Multiresidue method for pesticides and veterinary drugs in bovine milk using GC/MS and LC/MS/MS

A simple, sensitive and selective method with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) has been developed to detect 342 pesticides and veterinary drugs contaminating bovine milk at the maximum residue limits (MRLs) defined in the "positive list system". Sample preparation was performed by extracting the analytes with acetonitrile, followed by salting-out with sodium chloride. For some pesticides, the extract was further cleaned up by n-hexane partitioning and PSA cartridge column chromatography. GC/MS-EI or -NCI was used to determine pesticide residues, while LC/MS/MS-ESI was applicable to the determination of pesticide and veterinary drug residues. The variation of the recoveries of these drugs at MRL was relatively wide; however the relative standard deviations of the recovery of each drug were within 28%, suggesting that the present method is good enough for use as a screening test for contaminants at the MRLs. These results show that this method is useful for multiresidue analysis of numerous pesticides and veterinary drugs in bovine milk.     

Relation between microstructure, properties and spark plasma sintering (SPS) parameters of pure ultrafine WC powder

A combined experimental/numerical methodology is developed to fully consolidate pure ultrafine WC powder under a current-control mode. Three applied currents, 1900, 2100 and 2700 A, and a constant pressure of 20 MPa were employed as process conditions. The developed spark plasma sintering (SPS) finite-element model includes a moving-mesh technique to account for the contact resistance change due to sintering shrinkage and punch sliding. The effects of the heating rate on the microstructure and hardness were investigated in detail along the sample radius from both experimental and modeling points of view. The maximum hardness (2700 HV10) was achieved for a current of 1900 A at the core sample, while the maximum densification was achieved for 2100 and 2700 A. A direct relationship between the compact microstructure and both the sintering temperature and the heating rate was established.     

Correlation between friction of articular cartilage and reflectance intensity from superficial images

The lubrication mechanism of articular cartilage is characterized by an efficient performance. In this work, friction of articular cartilage was evaluated with in-site images of articular surface. The images were captured with the laser light reflected at the interface between a prism and articular cartilage. The attenuation of reflectance was associated with the increase of the contact of collagen network of articular cartilage. The light reflectance and friction coefficient for short sliding presented a significant positive correlation. Friction tests were also carried out for short (30 s) and long (300 s) preloading times. The results indicate that depletion of fluid film is responsible for the increase of friction and the recovery of the fluid film was observed for the long preloading after the early stage of sliding.     

High-energy x-ray microbeam with total-reflection mirror optics

Total-reflection mirror optics for high-energy x-ray microfocusing have been developed, and tested in the energy range of 30-100 keV at beamline 20XU of Synchrotron Radiation Facility SPring-8. The optical system consists of a Kirkpatrick-Baez-type [J. Opt. Soc. Am. 38, 766 (1548)] focusing optics with aspherical total-reflection mirrors for the purpose of reducing the spherical aberrations. A focused beam size of 0.35 x 0.4 microm(2) has been achieved at an x-ray energy of 80 keV, and the measured spot size was less than 1 microm in the x-ray energy region below 90 keV.     

Question hard, answer simply: A comment on Storms et al. (2003).

It seems clear that, for whatever reasons, the dementia of the Alzheimer type patient group (as well as other patient groups) exhibits behavior that is different from the normal control group. G. Storms, T. Dirikx, J. Saerens, S. Verstraeten, and P. P. De Deyn (2003) rightfully argue that the observed behavior (similarity judgments) does not tell us the source (cause) of the differences between the 2 groups. Rather, the focus of the study should be placed more on finding the ways the 2 groups are different. They also point out various methodological problems in some of the previous attempts to characterize the nature of the differences. Further methodological issues in G. Storms et al.'s study are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reversible crosslinking in cellulose. I. Determination of mercaptan and disulfide in modified cotton

Mercaptan and disulfide contents of modified cotton fabrics could be determined by application of Leach's polarographic method for wool, with minor modification. It was found that mercaptocellulose prepared by the reaction of tosyl cellulose and potassium thiolacetate followed by alkaline hydrolysis contained considerable amounts of disulfided in addition to mercaptain. Iodometric titration of mercaptocellulose gave a higher value of mercaptan than that obtained by the polarographic method. The mercaptan and disulfide contents and methylene blue uptake of the iodine-treated samples indicate that some of the mercaptan groups further undergo oxidation to acidic groups as a result of the iodine treatment. The spatial effect in the oxidation of mercapto groups in modified cotton is briefly discussed.     

Radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in a pilot plant. I. Bulk process

Radiation-induced bulk polymerization of ethylene was carried out with use of a pilot plant with a 10 liter reactor at pressures of 225–400 kg/cm², temperatures of 30–95°C, ethylene feed rates of 5–28 kg/hr, and dose rate of 3.8 × 10⁵ rad/hr. Characteristics of the process are mild polymerization conditions and capability of producing medium density polyethylene in powder form. The spacetime yield and molecular weight of polymer were in the range of 3.5 to 13.1 g/liter hr and 2.2 × 10⁴ to 14 × 10⁴, respectively. The space-time yield increased with mean residence time and 2.4 powders of pressure, and decreased with temperature. Molecular weight changed similarly with the reaction conditions. These results were consistent with those of the bench plant experiment and the scale effect was small. Polymer deposit to the reactor wall limited a period of continuous operation of the plant. The amount of deposited polymer was increased with the square of reaction time. The rate of polymer deposit was proportional to polymer concentration and to the cube of pressure. The polymer deposit cannot be solved in the bulk process.     

Preparation of Porous Ceramics with Calcium Metaphosphate Fiber Skeleton for Biomedical Use

High-strength calcium metaphosphate fibers for biomedical applications are extracted from crystallized products of calcium ultraphosphate glasses by aqueous leaching. In the present work, new types of porous ceramics with a skeleton composed of the crystalline fibers are prepared by heating the fibrous products extracted. The fibers in the ceramic are interlinked to each other by glassy phases formed during the heating. This porous material has a large porosity of >60%. The surface of the skeleton can be successfully converted into new calcium phosphate phases such as apatite by heating the porous material treated with a molten salt mixture of CaCl₂-Ca(NO₃)₂.     

Charged ultrafiltration membrane for permeation of proteins

Polyacrylonitrile-g-poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) was synthesized photochemically and quaternized. The positively charged membranes made from the quaternized graftcopolymer showed high ultrafiltration rate for water by adding poly(vinyl alcohol) to casting solution and washing it out after the casting. In buffered saline solution, the permeability of the membranes was very small at pH below isoelectric point of albumin but increased markedly at higher pH. On the other hand, the permeability for γ-globulin was very small and did not show any pH dependence.