Uptake and excretion of total inorganic arsenic by the freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris

Arsenic-tolerant freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris which had been collected from an arsenicpolluted environment were tested for uptake and excretion of inorganic arsenic. Approximately half the quantity of arsenic taken up by C. vulgaris was estimated to be adhered to the extraneous coat (10 wt %) of the cell. The remainder was bioaccumulated by the cell. Both adhered and accumulated arsenic concentrations increased with an increase in arsenic(V) concentration of the aqueous phase. Arsenic(V) accumulation was affected by the growth phse: arsenic was most actively accumulated when the cell was exposed to arsenic during the early exponential phase and then accumulation decreased with an increase in culture time exposed to arsenic. The alga grew well in the modified Detmer (MD) medium containing 1 mg As(III) dm^?3 and the growth curve was approximated by a ‘logistic equation’. Arsenic(III) was accumulated up to the second day of the culture time and arsenic(III) accumulation decreased with an increase in the culture time after that. Arsenic accumulation was also largely affected by various nutrients, especially by managanese, iron and phosphorus compounds. A modified MD medium with the three nutrients was proposed for the purpose of effective removal of arsenic from the aqueous phase. Using radioactive arsenate (Na₂H⁷⁴AsO₄), the arsenic accumulated was found to be readily excreted under conditions which were unfavourable for the multiplication of C. vulgaris.     

Temperature dependence of aluminum nitride reflectance spectra in vacuum ultraviolet region

Temperature dependence of optical reflectance spectra in vacuum ultraviolet region for aluminum nitride has been measured on high-quality single crystal with synchrotron radiation. The dominant structure due to the interband transition is observed at photon energy around 7.7 eV. With decreasing temperature, the energy position of the dominant structure in the reflectance spectra shifts towards higher energy. The experimental data has been fitted to the Bose-Einstein expression and the obtained parameter related to the strength of the electron-phonon interactions is much smaller than that for the peak at 6.2 eV, suggesting that the higher-lying interband transition energy decreases more slowly with increasing temperature in aluminum nitride (AlN).     

Jolkinolide D pharmacophore: synthesis and reaction with biomolecules

To obtain information on the chemical modification of biomolecules with jolkinolide D, a bioactive diterpenoid of plant origin, jolkinolide D pharmacophore was synthesized, and its reactivity toward amino acids, nucleosides, and DNA was investigated.     

Short-step synthesis of tamoxifen and its derivatives via the three-component coupling reaction and migration of the double bond

The anti-tumor agent, tamoxifen, is easily synthesized by the successive allylation of benzaldehyde and the Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction of anisole with the intermediary homoallyl silyl ethers, followed by the migration of the double bond to form the desired tetra-substituted ethylenes. Several derivatives of tamoxifen are also produced according to a similar synthetic strategy.     

Quantum Hall effect in back-gated InAs/GaSb heterostructures under a tilted magnetic field

We investigate the quantum Hall effect (QHE) in the InAs/GaSb hybridized electron–hole system grown on a conductive InAs substrate which act as a back-gate. In these samples, the electron density is constant and the hole density is controlled by the gate-voltage. Under a magnetic field perpendicular to the sample plane, the QHE appears along integer Landau-level (LL) filling factors of the net-carriers, where the net-carrier density is the difference between the electron and hole densities. In addition, longitudinal resistance maxima corresponding to the crossing of the extended states of the original electron and hole LLs make the QHE regions along integer-ν_net discontinuous. Under tilted magnetic fields, these R_xx maxima disappear in the high magnetic field region. The results show that the in-plane magnetic field component enhances the electron–hole hybridization and the formation of minigaps at LL crossings.     

