Improved system for measuring rheological properties of thickened liquid using an inclined parallel plate and optical sensor.

The purpose of this study was to improve the method of using an inclined parallel plate (IPP) in directly estimating the yield stress and evaluating the properties of a thickened liquid. The flow curve of the relationship between the shear rate and shear stress of a liquid thickened with a xanthan gum agent was predicted using the Herschel-Bulkley fluid model ( ). We supposed that the yield stress and the result of a line spread test (LST) indicate the deformation state and the flow state of shear stress ( ), respectively.

Improvement of simplified inclined plane test for evaluation of thickened liquids by using optical sensor.

The thickening management index for food for dysphagia is important in enabling recognition of the rheological properties of thickened liquids, including their static and dynamic properties. One of the static properties of these liquids is the yield stress. An improvement to the simplified inclined plane test is proposed here that involves use of an automatic system for measurement of the displacements of thickened liquids on an inclined plate.

Strain patterns in normal anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments and after anatomical reconstruction using gracilis tendon grafts: A cadaver study.

Background: Inversion ankle sprains, or lateral ankle sprains, often result in symptomatic lateral ankle instability, and some patients need lateral ankle ligament reconstruction to reduce pain, improve function, and prevent subsequent injuries. Although anatomically reconstructed ligaments should behave in a biomechanically normal manner, previous studies have not measured the strain patterns of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) after anatomical reconstruction. This study aimed to measure the strain patterns of normal and reconstructed ATFL and CFLs using the miniaturization ligament performance probe (MLPP) system.

A proposed method of evaluating the yield stress of a thickened liquid using a simplified inclined plane test.

Managing the thickening index of food is important for dysphagia and helps in recognizing the static and dynamic rheological properties of the thickening agent. One dynamic property is the viscosity under a shear rate of 50 s , and one static property is the yield stress at a shear rate of 0 s . The purpose of this study is to design a simplified inclined plane test to identify the yield stress of a thickened liquid by observing flow behavior on an inclined plate.

Strain pattern of each ligamentous band of the superficial deltoid ligament: a cadaver study.

Background: There are few reports on the detailed biomechanics of the deltoid ligament, and no studies have measured the biomechanics of each ligamentous band because of the difficulty in inserting sensors into the narrow ligaments. This study aimed to measure the strain pattern of the deltoid ligament bands directly using a Miniaturization Ligament Performance Probe (MLPP) system.

Methods: The MLPP was sutured into the ligamentous bands of the deltoid ligament in 6 fresh-frozen lower extremity cadaveric specimens.

Spherulitic Crystallization in Langmuir-Blodgett Films of the Ditetradecyldimethylammonium-Au(dmit) Salt.

Spherulitic crystallization in Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of the ditetradecyldimethylammonium-Au(dmit) [2CNMe-Au(dmit)] salt has been characterized by polarized light microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Analyses by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for the bulk crystals indicate that annealing in the temperature range of 58-100 °C may be appropriate to improve the order in the LB film. The polarized light microscopy measurement further revealed that a spherulite structure was formed after the film was annealed at 80 °C for 60 min.

Repetitive Immunosensor with a Fiber-Optic Device and Antibody-Coated Magnetic Beads for Semi-Continuous Monitoring of Escherichia coli O157:H7.

A rapid and reproducible fiber-optic immunosensor for O157:H7 ( O157:H7) was described. The biosensor consisted of a flow cell, an optical fiber with a thin Ni layer, and a PC linked fluorometer. First, the samples with O157:H7 were incubated with magnetic beads coated with anti- O157:H7 antibodies and anti- O157:H7 antibodies labeled cyanine 5 (Cy5) to make sandwich complexes.

Proposal of a novel evaluation index for the effects of shear stress and exposure time on hepatocyte damage.

The purpose of this study was to propose a novel evaluation index for the effects of shear stress level and exposure time on hepatocyte damage. Suspensions of rat hepatocytes (0.5 mL) were subjected to shear stress from 1.

Application of alkali metal-doped carbons for hydrogen recovery and isotope separation.

Hydrogen-sorption isotherms of alkali metal-doped carbons at 77 K were determined for promoting application of these materials as hydrogen-recovery and isotope-separation agent. The hydrogen-sorption behavior of rubidium-doped Grafoil, with composition of RbC24, showed high sorption ability against hydrogen at low pressure. Taking into account the fact that sorption-desorption was fast and reversible, and the equilibrium pressure at half coverage was very low, i.

Analysis of ammonia toxicity in landfill leachates.

Toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) phase I manipulations and toxicity test with D. magna were conducted on leachates from an industrial waste landfill site in Japan. Physicochemical analysis detected heavy metals at concentrations insufficient to account for the observed acute toxicity.

A new model for predicting time course toxicity of heavy metals based on Biotic Ligand Model (BLM).

A new model for predicting time course toxicity of heavy metals was developed by extending the effective ratio of biotic ligand binding with toxic heavy metals to the total biotic ligand for 50% of test organisms (f(50)) derived by the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM). BLM has been well-known as a useful model for prediction of heavy metal toxicity. BLM can consider the effect of exposure conditions such as pH and Ca(2+) on heavy metal toxicity.

