ACS NATIONAL MEETING:  4
C&EN celebrates its 75th Anniversary, board approves 1999 budget requests.

A VISION FOR DOE:  4
New Energy Department secretary emphasizes accountability, outreach.

INSTANT DIAGNOSIS:  5
Just one breath is all new instrument needs to detect illnesses.

DEGUSSA SUED:  5
Holocaust survivors seek restitution from company in class-action suit.

BASIC RESEARCH:  6
Curiosity-driven work is essential to U.S. technology future.

CHEMICAL WEAPONS:  6
Detection of VX precursor in soil sample led U.S. to bomb Sudanese facility.

VX FOR MURDER:  7
Japanese cult used nerve agent to slay Osaka man.

BUSINESS CONCENTRATES:  10

COVER STORY

SABIC:   15
Middle East's largest chemical producer restructures to become more customer oriented.

GOVERNMENT CONCENTRATES:  19

FISCAL '99 BUDGETS:   20
NIH, NSF, and Energy Department science programs fare well in House appropriations bills.

CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD:   21
One-year-old investigative body struggles for funding, slowly gains identity.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY CONCENTRATES:  23

PEPTIDE TWIST:   24
New kinds of peptide derivatives adopt defined helical folding patterns in solution.

ALLOSTERIC MODIFIERS:   25
Small-molecule drugs that bolster oxygen delivery are being developed to fight ischemic diseases.

SCIENCE INSIGHTS:   27
Who would guess that chemists can find joy in cement?

SCIENCE IN IRAN:   28
Despite hardships, Iranian scientists are optimistic that research in their country will continue to flourish.

IRAN'S FEMALE VP:   36
Massoumeh Ebtekar discusses her role as scientist, environment minister, and women's rights advocate.

2 LETTERS

3 EDITOR'S PAGE

38 ACS COMMENT

41  ACS NEWS (PDF FILE)

49  MEETINGS (PDF FILE)

72 NEWSCRIPTS