W. T. Astbury and Ross G. Harrison: the search for the molecular determination of form in the developing embryo

Amongst the Fellows elected to the Royal Society in 1941 were W. T. Astbury for his studies using X-ray analysis to study the structures of natural fibres, and amongst the Foreign Members elected that year was Ross G. Harrison for his contributions to embryology. Astbury and Harrison were very different in temperament, and worked in very different fields on either side of the Atlantic, yet they were united in their approach to the study of biological phenomena. Both Astbury and Harrison believed that the organization and form of biological materials whether wool fibres or the limb-bud in an amphibian embryo depended on molecular structure and pattern. Moreover both were concerned with dynamic aspects of form; Astbury’s greatest achievement was to demonstrate the dynamic, reversible folding and stretching of proteins in the k-m-e-f group, and Harrison looked to changing molecular patterns to account for changing symmetries in the developing embryo. It was this common approach that brought them together and led to Harrison spending a brief month in Leeds where they and K. M. Rudall performed what have been described as ‘truly progressive experiments in molecular biology’. I believe this short series of experiments illuminates the character and work of both Harrison and Astbury and illustrates the difficulties, practical and conceptual, in carrying out ‘progressive experiments’. I shall begin by reviewing briefly the embryological background of the time before going on to discuss in detail the approaches of Harrison and Astbury to their work and the outcome of their collaboration.

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Researches on modern explosives. Second communication

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London ◽

10.1098/rspl.1899.0093 ◽

1900 ◽

Vol 66 (424-433) ◽

pp. 221-232

Keyword(s):

Royal Society ◽

Maximum Temperature ◽

Series Of Experiments

In our communication published in the ‘Proceedings of the Royal Society,’ vol. 56 (in which we gave results of the determination of the calories evolved and analysis of the products of combustion o various explosives), reference was made to certain experiments we had then begun for the purpose of determining the actual maximum temperature reached during explosion. We have now made a long series of experiments in this direction, and propose to communicate some of the results so far obtained, although the research is not yet complete.

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Lateral resolution of the electron microbeam analysis

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100109859 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 542-543

Author(s):

H.J. Dudek

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Analysis ◽

Depth Resolution ◽

Lateral Resolution ◽

Cylindrical Particle ◽

Correction Procedure ◽

X Ray ◽

Element Concentrations ◽

Microbeam Analysis ◽

The Matrix

The chemical inhomogenities in modern materials such as fibers, phases and inclusions, often have diameters in the region of one micrometer. Using electron microbeam analysis for the determination of the element concentrations one has to know the smallest possible diameter of such regions for a given accuracy of the quantitative analysis.In th is paper the correction procedure for the quantitative electron microbeam analysis is extended to a spacial problem to determine the smallest possible measurements of a cylindrical particle P of high D (depth resolution) and diameter L (lateral resolution) embeded in a matrix M and which has to be analysed quantitative with the accuracy q. The mathematical accounts lead to the following form of the characteristic x-ray intens ity of the element i of a particle P embeded in the matrix M in relation to the intensity of a standard S

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X-ray microanalysis of thin specimens in the transmission electron microscope at voltages up to 1000 Kv.

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100109847 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 540-541

Author(s):

G. Cliff ◽

M.J. Nasir ◽

G.W. Lorimer ◽

N. Ridley

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscope ◽

Transmission Electron Microscope ◽

Weight Fraction ◽

Present Series ◽

Constant Independent ◽

X Ray ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Series Of Experiments ◽

Image Position ◽

X Ray Absorption

In a specimen which is transmission thin to 100 kV electrons - a sample in which X-ray absorption is so insignificant that it can be neglected and where fluorescence effects can generally be ignored (1,2) - a ratio of characteristic X-ray intensities, I1/I2 can be converted into a weight fraction ratio, C1/C2, using the equationwhere k12 is, at a given voltage, a constant independent of composition or thickness, k12 values can be determined experimentally from thin standards (3) or calculated (4,6). Both experimental and calculated k12 values have been obtained for K(11<Z>19),kα(Z>19) and some Lα radiation (3,6) at 100 kV. The object of the present series of experiments was to experimentally determine k12 values at voltages between 200 and 1000 kV and to compare these with calculated values.The experiments were carried out on an AEI-EM7 HVEM fitted with an energy dispersive X-ray detector.

