Some elements comprising particulate matter during summer in waters of various environments in British Columbia, Canada

Multi-elemental traces comprising particulate matter in natural water collected during summer in 1978 and 1979 from British Columbia, Canada, were analyzed by α-particle excited X-ray fluorometry. Common elements from all waters examined were Si, Cl, Ca and Fe. The similarity of their distribution in different aquatic environments was statistically analyzed. They were distributed homogeneously in the marine environment but heterogeneously in the freshwater environments. No heavy metals concerned with the environmental standards were detected for all waters examined.     

Solid-state pH sensor prototype for real-time monitoring of the rumen pH value of Japanese cows

Microsystem Technologies - During the growth of Japanese cows, the ruminal pH value is an important physiological parameter, which remarkably affects their nutritional status. To monitor the health...     

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations of the NMR chemical shieldings for mannose and mannobiose

The ¹³C and ¹H NMR shielding constants for -methylmannose and -methylmannobiose have been calculated using the ab initio gauge-including atomic orbital (GIAO) method to study the conformational dependencies of the NMR chemical shifts of the sugars. The molecular structures were fully optimized using B3LYP/6-31G^* and the NMR shielding constants were calculated at both Hartree–Fock (HF) and density functional (DF) levels of theory with various kinds of basis sets. The values determined using the B3LYP hybrid functional were a little closer to those obtained experimentally than those determined at the HF level. Both, HF and B3LYP with the 6-311+G(2d,p) basis were found to give a very good correlation between the experimental and calculated shielding constants, especially for ¹³C.     

Towards the improvement of thermal efficiency in lignite‐fired power generation: Concerning the utilization of Polish lignite deposits in state‐of‐the‐art IGCC technology

Integrated coal Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) is the most advanced technology for coal‐fired power generation. The two‐stage entrained flow gasification process allows for the use of a wide range of coal, as long as the gasification temperature is above the ash melting point of a used fuel. In this gasification technology, lignite, which often has a low ash melting point, can be preferably utilized. However, ash fluidity is also another importance, because the behaviour of molten slag can diminish a stable ash discharge from a gasifier. As the eligibility of coal ash properties is a considerable factor, water physically and chemically kept in lignite (30 – 60% in mass) attributes to deteriorating gasification efficiency, because it causes significant heat loss and increasing oxygen consumption. Developing a thermal evaporative lignite drying method will be a necessary attempt to apply lignite to the coal gasification process. For those preceded objectives, coal and ash properties and drying characteristics of several grades of Polish lignite, extracted from Belchatow and Turow deposits, have been experimentally investigated in a preliminary study evaluating the applicability and consideration for its utilization in state‐of‐the‐art clean coal technology, IGCC. This paper particularly discusses the eligibility of Polish lignite from the perspective of the fusibility and fluidity of ash melts and the fundamental drying kinetics of lignite in superheated steam in the light of water removal. The viscosity of ash melts is measured at high temperature up to 1700 °C. In the drying tests, the significant influence of structural issues, because of the provenance and origin of lignite on the drying characteristics, was found by applying the method of sensitivity analysis of physical propensity. This paper concludes that the investigated Polish lignite has characteristics favourable for utilization in IGCC technology, once the precautions related to its high moisture have been carefully addressed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of performance of a commercial monoclonal antibody-based fenitrothion immunoassay and application to residual analysis in fruit samples

The performance of a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit containing highly sensitive monoclonal antibodies against fenitrothion was assessed. The experimentally estimated dynamic range (0.087 to 2 ng/g) agreed with that established by the kit manufacturer (0.075 to 1 ng/g). The linearity of the standard curve produced for the kit-assembled standard solutions (slope = -0.3829) agreed with that of the curve produced for the self-made standard solutions (slope = -0.3619). The sensitivity (I50 value) and the limit of detection for the kit were 0.23 and 0.033 ng/g, respectively. Selectivity of the ELISA indicates that the monoclonal antibody can readily distinguish the target pesticide from other structurally related analogs and some metabolites (oxon forms), with the exception of ethyl O-(p-nitrophenyl) phenyl phosphonothionate (EPN), parathion-methyl, and parathion. Methanol was the best organic solvent for the kit, with optimal sensitivity observed at a final concentration in the well of 10% (vol/vol) or less. Matrix interferences were minimized by direct dilution with water (60-fold) of the methanolic extracts fromapple and peach samples. To extract fenitrothion from these two agricultural products as simply and rapidly as possible, three extraction methods were used. The extraction method that involved shaking by hand for 3 min was the best among the three methods. High recovery percentages (116.6% for apple and 110.8% for peach) were obtained. Validation of the ELISA method was carried out using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method, resulting in high recovery and close correlation of results (r > 0.95). These findings strongly suggest that the ELISA kit may be routinely employed for on-site fenitrothion screening of fruit samples.     

Medical application of carbon-nanotube-filled nanocomposites: the microcatheter

Carbon nanotubes hold great promise for use in biomedical fields. Among numerous potential applications, including DNA and protein sensors, bioseparators, biocatalysts, and tissue scaffolds, this article emphasizes the use of carbon-nanotube-filled polymer composites as medical devices, namely, microcatheters. The currently hot topic of the biocompatibility (e.g., toxic properties) of carbon nanotubes is discussed. In addition, critical issues that must be clarified for the full utilization of current carbon-nanotube science and technology in biomedical fields are discussed.     

