Irradiation techniques for the release of bound heavy metals in natural waters and blood

Irradiation techniques are compared with conventional acid digestion procedures for the release of bound heavy metals in natural waters and in blood, before their determination by anodic stripping voltammetry. Ultra-violet irradiation of acidified water with a 550-W mercury vapour lamp releases bound zinc, cadmium, lead and copper after 4 h. The same results can be achieved with a 30-Mrad dose of high-energy γ-irradiation. These techniques are also effective for the release of metals in whole blood and blood plasma, where sample volumes as small as 200 μl are adequate in analyses for zinc, copper and lead. By comparison with acid digestion and solvent extraction methods, irradiation treatments offer the advantages of minimum sample manipulation and negligible reagent blanks.     

Correlation between oxygen binding energy and catalytic activity of oxides

Oxygen binding energy is suggested as a measure for the ability of oxide cations to enter into weak chemical interactions with reactant molecules, which is a necessary prorequisite for the adsorbability and catalytic activity of oxides.

---

, . .

     

EPR evidence for 17O− on molybdenum oxide supported by silica-gel

The EPR spectrum of ¹⁷O^? on partially reduced molybdenum oxide supported on silica-gel has been observed following adsorption of N₂O at room temperature. The spectrum is chracterized by g_⊥=2.019 and g_|=2.002 with a_|¹⁷O^?=96±1 G and a_|⁹⁵MO,⁹⁷MO=7.5±0.5 G. The O ^?ion appears to undergo exchange with oxide ions at the surface.     

Determination of 1,2-benzisoxazole-3-acetamidoxime hydrochloride (PE-257) in plasma using electron-capture gas chromatography

A gas chromatographic method has been developed that permits the accurate and specific determination of a new psychotropic agent, PF-257, in plasma. PF-257 is extracted with ethyl acetate from alkaline plasma and, after a clean-up procedure, derivatized with heptafluorobutyric anhydride to form 3-[(5-n-heptafluoropropyl-1,2, 4-oxadiazol-3-yl)methyl]-1,2-benzisoxazole (HOMB). The HOMB is assayed on a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron-capture detector. Accurate determinations of PF-257 are possible in the concentration range from 1-40 ng/ml with a relative standard deviation of 6.8%. The minimum detectable concentration in plasma is 0.1 ng/ml. Plasma levels of PF-257 in rats receiving intravenous or oral dosing (10 mg/kg) were determined.     

The Use of Versatile Distribution Families in Some Stochastic Inventory Calculations

Previous works on stochastic inventory problems have often assumed that an item's lead time demand follows a "convenient" distribution such as the normal, the γ or the Weibull. First, this paper argues that these convenient distributions may be overly restrictive and unrealistic, and points out the versatility and realism of using four-parameter distributions of the Pearson's and the Schmeiser-Deutsch's systems. Second, using these four-parameter distributions, this paper presents practical `manual" methods for computing the stock-out probability, reorder level and expected lost sales of an inventory item and for solving the lot-size reorder-point model. Some of these methods are actually simpler than the ones developed previously for the more restrictive distributions.     

Doing Something about the Future

This paper is concerned with the need for more interdisciplinary, systems oriented, research directed towards major problems encountered by decision makers in industry and government; a need which is more difficult to meet in the face of traditional methods of organising knowledge and research. It emphasises the need to acknowledge the true complexity of the problems and the interactive nature of any effective research procedure. As an illustration, both of the need and the problems involved in meeting it, the development of a new program of research into problems of Management and Technology at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis, which is supported by seventeen nations of all political complexions, is analysed. The implication is that we can do something about the future, but we must be prepared to do.     

A remark concerning 20 plet dominance in charm decays

Based onV spin consideration, it is argued that20 dominance in the effective weak Lagrangian does not strongly reduce theinclusive decay rate ofD ⁺ mesons. Decays of the typeD→Kρ,K ^*π, ρπ are discussed in pointing out that 20 dominance should lead to a large enhancement of \(D^ + \to \bar K^0 \rho ^ + ,\left( {\bar K^0 } \right) * \pi ^ + \) over \(D^ + \to \bar K^0 \pi ^ + \) ;W exchange, on the other hand, leads to a sizeable suppression ofD ⁰→K ^? ρ ⁺,(K ^?)*π⁺ relative toD ⁰→K ^?π⁺.     

A twin optically-pumped far-infrared CH3OH laser for plasma diagnostics

A twin optically-pumped far-infrared CH₃OH laser has been constructed for use in plasma diagnostics. The antisymmetric doublet due to the Raman-type resonant two-photon transition is reproducibly observed at 118.8 m. With the 118.8-m line, it is obtained from the frequency separation of the anti-symmetric doublet that CH₃OH absorption line center is 16±1 MHz higher than the pump 9.7-m P(36) CO₂ laser line center. It is shown that the Raman-type resonant two-photon transition is useful in order to get several-MHz phase modulation for the far-infrared laser interferometer. Some preliminary performances of this twin laser for the modulated interferometer are described.This work was carried out under the collaborating research program at the Institute of Plasma Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464, Japan.     

On the electrical conductivity of intermediate valence compounds

The electrical resistivity of the hybridized 4f-(5d/6s) system interacting with LA phonons is calculated by applying the memory function method to the periodic Anderson model in Hartree-Fock approximation. We propose a new mechanism to explain in part the anomalous resistivity of mixed valence compounds such as CePd₃. For finite hybridizationV a finite fraction of 4f electrons participates in electrical conduction leading to an essential change of the normald band current. Resistivity and the fraction of 4f electrons increase with increasing value of [V/(E–)]² where (E–) is the distance between the effective positionE of the 4f level and the chemical potential. In typical mixed valence systems [V/(E–)]² is strongly temperature dependent and decreases with increasing temperature. This explains the high temperature resistivity behaviour of CePd₃. For (E–) being small compared to the Debye-temperature the resistivity is enhanced and becomes extremely sensitive to small changes of (E–).Work performed within the research program of the Sonderforschungsbereich 125, Aachen-Jülich-Köln     

Optimal controls that maximize the probability of hitting a set of targets: A numerical study

A two-dimensional random motion of a point is dealt with. The point velocity (v cos ?,v sin ?) is subjected to two different kinds of perturbations, the first represented by a vector of independent standard Wiener processes and the second by a generalized type of Poisson process. The control function is ?, whilev is kept fixed. We assume given a configuration ofn+1 target sets,A ₀,...,A _n , in the plane, all of these sets being surrounded by an open and bounded setD. We denote by ? _x (?(?)∈A _i the probability thatX _t , the location of the point, whereX ₀=x∈D, will reach the setA _i beforeX _i reaches any other setA _j ,i≠j, and before it leavesD. The problem dealt with here is to find an optimal control law ?*, ?*=?*(x),x∈D, such that the function $$V\left( {x;\theta } \right) = \sum\limits_{i = 0}^n {\lambda _i \mathbb{P}_x \left( {X_\tau \left( \theta \right) \in A_i } \right),}$$ where λ₁,i=0,...,n, are given nonnegative numbers, will be maximized on a given class of admissible control laws. Sufficient conditions on optimal controls, of a dynamic programming type, are derived. These conditions require the existence of a smooth solution to a nonlinear partial integrodifferential equation, which is solved here by applying a finite-difference scheme. Two examples are dealt with numerically.