Experiments with fruit flies uncovered previously unsuspected interactions of various proteins as the muscles stretch and contract. The research suggests a model for how these powerful biological motors turn “on” and “off” during the wingbeat.

Jan. 31, 2005 -- Some of this week's stories:

APS X-rays probe secrets of insect flight

By Catherine Foster

Watching flies fly may not seem like high-tech science, but for researchers using the Western Hemisphere's most brilliant X-rays, located at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source, it not only helps explain how insects fly but also may someday aid in understanding human heart function.

The researchers, from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Caltech, and the University of Vermont, merged two distinct technologies, intense X-ray beams and electronic flight simulators, to study how insect muscles are capable of generating such extraordinary levels of power. The results were published Jan. 20 in the British journal Nature .

Lead researcher Tom Irving of IIT said that the research has widespread implications. "Flying insects are among the most successful species in the animal kingdom. The ways in which the wing muscles in these insects generate enough power for flight is not completely understood. Insect muscles differ from animal muscles in that they do not need a nerve impulse for every contraction but instead are activated by stretch. The means by which these `stretch-activated muscles' are turned on and off at high speed (one wing beat takes 5/1000th of a second) has been a mystery."

The team used extremely bright beams of X-rays at the BioCAT facility, an NIH-supported research center developed by IIT, at the APS and a "virtual-reality flight simulator" for flies, designed by Michael Dickinson of Caltech, to probe to the muscles in a flying fruit fly.

The intense X-rays are necessary to resolve the changes in the crystal-like configuration of molecules responsible for generating the rapid contractions of the muscle with a resolution of 6/10,0000th of a second. The flight simulator, which fools a tethered fly into "thinking" it is flying freely through the air, is necessary to produce a stable pattern of wing motion and enabled the researchers to capture X-ray images at different stages of muscle contraction.

By combining the technologies, the researchers could reconstruct a "movie" of the molecular changes in the powerful muscles as they lengthen and shorten to drive the wings back and forth 200 times each second.

These experiments uncovered previously unsuspected interactions of various proteins as the muscles stretch and contract that suggest a model for how these powerful biological motors turn "on" and "off" during the wingbeat. Irving said, "We are now in a position to relate muscle power output to changes in molecular structure, which helps us understand how insects generate enough power to support flight."

David Maughan of the University of Vermont and Dickinson note the fact that these experiments are performed on tiny, genetically malleable fruit flies raises the possibility of addressing much more specific questions concerning the roles of various protein components in muscle function using mutant or genetically-engineered flies.

The authors note that the many similarities between insect muscle and other oscillatory muscles, including human cardiac muscle, mean that the research may be adaptable for other uses.

"The data collected in these experiments," Irving said, "suggest new ways to study cardiac muscle that may allow us to explain how changes in its molecular machinery determine heart muscle performance. The fact that flight muscles are genetically mutable by the investigators raise the possibility they could serve as useful models of inherited human heart disease."

Collaborators on the research, in addition to Dickinson and Maughan, are Gerrie Farman, Tanya Bekyarova and David Gore of IIT, and Mark Frye of Caltech.

Omega opens travel service for Argonne

By David A. Barry

Omega World Travel, the fifth-largest corporate travel agency in the United States, assumed the role of travel services provider Jan. 10 after winning a competitive bidding process.

With the changeover, Argonne joins other national labs like Fermilab, Brookhaven and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the fold of Omega clients.

Travel Services Manager Rich Crowley said the most noticeable change for travelers and arrangers will be "improved quality and consistency of travel assistance."

For example, employees facing cancelled flights will be able to contact Omega's 24-hour service center in Milwaukee for rebooking. Judy Slotkin, client services manager for Omega, said Omega's hotline is a fast alternative for stranded passengers, who would otherwise have to wait in long lines at an airline service counter for rebooking.

A year ago Argonne also adopted a new online service, "Get There," that can be used by employees booking domestic travel. Crowley said the service is now used by 44 percent of travelers.

Ellingson honored for many contributions to NASA

By Donna Jones Pelkie

Bill Ellingson (ET) has been honored by NASA for his work on ceramic composite components.

Ellingson and colleagues from the Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory were the recipients of NASA's Turning Goals into Reality Award. The award celebrates the year's most significant accomplishments that add to the NASA legacy and honors recipients for their contributions to the advancement of aviation and space technology.

