Investigation of superconducting interactions and amorphous semiconductors

Research papers on superconducting interactions and properties and on amorphous materials are presented. The search for new superconductors with improved properties was largely concentrated on the study of properties of thin films. An experimental investigation of interaction mechanisms revealed no new superconductivity mechanism. The properties of high transition temperature, type 2 materials prepared in thin film form were studied. A pulsed field solenoid capable of providing fields in excess of 300 k0e was developed. Preliminary X-ray measurements were made of V3Si to determine the behavior of cell constant deformation versus pressure up to 98 kilobars. The electrical properties of amorphous semiconducting materials and bulk and thin film devices, and of amorphous magnetic materials were investigated for developing radiation hard, inexpensive switches and memory elements

c-myc, not her-2/neu, can predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients: how novel, how accurate, and how significant?

The predictive and prognostic implication of oncogene amplification in breast cancer has received great attention in the past two decades. her-2/neu and c-myc are two oncogenes that are frequently amplified and overexpressed in breast carcinomas. Despite the extensive data on these oncogenes, their prognostic and predictive impact on breast cancer patients remains controversial. Schlotter and colleagues have recently suggested that c-myc, and not her-2/neu, could predict the recurrence and mortality of patients with node-negative breast carcinomas. Regardless of the promising results, caution should be exercised in the interpretation of data from studies assessing gene amplification without in situ analysis. We address the novelty, accuracy and clinical significance of the study by Schlotter and colleagues

Evidence for weak link and anisotropy limitations on the transport critical current in bulk polycrystalline Y\u3csub\u3e1\u3c/sub\u3eBa\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eCu\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3eO\u3csub\u3e χ \u3c/sub\u3e

Measurements of the transport critical-current density (Jc), magnetization Jc, and magnetoresistance in a number of bulk sintered samples of Y1Ba2Cu3O χ from several different laboratories indicate that the transport Jc is limited by weak-link regions between high Jc regions. The weak-link Jc has a Josephson character, decreasing by two orders of magnitude as the magnetic field is increased from 0.1 to 10 mT at 77 K. An examination of the grain-boundary region in Y1Ba2Cu3O χ shows no observable impurities or second phases to the scale of the [001] lattice planes (~12 Å). The effect of intrinsic conduction anisotropy is discussed. A current-transfer model is proposed in which weak conduction along the c axis plays a role in limiting Jc at grain boundaries. Orienting the grains in the powder state during processing may result in enhanced transport Jc in bulk conductors

Desgn of a 20-MJ superconducting ohmic-heating coil. [NbTi and Nb/sub 3/Sn]

Conceptual designs of 20-MJ superconducting coils which were developed to demonstrate the feasibility of an ohmic-heating system were discussed. The superconductor materials were NbTi and Nb/sub 3/Sn for the pool boil and forced-flow cooling, respectively. The coils were designed to be cryostable for bipolar operation from +7 to -7 tesla maximum field within one second. The structural design addresses the distribution of structure and structural materials used in the pulsed field environment. The cyclic stresses anticipated and the fatigue limits of the structural materials were examined in view of the operating life of the coil. The coils were designed to generate the flux swings while simultaneously meeting the limitations imposed by cooling, insulation, current density and the stresses in the materials. Both the pool and forced cooled conductors have the same criterion for cryostability, i.e., the conductor must return to the superconducting state from an initial temperature of 20/sup 0/K while the full transport current is flowing through the conductor

Sequential paraformaldehyde and methanol fixation for simultaneous flow cytometric analysis of DNA, cell surface proteins, and intracellular proteins

A cell fixation and permeabilization procedure consisting of sequential paraformaldehyde and methanol was evaluated and found suitable for concomitant flow cytometric quantification of total cellular DNA, immunofluorescence measurements of cell surface proteins, and immunofluorescence measurements of intracellular proteins. Paraformaldehyde/methanol‐fixed cells exhibited significantly greater intracellular antitubulin immunofluorescence than cells fixed with paraformaldehyde or methanol alone (p < 0.002) and significantly greater intracellular antitubulin immunofluorescence than cells fixed with methanol followed by paraformaldehyde (p < 0.006). With paraformaldehyde/methanol fixation, cell morphology was well preserved and forward and right angle light scatter properties were sufficiently well maintained to permit gating on these parameters. Cell surface marker staining with fluorescent anti‐leukocyte antibodies was unaffected by fixation with paraformaldehyde/methanol. Paraformaldehyde effects on the intensity oaf DNA staining with propidium iodide were dependent on paraformaldehyde concentration and Fixation temperature; these effects were least pronounced at low paraformaldehyde concentrations (0.25% or less), and at temperatures lower than 37°C. Paraformaldehyde fixation may result in differences in propidium iodide staining of DNA in some diploid cells, which may produce small spurious aneuploid peaks in normal peripheral blood leukocytes. Paraformaldehyde fixation also produces an apparent increase in the DNA index of aneuploid cell populations in comparison with methanol fixation, particularly when the DNA index exceeds 1.5. Occasionally, this paraformaldehyde fixation‐induced effect is useful in identifying biologically distinct near‐diploid subpopulations in tumors

Assessing sequential oncogene amplification in human breast cancer

Studies of amplification and/or overexpression of c-myc, HER-2/neu, and H-ras in breast cancer have shown that each is associated with a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility that there is a preferred sequence of amplification of these oncogenes in breast cancer. The frequencies of amplification and patterns of co-amplification of c-myc, HER-2/neu, and H-ras were studied in a group of 84 breast cancers. The data suggested a preferred sequence of amplification that consisted of c-myc amplification-HER-2/neu amplification-H-ras amplification. This model was supported by loglinear analysis. In addition, the levels of amplification of JC-A, a DNA fragment newly isolated from a patient with advanced breast cancer, were studied in 61 of these cases. The data suggested that JC-A amplification occurred early. Loglinear analysis supported a model in which JC-A amplification occurred either before or after c-myc amplification but was unrelated to Her-2/neu or ras amplification