A dominance-based rough set approach applied to evaluate the credit risk of sovereign bonds

4OR - Even though sovereign bonds represent low-risk alternatives that give investors a healthy income, the risk assessment process for these bonds is still considered subjective because of the...     

The inclusion of rhodium(II)α-methyl-cinnamate in β-cyclodextrin

The preparation and characterization of the 1:1 inclusion compound of rhodium(II) -methyl cinnamate in -cyclodextrin is reported. Evidence of inclusion was obtained from X-ray powder diffraction results, Raman, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic studies and thermal analysis. Given the potential antitumor activity of the rhodium(II) carboxylate and its virtual insolubility in water, its inclusion in -cyclodextrin opens the possibility for its transference to the aqueous phase.     

Determination of alpha contaminated soil profiles using Nuclear Track Detectors

Nuclear Track Detectors (NTD's) are a useful option forin situ measurements of the distribution of alpha contamination as a function of soil depth. The contamination profile of alpha emitting elements, e.g. Pu, Am and U, can be determined by detecting their alpha emission at varying depths. This paper discusses a stake type device, containing strips of CR-39 (allyl diglycol carbonate) that can be inserted into the soil up to ten centimeters or more, depending on the firmness of the soil. The CR-39 is exposed directly to the contaminated soil for a few hours. The stake is then withdrawn from the soil, the plastic detectors recovered and the alpha tracks developed by chemical etching with KOH. The distribution of tracks can be used to determine the alpha contamination depth profile as well as for detecting hot spots. It has a sensitivity of less than a pCi/g of soil.Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract W-7405-ENG-48.