The use of Si carriers for aerosol particle collection and subsequent elemental analysis by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

The adoption of polished Si carriers was studied for the sensitive elemental analysis of aerosol particles using total-reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry. The surface roughness of the Si carrier measured by atomic force microscopy was found to be smaller than those of glassy carbon and quartz glass carriers, which are commonly used for TXRF analysis. The detection limits of elements for the Si carrier were superior to those for the glassy carbon and the quartz glass carriers, presumably due to its smaller surface roughness. For example, the detection limit of Sr for the Si carrier was 9 pg, which was 100 times and 3 times lower than those for the glassy carbon and the quartz glass carriers, respectively. The Si carriers could be successfully applied to the direct aerosol particle collection by impaction and the subsequent elemental analysis by TXRF. From the results of the elemental analysis of aerosol particles, the variations in the concentrations of K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn Sr and Pb with time could be clarified.     

Giant Amplification of Photoswitching by a Few Photons in Fluorescent Photochromic Organic Nanoparticles

Controlling or switching the optical signal from a large collection of molecules with the minimum of photons represents an extremely attractive concept. Promising fundamental and practical applications may be derived from such a photon‐saving principle. With this aim in mind, we have prepared fluorescent photochromic organic nanoparticles (NPs), showing bright red emission, complete ON–OFF contrast with full reversibility, and excellent fatigue resistance. Most interestingly, upon successive UV and visible light irradiation, the NPs exhibit a complete fluorescence quenching and recovery at very low photochromic conversion levels (<5 %), leading to the fluorescence photoswitching of 420±20 molecules for only one converted photochromic molecule. This “giant amplification of fluorescence photoswitching” originates from efficient intermolecular energy‐transfer processes within the NPs.     

One-pot synthesis of meso-formylporphyrins by S(N)Ar reaction of 5,15-disubstituted porphyrins with (2-pyridyldimethylsilyl)methyllithium

A simple, one-pot procedure that converts 5,15-substituted porphyrins into the corresponding meso-formylated porphyrins has been developed. The method, based on a new synthetic concept for functionalized porphyrins utilizing the (2-pyridyldimethylsilyl)methyl group as a latent formyl functionality, affords the desired product in good yield and is especially appropriate for the direct formylation of free base porphyrins, which has never been achieved by known methods.     

Interferometric Phase-Measurement Using a One-Dimensional Discrete Hilbert Transform

A phase demodulation scheme using a discrete Hilbert transform that can change the interferometric phase by /2 has been investigated. In-quadrature components of a fringe pattern are obtained from one captured interferogram using a one-dimensional (1-D) discrete Hilbert transform and a 1-D discrete high-pass filtering that are based on a digital signal processing technique. The phase distribution in the range of 15 (rad) can be demodulated with the proposed method. The 1-D discrete Hilbert transform can be extended to two-dimensional calculation with a raster scanning procedure. © 2005 The Optical Society of Japan     

The electrical properties of HgTe and HgSe under very high pressure

The electrical properties of HgTe and HgSe have been investigated at pressures up to 200 kbar in an octahedral apparatus. Measurements of the electrical resistivity at room temperature showed that, beyond the well-known transition from the semimetallic to semiconductive state, both become metallic, at 84 kbar and 155 kbar, respectively. The energy gap at various fixed pressures was obtained from the resistance-temperature relationships. The energy gap of semiconducting HgTe decreases monotonically with pressure, the coefficient being ?l.53 × 10^?5$\text{eV}\text{bar}$. The energy gap of HgSe is rather insensitive to pressures up to 75 kbar, above which it decreases continuously ($\text{dE}\text{dP}$ = ?1.59 × 10^?5$\text{eV}\text{bar}$) before vanishing around 150 kbar. At high pressures the temperature coefficient of the resistance in the metallic state is 3.25 ~ 4.70 × $\text{10}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}\text{deg}$ for HgTe, and 5.7 ~ 5.9 × $\text{10}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}\text{deg}$ for HgSe.     

Factors affecting the serum thyroid hormone concentration during fasting in rats--with special reference to the relation with temperature

The present studies examine the effect of starvation together with cold or hot exposure on thyroid hormone levels in rats. At 23 degrees C starved for 5 days, serum thyroid hormone levels decreased significantly compared with fed rats, averaging 3.6 +/- 0.5 micrograms/dl of thyroxine (T4), 47 +/- 11 ng/dl of triiodothyronine (T3), 1.4 +/- 0.3 ng/dl of free T4 and 39.6 +/- 5.1 pg/ml of reverse T3, respectively. At 15 degrees C rats starved for 5 days, serum free T4 level significantly more increased than that of 23 degrees C starved rats, while serum T4 level and T3 did not increase significantly. At 30 degrees C rats whether concomitant starvation or not, serum thyroid hormone levels of both group markedly more decreased than control rats. These experiment provide additional evidence that thyroid gland and the peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormone respond to variety situations such as cold or hot exposure together with starvation or not.     

Reactivity of palladium nanoparticles supported on a microemulsion-based organogel network in supercritical carbon dioxide

Palladium (Pd) nanoparticles were prepared using the phase transfer method and coated with alkylamines as stabilizing agents stably dispersed in nonpolar solvents. Spherical Pd nanoparticles with an average diameter of 4 nm and a relatively narrow size distribution were obtained using hexylamine or dodecylamine, and they were successfully incorporated in microemulsion-based gelatin organogel (OG); also, an OG network containing Pd nanoparticles was prepared via drying. For the Mizoroki-Heck cross-coupling reaction of iodobenzene with methyl acrylate in supercritical carbon dioxide, the Pd nanoparticles in the OG network exhibited much higher reactivity than those in powder state. Preparation conditions of OG (e.g., gelatin concentration) affected the apparent reactivity of the supported Pd nanoparticles. The Pd nanoparticles in the OG network with high gelatin concentration were recycled with no appreciable change of reactivity. In contrast, the reactivity of the Pd nanoparticles with low gelatin concentration decreased during recycling.     

Uptake behavior of americium on alginic acid and alginate polymer gels

The uptake behavior of Am³⁺ was investigated by using alginic acid and alginate polymer gels. The affinity of radioactive nuclides for carboxyl groups in gel matrices increased in the order of Na⁺ < Cs⁺ < Co²⁺ < Pd²⁺, Sr²⁺, Fe³⁺ < Eu³⁺, Am³⁺. Among alginate gels, calcium alginate exhibited relatively higher uptake rate and distribution coefficient of Am³⁺. The column packed with calcium alginate beads was effective for the removal of trace amounts of Am³⁺ from acidic nitrate solutions.