Magnetoresistance of Fe3O4/Au/Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Au/Fe spin-valve structures

A detailed study of the in-plane magnetotransport properties of spin valves with one and two Fe₃O₄ electrodes is presented. Fe₃O₄/Au/Fe₃O₄ spin valves exhibit a clear anisotropic magnetoresistance in small magnetic fields but no giant magnetoresistance (GMR). The absence of GMR in these structures is due to simultaneous magnetization reversal in the two Fe₃O₄ layers. By contrast, a negative GMR effect is measured on Fe₃O₄/Au/Fe spin valves. The negative GMR is attributed to an electron spin scattering asymmetry at the Fe₃O₄/Au interface or an induced spin scattering asymmetry in the Au interfacial layers.     

Determination of metal-binding proteins in soft tissues of rock oyster by neutron activation analysis and particle induced X-ray emission

In this work, we determined the levels of trace metals in protein fractions isolated from rock oysters by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Proteins were extracted from mantles and hepatopancreases of rock oysters and fractionated by size-exclusion high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The protein fractions from mantles and hepatopancreases are found to be abundant in Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Pb, and Ag. HPLC profiles of Fe, Cu, Zn, and Ag indicate that those elements are bound to proteins extracted from mantles and hepatopancreases.     

Characteristic curved structure derived from collagen-containing tubular giant vesicles under static magnetic field

Collagen-containing tubular giant vesicles (Col–tGVs) under a high static magnetic field were found to constitute characteristic curved structures (e.g. circular, 8-figure, and hairpin-loop), which were sustained by polymerization of collagen units inside the tGV. We ascribed the formation of these structures to the elasticity of the tGV and to the competing diamagnetic anisotropies between collagen and the tGV. These curved structures can be well expressed by the equation of elastica.     

Separation of fulvic acid from soil extracts based on ion-pair formation with a cationic surfactant.

A novel method for separating fulvic acid (FA) from soil extracts is proposed. The FA, defined as the acid-soluble fraction of an alkaline extract of soil, was separated based on the precipitation of an ion-pair with a cationic surfactant, such as domiphen bromide. The precipitate was dissolved in aqueous HCl to produce H+ -type FA and a surfactant chloride (SUR-Cl). SUR-Cl, in the aqueous solution, was removed by extraction with CHCl3. After the aqueous phase was passed through a cation-exchanger (H+ -type), H+ -type FA (FA-SUR) was obtained as a powder by lyophylization. The chemical characteristics of FA-SUR were compared with an FA sample separated according to the method of the International Humic Substances Society using a DAX-8 resin (FA-DAX). The oxygen content, O/C atomic ratio and total acidity of the FA-SUR were significantly larger than the corresponding values for FA-DAX. The solid-state CPMS 13C NMR spectra indicated that the higher oxygen content of the FA-SUR could be due to alcoholic hydroxyl groups and polysaccharides as well as carboxylic groups. These results show that FA-SUR is more polar and hydrophilic than FA-DAX.     

Sensitive determination of anandamide in rat brain utilizing a coupled-column HPLC with fluorimetric detection

A fluorimetric determination method for N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide) was developed using a precolumn fluorescence derivatization followed by coupled-column high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Anandamide extracted from the rat brain tissue was derivatized with 4-N-chloroformylmethyl-N-methylamino-7-N, N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-COCl), purified by a solid-phase extraction (Emporetrade mark), and assayed by the coupled-column HPLC. The HPLC consisted of phenyl (100 x 4.6 mm i.d. ) and octadecylsilica columns (250 x 4.6 mm i.d.), both connected by a six-port valve. The concentration of anandamide in rat brain was 3. 37 +/- 0.73 pmol/g with 6.47 and 3.57% of intra- and inter-day precisions, respectively. Using this method, we investigated the alteration of anandamide concentration in rat brain 30 min after administration of anandamide (2 mg/kg, i.p.) to rats pretreated with or without phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF; 30 mg/kg, i.p.), an inhibitor of amidohydrolase. In rats pretreated with PMSF, the brain concentration of anandamide was approx. 16-fold higher than that of rats without PMSF (p < 0.01).     

Rapid determination method of radiocesium in sea water by cesium-selective resin

A rapid and precise method of determining radiocesium corresponding to 5 mrem/y, the Japan AEC's guideline, was proposed. The development and practical performance of cesium-selective resin and the determination method was described in this paper. The resin was prepared by the formation of ammonium molybdophosphate in the structure of Amberlite XAD-7 resin. It took only 3 hours to carry out all the procedures the authors proposed. This value represents 1/10∼1/2 of the time of conventional method. The concentration of¹³⁷Cs and¹³⁴Cs in sea water was determined to be 0.13∼0.16 pCi/1 and less than 7.1·10⁻² pCi/1, respectively.     

Adsorption Isotherm of Water Vapor and Its Large Hysteresis on Highly Ordered Mesoporous Silica

The first and second adsorption–desorption isotherms of water vapor on a new mesoporous material derived from kanemite have been measured. The isotherms show unusual type V isotherms and large hysteresis. The type V isotherms, which have never been observed for the other adsorbates, suggest that the mesoporous material has a hydrophobic surface, although the hydrophobicity decreased after treatment with water vapor because of rehydration of the surface. The significantly large hysteresis could be explained by the difference in contact angle between adsorption and desorption.     

Transition metal salts-catalyzed aza-Michael reactions of enones with carbamates

Several transition metal salts were found to catalyze aza-Michael reactions of enones with carbamates efficiently. The catalytic activity was strongly dependent on the nature of the metal salts. While conventional Lewis acids such as BF(3).OEt(2), AlCl(3), or TiCl(4) showed lower activity, group 7-11 transition metal salts in higher oxidation states such as ReCl(5), Fe(ClO(4))(3).9H(2)O, RuCl(3).nH(2)O, OsCl(3).3H(2)O, RhCl(3).nH(2)O, PtCl(4).5H(2)O, or AuCl(3).H(2)O exhibited higher catalytic activity. [reaction: see text]