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A Q-switched multi-wavelength Brillouin erbium fiber laser (MWBEFL) is demonstrated using a single-walled carbon nanotube-polyethylene oxide (SWCNT-PEO) saturable absorber (SA). The SA is fabricated by cutting off a small part of the developed SWCNT-PEO film and sandwiching it in between two FC/PC (fiber connector/physical contact) fiber connectors. Multi-wavelength combs with ten lasing lines and spacing of 0.158 nm are obtained by the use of 2 km long dispersion compensating fiber as the Brillouin gain medium and a four-port circulator to isolate and circulate the odd-order Stokes signals. Q-switched pulse trains with a repetition rate of 105.2 kHz and a pulse width of 0.996 μs are obtained in the proposed MWBEFL at a 1480 nm pump power of 120 mW and a Brillouin pump power of 5.4 dBm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil-to-plant transfer factors (TFs) are of fundamental importance in assessing the environmental impact due to the presence of radioactivity in soil and agricultural crops. Tapioca and sweet potato, both root crops, are popular foodstuffs for a significant fraction of the Malaysian population, and result in intake of radionuclides. For the natural field conditions experienced in production of these foodstuffs, TFs and the annual effective dose were evaluated for the natural radionuclides (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K, and for the anthropogenic radionuclide (88)Y, the latter being a component of fallout. An experimental tapioca field was developed for study of the time dependence of plant uptake. For soil samples from all study locations other than the experimental field, it has been shown that these contain the artificial radionuclide (88)Y, although the uptake of (88)Y has only been observed in the roots of the plant Manihot esculenta (from which tapioca is derived) grown in mining soil. The estimated TFs for (226)Ra and (232)Th for tapioca and sweet potato are very much higher than that reported by the IAEA. For all study areas, the annual effective dose from ingestion of tapioca and sweet potato are estimated to be lower than the world average (290 μSv y(-1))., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Current study concerns measurement of radioactivity levels in areas surrounding a 2420 MW thermal power plant fueled predominantly by bituminous coal. The concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in onsite bottom-ash were found to be 139 Bq/kg, 108 Bq/kg and 291 Bq/kg, respectively, the levels for these radiolnuclides in soil decreasing with distance from the power plant. At the plant perimeter the respective radionuclide concentrations were 87 Bq/kg, 74 Bq/kg and 297 Bq/kg. In a nearby town, the corresponding concentrations were 104 Bq/kg, 52 Bq/kg and 358 Bq/kg, suggestive of use of TENORM affected soils. The mean radium equivalent activities (Raeq) in soil and ash sample in the town were 205 Bq/kg and 316 Bq/kg, respectively. The Kapar plant ash/slag appears to contain a higher level of TENORM than the world average. The degree of contamination is much higher inside the town where slag has been mixed with topsoil as landfill or as simple domestic waste. For the prevailing levels of exposure and a worst case senario, the predicted committed effective dose due to ingestion and inhalation for intake durations of 1- and 30 years would be 4.2 μSv and 220 μSv, respectively., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Molecular typing with IS6110 was applied to Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from all parts of Malaysia. The degree of clustering increased with patient age, suggesting that reactivation may contribute to clustering. Identical banding patterns were also obtained for isolates from widely separate regions. Therefore, the use of clustering as a measure of recent transmission must be treated with caution. Strains related to the Beijing family were common in Peninsular Malaysia but were less common in Sabah and Sarawak, while a distinct group of strains comprised nearly 40% of isolates from East Malaysia but such strains were rare in Peninsular Malaysia. Single-copy strains, common in South and Southeastern Asia, constituted nearly 20% of isolates from the peninsula but were virtually absent in East Malaysia. The marked geographical difference in the prevailing strains indicates not only a restricted dissemination of M. tuberculosis but also a considerable degree of stability in the banding patterns.

The concentration-dependent impact of gamma-tocotrienol on serum cholesterol can be traced to the posttranscriptional down-regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity. gamma-Tocotrienol also suppresses tumor growth. Palmvitee, the tocopherol and tocotrienol-rich fraction of palm oil, is the sole commercial source of gamma-tocotrienol. Contrary to the universal findings of the efficacy of gamma-tocotrienol there are conflicting reports of the impact of Palmvitee on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity, serum cholesterol concentrations and tumor development. These conflicting reports led us to examine the impact of alpha-tocopherol on the cholesterol-suppressive action of gamma-tocotrienol. Control and experimental diets were fed to groups of White Leghorn chickens (n = 10) for 26 d. The control diet was supplemented with 21 nmol alpha-tocopherol/g. All experimental diets provided 141 nmol of blended tocols/g diet. The alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocotrienol concentrations of the experimental diets ranged from 21 to 141 and 0 to 120 nmol/g, respectively. We now report that including alpha-tocopherol in tocol blends containing adequate gamma-tocotrienol to suppress 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity results in an attenuation of the tocotrienol action (P < 0.001). A summary of results from studies utilizing different Palmvitee preparations shows that effective preparations consist of 15-20% alpha-tocopherol and approximately 60% gamma- (and delta-) tocotrienol, whereas less effective preparations consist of > or = 30% alpha-tocopherol and 45% gamma- (and delta-) tocotrienol.