Degradation and/or Dissociation of Neurodegenerative Disease-Related Factor Amyloid-β by a Suspension Containing Calcium Hydrogen Carbonate Mesoscopic Crystals.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates accumulate in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and are thought to potentially act as prions, promoting further aggregation. Consequently, the biochemistry of Aβ has emerged as a promising target for Alzheimer's disease. CAC-717, a suspension of calcium bicarbonate mesoscopic structures derived from natural sources, has been shown to inactivate various pathogens, including prions.

Application of an anaerobic reactor for the treatment of sulfide-rich wastewater using biogas for HS removal.

Anaerobic treatment of sulfur-rich wastewater is challenging because sulfide greatly inhibits the activity of anaerobic microorganisms, especially methanogenic archaea. We developed an internal phase-separated reactor (IPSR) that removed sulfide prior to methanogenesis by gas stripping using biogas produced in the reactor. The IPSR was fed with synthetic wastewater containing a very high sulfide concentration of up to 6,000 mg S L with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 30,000 mg L.

Feasibility assessment of Japan's fertilizer reduction target: A meta-analysis and its implications for nitrogen waste.

Reducing synthetic nitrogen fertilizer (SNF) use is critical for mitigating environmental nitrogen (N) pollution caused by excessive reactive nitrogen and lowering the cost of chemical N fertilizer inputs in agricultural management. In response, Japan has set a national target to reduce chemical fertilizer inputs, with a goal of 30% reduction in SNF use. To assess the feasibility of this target, we collected ca.

New Advances in Viral and Microorganism Disinfectants.

Nanomaterials are used to develop simpler, cheaper, and faster methods for disease diagnosis [...

Antiviral agents and disinfectants for foot‑and‑mouth disease (Review).

Fluorouracil, 5-azacytidine, 6-azauridine, ribavirin, favipiravir (T-705) and its derivative (T-1105) exhibit anti-foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) effects. In particular, T-1105 exhibits promising results when administered to guinea pigs orally, and pigs in their feed. FMDV is excreted in the early stages of infection in aerosols and oral or nasal droplets from animals.

Ceramic absorbed with calcium bicarbonate mesoscopic crystals partially inactivate scrapie prions.

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting both humans and animals. The causative agent, prion, is extremely resistant to common disinfection procedures. Thus, effective prion inactivation strategies using relatively safe and less corrosive disinfectants are required.

Enhanced sulfide removal by gas stripping in a novel reactor for anaerobic wastewater treatment.

Removal of sulfide by gas stripping using biogas produced in an internal phase-separated reactor (IPSR) was evaluated during anaerobic treatment. The IPSR consisted of upper and lower segments with a gas-liquid partitioning (GLP) valve between the sections. Wastewater was fed to the upper segment in the first stage and then to the lower segment in the second stage.

Dissolved NO concentrations in oil palm plantation drainage in a peat swamp of Malaysia.

Oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia are the largest supplier of palm oil products and have been rapidly expanding in the last three decades even in peat-swamp areas. Oil palm plantations on peat ecosystems have a unique water management system that lowers the water table and, thus, may yield indirect NO emissions from the peat drainage system. We conducted two seasons of spatial monitoring for the dissolved NO concentrations in the drainage and adjacent rivers of palm oil plantations on peat swamps in Sarawak, Malaysia, to evaluate the magnitude of indirect NO emissions from this ecosystem.

Recent Advances in Prion Inactivation by Plasma Sterilizer.

Prions, which cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a notorious group of infectious agents with possibly the highest resistance to complete inactivation. Although various gas plasma instruments have been developed, studies on prion inactivation using gas plasma instruments are limited. Among them, the hydrogen peroxide gas plasma instrument, STERRAD (Advanced Sterilization Products; ASP, Johnson & Johnson, Irvine, CA, USA), is recommended for prion inactivation of heat-sensitive medical devices.

Calcium bicarbonate as an antimicrobial, antiviral, and prion-inhibiting agent (Review).

Calcium bicarbonate does not act as a disinfectant at neutral pH; however, it exerts strong antimicrobial activity after it is placed in a high-voltage electric field, whereby it assumes an alkaline pH (12.4). Moreover, the microbicidal activity of the resulting solution (named CAC-717) is not influenced by the presence of organic material or resistance of the agent to inactivation.

Universal Virucidal Activity of Calcium Bicarbonate Mesoscopic Crystals That Provides an Effective and Biosafe Disinfectant.

We investigated the virucidal effects in solution of a new type of disinfectant, calcium bicarbonate mesoscopic crystals, designated CAC-717, against various types of virus. CAC-717 in solution is alkaline (pH 12.4) and has a self-electromotive force that generates pulsed electrical fields.

Virucidal Effect of the Mesoscopic Structure of CAC-717 on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2.

Here, the virucidal effect of calcium bicarbonate with a mesoscopic structure (CAC-717) on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was determined. Assays showed that CAC-717 had a strong virucidal effect on all examined SARS-CoV-2 isolates, including variant strains. The viral infectivity decreased within 15 s, and the virucidal activity of CAC-717 at a 1:49 ratio was similar to that of ethanol disinfectant.

