Yields of hydroxyl radical and reducing species in tritiated water based on the radiolysis of tetranitromethane

Yields of the nitroform anion produced in tetranitromethane aqueous solutions including tritiated water with and without isopropanol were measured. Yields of .OH and reducing species (e-aq + .OH) were calculated from the yields of the nitroform anion. The G values obtained for them were 3.8 and 2.5, respectively. The former was higher and the latter was lower than those for 60Co gamma-rays. Their beta/gamma ratio was 1.36 and 0.76, respectively. The beta/gamma ratio, 1.36, for .OH may be related to r.b.e. values higher than the one reported for 3H beta-rays.

Construction of a composite thin-element TLD using an optical-heating method

A composite thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD), composed of four, thin TL elements with a high-speed reader, has been developed by employing an optical-heating method. Each TL element, which is 15 mg/cm2 thick with a 3 mm dia., is prepared by applying Li2B4O7:Cu or CaSO4:Tm to a plastic substrate 14 mg/cm2 thick. Each element can be heated to 350 degree C within 0.8 sec. by IR radiation from a tungsten lamp. The characteristics of this TLD system include the following: (1) the detection limit of the Li2B4O7:Cu is 3 mR and the limit for CaSO4:Tm is 0.1 mR; (2) the energy-dependence curves are similar to the dose-equivalent curve, showing slight under-responses by 15% near 70 KeV for Li2B4O7:Cu and over-responses by 50% at high energies for CaSO4:Tm; (3) despite quick heating, the residual dose is as low as 0.1% of the last exposure signal; (4) responses are very stable for more than 1,000 cycles of repeated exposure readings; (5) no false signal could be detected, even in the cases of sweat or soil contamination; (6) the thin Li2B4O7;Cu element can be used for skin dose monitoring; and (7) the processing time of the automatic reader for the composite dosimeter is 3 hr/500 dosimeters. This TLD system can be applied to personnel dosimetry, gate monitoring and environmental monitoring.

In vitro transcription of a cloned mouse ribosomal RNA gene

An in vitro transcription system which utilizes cloned mouse ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) fragments and a mouse cell extract has been developed. RNA polymerases I is apparently responsible for this transcription as evidenced by the complete resistance to a high concentration (200 micrograms/ml) of alpha-amanitin. Run-off products obtained with three different truncated rDNA fragments indicated that RNA was transcribed from a unique site of rDNA. The S1 nuclease protection mapping of the in vitro product and of in vivo 45S RNA confirmed this site, indicating that, in this in vitro system, transcription of rDNA started from the same site as in vivo. This site is located at several hundred nucleotides upstream from the putative initiation site reported by us (1) and by others (2). Some sequence homology surrounding this region was noted among mouse, Xenopus laevis and Drosophila melanogaster. The data also suggest that some processing of the primary transcript occurs in this in vitro system.