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Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) were separated by gas chromatography (GC) and were introduced into a reactor consisting of an inner-seal Y-connector for the on-line chemical reduction of NPAH using hydrazine monohydrate as a chemical reducing agent. The reduced forms of amino polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (APAHs) were then determined by multiphoton ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MPI/TOF-MS) using a femtosecond laser as the ionization source. Three standard samples of NPAHs, i.e., 9-nitroanthracene (9-NANT), 3-nitrofluoranthene (3-NFLU), and 1-nitropyrene (1-NPYR), were confirmed to be completely reduced to the corresponding APAHs, i.e., 9-aminoanthracene (9-AANT), 3-aminofluoranthene (3-AFLU), and 1-aminopyrene (1-APYR). The sensitivity of the method was improved by 2-8 fold by converting the NPAHs to APAHs. This analytical technique was applied to a sample extracted from PM2.5 collected in Fukuoka. The signal enhancement and background reduction by the chemical reaction resulted in the NPAHs in the actual sample being more efficiently measured, and the concentrations of 9-NANT, 3-NFLU, and 1-NPYR were determined to be 25, 305, and 217 pg m-3, respectively.

The impact of heterogeneous reactions on the chemical components and mixing state of dust particles are investigated by observations and an air quality model over northern China between March 27, 2015 and April 2, 2015. Synergetic observations were conducted using a polarization optical particle counter (POPC), a depolarized two-wavelength Lidar and filter samples in Beijing. During this period, dust plume passed through Beijing on March 28, and flew back on March 29 because of synoptic weather changes. Mineral dust mixed with anthropogenic pollutants was simulated using the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System (NAQPMS) to examine the role of heterogeneous processes on the dust. A comparison of observations shows that the NAQPMS successfully reproduces the time series of the vertical profile, particulate matter concentration, and chemical components of fine mode (diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) and coarse mode (2.5 μm

High PM2. 5 concentrations of around 100 µg m−3 were observed twice during an intensive observation campaign in January 2015 at Fukuoka (33.52° N, 130.47° E) in western Japan. These events were analyzed comprehensively with a regional chemical transport model and synergetic ground-based observations with state-of-the-art measurement systems, which can capture the behavior of secondary inorganic aerosols (SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+). The first episode of high PM2. 5 concentration was dominated by NO3− (type N) and the second episode by SO42− (type S). The concentration of NH4+ (the counterion for SO42− and NO3−) was high for both types. A sensitivity simulation in the chemical transport model showed that the dominant contribution was from transboundary air pollution for both types. To investigate the differences between these types further, the chemical transport model results were examined, and a backward trajectory analysis was used to provide additional information. During both types of episodes, high concentrations of NO3− were found above China, and an air mass that originated from northeast China reached Fukuoka. The travel time from the coastline of China to Fukuoka differed between types: it was 18 h for type N and 24 h for type S. The conversion ratio of SO2 to SO42− (Fs) was less than 0.1 for type N, but reached 0.3 for type S as the air mass approached Fukuoka. The higher Fs for type S was related to the higher relative humidity and the concentration of HO2, which produces H2O2, the most effective oxidant for the aqueous-phase production of SO42−. Analyzing the gas ratio as an indicator of the sensitivity of NO3− to changes in SO42− and NH4+ showed that the air mass over China was NH3-rich for type N, but almost NH3-neutral for type S. Thus, although the high concentration of NO3− above China gradually decreased during transport from China to Fukuoka, higher NO3− concentrations were maintained during transport owing to the lower SO42− for type N. In contrast, for type S, the production of SO42− led to the decomposition of NH4NO3, and more SO42− was transported. Notably, the type N transport pattern was limited to western Japan, especially the island of Kyushu. Transboundary air pollution dominated by SO42− (type S) has been recognized as a major pattern of pollution over East Asia. However, our study confirms the importance of transboundary air pollution dominated by NO3−, which will help refine our understanding of transboundary heavy PM2. 5 pollution in winter over East Asia.

Long-term synergetic fine and coarse mode aerosol observations were analyzed at 1-h intervals at Fukuoka, Japan, from January to June 2015. The GEOS-Chem chemical transport model, including dust and sea-salt acid uptake processes, was used for detailed analysis of observation data. Several Asian dust events and long-range anthropogenic aerosol transport events were observed during our analysis period, and the numerical model generally explained the observed time variation for both fine and coarse mode aerosols. We found that (i) the majority of fine mode NO3– can be considered as long-range transport (LRT) outside of Japan during the cold season, and (ii) the peak timing of fine mode NO3– coincided with that of SO4–, indicating that both aerosols are controlled by LRT. Also, an observed mass concentration ratio of NO3–/SO42– > 0.9 occurred during the cold season, indicating the importance of NO3– as a major contributor to the PM2.5 mass fraction. Finally, we clearly showed that large-scale dust-nitrate outflow from China to Fukuoka was confirmed in all cases of dust events, indicating that the anthropogenic NOx is converted to dust-nitrate and transported to Japan with dust. These results demonstrate the importance of anthropogenic NO3– LRT during the cold season and dust-nitrate LRT for all dust events (even in June).

