Study on analytical method for thiabendazole in toasted and seasoned laver by LC-MS/MS

Thiabendazole (TBZ), a pesticide with antifungal activity, was detected in toasted and seasoned laver which had been reported as tasting unpleasant by consumers in March 2008. From a survey of the manufacturing process, it was concluded that the TBZ contamination had originated from a sponge-roller which was used to paste seasoned liquid onto the toasted laver. At that time it was found that TBZ is widely used to prevent fungal contamination of sponge-rollers. For further survey of TBZ contamination in the laver, we developed a more sensitive detection method using LC-MS/MS. With our new method, six commercial products harvested in March 2008 and July 2009, respectively, were tested. Five out of six samples harvested in 2008 were positive for TBZ, with values in the range from 0.014 to 1.736 μg/g. Only one sample harvested in 2009 contained a detectable level of TBZ. The data obtained here contributed to the improvement of the manufacturing process.     

High-pressure inactivation of Bacillus cereus spores in the presence of argon

We investigated the high-pressure inactivation of Bacillus cereus spores in water containing argon. At the pressure of 600 MPa, addition of argon accelerated the inactivation of spores at 20 degrees C, but had no effect on the inactivation at 40 degrees C. The influence of added argon on inactivation of the spores was marked under conditions with a strong 'water ordering' effect. The pressure resistance of B. cereus spores was thus shown to be affected by 'water ordering'.     

Kinetic analysis of E. coli inactivation by high hydrostatic pressure with salts

Inactivation of E. coli by high hydrostatic pressure (250 to 400 MPa) with salts was investigated based on kinetic analysis. At concentrations from 0.074 to 0.145 M and from 0.240 to 0.290 M, both the absolute activation volumes and the preexponential factors were similar in KCl, NaCl, and LiCl solutions, suggesting that pressure inactivation is not salt-specific. On the other hand, in the intermediate salt-concentration range of 0.145 to 0.240 M, inactivation kinetics in the presence of the Na(+) and K(+) differed significantly from those in the presence of Li(+) (P < 0.05). In this concentration range, effect of salt stress and osmotic stress differed significantly from those in concentrations below 0.145 M or above 0.240 M. The cellular response to pressure varies with salt type and salt concentration. These novel findings provide important clues to distinguish between salt stress and osmotic stress in the inactivation of E. coli.     

Large Tunnel Magnetoresistance in Epitaxial Oxide Spin‐Filter Tunnel Junctions

A high‐performance spin filter tunnel junction composed of an epitaxial oxide heterostructure is reported. By independently controlling the magnetic orientations of ferromagnetic tunnel barrier and electrode layers, a tunnel magnetoresistance ratio exceeding 120% is obtained purely by the spin filtering effect. A newly introduced spin filter material, Pr_0.8Ca_0.2Mn_1‐yCo_yO₃, is shown to be useful for building novel multibarrier spintronic tunnel devices due to its composition‐controlled magnetic hardness.     

Tool for inspecting faults from incorrectly cleaved fiber ends and contaminated optical fiber connector end surfaces

We investigated and analyzed faults in field installable connection due to incorrectly cleaved fiber ends and manufactured physical contact (PC)-type connectors with contaminated end surfaces in optical access fiber networks. The insertion and return losses of fiber connections using incorrectly cleaved fiber ends might be at worst more than 40 dB and less than 30 dB, respectively. With PC-type connectors whose end surfaces are contaminated, the insertion and return losses might be at worst 8.7 and 27 dB, respectively. We developed an inspection tool for cleaved fiber ends and connector end surfaces as a countermeasure. The proposed tool has a simple structure and does not require focal adjustment. It can be used to inspect and clearly determine whether a fiber has been cleaved correctly and whether there is contamination or scratches on the connector end surfaces. The tool requires a slight increase of 11% in operation time compared to conventional fiber end preparation and assembly procedures. The proposed tool provides a simple and cost-effective way to inspect cleaved fiber ends and connector end surfaces and is suitable for field use.     

