Short communication: Temporal changes in the skin morphology of dairy cows during the periparturient period

Management of dairy cow productivity requires monitoring of their nutritional status by visual observation. It has been suggested that changes in hair coat appearance are among the indicators of nutritional state in dairy cows. Temporal changes in the skin morphology in cows, however, have not been reported. In this study, we examined the changes in the skin of dairy cows that occur during the peripartum period. Seven pluriparous cows were used. Skin samples were collected at 28 d before the due date and 28 d and 56 d after calving for morphological examination. Hair follicle width was 108.8 ± 5.9 µm (±SD) in the dry period, 95.5 ± 5.5 µm at 28 d after calving, and 104.2 ± 5.3 µm at 56 d postpartum. The percentages of anagen hair follicles during these 3 periods were 41.4 ± 3.4, 18.5 ± 3.4, and 32.3 ± 3.3%, respectively. The corresponding sebaceous gland sizes were 8,362.0 ± 707.6, 7,800.0 ± 831.4, and 9,186.8 ± 962.6 µm², respectively. Hair follicle width was positively correlated with percentage of anagen hair follicles. The thickness of epidermal and proliferation rate of epidermal cell were also correlated. However, the hair follicle width, sebaceous gland size and cell proliferation rate, and thickness and proliferation rate of epidermal cells did not show any marked changes.     

Development of a hybrid ECT sensor for JSFR SG double-wall tubes

A new design has been adopted for the steam generator (SG) tubes of the Japan Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR) using double-wall tubes. This paper estimates and assesses the effectiveness of detecting defects in SG double-wall tubes of the JSFR by using combined high-frequency eddy current testing (ECT) and low-frequency remote field eddy current sensors. We confirm that the proposed hybrid ECT sensor is highly sensitive to small defects, fatigue cracks, and other defects even when located under support plates of tubes. The parameters of the hybrid ECT sensor are designed and optimized to detect small defects using accurate numerical simulations based on the finite element method, using an in-house developed code. The sensitivity and high performance of the hybrid ECT sensor was validated with experimental measurements.     

Preparation of bismuth nanowire encased in quartz template for Hall measurements using focused ion beam processing

ABSTRACT: Forming electrodes on opposite sides of an individual bismuth nanowire was attempted to prepare for Hall measurements. Although a 1-mm-long bismuth nanowire which is completely covered with a quartz template has been successfully fabricated to prevent oxidation, it is very difficult to attach Hall electrodes on the opposite sides of the nanowire due to the quartz covering. One side of the cylindrical quartz template was removed by polishing without exposure of the nanowire to the atmosphere; the thickness between the polished template surface and the nanowire was estimated to be several micrometers. Focused ion beam processing was successfully employed to expose both surfaces of the nanowire under high vacuum by removing part of the quartz template. A carbon thin film was then deposited in situ on the wire surface to fabricate an electrical contact on the bismuth nanowire sample. Furthermore, the energy dispersive X-ray analysis was performed to the area processed by focused ion beam, and the bismuth component of the nanowire was successfully detected. It was confirmed that the focused ion beam processing was applicable to attach electrodes to bismuth nanowire for Hall measurement.     

Determination of emotional content of video clips by low-level audiovisual features

Affective analysis of video content has greatly increased the possibilities of the way we perceive and deal with media. Different kinds of strategies have been tried, but results are still opened to improvements. Most of the problems come from the lack of standardized test set and real affective models. In order to cope with these issues, in this paper we describe the results of our work on the determination of affective models for evaluation of video clips using audiovisual low-level features. The affective models were developed following two classes of psychological theories of affect: categorial and dimensional. The affective models were created from real data, acquired through a series of user experiments. They reflect the affective state of a viewer after watching a certain scene from a movie. We evaluate the detection of Pleasure, Arousal and Dominance coefficients as well as the detection rate of six affective categories. For this end, two Bayesian network topologies are used, a Hidden Markov Model and an Autoregressive Hidden Markov Model. The measurements were done using audio-only models, video-only models and fused models. Fusion is done using two different methods, a Decision Level Fusion and Feature Level Fusion. All tests were conducted using localized affective models, both categorial and dimensional. Results are presented in terms of detection rate and accuracy for affective families, affective dimensions and probabilistic networks. Arousal was the best detected dimension, followed by dominance and pleasure.     

Effects of processing and cooking on the levels of pesticide residues in soybean samples

The effects of processing and cooking on the levels of pesticide residues in soybean samples were investigated for 14 pesticides in pre-harvest samples. On soaking, the transfer ratios (%, total pesticide residue amount in product/that in soybean) of soaked soybean were greater than 60% for most of the pesticides investigated. The transfer ratio of soymilk ranged from 37% to 92%, and that of tofu ranged from 7% to 63%. The processing factor (Pf, the concentration (mg/kg) of pesticide in product/that in soybean) of tofu ranged from 0.026 to 0.28. These values varied among pesticides. There was a high correlation between the log P(ow) and the transfer ratio of tofu. The test described here should be useful to obtain the transfer ratios of pesticide residues in processing and/or cooking steps.     

