Encounter with disaster: a medical diary of Hiroshima, 1945. Condensed from the original publication, 1965

The effects of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 are described. Immediately after the bombing, Japanese civilian and military authorities mobilized an intense effort to provide help to the damaged cities and their inhabitants. At the same time, research was undertaken by the Japanese in an attempt to determine the nature of the effects of the bombs on the population. Some weeks later, the American armed services and the Manhattan District also organized an investigation of these effects. This memoir describes the early days of the American research effort, its integration with the Japanese program, and the development of a Joint Commission to study the effects of the bombing. After the first rapid survey, described in this paper, the effort was reorganized and continued under the sponsorship of the National Research Councils of America and Japan as the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission.     

50 years of radiation research: medicine

The advances brought about by research in radiation medicine over the past 50 years are presented. The era began with the atomic explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the establishment of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission to understand what damage was caused by exposure of a large population to radiation. A better understanding of the effects of whole-body exposure led to the development of whole-body radiation treatment techniques and to bone marrow transplantation in the treatment of leukemias. The field of diagnostic imaging was revolutionized by a series of inventions that included angiography, mammography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and ultrasound imaging. The field of nuclear medicine came of age through new man-made radionuclides and the invention of scanning and imaging techniques including positron emission tomography. Radiotherapy, a minor sideline of radiology, developed into radiation oncology, an extremely important component of modern cancer therapy. The advances in clinical radiotherapy were made possible by discoveries and inventions in physics and engineering and by insights and discoveries in radiobiology. The result of the last 50 years of progress is a very powerful set of clinical tools.     

Genetics behind barbed wire: Masuo Kodani, émigré geneticists, and wartime genetics research at Manzanar relocation center

This article explores the sociopolitical backdrop of genetics research during the politically turbulent decades of the mid-20th century that saw the persecution, displacement, and relocation of unpopular minorities in both the United States and Europe. It explores how geneticists in the United States accommodated these disruptions through formal and informal émigré networks and how the subsequent war affected their research programs and their lives. It does so by focusing on the career and life of geneticist Masuo Kodani, who, as a Japanese American, found himself conducting unexpected cytogenetics research in Manzanar, a "relocation center," or internment camp, located in the California desert, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After the war, Kodani's subsequent career continued to be shaped by his experiences as a Japanese American and by the specific skills as a cytogeneticist that he demonstrated at a critical period in the history of 20th-century genetics. His many relocations in search of employment culminated in his work with the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission on human chromosomes, for which he is best known.     

‘A Dispassionate and Objective Effort:’ Negotiating the First Study on the Biological Effects of Atomic Radiation

The National Academy of Science’s 1956 study on the Biological Effects of Atomic Radiation (BEAR) was designed to provide an objective analysis to assess conflicting statements by leading geneticists and by officials in the Atomic Energy Commission. Largely because of its status as a detached, non-governmental evaluation by eminent scientists, no studies have had a broader impact on the development of biological thinking in regard to nuclear policies. This paper demonstrates that despite the first BEAR study’s reputation as an objective and independent study, it was the product of careful negotiation between Academy scientists, the Atomic Energy Commission, and Britain’s Medical Research Council. This paper also reveals the fragility of the consensus that produced the Academy’s report, the range of political uses of the report, and the subsequent disaffection of the scientists who took part in it.     

The accumulation of 65Zn and other Radionuclides by Tubificid Worms

Tubificid worms did not accumulate radionuclides bound to sediments, but did accumulate dissolved radionuclides. The level of accumulation of dissolved ⁶⁵Zn by the worms was dependent upon temperature and concentration of the radionuclide. This paper is based on work performed under United States Atomic Energy Commission Contract AT(45-1)-1830. This paper is based on work performed under United States Atomic Energy Commission Contract AT(45-1)-1830.     

Cellulase Facilitated Squash Preparations of Vicia Faba Chromosomes for Quinacrine Fluorescent Staining

This paper is partially based on work performed under contract with the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission at The University of Rochester Atomic Energy Project and has bcen assigned Report No. UR-3490-238, and has also been partially supported by Grant USPHS GM0933.     

The European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics. Policy Statement No. 7.1: The roles,responsibilities and status of the medical physicist including the criteria for the staffing levels in a Medical Physics Department approved by EFOMP Council on 5th February 2016

This EFOMP Policy Statement is an amalgamation and an update of the EFOMP Policy Statements No. 2, 4 and 7. It presents guidelines for the roles, responsibilities and status of the medical physicist together with recommended minimum staffing levels. These recommendations take into account the ever-increasing demands for competence, patient safety, specialisation and cost effectiveness of modern healthcare services, the requirements of the European Union Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom laying down the basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, the European Commission’s Radiation Protection Report No. 174: “Guidelines on medical physics expert”, as well as the relevant publications of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The provided recommendations on minimum staffing levels are in very good agreement with those provided by both the European Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency.     

