Management of countries regarding biodiversity Hardly. Much less than 0.1% of the Intellectual Property in Health Research and issues. The agreements have also been microbial resources of the marine Development. 219–224, 2003. 3Venter JC. Unleashing the power of genomics: “showcased” as positive examples environment and perhaps 10 times that understanding the environment and biological of technical transfer documents in level of terrestrial microbial sources diversity. The Scientist 17(23): 8, 2003. a recent textbook manual for the have even been isolated and cultured, 4Piel et al., Exploring the chemistry of establishment of technology transfer let alone investigated in depth.3 uncultivated bacterial symbionts: antitumor offi ces in developing countries.2 For example, of the approximately polyketides of the pederin family. J Nat Prod 300,000 species of vascular plants 68:472–479, 2005. 5Science/Technology concentrates: chemistry NPR Bioactive Compounds in the plant kingdom, only about Identifi ed in medicine. Chemical & Engineering News, 25% have been investigated from 80(2):24, 2002.  Over the years, a signifi cant a phytochemical aspect; biological number of bioactive compounds activity of derived compounds may have been identifi ed, isolated, never have been investigated. In the characterized and in some cases, case of the marine environment, the continued from page 19 developed from the NPR by NCI numbers of marine invertebrates scientists. These compounds and their are effectively incalculable. When How He Survived sources include the antiviral (HIV) one realizes that in many cases, compounds prostratin (Samoan tree), metabolites thought to be from the In a question and answer period calanolides A and B (Malaysian tree), invertebrate are in fact the product after his talk, when asked how he got michellamines (Cameroon plant), of “co-metabolism” with related through such horrifi c experiences, Mr. conocurvone (Western Australian microbes, then “the skies are the Greenbaum said that he prayed and plant), and cyanovirin-N, scytovirin limit.”4 talked to God every day. He said that and griffi thsin (antiviral peptides from In the words of the noted chemist he also draws strength from his wife, cyanobacteria). Antitumor compounds Samuel Danishefsky (Head, whom he met soon after he arrived include taxol (Pacifi c yew plant), Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, in the U.S., his four children, and his halichondrin (New Zealand sponge), Eugene W. Kettering Chair, 10 grandchildren. With pride in his halomon (a Phillippine marine alga), Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute family’s accomplishments, he said, and the vacuolar-ATPase-inhibitory and Columbia University), “There “Hitler, I defeated you. You didn’t compounds, salicylihalamides and are major teachings in these natural defeat me.” chondropsins (from Australian products that we would do well to At the end of the program, Colonel sponges). For a complete listing, consider. They may be refl ecting eons James Ball presented Mr. Greenbaum see the NCI-CCR Molecular Targets of wisdom and refi nement.”5 with a plaque, saying that he had Development Program (MTDP) Web For additional information on displayed “great personal courage— site at http://home.ncifcrf.gov/mtdp/ accessing and utilizing the Natural under horrifi c treatment—and we catalog.html. Products Repository and/or Program, need to remember this.” Colonel Ball The NPR is currently being utilized as contact Dr. David Newman, NCI- commented, “We are always one a CRADA resource to identify small- Frederick DTP, 301-846-5387 generation away from repeating these” molecule inhibitors of HIV-cell binding; ([email protected]) or terrible events. by international cooperative biodiversity Dr. Bjarne Gabrielsen, NCI-Frederick Mr. Greenbaum also gently reminded groups and national cooperative drug TTB, 301-846-5465 ([email protected]). everyone, “We should not fi ght with discovery groups, which include one another; we are in the world such a short time.” 

