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LDRD Mini-symposium set
for Dec. 17 The 13th in a series of mini-symposia highlighting Argonne's laboratory-directed research and development (LDRD) projects will be held Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 2-4 p.m. in Building 402, Conference Room A1100.
The agenda includes:
2 p.m. - "X-Ray
Microfocusing for High-Throughput Structural Determination of Combinatorial Materials," by Yong Chu
(XFD).
2:15 p.m. - "Capabilities
and Potential Utilization of the TREAT Test Reactor at Argonne-West," by Art Wright (RAE)
2:30 p.m. -
"Self-Assembled Magnetic Nanowires," by Dongqi Li (MSD)
2:45 p.m. - Break
3 p.m. - "Lithium
Batteries for Computers and Electric Vehicle Applications," by Mike Thackeray (CMT)
3:15 p.m. - "Ratchet
Effect for Manipulating Trapped Flux," by Wai Kwok (MSD)
3:30 p.m. - "APS Kinetic
Studies of Methane Hydrate Destruction," by Alan Wolsky (ES)
4 p.m. - Adjourn
Cadmium triggers bone loss at low levels
Regulatory standards for cadmium exposure may not be stiff enough to guard against brittle bones.
A team of Argonne researchers has demonstrated that cadmium causes a release of calcium from bone in both mice and dogs, even at concentrations below current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for exposure. In humans, this response might lead to osteoporosis.
"It is probably true that in the occupational setting right now, people are losing bone mass due to cadmium exposure," said lead researcher Maryka Bhattacharyya. "It's just that people don't know about it, because you don't know about bone response until you are retired and you start to break bones because you have osteoporosis."
Cadmium is a toxic metal found in industrial workplaces involved in smelting and refining zinc ores or producing nickel-cadmium batteries. It is also present in cigarette smoke.
Argonne scientists are among the first to show that cadmium's affect on bone begins only hours after exposure, long before onset of the kidney damage cadmium is known to cause, and at blood concentrations below the OSHA action level of five parts per billion.
In addition, the researchers have begun to explore how cadmium interacts with the body during those early hours. In healthy bone, a balance exists between the rates of bone formation and demineralization, or breakdown.
After skeletal growth has stopped, a new equilibrium is reached that typically results in a slow, age-dependent net loss of bone mineral. Cadmium accelerates this loss of bone mineral, apparently by increasing the rate of demineralization.
By looking at how bone cell genes are expressed before and after cadmium exposure, Bhattacharyya and her team identified about 20 genes that cadmium affects. Several of these genes are directly involved in the production and function of osteoclasts -- cells that attach to bone, excreting acid and other substances that dissolve it, releasing calcium.
The researchers also discovered a gene of unknown function that increased 18-fold within four hours of cadmium exposure. They plan to clone and sequence this gene to determine its role in the bone cell's response to cadmium.
Understanding the pathways cadmium uses to cause bone loss, Bhattacharyya said, may lead to more effective screening methods for cadmium-induced osteoporosis and more appropriate regulation of cadmium exposure.
"Sometimes you can set standards more effectively if you know how an agent works," she said.
-- Jennifer Ann Hutt
Grade-school girls to get introduction to engineering
Plans are under way for Argonne to participate in "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" Thursday, Feb. 20.
"Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" (IGED) was conceived to reach out to grade-school girls with positive messages about math and science education and engineering careers. This nation-wide event is part of the National Engineering Week 2003 activities (Feb 16-22). Last year more than 100 businesses, universities, professional societies and government organizations participated.
In support of IGED, Argonne will hold its second annual job shadowing event for middle-school girls. The idea is to allow students to "shadow" a woman engineer during the day to give the students positive, real-life examples of women in engineering and insight into a career in engineering.
A meeting of interested engineers will be held Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003 from noon-1 p.m. in the Building 213 Cafeteria, Dining Rooms A and B.
Employees interested in participating, or who would like to recommend students, should contact organizers Debby Quock (PHY) at quock@phy.anl.gov, or ext. 2-0269, or Kirsten Laurin-Kovitz (TD), Kirsten@anl.gov, or ext. 2-4143, by Jan. 9, 2003.
