Nanoparticle synthesis using high-powered pulse-modulated induction thermal plasma

金沢大学理工研究域電子情報学系Nanoparticle synthesis was performed using the high-powered pulse-modulated induction thermal plasma (PMITP) technique to study the effect of coil current modulation on synthesized nanoparticles. This is the first paper to present a summary of results of TiO2 nanoparticle synthesis using high-power Ar-O2 PMITP at 20 kW. The synthesized particles were analysed using field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. In addition, optical emission spectroscopy was used during nanoparticle synthesis experiments to measure TiO spectra and to determine the time-averaged vibrational and rotational temperatures of TiO in the reaction chamber. The results showed that the PMITP produced smaller nanoparticles and a narrower size distribution of particles. Moreover, PMITP provided a lower temperature region in the reaction chamber downstream of the plasma torch than such regions in non-modulated thermal plasmas. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd

Experiments on intramuscular inoculation and feeding domestic cats (Felis catus) with brains of mice previously infected by rabies viruses

Nineteen kittens divided into four groups were fed with brains of mice infected with rabies viruses. Each four kittens (group I) received four brains infected with the PV fixed strain; nine kittens (group II) ingested 4-5 brains infected with the field isolate T-9/95, isolated from the Desmodus rotundus vampire bat; two kittens (group III) fed ten T-9/95-infected brains, and four cats consumed 32-37 PV strain-infected brains. One adult male, inoculated into masseter muscle with a 20% T-9/95-infected brain suspension, presented rabies after an incubation period of six days, followed with 8 days of clinical evolution, and died thereafter and this cat was considered as the rabies "positive standard". After observing for 20-230 days, all the cats feeding the rabid brains were submitted to euthanasia, by using Acepran®, Zoletil®, and T-61®. At necropsy, samples of brain, heart, lung, kidney, submaxillary salivary gland, and cervical medulla were collected from all the cats and further submitted to the direct fluorescence antibody test (dFA), mouse inoculation test (MIT) and to the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. Brain, cervical medulla, and the submaxillary salivary gland of the positive standard cat were dFA-positive, and brain and cervical medulla were positive for MIT. All specimens of this cat tested by the RT-PCR were found positive. No animals ingesting PV or T-9/95 virus-infected brains developed clinical signs and all materials tested were negative by dFA and MIT. Several specimens, however, showed positive reactions by the RT-PCR technique, but cats were resistant to rabies through the viruses administered orally.Dezenove gatos, divididos em quatro grupos, foram alimentados com cérebros de camundongos infectados com vírus de raiva. Cada um dos quatro gatos (grupo I) receberam quatro cérebros infectados com vírus fixo PV; nove gatos (grupo II) ingeriram 4-5 cérebros infectados com uma amostra de campo T-9/95, isolada do morcego Desmodus rotundus; dois gatos (grupo III) ingeriram 10 cérebros infectados com T-9/95 e quatro gatos (grupo IV) ingeriram 32-37 cérebros infectados com vírus PV. Um macho adulto, inoculado no músculo masséter, com uma suspensão cerebral a 20% da amostra T-9/95, desenvolveu raiva após período de incubação de seis dias, seguidos por oito dias de evolução clínica, morrendo em seguida. Este gato foi denominado de "padrão positivo". Após observação por um período de 20-230 dias, todos os gatos que receberam cérebros foram submetidos à eutanásia, utilizando Acepran®, Zoletil® e T-61®. À necropsia, foram colhidas amostras do cérebro, coração, pulmão, rim, glândula salivar submaxilar e medula cervical e submetidas à prova de imunofluorescência direta (IFD), inoculação em camundongos (IC), e reação em cadeia pela polimerase-transcriptase reversa (RT-PCR). No "padrão positivo", cérebro, medula cervical e glândula salivar foram positivos à IFD e à IC, cérebro e medula cervical foram os positivos. Todos os espécimes do "padrão positivo" foram positivos à RT-PCR. Nenhum animal que ingeriu cérebros contendo amostras de vírus PV ou T-9/95 apresentou sinais clínicos e todos os espécimes testados foram negativos à IFD e IC, no entanto, alguns espécimes reagiram positivamente à RT-PCR, porém, os gatos foram resistentes à raiva com vírus administrados oralmente

Clinical Evaluation of the Peroral Cholangioscopy Using a New Videoscope

Peroral cholangioscopy (PCS) has been performed in 22 cases using XCHF-B200 (Olympus Optical Co.) since June 1995 and in 77 cases using CHF-B20 (Olympus Optical Co.) after EST from Jan. 1989. XCHF-B200 has a longer rigid portion of distal end and a smaller channel diameter than CHF-B20. The successful rate of PCS using XCHF-B200 (82%) was lower than that of CHF-B20 (89%). The vascular pattern and fine vertical groove of the bile duct mucosa were shown more clearly on the photographs obtained with XCHF-B200 than those obtained with CHF-B20. However, not enough biopsy specimens could be obtained because the channel diameter of XCHF-B200 was rather small

Molecular characterization and validation of commercially available methods for haptoglobin measurement in bottlenose dolphin

AbstractHaptoglobin (Hp) is a positive acute-phase protein and a valuable marker of inflammation in both human and veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to validate the molecular characterization of Hp in dolphins and to validate commercially available Hp measurement methods such as Hp-ELISA (originally designed for pigs) and Hp–hemoglobin (Hb) binding assay. The dolphin Hp (dHp) amino acid sequence appeared most similar to pig Hp by sequence homology and phylogenetic clustering. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that dHp comprises the Hp1 form of α1 and β chains. The anti-pig Hp antibody cross-reacted with both recombinant dHp, expressed by Escherichia coli, and dHp from serum. The intra- and inter-assay levels of imprecision of pig Hp-ELISA and the Hp–Hb binding assay were found to be tolerable for the determination of Hp in dolphin, and there was no significant discrepancy between the two determination methods. The ability of the assay to differentiate between healthy and inflammation groups was investigated, and a significant increase in Hp concentration was detected in inflammatory conditions. Thus, Hp is a useful inflammation marker for dolphin, and the Hp concentration in dolphin serum samples can be reliably measured using commercially available pig Hp-ELISA and Hp–Hb binding assay

Molecular epidemiology of livestock rabies viruses isolated in the northeastern Brazilian states of Paraíba and Pernambuco from 2003 - 2009

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Limited or no epidemiological information has been reported for rabies viruses (RABVs) isolated from livestock in the northeastern Brazilian states of Paraíba (PB) and Pernambuco (PE). The aim of this study was to clarify the molecular epidemiology of RABVs circulating in livestock, especially cattle, in these areas between 2003 and 2009.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Phylogenetic analysis based on 890 nt of the nucleoprotein (N) gene revealed that the 52 livestock-derived RABV isolates characterized here belonged to a single lineage. These isolates clustered with a vampire bat-related RABV lineage previously identified in other states in Brazil; within PB and PE, this lineage was divided between the previously characterized main lineage and a novel sub-lineage.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The occurrences of livestock rabies in PB and PE originated from vampire bat RABVs, and the causative RABV lineage has been circulating in this area of northeastern Brazil for at least 7 years. This distribution pattern may correlate to that of a vampire bat population isolated by geographic barriers.</p