Determination of captafol,cyhexatin, 1-naphthylacetic acid and quintozene in apple,Japanese pear and melon by simultaneous extraction

A simple and rapid method is described for the determination of the non-registered pesticides, captafol, quintozene (PCNB), cyhexatin and 1-naphthylacetic acid (NAA), in fruits. These pesticides were extracted with acidified acetone, then captafol and PCNB were purified with a Florisil mini column and analyzed by GC-ECD. Cyhexatin was ethylated with ethylmagnesium bromide, and the ethyl derivative was analyzed by GC-FPD (Sn filter). NAA was purified with liquid-liquid extraction and determined by HPLC equipped with a fluorescence detector. These analytes were identified with GC/MS or LC/MS. The minimum identified concentration of the pesticides was below 0.2 ng per injection, which corresponds to a detection limit of below 0.02 microgram/g in the original samples. Recoveries of the pesticides spiked at 0.1 microgram/g into apple, Japanese pear and melon were greater than 61%.     

Analysis and evaluations of logical instructions called in parallel digital optical operations based on optical array logic

The authors have analysed and evaluated a two-dimensional instruction set of parallel operation based on optical array logic (OAL), which is a digital optical computing paradigm, to clarify efficient composition of an optical computing system based on OAL. To evaluate parallel operation based on OAL, the author have introduced new indices and evaluated a logical instruction set of various parallel operations with the indices, so that a guideline for composing a simple and efficient OAL computing system is clarified. Also, the authors have proposed the reduced operation kernel set correlation technique to perform parallel operations more efficiently by a simple OAL computing system. It has been clarified that the technique can reduce the required hardware necessary for an OAL computing system for efficient general-purpose processing.     

Effects of steroid hormones on vascular functions

The purpose of this review is to present reported findings of effects of steroids on vascular function and to discuss the biological significance in vascular physiology and pathology. Steroid hormones play various roles in vascular functions through the specific receptor localized in the endothelium and underlying vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women is in general associated with a reduction in mortality from cardiovascular disease and the beneficial effects of estrogens are caused by modulation of lipid metabolism, expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules, and migration of VSMCs in the vascular wall. Estrogens also play a role as vasodilators through an increment in nitric oxide (NO) production in endothelium or modulation of calcium homeostasis in VSMCs. Some progestin molecules partially oppose the effects of estrogens on vascular functions, but striking differences exist among the types of molecules. Testosterone shows a vasorelaxant response, but detailed actions of androgens on vascular functions remain unknown. Glucocorticoids act on vasoconstriction through reduced prostacyclin production, increased alpha-adrenoceptor numbers, and inhibition of NO synthase, while mineralocorticoids induce hypertrophy and hyperplasia of VSMCs and perivascular fibrosis and cause peripheral vascular resistance, in addition to changes in vascular electrocyte permeability. Some rapid actions of steroids are mediated by "nongenomic" responses in vascular tissues. Recent studies have also demonstrated that steroid-producing or -metabolizing enzymes are expressed in the vascular wall, suggesting the local regulation of steroids in the vascular system. Thus, steroid hormones greatly influence vascular functions and an understanding of the mechanisms may provide new means to prevent vascular diseases.     

Simulated crepitus and its reality-based specification using wearable patient dummy

Physical therapists are trained in manual examination techniques to test the impaired motor functions of patients. In this study, we have introduced a wearable robotic dummy joint to simulate disordered joint resistances or behaviors to support physical therapists in learning such techniques. We developed a discontinuous joint friction model based on a stick-slip phenomenon to simulate knee joint resistances caused by crepitus, a typical symptom accompanied by osteoarthritis. Practicing therapists participated in a reality-based evaluation test and specified acceptable parameter sets to adjust the simulated crepitus for the exoskeletal patient robot. The simulated crepitus and wearable dummy joint are expected to support the training of physical therapists.     

Fracture Energy of an Aligned Porous Silicon Nitride

The fracture energy of a porous silicon nitride with aligned fibrous grains was investigated, using a chevron-notched-beam technique. A crack was constrained to propagate normal to the grain alignment. The obtained fracture energy was ∼500 J/m², which was ∼7 times larger than that of a dense silicon nitride with randomly oriented fibrous grains. The large fracture energy was attributable primarily to the sliding resistance associated with interlocking grains.     

