Basic studies on an immunoradiometric assay system for human parathyrin (intact PTH1-84)

Two-site immunoradiometric assay for human parathyrin (PTH1-84) is specific for the intact, secreted, biologically active 84 amino peptide. This system incorporates two-different polyclonal antibodies to human intact PTH and has several technical advantages for use. This assay could detect a wide range of PTH in patients with hypo-, hyperparathyroidism, chronic renal failure and hypercalcemia with malignancy, especially distinguishing the level of human intact PTH in hypoparathyroidism from in normal.     

Helium-3 activation analysis of oxygen in silicon nitride films on silicon wafers

Oxygen in silicon nitride films on silicon wafers was analyzed by activation with the¹⁶O(³He, p)¹⁸F reaction. By³He bombardment of samples propertly arranged under consideration of the¹⁸F recoil effect, total oxygen was reliably determined and its predominant part was estimated to be located whether on film surface, in film interior, or on film-substrate interface. Sample films with 0.1 to 2 μm thicknesses were found to contain 0.2 to 2 μg/cm² of oxygen in locations varying with preparation conditions. This method has been compared with ESCA and other methods for surface analysis.     

A simple HPLC method for simultaneous determination of lopinavir,ritonavir and efavirenz

We developed a simple HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of lopinavir (LPV), ritonavir (RTV) and efavirenz (EFV) to evaluate the efficiency of co-administration of LPV/RTV and EFV in Japanese patients enrolled in a clinical study. The monitoring of LPV plasma concentration is important because co-administration of LPV/RTV with EFV sometimes decreases plasma concentrations of LPV caused by EFV activation of cytochrome P-450 3A. A solution of acetonitrile, methanol and tetramethylammonium perchlorate (TMAP) in dilute aqueous trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) has been used as the mobile phase in a HPLC method to elute LPV and RTV. We found that a solvent ratio of 45 : 5 : 50 (v/v/v) of acetonitrile/methanol/0.02 M TMAP in 0.2% TFA optimized separation of LPV, RTV and EFV. A column temperature of 30 degrees C was necessary for the reproducibility of the analyses. Standard curves were linear in the range 0.060 to 24.06 micro g/ml for LPV, 0.010 to 4.16 micro g/ml for RTV, and 0.047 to 37.44 micro g/ml for EFV. Coefficients of variation (CVs) of LPV, RTV and EFV in intraday and interday assays ranged from 1.5 to 4.0%, 2.5 to 16.8% and 1.0 to 7.7%, respectively. Accuracies ranged from 100 to 110%, 101 to 116% and 99 to 106% for LPV, RTV and EFV, respectively. The extraction recoveries were 77-87, 77-83 and 81-91% for LPV, RTV and EFV, respectively.     

Spin fluctuation theory of ferromagnetic metals

Ferromagnetic metals at finite temperatures are discussed using the functional integral method along the lines of the unifield spin fluctuation theory of Moriya and Takahashi. We develop a simple approach which makes use of only the density of states but still takes account of the nonlocal nature of the spin fluctuations with the aid of a single-site coherent potential approximation. The effect of the charge density fluctuation is also taken into account within the saddle point approximation. The results of numerical calculations for various model densities of states including those for bcc and fcc d-metals are presented. Particularly, the Curie temperatures and the Curie-Weiss magnetic susceptibilities for Fe, Co and Ni seem to be fairly well reproduced.     

Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy of 1,1-dimethylsilacyclobutane. Interplay of two types of large-amplitude motions: two-top internal rotation and ring puckering

1,1-Dimethylsilacyclobutane, abbreviated as DMSCB, was investigated by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy, by paying special attention to two types of large-amplitude motions in the molecule: two-top internal rotation and four-membered ring puckering and also to the coupling between the two. In order to clarify the unique feature of the internal dynamics in DMSCB in detail, two independent approaches were employed, one being a combination of a standard two-top theory of internal rotation and an established theory of ring puckering and the other a theory of large-amplitude motions developed by Hougen and his collaborators. In accordance with predictions by the two approaches based on symmetry consideration, the observed rotational spectra were found split into eight (or six when AE/EA lines were not resolved) components, which were assigned to the two-top states of AA, AE, EA, and EE symmetry, each being further split by puckering into two: the symmetric and antisymmetric states. The analyses by two approaches gave spectroscopic results, which were in good agreement with each other. The spectroscopic data on the normal species, combined with those on Si and C isotopic species, yielded molecular structure parameters including the puckering angle (the dihedral angle between the CSiC and CCC planes) of 28.64° or 30.26° (two possible sets). The splitting between the two lowest puckering states was determined to be 11.90(22) MHz, which led, with the equilibrium puckering angle, to the potential barrier to puckering of 395.3 or 347.0 cm⁻¹ for the two sets, respectively, which was slightly lower than the value 440 cm⁻¹ in a “parent” molecule: silacylcobutane. The first-order terms of the coupling between CH₃ internal rotation and overall rotation were converted to the barrier to internal rotation of 567.8 and 505.1 cm⁻¹ in the AE (two methyl groups rotating in the same direction, as viewed from Si) and EA (two methyl groups rotating in the opposite direction) states, respectively, which corresponded to the torsional frequencies of 154 and 144 cm⁻¹, at variance with the Raman data of 177 and 172 cm⁻¹, previously reported in literature.     

PHOTOLUMINESCENCE AND RAMAN SCATTERING OF PURE GERMANIUM/SILICON SHORT PERIOD SUPERLATTICE

Pure Ge/Si short period superlattice (SPS) samples grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy (GS-MBE) were studied by photoluminescence and Raman scattering. For SPS samples with Germanium layer thickness (L_Ge) of 1.5 monolayer (ML), a new band of photoluminescence is observed for silicon layer thickness (L_Si) in an intermediate range of 1.9-2.9 nm. In contrast to pure Ge/Si quantum wells, the energy of the new band shows a red-shift with the increase of L_Si. Raman scattering results show that when the intensity of the photoluminescence of the new band reaches a maximum, the Raman shift relating the vibration of Si-Si reaches a minimum. It is therefore considered that the new band of the pure Ge/Si SPS is related with some kind of strain relaxation process.     

Grazing‐incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering from Ge nanodots self‐organized on Si(001) examined with soft X‐rays

Grazing‐incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering (GISAXS) measurements with soft X‐rays have been applied to Ge nanodots capped with a Si layer. Spatially anisotropic distribution of nanodots resulted in strongly asymmetric GISAXS patterns in the q_y direction in the soft X‐ray region, which have not been observed with conventional hard X‐rays. However, such apparent differences were explained by performing a GISAXS intensity calculation on the Ewald sphere, i.e. taking the curvature of Ewald sphere into account.