SRI International Digest #9, Fall 2003

Major initiatives with major impact: In recent months, SRI International, an independent research and development organization, has advanced its client programs in pharmaceutical research, battlefield training, smoking cessation, and mobile communications -- to name just a few. Keep reading to learn more about our latest innovations and how we are creating value for clients.

IN THIS ISSUE:

HOMELAND SECURITY:

• National Guard Demonstrates New JTEP Training System

BIOSCIENCES

• Green Tea's Anti-Cancer Properties Studied
• CDC Awards Grant for Biodefense Research
• Compounds of Interest to Cancer Researchers Synthesized by SRI
• SRI Expands Pharmaceutical Presence in San Diego
• New Director Named for PharmaSTART

HEALTH AND EDUCATION:

• Study Reveals Ways to Improve Smoking Quit Rates
• Innovative System Tracks Outcomes of California Programs for Kids Under 5
• Alcohol's Effect on Brain Structure/Sleep Patterns Studied

MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS NEWS:

• PacketHop Ushers in Mobile Mesh Networking

SRI IN THE NEWS, SRI PEOPLE:

• Artificial Muscle on Cover of Scientific American
• Meet an SRI Researcher: Indira Jayaweera
• Meet SRI's Intellectual Property Advisor, Ed Davis

HOMELAND SECURITY
National Guard Demonstrates New Training System: California National Guard soldiers at two separate geographic locations will jointly conduct a first-of-its-kind battlefield training exercise in December to demonstrate the Joint Training and Experimentation Program. JTEP is a cost-effective way to link live, virtual and constructive training elements into the same exercise. SRI is the program's prime contractor. Media are invited; please contact Marty Mallonee at marty.mallonee@sri.com or 650-859-2198.

BIOSCIENCES
Green Tea's Anti-Cancer Properties Studied: A component of green tea, EGCG (epigallocatchin-3-gallate), the most abundant and active chemopreventive agent in green tea, has been associated with reducing the risk of several types of cancer. SRI's Dr. Nurulain Zaveri leads research that shows synthesized ECCG inhibits the growth of tumor cells at potencies equal to or greater than the organic ingredient itself. A synthesized version could replace the need to drink at least seven to eight cups of tea daily, or ingest large amounts of green tea polyphenol extract, to get the desired chemopreventive effect. The research is funded by the California Breast Cancer Research Program. Read their article: http://www.cbcrp.org/media/pr/110103.php

CDC Awards Grant for Biodefense Research: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have awarded SRI a two-year, $800,000 grant to discover and develop new antimicrobial drugs for infections caused by bacterial biowarfare agents. The grant is part of the CDC's new $9 million Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease Research Grant Program, which complements the agency's ongoing bioterrorism preparedness and response program activities. Read the press release: http://www.sri.com/news/releases/11-04b-03.html

SRI Synthesizes Compounds of Interest to Cancer Researchers: SRI received a three-year, $1.52 million contract from the National Cancer Institute to synthesize selected chemical carcinogens and chemopreventive agents of interest to the cancer research community. The compounds will be offered to researchers through NCI's Chemical Carcinogen Reference Standard Repository. SRI has been one of NCI's primary synthesis contractors since the Repository's inception more than 20 years ago. Read the press release: http://www.sri.com/news/releases/11-04-03.html

SRI Expands Pharmaceutical Presence in San Diego: As part of PharmaSTART, the recently announced SRI-led drug translation consortium of leading California universities and research organizations, SRI has opened an office on the campus of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The office will be co-located with the UCSD CONNECT program office. Read the press release: http://www.sri.com/news/releases/09-17-03.html

New Senior Director Named for PharmaSTART: Ted Spack, Ph.D. has joined SRI to lead the PharmaSTART effort. Read the press release: http://www.sri.com/news/releases/12-01-03.html

HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Study Reveals Ways to Improve Smoking Quit Rates: Smokers who want to quit by taking the drug Zyban. could see a substantial increase in their chances for quitting when the drug is taken in combination with a moderate level of behavioral modification counseling, according to a new SRI study. The study shows that a combination of Zyban with minimal or moderate behavioral counseling results in a "quit rate" of 24% to 33% after one year, compared to a CDC-reported 5% quit rate for "self-quitters" after a three-month period. Read the press release: http://www.sri.com/news/releases/10-28-03.html

Innovative System Tracks Outcomes of California Programs for Kids Under 5: SRI's Center for Education and Human Services has launched an innovative system to consistently track the activities and successes of First 5 California programs, which promote school readiness through services that support the health, development, and well-being of children from before birth to age five. The Proposition 10 Evaluation Data System (PEDS) is First 5 California's web-based system to provide meaningful data across hundreds of First 5's wide-ranging programs throughout the state. In 2002, First 5 California selected SRI to lead a $23 million, three-year evaluation of First 5 California-funded programs. Read the press release: http://www.sri.com/news/releases/09-15-03.html

Alcohol's Effect on Brain Structure/Sleep Patterns Studied: SRI was recently awarded a five-year grant by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to study the relationship between changes in brain structure and changes in sleep patterns in alcoholics. The Human Sleep Research Program in SRI's Center for Health Sciences will examine sleep physiology in recently detoxified chronic alcoholics. This is the first major grant awarded to the program, which began in 2001. For more information on SRI's substance abuse research, visit http://www.sri.com/policy/healthsci/addiction/

MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS NEWS
PacketHop Ushers in Mobile Mesh Networking: SRI has recently spun off PacketHop, which plans to deliver the first commercial application of mobile mesh networking technology for instant connectivity - anytime, anywhere and to any device. Funded by U.S. Venture Partners and Mayfield, PacketHop builds on 30 years of SRI innovation and $50 million in related R&D trials. More information at http://www.sri.com/news/releases/11-10-03.html

SRI IN THE NEWS, SRI PEOPLE
Artificial Muscle on Cover of Scientific American: The magazine's October cover story focused on electroactive polymer "artificial muscle" technologies, and prominently featured SRI's patented technology for actuation, sensing and power generation. http://www.scientificamerican.com/issue.cfm?issueDate=Oct-03

Meet an SRI Researcher: Learn about Indira Jayaweera, a senior chemist developing hydrothermal technology for chemical synthesis applications and hazardous waste disposal: http://www.sri.com/about/people/indira.html

Meet SRI's Intellectual Property Advisor: Ed Davis works with SRI's inventors and others to obtain and maintain protection of SRI's intellectual property: http://www.sri.com/about/people/eddavis.html

More SRI news can be found at http://www.sri.com/

ABOUT SRI INTERNATIONAL
Silicon Valley-based SRI International is one of the world's leading independent research and technology development organizations. Founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946 and independent since 1970, SRI has been meeting the strategic needs of clients for more than 55 years. The nonprofit research institute performs contract research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses and nonprofit foundations. Visit our website at http://www.sri.com.

CONTACT US
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