Soil-plant relationships of two steppe desert shrubs

Summary Greasewood and hopsage shrubs growing together on the same ground accumulated large amounts of sodium and potassium respectively. The decay of accumulated leaf litter beneath the canopy spread of these shrubs has altered the soil chemistry over about 20 per cent of the ground area. About 14 per cent of the surface soil area is being supplied with sodium and about 7 per cent of the area is being supplied with potassium. At the present time minerals are being supplied at a rate faster than they can be leached away.The location od shrubs needs to be considered when collecting soil samples for studies of effects of certain kinds of desert shrubs on chemical and physical properties of soil.This paper is based on work performed under United States Atomic Energy Commission Contract AT(45-1)-1830.     

Radiation dose dependences in the atomic bomb survivor cancer mortality data: a model-free visualization

Chomentowski, M., Kellerer, A. M. and Pierce, D. A. Radiation Dose Dependences in the Atomic Bomb Survivor Cancer Mortality Data: A Model-Free Visualization. The standard approach to obtaining nominal risk coefficients for radiation-related cancer involves fitting linear or linear-quadratic dose-response functions. This is usually complemented by a more direct visualization where the data are subdivided into distinct dose categories and the effect level is quantified for each of these categories. Such model-free computations, however, can be quite dependent on the arbitrary choice of the cutpoints in dose. The method proposed here largely avoids this arbitrariness by choosing a dose category width-constant on a log scale-to obtain the desired degree of smoothing, and then superimposing results for all placements of the resulting log-dose grids. The method is applied to leukemia and solid cancer mortality of the A-bomb survivors.     

Polycentric chromosomes induced by X-rays in giant cells of Chinese hamster in vitro

The induction of polycentric chromosomes by X-rays supports a previous interpretation that at least some giant cells are polyploid cells that result from the repetition of endomitosis.Work supported by U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.     

Hydrogen sulfide poisoning: review of 5 years' experience.

The workforce of Alberta, a province rich in fossil fuel, faces an increasing risk of exposure to hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Basic knowledge of the population exposed during the years 1969 to 1973 inclusive was accumulated to identify the immediate medical and management problems. Data were recorded from three sources of records: the Workers'' Compensation Board of Alberta, the Alberta Hospital Services Commission and the provincial coroner''s office. There were 221 cases of exposure to H2S. The overall mortality was 6%; 5% of victims were dead on arrival at hospital. Admission to hospital was required for 65% of the victims arriving at a hospital emergency room (78% of the 221). Acute problems were coma, dysequilibrium and respiratory insufficiency with pulmonary edema. Increased attention to cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the exposure site and during transportation to hospital is necessary to reduce the mortality from H2S exposure. No long-term adverse effects were apparent in the survivors.     

Gastrointestinal neuropeptides suppress human colonic lamina propria lymphocyte DNA synthesis.

Gastrointestinal neuropeptides have been shown to modulate the circulatory immune system, but their effect on the mucosal immune system is not well defined. We studied the effect of VIP, SOM, S-P and Bomb on thymidine incorporation into human colonic lamina propria lymphocyte (LPL) DNA. Physiologic concentrations of VIP, SOM, S-P and Bomb significantly suppressed thymidine incorporation into Con A-stimulated human LPL. These neuropeptides did not affect DNA synthesis when LPL were induced with phorbol ester (PDB) and calcium ionophore (ionomycin). Our data suggest that a) VIP, SOM, S-P, and Bomb may have a regulatory role in the human mucosal immune system, and b) Bomb should be added to the list of neuropeptides which affect the gut immune system.     

Experimental modification of structures at the periphery of the liver cell nucleus

Summary This paper deals with the morphological effects of various experimental treatments on structures at the periphery of isolated liver cell nuclei. The results demonstrate that the outer and inner nuclear membranes, the pore-annulus complex, the fibrous lamina, and the perinuclear chromatin layer are interconnected, and together constitute an integrated cortex surrounding the nucleus in these interphase cells. Treatment with Triton X100 removes both the outer and inner nuclear membranes.Work supported by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission.This work was started before the death of Dr. Wassermann on June 16, 1969; this paper is respectfully dedicated to his memory.     

Determinationsmosaike aus kombiniert implantierten Imaginalscheiben vonEphestia kühniella Zeller

Ohne ZusammenfassungOperated by Union Carbide Corporation for the United States Atomic Energy Commission.Appointment supported by the International Cooperation Administration under a program administered by the National Academy of Sciences of the United States.     

