Abstract: A flow injection hydride generation graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometric (FI-HG-GFAAS) method was applied to the determination of Se in Se-doped and undoped cereals and bakery products. For the purpose of doping, the soils used for the cultivation of the cereals were dosed with Se- doped foliar fertilizers. The samples were dissolved in a mixture of HNO(3) and H(2)O(2) solutions using micro-waveassisted digestion. The decomposition of H(2)Se generated from the sample solutions and the trapping of elemental Se were performed at a temperature of 300 degrees C on an Ir-pretreated integrated graphite platform of a transversally heated graphite atomizer(THGA). For release of the trapped Se within a fairly short atomization time (5s), an atomization temperature of 2200 degrees C was observed to be optimal. The overall efficiency of hydride generation, transport and trapping was similar to 86%. The upper limit of the linear dynamic range of calibration was 10 mu gL(-1), which corresponds to 0.5 mu g g(-1) for solid samples. Recovery of the samples spiked with Se(VI) solutions was found to be 93 +/- 6% on average. The relative standard deviation of the determinations was less than 8%. The limit of detection was found to be 0.06 mu gL(-1), corresponding to 3 ng g(-1) for solid samples. The accuracy of the method was verified with the use of IAEA-155 ( whey powder) certified reference material. End-capped THGA tubes resulted in an extension of the linear calibration range compared to that of standard THGAs. The Se content in bakery products made of undoped cereals ranged from 7.7 to 68 ng g(-1) ( wet weight) in 18 samples, whereas the Se content of the corresponding cereals was found to be below 100 ng g(-1) ( wet weight). The Se level of cereals grown on soils treated with Se- doped fertilizers ranged from 128 to 1046 ng g(-1) ( wet weight), and it depended linearly on the Se concentration of the corresponding foliar fertilizer.

Abstract: The intensity distributions of the coherent and partially coherent x-rays passed through a poly-capillary lens have been computed at the focal plane. The computations showed that at the appropriate experimental conditions the interference phenomenon does affect the intensity distribution. In the case of the coherent input radiation with the photon energy of 0.1 keV, the interference fringes were observed, while the non-coherent x-ray radiation produced no interference-like intensity distributions.

Abstract: The chemical composition, as determined by electron probe X-ray microanalysis of a series of ca. 100 archaeological glass fragments, excavated at the Raversijde site (Belgium) is discussed. In the 15th-16th century, Raversijde was a flourishing fishermen town located on the shore of the North Sea, close to the city of Ostend. As a consequence of several battles that were fought in its vicinity, the site was abandoned in the 16th century and was not occupied since then. It is one of the rare archaeological sites in Europe that contains a significant amount of information on the daily life inside a small but affluent medieval community. A comparison of the chemical composition of fragments of vessels and window glass encountered in Raversijde to those found in urban centres in Belgium and to literature date on German and French archaeological finds shows that glass made with wood ash dominates. Usually, it concerns artifacts with a predominantly utilitarian use. A few objects made with sodic (i.e., Na-rich) glass were also encountered, likely to have been imported from Venice during the 15th century or in later periods from an urban centre such as Antwerp, where Facon-de-Venice glass manufacturing activities were established near the start of the 16th century. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Allergic contact dermatitis caused by polyvinyl chloride gloves is rarely reported, and in only 2 cases was bisphenol A considered to be the responsible sensitizer. We report a patient with occupational hand dermatitis after the use of a new type of high-density vinyl (HDV) gloves. Patch tests showed positive (++) reactions to both used and new HDV gloves and to bisphenol A. Chemical analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry demonstrated the presence of bisphenol A in the HDV gloves. Replacement by nitrile rubber gloves resulted in complete clearance of the hand dermatitis.