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Sem and X-Ray Analysis of Renal and Biliary Calculi

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100091512 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 34 ◽

pp. 306-307

Author(s):

R. J. Narconis ◽

G. L. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Chemical Constituents ◽

Natural State ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Chemical Methods ◽

X Ray ◽

Additional Dimension ◽

Biliary Calculi ◽

Calculus Formation ◽

Scanning Electron

Analysis of the constituents of renal and biliary calculi may be of help in the management of patients with calculous disease. Several methods of analysis are available for identifying these constituents. Most common are chemical methods, optical crystallography, x-ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy. The application of a SEM with x-ray analysis capabilities should be considered as an additional alternative.A scanning electron microscope equipped with an x-ray “mapping” attachment offers an additional dimension in its ability to locate elemental constituents geographically, and thus, provide a clue in determination of possible metabolic etiology in calculus formation. The ability of this method to give an undisturbed view of adjacent layers of elements in their natural state is of advantage in determining the sequence of formation of subsequent layers of chemical constituents.

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Preparation And elemental analysis of ancient fibers

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100126846 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 410-411

Author(s):

Allen Angel ◽

Kathryn A. Jakes

Keyword(s):

Cross Sections ◽

Physical Structure ◽

Energy Dispersive ◽

Archaeological Sites ◽

X Ray ◽

Long Term Storage ◽

Backscattered Electron ◽

Electron Imaging

Fabrics recovered from archaeological sites often are so badly degraded that fiber identification based on physical morphology is difficult. Although diagenetic changes may be viewed as destructive to factors necessary for the discernment of fiber information, changes occurring during any stage of a fiber's lifetime leave a record within the fiber's chemical and physical structure. These alterations may offer valuable clues to understanding the conditions of the fiber's growth, fiber preparation and fabric processing technology and conditions of burial or long term storage (1).Energy dispersive spectrometry has been reported to be suitable for determination of mordant treatment on historic fibers (2,3) and has been used to characterize metal wrapping of combination yarns (4,5). In this study, a technique is developed which provides fractured cross sections of fibers for x-ray analysis and elemental mapping. In addition, backscattered electron imaging (BSI) and energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis (EDS) are utilized to correlate elements to their distribution in fibers.

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Determination of Stoichiometry of GaAs Component in (Gaas)Ge Epitaxially Grown Thin Films by Electron Microprobe X-Ray Analysis

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100134922 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 264-265

Author(s):

D. R. Liu ◽

S. S. Shinozaki ◽

R. J. Baird

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Thin Films ◽

Monte Carlo Simulation ◽

Monte Carlo ◽

Compound Semiconductors ◽

Energy Dispersive Analysis ◽

X Ray ◽

Metastable Alloys ◽

Lower Voltage

The epitaxially grown (GaAs)Ge thin film has been arousing much interest because it is one of metastable alloys of III-V compound semiconductors with germanium and a possible candidate in optoelectronic applications. It is important to be able to accurately determine the composition of the film, particularly whether or not the GaAs component is in stoichiometry, but x-ray energy dispersive analysis (EDS) cannot meet this need. The thickness of the film is usually about 0.5-1.5 μm. If Kα peaks are used for quantification, the accelerating voltage must be more than 10 kV in order for these peaks to be excited. Under this voltage, the generation depth of x-ray photons approaches 1 μm, as evidenced by a Monte Carlo simulation and actual x-ray intensity measurement as discussed below. If a lower voltage is used to reduce the generation depth, their L peaks have to be used. But these L peaks actually are merged as one big hump simply because the atomic numbers of these three elements are relatively small and close together, and the EDS energy resolution is limited.

