Memo to Herman M. Roth, Subject: Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine - Oak Ridge Meeting, May 5-7, 1955

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STANUARD FORM Ho. 6.1 : Herman Yo Roth, Director, Research andTO The spring 1955 heeting of the Advisory Committee f o r Biology and YediciPb represented the first opportunity f o r this group to formally review biomedical work in Oak Ridge in f i v e years. were present including representatives from the Vashington Office as All m&nbers of t h e Committee Advisory Committee on Biology and Medicine Dr. G. Fail la, Columbia University Medical School, Columbia University, N.Y. Dr. Edward A. Doisy, S t . b u i s University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo. Dr.Curt Stern, University of Calif. Berkeley, Calif. Dr. Shields Warren, New England Deaconess Hospital, Boston, &as. Dr. S. T. Cantril, mor Institute of Swedish Hospital, Seattle, Wash. John C. Bugher, Director, Division of Biology and Medicine Charles L. Dunham, Deputy Director, Division of Biology and Medicine Paul B. Pearson, Chief, Biology Branch, Division o f Biology and bkdicine H. A. Stmwood, Chief, Program Analysis Branch, Division of Biology and Me N. Sa Hall, Biologist, Division of Biology and Medicine Dr. E. C. Stakman, University of Minn., Minneapolis, Minn., Consultant The Committee members (with the exception of Dr. Stern who arrived in the Mr. Sapi rie presented a description of the production, constmotion, engineering, and research and developm bil i ties of Oak Ridge Operations. review and welcoming remarks, the meet representatives met atthe UT-AEC laboratory building.

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feels its interests are closely allied Kith programs of both the Commission and the University; (b)[they seek and appreciate guidance from the Washington Office; (c) believe i n professional honesty and feel this will be exemplified their forthcoming progress report a He further stated that the University desires that the Universitz of Tennessee-AB2 Program develop along lines that the functions of the UT-AEC Program are t o accomplish research objectives within Commission and University interests,touse the external radiation field most effectively and t o encourage cooperative efforts with the various departments of t h e University, with other inqitdtutions and e and t o provide objectives for training of graduate students. presented the UT-AEC organization chart on the blackboard 3we noted the omission of an affiliation with OR0in the diagram shown. efforts are underway t o reduce farm costs to the Commission, tht whereas net FY 1954 farm costs were near $60,000, the FY 1956 net farm costs would be $28,500. It was indicated t h a t UT is supplying support t o the program inthe amount of about $4O,OOO, leaving us ata loss to fully account for t h i s estimate since personnel support supplled to the program by the University i s indicated by tbem to be $24,000. We do not know whether they regard the additional $15,500 as representing the value of Universityowned cattle supplied t o the UT-AEC herd or their estirnate'of absorbed University overhead costs.. Patrick, stated the current budget forms 189 represent a cooperative effort Of the UT-AEC staff approved by the University i n Knoxville and that the plan of research follows proposals made a t the time of our review meeting i n Washington on January 27, 1955. by the effoLs of the new Acting Laboratory Director and m i l l be seen i n er he nt stations, It was stated The Acting Laboratorg Director, Dr. Homer The program presentation followed. 1. Homer Patrick - Fission Product Metabolism. Froject 2. This work has included studies on the deposition of Strontium-89 i n bone, and Ca-Sr exchange, particularly in relation to the protein intake of experimental animals. laboratory animals and chicks t o examine %be deposition of several chemical forms of fa as they become bound i n the liver, spleen and bone. work i n progress on the determination of the endogenous calcium metabolism of the steer with Cab5 indicates the proportion of Ca absorbed and retained in the bone and the proportional amounts believed unabsorbed inthe (3.1. tractor absorbed and excreted. Studies are underway also on the effects of age and dietary protein Studies of La1lro have been started on

