Real-time quantification of Staphylococcusaureus in liquid medium using infrared thermography

We previously showed that infrared thermography (IRT) could be used to quantify viable Escherichiacoli, a representative gram-negative bacterium, in liquid growth media. Here, we evaluated the ability of IRT to enumerate a viable representative gram-positive organism, Staphylococcusaureus. We found that the energy content (EC) of the media was strongly positively correlated (r = 0.999) to measured viable counts of S.aureus ranging from 85 colony-forming units (CFU)/ml to ∼4 × 10⁸ CFU/ml. The EC of S.aureus was ∼2-fold higher than that of E.coli at comparable cell concentrations suggesting that IRT may be used to distinguish genera.     

Optimizing thermography depth probing with a dynamic thermal point spread function

Derivation of two point spread functions PSFs suitable for infrared thermograms analysis is illustrated, based on two unique approaches, one based on depth decaying limit and one on diffusion limit. Experimental work using PMMA sample with back drilled holes and pulsed thermographic routine is utilized to show the effectiveness of deconvoluting pixel temperature transient history with suggested PSF’s. Synthetic second time derivative thermograms are utilized for comparison and the signal to noise ratio is used as a figure of merit for quantification.     

Precise measurement of positronium hyperfine splitting using the Zeeman effect

Positronium is an ideal system for the research of the quantum electrodynamics (QED) in bound state. The hyperfine splitting (HFS) of positronium, Δ_HFS, gives a good test of the bound state calculations and probes new physics beyond the Standard Model. A new method of QED calculations has revealed the discrepancy by 15 ppm (3.9σ) of Δ_HFS between the QED prediction and the experimental average. There would be possibility of new physics or common systematic uncertainties in the previous all experiments. We describe a new experiment to reduce possible systematic uncertainties and will provide an independent check of the discrepancy. We are now taking data and the current result of Δ_HFS?=?203.395 1 ±0.002 4 (stat., 12 ppm) ±0.001 9 (sys., 9.5 ppm) GHz has been obtained so far. A measurement with a precision of O(ppm) is expected within a year.     

Coherent magnetic oscillation in the spin ladder system alpha(')- NaV2O5

We report the first observation of coherent magnetic excitations in a spin ladder system NaV2O5 by using femtosecond time-domain spectroscopy. A pronounced coherent oscillation is observed at 127 cm(-1) (nearly twice the spin gap energy) and assigned to a two-magnon bound state, based on the temperature dependence of the intensity below the charge ordering phase transition at T(C) = 34 K. This mode can be observable only when circularly polarized light is used as a pump or a probe beam, suggesting that it corresponds to a spin-flip excitation from the singlet ground state. A phonon mode strongly coupled to the spin state is also found at 303 cm(-1).     

Estimation of surface charges on dielectric materials for high power rf windows

The surface discharges observed at rf windows and vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs) are one of the difficulties faced when developing high-power rf windows or compact VCBs. The surface discharge is considered to take place due to the release of the surface charges. Despite the importance of the surface charging/discharging, these phenomena have not been well evaluated. In this paper, the surface charges are estimated using the multipulse method, where electron beam irradiates a sample up to the saturation condition of surface charges. The amount of surface charges on alumina and TiN coated alumina are compared and the charging mechanism is discussed.     

Proton conductivity and microstructures of the core-shell type solid electrolytes in the MO2-In2O3-P2O5 (MTi,Sn, Zr) systems

The proton conducting 0.9MO₂·0.05In₂O₃·1.3P₂O₅ (MTi, Sn, Zr) electrolytes based on a core-shell structure were synthesized by a ball milling method. The core-shell type electrolytes showed the proton conductivities ranging from a higher value than those of Nafion membranes to 10^? 5 Scm^? 1 at intermediate temperatures of 150–200 °C, depending on the heat-treatment conditions. The samples with high conductivity were proved to adopt a core-shell structure by SEM observation, powder XRD analysis and ³¹P MAS-NMR measurements.     

Fundamental Relation Between Entropy Production and Heat Current

Journal of Statistical Physics - We investigate the fundamental relation between entropy production rate and the speed of energy exchange between a system and baths in classical Markov processes....     

Effect of high pressure treatment on sarcoplasmic reticulum

Abstract

This paper describes the changes in biochemical activities of sarcoplasmic reticulum(SR) and Ca²⁺ release from SR in the rabbit skeletal muscle subjected to a high pressure treatment(100∽300 MPa) to investigate the mechanism for pressure-induced meat tenderization and acceleration of meat conditioning. Pressure-dependent changes were observed in the both extra and basal ATPase activities of SR prepared from the muscles exposed to high pressure. Ca²⁺ uptaking ability of SR vesicles measured by fluorescent chelating reagent, indo-1, decreased with increasing pressure applied to the muscle. Ultrastructural studies revealed that Ca²⁺ which was mainly localized in the SR region of the untreated fiber bundles was translocated into myofibrils in the pressurized muscle. Obtained results in this report may be one of the causes for meat tenderization and acceleration of meat conditioning induced by high pressure treatment.     

Wave packet dynamics in a quasi-one-dimensional metal-halogen complex studied by ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy

An ultrafast optical response is studied in a quasi-one-dimensional halogen-bridged mixed-valence metal complex [Pt(en)(2)] [Pt(en)2I2] (ClO4)(4) with ultrafast time resolution. Wave packet motions both in the ground and self-trapped exciton (STE) states are observed as oscillatory modulations in the time-resolved reflectivity. The wave packet motion on the STE potential surface begins after about 50 fs with respect to the photoexcitation. This delay is attributed to the lattice relaxation from the free exciton state to the STE state.