Fungal decomposition of wood severely affects the soundness of timber constructions. The diagnosis of wood decay requires direct observations or sampling by skilled experts. Wood decay often occurs ...in obscure spaces, including the enclosed inner spaces of walls or under the floor. In this study, we examined the ability of machine olfaction to detect odors of fungi grown on common construction softwoods to provide a novel diagnostic method for wood construction soundness. The combination of a simple device equipped with semiconductor gas sensors (gas sensor array) and multivariate analysis discriminated a fungi-related odor from control odor without instrumental analysis (e.g., gas chromatography). This method is often referred to as machine olfaction or electronic nose. We measured the odor of wood test pieces that were infected with
Fomitopsis palustris
or
Trametes versicolor
and sound test pieces using a gas sensor array. The sensor responses of the specimens showed different patterns between the inoculated and control samples. Each specimen class formed independent groups in a principal component score plot, almost regardless of wood species, fungal species, or cultivation period. This method provides a new decay diagnosis method that is cost-effective and easy to operate.
We have used novel microporous biphenylene-pillared layered silicates as receptors in a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for sensing toluene vapors. The silicate was successfully coated on a QCM ...electrode modified with 2-aminoethanethiol. The resultant electrode showed quantitative frequency responses due to enhanced adhesion between the silicate and the electrode. The silicate-coated electrodes also performed better than polystyrene-coated electrodes in terms of both sensitivity and reproducibility of the responses for toluene vapors exposures because the silicate has an organically-modified open-framework structure with a high surface area. In addition, the electrodes revealed the higher sensitivity for toluene vapors than those for alcohol vapors, suggesting selectivity toward sensing toluene vapors probably due to the π–π stacking interaction between biphenylene units and toluene molecules. Hence, we anticipate that the materials are promising to be used as receptors in QCM devices for sensing aromatic vapors.
The effects of a precipitous decrease in the inlet organic loading rate on sludge reductions and the microbial community in a membrane bioreactor were investigated. The sludge biomass was markedly ...reduced to 47.4% of the initial concentration (approximately 15,000 mg L−1) within 7 d after the organic loading rate was decreased by half (450 to 225 mg chemical oxygen demand L−1 d−1). An analysis of the microbial community structure using high-throughput sequencing revealed an increase in the abundance of facultative predatory bacteria-related operational taxonomic units as well as microorganisms tolerant to environmental stress belonging to the classes Deinococci and Betaproteobacteria.
A bioluminescence-based assay system was fabricated for an efficient determination of the activities of air pollutants. The following four components were integrated into this assay system: (1) an ...8-channel assay platform uniquely designed for simultaneously sensing multiple optical samples, (2) single-chain probes illuminating toxic chemicals or heavy metal cations from air pollutants, (3) a microfluidic system for circulating medium mimicking the human body, and (4) the software manimulating the above system. In the protocol, we briefly introduce how to integrate the components into the system and the application to the illumination of the metal cationic activities in air pollutants.
The present protocol introduces a multichannel bioluminescence determination platform allowing a high sample throughput determination of weak bioluminescence with reduced standard deviations. The ...platform is designed to carry a multichannel conveyer, an optical filter, and a mirror cap. The platform enables us to near-simultaneously determine ligands in multiple samples without the replacement of the sample tubes. Furthermore, the optical filters beneath the multichannel conveyer are designed to easily discriminate colors during assays. This optical system provides excellent time- and labor-efficiency to users during bioassays.
The molecular‐recognition ability of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) changes in response to solution acidity (see scheme). The MIPs are created by the copolymerization of an ...acryloylamylose‐template inclusion complex with acrylic acid.
Although destructive analysis has been frequently utilized for determining hormones and chemicals, it does not provide direct evidence of their physiological activities. Since we recently developed ...superluminescent and stable luciferases to improve the sensorial properties of the probes, the present review specifies our original speculation and the developing process. We also highlight a new technology using a luciferase that estimates hormonal activities of endocrine hormones and chemicals with both high sensitivity and sample throughput, using a single-chain probe that is genetically designed and synthesized with a luciferase as the molecular backbone. To demonstrate the advantages of the methodology, we exemplify (i) single-chain probes that illuminate the activities of sex hormones and stress hormones and (ii) the visualization of apoptosis signaling using bioluminescent capsules. (iii) We also developed a bioluminescence assay device that efficiently utilizes the advantages of the single-chain probes. The merits of the device, e.g., high sample throughput and multicolor imaging ability, were exemplified with a single-chain probe set that visualizes the bifacial activities of woman’s sex hormones. The present technology that quantitatively visualizes the activities of hormones and chemicals may be broadly applied for the screening of drug candidates, and for risk assessments of endocrine disruptors and toxic chemicals.
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