Growth process of TiC clusters from Ti nanoparticles with evaporated carbon layer

Titanium carbide formation by the solid–solid reaction on the surface of Ti nanoparticles was studied in situ using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope with a heating stage. The cross-sectional image of the Ti surface was clearly observed. Vacuum-deposited carbon covered the whole the surface of Ti nanoparticles in spite of the partly evaporation on the nanoparticle surface. The diffusion of the carbon atoms inside the Ti nanoparticles depended on the size of the nanoparticles. When the Ti nanoparticle diameter was less than 30 nm, carbon atoms diffused into the Ti nanoparticle and formed TiC. The superstructure of the Ti nanoparticles was observed, which revealed the growth process of TiC to be the diffusion of carbon atoms. For Ti nanoparticles with diameter larger than 30 nm it was observed that diffusion of Ti atoms into the carbon layer was dominant, which resulted in formation of TiC in the carbon layer at the surface of Ti nanoparticles.     

Reduction of dislocation density and improvement of optical quality in ZnO layers by MgO-buffer annealing

Optical properties of ZnO thin films with/without MgO-buffer annealing were investigated by low and room temperature photoluminescence measurements. The ZnO films were grown on c-sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy employing a thin MgO-buffer layer. Dislocation density of ZnO layer was reduced from 5.3 × 10⁹ to 1.9 × 10⁹ cm⁻² by annealing MgO-buffer prior to the growth of ZnO. The intensity of free exciton emission from the sample with MgO-buffer annealing was almost twice of that from the sample without annealing, while the deep level emission from the sample with MgO-buffer annealing was about 1/3 of that without annealing. The MgO-buffer annealing improves optical quality of overgrown ZnO films.     

Diene complexes of early transition metals: ideas and progresses at Osaka University

Historical perspectives for the chemistry of diene complexes of early transition metals developed at Osaka University in the period after 1970s were reviewed briefly and personally. Preparative chemistry of this field commenced from the magnesium-diene 1:1 compounds and quickly extended to almost all the early transition metals. By the studies operated together with other researchers, unique features of these diene complexes, especially their bonding and structure, selective reactions, and catalysis performances are described.     

Permeability,permselectivity, and penetrant‐induced plasticization in fluorinated polyimides studied by positron lifetime measurements

The ortho‐positronium (o‐Ps) lifetime τ₃ and its intensity I₃ in various fluorinated polyimides were determined by the positron annihilation technique and were studied with the spin–lattice relaxation time T₁ and the propylene permeability, solubility, diffusivity, and permselectivity for propylene/propane in them. τ₃, I₃, and the distribution of τ₃ changed when the bulky moieties in the polyimides were changed. The polyimides, having both large τ₃ and I₃ values, exhibited a short T₁ and a high permeability with a low permselectivity. The propylene permeability and diffusivity were exponentially correlated with the product of I₃ and the average free‐volume hole size estimated from τ₃. In highly plasticized states induced by the sorption of propylene, the permeability increased with the propylene pressure in excellent agreement with the change in the free‐volume hole properties probed by o‐Ps. The large and broad distribution of the free‐volume holes and increased local chain mobility for the 2,2‐bis(3,4‐decarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane dianhydride‐based polyimides are thought to be important physical properties for promoting penetrant‐induced plasticization. These results suggest that o‐Ps is a powerful probe of not only the free‐volume holes but also the corresponding permeation mechanism and penetrant‐induced plasticization phenomenon. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 308–318, 2003     

WIDE RANGE DETECTOR USING PARABOLIC CYLINDRICAL MIRROR FOR THz APPLICATIONS

A new, wide-band, high-speed and high-sensitivity THz detector has been developed. The prototype detector consists of a parabolic cylindrical mirror, a long wire antenna and a Schottky barrier diode. Direct detection measurements have shown a stable sensitivity of 150 ± 50 V/W for 1–2 THz without any adjustments. The long wire antenna was fixed at the focus of parabolic cylindrical mirror then it has been realized less operation steps, easy coupling to the external THz signals and a dramatic enhancement in the practicality of this system. The optically polished mirror and frosted surface one showed comparable sensitivities, thus easy polishing and less cost mirror fabrication can be applied for this system. The radiation pattern showed a maximum radiation angle of approximately 23° with its dominant main lobe, which was attributed to the wire antenna character and confirmed good agreements with classical antenna theory.