Ellingson was part of the Coated Ceramic Matrix Composite Components Team. The group was honored for its work on nondestructive evaluation development for ceramic components.

The award recognizes a large scope of work that began with funding from NASA for technology development related to propulsion engines and then continued with DOE funding for application of the technology to gas turbine engines.

Ellingson and his colleagues have developed non-destructive inspection methods and protocols for ceramic engine components. These inspections, called health or condition monitoring, can help determine if these expensive components are still functioning properly or if they need to be repaired or replaced. "It's really no different than you or I going in for an annual check-up," explained Ellingson.

Researchers developed three types of inspection methods. The first is based on infrared imaging. "We've written all our own software," said Ellingson. The second method is non-contact, air-coupled ultrasound. "This is important," said Ellingson, "because it is unacceptable to contaminate these components with water or gel." The third method is X-ray CAT scans. Ellingson and his colleagues have developed their own machine with very high spatial resolution.

The protocol for using these methods is to first run the thermal imaging test, which is the fastest, and then the ultrasound. If the results agree, no further testing is necessary. However, if there is any disagreement in the test results, the CAT scan is run.

Comparing the results of all three tests helps to avoid rejecting a part that isn't actually damaged. "We can't afford to have false positives," said Ellingson. "These components can cost $100,000 per part."

This is not the first award Ellingson has received for this project. It was also recognized in 2001 with a Research Partnership Award from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Lab hosts Society Of Black Physics Students

By Evelyn Brown

In honor of both Black History Month and the World Year of Physics, Argonne will host the National Society of Black Physics Students Conference Feb. 3-5.

This is the first time that the conference will be held at a Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory. The 300 undergraduate and graduate students attending will learn about the national laboratory system and research programs available to them. The University of Chicago is co-hosting the event.

Speakers will include:

Leon Lederman, the winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics,

Ray Orbach, director of DOE's Office of Science,

Walter Massey, president of Morehouse College and a former director of Argonne and the National Science Foundation,

Bill Magwood, head of DOE's nuclear energy program, and

Hermann Grunder, Argonne director.

"We are glad to be hosting this conference," said Division of Educational Programs Director Harold Myron, "because it is our mission to train the next generation of scientists."

Argonne's Division of Educational Programs (DEP) is the largest in the DOE system and ranges from traditional internships to teacher training. It serves students and faculty from kindergarten through post-doctoral research.

Ensemble to perform at Argonne-East Feb. 12

The Netherlands Wind Ensemble will perform at Argonne-East's Building 402 Conference Center Saturday, Feb. 12, at 8 p.m.

The ensemble will perform compositions by Haydn and Mozart. The Netherlands Wind Ensemble currently comprises members from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Rotterdam philharmonic, the radio orchestras and the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague.

The concert is open to the public. Visitors who are U.S. citizens need photo identification to enter the site and should call to register before the concert. Non-U.S. citizens must register before the event by calling (630) 252-3751 during business hours.

Sponsored by Arts at Argonne, the program is partially supported by the University of Chicago and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Admission is $25. To order tickets, call ext. 2-3751. Remaining tickets will be available the week of Feb. 7 in the Building 213 Cafeteria between noon and 1 p.m.

Arts at Argonne will hold two more concerts in the 2004 - 2005 Chamber Music series:

Zehetmair String Quartet on Sunday, March 13

Roland Glassl, viola; Peter Henderson, piano, will perform on Saturday, April 30

Diabetes, heart check offered

Heart and diabetes screenings will be held Wednesday, Feb. 2, in Argonne-East's Building 213 Cafeteria, Dining Rooms A and B.

The cost is $5; checks should be made payable to Preventures. The screen includes a complete lipid profile, fasting glucose, blood pressure check and weight measurement.

For more information or to register, contact the Medical Department at ext. 2-2800.

Year of Rooster party is set

The Chinese Association at Argonne will celebrate the Year of the Rooster Wednesday, Feb. 9, at lunchtime in the Building 213 Cafeteria. Special Asian-themed cuisine will be available for lunch, and the Association will provide Chinese decorations and cultural displays.

The date marks the new year on the Chinese calendar, which is based on the movement of the sun, moon and stars.

Guest House hosts Mardi Gras party

The Argonne Guest House will host a Mardi Gras celebration Monday, Feb. 7, and Tuesday, Feb. 8, with a special menu for lunch and dinner.