Investigation of the Aroma Profile of Green Tea Leaves Using Organic Synthesis and Conventional Analytical Techniques

Although many aroma components have been identified in green tea leaves, the aroma compounds contributing to green tea＇s characteristic odor have not yet been reported. The authors recently reported that aroma components with a matcha-like odor are present in both green tea and black tea prepared from the Sayamakaori tea cuttivar. This matcha-like odor is similar to the odor of commercial available matcha （high-quality powdered green tea）, and is a specific odor feature of green tea leaves. At present, the green-tea odor is thought to arise from the combination of a large number of constituents. Recent reports indicate that a complex interaction between olfactory receptors and odorants is important for the evaluation of the odors. Taking into consideration these findings, the authors investigated the aroma profile of green tea, focusing on the characteristic molecular structures of the constituents that give matcha-like odor. Using a combination of organic synthesis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry plus gas chromatography-olfactometry, the authors identified aroma components with matcha-like odors in five other tea cultivars. This investigation also revealed that several compounds with a formyl group were important constituents of the aroma of green tea leaves, although the odor of each constituent was not individually similar to the tea＇s overall aroma. The authors found for the first time a group of key components that have the matcha-like odor.     

Contamination levels of PCDDs, PCDFs and Co-PCBs in commercial baby foods in Japan

To examine dioxin contamination in commercial baby foods in Japan, congener analyses of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs) were performed on 102 varieties of baby foods obtained from supermarkets in 2001-2002. The toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) levels for dioxins in samples ranged from < 0.001 to 0.135 pg-TEQ/g wet weight when undetected or trace levels of congeners were taken as zero. Among 102 samples tested, 26 samples exceeded 0.010 pg-TEQ/g. The highest TEQ value was for "sardine, vegetables" (0.135 pg-TEQ/g), followed by "Japanese radish (daikon), sardine" (0.080 pg-TEQ/g). Thus, dioxins were detected at low levels in baby foods containing animal products such as fishes and/or dairy products.     

Enhanced Light Storage of SrAl2O4 Glass‐Ceramics Controlled by Selective Europium Reduction

A luminescent Eu, Dy: SrAl₂O₄ glass‐ceramics with high transparency in the visible region was successfully synthesized using the frozen sorbet technique with the control of O₂ partial pressure () for the oxidation of Eu²⁺ ions. The glass‐ceramics include Eu²⁺, Eu³⁺, and Dy³⁺ ions, and thus exhibits three characteristic types of emission bands, 4f–5d at around 520 nm (Eu²⁺ ions), 4f–4f at 610 nm (Eu³⁺ ions), and 480 nm (Dy³⁺ ions). The Eu, Dy: SrAl₂O₄ glass‐ceramics provide remarkable long‐persistent luminescence under dark condition. The glass‐ceramics also exhibits color‐changing luminescence in the visible region based on their remarkable light storage properties. The luminescent Eu, Dy: SrAl₂O₄ glass‐ceramics using the frozen sorbet technique with control of are promising materials for application in novel photonic and light storage materials.     

Quantitative analysis of energy-efficiency strategy on CO2 emissions in the residential sector in Japan – Case study of Iwate prefecture

This study examines the economics of energy-efficiency strategies for reducing CO₂ emissions in the residential sector in Japan from the perspective of regional characteristics. For this study, the residential sector in Iwate prefecture was selected as representative of rural areas in Japan. In order to promote purchases of energy-efficient consumer appliances, the prefectural government is presumed to reimburse purchasers a part of the cost difference between energy efficient and conventional appliances. This paper begins with a discussion of the prefecture’s financial support for purchasers of energy efficient appliances and assumes that the payments come from prefectural government funds. This paper then looks at the effect of a carbon-tax refund on the reduction of CO₂ emissions. The results show that, if half of the households use energy-efficient appliances, then CO₂ emissions in the residential sector in the year 2020 will decreases from the BAU scenario, 0.726 Mt-C to 0.674 Mt-C. However, the Iwate prefectural government expends $105 million annually, which is 1.5% of the total tax revenue in the year 2003. The carbon-tax refund effectively encourages further reductions in CO₂ emissions. Under the $20/tC carbon tax, proposed by the Ministry of the Environment, the carbon-tax refund leads to a reduction in residential CO₂ emissions from 0.726 Mt-C to 0.712 Mt-C.     

Effects of dressing containing plant sterol on serum cholesterol concentration and the safety evaluation in borderline or mildly hypercholesterolemic Japanese subjects

In a placebo-controlled double-blind study, we examined the effects of dressing containing plant sterol (PS) on blood lipids and the safety in Japanese borderline or mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects. Fifty-nine subjects [total cholesterol (TC) concentration > or = 200 mg/dL] were randomly divided into two groups and were given daily 15 g of dressing containing 800 mg of PS [PS(+)-group] or without PS [PS(-)-group] for 12 weeks. Every 4 weeks, fasting blood was examined and subjective symptoms were analyzed. Serum TC, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) concentrations did not change in the PS(-)-group, while TC and ApoB significantly decreased in the PS(+)-group at 8 and 12 weeks and LDL-C at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Moreover, serum TC, LDL-C and ApoB concentrations were significantly lower than those of PS(-)-group at 8 and 12 weeks. Other laboratory tests were all in normal ranges and no adverse events were observed. The results indicated that PS-containing dressing decreased serum TC, LDL-C and ApoB concentrations in borderline or mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects. It is therefore proved that the dressing containing PS is helpful in maintaining blood cholesterol level normal and hence, the health of Japanese.