High-throughput characterization of local conductivity of Nd0.9Ca0.1Ba2Cu3O7−δ thin film by the low-temperature scanning microwave microscope

We developed a scanning microwave microscope (SμM) designed for high-throughput electric-property screening as well as for rapid construction of electronic phase diagrams at low temperatures. As a sensor probe, we used a high-Qλ/4 coaxial cavity resonator to which a thin needle with ball-tip end was attached. The sensor module was mounted on the low-temperature XYZ stage, which allowed us to map out the change of resonance frequency and quality factor due to the local tip-sample interaction at low temperatures. From the measurements of combinatorial thin films, such as Ti_1−xCo_xO_2−δ and Nd_0.9Ca_0.1Ba₂Cu₃O_7−δ (NCBCO), it was demonstrated that this SμM system has enough performance for the high-throughput characterization of sample conductance under variable temperature conditions.     

Intake of different chemical species of dietary arsenic by the japanese,and their blood and urinary arsenic levels

We calculated the intake of each chemical species of dietary arsenic by typical Japanese, and determined urinary and blood levels of each chemical species of arsenic. The mean total arsenic intake by 35 volunteers was 195±235 (15.8-1039) μg As day^?1, composed of 76% trimethylated arsenic (TMA), 17.3% inorganic arsenic (As_i), 5.8% dimethylated arsenic (DMA), and 0.8% monomethylated arsenic (MA): the intake of TMA was the largest of all the measured species. Intake of As_i characteristically and invariably occurred in each meal. Of the intake of As_i, 45-75% was methylated in vivo to form MA and DMA, and excreted in these forms into urine. The mean measured urinary total arsenic level in 56 healthy volunteers was 129±92.0 μg As dm^?3, composed of 64.6% TMA, 26.7% DMA, 6.7% As_i and 2.2% MA. The mean blood total arsenic level in the 56 volunteers was 0.73±0.57 μg dl^?1, composed of 73% TMA, 14% DMA and 9.6% As_i. The urinary TMA levels proved to be significantly correlated with the whole-blood TMA levels (r = 0.376; P<0.01).     

Fluorescent humic substances–arsenic complex in well water in areas where blackfoot disease is endemic in Taiwan

The relationship between the four components, (1) fluorescence intensity, (2) arsenic concentration, (3) pH and (4) total dissolved solids, (TDS) measured in well waters from areas in Taiwan where blackfoot disease (BFD) is endemic was studied, as well as the relationships between the four degrees of BFD and each of the above four symptomatic components, in order to evaluate the etiological factors of BFD more progressively. The following 95% confidence intervals were obtained in well water samples (n = 1189): fluorescence intensity, 26.837–32.570; arsenic concentration, 0.103–0.127 mg dm^?3; pH, 7.466–7.519; and TDS 733.063–801.647 mg dm^?3. Fluorescence intensities of the four degrees of BFD were not all the same (F = 64.54, P < 0.001), and nor were arsenic concentrations (F = 72.03, P < 0.001), pH values (F = 7.30, P < 0.001), nor TDS values (F = 10.76, P < 0.001). In addition, multiple comparisons indicate that the higher the epidemical degree, the higher the fluorescence intensities, arsenic concentrations and pH values become; however, such a relationship is not found for TDS values. Moreover, the fluorescence intensities have positive linear correlations with arsenic concentrations (r = 0.49, P < 0.001), pH (r = 0.25, P < 0.001), and TDS (r = 0.18, P < 0.001), as do the arsenic concentrations with pH (r = 0.22, P < 0.001). Of the four epidemical degree groups, pairs are not significantly different from one another in correlation coefficients between fluorescence intensity and arsenic concentration, which implies a steady relationship between fluorescent compounds and arsenic. We conclude that fluorescent compounds in well water, as possible etiological factors of BFD, are closely related to arsenic along with pH and TDS values in the areas where BFD is endemic. In addition, we infer that a complex is formed by fluorescent compounds, arsenic and other metals.     

A SAXS study of the nanometer scale hybrid structure of Si---Ti---C---O amorphous fibers

A small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) study was performed to reveal the nanometer scale hybrid structure of Si---Ti---C---O fibers prepared by the pyrolysis of polytitanocarbosilane. The SAXS profile for Si---Ti---C---O fibers is attributed to two different types of scattering entities: an anisotropic contribution from long filaments with diameters hundreds to thousands of Ångströms and an isotropic contribution from β-SiC fine clusters of about a nanometer in diameter. A drastic degradation in the tensile strength of the fibers is correlated to the characteristic variations in their long-and medium-range structure.     

Crystal structure of the clathrate of 5,12-dihydro-5,12-o-benzenonaphthacene-1,4-dione with benzene (2:1).

In the crystal of the title compound, the quinone fragment of the host (1) participates in weak D-A interactions with a neighboring naphthalene moiety of 1 and with the guest molecule via fairly short intermolecular face-to-face contacts. An intermolecular electrostatic interaction between a quinone-oxygen atom and a neighboring quinone ring is suggested by short O...C contacts. There exist several C-H...O hydrogen bonds, one of which seems to contribute to the formation of a centrosymmetric dimer of 1.     

Preparation of a cyclodextrin dimer linked with a bis(picolinyl)cystine moiety and its intra- and intermolecular inclusion behavior

A novel cyclodextrin (CD) dimer linked with a bis(picolinyl)cystine (Cys) moiety was prepared by the coupling of Boc-protected Cys with amino-modified CDs, followed by deprotection of the Boc groups and bispicolinylation. The dimer showed less affinity to an organic guest molecule compared to that of a native CD monomer. It was attributed to an intramolecular inclusion of the pyridine moiety into CD cavity. The dimer caused significant increase of its organic guest affinity by an addition of a copper ion. The included pyridine group may come out of a CD cavity to bind the copper ion and the two CDs included cooperatively and intermolecularly a guest molecule with high affinity.     

Investigation of the drying conditions for amidosulfuric acid.

The drying conditions for primary standards of volumetric analysis have a significant effect on the titration results due to changes in the purity, stability and homogeneity. Amidosulfuric acid, a strong acid used as a reference material for volumetric analysis in Japan, was dried in a vacuum desiccator or heated at different temperatures, and then measured by Karl-Fischer titration, thermogravimetry/mass spectroscopy (TG-MS), ion chromatography and coulometric titration. The optimum drying conditions were at 50 degrees C for 24 h with crushing.     

The alkaloids from the fruits of the plant Daphniphyllaceae

Six alkaloids have been isolated from the fruits of the plant Daphniphyllaceae. Two of them are new alkaloids, namely methyl homodaphniphyllate (1) and daphnilactone-B (2). The structure of the former was deduced by chemical transformation from daphniphylline (3). The structure of daphnilactone-B was estimated by the exhaustive spectral analysis as well as by chemical evidences, and finally determined by an X-ray crystallographic analysis of the free base.