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on the calcium and phosphorus absorption i n rats. some studies were being made of Vitamin D but this appears t o have little influence if the available calcium and phosphorus is at the normal intake levels. It i s planned that phosphorus availability studies will be made on sheep and swine and will include isotopic It was stated that AttemDts are made t o evaluate the effects of total body irradiation from io0 t o 400 r. on reproductive functions of t h e male. will be made for the minimum level of radiation exposure that produces changes i n the sperm and sperm counts i n cattle. may be found at some dose level lower than that producing visible effects on sperm morphology. It is thought effects F. W. Lengeman - Iodine Elimination i n Milk. Project 7. Work on milk secretion using mainly IIJA was described. It i s believed that4to 7% of the Xodine dose goes tothe milk.no matter how the dose in butter fat. It was interesting that goats do not eliminate th2I13l dose exponentially as do cattle and sheep. Some aspects of the large animal external radiation studies were covered briefly, and it was pointed out that the need for the project has outlasted the original objectives. Using burros, lethal dose studies have been accomplished at different energies of gamma irradiation and these have emphasized the energy dependency in radiation effects. Recent studies on swine using zirconium-niobium sources and a dose rate of 2 r/hr indicated resistance to radiation effects since to date the swine have shown no radiation sydrome following a total of 600 re The iodine appears t o be free iodine and does not seem About 1/10 of 1% of 1131 present i n the milk will remain College of Agriculture people were called on t o describe some of the work the University wants t o do on beef cattle breeding in the control herd at UT-AEC. They plan on line evaluation, feeding tests, and detection of potential dwarfism from X-ray photos of vertebrae. feeding and expanded use of the exposure..fidd are +luded i n 'their projects. Stil best r ol Dr. George K. Schweitzer, who serves a s part-time radiochemist, briefly discussed radiological physics work and indicated UT-UC regards this phase as a service duty to the program. We believe this at bit ude is a serious

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error in that the radiological physics and radiochemistry portion of the program i s basic tothe effectiveness and quality of accomplishents in the laboratory. However, a new radiochemist will join UT-AEC this month and it i s hoped that this phase of the work will be improved. Dr. Paul B. Pearson referred t o the use o f the exposure field by the hut hern agricultural Stations. He and Dr. Singleton of Brookhaven ’ atbended the recent i n New Orleans where S hg let on spoke on agricultural uses o f external radiation. Pearson expects the UT-AEC field and possibly the Oak Ridge graphite reactor can be used for plant and seed exposures a t no cost to the stations. However, this would be under a plan providing for the several stations doing their om planting and follow-up studies -.under their own individual state support. meeting of the southern experiment station directors Atthe conclusion of the program presentation, Dean J. H. McLeod requested a closed session with the Committee and Commission representatives. asked for a criticism of the program. This request was met by expressi*s that the people presenting the program appear y thus i a stic, that there is general approval for their entering into some amount of plant mr k with the exposure field, and that full advantage might be taken for cooperation with other southern institutions. unique and the advantages o f the field should not be overlooked;’ One criticism was voiced regarding the size of the UT-AEC technical advisory committee in that too large a committee with too much emphasis might tend to stifle free investigation. and that the radiation field is ?t h e only large-animal facility we have, I The Dean noted that Dr. Patrick, as acting laboratory director, had been i n charge for eight months, and asked the opinion of the Committee regarding his designation as Director. attention that nearly all those present had but short acquaintance with Dr. Patrick and the current developments inthe program, and no action would be appropriate on this question a t this time. the proceedings it was pointed out thata decision regarding a permanent director should be based on experience of the man and the local and regional leadership he could demonstrate and that a director for the UTAEC Program should be of such stature that he could meet other leading scientists and OR0 laboratory dire cbr s on a n equal basis of leadership the visitors could have time t o visit the exposure field. FRIDAY, MAY 6, GRINS MEDICAL DIVISION, 9800 A.M. It was called to the Dean’s A t this stage in A t about this point the meeting adjourned i n order that The Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, Medical d vision, covered the following projects in their program on the morning af May 6:

