A fast method to measure the thickness of removed layer from etching of SSNTD based on EDXRF

Solid state nuclear track detectors are commonly used for measurements of concentrations of radon gas and/or radon progeny. All these measurements depend critically on the thickness of the removed layer during etching. However, the thickness of removed layer calculated using the etching period does not necessarily provide a sufficiently accurate measure of the thickness. For example, the bulk etch rate depends on the strength of stirring during etching for the LR 115 detector. We propose here to measure the thickness of the removed layer by using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. In the present work, a reference silver nitrate pellet is placed beneath the LR 115 detector, and the fluorescence X-ray intensity for silver is then measured. We have found a linear relationship between the X-ray intensity and the thickness of the removed layer for LR 115 detector. This provides a fast method to measure the thickness of removed layer from etching of LR 115 detector. However, this method was found to be inapplicable for the CR-39 detector. Therefore, alternative methods have yet to be explored for the CR-39 detector.     

STABLE DOUBLE LR ALGORITHM AND ITS ERROR ANALYSIS

In this paper, the normative matrices and their double LR transformation with origin shifts are defined, and the essential relationship between the double LR transformation of a normative matrix and the QR transformation of the related symmetric tridiagonal matrix is proved. We obtain a stable double LR algorithm for double LR transformation of normative matrices and give the error analysis of our algorithm. The operation number of the stable double LR algorithm for normative matrices is only four sevenths of the rational QR algorithm for reed symmetric tridiagonal matrices.     

Chemical analysis of microcystins RR and LR in cyanobacterium using a prepacked cyano cartridge

Summary A new method for the determination of microcystins PR and LR in cyanobacterium was developed using cyano-type prepacked cartridges. The microcystins were extracted with 10% acetic acid and the extract applied to a Baker 10 cyano cartridge. After elution from the cartridge with 0.5M acetic acid-acetonitrile (19) the microcystins were determined by HPLC. Better recoveries and chromatograms were observed than with ODS cartridges.     

Analysis of cyanobacterial toxins (anatoxin-a, cylindrospermopsin, microcystin-LR) by capillary electrophoresis

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) were applied to the simultaneous separation of cyanobacterial toxins (anatoxin-a, microcystin-LR, cylindrospermopsin). The analytical performance data of both methods, optimized for the three toxins, were similar with a precision of migration times smaller than 0.8 RSD% and a detection limit in the range of 1-4 microg/mL, using spectrophotometric detection at 230 nm. Both methods were applied to an analysis of cyanotoxins in water bloom samples and crude cyanobacterial extracts. The results obtained indicate that, for complex matrices, the sequential application of CZE and MEKC is necessary. It is recommended to use both CE techniques for the analysis of the same sample in order to confirm the results by an orthogonal approach.     

SYNTHESIS OF POLYFUSED THIENO(2,3-b)THIOPHENES PART 1: SYNTHESIS OF THIENOPYRIMIDINE DERIVATIVES

Abstract

3,4-Diamino-2,5-dicarbethoxythieno(2.3-b)thiophene 1 reacted with malononitrile or ethyl cyanoacetate to afford bis(thienopyrimidin-4-one) derivatives 2_a.b The reaction of compound 1 with o-aminothiophenol, o-aminophenol or o-phenylenediamine gave benzothiazolyl-, benzoxazolyl-, benzoimidazolylthienothiophene 3_a-c, Chloroacetylation of compound 1 and reacting the resulting compound 4 with malononitrile furnished thienopyrolopyrimidine 6. Fusion of compound 1 with formamide yielded bis(thienopyrimidine) 7 which reacted with POCI₃/PCl₅ to yield the corresponding chloro derivative 8 which was converted into the corresponding hydrazine derivative 9. Treatment of compound 1 with CS₂, NaOH and 1,2 dibromoethane produced the corresponding 1.3 dithiolane 11 which also treated with chloroacetyl chloride or ethyl mercaptoacetate to get the corresponding β-lactame 12 or thiazolidinone 13. On reacting compound 1 with CS₂, NaOH and (CH₃)₂S0₄ produced the corresponding bi(dithiocarbamate methyl ester) 14 which treated with hydrazine hydrate to yield the corresponding bis(thienopyrimidine) derivative 15. This compound reacted with Lawesson's reagent (LR) to give the desired compounds 16 and 17. While its reaction with (CH₃)₂ SO₄ and NaOH furnished the corresponding methyl derivative 18. Fusion of compound 18 with aniline afforded compound 19. Compound 19 was allowed to react with ethyl acetoacetate, acetylacetone, α-oxoketene dithioacetal, ethoxymethylene malononitrile or LR to get the described compounds 2O_a.b-24 respectively.     