For more information, contact the Guest House at 739-6000.

Fidelity Investments offers Turbo Tax discount

Fidelity Investments is again making Turbo Tax available for completing 2004 federal and state tax returns through its Web site. Users can prepare and file their federal income taxes online and save 50 percent on TurboTax. It is not necessary to be a Fidelity participant to take advantage of this offer.

To learn more, visit Fidelity's Web site, or contact Fidelity Investments at 1-800-343-0860.

Service Awards

December service awards include:

40 Years

Arvydas P. Paulikas (MSD), David Otto Pushis (ET).

35 Years

Bruce G. Nardi (PHY), Julius White (PFS).

30 Years

Omesh K. Chopra (ET), Nancy L. Griparis (HR), James D. Jorgensen (MSD), Thomas D. Kaun (CMT).

25 Years

Pamela A. Dalman (APS), Mary Lynn Alder Hodshire (PFS), Nestor J. Zaluzec (MSD).

20 Years

Jacqueline M. Copple (CMT), Michael A. Lazaro (EA), J. Cordell Sikarskie (NPS).

15 Years

Terry M. Allocco (PFS), John P. Hammonds (IPNS), Patricia R. Herman (OCF), Dino J. Marconi (OCF), Amy E. Powell (ENT), Edward C. Theres (ASD), Sandra L. Tummillo (ASD), Bruce T. Verhaaren (EA), Ju Wang (ASD), Tammy Wren (PFS).

10 Years

Simine M. Short (MSD), Linda P. Washington (DEP).

5 Years

Randy Brown (PFS), Charlie Catlett (MCS), John E. Dench, Jr. (ASD), Joseph A. Insley (MCS), Bret D. Martin (NPS), Lisa Ann Payne (EA), Edward G. Polzin (CMT), Edward M. Rank (PFS), Lynn M. Terrell (PFS), Jianhua Zhang (EQO).

HR classes

To enroll, contact a Training Management System representative. A class enrollment form is also available online. Call Betty Iwan (HR) at ext. 2-3410 for more information.

"Survival Skills Workshop: Building Visibility for Post-Docs at Argonne and Beyond" (HR374) — Wednesday, Feb. 9, 1:30 - 3 p.m., Building 401, Conference Room E1100. Students will learn to how to take advantage of news outlets and other media to gain visibility for your work.

"Fitness for Duty" (HR226) — Thursday, Feb. 17, 1 - 5 p.m., Building 212, Conference Room A157. Supervisors are responsible for referring an employee to the Medical Department if there is a concern for that employee's fitness for duty.

"Project Management" (HR372) — Tuesday, Feb. 22, Tuesday, March 1 and Tuesday, March 8, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Building 401, Conference Room E1100. Students will learn the project life cycle from inception to project planning, implementation, monitoring and control to completion.

"Presentation Skills" (HR284) — Wednesday, March 16, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Building 201, Conference Room 190. Students will learn to increase their effectiveness and confidence as a presenter.

Childbearing lecture set

"The ChildbearingYears," a two-part lecture series, will begin at noon Wednesday, Feb. 2. Part two will begin at noon Tuesday, Feb. 8. Both lectures will be held in Argonne-East's Building 213 Cafeteria.

Both series are free and require at least 20 participants for the event to proceed.

For more information or to register, contact the Medical Department at ext. 2-2800.

Weight Watchers organizational meeting is free

A free Weight Watchers organizational meeting will be held Wednesday, Feb. 9, in Argonne-East's Building 200, Room J183, starting at 11:30 a.m. Participants will learn how to lose weight while they work. There is no registration fee for the program, and a three-part payment is available. For more information, call Roslyn Kiwior (HR-MD) at ext. 2-2803.

Yoga classes begin Feb. 15

Three, eight-week yoga sessions will begin Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Session one will begin at 11:30 a.m. with instructor Nancy Little. Session two will begin at 12:30 p.m. with instructor Mary Kay Holmes, and session three will start at 5:15 p.m. with instructor Sandra Bianco. All sessions will take place in Building 212, Conference Room A157. Cost is $48; checks should be made payable to the instructor. Registration deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 9.

For more information or to register, contact the Medical Department at ext. 2-2800.

Employees fill donation boxes for tsunami aid

By David A. Barry

Argonne employees donated more than $4,300 through Argonne Combined Appeal (ACA) to support ongoing tsunami relief efforts by Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat, an organization dedicated to building affordable housing around the world, has affiliates in six of the countries affected by the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that struck on Dec. 26 last year.

