A novel extraction method of fetal electrocardiogram from the composite abdominal signal

In contrast to the ultrasonic measurement of fetal heart motion, the fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) provides clinically significant information concerning the electrophysiological state of a fetus. In this paper, a novel method for extracting the fetal ECG from abdominal composite signals is proposed. This method consists of the cancellation of the mother's ECG and blind source separation with the reference signal (BSSR). The cancellation of the mother's ECG component was performed by subtracting the linear combination of mutually orthogonal projections of the heart vector. The BSSR is a fixed-point algorithm, the Lagrange function of which includes the higher order cross-correlation between the extracted signal and the reference signal as the cost term rather than a constraint. This realizes the convexity of the Lagrange function in a simple form, which guarantees the convergence of the algorithm. By practical application, the proposed method has been shown to be able to extract the P and T waves in addition to the R wave. The reliability and accuracy of the proposed method was confirmed by comparing the extracted signals with the directly recorded ECG at the second stage of labor. The gestational age-dependency of the physiological parameters of the extracted fetal ECG also coincided well with that of the magnetocardiogram, which proves the clinical applicability of the proposed method.     

Light diffusion model for determination of optical properties of rectangular parallelepiped highly scattering media

A method to determine the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of rectangular parallelepiped highly scattering media from frequency-domain photon migration measurements is presented. An analytical model for photon diffusion propagation in the rectangular parallelepiped media is established using the method of images and extrapolated boundary conditions. This present technique has simplicity, accuracy, and rapid computability as compared with the Monte Carlo or finite element methods. The theoretical predictions are verified with experimental measurements using a white polyacetal resin, and the errors introduced by using the slab geometry for the optical property determination are identified.     

Lymphatic Absorption and Deposition of Various Plant Sterols in Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats,a Strain Having a Mutation in ATP binding cassette transporter G5

ATP binding cassette transporter G5 (ABCG5) and ATP binding cassette transporter G8 (ABCG8) have been suggested to transport absorbed plant sterols and cholesterol from enterocytes to the intestinal lumen and from hepatocytes to bile. It has been thought that mutations of ABCG5 or ABCG8 cause the deposition of plant sterols in the body. In the present study, lymphatic absorption of various plant sterols and their deposition in various tissues was investigated in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP), having a mutation in Abcg5 and depositing plant sterols in the body. The order of lymphatic 24-h recovery of plant sterols was as follows: campesterol > sitosterol > brassicasterol > stigmasterol = sitostanol. When SHRSP were fed a diet containing one of the plant sterols, the depositions of campesterol and sitosterol were comparatively higher than those of brassicasterol, stigmasterol and sitostanol. Highly positive correlations were obtained between lymphatic recovery of plant sterols and their levels in plasma, liver, adipose tissue and heart. The tendency of differential absorption of plant sterols to the lymph in SHRSP was similar to that in normal Wistar rats previously reported by us (Hamada et al. Lipids 41:551–556, 2006). These observations suggest that differential absorption of various plant sterols is kept in SHRSP in spite of a mutation in Abcg5.     

Evaluation of new quaternary ammonium compound, didecyldimethylammonium tetrafluoroborate (DBF) in comparison with DDAC: Leachability and termite resistance tests

Modifications in the structure of wood preserving quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) may result in improvements in leaching of components and biological resistance of treated wood. In this study, we evaluated the leaching characteristics and termite resistance of wood treated with a newly developed QAC compound didecyldimethylammonium tetrafluoroborate (DBF) in comparison with commercial DDAC, another QAC compound. Laboratory leaching tests showed that amount of DBF released from treated wood specimens was less than that of DDAC. However there was no difference between DBF and DDAC in the resistance of treated wood specimens against termite attack. Retention level at about 3 kg/m³ of DBF and DDAC seems to be enough to protect wood against termite attack, however, no comparative data are available for resistance of DBF and DDAC-treated wood against wood degrading fungi. Field tests are also needed to determine the performance of DBF-treated wood in ground contact in comparison with DDAC.     

Application of slightly acidic electrolyzed water as a potential non-thermal food sanitizer for decontamination of fresh ready-to-eat vegetables and sprouts

The sanitization efficacy of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) against food pathogens on selected fresh ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables and sprouts was evaluated and compared to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution. RTE vegetables and sprouts were dip-inoculated with Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella spp. and dip-treated with SAEW, NaOCl solution for 5 min. SAEW treatment significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the total aerobic mesophilic bacteria from Chinese celery, lettuce and daikon sprouts by 2.7, 2.5 and 2.45 log₁₀CFU/g, respectively relative to un-treated. Pathogens were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced from Chinese celery, lettuce and daikon sprouts by 2.7, 2.8 and 2.8 log₁₀CFU/g (E. coli) and 2.87, 2.91 and 2.91 log₁₀CFU/g (Salmonella spp.), respectively following a SAEW treatment. SAEW and NaOCl solution showed no significant sanitization difference (p > 0.05). Results demonstrate that SAEW at low chlorine concentration and a near neutral pH is a potential non-thermal food sanitizer that could represent an alternative to NaOCl solution and would reduce the amount of free chlorine used in fresh-cut vegetables industry, since the same microbial reduction as NaOCl solution is obtained.     

