Field instrument for simultaneous large dynamic range measurement of atmospheric hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, and sulfur dioxide

We describe a membrane-based collection/analysis system that differentially monitors H2S and CH3SH, and to which a conductometric SO2 analyzer using the same collector was coupled. A diffusion scrubber (DS) comprised of a Nafion tube collects H2S selectively while a porous polytetrafluoroethylene (pPTFE) DS collects both H2S and CH3SH. Both gases are measured via their ability to react with fluorescein mercuric acetate (FMA) which results in decreased fluorescence. The limited dynamic range of a negative signal procedure was overcome by using dual DS units comprised of short and long scrubbers, placed serially in the liquid flow line. Different DS designs and membrane materials were investigated. H2S, CH3SH, and SO2 from a biogenic point source were continuously measured, and the H2S/CH3SH data compared well with a standard procedure involving Tedlar bag collection, preconcentration and thermal desorption from a Tenax trap, and measurement by gas chromatography/flame photometric detection. Walkaround portability of the instrument and very large dynamic range measurement of H2S and SO2 were demonstrated around the Mt. Aso volcano.     

Space-efficient recognition of sparse self-reducible languages

Mahaney and others have shown that sparse self-reducible sets have time-efficient algorithms, and have concluded that it is unlikely that NP has sparse complete sets. Mahaney's work, intuition, and a 1978 conjecture of Hartmanis notwithstanding, nothing has been known about the density of complete sets for feasible classes until now. This paper shows that sparse self-reducible sets have space-efficient algorithms, and in many cases, even have time-space-efficient algorithms. We conclude that NL, NC ^k , AC ^k , LOG(DCFL), LOG(CFL), and P lack complete (or even Turing-hard) sets of low density unless implausible complexity class inclusions hold. In particular, if NL (respectively P, _k , or NP) has a polylog-sparse logspace-hard set, then NLSC (respectively PSC, _k , or PHSC), and if P has subpolynomially sparse logspace-hard sets, then PPSPACE.     

Design and evaluation of robot patient for nursing skill training in patient transfer

We developed a robot patient for patient transfer training for simulating a patient’s performance during patient transfer and for enabling nurses to practice their nursing skills on it. To realize the robot patient, we focused on addressing the problems of designing its limb actions to enable it to respond to nurses’ operations. RC servos and electromagnetic brakes were installed in the joints to enable the robot to simulate a patient’s limb actions, such as embracing and remaining standing. To enable the robot to automatically respond to nurses’ operations, an identification method for these operations was developed that used voice commands and the features of the limbs’ posture measured by angle sensors installed in the robot’s joints. The robot patient’s performance was examined by a control test in which four experienced nursing teachers performed patient transfer with the robot patient and a human-simulated patient. The results revealed that the robot patient could successfully simulate the actions of a patient’s limbs according to the nursing teachers’ operations and that it is suitable for nursing skill training.     

Simultaneous determination of ochratoxin A, B and citrinin in foods by HPLC-FL and LC/MS/MS

Methods using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FL) and using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) were developed for simultaneous determination of ochratoxin A (OTA), ochratoxin B (OTB) and citrinin (CIT) in cereal, fruit, and coffee products. The samples were extracted with ethyl acetate under an acidic condition, and then cleaned up with liquid-liquid separation. The test solutions were analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC-FL and LC/MS/MS. Mass spectral acquisition was performed in positive ion mode by applying multiple reaction monitoring. The performances of both detectors were almost equivalent. The recoveries of OTA and OTB were 87-111%, and that of CIT were 70-88%. The limits of quantification (S/N> or =10) of OTA, OTB and CIT was 0.1 mug/kg or less. These methods were considered to be useful for the determination of the three mycotoxins at low levels (0.1 microg/kg).     

Characterization of the brown pigment in sautéed onion by metal-chelating Sepharose 6B column chromatography and microbial decolorization

The brown pigment in sautéed onion was characterized by a microbiological procedure (involving microbial decolorization) and a chemical procedure (involving metal-chelating chromatography with a Sepharose 6B column). The suitability of the chemical procedure as a method for classifying brown pigments was also examined.The pigment from sautéed onion was about 40% decolorized by Coriolus versicolor IFO 30340, as were the model pigments caramel and model melanoidin (MM). The phenol-type model pigments (PTMP) were approximately 40-60% decolorized by Paecilomyces canadensis NC-1, but the sautéed-onion pigment, the MM and the caramel were merely 5% decolorized by it. The pigment from sautéed onion was separated into two components by Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, or Zn²⁺-chelating chromatography, as were caramel and MM; the PTMP was not separated into multiple components by either Cu²⁺ or Fe²⁺-chelating chromatography. The results from both methods indicate that the pigment from sautéed onion is similar to MM and caramel but not the phenol-type pigment.     

Influence of tungsten–carbon mixed layer and irradiation defects on deuterium retention behavior in tungsten

The D₂⁺ fluence dependence on deuterium (D) retention was studied to clarify the D retention mechanism in tungsten. The additional D desorption stage was observed around 660 K in the TDS spectrum for a sample implanted with D₂⁺ up to the fluence of 10²³ D⁺ m^?2, which desorption stage was not observed the D₂⁺ implanted sample with the fluence less than 10²² D⁺ m^?2. The TEM observation showed that the highly dense voids were formed in tungsten by D₂⁺ implantation with the fluence of 10²³ D⁺ m^?2, considering that the D would be trapped by voids. To understand the D trapping by voids in C⁺ implanted tungsten, C⁺–D₂⁺ sequential implantation experiments at various C⁺ implantation temperatures were performed. It was found that the amount of D desorbed around 560 K was increased by increasing the C⁺ implantation temperature. The formation of the voids was observed with increasing the C⁺ implantation temperature by TEM, indicating that the increase of D desorption around 560 K was caused by the formation of voids. However, the desorption temperature of D trapped by voids in C⁺ implanted sample was lower than that in D₂⁺ implanted one. TEM observation and XPS measurement indicated that this difference was caused by the increase of void size and/or the presence of implanted carbon.     

Factors influencing imitation of manipulatory actions in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

The purpose of the study was to investigate what kind of factors determine the degree of difficulty for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) when they imitate actions. Five adult chimpanzees were instructed to perform 48 arbitrary manipulatory actions consisting of different bodily motor patterns and object directionality. Results showed that actions in which an object is directed toward another external location (another object and one's own body) were easier to perform than those that involved manipulating a single object alone. Actions involving unfamiliar motor patterns were more difficult to perform than those involving familiar motor patterns that were already present in the subject's repertoire. Error responses were characterized as perseverative repetition of previously instructed actions. These findings suggest that chimpanzees find the directionality of manipulated objects a more salient cue than details of the demonstrator's body movements performing the manipulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)