Kathy Whitney (HR), 2005 ACA co-chair, said, "Habitat was selected from the field of tsunami relief agencies because its rebuilding effort will have a long-term impact in the affected areas." According to a report issued last week, Habitat's immediate goal is to move homeless families out of dangerous, disease-filled emergency camps and into transitional housing that can be constructed rapidly and at low cost. Over time Habitat will work with the families to expand their temporary homes into more permanent structures.

Whitney said the "real champions" of the ACA tsunami relief campaign were Evelyn Brown (CPA), 2004 ACA Co-Chair Cheryl Drugan (IPD) and the employees who volunteered to collect contributions.

Brown, who initiated the ACA tsunami relief campaign, said part of ACA's mission is to "come through in times of trouble, to provide Argonne employees the opportunity to give money as a group." Similar ACA fundraising efforts have followed other disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and the Sept. 11 attacks.

The $4,300 was collected in four donation boxes set up around the lab by volunteers from ACA including James Abdullah (BIO), Patti Camelli (ASD), Martin Castro (NE), Fran Coose (XFD), Deana Kinzler (OCF), John Oras (ET), Sheila Rossi (BIO), Bryan Schmidt (IPD), Cindy Sullivan (HR), and Penny Wills (DIS).

Wagh's new book glues together ceramics story

By David A Barry

Scientists in the field of chemically bonded ceramics, particularly phosphate ceramics, now have a single resource that encompasses the basic science, attributes and applications of these useful materials. "Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramics," a research monograph by Arun Wagh (ET), summarizes the wide-ranging body of research on these ceramics. Much of the research was conducted at Argonne and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Wagh explained that chemically bonded phosphate ceramics (CBPCs) are formed by chemical reactions, whereas other ceramics are formed by sintering at temperatures between 700 and 2,000 degrees C.

The research for the book began 12 years ago when materials researchers at Argonne seized upon CBPCs as a potential material for encapsulating and stabilizing radioactive waste. They developed a ceramic called Ceramicrete, which was recognized by an R&D 100 award as one of the 100 most technologically significant products in 1996. The material won another R&D 100 award in 2004 for its use in low-cost housing.

Previously, the use of these ceramics had been confined to dental cements. Now their potential is being explored in diverse applications, including oil well cements, waste-containment materials and inexpensive, spray-on housing materials.

The book, which is published by Elsevier, includes forewords by Rustum Roy, an eminent scientist and professor from Pennsylvania University, and Boris Myasoedov, Deputy Secretary General for Science at the Russian Academy of Science. Wagh's Russian colleagues have proposed a Russian translation of the book.

Wagh said his book, by shaping the scattered research on CBPCs into a cohesive narrative, will help establish these ceramics as an important research subject worldwide.

When asked where future research might lead, Wagh made a sweeping gesture across the periodic table. "You can look all over [for new kinds of CBPCs]" he said, implying that his book is by no means the end of the story.

Symposium, banquet to honor Teng

A retirement celebration for Lee C. Teng (ASD) will be held Thursday, Feb. 24. During his 57-year career, Teng made many significant contributions to the field of accelerator physics. Registration is at 2:30 p.m. in the 402 Atrium. The events will begin with a symposium at 3 p.m. in the 402 auditorium and end with a reception and banquet at 5:30 p.m. in the Argonne Guest House.

The banquet cost is $43 per person. Registration forms and speaker information are available online. Those who cannot attend may send their best wishes to Teng via a special e-mail address set up for the occasion: messages-Teng@aps.anl.gov.

Lubrication education program planned

The Chicago Section of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers will hold a two-day lubrication education program March 16-17 at Argonne-East.

A broad range of topics will be covered including lubrication fundamentals, metalworking, industrial and transportation lubricants, along with specific talks on nanotribology, lubricants based on vegetable oil and mycobacteria in metalworking fluids. The agenda was designed for those new to the lubrication field and more experienced sales, marketing and technical personnel. Speakers are industry and research leaders.

Program details and registration information are online.

Questions about Social Security can be answered

A representative from Social Security will be available in Argonne's Human Resources office in Building 201 from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Feb. 16.

The representative can take applications for replacement Social Security cards, corrected cards due to name change or lost or stolen cards. The representative can also help with earnings posting problems or answer general questions related to Social Security.

