Recent Developments in Food and Agricultural uses of Ozone as an Antimicrobial Agent-Food Packaging Film Sterilizing Machine using Ozone

Recent food putrefaction with new strains of microorganisms, such as Lactic acid bacteria and disinfectant-resistant strains of gram-negative bacteria, mold, yeast have increased interest in exploring different disinfection techniques for food sanitation. In Japan, food processing companies consider Lactic acid bacteria and gram-negative bacteria, mold, yeast, to be of greatest concern because of the severity and number of food putrefaction they cause. We supplied a laboratory machine that sterilizes for food packaging film and preformed cups using ozonated water and ozone gas. UV-ray sterilizing can be used for support. Ozone should be useful in reducing the degree of microbial contamination caused by inadequate disinfection against new resistant strains. There is growing tendency to use ozone in food industry as an effective means of disinfection without any additives. Many types application equipment have been developed. Based on the properties of ozone as a strong germicidal agent, conversion of factories to use ozone for sterilization of food packaging film is being implemented.     

Qualitative and quantitative detection of cytomegalovirus DNA in sera by PCR as a clinical marker

The amount of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in sera is considered to be a direct marker for CMV infection. We established conditions for nested PCR that detected one copy of CMV DNA, and for competitive PCR, which detected five or more copies of CMV DNA quantitatively. We tested 50 microl each of 16 freeze-stored and 5 fresh sera from patients, for CMV DNA. In sera obtained from the same patient at different time points, small amounts of CMV DNA were detected before the onset of CMV pneumonia. In sera from certain CMV-infected patients who were treated with the anti-CMV agent, ganciclovir, CMV DNA was not detected. Quantitative PCR detection of CMV DNA seems to be suitable for predicting early recurrent CMV infection and monitoring the efficacy of antiviral therapy. The qualitative nested PCR examination of CMV DNA in 40 cord blood plasma samples was carried out for the purpose of preventing CMV infection by cord blood stem cell transplantation, and they were all negative for CMV DNA.     

Status asthmaticus treated with inhaled isoflurane and intravenous isoproterenol

We report the case of an 18-year-old man with status asthmaticus who was treated with inhaled isoflurane and intravenous isoproterenol. The patient was intubated and mechanical ventilation was began immediately after admission to the hospital. He received intravenous methylprednisolone and aminophyline, and frequent inhalation of isoproterenol aerosol. However, his respiratory status deteriorated: peak inspiratory pressure increased markedly, and right pneumothorax, right lower lobe atelectasis, and hypotension developed. He was then given isoflurane by inhalation and a continuous intravenous infusion of isoproterenol, which was followed by marked improvement in his respiratory and hemodynamic status. Isoflurane can be effective in patients with status asthmaticus, and it does not increase the arrhythmogenicity of catecholamines. Intravenous administration of isoproterenol can also be useful in the treatment of patients with status asthamticus. The combination of isoflurane with intravenous isoproterenol may be useful when status asthmaticus is hard to control with conventional therapy.     

Gigabit single-mode fiber transmission using 1.3-µm edge-emitting LEDs for broad-band subscriber loops

This paper describes gigabit single-mode fiber transmission using 1.3-μm edge-emitting LED's for broad-band subscriber loops, focusing on a method of calculation for maximum transmission distance and 1.2-Gbit/s and 600-Mbit/s transmission experiments. Gigabit single-mode fiber transmission is necessary for subscriber loops, especially in broad-band ISDN and optical CATV systems. Edgeemitting LED's are excellent light sources because of their high power launched into the fiber compared with surface-emitting LED's, and currently lower cost and higher reliability than laser diodes. The maximum transmission distance is carefully estimated by taking into account the wavelength dependence for both chromatic dispersion and loss of the single-mode fiber, and the possibility of gigabit transmission near the dispersion free wavelength 1.3 μm, is confirmed. Encouraged by the above results, we demonstrate 1.2-Gbi,t/s 10-km and 600-Mbit/s 20-km transmission experiments using a newly developed 1.3-μm edge-emitting LED and a new driver circuit with a simple response compensation circuit. These results show the proposed calculation method and the LED response compensation circuit to be powerful tools for the realization of low-cost gigabit single-mode fiber transmission using edge-emitting LED's.     

Pulsed field losses and coupling current loop in a large‐current superconductor

Pulsed field losses in a short sample (445 mm length) of 46‐kA Nb₃Sn cable‐in‐conduit conductor of superconducting magnet for the fusion experimental reactor “ITER” are measured by a calorimetric method. The coupling time constant between strands is obtained as 30 ms through pulsed loss. Based on this time constant and interstrand conductance measurement, it is expected that there is a coupling current loop length of about 400 mm, which is longer than half the fabrication twist pitch in the fourth cabling stage. A geometrical calculation on several‐stage cabling shows this value to be reasonable. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 142(4): 27–33, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10088     

Studies on the behaviour of microorganisms in sponge cake during anaerobic storage (studies on protection against microbiological deterioration of packaged food part xx iv)

The protective effect of an oxygen absorber (commercial names: Vitalon LH-250, Vitalon GSA-250, produced by Toa Kasei Industrial Co.) and an alcohol generating agent (commercial names: Antimold 102, Antimold E, produced by Froint Sangyo Co.) on the growth of microorganisms in sponge cake stored at 25 °C for 120 days was investigated. In the testing of the oxygen absorbers (oxygen-free) and the alcohol generating agents (alcohol), each sponge cake was inoculated with 3.1 × 10¹⁰ cells of the yeast Hansenula anomola IFO 1760 and was preserved in an air-tight bag (KET) with the oxygen absorbers and/or alcohol generating agent. The results obtained were as follows. In the case of sponge cake without oxygen absorber or alcohol generating agent, bacteria and yeast (including inoculated yeast) in the sponge cake rapidly increased at 25 °C for 30 days. However, in the oxygen-free and alcohol-generating cases, the changes of bacteria and yeast in the sponge cake were slight. The growth of bacteria and yeast was reduced considerably by the use of carbon dioxide generating oxygen absorbers or alcohol generating oxygen absorbers.