The NCI-Frederick Poster 23 June 2005 Environment, Health, and Safety Program

Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy: mypyramid.gov/index.html) that detailed assessment of your current New USDA Food Pyramid provides detailed information on each food intake and activity level, along of the major food groups and the with suggestions for improving in Can Help importance of regular physical activity. both areas. Research has shown that healthy This highly interactive Web site will There are also a number of links to employees are more productive and generate a personal recommendation important food- and health-related have fewer injuries and illnesses. for you based on your age, gender, Web sites on such topics as food This research supports what the and the amount of physical activity safety, the nutrition facts label, food Occupational Health Services (OHS) you normally get. Called “My composition, coronary heart disease, staff have known from over 20 years Pyramid Plan,” the recommendation obesity, high blood pressure, and of experience here. The OHS diabetes, to name a few. A “Tips and staff have long promoted Resources” section gives you practical healthy lifestyles because advice on how to get more whole as health care providers, we grains, vegetables, and fruit in your see fi rsthand the benefi ts diet, where to fi nd calcium-rich foods, of getting—and staying— how to choose wisely from the protein- healthy. Both contractor and rich food group, and ways to increase government management physical activity. There’s even a have supported our efforts to discussion on important considerations encourage and monitor healthy for vegetarians. life styles. The My Pyramid food guidance The OHS staff now have system provides many options to help a new tool in their healthy you make healthy food choices and lifestyles toolkit: the U.S. to be active every day. To access this Department of Agriculture Food includes advice on the amounts and helpful resource, log on to http://www. Pyramid, which was introduced kinds of food in each food group mypyramid.gov/index.html. For more last April. The USDA has created a that you should be eating. You can information or assistance, please comprehensive Web site (http://www. also use “My Pyramid Tracker” for a contact OHS at 301-846-1096. 

Charles River Laboratories

Humane Care Initiative work hand-in-hand with the scientifi c Our Humane Care Initiative goals community to understand how living include: Commitment to animal welfare is conditions, handling procedures and critical to accelerating your search stress play important roles in the • Establish best practices across for healthier lives. Charles River quality and effi ciency of research. As business units worldwide. Laboratories is committed to the animal caregivers and researchers, we • Heighten internal awareness of the humane care of the research animals are responsible to our clients and the importance of humane care. produced and used in all of our public for the health and well-being of • Assure a culture of caring. activities. Our Humane Care Initiative the animals in our care. • Enhance orientation and training. supports this core value. • Foster animal welfare worldwide The Humane Care Initiative assures through the efforts of the Charles that Charles River continues as a River Laboratories. worldwide leader in the humane care of laboratory animals, an important Information taken from www.criver. resource that furthers our knowledge com/humane_care.  of living systems and contributes to the discovery of life-saving drugs and procedures. At Charles River, we

The NCI-Frederick Poster 24 June 2005 Data Management Services (DMS)

Data Management explores and evaluates new tech- Services: Computers and nologies that could benefi t the Statistical Support user community and further NCI- Frederick’s mission. C&SS staff would Although perhaps most widely be happy to meet with you to discuss known for our Microcomputer Support your specifi c technology needs.  and Web Development services, C&SS also offers many other services to the NCI-Frederick community. In this issue of The Poster wewe highlighthighlight ssomeome of these other services.

Statistical Consultation Doug Powell (on left), DMS discusses The Statistical Consultation his Spring Research poster with an group provides a wide array of interested onlooker. mathematical and statistical consulting services to the NCI-Frederick scientifi c community. The director Site-Licensed Software and consulting statisticians work Computer Software Available from the Helpdesk! in collaboration with principal Training investigators through all facets C&SS, in conjunction with the NCI, of the scientifi c process: from The Spring ’05 training session is has worked to secure site licenses for development and formulation of coming to a close. The next session many of the programs in broad use at research and statistical hypotheses will begin in October; watch for NCI-Frederick. To view the growing through design of experiments and postings and e-mail notifi cations list of software available from the statistical analyses, preparation of announcing the schedule in September. Helpdesk, visit the C&SS Web site at: technical reports and modern graphics, Due to increased interest and http://css.ncifcrf.gov/helpdesk/software. to preparation of formal scientifi c registration, we will increase the asp or contact the Computer Services documents and publications in peer- number of Excel classes, as well as Helpdesk to borrow the software or reviewed journals.  add Outlook to the regular schedule request installation assistance.  for the fall session. Please see the Custom Software Computer Software Training Web Development site at http://css.ncifcrf.gov/training Our team of analysts and for more information or to register Contacting C&SS developers employs the most modern for classes.  methodologies and tools to create Computer Services Helpdesk custom software solutions to meet Computer Services Web: http://css.ncifcrf.gov/helpdesk the unique needs and requirements of Helpdesk E-mail: [email protected] NCI-Frederick. Our staff can assist you The Computer Services Helpdesk Phone: 301-846-5115 with both administrative and scientifi c provides the NCI-Frederick programming needs, as well as Web community with a single point of Hours of Operation: design and development services. contact for computer assistance, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Visit the C&SS Web site at http://css. information, service, and support. The Monday through Friday ncifcrf.gov or call 301-846-1060 for Helpdesk is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to information about custom development 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, NCI-Frederick Webmasters services available from C&SS.  excluding NCI-Frederick holidays. Phone: 301-846-6700 Requests for service can also be E-mail: [email protected] Technology Advocacy and placed via the C&SS Web site (http: Consultation //css.ncifcrf.gov/helpdesk) 24 hours Other Inquiries As NCI-Frederick’s information per day, seven days a week.  Phone: 301-846-1060 technology experts, C&SS continually

The NCI-Frederick Poster 25 June 2005 SAIC-Frederick, Inc.

SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Wins become one of the world’s largest and Maryland, where graphic illustrators, Third MD Work-Life most innovative employee-owned photographers, and videographers for Alliance Award companies.” all the military services are trained; SAIC-Frederick, Inc., supports its and most recently was director of employees through family-oriented the conference center/presentations policies and programs, fl exible work area at Headquarters Air Force Space arrangements, and competitive leave Command, Peterson Air Force Base, programs; and by offering training and Colorado Springs, Colorado. professional development programs. Colin Celaya can be reached in “We strive to continue our focus on Building 549 at 301-846-1995; or by becoming an ‘Employer of Choice,’” e-mail at [email protected]. Dr. Arthur said.  New Conference Center Karen Blackburn, Conference Ms. Jill Sugden and Dr. Larry and Conference & Events and Events Services Planner Arthur show the Maryland Work-Life Services Staff Alliance award. Karen SAIC-Frederick, Inc., operations and Blackburn SAIC-Frederick, Inc., is now a technical support contractor for the joined SAIC- three-time winner of the “Seal of National Cancer Institute at Frederick Frederick, Approval” from the Maryland Work- (NCI-Frederick), announced the Inc., as the Life Alliance. The award is given appointments of new leaders for the Conference and to employers who demonstrate a Conference Center and the Conference Events Planner commitment “to workplace excellence and Events Planning Services. in February. by establishing a workplace culture She can assist that allows today’s workforce to you in planning achieve success at work, at home Colin Celaya, Manager, both scientifi c and in the community,” according Conference Center and general to the Alliance’s Web site http:// With more events anywhere: on- or off-campus, www.worklifecoalition.org/html/ than 22 years’ or even in another state. In addition, conferences/WorkLifeAlliance.htm. experience she stays current with government with military guidelines and regulations, which is and civilian vital, as these change frequently. agencies Before coming to SAIC-Frederick, managing Inc., Ms. Blackburn spent six years as and directing a conference planner for a Washington, audiovisual, DC-based tax association, where she Dr. Larry Arthur, president and video tele- traveled for a week at a time, at least CEO of SAIC-Frederick, Inc., said conferencing, 10 times a year. With this experience, the company was honored to receive and present- she is confi dent that she will help the the Seal of Approval. “Recognition ation facilities, Colin Celaya scientists “put on great meetings!” for three years in a row demonstrates joined NCI-Frederick as manager Located off-campus at 92 Thomas our continued focus and commitment of the Conference Center, Visual Johnson Drive, Suite 250, Ms. to our employees and their need Communications, in May. Blackburn can be reached at to balance work and personal life. Mr. Celaya began his career as 301-228-4027, or by e-mail at We recognize that our employees’ a graphic illustrator; held several [email protected].  dedication to excellence in all aspects multimedia management positions; of cancer and AIDS research is the was an instructor for multimedia foundation of our success. We believe management at the Defense people are our greatest resource, and Information School, Fort Meade, that philosophy has enabled us to

The NCI-Frederick Poster 26 June 2005 Wilson Information Services Corporation (WISCO)