Evaluation of conventional and alternative monitoring methods for a recreational marine beach with nonpoint source of fecal contamination

The objectives of this work were to compare enterococci (ENT) measurements based on the membrane filter, ENT(MF) with alternatives that can provide faster results including alternative enterococci methods (e.g., chromogenic substrate (CS), and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)), and results from regression models based upon environmental parameters that can be measured in real-time. ENT(MF) were also compared to source tracking markers (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacteroidales human and dog markers, and Catellicoccus gull marker) in an effort to interpret the variability of the signal. Results showed that concentrations of enterococci based upon MF (<2 to 3320 CFU/100 mL) were significantly different from the CS and qPCR methods (p < 0.01). The correlations between MF and CS (r = 0.58, p < 0.01) were stronger than between MF and qPCR (r ≤ 0.36, p < 0.01). Enterococci levels by MF, CS, and qPCR methods were positively correlated with turbidity and tidal height. Enterococci by MF and CS were also inversely correlated with solar radiation but enterococci by qPCR was not. The regression model based on environmental variables provided fair qualitative predictions of enterococci by MF in real-time, for daily geometric mean levels, but not for individual samples. Overall, ENT(MF) was not significantly correlated with source tracking markers with the exception of samples collected during one storm event. The inability of the regression model to predict ENT(MF) levels for individual samples is likely due to the different sources of ENT impacting the beach at any given time, making it particularly difficult to to predict short-term variability of ENT(MF) for environmental parameters.     

The Effect of Coatings on the Affinity of Lanthanide Nanoparticles to MKN45 and HeLa Cancer Cells and Improvement in Photodynamic Therapy Efficiency

An improvement in photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficiency against a human gastric cancer cell line (MKN45) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and lanthanide nanoparticles (LNPs) is described. An endogenous photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX, biosynthesized from ALA and selectively accumulated in cancer cells, is sensitizable by the visible lights emitted from up-conversion LNPs, which can be excited by a near-infrared light. Ten kinds of surface modifications were performed on LNPs, NaYF₄(Sc/Yb/Er) and NaYF₄(Yb/Tm), in an aim to distribute these irradiation light sources near cancer cells. Among these LNPs, only the amino-functionalized LNPs showed affinity to MKN45 and HeLa cancer cells. A PDT assay with MKN45 demonstrated that amino-modified NaYF₄(Sc/Yb/Er) gave rise to a dramatically enhanced PDT effect, reaching almost perfect lethality, whereas NaYF₄(Yb/Tm)-based systems caused little improvement in PDT efficiency. The improvement of PDT effect with the amino-modified NaYF₄(Sc/Yb/Er) is promising for a practical PDT against deep cancer cells that are reachable only by near-infrared lights.     

Structural Disorder and Intracrystalline Microtexture of α'H-(Ba0.24Ca0.76)2SiO4

The structural disorder and twin microtexture of (Ba_0.24Ca_0.76)₂SiO₄ crystal were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, precession method, and optical microscopy. The crystal at 298 K was orthorhombic (space group Pnma , Z =4) with a =0.70490(5) nm, b =0.55399(4) nm, c =0.95532(7) nm, and V =0.37306(4) nm³. The crystal structure was satisfactorily described by a split-atom model, involving the positional disorder of Ba/Ca and O atoms across the (010) mirror plane. The crystal was found to be isostructural with α'_H-Ca₂SiO₄, thus regarded as the stabilized α'_H phase. The crystal grain was composed of orthorhombic domains in three different orientations. The unit cells within each domain were related to one another by the threefold pseudo-symmetry axis lost during the α-to-α'_H transition. Each domain was most probably made up of sub-domains of the two mirror-related structural configurations with P 2₁/ n symmetry.     

Hardening and microstructural evolution in A533B steels under neutron irradiation and a direct comparison with electron irradiation

A533B steels irradiated at 290 °C up to 10 mdpa in the Kyoto University Reactor were examined by hardness, positron annihilation and atom probe measurements. Dose dependent irradiation hardening and formation of Cu-rich clusters were confirmed in medium Cu (0.12% and 0.16%Cu) steels whereas neither hardening nor cluster formation was detected in low Cu (0.03%Cu) steel. No microvoids were formed in any of the steels. Post-irradiation annealing in medium Cu steels revealed that the hardening recovery at temperatures above 350-400 °C could be attributed to compositional changes and dissociation of the Cu-rich clusters. Compared to electron irradiation at almost the same dose and dose rate, KUR irradiation caused almost the same hardening and produced Cu-rich clusters, more solute-enriched with larger size and lower density. Considering lower production of freely-migrating vacancies in neutron irradiation, the results suggested that cascades enhance the formation of Cu-rich clusters.