Rapid method for the analysis of plutonium isotopes in a soil sample within 60 min.

A rapid method for the determination of Pu isotopes in a soil sample within 60 min of starting sample pretreatment was developed. The large reduction in the analysis time was attained by the rapid and perfect digestion of the sample using an alkaline fusion method with an induction heating machine. Pu concentrations were then determined by flow injection/ICP-MS using a solid extraction resin after preconcentration by batch extraction with a chelate resin. The limits of detection for 239Pu and 240Pu were 9.2 fg and 4.3 fg, corresponding to 0.03 and 0.05 Bq kg(-1), respectively, under our analytical conditions, which satisfy the lower detection limits (0.5 Bq kg(-1) of 239Pu, and 2 Bq kg(-1) of 240Pu) required for rapid analysis techniques by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. This method provides a powerful and practical technique for emergency monitoring in and around nuclear facilities that handle large amounts of plutonium.     

Properties of Sr2FeMoO6 thin films fabricated by the chemical solution deposition method

We fabricated the ordered Sr₂FeMoO₆ (SFMO) thin film with a double perovskite structure using the chemical solution deposition (CSD) method. The highly c-axis oriented SFMO thin film with a high degree of Fe/Mo ordering was successfully synthesized on an MgO (001) substrate by optimizing processing conditions. The precise preparation process control of the SFMO precursor solution leads to a typical magnetoresistance effect in a low magnetic field at room temperature.     

Photoconduction of glasses in the TeSeSb system

The photoconductivity of bulk glasses of the TeSeSb system is measured as a function of light intensity and photon energy. The relative sensitivity (ΔI/I_d) has linear and square-root dependences on light intensity in low and high illumination intensities, respectively, and is nearly proportional to the square-root of the resistivity at room temperature. The spectral response of photoconductivity, which is calculated by taking into account the effect of surface recombination of carriers, agrees qualitatively with the experimental results. The experimentally determined broad spectral response suggests the presence of band tails below the conduction band and above the valence band. The large residual dark conductivity in the decay response is associated with the presence of many deep trapping centers.     

Synthesis and bioactivity of fluorescence- and biotin-labeled lipid A analogues for investigation of recognition mechanism in innate immunity

Fluorescence- and biotin-labeled lipid A analogues were synthesized for the investigation of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/lipid A recognition in the innate immune system. For the introduction of the labeling moiety, a hydrophilic glutaryl-glucose linker was used for maintaining the bioactivity and also for preventing self-aggregation, which causes quenching of the fluorescence. We also observed the biological activity of the labeled compounds.     

Synthesis of immunoregulatory Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide partial structures

The synthesis of immunoregulatory glycoconjugates, namely the active entity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Helicobacter pylori was achieved. The results of biological activities of the LPS partial structures provide the structural basis for the immunobiological activity, especially for the immune inhibitory activity of H. pylori LPS.     

The line broadening and shift effects on the CO J=5-4 transition at 576 GHz induced by collisions with rare gases

The line profile of the CO J=5-4 transition at 576 GHz was measured precisely by a BWO-based submillimeter wave spectrometer. The foreign-gas effect on the broadening and shift of rare gases were determined together with the self-collision effects. The observed profiles exhibit clearly the Dicke narrowing effect for the cases of rare gas mixtures, and the Galatry function was used as the lineshape function in the analysis.     

Noise characterization of an all-solid-state mirror-dispersion-controlled 10-fs Ti:sapphire laser

We characterized the phase and amplitude noise of a mirror-dispersion-controlled 10-fs Ti:sapphire laser pumped by a frequency-doubled cw diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄ laser and compared with these of the Ti:sapphire laser pumped by an Ar-ion laser. The rms timing jitters and rms amplitude noise for the all-solid-state and Ar-ion laser pumped Ti:sapphire lasers are calculated to be 0.31 ps rms and 0.71 ps rms and 0.15% rms and 0.32% rms, in the frequency range from 20 kHz to 400 kHz, respectively. The phase and amplitude noise characteristics of the Ti:sapphire laser were greatly improved by using the diode-pumped solid state laser as a pump source.     

On the number of securities which constitute an efficient portfolio

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relationship between the number of securities which constitute an efficient portfolio as defined by the standard mean-variance portfolio selection model and the number of periods used to compute the efficient portfolio. It is shown that the number of data gives the upper bound of the number of securities which constitute an efficient portfolio, when each efficient portfolio is unique for a given expected return. Empirical tests based on actual return data show that this upper bound is very tight when the number of data is small. However, when more data are used, the upper bound becomes looser. This result is incompatible with the market efficiency. These empirical tests also indicate that a very tight upper bound often causes a degenerate case ensuring zero-variance portfolios.     

Optical cell with a temperature-control unit for a vacuum-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectrophotometer.

We constructed an assembled-type MgF2 cell that can function under a high vacuum (10(-4) Pa), and is capable of measuring the vacuum-ultraviolet circular dichroism (VUVCD) spectrum in a wavelength region down to 140 nm for aqueous solutions. Its path length can be adjusted by various spacers in the range from 1.3 to 50 microm. The temperature-control unit of the cell was also constructed with a Peltier thermoelectric element to keep the temperature of a sample within an accuracy of +/- 1 degrees C in the temperature range from -30 to 70 degrees C. The optical cell and the temperature-control unit were confirmed to have good performance by monitoring the VUVCD spectra of ammonium d-camphor-10-sulfonate and myoglobin aqueous solutions. This cell is available not only for VUVCD spectroscopy, but also for vacuum-ultraviolet absorption measurements.