Arsenic speciation for the phytoremediation by the Chinese brake fern, Pteris vittata.

Arsenic (As) speciation for the phytoremediation by the Chinese brake fern was studied. In particular, the mechanism of how plants induce compounds containing thiol (SH) and proteins by As exposure in terms of the relationship between As and phosphate uptaken into plant cells was examined. Pteris vittata callus could efficiently reduce As(V) to As(III) by the rapid introduction of reductase and synthesize thiols leading to phytochelatins production.

Development of a small-sized generator of ozonated water using an electro-conductive diamond electrode.

A small-sized generator of ozonated water was developed using an electro-conductive diamond. We studied the optimum conditions for producing ozonated water. As a result, we developed a small-sized generator of ozonated water driven by a dry-cell for use in the average household.

Evaluation of the ecotoxicity of solid wastes using rapid leaching test and bioassays.

A rapid leaching test (RLT) involving the use of ultrasonic irradiation was developed. The applicability and suitability of different leaching procedures for solid wastes were evaluated in terms of the leached concentration of heavy metals and total organic carbon and the ecotoxicity potential of the solid wastes. Solid wastes, including incineration ash and sludge, were used.

Ecotoxicity assessment of sludge and leaching test eluates of sludge.

Sludge mainly collected from wastewater treatment plants were subjected to chemical and ecotoxicological characterization to provide a preliminary assessment of their suitability for land application. We examined the leachability and toxicity of organic compounds in several industrial wastes and recovered materials such as dewatered sludge through standard leaching tests. Several toxicity tests were performed under standard laboratory conditions using a freshwater alga, a crustacean, and some terrestrial plants.

Effect of dissolved organic matter source on phytotoxicity to Lemna aequinoctialis.

The effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on metal toxicity to aquatic organisms has been reported. Biotic ligand model (BLM) can account for this factor to predict metal toxicity. However, few attempts have been made to assess the effect of the DOM on metal phytotoxicity to duckweeds.

Toxicity of copper and cadmium in combinations to Duckweed analyzed by the biotic ligand model.

The biotic ligand model (BLM) of acute toxicity to aquatic organisms is based on the concept that metals binding onto biotic ligand may cause toxic effect on the organism. The BLM can take into incorporation between metal speciation and the protective effects of competing cations account. The demonstrated BLM can provide a good estimation of the amount of single metal effect under various conditions such as pH, coexistence of other non toxic cations.

Prediction of genotoxicity of various environmental pollutants by artificial neural network simulation.

In order to evaluate human carcinogenic risks, genotoxicity data such as animal cancer bioassay are often not available. In this study, to assess the relevance of indicator of carcinogenic risks, we used the "molecular diversity approach" to estimate the genotoxicity based upon Salmonella genotoxicity test using the umu test and systemic toxicity data of the 82 environmental chemicals predicted by neural network simulation. The 82 environmental chemicals were randomly selected for this study according to the production and usage in Japan.

Development of new toxicity identification evaluation by assessing toxicity reduction on adsorption and ion-exchange treatments.

A new toxicity identification evaluation method for water exhibiting toxicity has been suggested by evaluating toxicity reduction resulting from adsorption and ion-exchange treatments. Adsorption using various adsorbents such as activated carbon, chitosan and zeolite, and ion-exchange using cationic and anionic ion-exchange resins were performed. In addition, toxicity was evaluated by a cell survival test using human liver cancer origin cells (HepG2), and the dose response data was applied to treatment characteristics.

Estimation of cytotoxicity to HEP-G2 cells of 255 environmental pollutants and water using QSAR (Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship).

Although bioassays are considered to be a rational method for environmental management, the procedure is generally too complicated to be applied to daily water quality management. In this study, the feasibility of using for application of a conventional QSAR (Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship) method was examined to estimate the cytotoxicity of various pollutants found in environmental water. logP, pKa, and molecular weight were chosen as the physico/chemical properties of the pollutants, and defined equations for estimating cytotoxicity based on multiple linear regression analysis between these properties and in vitro cytotoxicity data from our previous results.

Preservation of human cell bioassay device for the on-site evaluation of environmental waters.

We have already developed a novel disposable bioassay device based on the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptaking activity of human hepatoblastoma Hep G2 cells in our previous work. However, this device is not readily applicable to evaluate river water toxicity on-site because it cannot be preserved for more than one week. In this work, we developed the method for preservation of the device to enable it to be preserved for at least one month.

Synthesis of chitosan-amino acid conjugates and their use in heavy metal uptake.

Chitosan-amino acid conjugates were prepared by coupling amino acid esters to the carboxyl group of glyoxylic acid-substituted chitosan. The removal of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Co and Mn) was increased by introduction of amino acids to chitosan, especially for Mn. Heavy metals were almost completely removed by chitosan-amino acid conjugates from solutions at an initial concentration of 100 parts per million.

Synthesis and conformational analysis of Aib-containing peptide modelling for N-glycosylation site in N-glycoprotein.

A tetrapetide containing an Aib residue, Boc-Asn-Aib-Thr-Aib-OMe, was synthesized as a peptide model for the N-glycosylation site in N-glycoproteins. Backbone conformation of the peptide and possible intramolecular interaction between the Asn and Thr side chains were elucidated by means of n.m.