To schedule a meeting, call the Human Resources Benefits Department at ext. 2-2989.

Interest Rates

Staff and non-staff retirement plan interest rates effective Jan. 1 are:

Vendor	Rate	Contributions From	Through
TIAA Traditional	4.50%	01/01/05 - 01/31/05	02/28/05
TIAA Supplemental	3.25%	01/01/05 - 01/31/05	02/28/05
Prudential Guaranteed (Plans 5017 & 4245)	4.79%	07/01/04 - 06/30/05	06/30/05
Prudential Guaranteed (Plan 7680)	3.00%	01/01/05 - 03/31/05	12/31/06
Prudential Guaranteed (Plan 4643)	3.00%	01/01/05 - 03/31/05	12/31/06
Lincoln National (Old Account)*	3.50%	N/A	03/31/05
Lincoln National (No Load)*	4.00%	N/A	03/31/05
(* No longer excepting contributions)

New system safely processes corrosive waste

A new Aqueous Mixed Waste Treatment System (AMWTS) is now fully operational at Argonne-East and capable of treating corrosive aqueous radioactive liquid wastes that contain hazardous metals.

A cooperative effort of Plant Facilities and Services-Waste Management Operations, the Nuclear Engineering Division and Computing and Instrumentation Solutions, the system in Argonne-East's Building 306 allows for the treatment of mixed waste prior to final disposal at a DOE or commercial radioactive waste disposal facility.

The treatment process focuses on neutralizing the corrosive mixed waste and precipitating out the toxic metals. This allows the waste to be stabilized in a concrete-like matrix at another treatment unit.

The treatment process includes neutralization to remove the waste's corrosive properties, reducing hexavalent chromium (a carcinogen) to the less-hazardous trivalent form, and precipitation to convert the toxic metals to an insoluble form. Once the toxic metals are precipitated, the resultant sludge can be stabilized and reclassified as a low-level waste if the quantity of leachable toxic metals is below limits set by the Resource Recovery and Conservation Act.

The original aqueous corrosives treatment system could handle about 15-20 gallons per batch. The new larger-scale AMWTS system allows for the treatment of batches up to 75 gallons, reducing costs by 40-60 percent. Now that the AMWTS is up and running, PFS-WMO plans to treat the entire remaining inventory of this waste stream before the end of fiscal year 2005, saving the laboratory up to $60,000. Newly - generated wastes will be treated when batch quantities are available to maximize the system's efficiency.

Employees who helped develop this process were Devin Hodge (PFS-WMO), Donald Preuss (NED) and Kenneth Belcher (APS, formerly CIS).

MetLife representative visits ANL-E

A representative from MetLife Auto and Home will visit Argonne-East Tuesday, Feb. 15, to meet with individual employees for insurance comparisons and quotes for the "METPAY" group automobile and homeowners insurance program.

To schedule an appointment, call Craig Riddick at (630) 810-0346, ext. 143. Employees can also receive a quote over the phone at 1-800-438-6388.

Scientists wanted to review student projects

Scientists are needed to review and coach, via videoconference, music projects by students at Chicago's Walter Payton High School.

The informal broadcasts will originate from the Division of Educational Programs in Argonne-East's Building 223. No preparation is required.

Two or more scientist teams are needed to coach juniors who are designing musical instruments based on physics principles. There will be four, 85-minute sessions, with six instrument projects per session.  Sessions will be held Tuesday, Feb. 1, from 10 - 11:30 a.m., and on Wednesday, Feb. 2, from 7:55 - 9:40 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., and from  1:15 - 2:55 p.m. No followup conferences are planned.

For more information, contact Lou Harnisch at ext. 2-6925 or lharnisch@dep.anl.gov.

Retirement vendors to visit ANL-E

Argonne's retirement vendors will send representatives to Argonne-East to meet individually with employees to answer questions about retirement plans and retirement plan assets. To schedule an appointment, call the number listed.

Fidelity — Tuesday, Feb. 8, Tuesday, Feb. 22. Call the appointment desk at (800) 642-7131.

TIAA-CREF — Thursday, Feb. 3, and Friday, Feb. 4. Contact the appointment desk at (800) 842-2005 or www.tiaa-cref/moc.

Prudential — Wednesday, Feb. 2, and Wednesday, Feb. 16. Call Cheryl at (630) 285-8876 (Mornings only).