A new whiteness formula

With the advent of fluorescent whitening agents, the general idea of whiteness has changed. Numerous whiteness formulas by which we evaluate whiteness of white materials have been proposed, but these formulas (including the CIE whiteness formula) were found not to correlate well to visual estimation. In this article, a modified CIE whiteness formula dealing with the tint and the excitation purity is proposed. There is a significant correlation between this formula and the visual estimation of whiteness. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 23, 202–209, 1998     

Simultaneous determination of pesticides in agricultural products by LC/MS/MS using clean-up with ultrafiltration

A method for simultaneous determination of multiple pesticide residues in agricultural products was developed by using a pretreatment with ultrafiltration, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The pretreatment process (extraction of pesticides from agricultural products with methanol, dilution of the extract with water, and ultrafiltration) gave recoveries in the range of 50-150% for 63 of 83 pesticides spiked at 0.25 microg/ g into 6 agricultural products. The detection limits of pesticides by LC/MS/MS were below 0.0005-0.05 micro/g. This method is useful for screening purposes and for multiresidue analysis of pesticides in agricultural products. Pesticide residues in 50 domestic crops were investigated by this method, and residues of 14 pesticides were detected in 30 crops.     

Synthesis and structures of iron nanoparticles coated with boron nitride nanomaterials

Iron (Fe) nanoparticles coated with boron nitride (BN) nanomaterials were synthesized by using Fe(4)N and B powders as raw materials. The Fe(4)N was reduced to alpha-Fe during annealing at 1000 degrees C for several hours with flowing 100 sccm N(2) gas. The reaction was predicted by Ellingham diagram. The atomic structure and magnetic properties were investigated by high-resolution electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer system.     

Solution-processed zinc tetrabenzoporphyrin thin-films and transistors

Thin-films and organic field-effect transistors fabricated from a solution-processable precursor of zinc tetrabenzoporphyrin (ZnTBP) are reported. Amorphous, insulating precursor films were deposited by spin-casting and thermally converted into polycrystalline, semiconducting thin-films comprising grains on the order of 5 μm in diameter. Thin-film X-ray diffraction indicates a monoclinic unit cell with molecules arranged in a herringbone pattern, which in conjunction with optical and atomic force microscopy indicate a thin-film with grains comprised of randomly oriented ZnTBP aggregates. Optical absorption measurements display broad absorption with bands characteristic of a D_4h symmetric porphyrin molecule. Organic field-effect transistors displayed field-effect mobilities on the order of 10^− 2 cm²/V s and ON-/OFF-current ratios exceeding 10².     

Tritium depth profile in matter using an imaging plate

A method to detect tritium non-destructively in regions deeper than the escape depth of beta rays is being developed using bremsstrahlung induced by beta rays with an imaging plate (IP). An IP made of europium-doped BaFBr(I), a photostimulated luminescence (PSL) material, is a two-dimensional radiation sensor. The bremsstrahlung energy spectrum is a continuum with photon energies, varying based on the atomic number and thickness of the target (or absorbing) material. When tritium migrates into matter, the bremsstrahlung energy spectrum distribution would change. The PSL intensity of the IP is affected by this energy spectrum variation. In order to quantify the amount of tritium in deeper regions with the IP technique, a tritium depth profile is required.In this study, a new method of obtaining a tritium depth profileusing the combined technique of the IP and thin absorbers is presented.     

Breeding of high malate‐producing diploid sake yeast with a homozygous mutation in the VID24 gene

Malate is an important taste component of sake (a Japanese alcoholic beverage) that is produced by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae during alcoholic fermentation. A variety of methods for generating high malate‐producing yeast strains have been developed to date. We recently reported that a high malate‐producing strain was isolated as a mutant sensitive to dimethyl succinate (DMS), and that a mutation in the vacuolar import and degradation protein (VID) 24 gene was responsible for high malate productivity and DMS sensitivity. In this work, the relationships between heterozygous and homozygous mutants of VID24 and malate productivity in diploid sake yeast were examined and a method was developed for breeding a higher malate‐producing strain. First a diploid yeast was generated with a homozygous VID24 mutation by genetic engineering. The homozygous integrants produced more malate during sake brewing and grew more slowly in DMS medium than wild‐type and heterozygous integrants. Thus, the genotype of the VID24 mutation influenced the level of malate production and sensitivity to DMS in diploid yeast. Then a homozygous mutant from a heterozygous mutant was obtained without genetic engineering by ultraviolet irradiation and culturing in DMS with nystatin enrichment. The non‐genetically modified sake yeast with a homozygous VID24 mutation exhibited a higher level of malate productivity than the parent heterozygous mutant strain. These findings provide a basis for controlling malate production in yeast, and thereby regulating malate levels in sake. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

The effect of osmotic dehydrofreezing on the role of the cell membrane in carrot texture softening after freeze-thawing

To understand the protective mechanism of the osmotic dehydrofreezing technique on carrot texture after freeze-thawing, two mechanical texture parameters, fracture stress related to the cell wall and initial modulus related to the cell membrane, as well as cell membrane water permeability using PFG-NMR were evaluated. In particular, to understand the role of the cell membrane in texture alteration, tissue in which the cell membrane was exposed to chloroform vapor was used. Although dehydrofreezing protected texture from freezing damage, the effect was only observed with respect to fracture stress, with exhibited values close to those for raw tissue. However, there was no protective effect on initial modulus and water permeability, in which values did not differ from those of cell membrane-free tissue. More specifically, osmotic dehydrofreezing had no effect on the cell membrane induced by freeze-thawing.     

Effects of ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 deficiency on mouse ova

Maternal proteins are rapidly degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system during oocyte maturation in mice. Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) is highly and specifically expressed in mouse ova and is involved in the polyspermy block. However, the role of UCHL1 in the underlying mechanism of polyspermy block is poorly understood. To address this issue, we performed a comprehensive proteomic analysis to identify maternal proteins that were relevant to the role of UCHL1 in mouse ova using UCHL1-deficient gad. Furthermore, we assessed morphological features in gad mouse ova using transmission electron microscopy. NACHT, LRR, and PYD domain-containing (NALP) family proteins and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperones were identified by proteomic analysis. We also found that the 'maternal antigen that embryos require' (NLRP5 (MATER)) protein level increased significantly in gad mouse ova compared with that in wild-type mice. In an ultrastructural study, gad mouse ova contained less ER in the cortex than in wild-type mice. These results provide new insights into the role of UCHL1 in the mechanism of polyspermy block in mouse ova.