Reduction of Excess Sludge by Magneto-Ferrite Treatment: Observation on Lab Scale WWTPs

We have reported the effect of magneto-ferrite treatment on the growth of excess activated sludge in laboratory scale with extended aeration method. This magneto-ferrite treatment is a new approach for reduction of excess sludge by using ferrite particles and permanent magnets. Two miniature waste water treatment plants were used at the laboratory, one of which was run with magneto-ferrite treatment, whereas other one was run without any treatment. The observations showed good results in the reduction of excess sludge. No evidence of excess sludge was found with magneto-ferrite treatment. The results showed good possibilities of reducing sludge in the arena of biological waste water treatment. © 2009 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Photodynamic Inactivation of an Endodontic Bacteria Using Diode Laser and Indocyanine Green-Loaded Nanosphere

Apical periodontitis, an inflammatory lesion causing bone resorption around the apex of teeth, is treated by eradicating infectious bacteria from the root canal. However, it has a high recurrence rate and often requires retreatment. We investigated the bactericidal effect of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT)/photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) using indocyanine green (ICG)-loaded nanospheres coated with chitosan and a diode laser on a biofilm of Enterococcus faecalis, a pathogen of refractory apical periodontitis. Biofilm of E. faecalis was cultured in a porcine infected root canal model. ICG solution was injected into the root canal, which was then irradiated with a laser (810 nm wavelength) from outside the root canal. The bactericidal effect was evaluated by colony counts and scanning electron microscopy. The result of the colony counts showed a maximum 1.89 log reduction after irradiation at 2.1 W for 5 min. The temperature rise during aPDT/PACT was confirmed to be within a safe range. Furthermore, the light energy transmittance through the root was at a peak approximately 1 min after the start of irradiation, indicating that most of the ICG in the root canal was consumed. This study shows that aPDT/PACT can suppress E. faecalis in infected root canals with high efficiency.     

Statistical analysis of attack rate in norovirus foodborne outbreaks

Norovirus (NoV), which causes foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks, is one of the important viruses in public health. We statistically analyzed the attack rate in foodborne outbreaks caused by NoV. The attack rate in 95 oyster-associated outbreaks was significantly higher than that in 195 food handler-associated outbreaks (P=0.007). The difference in the number of NoV genotypes implicated is considered to be an important factor for this difference. The attack rate in 20 outbreaks associated only with GII/3 was higher than that in 143 other outbreaks (P=0.247), while the attack rate in 27 outbreaks associated only with GII/4 was lower than that in 136 other outbreaks (P=0.004), suggesting that GII/4 NoVs cause asymptomatic infection more frequently than do other NoV genotypes. Our results suggest that differences in implicated foods, susceptibility of the host to NoV infection, and pathogenicity of NoVs may influence the attack rate in NoV foodborne outbreaks.     

Zinc deficiency delays gastric ulcer healing in rats

Zinc is an important element in wound healing. Zinc compounds hasten the healing of gastric ulcers, by an unknown mechanism(s). We studied the effect of the induction of zinc deficiency on gastric ulcer healing. Rats were given a control or zinc-deficient diet for six weeks and then subjected to the induction of acetic acid-induced chronic gastric ulcers. Four days later, zinc-deficient rats were divided into two groups. In the first group, the zinc-deficient diet was continued. In the second group, the diet was changed to the control diet. Zinc-deficient rats had a mean serum zinc concentration approximately 70% of that in controls. Zinc deficiency did not affect the formation of gastric ulcers; however, it reduced cell proliferation by day 4 and delayed ulcer healing. Zinc supplementation brought zinc to control levels within a week, but failed to reverse the delay in ulcer healing. We conclude that zinc is crucial for healing of gastric ulcers, especially at the early stage.     

Numerical study of flow and heat transfer of superfluid helium in capillary channels

A modified two-fluid model is adopted to study flow and heat transfer of superfluid helium in a microchannel with a diameter as small as that of a superleak in a fountain effect pump. Variable properties of superfluid helium and energy dissipations due to the two-fluid mutual friction and the friction at the channel wall are fully taken into consideration. It is found that the normal fluid component flow is not trivial even in a channel with diameter of a micrometre, and that there exists an optimum diameter for the maximum mass flow rate. The flow of superfluid helium through a channel with different temperatures at the ends differs considerably from that of a Newtonian fluid. The strong dependence of the thermodynamic properties on temperature and pressure, as well as the internal-convection mechanism are found to be the causes of the unique flows.     

Langmuir-Blodgett films of long-chain derivatives of ferrocene, biferrocene and oxidized ferricenium

Different orientations of ferrocene nuclei can be obtained in the Langmuir- Blodgett (LB) films of amphiphilic ferrocene and biferrocene derivatives, depending on the number of long-chain substituents. Polarization energies of ferrocene due to the molecular alignments in the LB films were estimated from UV photoelectron spectroscopy with reference to the cyclic voltammograms for the solutions. Change transfer complexes of the ferrocene derivatives with various electron accepting species such as iodine and tetracyanoquinodimethane give stable condensed monolayers and the electronic absorption spectra of these complexes were examined in the monolayers and multilayers. The BF^-₄ salts of the ferrocene and biferrocene derivatives also form stable monolayers in which the absorption band due to the oxidized ferricenium cation was observed at 610–690 nm. In addition, electrochemical oxidation and reduction for the LB films of the ferrocene derivative have been studied.