Toshiro Miyahara

Immunochromatographic assay using gold nanoparticles for measuring salivary secretory IgA in dogs as a stress marker

Abstract The concentration of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) is a well-known stress marker for humans. The concentration of salivary sIgA in dogs has also been reported as a useful stress marker. In addition, salivary sIgA in dogs has been used to determine the adaptive ability of dogs for further training. There are conventional procedures based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring salivary sIgA in dogs. However, ELISA requires long assay time, complicated operations and is costly. In the present study, we developed an immunochromatographic assay for measuring salivary sIgA in dogs using a dilution buffer containing a non-ionic surfactant. We determined 2500-fold dilution as the optimum condition for dog saliva using a phosphate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.2) containing non-ionic surfactant (3 wt% Tween 20). The results obtained from the saliva samples of three dogs using immunochromatographic assay were compared with those obtained from ELISA. It was found that the immunochromatographic assay is applicable to judge the change in salivary sIgA in each dog. The immunochromatographic assay for salivary sIgA in dogs is a promising tool, which should soon become commercially available for predicting a dogs psychological condition and estimating adaptive ability for training as guide or police dogs.

Process Systems Engineering. Characteristics of a Fluidized Bed Incinerator under the Supply of Unshredde Municipal Solid Waste.

都市ごみを破砕することなく焼却する流動層炉において, 安定した燃焼を得ることを目的として, 最近の厳しい公害規制に対応できる流動層炉の燃焼方式を開発し, 炉内の輝度に対応して流動空気量, 二次空気量及びごみ供給量の制御を行った.その結果, 今まで排ガス中の一酸化炭素濃度が1000ppm近くであったものが10ppm以下となり燃焼が安定することが確認された.また, ごみが炉へ落下していく量を検出して, ごみが流動層に到達する前に流動空気を絞り流動砂の流動化を弱めれば, 燃焼に有効であると思われるフィードフォーワード制御が課題として提起された.

Effect of Trace Alcohol on Hydrodynamic and Mass Transfer Characteristics in Three-Phase Fluidized Bed Containing Low-Density Particles.

著者らは, これまでの三相流動層はガラスビーズを代表とし, 比較的密度の大きい粒子を用いて検討されてきたことから, ポリスチレン, ナイロン, 活性炭粒子のような密度の小さい粒子を用い物質移動特性, 混合特性, 気泡特性を検討してきた.しかし実際のプロセスでは系が界面的に汚染された場合が多く, 水溶液中の界面汚染物質は微量でも流動特性や物質移動特性に大きく影響することが指摘されている.この理由をScrivenらは界面汚染物質が気液界面での界面張力勾配を生じるMarangoni効果によるものと説明している.アルコールはこのような界面汚染物質の一例である.アルコール添加の諸物性に及ぼす影響についてはこれまで気泡塔に対しては多い.たとえばKelkarらは炭素数1～4のアルコールを用い気泡塔のガスホールドアップを検討している.しかし気泡塔に対する研究とは対照的に三相流動層に対する研究は少なく, 特に低密度粒子を含む三相流動層に対する研究は見あたらない.本研究では気液界面汚染物質の一例として液中に微量のエタノールを添加し, 低密度粒子を含む三相流動層のガスホールドアップ, 層頂を離脱する気泡の大きさ, 混合拡散係数および物質移動容量係数を実験的に検討し, 非汚染系の結果と比較検討した.

Liquid axial dispersion characteristics of three-phase fluidized beds with small or light particles.

Three-phase fluidized systems comprising air/water/glass beads (diameter, 550μm), activated carbon particles (650 μm), polystyrene particles (3.1 mm) and Nylon-6particles (6.32 and 9.52 mm) were operated under gas-liquid cocurrent upflow conditions in a column of 6.5 cm inside diameter and 157 cm height.Experiments were conducted to investigate the axial dispersion coefficient using the axial dispersion model together with axial oxygen concentration profiles obtained from oxygen absorption experiments.As a result, the behavior of the axial dispersion coefficient in three-phase fluidized beds containing small or low-density particles is different from that in conventional three-phase fluidized beds containing heavy particles such as glass beads, silica, sand or various metal particles. The axial dispersion coefficient is an increasing function of liquid velocity but a decreasing function of gas velocity.Empirical correlations of the axial dispersion coefficient based on the correlation proposed by Kim et al. were obtained.