Calorimeter measures high nuclear heating rates and their gradients across a reactor test hole

Pedestal-type calorimeter measures gamma-ray heating rates from 0.5 to 7.0 watts per gram of aluminum. Nuclear heating rate is a function of cylinder temperature change, measured by four chromel-alumel thermocouples attached to the calorimeter, and known thermoconductivity of the tested material

Low Energy Methods for the Deposition of BN Thin Films

We report the growth of boron nitride thin films from plasma-assisted dissociation of the precursor molecule boron triazide. Stable films containing mainly sp2-bonded BN have been grown for comparison with films grown by other dissociation methods. We conclude that the plasma-assisted dissociation method is superior to previous methods for growing boron nitride thin films from boron triazide

Influence of berry growth and growth regulators on the development of grape peduncles in Vitis vinifera L.

Removal of grape berries (cv. Roter Gutedel) after setting (10 d after anthesis) had just a slight effect on the subsequent health of the peduncle. But if younger berries of flowers were removed before this stage the peduncle formed abscission layers along its length, and/or it died. Treatment of deflowered peduncles with a-naphthalene acetic acid (NAi\) prevented peduncle abscission and death; it is suggested that auxins produced by flowers have a hormonal role in maintaining normal development of the peduncle. Treatment with 2-chloroethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (CCC), benzyladenine (BA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) or 3-indolebutyric acid (IBA) did not give these effects. The lack of effect of the latter two compounds (auxins) is possibly due to their catabolism.Treatment with gibberellic acid (GA) resembled NAA in that it also maintained the health of deflowered peduncles, but GA had the additional effect of causing prolonged development of metaxylem. Gibberellin produced by developing berries may also have a hormonal role in peduncle development. The occurrence of grape peduncle necrosis (stiellaehme), which appears associated with a gibberellin deficiency during setting, supports this idea

Primary bud-axis necrosis of grapevines. I. Natural incidence and correlation with vigour

The incidence of primary bud-axis necrosis (PBN) was studied from 1980 to 1985 in Australian vineyards of varying vigour. Fifteen cultivars of Vitis vinifera L. were initially examined for the presence of PBN and, because Shiraz (syn. Syrah) proved to have the highest incidence, subsequent work emphasized this cultivar. Compound buds at nodes 2 to 9 from the base of the shoot (node 9 being the most distal node) were scored for the presence of PBN. PBN was found to be a significant cause of unfruitfulness in the Australian vineyards examined. Incidence was higher in seeded compared with seedless cultivars. Shiraz had the highest incidence but not as great as for other cultivars reported in Israel, Japan, Chile and USA. PBN incidence was highest in the basal nodes of thick shoots, especially if the node bore a lateral shoot. Buds with PBN produced more shoots but fewer bunches. Thinning of shoots ten days before and after flowering increased both shoot vigour and PBN incidence. This association was attributed to the greater vigour per se and not to any change in canopy light environment. PBN-caused loss of primary shoots is concluded to be a major cause of unfruitfulness in basal nodes of grapevine

The Role of Immunoglobulin Superfamily Cell Adhesion Molecules in Cancer Metastasis

Metastasis is a major clinical problem and results in a poor prognosis for most cancers. The metastatic pathway describes the process by which cancer cells give rise to a metastatic lesion in a new tissue or organ. It consists of interconnecting steps all of which must be successfully completed to result in a metastasis. Cell-cell adhesion is a key aspect of many of these steps. Adhesion molecules belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily (Ig-SF) commonly play a central role in cell-cell adhesion, and a number of these molecules have been associated with cancer progression and a metastatic phenotype. Surprisingly, the contribution of Ig-SF members to metastasis has not received the attention afforded other cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) such as the integrins. Here we examine the steps in the metastatic pathway focusing on how the Ig-SF members, melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM), L1CAM, neural CAM (NCAM), leukocyte CAM (ALCAM), intercellular CAM-1 (ICAM-1) and platelet endothelial CAM-1 (PECAM-1) could play a role. Although much remains to be understood, this review aims to raise the profile of Ig-SF members in metastasis formation and prompt further research that could lead to useful clinical outcomes

Serum Amyloid P Component (SAP)-Like Protein From Botryllid Ascidians Provides a Clue to Amyloid Function

The HA-1 lectin isolated from Botrylloides leachii has an amino acid composition similar to that of mammalian serum amyloid protein (SAP). SAP is a universal component of mammalian amyloid deposits. Like SAP, HA-1 has a disc ultrastructure, and antibody to HA-1 binds both (a) to amyloidlike fibers deposited between rejected Botrylloides colonies and (b) to cerebral amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease brains. Deposition of protochordate amyloid within rejection sites and surrounding fouling organisms implies that these fibers function as barriers to allogeneic and infectious challenge. Similarly, mammalian amyloid may also function to contain inflammatory lesions and to limit the spread of certain infections. Pathological amyloidotic conditions in humans, such as Alzheimer's disease, may result from unregulated expression of this primitive encapsulation response

A structural analysis of heparin-like glycosaminoglycans using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Abstract. Mass spectrometry (MS) techniques have spear-headed the field of proteomics. Recently, MS has been used to structurally analyse carbohydrates. The heparin/heparan sulfate-like glycosaminoglycans (HLGAGs) present a special set of difficulties for structural analysis because they are highly sulfated and heterogeneous. We have used a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) technique in which heparin fragments are non-covalently bound to basic peptides of a known mass, so as to limit in-source desulfation and hence afford an accurate mass. We examined a range of different sized fragments with varying degrees of sulfation. The potential of combining the MALDI-MS technique with enzymatic digestion to obtain saccharide sequence information on heparin fragments was explored. A disaccharide analysis greatly assists in determining a sequence from MALDI-MS data. Enzymatic digestion followed by MALDI-MS allows structural data on heparin fragments too large for direct MALDI-MS to be obtained. We demonstrate that synthetic sulfated oligosaccharides can also be analysed by MALDI-MS. There are advantages and limitations with this methodology, but until superior MS techniques become readily accessible to biomedical scientists the MALDI-MS method provides a means to structurally analyse HLGAG fragments that have therapeutic potential because of their ability to bind to and functionally regulate a host of clinically important proteins