Tribute in memory of Jacques Breton (1942–2018)

Photosynthesis Research - Jacques Breton spent his 39 years of professional life at Saclay, a center of the French Atomic Energy Commission. He studied photosynthesis with various advanced...     

Cardiovascular disease risk among atomic bomb survivors exposed in utero, 1978-2003

Tatsukawa, Y., Nakashima, E., Yamada, M., Funamoto, S., Hida, A., Akahoshi, M., Sakata, R., Ross, N. P., Kasagi, F., Fujiwara, S. and Shore, R. E. Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Atomic Bomb Survivors Exposed In Utero, 1978-2003. Radiat. Res. 170, 269-274 (2008).Given the well-documented association of in utero radiation exposure with childhood cancer and developmental impairments, the possibility of effects on adult onset diseases is an important issue. The objectives of the present study were to examine the effects of atomic bomb radiation dose on the incidence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction and stroke) among survivors exposed in utero and to compare their risk estimates with those of survivors exposed in childhood (<10 years old) at the time of the bombing. A total of 506 participants exposed in utero and 1,053 participants exposed in childhood were followed during 1978-2003 with biennial clinical examinations. There were no significant radiation dose effects for any diseases in the entire in utero-exposed cohort or in trimester-of-exposure subgroups, though there was a suggestion of an increased risk when fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease cases were combined. Positive radiation dose effects were found for hypertension and cardiovascular disease in the childhood-exposure cohort, but there were no statistically significant differences in the relative risks when we compared the two cohorts. Since the in utero cohort was under age 60 at the latest examination, continued follow-up is needed to document cardiovascular disease risk more fully.     

Electron microscope observations of radiation-induced Hela giant cells

Summary An electron microscope study of X-ray produced giant Hela cells is described. The results extend earlier light microscope observations to the sub-microscopic region where clear differences from normal structures are apparent. Of particular interest are intra nuclear inclusions, nucleolar fragments, membrane abnormalities and possible mitochondrial changes.This investigation was supported in part by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission and in part by a predoctoral fellowship CF 8984 from the National Cancer Institute, Public Health Service.     

Tracing the politics of changing postwar research practices: the export of ‘American’ radioisotopes to European biologists

This paper examines the US Atomic Energy Commission’s radioisotope distribution program, established in 1946, which employed the uranium piles built for the wartime bomb project to produce specific radioisotopes for use in scientific investigation and medical therapy. As soon as the program was announced, requests from researchers began pouring into the Commission’s office. During the first year of the program alone over 1000 radioisotope shipments were sent out. The numerous requests that came from scientists outside the United States, however, sparked a political debate about whether the Commission should or even could export radioisotopes. This controversy manifested the tension between the aims of the Marshall Plan and growing US national security concerns after World War II. Proponents of international circulation of radioisotopes emphasized the political and scientific value of collaborating with European scientists, especially biomedical researchers. In the end, radioisotopes were shipped from the Commission’s Oak Ridge facility to many laboratories in England and continental Europe, where they were used in biochemical research on animals, plants, and microbes. However, the issue of radioisotope export continued to draw political fire in the United States, even after the establishment of national atomic energy facilities elsewhere.     

Early experience and parent-of-origin-specific effects influence female reproductive success in mice

Recent studies on mammals investigating parent-of-origin-specific effects such as genomic imprinting and maternal effects have demonstrated their impact on short-term measures of fitness, for example offspring growth. However, the long-term fitness consequences of parent-of-origin-specific effects and their role outside the immediate mother-offspring interaction remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that female mice mated to males that inherited the same set of paternal and maternal genes as themselves have a higher reproductive success than females mated to males of reciprocal genotype. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the early social environment experienced by an individual influences its reproductive success. Females raised with unrelated siblings in a mixed litter had a subsequent lower reproductive success than those that were fostered together with all their biological siblings in unmixed litters. Our results highlight the important influence of parent-of-origin-specific effects and conditions in early development on long-term reproductive success in mammals and suggest that parent-of-origin-specific effects may provide the underlying mechanism for beneficial coadaptation between genotypes, for example, in mate choice.     

A selective isolation technique for determining Chaetomium in soil

Summary It was shown that Chaetomium was isolated from four types of soil; Cinebar, Ephrata, Milville, and quartz sand, more frequently when using alcohol agar as the growth medium than it (Chaetomium) was isolated from these soils when using either Czepak's-Dox agar or peptone-dextrose agar plus rose bengal and streptomycin. This isolation method proved to be one which permits identification of the Chaetomium species without further culturing.This paper is based on work performed under United States Atomic Energy Commission Contract AT (45-1)-1830.