Effects of microbial degradation of biofoulants on microfiltration membrane performance in a membrane bioreactor

In membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for wastewater treatment, membrane fouling, particularly biofouling caused by soluble microbial products (SMP), is a nuisance problem causing decreases in permeation flux. In a previous study, we identified primary biofoulants of microfiltration (MF) membranes in SMP as polysaccharides containing uronic acids that undergo inter- and intramolecular ionic cross-linking by polyvalent cations, forming a gelatinous mass that clogs membrane pores. In the present study, we therefore attempted to isolate biofoulant-degrading microorganisms from activated sludge on a polygalacturonic acid-overlaid agar medium and evaluate their efficiency for preventing biofouling of MF membranes. Among the isolates, the fungal strain HO1 identified as Phialemonium curvatum degraded 30% of polysaccharides containing uronic acids into smaller molecules in a SMP solution containing a high concentration of saccharides after 30 days of cultivation. Microfiltration tests using a laboratory-scale submerged MBR indicated that the filtration resistance of this degraded SMP solution was lower than that of the control SMP solution without fungal inoculation. Importantly, accumulation of gelatinous mass on the membrane responsible for biofouling was avoided in the SMP solution augmented with P. curvatum HO1 during the microfiltration test. This is the first report to describe a new method for avoiding biofouling of MBRs by microbial degradation of primary biofoulants.     

Hot topic: Successful fixed-time insemination within 21 d after first insemination by combining chemical pregnancy diagnosis on d 18 with a rapid resynchronization program

Cattle that are not pregnant to first fixed-time artificial insemination (TAI) may be resynchronized for a second TAI if they are found nonpregnant at pregnancy diagnosis. The specific interval between first and second TAI ranges from 4 to 8 wk. The selected interval depends on the available method of pregnancy diagnosis and the efficiency of the resynchronization program. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate a pregnancy diagnosis and resynchronization system that achieved a 21-d interval between TAI. This 21-d interval approximates the natural return-to-service interval. It also enables resynchronization to be implemented within the same estrous cycle in which cattle are first inseminated. Holstein heifers were randomly assigned to a 21-d resynchronization program (21d_resynch; n = 40) or a control group in which estrus was observed for the purpose of re-insemination (control; n = 29). The 21d_resynch heifers were diagnosed for pregnancy on d 18 after a TAI (d 0) by using predetermined cut-off values for 2′-5′ oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (Oas1) gene expression in leukocytes and plasma progesterone concentration. Heifers that were not pregnant to first TAI had greater expression of Oas1 at the time of PGF_2α (d −3) than pregnant heifers, but this relationship was reversed on d 18 after TAI: the heifers that were pregnant to first TAI had almost 5-fold greater expression of Oas1 compared with nonpregnant heifers. Nonpregnant heifers in the 21d_resynch group were injected with a luteolytic dose of PGF_2α on d 19 and were injected with GnRH on d 21 and submitted to TAI. The pregnancy per AI after first insemination was similar for 21d_resynch (50.0%; pregnancy diagnosis on d 18) and control (51.7%; pregnancy diagnosis on d 27). Likewise, no difference was detected in second insemination pregnancy per AI for 21d_resynch (36.8%; nonpregnant heifers TAI on d 21) and control (35.7%; nonpregnant heifers inseminated at return to estrus or after nonpregnant diagnosis on d 27). The interval between first and second insemination was shorter for 21d_resynch compared with control (21.0 ± 0 and 27.5 ± 2.1 d). The conclusion is that a TAI resynchronization can be programmed within 21 d of previous TAI when a d 18 pregnancy test and a rapid resynchronization are used.     

Production-scale purification of the recombinant major house dust mite allergen Der f 2 mutant C8/119S

A WHO position paper states that allergen immunotherapy is an effective treatment for allergic diseases, and well characterized allergens should be used in immunotherapy. The house dust mite is a major cause of allergic disease. However, the biological activity of the mite extracts currently used cannot be clearly determined, since these extracts contain various impurities. The use of recombinant allergens can avoid this problem. However, there remains a risk of contamination by other impurities, such as host cell-derived proteins (HCPs). Advanced purification techniques are thus required to remove these contaminants. C8/119S is a mutant of the major house dust mite allergen Der f 2, and is expressed and accumulated as an inclusion body in Escherichia coli. The C8/119S was refolded and purified through three column chromatography steps. Using this method, we could obtain about 2 g of the purified C8/119S in one purification batch. This amount is equivalent to 100,000 of the maintenance doses required for immunotherapy based on the WHO position paper. The purity of the C8/119S was 99% or more. The antigenicity of HCPs in the C8/119S was examined by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis assays. When the C8/119S was administered at 40 μg/kg, no local anaphylaxis was observed. C8/119S was thus highly purified with an extremely low level of impurities, and our procedure was shown to be an effective advanced production-scale purification process for this Der f 2 mutant. In this study, we established an advanced purification processes for C8/119S, then characterized the purified C8/119S and evaluated its purity.     

Electrical resistivity of Si-Ti-C-O fibres after rapid heat treatment

Two types of Si-Ti-C-O fibres were heat treated in a preheated graphite furnace at temperatures between 1273 and 1973 K, and the change in the electrical resistivity was measured after removing the fibres from the furnace. The resistivity of the fibres decreased monotonically with increasing heat-treatment temperature, but showed a significant increase of the order of 10¹–10² in the temperature range of gas evolution from the fibres. The resistivity of the fibre which has an amorphous character began to increase at a lower temperature than that of the fibre with a crystalline character. This increase in resistivity did not occur during heat treatment in a pure oxygen atmosphere, because the oxide layer formed on the fibre surface suppressed gas evolution from the fibres. The X-ray diffraction patterns of heat-treated fibres in nitrogen or oxygen atmospheres revealed that -SiC crystals began to precipitate from the amorphous state as the heat-treatment temperature increased. The -SiC crystal growth, however, did not always correspond with the decrease in the fibre resistivity.