Holiday shutdown to affect many site services
The Christmas-New Year closing at both Argonne-East and Argonne-West begins Saturday, Dec. 21, and continues through Wednesday, Jan. 1.
Only employees required to properly maintain the laboratory's facilities will be scheduled to work.
Paychecks: Monthly paid checks
will be distributed or deposited on Friday, Dec. 20.
Biweekly paid employees will receive their payroll checks or deposits for the two weeks ending Sunday, Dec. 29, on Friday, Dec. 20, based on actual timecards approved and submitted electronically or hand-delivered to the Payroll Department. The deadline for all timecards, including those of employees who are expected to work on the weekend, will be Friday, Dec. 13. Pay for any adjustments, such as overtime, not included on the December 15 timecards will be made on the next regularly scheduled pay date: Friday, January 10, 2003.
There will be no early pickups of the December 20 paychecks. Accordingly, employees who will not be available to pick up their checks on December 20 are encouraged to call the Paymaster's Office at ext. 2-6893 to have their checks mailed to their home addresses.
Employees reporting sick leave on the Dec. 15 timecard in excess of established Laboratory and bargaining agreements must submit their physician statements to the Medical Department by Thursday, Dec. 12. Managers and supervisors of these employees will also need to submit an ANL-10 form (Sick Leave Form Bi-Weekly) to the Medical Department by that date.
Site access at Argonne-East: North
Gate will be open 24 hours through the holiday break. West Gate will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1,
but will otherwise operate on its normal schedule -- 6:15 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. on weekdays. East Gate
will be closed through the holiday break.
The Argonne Information Center (AIC) will also be closed through the holiday break. The Argonne Information Center should be called by December 20th at ext. 2-5755 to register visitors expected during this period. Non-U.S. citizen visitors that have not been pre-registered prior to Dec. 20 will not be allowed access during the Holiday shut down.
Deliveries, shipments: No
deliveries can be accepted at the laboratory during the holiday break. Commercial package delivery
companies will hold all shipments until Thursday, Jan. 2, 2002.
Employees expecting shipments to arrive during the break should make arrangements to have the items delivered off site. Federal Express will collect items in on-site drop boxes once a day in the evening, except for Christmas day and New Year's day, when there will be no pickup. For more information, call ext. 2-4939.
PFS-SS will be refilling liquid
nitrogen dewars on Thursday, Dec. 26 from 8 a.m. to noon. Liquid helium orders may be set up for
delivery dates of Thursday, Dec. 26 and Friday, Dec. 27. Orders for both helium and nitrogen must
be called in the week of Dec. 16 and will be taken up to 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19. Call ext. 2-5746
to make arrangements.
The World Travel BTI (WTBTI)
on-site travel office in Argonne-East's Building 201 and Argonne-West's Building 710 will be closed
Dec. 21-Jan. 1. Business travelers with trips scheduled during the holiday break or immediately
after the laboratory reopens should pick up their tickets and travel packets before 4:30 pm at
ANL-W and 5 p.m. at ANL-E Friday, Dec. 20.
To make arrangements or change travel arrangements during the holiday break, business travelers should call WTBTI at (800) 355-8313, M-F from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.
On weekends, Wednesday, Dec. 25, Wednesday, Jan. 1, and after 5 p.m., call (877) 898-4806. Employees should identify themselves as Argonne business travelers.
Travel authorizations for trips starting Dec. 21 through Jan. 1 should be submitted to the Travel Office by noon Friday, Dec. 20.
All Argonne Credit Union offices
at both sites will be closed Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1. The Argonne-West and Building 900 offices
will be closed Dec. 23-27 as well; during this time, refer all business to their ANL-E, Fermilab or
Green Ridge Center locations or call (630) 252-5800. Note that the Green Ridge Center office in
Woodridge, Illinois will be open each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Jan. 2, all ACU offices
will be open with their regularly scheduled hours of operation.
Argonne-East's Building 213
Cafeteria and the Argonne-West Cafeteria will be closed after lunch Friday, Dec. 20, and will
reopen Thursday, Jan. 2.
