Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of ng g-1 levels of cadmium in bone after dithizone extractions

After removal of lipid and acid digestion of bone samples, cadmium is separated from the matrix by two extractions with dithizone in carbon tetrachloride. The first extraction at pH 3–3.5 removes cadmium from the matrix; the second extraction, at pH 8.5 in the presence of 2-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid, is needed to prevent suppression of the cadmium signal by zinc. Cadmium is finally measured in the back-extract into 0.24 M hydrochloric acid. Less than 10 ng g^-1 cadmium in fresh bone can be determined within a relative standard deviation of 10%.     

Determination of sulphate in natural water by flow-injection analysis

Summary Sulphate was determined in natural water samples by flow-injection analysis using dimethylsulphonazo-III as reagent. The interference by Ca was eliminated by a cation-exchanger column inserted directly after the sample injection valve. In order to ensure high sensitivity and reproducibility it was necessary to saturate the carrier solution with barium sulphate and to fill the reaction coil with ethanol-water (11) when not in use. Standard deviations were 0.94–1.2% for 6–10mg/l sulphate. The limit of detection was about 0.2mg/l. The calibration graph was linear up to 14mg/l Mg²⁺, NH ₄ ⁺ , Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^–, NO ₃ ^– , PO ₄ ^3– , HCO ₃ ^– and SiO ₃ ^2– did not interfere in the normally occurring concentrations.

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Sulfatbestimmung in natürlichem Wasser durch Flow-Injection-Analyse

Zusammenfassung Als Reagens dient Dimethylsulfonazo-III. Die Störung durch Calcium bei dieser Bestimmung wird durch eine Kationenaustauschersäule eliminiert, die direkt nach dem Probeinjektions-Ventil angeordnet ist. Zur Erhöhung der Empfindlichkeit und Reproduzierbarkeit ist es notwendig, die Trägerlösung mit Bariumsulfat zu sättigen sowie bei Nichtbenutzung des Systems den Reaktionsteil mit Ethanol-Wasser (11) zu füllen. Mit dem so modifizierten Verfahren ergaben sich Standardabweichungen von 0,94–1,2% für 6–10 mg/l Sulfat, die Nachweisgrenze liegt bei 0,2 mg/l. Die Eichkurve ist bis 14 mg/l linear. Mg²⁺, NH ₄ ⁺ , Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^–, NO ₃ ^– , PO ₄ ^3– , HCO ₃ ^– und SiO ₃ ^2– stören in den normalerweise vorkommenden Konzentrationen nicht.

     

Temperature dependence of Raman linewidth and shift in CuI

The temperature dependence of the optical phonon linewidth and frequency shift in CuI has been measured in the temperature range of 4.2 ～ 300 K. Utilizing phonon dispersion curves obtained from neutron scattering measurements, the linewidths and frequency shifts are calculated in terms of three-phonon interactions proposed by Pine and Tannenwald. The experimental results for the change in linewidth and frequency with temperature are in good agreement with this theory.     

Electron-phonon interaction in Raman scattering of Li-doped ZnTe

Raman scattering has been measured at low temperatures on Li doped ZnTe, using Kr and dye lasers. Besides the usual phonon spectrum, electronic transitions between acceptor bound states 1S→2S (A band), 1S→3S, 1S→4S, are observed. A peak located between the TO and LO bands is interpreted in terms of a bound LO-phonon mode related to the p acceptor states. The sidebands of the A band, at one and two LO-phonons are observed as well, whose energies are found to be respectively 12 and 26 cm^?1 smaller than the expected values. A simple self-energy model is invoked to explain the energy shift due to electron-phonon interaction.     

Role of shallow impurities and lattice defects in nucleation of electron-hole droplets in Si

Contribution of lattice defects and shallow impurities to electron-hole droplet (EHD) formation has been confirmed by the study on photoluminescence due to EHD's in various kinds of silicon crystals. Sample dependence of the EHD luminescence peak energy shift in the variation of the excitation intensity is explained in terms of the surface energy contribution to EHD binding energy and concentrations of EHD's and impurities.     

Pulse FT NMR of non-equilibrium states of half-integer spin quadrupolar nuclei in single crystals

For quadrupolar nuclei with spin quantum numbers equal to 3/2, 5/2 and 7/2, the intensities of the NMR transitions in a single crystal are examined as a function of the rf excitation flip angle. Single-quantum NMR intensities are calculated using density matrix theory beginning under various non-equilibrium conditions and are compared with those determined experimentally. As a representative spin-3/2 system, the flip-angle dependence of the ²³Na NMR intensities of a single crystal of NaNO₃ was investigated beginning with the inversion of the populations associated with one of the satellite transitions. Subsequently, the populations of both satellite transitions were inverted using highly frequency-selective hyperbolic secant pulses. Calculated and experimental intensities are in good agreement. As an example of a spin-5/2 system, the flip-angle dependence of the ²⁷Al NMR transition intensities was determined using a single crystal of sapphire, Al₂O₃, starting under different nuclear spin population conditions. The experimental trends mimicked those predicted by the density matrix calculations but the agreement was not as good as for the spin-3/2 case. Some SIMPSON simulations were also carried out to confirm the results generated by our density matrix calculations. The theoretical flip-angle behavior of the NMR transition intensities obtained from a spin-7/2 spin system is also discussed.     

Two-dimensional fluorescence correlation spectroscopy IV: resolution of fluorescence of tryptophan residues in alcohol dehydrogenase and lysozyme

Generalized two-dimensional (2D) fluorescence correlation spectroscopy has been used to resolve the fluorescence spectra of two tryptophan (Trp) residues in alcohol dehydrogenase and lysozyme. In each protein, one Trp residue is buried in a hydrophobic domain of the protein matrix and the other Trp residue is located at a hydrophilic domain close to the protein-water interface. Fluorescence quenching by iodide ion, a hydrophilic quencher, was employed as a perturbation to induce the intensity change in the spectra. The Trp residue which is located at the hydrophilic domain is effectively quenched by the quencher, while the Trp residue located at the hydrophobic domain is protected from the quenching. Therefore, the fluorescence of these two Trp residues have a different sensitivity to the quenching, showing a different response to the concentration of the quencher. Fluorescence spectra of the two Trp residues in alcohol dehydrogenase, which are heavily overlapped in conventional one-dimensional spectra, have been successfully resolved by the 2D correlation technique. From the asynchronous correlation map, it was revealed that the quenching of Trp located at the hydrophobic part was brought about after that of Trp located at the hydrophilic part. In contrast, the fluorescence spectra of the two Trp residues could not be resolved after the alcohol dehydrogenase was denatured with guanidine hydrochloride. These results are consistent with the well-known structure of alcohol dehydrogenase. Furthermore, it was elucidated that the present 2D analysis is not interfered by Raman bands of the solvent, which sometimes bring difficulty into the conventional fluorescence analysis. Fluorescence spectra of the Trp residues in lysozyme could not be resolved by the 2D correlation technique. The differences between the two proteins are attributed to the fact that the Trp residue in the hydrophobic site of lysozyme is not sufficiently protected from the quenching.     

AG codes from vector bundles

We discuss the properties of algebraic-geometric codes defined by a vector bundle on a curve X over a finite field. We investigate the correction capacities of the codes defined from vector bundles constructed by means of finite coverings of X.