Investigation of radon and thoron concentrations in a landmark skyscraper in Tokyo

The temporal variation of the radon concentration, and the radon and thoron concentrations every 3 months for a year were measured using two types of devices in a landmark skyscraper, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Daiichi Building. In the measurement of temporal variation of the radon concentration using a pulse type ionization chamber, the average radon concentration was 21 ± 13 Bq m^?3 (2–68 Bq m^?3). The measured indoor radon concentration had a strong relationship with the operation of the mechanical ventilation system and the activities of the office workers. The radon concentration also increased together with temperature. Other environmental parameters, such as air pressure and relative humidity, were not related to the radon concentration. In the long-term measurements using a passive radon and thoron discriminative monitor, no seasonal variation was observed. The annual average concentrations of radon and thoron were 16 ± 8 and 16 ± 7 Bq m^?3, respectively. There was also no relationship between the two concentrations. The annual average effective dose for office workers in this skyscraper was estimated to be 0.08 mSv y^?1 for 2000 working hours per year. When considering the indoor radon exposure received from their residential dwellings using the annual mean radon concentration indoors in Japan (15.5 Bq m^?3), the annual average effective dose was estimated to be 0.37 mSv y^?1. This value was 31 % of the worldwide average annual effective dose.     

Blue emission from InGaN/GaN hexagonal pyramid structures

Cathodoluminescence (CL) from InGaN grown on GaN hexagonal pyramid structures has been investigated. The facet structure can be controlled by the growth temperature and reactor pressure. GaN pyramid structures surrounded with facets were grown at 1020 C at a pressure of 500 Torr by low-pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (LP-MOVPE). The indium mole fraction in the InGaN film depends on the facet structure. The thickness of the InGaN and the peak wavelength and intensity of the CL from the InGaN gradually increased from the bottom to the top of the facets.     

Distribution patterns of gamma radiation dose rate in the high background radiation area of Odisha,India

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Absorbed dose rates in air for 20 residential areas in Odisha were measured using a vehicle-mounted NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer. The...     

Mode-mode coupling theory of itinerant electron antiferromagnetism in superconducting state

It has been considered since the first discovery of a high-T(c) cuprate that an antiferromagnetic (AF) state and a superconducting (SC) state are separated in it. However, it is very intriguing that the coexistence of the AF and SC states has recently been observed in HgBa(2)Ca(4)Cu(5)O(12+) (Hg-1245). Moreover, it is very novel that this coexistence of these two states appears if the SC-transition temperature T(c) is higher than the AF-transition temperature T(N). The mode-mode coupling theory can provide a clear elucidation of this novel phenomenon. A key point of this theory is that the AF susceptibility consists of the random-phase-approximation (RPA) term and the mode-mode coupling one. The RPA term works to make a positive contribution to the emergence of the antiferromagnetic critical point (AF-CP). In contrast, the mode-mode coupling term works to make a negative contribution to the emergence of the AF-CP. However, the growth of the SC-gap function in the d(x(2)-y(2))-wave SC state works to suppress the negative contribution of the mode-mode coupling term to the emergence of the AF-CP. Moreover, the effect of SC fluctuations near the SC-transition temperature T(c) suppresses the mode-mode coupling term of the AF susceptibility that works to hinder the AF ordering. For these two reasons, there is a possibility that the d(x(2)-y(2))-wave SC state is likely to promote the emergence of the AF-CP. Namely, the appearance of the above-mentioned novel coexistence of the AF and SC states observed in Hg-1245 can be explained qualitatively on the basis of this idea.     

Fluorescence properties of novel 6-butyl-2,3-dicyano-7-methyl-6H-1,4-diazepine styryl dyes containing ethyleneglycol units

The fluorescence properties of novel 6-butyl-2,3-dicyano-7-methyl-6H-1,4-diazepine styryl dyes having mono-, di-, tri-, and tetra(ethyleneglycol) units were examined. The mono(ethylenglycol) derivative was solid at room temperature, whereas the di-, tri-, and tetra(ethylenglycol) derivatives were oily. The monoethyleneglycol derivative showed weak aggregation-induced emission enhancement with fluorescence maximum at 649 nm, which comes from J-aggregates. The fluorescence of oily di-, tri-, and tetra(ethyleneglycol) derivatives in neat form was very weak. No aggregation-induced emission enhancement was observed for the oily derivatives.     

Metallic conductivity and ferromagnetic interaction of iron(III) d spins in the needle crystals of (ethylenedithiotetrathiafulvalenoquinone-1,3-dithiolemethide)(2).FeBr(4) salt

The 2:1 charge-transfer (CT) salts (1(2).FeBr(4) and 1(2).GaBr(4)) of ethylenedithiotetrathiafulvalenoquinone-1,3-dithiolemethide (1) with FeBr(4)(-) and GaBr(4)(-) counteranions were obtained as needle crystals, whose structures are almost the same as each other. The 1 molecules form a one dimensionally stacked column with alternation of their molecular axis direction, while the counteranions are aligned in parallel with the 1-stacked columns with the direction of their distorted-tetrahedral geometry maintained. The room-temperature electrical conductivities measured on the single crystals of 1(2).FeBr(4) and 1(2).GaBr(4) were 4.6 and 2.1 S cm(-1), respectively. From the temperature dependences of their electrical conductivities in both cases the electrical conducting properties were metallic between ca. 170 and 300 K, but below ca. 170 K converted to be semiconducting and continued till 5 K, although the activation energies are very small (4-10 meV). For 1(2).FeBr(4) very weak and antiferromagnetic interaction occurred between the d spins of FeBr(4)(-) ions in the temperature range of ca. 1-300 K. However, below ca. 15 K the ferromagnetic interaction was reversely preferential possibly by participation of the pi spin of 1.     

Stereocontrolled synthesis of 8,11-dideoxytetrodotoxin,unnatural analogue of puffer fish toxin

[structure: see text] 8,11-Dideoxytetrodotoxin, an unnatural tetrodotoxin analogue, was synthesized in a highly stereoselective manner from a common intermediate in our synthetic studies on tetrodotoxin. The synthesis features neighboring group participation of trichloroacetamide for stereoselective hydroxylation, protection of ortho ester, and guanidine installation with Boc-protected isothiourea.     

Isolation and structure elucidation of genuine oat phytoalexin,avenalumin I

The major phytoalexin from oat leaves has been identified as 2-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyDethenyl] -6-hydroxy-4H-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one ($\text{A}$).     

Homogeneity of a Distance-Regular Graph Which Supports a Spin Model

A spin model is a square matrix that encodes the basic data for a statistical mechanical construction of link invariants due to V.F.R. Jones. Every spin model W is contained in a canonical Bose-Mesner algebra (W). In this paper we study the distance-regular graphs whose Bose-Mesner algebra satisfies W (W). Suppose W has at least three distinct entries. We show that is 1-homogeneous and that the first and the last subconstituents of are strongly regular and distance-regular, respectively.