[en] An improved seal for use in the handling equipment of liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactors for transferring contaminated reactor components, is described. (U.K.)

No abstract available

[en] An approximate evaluation is made of the ELF/VLF dipole moment of the polar electrojet antenna established by ionospheric heating via the use of powerful HF waves amplitude modulated with frequencies in the ELF/VLF range. The theory of reciprocity is used to determine the magnitude of the ELF/VLF waveguide excitation produced by such a dipole immersed in the ionosphere. Propagation under a series of ionospheres ranging from quiet auroral nighttime to disturbed auroral daytime is considered. 32 references

[en] Direct comparisons have been made of the ionospheric ELF radiation produced by the new (1 GW ERP) and old (250 MW ERP) antennas of the Tromsoe heater system, but no significant differences in the ELF signal strength have been detected. This initially surprising result is shown to require a value of unity for the index relating the received ELF signal strength to HF power input to the antenna. A series of experiments performed solely to derive more accurate values for this power index provided values ranging from 0.74 to 0.97, dependent on the ELF frequencies generated. It has been suggested that ELF radiation from the normal Tromsoe heater facility should be limited by saturation effects, even when operating well below the maximum HF power density (3mW/m² in the D-region). No evidence for such saturation effects has been found even at power densities greater than 10mW/m²

[en] The effects of radiation and chemotherapy on gonadal function are relevant to the morbidity induced by such treatments. Cyclophosphamide given i.p. to rats on Day 30 of age delayed vaginal opening, prevented vaginal cyclicity, and caused a reduction in serum estradiol and progesterone. Antral follicular atresia increased in a dose-dependent fashion in response to cyclophosphamide (0 mg/kg, 53.5%; 1 mg/kg, 67.3%; 50 mg/kg, 65.7%; 100 mg/kg, 73.9%; 150 mg/kg, 92.2%). Despite such alterations in ovarian function, serum gonadotrophins did not rise. The concurrent administration of 0, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 Gy of radiation to the exteriorized ovaries in rats receiving 50 mg/kg cyclophosphamide induced widespread loss of primordial, preantral, and healthy antral follicles associated with reduction in serum progesterone and estradiol. Such irradiation induced dose-related increases in serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Parenteral cyclophosphamide and local irradiation appear to induce ovarian toxicity by different mechanisms

[en] There is increasing interest in the effects of environmental and therapeutic agents on the reproductive system, in particular, the ovary. To study the effects of controlled doses of ionizing radiation to the ovary, Sprague-Dawley rats had their ovaries exteriorized and subjected to increasing doses of radiation. There was a significant increase in ovarian follicular atresia, a significant increase in serum follicle-stimulating hormone levels, but no change in serum luteinizing hormone levels. This experimental protocol may facilitate the testing putative radioprotectants

[en] This paper presents the first evidence of long-range detection (greater than 1000 km) of calibrated VLF signals resulting from the HF heating of the auroral electrojet, that is, signal detection at a point of direct 'line of sight' of the heated patch of ionosphere. The 'radial' as well as the'azimuthal' magnetic component of the signals are recorded; from their ratio, the waveguide mode polarization is obtained. Observed absolute magnetic field strengths and waveguide polarizations are found to be in line with the predictions of simple waveguide models. 17 refs

[en] To assess the effects of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, [D-Leu6,des-Gly10] luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone ethylamide, in ameliorating the damage caused by ionizing radiation, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist was administered to rats from day 22 to 37 of age in doses of 0.1, 0.4, and 1.0 microgram/day or vehicle and the rats were sacrificed on day 44 of age. There were no effects on estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing, or follicle-stimulating hormone, nor an effect on ovarian follicle numbers or development. In separate experiments, rats treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist in doses of 0.04, 0.1, 0.4, or 1.0 microgram/day were either irradiated or sham irradiated on day 30 and all groups sacrificed on day 44 of age. Irradiation produced a reduction in ovarian weight and an increase in ovarian follicular atresia. Pretreatment with the agonist prevented the reduction in ovarian weight and numbers of primordial and preantral follicles but not healthy or atretic antral follicles. Such putative radioprotection should be tested on actual reproductive performance

[en] Medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera) is a drug that is commonly given to young women with cancer during chemotherapy and radiation to control heavy bleeding associated with anovulation. Because hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian suppression has been associated with ovarian protection from the effects of chemotherapy and medroxyprogesterone acetate has been identified as a radiosensitizing agent, we explored the effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate on a rat model with known radiation injury characteristics. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate or vehicle from day 22 to day 37 of life and were either irradiated or sham-irradiated on day 30 of life and then killed on day 44. Radiation with medroxyprogesterone acetate administration produced a greater loss in preantral and healthy control follicles than in control follicles. No suppression of luteinizing hormone or follicle-stimulating hormone had occurred by day 30 but ovarian glutathione content was reduced. These findings indicate that the administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate with radiotherapy may enhance ovarian injury

[en] Using amplitude modulation derived from repetitive pulses of varying duty cycle with the Tromsoe heater facility, the authors determine the ratio of the heating to cooling time constants of ELF currents generated in the D-region. This ratio is found to decrease from 1.03 ± 0.07 at 510 Hz to 0.28 ± 0.03 at 6,010 kHz. These results, which were obtained using an effective radiated power of 240 MW, suggest that future heater facilities designed to optimize ELF radiation efficiency using the technique of 'beam painting' will have to operate at considerably higher power levels than the Tromsoe facility if any practical advantages are to be gained