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An alternative source supply sequence was applied to aluminum nitride (AlN) growth by rf-plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy on silicon carbide (SiC) substrates with a high-quality AlN template layer. Under a nitrogen-only source supply after aluminum source supply, multi-cycle oscillations of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) intensity were observed, which were due to layer-by-layer growth of the AlN layer. The RHEED oscillation under nitrogen-only supply indicates that excess aluminum exists on the surface as a few-monolayer-thick wetting layer along with microdroplets. By repeating the sequence, a 105 nm thick high-quality AlN layer was coherently grown on a SiC substrate without aluminum droplets.

Three monoclonal antibodies were obtained by the fusion of mouse myeloma cells with splenocytes isolated from BALB/c mice that had been immunized with 8-hydroxy-3,4,7,15-tetraacetyl-nivalenol hemiglutarate covalently bound to bovine serum albumin. These anti-nivalenol tetraacetate monoclonal antibodies were of the IgG type and highly specific to nivalenol tetraacetate, with an apparent association constant of about 10(8)M-1. The relative cross-reactivities of one monoclonal antibody with nivalenol tetraacetate, acetyl T-2 toxin, and scirpenol triacetate were found to be 1.0, 0.02 and 0.03, respectively. Other derivatives showed no cross-reactivity at all. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the competitive binding principle was developed using the antibody from clone D18.102.59. The sensitivity of the system was about 0.1 ng of nivalenol tetraacetate per assay. Comparison of nivalenol levels detected in naturally contaminated barley samples by competitive indirect ELISA and gas chromatography (GC) showed good agreement, indicating that the antibody is useful for the measurement of nivalenol in naturally contaminated cereals and grains.

Urine specimens were sampled from toluene exposed persons (2 painters, 2 plasterers and 1 addict of organic solvent), who were admitted to the critical care center of our medical school and the urinary hippuric acid (HA; the metabolite of toluene) was monitored every one hour after admission for 10-12 hours and thence-forth every 4 hours for more than 40 hours. The hourly (t) excretion pattern of HA(Y) was simulated with multiexponential functions; Y = sigma Ai.exp(-Bit).....(1), i = 1 to 3. The HA(Y) level during the term before the admission was estimated by equation (eq.) (1) for the respective cases. The consciousness level was evaluated according to the Japan Coma Scale on the following time points; on the telephone call to the emergency center (t1), on the arrival of the ambulance (t2) and on admission (t3). We related the differential change of the consciousness level (w) per time (between t1 and t2); delta w/delta t to one of the regression coefficients (Bi) of eq. (1) expressing the elimination of toluene from the body. A set of Bi whose scale parameter Ai is positive and whose absolute value is the minimum in the individual eq. (1) has the highest correlation coefficient with the value of delta w/delta t (r = -.870, p less than .05). We calculated the toluene elimination equivalent (X) from the brain by applying this Bi to the equation; X = exp(-Bit) on the respective time point, t1, t2 and t3, and related this X to W by simulating a logistic eq.; W = 3.0/[1 + exp[alpha(X - beta]].....(2), as to each respective case. The calculated values by eq. (2) for the occupationally toluene exposed cases revealed that the scale parameter (alpha) and the location parameter (beta) correlated well with the integral HA excretion value for 48 hours computed by eq. (1), and the elimination rate equivalent (Bi), respectively. But the calculated data of the solvent addict using eq. (2) indicated that there is a tolerance mechanism against toluene exposure; the scale parameter is larger and the location parameter is smaller than the respective ones from the painters and the plasterers.