[Simultaneous multiple assay (Luminex xTAG respiratory viral panel FAST assay) efficacy in human respiratory virus detection].

Luminex xTAG respiratory viral panel FAST (RVP FAST) assay detects 17 human respiratory virus strains per measurement. Studying RVP FAST efficacy in detecting respiratory viruses in 67 aspirate samples from the nasal cavities of children with acute respiratory infection, we compared RVP FAST results to those of conventional nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT), e.g.

Growth of Flavobacterium psychrophilum in fish serum correlates with pathogenicity.

Flavobacterium psychrophilum isolates, obtained from ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis, three species of salmonids and two species of cyprinids in Japan, were used in this study. Bacteria were inoculated to serum prepared from ayu or red spotted masu trout (RSMT), Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae, and incubated at 18 °C for 24 h. All isolates (n = 19) from ayu grew well with a 9- to 116-fold increase of CFU in ayu serum, while CFU decreased markedly in RSMT serum.

Efficacy of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli vaccine for bovine clinical mastitis.

An enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) vaccine designed to prevent diarrhoea was inoculated into dairy cows, and the occurrence of clinical mastitis was investigated for 2 years. Half of 480 cows in five farms were subcutaneously inoculated with ETEC vaccine (Imocolibov) twice with a 1-month interval in 2007 and 2008. Fisher's exact test and survival (time to event) analysis with the log-rank test were used to compare vaccinates and controls.

Thermophilic two-stage dry anaerobic digestion of model garbage with ammonia stripping.

To avoid the inhibition of methane production by ammonia that occurs during the degradation of garbage, anaerobic digestion with prior ammonia production and subsequent stripping was investigated. In the ammonia production phase, the maximum ammonia concentration was approximately 2800 mg N/kg of total wet sludge in the range of 4 days of sludge retention time, indicating that only 43% of total nitrogen in the model garbage was converted to ammonia. The model garbage from which ammonia was produced and stripped was subjected to semi-continuous thermophilic dry anaerobic digestion over 180 days.

Transition of genotypes associated with norovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks in a limited area of Japan, Hiroshima Prefecture, during eight epidemic seasons.

The transition of genotypes implicated in 102 NoV gastroenteritis outbreaks in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, during eight epidemic seasons was investigated. Eighteen genotypes were implicated in the outbreaks, with the chronological characteristics as in GII.3, GII.

[Systematic analysis of oral hypoglycemic agents in health foods].

A systematic analysis for 11 ingredients of oral hypoglycemic agent in health foods was established using three different analytical methods; i.e. thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and comparison of MS/MS spectra analyzed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).

Rapid and sensitive detection of norovirus genomes in oysters by a two-step isothermal amplification assay system combining nucleic acid sequence-based amplification and reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification assays.

We developed a two-step isothermal amplification assay system, which achieved the detection of norovirus (NoV) genomes in oysters with a sensitivity similar to that of reverse transcription-seminested PCR. The time taken for the amplification of NoV genomes from RNA extracts was shortened to about 3 h.

[Rapid determination of medical components found in the health food for weight loss by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)].

A method for the rapid determination of 11 medical components found in health foods for weight loss using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) has been developed. HPLC separation is performed on an ODS column with the gradient elution method. The mobile phase consists of two solvents.

Recombinant norovirus implicated in gastroenteritis outbreaks in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

Norovirus (NoV) is a major etiological agent of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. A total of 314 fecal specimens collected from patients of 39 NoV gastroenteritis outbreaks in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, between December 2001 and April 2006 were tested for the occurrence of recombinant NoVs. Sixteen genotypes (GI/1, GI/2, GI/4, GI/7, GI/8, GI/11, GI/14, GII/2, GII/3, GII/4, GII/5, GII/6, GII/8, GII/12, GII/14, and GII/untypeable) were detected in the 39 outbreaks based on capsid sequences and GII/4 was predominant recently.