Synthesis of novel photo-cross-linkable polymers with redissolution property

p-Styrenesulfonate derivatives having cycloaliphatic epoxide in a molecule, were synthesized. Oligomerization of the monomers and co-polymerization of the novel monomers with tert-butyl methacrylate were carried out. When the polymer films containing a photoacid generator (PAG) were irradiated, they became insoluble in solvents. The insoluble films became soluble in water on baking at 120-200 °C. The insolubilization and redissolution profiles were strongly affected by the structure of the monomer, irradiation and baking conditions, and a type of PAG used. The reaction mechanism was studied by TGA analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy.     

Automated synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography: an apparatus for [1-11C] labeled carboxylic acid

A fully automated apparatus for the synthesis and formulation of short-lived ¹¹C (t_1/2 = 20 min)-labeled carboxylic acids for positron emission tomograpy (PET) has been developed. Injectable solutions of [1-¹¹C]acetic acid, [1-¹¹C]octanoic acid and [1-¹¹C]palmitic acid wilh radioactivities of 6.36-8.29 GBq, 0.070-1.43 GBq and 0.42-0.89 GBq were obtained. The preparation time was under 40 min after the end of bombardment. An automatic washing function means that labeled compound of the same or different kinds can be produced several times a day without any maintenance of the system. The control system is sited away from the ‘hot laboratory’, so operator exposure to radiation is minimized.     

Subsolidus Phase Relations in the Pseudoternary System ZrO2-YO1.5-CrO1.5 in Air

The pseudoternary system ZrO₂-YO_1.5CrO_1.5 was studied between 1300° and 1600C in air by °a quenching method. No ordered phase of the type ZrY₆O₁₁ was detected, but an ordered Zr₃Y₄O₁₂ phase at 1300°C and YCrO₃ were observed as intermediate compounds. Solid solutions ofZrO₂ and YO_1.5 coexisting with CrO_1.5 and/or YCrO₃ formed; the apex occurred between 26.5 and 27.5 wt% YO_1.5 for the cubic ZrO₂+CrO_1.5+YCrO₃, three-phase region; CrO_1.5 is slightly soluble in ZrO₂(ss).     

A generalized one-parameter redlich-kwong equation for vapor-liquid equilibrium calculations

The two modified parameters previously proposed for the Redlich-Kwong (RK) equation of state are simplified and reduced to a one-parameter model, and extended to vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) calculations involving supercritical components. However, the original RK parameters are still treated as temperature- and substance-dependent. In this investigation, this parameter is generalized in terms of T_r and Ω. The values obtained from the generalized correlation are suitable for calculating VLE data at T ≤ T_c for all components, and at temperatures where some of the components are in the supercritical region. The validity of the generalized correlation is supported by its ability to represent saturated properties of the pure components and to predict VLE data for five binary systems at 58 isothermal conditions, and one ternary system at two isothermal conditions.     

Polymorphisms of the CYP1A1 and glutathione S-transferase genes associated with susceptibility to lung cancer in relation to cigarette dose in a Japanese population

An association of lung cancer susceptibility with an MspI restriction site polymorphism of the CYP1A1 gene was reported in our previous study. This polymorphism has been subsequently found to be closely linked to another isoleucine-valine (Ile-Val) polymorphism, which resulted in an Ile-Val amino acid replacement in the heme-binding region of P4501A1. We report here that genetic risk for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung was associated with these two polymorphisms of the CYP1A1 gene in terms of genotype frequencies and cigarette-smoking dose and that a more increased risk was observed for the individuals with "susceptible" genotypes of CYP1A1 combined with a deficient genotype of a mu-class glutathione S-transferase (GST1), which detoxifies the electrophilic metabolites of aromatic hydrocarbon procarcinogens activated by P4501A1. We first compared the total amounts of cigarettes consumed during a lifetime among 85 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, whose CYP1A1 and GST1 genes were identified. The patients with a susceptible homozygote of each of the MspI and Ile-Val polymorphisms contracted the carcinoma after smoking fewer cigarettes than those with other genotypes. When the GST1 polymorphism was taken into account, the cumulative cigarette amounts in combined genotyping of the two genes showed distinct differences, resulting in the lowest cigarette dose observed for the patients with a susceptible MspI or Ile-Val genotype of CYP1A1 combined with a deficient GST1 homozygote. Next, a case-control study revealed that the individuals with the susceptible MspI or Ile-Val genotype combined with deficient GST1 were at remarkably high risk with an odds ratio of 16.00 or 41.00, respectively (95% confidence interval, 3.76-68.02 or 8.68-193.61, respectively), at a low dose level of cigarette smoking.     

