Abstract: The invention is directed to a system and method for detecting substances, such as explosives and/or drugs, using, in part, short bursts of energy light from a relatively low energy strobe. Embodiments include coupling the strobe with a detector for use in a portable hand-held unit, or a unit capable of being carried as a backpack. Embodiments further include placement of one or more stroboscopic desorption units and detectors in luggage conveyors systems, carry-on X-ray machines, and check-in counter locations.

Abstract: A method for determining a cyclic carbon content in a sample including burning a sample to generate carbon dioxide gas and measuring a total 14C amount in the sample from the carbon dioxide gas; burning the sample to confirm presence or absence of ash; when ash is present, treating the sample with an acid to generate carbon dioxide gas and measuring a 14C amount from the carbon dioxide gas; correcting the total 14C amount in the sample with the 14C amount measured by the acid treatment; and calculating a cyclic carbon content in the sample from the corrected total 14C amount in the sample.

Abstract: A sensor which has high measuring sensitivity and is excellent in response is provided by forming a porous film in a sensitive section of a field-effect transistor. It comprises a porous body, which is formed on a sensitive section (here, a gate insulating film) of the field-effect transistor and has cylindrical pores which are formed almost perpendicularly to a substrate, and the field-effect transistor. It uses as a porous film a porous film which is made of a semiconductor material whose main component (except oxygen) is silicon, germanium, or a composite of silicon and germanium, or a porous film made of an insulation material whose main component is silicon oxide, which has pores perpendicular to the substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for preparing samples of carbon dioxide with a 14C content for analysis in liquid scintillation counting equipment, the sample being of a known mass and being introduced into and substantially wholly absorbed into an absorption “cocktail”, absorption being completed at a stage before saturation of the absorbent occurs. The absorbent is contained in a vial which, when absorption has been completed, is transferred into the scintillation counting equipment without intermediate transfer of the contents.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment is a method and system for performing an automated independent technical review. The method includes receiving an assay result of a radioactive waste container, determining whether the assay result is within a predetermined parameter, determining whether a review is required if the assay result is not within the predetermined parameter and rejecting the assay result if the review is not required and the assay result is not within the predetermined parameter.

Abstract: Methods and kits that use nucleotide analogs to confer increased accuracy and improved resolution in the analysis and sequencing of oligonucleotide mixtures are provided.

Abstract: A method for directly monitoring and controlling a continuous process stream for dechlorination residual is provided. A sample stream to which a dechlorination agent has been added to completely eliminate a residual disinfectant is continuously drawn off. An analyzing agent of iodine is provided by introducing an iodide solution, a chloramine-T solution, and an acetic acid buffer into the sample stream. The reagents quickly react to produce iodine that reacts with any residual disinfectant removal agent residual that may be present. Thereafter, the sample stream is continuously analyzed to determine the amount of unreacted iodine remaining in the process sample. Based on the amount of iodine added to the process sample and the amount of unreacted iodine remaining in the sample after reaction, the amount of dechlorination residual is continuously determined.

Abstract: Entry of .sup.13 C-enriched acetyl-CoA into the citric acid cycle results in scrambling of .sup.13 C into the various carbon positions of all intermediate pools. The eventual result is that the .sup.13 C resonances of all detectable intermediates or molecules exchanging with those intermediates appear as multiplets due to nearest neighbor spin-spin couplings. Isotopomer analysis of the glutamate .sup.13 C multiplets provides a history of .sup.13 C flow through the cycle pools. Relative substrate utilization and relative anaplerotic flux can be quantitated. A major limitation of the method for in vivo applications is spectral resolution of multi-line resonances required for a complete isotopomer analysis. It is now shown that (.sup.13 C)homonuclear decoupling of the glutamate C3 resonance collapses nine-line C4 and C2 resonances into three line multiplets. These three-line .sup.

Abstract: There are disclosed a process for detecting and determining an oxidized lipid in a specimen, which is capable of readily and accurately determining a specimen as containing an oxidized lipid, and a process for forming a water-soluble oxidized lipid having a hydroperoxide group which has specific influence on a living body. A specimen is detected and determined to contain an oxidized lipid by adding a lanthanide shift reagent to a specimen, followed by spectroscopic analysis thereof. An oxidized lipid is formed by adding superoxide dismutase (SOD) and CuSO.sub.4 to (1) an emulsion prepared by dissolving linoleic acid or arachidonic acid in deuterated methyl alcohol and adding the solution to a deuterated phosphate buffer under stirring, or to (2) a low density lipoprotein solution sufficiently dialyzed against an undeuterated phosphate buffer; followed by irradiation with long-wave ultraviolet light.

Abstract: A method of separating strontium from a sample of biomass potentially contaminated with various radionuclides. After the sample is reduced, dissociated, and carried on a first precipitate of actinides, the first precipitate is removed to leave a supernate. Next, oxalic acid is added to the supernate to cause a second precipitate of strontium and calcium. Then, after separating the second precipitate, nitric acid is added to the second precipitate to cause a third precipitate of strontium. The calcium remains in solution and is discarded to leave essentially the precipitate of strontium.

Abstract: A method of assessing a cell's susceptibility to cell-damaging energy, such as ionizing radiation and heat, is disclosed. The method is based on measurable changes in voltage-dependent potassium channel currents in the cell in response to the energy. Also disclosed is a method for screening drugs which are effective to sensitize a cell to cell-damaging radiation.

Abstract: This invention relates to the apparatus, for sequencing natural or recombinant DNA and other polynucleotides. In particular, this invention relates to a method for sequencing polynucleotides based on mass spectrometry to determine which of the four bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine or thymine) is a component of the terminal nucleotide. In particular, the present invention relates to identifying the individual nucleotides by the mass of stable nuclide markers contained within either the dideoxynucleotides, the DNA primer, or the deoxynucleotide added to the primer. This invention is particularly useful in identifying specific DNA sequences in very small quantities in biological products produced by fermentation or other genetic engineering techniques. The invention is therefore useful in evaluating safety and other health concerns related to the presence of DNA in products resulting from genetic engineering techniques.

Abstract: Oxygen in carbonaceous materials is converted to carbon monoxide (CO) by pyrolyzing the material in a stream of oxygen-free helium. The CO is reacted with Ni.sup.63, a readioactive isotope of nickel, to form nickel tetracarbonyl (Ni.sup.63 (CO).sub.4) which is carried by the helium stream into a flow-through gas proportional counter. The quantity of Ni(CO).sub.4 is determined by the radioactivity of the gas as measured by the gas proportional counter. After exiting the flow through counter the Ni.sup.63 (CO).sub.4 is destroyed by exposing it to high temperatures. The Ni.sup.63 is retained within the apparatus while the CO is flushed from the system after being oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2). The detection limit is estimated to be less than 1 part per billion oxygen for a 10 mg sample.

Abstract: Kit for use in the determination of the proliferative activity in human tumours, characterized mainly by a container containing, in assembled and lyophilized form, the four basic components (culture medium, antibiotic, serum and radioactive metabolic precursor) necessary to fix the tumoural material fragments rapidly and easily, without any fear of degradation and granting reliable results.