Determination of Th and U at ppt levels in a neutral hot spring water by neutron activation analysis

Neutron activation analysis was successfully applied to the determination of Th and U at ppt levels in a neutral hot spring water. Blank test corrections were found to be essential to reach the final determined values. Normal NAA is a better method for the Th determination than epithermal NAA, while both NAAs are nearly equally effective for U determination.     

Diffusion controlled formation of husk-like microcapsules

 Solid microspheres consisting of thermal heterocomplex molecules made from heating a mixture of aspartic acid and proline were transformed into husk-like microcapsules in their aqueous suspensions when pH value increased. The thickness of the outer shell of the husk-like microcapsule decreased as pH increased. Formation of the husk-like microcapsules is discussed to be due to both diffusion of the constituent molecules from the inside of the microspheres and conformational changes of those molecules in the process. Received: 16 October 1996 Accepted: 16 January 1997     

Recent progress of high-power negative ion beam development for fusion plasma heating

A negative-ion-based neutral beam injector (N-NBI) has been constructed for JT-60U. The N-NBI is designed to inject 500 keV, 10 MW neutral beams using two ion sources, each producing a 500 keV, 22 A D⁻ ion beam. In the preliminary experiment using one ion source, a D⁻ ion beam of 13.5 A has been successfully accelerated with an energy of 400 keV (5.4 MW) for 0.12 s at an operating pressure of 0.22 Pa. This is the highest D⁻ beam current and power in the world. Co-extracted electron current was effectively suppressed to the ratio of Ie/I_D⁻ < 1. The highest energy beam of 460 keV, 2.4 A, 0.44 s has also been obtained. To realize 1 MeV class NBI system for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), demonstration of ampere class negative ion beam acceleration up to 1 MeV is an important mile stone. To achieve the mile stone, a prototype accelerator and a 1 MV, 1 A test facility called MeV Test Facility (MTF) were constructed. Up to now, an H⁻ ion beam was accelerated up to the energy of 805 keV with an acceleration drain current of 150 mA for 1 s in a five stage electrostatic multi-aperture accelerator.     

A novel anthracene-based fluorescent colorimetric sensor for the simple naked-eye diagnosis of methylmalonic aciduria

A novel molecular sensor using anthracene bearing two amidopyridines emits blue fluorescence in the presence of succinic acid and green fluorescence in the presence of malonic acid, and its fluorescence intensity increased upon binding. Using this molecular sensor, we succeeded in detecting the difference of one carbon atom between succinic acid and malonic acid with the naked-eye. Furthermore, when methylmalonic acid was dissolved in urine to provide a model system for methylmalonic aciduria, the fluorescence changed from blue to green, and methylmalonic acid was successfully detected with the naked-eye.     

Measurement of the enthalpy of phase transition for iron chevrel phase sulphide in the temperature range from 300 to 500 K

Enthalpy increment H_T-H_289K measurements have been made on iron Chevrel phase sulphide Fe₂Mo₆S_7.8, in the temperature range 300 to 500 K by the drop method using a hightemperature Calvet-type twin calorimeter. The first-order phase transition of this sulphide from a triclinic (low-temperature phase) to a rhombohedral (high-temperature phase) occurred at 375 K, and the enthalpy was evaluated to be 6.0 kJ/mol. The heat capacities of iron Chevrel phase sulphide Fe₂Mo₆S_7.8 were also calculated before and after the phase transition.

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Zusammenfassung Nach der Tropfenmethode wurden mittels eines Hochtemperaturdoppelkalorimeters vom Typ Calvet im Temperaturbereich 300–500 K an Fe₂Mo₆S_7.8Messungen der Enthalpieinkremente H_T-H_298K durchgeführt. Die Phasenumwandlung erster Ordnung bei diesem Sulfid von der triklinen (Niedertemperaturphase) in die rhomboedrische (Hoch-temperaturphase) erfolgt bei 375 K und die Enthalpie erhielt man mit einem Wert von 6.0 kJ/mol. Die Wärmekapazitäten für Fe₂Mo₆S_7.8 wurden sowohl vor als auch nach der Phasenumwandlung berechnet.

     

α-Trifluoromethyl Chalcones as Potent Anticancer Agents for Androgen Receptor-Independent Prostate Cancer

α-Trifluoromethyl chalcones were prepared and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines as well as five additional types of human tumor cell lines. The most potent chalcone 5 showed superior antitumor activity in vivo with both oral and intraperitoneal administration at 3 mg/kg. Cell-based mechanism of action studies demonstrated that 5 induced cell accumulation at sub-G1 and G2/M phases without interfering with microtubule polymerization. Furthermore, several cancer cell growth-related proteins were identified by using chalcone 5 as a bait for the affinity purification of binding proteins.     

An intramolecular diels-alder approach to quassinoids—a stereoselective construction of a-aromatic klaineanone

Thermolysis of a benzocyclobutene derivative ($\text{20}$) prepared from norcamphor produced stereoselectively a tetracyclic compound ($\text{2}$), which was converted to a lactone ($\text{21}$) having correct stereochemistry at C₇, C₈, C₉, C₁₁, C₁₃, and C₁₄ positions of (±)-klaineanone.     

Extremely low vertical-emittance beam in the accelerator test facility at KEK

Electron beams with the lowest, normalized transverse emittance recorded so far were produced and confirmed in single-bunch-mode operation of the Accelerator Test Facility at KEK. We established a tuning method of the damping ring which achieves a small vertical dispersion and small x-y orbit coupling. The vertical emittance was less than 1% of the horizontal emittance. At the zero-intensity limit, the vertical normalized emittance was less than 2.8 x 10(-8) rad m at beam energy 1.3 GeV. At high intensity, strong effects of intrabeam scattering were observed, which had been expected in view of the extremely high particle density due to the small transverse emittance.