Guest House: The Guest House
restaurant will close at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20. It will reopen Thursday, Jan. 2 for lunch.
The 5 to 9 Grill will be open regular hours through Sunday, Dec. 22. The restaurant will be closed Dec. 24-Jan. 1 and will reopen Jan. 2.
The Guest House front desk will close at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22 and will reopen Jan. 2 at 6 a.m.
Shuttle Bus: There will be no
shuttle bus service to the University of Chicago Friday, Dec. 20 through Jan. 1. Service will
resume Jan. 2.
R&D 100 Award entry deadline is near
Entries are wanted for the R&D 100 awards, presented annually by R&D magazine to recognize the "100 most technologically significant products" of the preceding year.
R&D 100 candidates must be technologies or products that are available to industry or could be ordered in 2002. The entry will be strengthened if there is tangible evidence of private-sector interest, such as a cooperative research and development agreement, joint venture, partnership with industry, licensing to industry or some other contractual arrangement with industry.
To submit an entry, researchers should first complete a brief "intent to submit" form, available online (See "On the Web," located at the bottom of the page). The form should be submitted to the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) by Wednesday, Dec. 18. For more information, contact Cynthia Wesolowski (OTT) at ext. 2-7694 or weso@anl.gov.
Computer makers offer discounts
Several computer manufacturers offer discounts to laboratory employees shopping for computers for personal use. These discounts are available all year 'round.
Apple Computer Corporation -- Call
or e-mail Elijah Moss, University of Chicago Campus Computer Store, at (773) 702-6427 or e-mail
emoss@uchicago.edu. Employees are limited to one purchase per model per year. Fax a copy of your Argonne ID to
obtain the discount.
Dell Computer Corporation -- To
purchase Dell computer equipment by phone, call (800) 323-5613. To purchase online, access the
Dell.com Web site. Scroll down and select "Federal Civilian Employee Purchase Program." Enter Argonne's
member ID, DS25031041. Select or customize your equipment, add to cart and check out. Employees
will be required to register and get an individual purchase account.
Gateway Computer Corporation --
Visit a Gateway Country Store or call Gateway Federal Sales at (800) 846-2042. Employees will need
to verify their employment with an Argonne ID.
HP Computer Corporation -- HP's
federal employee purchase program is online. Select "new user registration." Complete the brief registration form, and enter
US7439 in the company information code field. The company information code is case-sensitive and
must be entered as capital letters. For additional assistance, call (888) 999-4747.
Micron PC Corporation -- Call the
Micron Employee Purchase Program at (800) 723-2998
or access the Web site. Select Federal Government, Department of Energy, Employee Discounts, and follow the
directions.
Management Corner: Don't hesistate to dial 911
by Gary Winner,
Emergency Management Officer
When does an unusual situation become grounds to dial 911? If a co-worker is experiencing chest pains, or you see flames, the answer is obvious. But what about a faint, strange odor? An unattended briefcase? A person you've never seen before who doesn't seem to have an ID badge?
In all these cases, employees should err on the side of caution and make the call to 911. It doesn't have to be an obvious emergency, like a fire -- just a concern that something's not right and should be checked out by an expert.
Calling 911 sets in motion a system to quickly bring experts together to protect employees, property and research.
There are no repercussions to the caller if that strange odor turns out to be an overcooked lunch in the microwave.
Phone, web best for site operation updates
As the residents of the Carolinas found out last week, winter weather can paralyze an entire region in a matter of hours. Although such events are rare, employees at both Argonne sites have a variety of ways to learn about changes in site operations due to severe weather.
Employees should discuss winter weather options with their supervisors in advance and monitor broadcast weather reports, especially when forecasts call for heavy snow or other conditions that may make driving hazardous. If such conditions occur early in the morning, Argonne-East employees may want to delay travel to the laboratory until roads have been cleared. On arrival at the site during or after a heavy snowfall, drivers may be directed to park in a designated area to allow the lots to be cleared.
"I ask all Argonne employees and others on site to be aware of the weather conditions and the impact of the weather on the roads," said Argonne Director Hermann Grunder. "Check the weather conditions before you start your trip to or from work, and drive extra cautiously in bad weather. Remember no activity, meeting or telephone call is so important that you should take unnecessary risks driving in bad weather."