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Gould A. Andrews - Clinical Colloid Studies. Reported on recant phosphate and A1198 with two less familiar ones,Y90-91 given as chlorides along with stable carrier but which behave as %he metabolism and distribution of many rare earths, The metabolism and distribution patterns of carrier free rare earths have also been followed. Carriers fmm other members of the rare earth family have been added and it has been found that the metabolism and distribution 'Balph Kniseley, Thyroid Pathology. iodine administration, the blood levels of iodine-131, and the his to logical picture in tm oid recovery, were described. atterns do not change except i n minor detail, but advantages are from Excretion patterns folhuring C. Lo Comar, Low Level Counting. present work on Iodine-131 determinations in cattle and human thyroids, and on milk and bone, t h e measurements of 5 x 1 0 - 5 ~ ~ .Milk values are l e s s than 5 x A brief di script ion was given of eing at a sensitivity Marshall Brucer, Thyroid Uptake Calibration Program. Studies were presented of the mock-iodine spectnua, the plans for evaluation of calibrations, and the proposed presentation for Geneva. Vincent Collins, Teletherapy Evaluation Board. Dr. Collins of the 'Baylor University School of Medicine, presended the main aspects o f the TEB program. A question was raised as to the TEB evaluation of survival, and it was stated consideration of this information would be apart of lung carcinoma studies and some of the bone work. the conclusion of the ORINS Medical Division review, the visitors were taken t o the Oak Ridge National Laboratory fora luncheon provided by Carbide a t t h e 1-10 Cafeteria. The afternoon session covered Program FBIDAY AFTERNCXIN, MAY 6 - BUILDING 4500, 0A.K RITXE NBTIONAL WR A TORY 1. K. 2. Morgan, Director, Health Physics Division. The main areas of research i n Health Physics were presented, together w%th a resume' of efforts toward securing additional data relating to calculations for the maximal permissible concentration for various radioelements, a main problem being interpretation of single dose data i n terms of

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normal base-line of trace elements i n the human for boron, cesium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper and strontium. the cooperative study with the Massachusetts General Hospital, continues t o 'supply data bearing on the Y-12 model for uranium i n blood, bone, kidney and urine. nature of the work in progress, giving -edit t o ORNL for its in it i at i ob ORNL continues t o seek further information on the Dr.Fail la remarked upon the unique Stanley Auerbach, Ecological Consideration of Soil Organisms. Bt t emts are t o be made on identification of radiation effects on orgaksms of the forest floor e tive of a habitat niche, a t dose range of 1~,000-1,000,000r. and it i s found the range of atleast 50,000 r. i s required to ta use depletion of key organisms. Currently studies are being made Conrad Straub (USPHS) - Soil Absorption of Specific Isotopes. Saturation and migration capacities of varlous soils are und& study. Evaluatio; is being-made of clays and other materials for pit liners, and studies on pit models include entrainment tests and consideration of possibilities for air-borne escape mental and theoretical.physics consideration of stopping power and threshold detectors. It was noted that Hurst ts work has comprised an important contribution tothe development and. application of new methods of dosimetry, and from t h i s has come more accurate measurements that have improv d interpretation of recent data, especially the dreenhouse information from the lead hemispheres. Research i n dosimetrg includes both experiB e fast neutron dosimeter was described and the S-U-Np-Pu I n concluding t h e Health pfiysics phase of the program, Birkoff and Snyder reported briefly on work i n progress regarding ionization and stopping power i n various media, and securing of depth dose curves f o r media containingtissue elements. reported on the Radiological Physics Fellowships, noting t h a t of the 101 who have completed the program, 62% arein H.P. work, and 20% are i n graduate schools o r are extension fellows. demands for people with this training are anticipated. R. F. Kimball. Cytogenetics. Reporting on the general cytogenetics phase of work a t the Biology Division, ORNL, Kimball covered briefly the main outlines of studies on Paramecium, Tradescantia and Vicia,

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Waldo E. Cohn. Biochemistry. The sequence of work on nucleic a c i d and m cleo tide identification h heterogeneity and function, and relation - ship with coenzymes and DNA, ENA, was described. enzyme-substrate complex studies and synthesis of protective compounds was described briefly, together Kith Totter ls work on labelled precursors such a s glycine, leucine and formate, and Arnoldls studies oisy, who had a two-day visit previous --hW he so enjoyed talking with ORNL of plant bioluminescence. to the current meeting, remarked biochemists that he felt he could sit down and talk with them for another full day with pleasure because of the quality of the mrk Stanley F. Carson. Microbial Metabolism and Plant Biochemistry. Carson briefly covered the work of his own group dealing wxth incorporation of carbon compounds and their intermediates i n microbial metabolism, and also %he work under To l bert fs program in plant biochemistry, emphasizing the seven-carbon +gar studies, metabolism of glycolic acid and the side reactions that may give rise to glycine and serine, the energy-transfer systems under study, especially the identification and isolation of the flav o protein ion-exchange across the red cell,isolation of cell components and the General Physiology and Biophysics.Membrane permeability, separation-of nuclei, mitochondria and microsomes by Anderson, were described, particularly with bearing on the recovery program, …