Two regional chemical transport models were applied to simulate high concentrations of particulate matters (PM) observed in East Asia in January 2015; the first model is the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System (NAQPMS) and the second is the Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model (CMAQ). The variation of PM2.5 in both models showed well agreement with measurements over both eastern China and western Japan. Based on the model results and the aerosol compositions observed in Fukuoka in western Japan, three types of PM long-range transport (LRT) were identified: N-, S-, and D-type. The N episode showed higher fine-mode nitrate (fNO3–) concentrations than fine-mode sulfate (fSO42–), indicating the importance of NO3– LRT. The S episode showed the highest fSO42– concentrations (28.9 µg m–3), which were 3.4-fold higher than fNO3–, due to high relative humidity. During the D episode, dust stagnated in Fukuoka for three days, due to the influence of low- and high-pressure systems; thus, dust LRT is also important in winter besides spring. Both models reasonable explained variations in aerosol components during both N and S episodes; however, both underestimated fSO42– especially during D episode, suggesting that they may miss certain emissions or chemical mechanisms. High coarse-mode NO3– (cNO3–) concentrations (maximum: 6.3 µg m–3), and high cNO3–/fNO3– ratios (maximum: 1.2) were observed during D episode. NAQPMS successfully captured this cNO3– peak after including heterogeneous reactions on dust. Our results emphasize the importance of such heterogeneous processes for understanding the LRT of dust and anthropogenic pollutants over East Asia.

Ground-based observation of the polarization properties of aerosol particles using a polarization optical particle counter (POPC) was made from 27 October 2013, to 31 December 2015, at a suburban site in the Kyushu area of Japan. We found that the depolarization ratio (DR, the fraction of s-polarized signal in the total backward light scattering signal) of aerosol particles showed prominent seasonal variability, with peaks in spring (0.21–0.23) and winter (0.19–0.23), and a minimum value (0.09–0.14) in summer. The aerosol compositions in both fine mode (aerodynamic diameter of particle, Dp Dp Dp > 1 µm) particles. Occurrence of substandard air quality days in Kyushu was closely related with mixed type (coexistence of anthropogenic pollutants and dust particles in the atmosphere), especially in winter and spring, indicating that dust events in the Asian continent played a key role in the cross-boundary transport of continental pollution. Backward trajectory analysis demonstrated that air masses originating from the western Pacific contained large amounts of spherical particles due to the influence of sea salt, especially in summer; however, for air masses from the Asian continent, the dependence of number fraction of spherical particles on air relative humidity was insignificant, indicating the predominance of less-hygroscopic substances (e.g., mineral dust), although the mass concentrations of anthropogenic pollutants were elevated.

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), collected from ambient air in Fukuoka City, was analyzed by gas chromatography combined with multiphoton ionization mass spectrometry using an ultraviolet femtosecond laser (267 nm) as the ionization source. Numerous parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAHs) were observed in a sample extracted from PM2.5, and their concentrations were determined to be in the range from 30 to 190 pg/m(3) for heavy PPAHs. Standard samples of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) were examined, and the limits of detection were determined to be in the picogram range. The concentration of NPAH adsorbed on PM2.5 in the air was less than 900-1300 pg/m(3). Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

In order to suppress the fragmentation and improve the sensitivity for determination of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs), the mechanism of multiphoton ionization was studied for the following representative NPAHs, 9-nitroanthracene, 3-nitrofluoranthene, and 1-nitropyrene. The analytes were extracted from the PM2.5 on the sampling filter ultrasonically, and were measured using gas chromatography/multiphoton ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry with a femtosecond tunable laser in the range from 267 to 405 nm. As a result, a molecular ion was observed as the major ion and fragmentation was suppressed at wavelengths longer than 345 nm. Furthermore, the detection limit measured at 345 nm was measured to be the subpicogram level. The organic compounds were extracted from a 2.19 mg sample of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), and the extract was subjected to multiphoton ionization mass spectrometry after gas chromatograph separation. The background signals were drastically suppressed at 345 nm, and the target NPAHs, including 9-nitroanthracene and 1-nitropyrene, were detected, and their concentrations were determined to be 5 and 3 pg/m(3), respectively.

