Preparation of arsenic‐containing white rice grains as calibration standards for X‐ray fluorescence analysis of total arsenic in cereals

A preparation method of arsenic‐containing white rice grains as calibration standards was developed for the X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of arsenic in rice grains. Calibration standards were prepared by adding 10 g of white rice grains (from Japan) to 100 ml methanol‐containing dimethylarsinic acid corresponding to 2–100 µg arsenic. The mixture was heated, dried at 150 °C, cooled to room temperature, and then stored in a silica gel desiccator. A total of 5.0 g of each calibration standard was packed into a polyethylene cup (32 mm internal diameter and 23 mm height) covered with a 6‐µm‐thick polypropylene film and then analyzed by wavelength‐dispersive XRF spectrometry. The calibration curve for arsenic obtained from the white rice grains containing arsenic showed good linearity over a concentration range of 0.21–5.00 mg kg^?1 arsenic. The limit of detection of arsenic was 0.080 mg kg^?1. To check the reliability of the XRF method, the concentrations of arsenic in six samples of grain cereals and two samples of flour were compared with those obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry after acid decomposition. The values obtained by both analytical methods showed good agreement. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Light-scattering detection with a fluorimetric detector in high-performance liquid chromatography

Non-fluorescence compounds were detected by a fluorescence detector based on scattering light. The fluorescence detector was used without any modification, and the scattering light was observed at the wavelength twice as long as the excitation wavelength. Actually the wavelength of the observed scattering light was the same as that of the excitation light. The maximum signal was achieved at around 280 nm. The signal was increased with increasing molecular weight or size of analytes. Colloidal silica with nanometer sizes, ethylene glycol oligomers, saccharides and cyclodextrins could be visualized by the present detection method. The detection limit at S/N=3 for colloidal silica with 78 nm was 39 pg for 20-microL injection.     

Reversible redox processes of poly(anilines) in layered semiconductor niobate films under alternate UV-vis light illumination

The synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) with semiconducting layered niobate (NbO) to form PANI/NbO hybrid materials and their reversible color change under a unique redox process under the influence of UV and/or visible light have been investigated. The in-situ polymerization of anilinium chlorides (ANI) packed in a regular orientation in a bilayer structure within the NbO interlayers led to PANI/NbO hybrid powders by heat treatment using (NH(4))(2)S(2)O(8) as the catalyst. The resulting PANI of these hybrids showed the characteristics of a fully oxidized quinoid form, i.e., pernigranine (PG). The PANI/NbO suspension in H(2)O was cast on a glass substrate to form a PANI/NbO film after evaporation of the water with a good parallel orientation of the NbO layers against the glass substrate. Upon UV light irradiation in the presence of a reductant such as MeOH, the violet-colored PANI (PG) polymers within the NbO interlayers were reduced by the NbO-induced photocatalytic reactions and led to a colorless PANI, i.e., leucoemeraldine (LE). Moreover, the resulting colorless PANI/NbO films reverted back to a blue-colored PANI, i.e., emeraldine (EM), due to oxidation by the surrounding O(2) gas. The PANI/NbO hybrid films were able to retain repetitive and reversible photoinduced patterning for over 50 cycles under such alternate UV and visible light irradiation.     

Synthetic Study of Carthamin: Biomimetic Synthesis of Carthamin Model via Peroxidase‐Catalyzed Oxidative Decarboxylation of Its Precursor Model

A chiral carthamin model (3S,3′S)‐1‐[5‐acetyl‐2,6‐diketo‐3‐C‐β‐d ‐glucopyranosylcyclohex‐4‐enylidene]‐1′‐[5′‐acetyl‐3′‐C‐β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl‐2′,3′,4′‐trihydroxy‐6′‐oxocyclohexa‐1′,4′‐dienyl]methane, in which two cinnamoyl groups were replaced by an acetyl group, was synthesized by the dimerization of (S)‐2‐acetyl‐4‐C‐(per‐O‐acetyl‐β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl)cyclohexadienone with glyoxylic acid, followed by peroxidase‐catalyzed oxidative decarboxylation and de‐O‐acetylation, or de‐O‐acetylation and peroxidase‐catalyzed oxidative decarboxylation. The corresponding total yields were 12.5% or 17.1% from 3‐C‐(per‐O‐acetyl‐β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl)phloroacetophenone, and the reaction pathway was identical to the biosynthetic pathway.     

Occupational Health Physiotherapy (OHP) Practice: A Comparison between Japan and Australia

Objective: This study aimed to adapt a pre-existing cross-country comparison (CCC) model to Occupational Health Physiotherapy (OHP) practice as a basis for locating and examining contextual factors that may influence OHP practice in Japan and Australia. Method: A secondary analysis was conducted of existing publicly-available data on OHP and related influential factors, following the five components of the CCC model: work-related legislation; labor market characteristics; culture; physiotherapy practice norms; and organization of OHP practice. Results: Legislation in both countries promotes safe work and rehabilitation of work injured/ill workers. 2019 unemployment was lower in Japan with higher employment protection than Australia. Both countries have an ageing workforce and rising retirement age. Cultural differences relate to higher long-term orientation and uncertainty avoidance in Japan. Australia has higher individualism and physiotherapists are autonomous practitioners with direct access, which differs from Japan. Both countries have a national OHP subgroup, to date only Australia has OHP professional practice standards. Discussion: This study is the first to compare OHP practice in Japan and Australia. Contextual similarities and differences observed may underpin OHP practitioner role and its enhancement in work-related musculoskeletal disorder prevention and management strategies, the return-to-work process, and development of this physiotherapy discipline nationally. Conclusion: Adapting the CCC model to OHP practice enabled a structured exploration of resources and data, from which to extract and compare contextual factors that may shape OHP practice in Japan and Australia. This in turn may provide a useful springboard for further discussion about OHP practice internationally.     