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Polarity Determination in Sphalerite and Wurtzite Structures

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100136106 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 500-501

Author(s):

Stuart McKernan ◽

C. Barry Carter

Keyword(s):

Opposite Polarity ◽

Single Domain ◽

Polar Material ◽

Electron Microscopic ◽

Dynamical Interaction ◽

X Ray ◽

Polarity Determination ◽

The Absolute ◽

Microscopic Techniques

The determination of the absolute polarity of a polar material is often crucial to the understanding of the defects which occur in such materials. Several methods exist by which this determination may be performed. In bulk, single-domain specimens, macroscopic techniques may be used, such as the different etching behavior, using the appropriate etchant, of surfaces with opposite polarity. X-ray measurements under conditions where Friedel’s law (which means that the intensity of reflections from planes of opposite polarity are indistinguishable) breaks down can also be used to determine the absolute polarity of bulk, single-domain specimens. On the microscopic scale, and particularly where antiphase boundaries (APBs), which separate regions of opposite polarity exist, electron microscopic techniques must be employed. Two techniques are commonly practised; the first [1], involves the dynamical interaction of hoLz lines which interfere constructively or destructively with the zero order reflection, depending on the crystal polarity. The crystal polarity can therefore be directly deduced from the relative intensity of these interactions.

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Problems in Thin-Film X-ray Quantification

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100135897 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 458-459

Author(s):

J N Chapman ◽

W A P Nicholson

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Specimen Thickness ◽

X Rays ◽

Characteristic Peak ◽

Local Composition ◽

X Ray ◽

Measured Ratio ◽

Path Lengths ◽

Composition Changes

Energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis (EDX) is widely used for the quantitative determination of local composition in thin film specimens. Extraction of quantitative data is usually accomplished by relating the ratio of the number of atoms of two species A and B in the volume excited by the electron beam (nA/nB) to the corresponding ratio of detected characteristic photons (NA/NB) through the use of a k-factor. This leads to an expression of the form nA/nB = kAB NA/NB where kAB is a measure of the relative efficiency with which x-rays are generated and detected from the two species.Errors in thin film x-ray quantification can arise from uncertainties in both NA/NB and kAB. In addition to the inevitable statistical errors, particularly severe problems arise in accurately determining the former if (i) mass loss occurs during spectrum acquisition so that the composition changes as irradiation proceeds, (ii) the characteristic peak from one of the minority components of interest is overlapped by the much larger peak from a majority component, (iii) the measured ratio varies significantly with specimen thickness as a result of electron channeling, or (iv) varying absorption corrections are required due to photons generated at different points having to traverse different path lengths through specimens of irregular and unknown topography on their way to the detector.

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Reduction of Potassium in Kidney Proximal Tubules to Aid in Electron Probe X-Ray Microanalysis of Calcium

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100119193 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. 474-475

Author(s):

A. LeFurgey ◽

P. Ingram ◽

L.J. Mandel

Keyword(s):

Smooth Muscle ◽

Proximal Tubule ◽

Electron Probe ◽

Clinical Applications ◽

Proximal Tubules ◽

Rabbit Kidney ◽

Target Cells ◽

X Ray ◽

Freeze Dried

For quantitative determination of subcellular Ca distribution by electron probe x-ray microanalysis, decreasing (and/or eliminating) the K content of the cell maximizes the ability to accurately separate the overlapping K Kß and Ca Kα peaks in the x-ray spectra. For example, rubidium has been effectively substituted for potassium in smooth muscle cells, thus giving an improvement in calcium measurements. Ouabain, a cardiac glycoside widely used in experimental and clinical applications, inhibits Na-K ATPase at the cell membrane and thus alters the cytoplasmic ion (Na,K) content of target cells. In epithelial cells primarily involved in active transport, such as the proximal tubule of the rabbit kidney, ouabain rapidly (t1/2= 2 mins) causes a decrease2 in intracellular K, but does not change intracellular total or free Ca for up to 30 mins. In the present study we have taken advantage of this effect of ouabain to determine the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic Ca content in freeze-dried cryosections of kidney proximal tubule by electron probe x-ray microanalysis.

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