Development of a label-free immunosensor system for detecting oocyte maturation-inducing hormone in fish

A label-free immunosensor for detecting the oocyte maturation-inducing hormone 17, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP), was developed. A principle of the sensor system was based on differences in electrochemical activity changed by an immunoreaction in the absence and presence of DHP. For preparation of the immunosensor, anti-DHP IgG was immobilized on an Au working electrode modified with a self-assembled monolayer of 3-mercaptopropionic acid. The sensor was immersed into a sample solution containing DHP. DHP was determined by cyclic voltammetry. The immunosensor showed a specific response to DHP, and the oxidation peak current linearly decreased in the range of 7.8–500 pg ml⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.996. The sensor system was applied to determine the DHP levels in plasma of goldfish and was compared with the DHP levels of the same samples determined using an ELISA as the conventional method. Good correlation was obtained between values determined using both methods in the range of 0.1–7.7 ng ml⁻¹ (correlation coefficient 0.876). These findings suggest that the proposed label-free immunosensor can be used to analyze DHP levels in fish plasma samples.     

Development of mediator-type biosensor to wirelessly monitor whole cholesterol concentration in fish

We developed a wireless monitoring system to monitor fish condition by tracking the change in whole cholesterol concentration. The whole cholesterol concentration of fish is a source of steroid hormones or indicator of immunity level, which makes its detection important for tracking physiological condition of fish. Wireless monitoring system comprises of mediator-type biosensor and wireless transmission device. Biosensor is implantable to fish body, and transmission device is so light, in that fish is allowed to swim freely during monitoring. Cholesterol esterase and oxidase were fixated on to the detection site of biosensor and used to detect the whole cholesterol concentration. However, cholesterol oxidase incorporates oxidation–reduction reaction of oxygen for detection, which concentration fluctuates easily due to change in environmental condition. Meanwhile, mediator-type biosensor enables monitoring of whole cholesterol concentration by using mediator to substitute that oxidation–reduction reaction of oxygen. Characteristic of fabricated mediator-type biosensor was tested. The sensor output current of mediator-type biosensor remained stable compared to output current of non-mediator-type biosensor under fluctuating oxygen concentration of 0–8 ppm, which implied that this sensor is less affected by change in dissolved oxygen concentration. That biosensor was then implanted into fish for wireless monitoring. As a result, approximately 48 h of real-time monitoring was successful.     

Effects of sealed pressing and ozonization on properties of styrene-butadiene rubber and polyethylene glycol adhesive bonded board produced by two-stage pressing

Boards were produced by using SP adhesive, which contains styrene-butadiene rubber and polyethylene glycol as major constituents. The use of polyethylene in place of clay, which is also a generally used constituent of SP adhesive, was confirmed to improve board properties. In general, the properties of boards are poorer when produced by two-stage pressing, in which mats are first processed by temporary adhesion and then processed into boards by permanent adhesion; however, the properties of boards produced by two-stage pressing were improved when polyethylene was added to the SP adhesive. In addition, internal bond strength and thickness swelling was greatly improved when boards were produced from ozonized wood and by sealed pressing. Thus, the properties impaired by two-stage pressing were improved by ozonization and sealed pressing.     

Characteristics of brown forest soils developed under beech forests in the kinki and the tohoku districts with special reference to their pedogenetic processes

Abstract

Properties of sesquioxides, clay mineralogical composition, and charge characteristics of Brown Forest soils developed under beech forests in the Kinki (Ohdaigahara) and the Tohoku District (Hakkoda) were studied with special reference to their pedogenetic processes.

The Brown Forest soils in the Kinki District were characterized by the translocation of free Al, formation of Al and/or Fe-humus complexes throughout the profile, and the predominance of 2:1: 1-2:1 intergrade minerals in the subsurface horizons, whereas those in the Tohoku District were characterized by the formation of allophane and no remarkable translocation of free Al oxides. This difference in the pedogenetic processes under the same vegetation was reflected on the amounts of Al released from primary minerals in relation to the amounts of organic matter accumulated. Major distinctive characteristics included the values of the Alp/Alo, the Fep/Feo, the Alo/Ald ratios, the Sio content, and the STPT-ZPC and pH(H₂O) values.

Among these the values of the Alo/Ald ratio and/or the Sio content were found to be suitable indices for the differentiation of Brown Forest soils from Andisols in Japan In addition to the criteria used to define andic soil properties.     

Application of chromatographic method and high-frequency apparatus for determination of K and Na in soil extract

The amount of K and Na in HCI-extract of soils has been determined by various methods, using the flame photometer, and specific reagents, but none of these methods are fully satisfactory from a view point of cost or accuracy; Poul Porter et al.¹⁾ have pointed out the large errors that have frequently occured in tlamephotometry.     

Investigations on Cambodian soils

Basic information on the nature of soils, their potentialities, and their limitations is necessary to evaluate Cambodian agriculture properly, and to develop a program for increasing food and other crops. Suitable information has, however, been limited, especially as there is not to be found in any report much data relating to soils of different origins over the whole country. There is, needless to say, some information on confined areas of Cambodia.     

Nippon Dojohiryogaku Zasshi

Usually, immobilization and release of nitrogen in soil are going on continuously and concurrently, whereby the nitrogen of the decomposing system is transformed steadily from inorganic to organic state by immobilization and back from organic to inorganic state by decay and mineralization. The driving agents of this turnover are soil microorganisms, C/N ratio, temperature, moisture, pH etc., and the energy needed to keep this cycle running derives from decomposable organic compounds added to soil in the forms of plant residues and excretions of roots and stored in the form of soil organic matter.     

Specific and non-specific adsorption of inorganic ions I. Evaluation of specific adsorbability by means of minimum concentration for specific adsorption

The Minimum Concentration for Specific Adsorption (MCSA) was defined as a reversal of the charge concentration of the ion at the infinite dilution of sol (adsorbent), or practically at such concentration of sol that equilibrium of the ion Is but negligibly affected by adsorption of the ion.

The MCSAs of 15 species of cations were measured with respect to SiO₂ at pH 4,6,5, and 10; the MCSAs of 10 species of anions were measured with respect to Fe(OH)₃ at pH 4, and 6.5; and the MCSAs of 10 species of anions were measured with respect to Al-coated-SiO₂ at pH 6.5. Relative specificities of the inorganic ions based on the MCSAs at pH 6.5 were as follows:

The MCSAs of cations with respect to SiO₂ and of anions to Fe(OH)₃ and Al-coated-SiO₂ at pH 6.5 had close relationships to ionic potentials and general solubility of the elements in water. Based on these results, the authors concluded that the MCSA could be used u an index of specificity (i.e. covalent bond-forming tendency) of an Jon at adsorption reactions.

The values corresponding to the apparent stability constants of surface complexes formed by adsorption reaction with SiO₂ and cations at pH 4 were calculated from the values of the MCSAs.     

In vitro binding of germanium to proteins of rice shoots

The possibility of in vitro binding between proteins of rice shoots and germanium (Ge) was investigated. The proteins in mixtures of aqueous extracts of rice shoots and radioactive germanium (⁶⁸GeO₂) were fractionated. The binding of radioactivity to the proteins was observed even after 5 successive fractionation steps from the original mixtures. At the final fractionation step using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a constant proportionality between protein concentration and associated radioactivity was found in most samples although not all. These results indicate that the binding of ⁸⁸Ge to proteins is not due to the simple adsorption by proteins.