Temperature dependence of photoluminescence spectra in n-type modulation-doped quantum dot arrays

Temperature dependence of photoluminescence (PL) spectra of an electrostatically prepared modulation-doped quantum dot array is investigated. We report a strong temperature dependence of the enhanced PL near the Fermi energy between 0.4 and 4.2 K under a negative bias condition, where an interconnected quantum dot array is formed. This strong temperature dependence suggests that the Fermi-surface-mediated many-body interaction between a photo-created hole and the electron-gas plays an important role in the observed enhanced PL near the Fermi energy.     

Synthesis of novel poly(thioether‐naphthalimide)s that utilize hydrazine as the diamine

A series of bis(4‐thio‐1,8‐naphthalic anhydride)s and the corresponding bis(N‐amino naphthalimide) derivatives were synthesized from readily available compounds in high yield. A series of novel poly(thioether‐naphthalimide)s, which utilized hydrazine as the diamine, were synthesized by a one‐step polymerization reaction in m‐cresol. Poly(thioether‐naphthalimide)s with inherent viscosities of 0.57–1.73 dL/g were obtained. The polymers were soluble in CHCl₃ and were determined to have high molecular weights by means of gel permeation chromatographic analysis. They were soluble in m‐cresol and could be cast into tough films from m‐cresol solution. The glass‐transition temperature (T_g) values of the polyimides ranged from 320 to 353 °C. Polyimides from the bisphenol dianhydride, derived from 9,9‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)fluorene, did not show a clear transition in the DSC analysis. Degradation temperatures for 5% weight loss all occurred above 430 °C in nitrogen. The series of monomers were successfully copolymerized with each other. Monomers 6a and 7a , containing the bisphenol A moiety, could also be copolymerized with perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride. These copolymers had high T_g's and were thermally stable. The UV–vis absorption properties of the polymers were also examined. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1040–1050, 2001     

Permeation and separation of benzene/cyclohexane mixtures through liquid-crystalline polymer membranes

The side-chain liquid-crystalline polymer (LCP) was synthesized by the addition of the mesogenic monomer to poly(methylsiloxane) with Pt catalyst. When the benzene/cyclohexane mixtures were permeated through the LCP membranes by pervaporation at various temperatures, the permeation rate increased with increasing benzene concentration in the feed solution and permeation temperature. Though the LCP membranes exhibited a benzene permselectivity, a mechanism of the permeation and separation for the benzene/cyclohexane mixtures was different in the glassy, liquid-crystalline and isotropic state of the LCP membranes. These results suggested that the permselectivity was fairly influenced by the change of the LCP membrane structure, that is, a state transformation. It was found that a balance of the orientation of mesogenic groups and flexibility of siloxane chains is very important for the permeability and selectivity. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys, 35: 699–707, 1997     

Effect of permeation temperature on permeation and separation of a benzene/cyclohexane mixture through liquid-crystalline polymer membranes

When a benzene/cyclohexane mixture of 10 wt % benzene was permeated through side-chain liquid-crystalline polymer (LCP) membranes by pervaporation at various temperatures, the permeation rate increased with increasing permeation temperature. The LCP membranes also exhibited a benzene permselectivity. The permselectivity for the benzene/cyclohexane mixture through the LCP membrane was different in the glassy, liquid-crystalline, and isotropic states. The LCP membrane had different apparent activation energies for permeation at each state. LCP membrane in the liquid-crystalline state had the highest apparent activation energy of the three states. Results suggest that the benzene permselectivity was influenced by changes in the LCP membrane structure, i.e., a state-transformation. It was found that a balance of the orientation of mesogenic groups and the flexibility of the siloxane chains was very important for benzene permselectivity. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36 : 281–288, 1998     

Determination of selenium by hydride generation with reducing tube followed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Summary Selenium was determined in biological samples (tea and bovine liver, NBS, SRM 1577) by a combination of hydride generation with reducing tube, graphite furnace atomization and atomic absorption detection. The selenium was reduced by a pellet of sodium borohydride which was placed in a horizontal glass tube. 1.6–2.0 l/min of argon flow rate and 2400° C of atomization temperature were the best experimental conditions. Copper produces a severe effect on absorbance, even if present in only 2 times the amounts of selenium. Ion-exchange resin (Dowex 50 W-X8) was used for the separation of Cu, Ni and Co. A detection limit of 1 ng was obtained with a precision of 5–6%.

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Selenbestimmung durch Hydriderzeugung im Reduktionsrohr mit nachfolgender Graphitofen-AAS

Zusammenfassung Durch Kombination von Hydriderzeugung und Graphitofen-AAS wurde Selen in biologischen Proben (Tee, Rinderleber, NBS, SRM 1577) bestimmt. Die Reduktion erfolgte durch Natriumborhydrid in einem horizontalen Glasrohr. 1,6–2,0 l/min Argon und 2400° C Atomisierungstemperatur erwiesen sich als optimal. Kupfer übt selbst bei nur doppelter Menge einen störenden Einfluß aus. Zur Abtrennung von Cu, Ni und Co wurde ein Ionenaustauscher (Dowex 50W-X8) verwendet. Die Nachweisgrenze beträgt 1 ng bei einer Reproduzierbarkeit von 5–6%.

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Paper read at the meeting of 9th ICAS/XXII CSI, Tokyo, September 1981