In Vivo Characteristics of Premixed Calcium Phosphate Cements When Implanted in Subcutaneous Tissues and Periodontal Bone Defects

Previous studies showed that water-free, premixed calcium phosphate cements (Pre-CPCs) exhibited longer hardening times and lower strengths than conventional CPCs, but were stable in the package. The materials hardened only after being delivered to a wet environment and formed hydroxyapatite as the only product. Pre-CPCs also demonstrated good washout resistance and excellent biocompatibility when implanted in subcutaneous tissues in rats. The present study evaluated characteristics of Pre-CPCs when implanted in subcutaneous tissues (Study I) and used for repairing surgically created two-wall periodontal defects (Study II). Pre-CPC pastes were prepared by combining CPC powders that consisted of CPC-1: Ca(4)(PO(4))(2)O and CaHPO(4), CPC-2: α-Ca(3)(PO(4))(2) and CaCO(3) or CPC-3: DCPA and Ca(OH)(2) with a glycerol at powder-to-liquid mass ratios of 3.5, 2.5, and 2.5, respectively. In each cement mixture, the Ca to P molar ratio was 1.67. The glycerol contained Na(2)HPO(4) (30 mass %) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (0.55 %) to accelerate cement hardening and improve washout resistance, respectively. In Study I, the test materials were implanted subcutaneously in rats. Four weeks after the operation, the animals were sacrificed and histopathological observations were performed. The results showed that all of the implanted materials exhibited very slight or negligible inflammatory reactions in tissues contacted with the implants. In Study II, the mandibular premolar teeth of mature beagle dogs were extracted. One month later, two-wall periodontal bone defects were surgically created adjacent to the teeth of the mandibular bone. The defects were filled with the Pre-CPC pastes and the flaps replaced in the preoperative position. The dogs were sacrificed at 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery and sections of filled defects resected. Results showed that one month after surgery, the implanted Pre-CPC-1 paste was partially replaced by bone and was converted to bone at 6 months. The pockets filled with Pre-CPC-2 were completely covered by newly formed bone in 1 month. The Pre-CPC-2 was partially replaced by trabecular bone in 1 month and was completely replaced by bone in 6 months. Examination of 1 month and 3 month samples indicated that Pre-CPC-2 resorbed and was replaced by bone more rapidly than Pre-CPC 1. Both Pre-CPC pastes were highly osteoconductive. When implanted in periodontal defects, Pre-CPC-2 was replaced by bone more rapidly than Pre-CPC-1.     

Status and research programs of the multinuclide accelerator mass spectrometry system at the University of Tsukuba

We present the current status and research programs of a multinuclide accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) system on the 12UD Pelletron tandem accelerator at the University of Tsukuba (Tsukuba AMS system), Japan. A maximum terminal voltage of 12 MV is available for the AMS system. The Tsukuba AMS system can measure environmental levels of long-lived radioisotopes of ¹⁴C, ²⁶Al, ³⁶Cl and ¹²⁹I by employing a molecular pilot beam. Recently, enhancements in AMS techniques and equipment, including sample preparation, the ion source and the data acquisition system, have improved the performance of ³⁶Cl-AMS. The standard deviation of fluctuations is typically ±2%, and the machine background level for the ³⁶Cl/Cl ratio is lower than 1 × 10^?15 with a halite sample. We have measured over 500 samples in 1 year, including samples for earth and environmental sciences and nuclear safety research.     

The Performance of Fiber-Radio Road Vehicle Communication System with Macro-Diversity

This paper proposes a road-to-vehicle communication system based onfiber-radio extension link (FREx link). Since the proposedroad-to-vehicle communication system interconnects a cell controlstation with base stations by FREx link, optical fiber link noiseshould be taken into account to evaluate the system. This paperanalyzes the outage probability and frequency utilization efficiencyperformance of the fiber-radio road-to-vehicle communication systemwith macro-diversity. It also shows that the proposed system withmacro-diversity can improve performance, although it should bedesigned with the effect of optical fiber link noise in mind.     

Preparation and evaluation of gel formulations for oral sustained delivery to dysphagic patients

Background: Oral sustained release gel formulations may provide a means of administering drugs to dysphagic and geriatric patients who have difficulties with handling and taking oral dosage forms. Aim: We have designed gel formulations for the oral administration of paracetamol with suitable rheological characteristics for ease of administration to patients with swallowing difficulties and sufficient integrity in the acidic environment of the stomach to achieve a sustained release of this drug. Method: Gels formed by gelatin, agar, gellan, pectin, and xyloglucan were assessed for suitable gel strength and in vitro and in vivo release characteristics. Results: Gellan (1.5%?w/v) and xyloglucan gels (1.5%?w/w) had acceptable gel strengths for ease of swallowing and retained their integrity in the rat stomach sufficiently well to sustain the release of paracetamol over a period of 6 hours. Comparison of 1.5%?xyloglucan gels with a commercially available preparation with identical paracetamol concentrations demonstrated improved sustained release properties of the xyloglucan gels. Conclusions: Gels formed by gellan and xyloglucan have suitable rheological and sustained release characteristics for potential use as vehicles for oral delivery of drugs to dysphagic patients.