Differences in the isotopic signature of activated sludge in four types of advanced treatment processes at a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

The natural abundance of stable isotopes is a powerful tool for evaluating biological reactions and process conditions. However, there are few stable isotope studies on the wastewater treatment process. This study carried out the first investigation on variations in natural abundance of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δC and δN) of activated sludge in four types of advanced treatment process (extended aeration activated sludge (EAAS), aerobic-anoxic-aerobic (AO), recycled nitrification-denitrification (RND), and modified Bardenpho (MB)) at a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

Evaluation of stable isotope ratios (δN and δO) of nitrate in advanced sewage treatment processes: Isotopic signature in four process types.

Stable isotope ratios of nitrate are a powerful tool to evaluate aquatic environment stress from treated and untreated sewage. However, there is generally a lack of knowledge on the change in stable isotope ratios within wastewater treatment plants. We investigated nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios (δN and δO) of nitrate in four types of advanced treatment processes operated in parallel; (A) extended aeration activated sludge, (B) anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic (AO), (C) recycled nitrification-denitrification, and (D) modified Bardenpho.

Electrically Charged Disinfectant Containing Calcium Hydrogen Carbonate Mesoscopic Crystals as a Potential Measure to Control pv. on Cabbage Seeds.

pv. () is an important seed-borne bacterial pathogen that causes black rot in brassica. Current seed disinfection methods for have disadvantages; chemical treatment has associated environmental risks, hot water immersion reduces germination, and dry heat treatment is protracted.

Inactivation of Scrapie Prions by the Electrically Charged Disinfectant CAC-717.

Previous studies have revealed that the electrically charged disinfectant CAC-717 has strong virucidal and bactericidal effects but is safe for humans and animals. In this study, CAC-717 was further evaluated for its potential effects as a disinfectant against scrapie prions. Western blotting showed that CAC-717 reduced the amount of the abnormal isoform of prion protein (PrP) in prion-infected cell (ScN2a) lysates.

Inactivation of Non-Enveloped Viruses and Bacteria by an Electrically Charged Disinfectant Containing Meso-Structure Nanoparticles via Modification of the Genome.

Introduction: A previous study demonstrated the virucidal effect of an electrically charged disinfectant (CAC-717), which contains meso-structure nanoparticles, on enveloped viruses (influenza viruses). However, the effect of CAC-717 on other microorganisms and the mechanisms by which CAC-717 inactivates the microorganisms remain unclear. In this study, CAC-717 was further evaluated in terms of its biocidal and virucidal activity as well as its effect on bacterial and viral nucleic acids.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy - A Review from the Perspective of Food Safety.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that belongs to transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). Since the first case was identified in the UK in 1986, BSE spread to other countries including Japan. Its incidence peaked in 1992 in the UK and from 2001 to 2006 in many other countries, but a feed ban aimed at eliminating the recycling of the BSE agent and other control measures aimed at preventing food and feed contamination with the agent were highly effective at reducing the spread of BSE.

Characterization of dissolved organic matter in wastewater during aerobic, anaerobic, and anoxic treatment processes by molecular size and fluorescence analyses.

Changes in the characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM: the dissolved fraction of natural organic matter) during a series of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes were investigated by using a combination of molecular size analysis and excitation emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis. The characteristics of DOM were compared following aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic treatments. Three peaks at about 100,000 Da (high-molecular-size DOM, Peak 1) and about 900-1,100 Da (intermediate-molecular-size DOM, Peak 2; low-molecular-size DOM, Peak 3 as the shoulder of Peak 2) were observed in the distribution of total organic carbon molecular sizes in the influent of the WWTPs.

Distribution in natural abundances of stable isotopes of nitrate and retained sludge in a nitrifying bioreactor: Drastic changes in isotopic signatures.

This study determined the spatial and temporal changes in natural abundance of stable isotopes (δC, δN, and δO) with regard to nitrate (NO) and retained sludge in a nitrifying bioreactor. The bioreactor was continuously fed with synthetic wastewater including ammonium for 61 days at 20 °C. After the start-up period of the bioreactor, the NO concentration in the effluent gradually increased.

Inactivation of human norovirus and its surrogate by the disinfectant consisting of calcium hydrogen carbonate mesoscopic crystals.

Human norovirus is one of the major causes of foodborne gastroenteritis, and it can be easily transmitted from infected person, virus-contaminated foods and environmental surfaces. Effective disinfection method is needed to stop the transmission of human norovirus. CAC-717 is a new disinfectant consisting of calcium hydrogen carbonate mesoscopic crystals.

Function of Prion Protein and the Family Member, Shadoo.

Lowering cellular prion protein (PrPC) levels in the brain is predicted to be a powerful therapeutic strategy for the prion disease. PrPC may act as an antiapoptotic agent by blocking some of the internal environmental factors that initiate apoptosis. Prion protein (PrP)-knockout methods provide powerful indications on the neuroprotective function of PrPC.

Effect of Microglial Inflammation in Prion Disease.

Prion diseases are a group of transmissible fatal neurodegenerative disorders. Neuropatho- logical features of prion diseases include neuroinflammation featuring the infiltration of activated microglia in affected brain areas as well as the accumulation of an abnormal isoform of the cellular prion protein and neuronal loss. Recent studies have elucidated that inflammation in the brain induced by microglia plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders including prion disease.