In order to study the tumor specificity of synthetic nonmetabolizing amino acids, 10 different14C labeled alicyclic amino acids (3a-3j) were synthesized in high yield and with high specific radioactivity. Carbon-14 labeled alicyclic hydantoins (2a-2j) were synthesized from a small amount of radioactive potassium [14C] cyanide and corresponding ketones (la-lj) . The14C hydantoins (2a-2j) thus obtained were hydrolyzed without isolation to give14C labeled alicyclic amino acids (3a-3j) . The overall radiochemical yields of the amino acids (3a-3j) from potassium [14C] cyanide were 55.6-93.2% with radiochemical purity more than 99%. Specific activities of these14C labeled compounds (3a-3j) were 209-250 MBq/mmol (5.66-6.75 mCi/mmol) . When non-radioactive potassium cyanide was not added as a carrier, 1-aminocyclopentane [14C] -carboxylic acid (3b) and 1-aminocyclooctane [14C] carboxylic acid (3e) were synthesized in the yield of 64.9 and 19.0% respectively with the specific activity exceed more than 1.85 GBq/ mmol (50 mCi/mmol) .
Fast neutron radiography (FNR) was carried out with CR39 solid state track detector (SSTD) plastic films by using the linac of Kyoto University reactor facility. Etching of the CR39 films was performed with 6.25 N NaOH solution at 70°C. Bulk etching speed, distri-bution of etch-pit diameters with etching time and variation of etch pit density by etched thickness were measured. The pit-production rate (pit/neutron) of the CR39 SSTD was measured for both front and back surfaces o f the film, for which a value of about 1.3×10-4pit/n was obtained. The optical densities of the CR39 films exposed with various fast neutron f luences were measured by using a microphotometer. The optical densities up to 0.5 were obtained by 2 h etching of the films exposed to a 1×1012n/cm2 fluence. The images of the etched films were feasibly transferred to usual posi photographs. The optimal conditions of neutron exposures and etchhing times for the CR39 films were studied experimentally and theoretically. It was found that etching more than 3 h resulted in comparatively higher optical densities for the films of a low exposure of 1×1011n/cm2, but 1 h etching would give a high optical density of about 1.0 for the films of much higher exposure of 1×1013n/cm2. Various plastic and iron image-quality testing pieces, such as thick step wedges and perforated plates (thickness 7-10 cm) were well radiographed. The image quality of the CR39 was much superior to that of cellulose-nitrate.
Measurements of dose equivalent rate distribution in a medical microtron facility were done for neutrons and X-rays originated from 14 MV or 8 MV X-ray irradiation by the microtron. Measured data are described with empirical formulas for convenience of quantitative reconstruction of the data. A formula consisting of a simple power function agrees well with measured data except for thermal neutrons, and is understood to describe the dose rate separating into the scattered and unscattered components in the case of the point source. The thermal neutron distribution in the maze is described with another formula of an exponential function. A discrepancy was observed between the X-ray distribution in the maze from 14 MV X-ray irradiation and that from 8 MV irradiation. This is estimated to be caused by a contribution of capture 7-rays increasingly emitted in the case of 14 MV X-ray irradiation.
Publications in Analytical Abstracts in the period 1975-1984 and papers presented at the Modern Trends in Activation Analysis international conferences series in the period 1961-1986 have been used as an empirical basis for assessing general trends in research and publication activity. Some ebbs and flows in the specialty of instrumental techngiues for analysis of environmental trace pollutants are revealed by a statistical analysis of the publications.