Argonne-East employees can call the Argonne Info-Line (252-INFO) to find out if Argonne-East will open late, or not at all, in severe weather conditions. Employees with Internet connections at home may also check the Argonne home page, which will be updated with the latest information.
Chicago-area TV and radio stations have focused on school closings in recent years and will not be provided with late opening or laboratory closing information for Argonne-East.
If heavy snow falls at Argonne-East during the work day, the chief operations officer, in conjunction with DOE management, may decide to close the site early. If this happens, employees should use extra caution when leaving the site since traffic is likely to be heavy and visibility poor.
INEEL toll-free number
The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has a toll-free phone number employees can call to find out about changes in bus routes or schedules due to weather: 1-877-424-4635. INEEL Bus Operations will record announcements of weather-related changes as soon as they are made.
Louise T. Bailey, a retired Clerk III with 12 years of service in the Technical Information and Services Division, died Nov. 11. Her sister, Elizabeth Armstrong, survives her.
William C. Behrens, a retired Buyer Senior with 27 years of service in the Procurement Division, died Nov. 8. His wife, Carmella, survives him.
William Forkal, a retired employee with 25 years of service, died Oct. 25. His wife, Eleonora, survives him.
Rudolph Fousek, a retired Engineering Assistant with 35 years of service in the Materials Science Division, died Nov. 13. His wife, Eleanor, survives him.
Louis Kaplan, a retied Senior Chemist with 38 years of service in the Chemistry Division, died Oct. 20. His wife, Betty, survives him.
Leo Lach, a retired Machine Shop Foreman with 36 years of service in Central Shops, died Oct. 26.
Albert W. Moessner, a retired Instrument Maker with 20 years of service in Central Shops, died Oct. 10.
James H. Talboy, a retired Quality Environment and Safety Officer with 30 years of service in the Quality, Environment and Safety Division, died Nov. 5.
Sodexho offers buffet, cookie sale
Sodexho will mark the holidays with a special menu and a cookie sale at Argonne-East's Building 213 Cafeteria
A Christmas buffet of prime rib,
fish and all the trimmings will be offered from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec 17.
To help stock employees' holiday
parties, Sodexho will offer freshly baked gourmet and Christmas cookies the week of Monday, Dec.
16.
Retirement vendors to visit ANL-E
Argonne's retirement vendors will visit Argonne-East during January to meet with employees and answer questions about their retirement plans and assets. To schedule an appointment, call the number listed.
Fidelity: Tuesday, Jan. 7, and
Tuesday, Jan. 21. Call (800) 642-7131.
TIAA-CREF: Thursday, Jan. 23, and
Friday, Jan. 24. Call (800) 842-2005.
Prudential: Wednesday, Jan. 8,
and Wednesday, Jan. 22. (Half-day appointments). Call Cheryl at (847) 619-3519.
ECT Classes
Classes offered by Electronics and Computing Technologies are held in Argonne-East's Building 201, Room 167. Unless otherwise specified, class sizes are limited to eight and cost $215.
"Introduction to Word 2000"
(ECT369) -- Tuesday, Jan. 7, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
"Introduction to Excel 2000"
(ECT370) -- Wednesday, Jan. 8, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
"Introduction to Access 2000"
(ECT371) -- Thursday, Jan. 9, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
"Introduction to PowerPoint 2000"
(ECT372) -- Friday, Jan. 10, 8:30 a.m. - noon. Cost: $140.
"Intermediate PowerPoint 2000"
(ECT373) -- Friday, Jan. 10, 1-4:30 p.m. Cost: $140.
Complete class descriptions, schedules and enrollment forms are available online.
For information about enrollment, contact Diane Cavazos (ECT) at ext. 2-7153 or dkcavazos@anl.gov.
Argonne News returns Jan. 13
This is the last issue of Argonne News for 2002. The deadline for the first issue of the new year, on Monday, Jan. 13, will be Monday, Jan. 6.
The Argonne News Web site will be updated Monday, Jan. 6.