Fish Are Good for You in drawing a blank when it’s time to spirits of the audience and helped them More Ways than One write that paper, facing a budget see that if you believe in yourself, you cut, or pulling out all the stops to can overcome any obstacle. Ever feel the need to “chill out” meet a deadline, a detour by the If you haven’t seen this program, on busy days at work? You may be Scientifi c Library may be just the right come to the Library and check it surprised to learn that the Scientifi c prescription for you.  out! Ask for AV00201 no.15, which Library is a great place to come for a consists of the fi lm Door to Door, the few moments each day just to wind “Science in the Cinema” Takes video of Mr. Aronin’s presentation, down. No, not to hide in the stacks and a New Twist in 2005 and the New York Times bestseller Ten catnap, but instead, to free your mind Although the Scientifi c Library’s Things I Learned from Bill Porter; by watching—fi sh. primary mission is to support the the Inspiring True Story of a Door-to- We recently installed a new scientifi c scientifi c informational needs of NCI- Door Salesman Who Changed Lives. display—a freshwater aquarium Frederick employees, it also has a Look for upcoming “Science in the stocked with zebrafi sh, Zebra danio. responsibility to assist employees with Cinema” programs, announced on Yes, that’s right, those tiny, blue- and other questions, such as individual the Web page, www-library.ncifcrf. silver-striped creatures that zig and or family health concerns; staff gov/science-cinema.asp.  zag. Zebrafi sh are excellent models development, continuing education for studies in genomics, evolution, or college course support; or human and toxicology because the fi shes’ resources and personnel issues. transparent embryos develop rapidly: One way we do this is through WISCO Employees Mark After only two days, their common promotional programs designed to Five-Year Anniversary body features, such as the brain, eyes, help people learn new things about and even internal organs like the heart, themselves and others. For example, Howard Wilson and Nate Wood-Wilson can easily be seen. since 2001 the SciLib Theatre has co- celebrated their fi ve-year anniversary Today, the pressures of everyday life sponsored the Diversity Café with the with WISCO in June 2005.  can contribute to a variety of ailments, Frederick Employee Diversity Team, such as heart attacks, ulcers, and where employees explore different insomnia. So it’s important not just to cultures through fi lms that relate to work hard at your job, but also to work either a scientifi c or medical theme. at maintaining a healthy mind, body, After each feature-length movie, a and spirit. Some scientifi c studies have guest expert leads a discussion about Orientation Schedule actually proven that watching live the theme, encouraging the audience fi sh lowers blood pressure, reduces to discern fact from fi ction. Thursday, July 21: muscle tension, and increases body During National Library Week in 2:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m. temperature, essentially reducing April, celebrating diversity took on Wednesday, August 10: many of the telltale signs of stress. extra meaning when Door to Door, 2:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Studies also show that this pleasant starring William H. Macy, Helen Wednesday, September 14: pastime can increase your grade point Mirren, Kyra Sedgwick, and Kathy 2:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m. average and help you score higher on Baker, was presented. The fi lm verbal and mathematical aptitude tests. depicts the true story of Bill Porter, a Please call 301-846-5840 for So attention, all distance learners, man born with cerebral palsy, whose student orientation times.  postdocs, and medical students facing patience and persistence helped him to the GRE or M-Cats: visit the Library become the number one door-to-door before taking your tests. salesman of Watkins products. Research studies also show that Our featured speaker for this program aquariums contribute to improved was the nationally acclaimed Michael employee morale and can increase Aronin, who, like Bill Porter, has motivation, creativity and productivity cerebral palsy. Combining inspiration in the workplace. So if you are with a twist of humor, he lifted the

The NCI-Frederick Poster 27 June 2005

The Poster Staff Employment Opportunities Executive Editor Paul Miller Associate Editor Ken Michaels Please contact the individual contractor’s human resources Managing Editor representatives or go to the contractor’s Web site for Maritta Grau up-to-date, detailed information about jobs or research Co-Editor and training opportunities and requirements. Nancy Parrish Production Editor Charles River Laboratories Kathy Green Lead Designer http://www.criver.com Tammy Schroyer Photography Editors Jonathan Summers Data Management Services Marti Welch http://css.ncifcrf.gov/about/dms.htm Contributing Editors Administrative Resource Center National Cancer Institute at Frederick Debbie Dixon http://www.training.nih.gov/postdoctoral Judi Carter Tanya Sappington Charles River Laboratories Cliff Hubbard SAIC-Frederick, Inc. Community Outreach http://saic.ncifcrf.gov Barbara Birnman www.saic.com Julie Hartman Data Management Services Stephanie Sheppard Wilson Information Services Corporation Environment, Health, and Safety Program http://www-library.ncifcrf.gov Carol Ingraham-Tobias Facilities Maintenance and Engineering Deborah Dobbe Frederick Employee Diversity Team Scott Keimig McKesson BioServices Kathleen Groover Look for the Following Events Around Campus: Patricia Hindes SAIC-Frederick, Inc. Dave Bufter Farmers’ Market — Every Tuesday, 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. until October 25 Science Today Paul Nisson Take Your Child to Work Day — Wednesday, July 13 Wilson Information Services Corporation Campus Improvement Committee Projects Sue Wilson Robin Meckley

Published four times a year by Scientifi c Publications, Graphics & Media for the National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702. http://web.ncifcrf.gov/ThePoster

Comments or suggestions for The Poster may be directed to http://web.ncifcrf.gov/ThePoster

The National Cancer Institute at FrederickFrederick

Frederick, MD 21702-1201