Simultaneous derivatization and air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction of some aliphatic amines in different aqueous samples followed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection

The paper presents a new method based on simultaneous derivatization and air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction (AALLME) for the extraction and preconcentration of some aliphatic amines prior to gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Primary aliphatic amines are derivatized and extracted simultaneously by a fast reaction with butylchloroformate (derivatization agent/extraction solvent) under mild conditions. The mixture of butylchloroformate and aqueous sample solution is rapidly sucked into a 10-mL glass syringe and then is injected into a test tube with conical bottom and the procedure is repeated seven times. After centrifuging the resulted cloudy solution, the derivatized analytes in the sedimented phase are determined by GC-FID. The influence of main factors on the efficiency of derivatization/extraction procedure is studied. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factors (EFs) for aliphatic amines are obtained in the range of 248–360 and limits of detection (LODs) are between 0.30 and 2.6 μg L⁻¹. The obtained extraction recoveries ranged from 50 to 72% and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 4.8% for intra-day (n = 6) and inter-days (n = 4) precision. The method is successfully applied to determine some aliphatic amines in environmental water samples.     

Comparison of responses of LR-115A, CR-39 and PM-355 track detectors to pulsed low-energy proton streams

The paper concerns applications of LR-115A, CR-39 and PM-355 solid-state nuclear-track detectors (SSNTDs) for investigation of pulsed fluxes of protons below 300 keV. The proton streams were generated by the RPI-IBIS device operated with hydrogen puffing [Baranowski et al. 2000. Studies of hydrogen discharges in RPI-type devices with different electrode configurations. Czech. J. Phys. 50 (Suppl. S3), 101–107]. To perform ion mass- and energy-analysis, a Thomson mass-spectrometer equipped with a special input system and exchangeable detectors was used. A quantitative analysis of proton tracks upon Thomson parabolas was performed by means of an optical microscope equipped with a CCD camera. It made possible to measure proton tracks and to determine their statistics. The paper presents proton energy spectra recorded with the selected detectors, and responses of these detectors to protons of energy from about 30 to 300 keV. The results are important for verification of detector characteristics and for measurements of protons at different experimental conditions.     

Src Mediates Epigallocatechin-3-O-Gallate-Elicited Acid Sphingomyelinase Activation

Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) is one of the major bioactive compounds known to be present in green tea. We previously reported that EGCG shows selective toxicity through activation of the protein kinase B (Akt)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)/acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) axis via targeting its receptor 67-kDa laminin receptor (67LR), which is overexpressed in cancer. However, little is known about upstream mechanisms of EGCG-elicited ASM activation. In this study we show that the proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src, also known as c-src, plays a crucial role in the anticancer effect of EGCG. We showed that EGCG elicits phosphorylation of Src at Tyr 416, a crucial phosphorylation site for its activity, and that the pharmacological inhibition of Src impedes the upstream events in EGCG-induced cell death signaling including upregulation of Akt activity, increase in cGMP levels, and activation of ASM. Moreover, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which is involved in the phosphorylation of Src, is colocalized with 67LR. EGCG treatment enhanced interaction of FAK and 67LR. Consistent with these findings, pharmacological inhibition of FAK significantly neutralized EGCG-induced upregulation of Akt activity and activation of ASM. Taken together, FAK/Src play crucial roles in the upstream signaling of EGCG.     

Stopping power of 1.0–2.6 MEV protons in Mylar, Makrofol and cellulose nitrate foils

Stopping powers of 1.0 – 2.6 MeV protons in Mylar, Makrofol and Cellulose nitrate were measured. The results have been compared with scanty experimetnal data in the literature and with calculated values obtained by using the TRIM 92 computer code. These values agree well with each other within uncertainties. In the case of Mylar and LR 115, maximum deviations of 9.5% and 4.5% from the semi-emperical curves were observed. In the case of Makrofol foils, a maximum deviation of 3% was found. Considering the accuracy of theories this discrepancy is not that significant.     

A new reaction of P4S10 and Lawesson's reagent; a new method for the synthesis of dithieno[3,2-b;2,3-d]thiophenes

A new reaction of P₄S₁₀ and Lawesson's reagent for the synthesis of fused thiophenes has been uncovered. It has given easy access to the synthesis of derivatives of the technologically important heterocycle dithieno[3,2-b;2^′,3^′-d]thiophene, DTT. Electrochemical polymerization of one of the derivatives has been demonstrated.