The leaching of chalcopyrite with cupric chloride

A comparative study of electrochemical leaching and chemical leaching of chalcopyrite was performed mainly at 343 K to elucidate the leaching mechanism of chalcopyrite with CuCl₂. Also, the morphology of the leached chalcopyrite surface was studied by using a single chalcopyrite crystal. The leaching with CuCl₂ produced a porous elemental sulfur layer on the chalcopyrite surface, showing a similar morphology to that produced during leaching with FeCl₃. The leaching kinetics were found to be linear over an extended period, followed by an acceleration stage, as a result of an increase in the reaction surface area. The leaching rate of chalcopyrite was proportional to C(CuCl₂)^0.5, whereas it was inversely proportional to C(CuCl)^0.5. The mixed potential of chalcopyrite exhibited a 66 mV decade⁻¹ dependency upon C(CuCl₂), and—69 mV decade⁻¹ upon C(CuCl). Based on these observations together with other findings, an electrochemical mechanism involving the oxidation of chalcopyrite and CuCl ₋ ² and the reduction of CuCl⁺ was proposed. The Tafel plot between the mixed potential and the current density obtained by converting the rate of chemical leaching gave a straight line whose slope was in good agreement with that of the electrochemical leaching. These findings strongly support the electrochemical mechanism of chalcopyrite leaching with cupric chloride.     

Complete erasing of ghost images on computed radiography plates and role of deeply trapped electrons

Computed radiography (CR) plates made of europium-doped Ba(Sr)FBr(I) were simultaneously exposed to filtered ultraviolet light and visible light in order to erase ghost images, i.e., latent image that is unerasable with visible light (LIunVL) and reappearing one, which are particularly observed in plates irradiated with a high dose and/or cumulatively over-irradiated. CR samples showing LIunVLs were prepared by irradiating three different types of CR plates (Agfa ADC MD10, Kodak Directview Mammo EHRM2, and Fuji ST-VI) with 50 kV X-ray beams in the dose range 8.1 mGy—8.0 Gy. After the sixth round of simultaneous 6 h exposures to filtered ultraviolet light and visible light, all the LIunVLs in the three types of CR plates were erased to the same level as in an unirradiated plate and no latent images reappeared after storage at 0 °C for 14 days. With conventional exposure to visible light, LIunVLs consistently remained in all types of CR plates irradiated with higher doses of X-rays and latent images reappeared in the Agfa M10 plates after storage at 0 °C. Electrons trapped in deep centers cause LIunVLs and they can be erased by simultaneous exposures to filtered ultraviolet light and visible light. To study electrons in deep centers, the absorption spectra were examined in all types of irradiated CR plates by using polychromatic ultraviolet light from a deep-ultraviolet lamp. It was found that deep centers showed a dominant peak in the absorption spectra at around 324 nm for the Agfa M10 and Kodak EHRM2 plates, and at around 320 nm for the Fuji ST-VI plate, in each case followed by a few small peaks. The peak heights were dose-dependent for all types of CR samples, suggesting that the number of electrons trapped in deep centers increases with the irradiation dose.     

Remote sensing system for spatial electric field strength using free space light transmission

Most of the breakdowns in an electric power system are caused by lightning to the tower used for high‐voltage transmission wires. To avoid accidents due to lightning, it would be desirable to develop a measurement system for the spatial electric field distribution around the tower. We have developed a new system that can measure the electric field around the steel tower for electric power transmission by using an optical electric sensor. In conventional methods, the sensor is generally illuminated by light transmitted by optical fibers. On the other hand, the new measurement system illuminates the Pockels sensor directly by using a laser to measure the far electric field. Furthermore, our newly proposed feedback system makes it possible to measure the spatial electric field without concern for the change of Pockels sensor's operation point influenced by temperature change. This system is applicable as a remote sensing system to monitor the spatial electric field around a high‐voltage transmission line. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 162(2): 10–19, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20552     

Simulation of the oregonator model by using deterministic ARMS

We propose a deterministic method for simulating chemical reactions, deterministic abstract rewriting system on multisets (DARMS), which is based on the concept of mass action low. The feasibility and utility of DARMS are demonstrated by applying it to the oregonator, which is a well-known model of the Belousov-Zhabotinskii (BZ) reaction. This work was presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008