Kenneth W. Sulston

Ultrastructural and secretory heterogeneity of fa/fa (Zucker) rat islets.

Many previous studies of obese rodents documented biochemical changes in pancreatic islets that contribute to hyperinsulinemia in vivo. Those studies used heterogeneous populations of islets, although the size of islets from obese rats ranges from < 100 to > 500 microm. Here, functional and morphological changes in size-sorted (< 125 and > 250 microm diameter) islets from obese Zucker (fa/fa) rats were correlated. Ultrastructural examination revealed that > 250 microm cultured islets had an increased number of immature secretory granules in the beta cells. The number of degranulated beta cells in > 250 and < 125 microm cultured islets from fa/fa rats was higher than in lean rat islets (33 vs 25%). The glucose EC50 values for cultured islets were 4.64 +/- 0.43, 7.9 +/- 0.70 and 7.29 +/- 1.64 mmol.l(-1) for > 250 microm, < 125 microm, and lean groups, respectively. Inhibition of insulin secretion by 10 mmol.l(-1) mannoheptulose was reduced by 50% in > 250 microm islets compared with small islets. Studies of individual beta cells by reverse hemolytic plaque assay revealed 3-fold more cells from > 250 microm islets were stimulated by 1.4 mmol.l(-1) glucose than cells from < 125 microm islets. We conclude that functional defects in mixed size populations of islets from fa/fa rats are mainly due to alterations in the large islets, whereas smaller islets have relatively normal function. Exposure to high glucose exacerbates morphological and functional differences of large islets, which could have important implications in the transition to noninsulin-dependent diabetes when beta cell insulin production is unable to compensate for hyperglycemia.

A simple mathematical model to aid quantification of electrophoresis gels by image analysis

In many scientific disciplines, measurements are taken from films that have been exposed to energetic sources. Examples include radiographs where the source is an X‐ray tube, autoradiography where the source is a radioactive isotope and electrophoresis gels where the source is an enhanced chemiluminescence reaction. In these situations it is of interest to quantify the darkening of the film and compute the strength of the source which in the cases of autoradiography and electrophoresis can be used to compute unknown concentrations of biochemicals. We developed a simple mathematical model of the darkening of films in radiography, autoradiography and electrophoresis bands disclosed by enhanced chemiluminescence, and present formulae to calculate the strength of the source from measurement of film blackening by image analysis. A simple model is used in two examples to predict blackening of film exposed to electromagnetic radiation. This blackening is measured by image analysis. Results show reasonable agreement between predictions of the model and blackening of film for the examples chosen. This model is proposed as an aid to quantification of electrophoresis gels.

Electronic bath approach to thermal effects in ion-surface scattering

McDowell’s 1985 electronic bath theory of charge transfer is used to investigate the effect of varying surface temperature on the process of ion scattering from a solid surface. As a specific example, the system of Na+ scattered from W is modeled. The neutralization probability is found to have a significant temperature dependence only if the ion orbital energy is fairly close (within 1 eV) to the Fermi level, at closest approach. As well, the temperature effect is greatest when the ion’s incident energy is small (on the order of a few eV).

Transmission of neutrons through non-periodic magnetic lattices

Abstract We consider the problem of comparing the suitability of various magnetic lattices for the spin polarization of neutrons. To do this, we use a discrete model to construct measures of transmission through one-dimensional lattices. We examine the model for non-periodic lattices that are generated from sequences and compare them with a periodic lattice. The periodic lattice gives rise to broader regions of spin polarization so that it should be easier to produce polarized beams, whereas the non-periodic sequences produce narrow regions more suitable for fine control. The most appropriate measure to illustrate these effects is seen to be that which simply measures the difference between spin+ and spin− transmission.

Orbital non-orthogonality in surface-state theory

The introduction of non-orthogonal atomic orbitals, into the tight-binding approximation, gives rise to the existence of overlap terms in electronic band-structure calculations. In contrast to the zero-overlap situation, it is helpful to employ a tensorial Green-function approach to access the surface density of states, and investigate the effects of overlap on its behaviour.

Surface states in electrochemisorption

Abstract The recursive Green function (RGF) method is used to obtain the surface and adatom RGFs for an electrified substate. The electrochemisorption (ECS) process is described, by invoking the Anderson–Newns (AN) model, whereby a self-consistent treatment of the ECS energy and charge transfer is provided. The role of the electric field, and the presence of surface states (SS), in governing magnetic and non-magnetic ECS is discussed in the case of H–Cr.