Energy and angular momentum transfers in equilibrium and pre-equilibrium 158Gd(α, xn) reactions

Neutron time-of-flight spectra and γ-ray multiplicities were measured in coincidence with discrete γ-rays for specific exit channels in the ¹⁵⁸Gd(α, xn) reactions at E_α = 70 MeV. The neutron energy spectra and angular distributions were analysed in terms of equilibrium and non-equilibrium decay processes. Significant emission of non-equilibrated neutrons was found, amounting to about 40 %, 25 % and 15 % of the total neutron emission in the 4n, 5n and 6n exit channels, respectively. The corresponding average kinetic energies in this precompound phase were around 12, 8 and 4.5 MeV. The angular momentum carried away by the neutrons was found to be rather constant for all exit channels and on the average about 3? units. It is found that the total energy and angular momentum removed by the neutrons and γ-rays agrees within the experimental errors with the calculated values for the compound nucleus.     

Rapid determination of trace quantities of thallium in heat-resisting cobalt and nickel alloys by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Summary A simple and rapid analytical method has been developed for the direct determination of trace quantities of thallium in nickel and cobalt-base heatresisting alloys by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Hydrofluoric acid, sulphuric acid, and hydrogen peroxide were used for the dissolution of a wide variety of these alloys. The interferences of matrix elements and acids were eliminated. The absorbance of thallium is constant over a wide range of ashing temperatures. Synthetic standard solutions composed of nickel or cobalt matrix and thallium were used for calibration. The detection limit for thallium by this method is 0.2 ppm in the sample. Mechanisms of the interferences are discussed.

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Schnelle Bestimmung von Thalliumspuren in hitzebeständigen Cobalt- und Nickellegierungen durch Atomabsorptions-Spektralphotometrie mit dem Graphitofen

Zusammenfassung Ein Verfahren zur AAS-Bestimmung von Thallium in verschiedenartigen Cobalt- und Nickellegierungen wird beschrieben. Zur Auflösung der Probe werden Flußsäure, Schwefelsäure und Wasserstoffperoxid verwendet. Störungen durch Matrixelemente und durch die Säuren konnten beseitigt werden. Die Thalliumabsorption ist über einen weiten Temperaturbereich bei der Veraschung konstant. Zur Eichung dienen synthetische Lösungen von Cobalt- bzw. Nikkelmatrix und Thallium. Die Nachweisgrenze für Thallium beträgt 0,2 ppm. Die Mechanismen der Störungen werden diskutiert.

     

Asymmetric weak decay of polarized hypernuclei

We measured the asymmetric weak decay of the polarized _Λ⁵He hypernuclei. The polarization was derived by the observed asymmetry of the mesonic decay pions for the first time. The asymmetry parameter of the nonmesonic decay has been evaluated using the obtained polarization and the asymmetry of the decay protons. The positive asymmetry parameter contradicts theoretical prediction based on meson exchange model. The present data indicates the limitation of the model in ΛN weak interaction, in particular short range phenomena such the nonmesonic decay of hypernuclei.     

Possible Existence of {(c\bar{c})} –Nucleus Bound States

Charmonium ( \({c \bar{c}}\) ) bound states in few-nucleon systems, ²H, ⁴He and ⁸Be, are studied via Gaussian Expansion Method (GEM). We adopt a Gaussian potential as an effective \({(c \bar{c})}\) –nucleon (N) interaction. The relation between two-body \({(c \bar{c})}\) –N scattering length \({a_{c\bar{c}-N}}\) and the binding energies B of \({(c \bar{c})}\) –nucleus bound states are given. Recent lattice QCD data of \({a_{c\bar{c}-N}}\) corresponds to \({B \simeq 0.5}\) MeV for \({(c \bar{c})-^{4}}\) He and 2 MeV for \({(c \bar{c})-^{8}}\) Be in our results.     