Characterization of the DNA binding domain of the mouse IRF-2 protein

The DNA binding domain of the interferon regulatory factor-2protein (IRF-2) has been produced and characterized, -chymotrypsindigestion of the purified IRF-2 protein bound to a syntheticbinding site yields a peptide fragment of 14 K in molecularweight. N-terminal analysis of this peptide fragment showedthat its sequence is the same as that of the intact IRF-2. Apeptide fragment of {small tilde} 14 K, IRF-2(113), which correspondsto the N-terminal 113 amino acids of the intact IRF-2 protein,has been expressed in a functional form in Escherichia coli.The first methionine was processed during the expression andthe purified IRF-2(113) thus contains 112 amino acids. DNaseI footprinting and gel retardation assaying showed that IRF-2(113)binds to a synthetic DNA having the consensus binding site andto the upstream regulatory sequence of the IFN-ß geneas intact IRF-2 does. These results showed that this peptidefragment, IRF-2(113), may be a good material for investigationof the DNA binding domain of IRF-2 and of the DNA–proteininteraction.     

Decomposition of Perfluorinated Compounds in Water by DC Plasma within Oxygen Bubbles

Complete decomposition of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) at a concentration of 41.4 mg/L and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) at a concentration of 60 mg/L in water was successfully completed by DC plasma within oxygen bubbles. PFOA and PFOS were decomposed completely after 3‐h operation and 8‐h operation, respectively. The decomposition efficiency was evaluated by measuring the amounts of fluorine ions that were detached from PFOA and PFOS in the solution. As indicated by the measurement of LC/MS, the main byproducts generated during the plasma treatment turned out to be perfluorocarboxylic acids. For practical application, 2‐parallel operation of DC plasma was also demonstrated as a basic technology for a large capacity reactor. The decomposition efficiency of 2‐parallel operation was at the same level as that of single operation.     

Satellite-Based Energy Balance for Mapping Evapotranspiration with Internalized Calibration (METRIC)—Applications

Recent satellite image processing developments have provided the means to calculate evapotranspiration (ET) as a residual of the surface energy balance to produce ET “maps.” These ET maps (i.e., images) provide the means to quantify ET on a field by field basis in terms of both the rate and spatial distribution. The ET images show a progression of ET during the year or growing season as well as its spatial distribution. The mapping evapotranspiration at high resolution with internalized calibration (METRIC) is a satellite-based image-processing procedure for calculating ET. METRIC has been applied with high resolution Landsat images in southern Idaho, southern California, and New Mexico to quantify monthly and seasonal ET for water rights accounting, operation of ground water models, and determination of crop coefficient populations and mean curves for common crops. Comparisons between ET by METRIC, ET measured by lysimeter, and ET predicted using traditional methods have been made on a daily and monthly basis for a variety of crop types and land uses. Error in estimated growing season ET was 4% for irrigated meadow in the Bear River basin of Idaho and 1% for an irrigated sugar beet crop near Kimberly, Id. Standard deviation of error for time periods represented by each satellite image averaged about 13 to 20% in both applications. The results indicate that METRIC and similar methods such as SEBAL hold substantial promise as efficient, accurate, and inexpensive procedures to estimate actual evaporation fluxes from irrigated lands throughout growing seasons.     

Lithium isotope effects upon electrochemical lithium insertion to host material from ionic liquid medium

Lithium was electrochemically inserted from a Li⁺ ion containing ionic liquid into graphite or tin to observe lithium isotope effects that accompanied the insertion. While no preferential uptake of the lithium isotopes was detected with graphite, the lighter isotope, ⁶Li, was preferentially fractionated into tin with the single-stage lithium isotope separation factors, S, ranging from 1.004 to 1.008 at 25 °C. It was speculated that a Li⁺ ion was inserted into graphite together with an anionic component of the ionic liquid and, upon the reduction of the Li⁺ ion to a lithium atom, the anion was released from graphite, while a Li⁺ ion alone was inserted into tin. Molecular orbital calculations supported this speculation in a qualitative fashion.     

Updating of adventitious fuel pin failure frequency in sodium-cooled fast reactors and probabilistic risk assessment on consequent severe accident in Monju

Experimental studies, deterministic approaches and probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) on local fault (LF) propagation in sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) have been performed in many countries because LFs have been historically considered as one of the possible causes of severe accidents. Adventitious-fuel-pin-failures (AFPFs) have been considered to be the most dominant initiators of LFs in these PRAs because of their high frequency of occurrence during reactor operation and possibility of fuel-element-failure-propagation (FEFP). A PRA on FEFP from AFPF (FEFPA) in the Japanese prototype SFR (Monju) was performed in this study based on the state-of-the-art knowledge, reflecting the most recent operation procedures under off-normal conditions. Frequency of occurrence of AFPF in SFRs which was the initiating event of the event tree in this PRA was updated using a variety of methods based on the above-mentioned latest review on experiences of this phenomenon. As a result, the frequency of occurrence of, and the core damage frequency (CDF) from, AFPF in Monju was significantly reduced to a negligible magnitude compared with those in the existing PRAs. It was, therefore concluded that the CDF of FEFPA in Monju could be comprised in that of anticipated transient without scram or protected loss of heat sink events from both the viewpoint of occurrence probability and consequences.