Management of radioactive wastes using a personal computer

This paper describes a software package for a personal computer which deals with storage records of radioactive wastes; the software keeps the records of purchase and use of radioisotopes and makes the inventory records of radioactive wastes. The records for the cargo booking of the wastes for the Japanese Radioisotope Association can be prepared by this software package.     

Superior Electron‐Transport Ability of π‐Conjugated Redox Molecular Wires Prepared by the Stepwise Coordination Method on a Surface

Electronic conductivity of molecular wires is a critical fundamental issue in molecular electronics. π‐Conjugated redox molecular wires with the superior long‐range electron‐transport ability could be constructed on a gold surface through the stepwise ligand–metal coordination method. The β^d value, indicating the degree of decrease in the electron‐transfer rate constant with distance along the molecular wire between the electrode and the redox active species at the terminal of the wire, were 0.008–0.07 Å^?1 and 0.002–0.004 Å^?1 for molecular wires of bis(terpyridine)iron and bis(terpyridine)cobalt complex oligomers, respectively. The influences on β^d by the chemical structure of molecular wires and the terminal redox units, temperature, electric field, and electrolyte concentration were clarified. The results indicate that facile sequential electron hopping between neighboring metal–complex units within the wire is responsible for the high electron‐transport ability.     

Surface plasmon excited infrared-to-visible upconversion in Er-doped transparent glass ceramics

The surface plasmon (SP) excited infrared-to-visible upconversion luminescence has been studied in the oxyfluoride glass ceramics containing Er³⁺-doped fluoride nano-crystals. Upconversion luminescence was observed at glass ceramics. Quantum yield of upconversion luminescence increased with increasing heat-treatment temperature. The transparent glass ceramics heat-treated at 700 °C was covered with a 50 nm gold film, and then attached to an SF10 prism with index-matching oil to make an attenuated total reflection (ATR) illumination. The intense upconversion luminescence bands at 540 and 660 nm were observed at the SP resonance angle by using p-polarized laser beam. The apparent dependences of the upconversion efficiency on laser polarization and on incident angle demonstrated the SP excited upconversion of Er³⁺.     

Highly sensitive assay for tyrosine hydroxylase activity by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A highly sensitive assay for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with amperometric detection was devised based on the rapid isolation of enzymatically formed DOPA by a double-column procedure, the columns fitted together sequentially (the top column of Amberlite CG-50 and the bottom column of aluminium oxide). DOPA was adsorbed on the second aluminium oxide column, then eluted with 0.5 M hydrochloric acid, and assayed by HPLC with amperometric detection. D-Tyrosine was used for the control. alpha-Methyldopa was added to the incubation mixture as an internal standard after incubation. This assay was more sensitive than radioassays and 5 pmol of DOPA formed enzymatically could be measured in the presence of saturating concentrations of tyrosine and 6-methyltetrahydropterin. The TH activity in 2 mg of human putamen could be easily measured, and this method was found to be particularly suitable for the assay of TH activity in a small number of nuclei from animal and human brain.     

Modification of macrophage functions by Shosaikoto (kampo medicine) leads to enhancement of immune response

The effects of Shosaikoto, one of the Kampo medicines, on macrophage functions were studied in mice. Oral administration of Shosaikoto (1.2 g/kg of body weight) increased the change of the membrane fluidity of macrophages and diminished prostaglandin E2 production. Moreover, macrophages from mice orally given Shosaikoto phagocytized antigen more efficiently than control macrophages, resulting in presentation of much more antigen to lymphocytes. These results suggest that Shosaikoto enhances the immune response through at least two different routes, that is, through eliminating the inhibition of lymphocyte functions by prostaglandin E2 and through presenting antigen more efficiently.     

Endogenous synthesis of N-methylsalsolinol, an analogue of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, in rat brain during in vivo microdialysis with salsolinol, as demonstrated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

N-Methylsalsolinol, an analogue of 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, is present in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease. To determine the metabolic pathway for the synthesis of N-Methylsalsolinol in the brain, salsolinol was perfused through the striatum or the substantia nigra of the rat brain by in vivo microdialysis. N-Methylsalsolinol was detected in the brain dialysate samples during microdialysis with salsolinol using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring. These results demonstrate that endogenous N-methylation of salsolinol into N-methylsalsolinol occurs in the brain in vivo.     

Almost Total Elementary Maps

A partial map f of a structure M is called almost total if |M — dom(f)| = |M — ran(f)| < ω. We study a difference between an almost total elementary map and an automorphism.     

High performance liquid chromatography of biological polyamines using immobilized enzyme as post-column reactor followed by electrochemical detection

A novel analytical method for biological polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) was developed. Polyamines were separated by ion-pair reversed phase chromatography using a polymer-based octadecyl bonded column. A polyamine oxidase immobilized column worked effectively as a post-column reactor to convert polyamines to hydrogen peroxide which was eventually detected by electrochemical oxidation on platinum electrode. This method required neither tedious derivatization nor gradient elution, permitting us to perform simple and rapid analysis of polyamines. The detection limits were 0.3, 0.6, and 4 pmol injected for putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, respectively with a linear range of two to three orders of magnitude. Chromatograms obtained with samples from human urine and rat brain homogenates demonstrated the high sensitivity and selectivity of the method.