Porphyrin Network Polymers Prepared via a Click Reaction and Facilitated Oxygen Permeation Through Their Membranes

Network polymers of cobaltporphyrin derivatives are prepared by a facile click reaction via the Michael addition of acetoacetate‐substituted tetraphenyl cobaltporphyrin and tri‐ or tetra‐acrylates. The conversion is saturated for 1 h in the presence of a catalyst, which almost reaches the same gelation point of the formed network polymers. Deeply and homogeneously red‐colored membranes with a sub‐micrometer thickness are yielded on a porous supporting membrane. They are still tough even with a very high content of the rigid porphyrin residue. The oxygen permeability is high, at 10–100 Barrer, and the oxygen/nitrogen permselectivity (P_O2/P_N2) is significantly enhanced with the porphyrin content reaching 30, for the membranes with ca. 70 wt% porphyrin content.

     

Tetraspanin CD9 modulates ADAM17-mediated shedding of LR11 in leukocytes

LR11, also known as SorLA or SORL1, is a type-I membrane protein from which a large extracellular part, soluble LR11 (sLR11), is released by proteolytic shedding on cleavage with a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17). A shedding mechanism is presumed to have a key role in the functions of LR11, but the evidence for this has not yet been demonstrated. Tetraspanin CD9 has been recently shown to regulate the ADAM17-mediated shedding of tumor necrosis factor-α and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 on the cell surface. Here, we investigated the role of CD9 on the shedding of LR11 in leukocytes. LR11 was not expressed in THP-1 monocytes, but it was expressed and released in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced THP-1 macrophages (PMA/THP-1). Confocal microscopy showed colocalization of LR11 and CD9 proteins on the cell surface of PMA/THP-1. Ectopic neo-expression of CD9 in CCRF-SB cells, which are LR11-positive and CD9-negative, reduced the amount of sLR11 released from the cells. In contrast, incubation of LR11-transfected THP-1 cells with neutralizing anti-CD9 monoclonal antibodies increased the amount of sLR11 released from the cells. Likewise, the PMA-stimulated release of sLR11 increased in THP-1 cells transfected with CD9-targeted shRNAs, which was negated by treatment with the metalloproteinase inhibitor GM6001. These results suggest that the tetraspanin CD9 modulates the ADAM17-mediated shedding of LR11 in various leukemia cell lines and that the association between LR11 and CD9 on the cell surface has an important role in the ADAM17-mediated shedding mechanism.     

Development of visual analytical methods for trace determination.

In this paper our recent progress in the field of simple analytical methods is reviewed, with particular focus on the development of rapid, inexpensive, yet sensitive techniques to visualize trace elements of medical, industrial, and environmental importance. Our objective is to solve long-standing practical problems in these fields. We have repeatedly shown that visual perception is remarkably sensitive when used with our new techniques. The applicability of the proposed methods to real samples is also discussed. Making measurements visually is a method free from machinery malfunctions and serves as a simple and sensitive analytical technique, avoiding all of the practical disadvantages associated with sophisticated instrumentation as well as tedious procedures.     

Nuclear responses for double-beta decays by hadron, photon, and neutrino probes and MOON experiment

Neutrino-less double-beta decays (0νββ) with the mass sensitivities of the solar and atmospheric ν masses are of great interest for studying the Majorana nature of neutrinos and the absolute mass spectrum as suggested by recent ν oscillation experiments. Here nuclear responses (nuclear matrix elements) for 0νββ are crucial. They are well studied experimentally by using charge-exchange, photo-nuclear and neutrino reactions. MOON(Mo Observatory Of Neutrinos) is a high sensitivity 0νβ β experiment with the mass sensitivity of an order of 30 meV. Experimental studies of the nuclear responses and the present status of MOON are briefly discussed. Presented by the author at the Workshop on calculation of double-beta-decay matrix elements (MEDEX’05), Corfu, Greece, September 26–29, 2005.     

(1‐Pyridinio)perfluorophenacylide: a new stable pyridinium ylide in the enol form

The title compound, C₁₃H₆F₅NO, exists in the enol form and adopts the E configuration about the enol double bond. It is the first example of an enol‐type pyridinium ylide. The enol structure was unambiguously determined on the basis of the significantly longer C—O bond and shorter C—C bond. Intramolecular C—H...O and C—H...F hydrogen bonds are responsible for promotion of the enol form and for the stability of this compound.