We observed a long-lasting dust event from 25 May to 2 June 2014, using a polarization optical particle counter (POPC). The transport of dust plumes over East Asia was verified on the basis of observations of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, a lidar network, and surface synoptic observation stations. Mixing of dust and anthropogenic pollutants was investigated according to the variation in the depolarization ratio as a function of particle size. The nonsphericity of dust particles varied due to the impact of anthropogenic pollutants on their pathway. In the coarse mode, dust particles always had a clear nonspherical configuration, although large amounts of nitrate were also present. Supermicron particles are occasionally present in a spherical configuration, possibly due to the complex mixing of natural dust and anthropogenic particles. Statistically, ~64% of the total nitrate mass was deemed to be transported from outside of Japan due to a trapping effect in the dust plume.

Observation of the ambient aerosol surface area concentrations is important to understand the aerosol toxicity because an increased surface area may be able to act as an enhanced reaction interface for certain reactions between aerosol particles and biological cells, as well as an extended surface for adsorbing and carrying co-pollutants that are originally in gas phase. In this study, the concentration of aerosol surface area was measured from April 2015 to March 2016 in Fukuoka, Japan. We investigated the monthly and diurnal variations in the correlations between the aerosol surface area and black carbon (BC) and sulfate concentrations. Throughout the year, aerosol surface area concentration was strongly correlated with the concentrations of BC, which has a relatively large surface area since BC particles are usually submicron agglomerates consisting of much smaller (tens of nanometers) sized primary soot particles. The slopes of the regression between the aerosol surface area and BC concentrations was highest in August and September 2015. We presented evidence that this was caused by an increase in the proportion of airmasses that originated on the main islands of Japan. This may enhance the introduction of the BC to Fukuoka from the main islands of Japan which we hypothesize to be relatively fresh or “uncoated”, thereby maintaining its larger surface area.

Mass concentrations of chemical compounds in both PM2.5 (particle aerodynamic diameter, Dp

A long-lasting high particulate matter (PM) concentration episode persisted over East Asia from May 24 to June 3, 2014. The Nested Air Quality Prediction Model System (NAQPMS) was used to investigate the mixing of dust and anthropogenic pollutants during this episode. Comparison of observations revealed that the NAQPMS successfully reproduced the time series PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations, as well as the nitrate and sulfate concentrations in fine (aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) and coarse mode (2.5 μm

In view of the recent rapid economic growth and accompanying energy consumption in the East Asian region, particularly in China, there is much concern about the effects of emitted particulate pollutants on human health. We have thus investigated the impact of long-range transport of aerosols on urban air quality in the upwind areas of Japan by comparing the PM2.5 composition collected for multiple years in Fukuoka, a representative metropolis in the Kyushu area, and in Fukue Island, located 190 km southwest of Fukuoka. Daily averaged PM2.5 concentrations in Fukuoka and Fukue were almost identical. PM2.5 concentrations at these sites were dominated by sulfate and particulate organics, and their fluctuation patterns were similar except for organics in the warm season. In contrast, those of nitrate and elemental carbon differed substantially between the sites. In addition, the ratios of Pb/Zn and Cd/Pb in Fukuoka were close to the reported values in Beijing. Non-sea-salt sulfate concentration in Fukuoka measured in this study and reported in the past measurements apparently coincided with the decadal SO2 emission change in China reported in a recent emission inventory. Therefore, we conclude that even in a city as large as Fukuoka, the PM2.5 concentration in the northern part of the Kyushu area is primarily dominated by the inflow of long-range transported aerosols throughout the year, except in the summer, rather than local air pollution emitted at each site.

Multiphoton ionization processes of parent-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAHs), nitro-PAHs (NPAHs), and amino-PAHs (APAHs) were examined by gas chromatography combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry using a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser as the ionization source. The efficiency of multiphoton ionization was examined using lasers emitting in the far-ultraviolet (200 nm), deep-ultraviolet (267 nm), and near-ultraviolet (345 nm) regions. The largest signal intensities were obtained when the far-ultraviolet laser was employed. This favorable result can be attributed to the fact that these compounds have the largest molar absorptivities in the far-ultraviolet region. On the other hand, APAHs were ionized more efficiently than NPAHs in the near-ultraviolet region because of their low ionization energies. A sample extracted from a real particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) sample was measured, and numerous signal peaks arising from PAH and its analogs were observed at 200 nm. On the other hand, only a limited number of signed peaks were observed at 345 nm, some of which were signed to PPAHs, NPAHs, and APAHs. Thus, multiphoton ionization mass spectrometry has potential for the use in comprehensive analysis of toxic environmental pollutants.

ADAMTS13は，止血因子であるフォンビレブランド因子（VWF）のA2ドメイン内のTyr1605-Met1606間のペプチド結合を特異的に切断する酵素である．この切断により新たに生じるペプチドのC末端Tyr1605を特異的に認識するモノクローナル抗体を用いて，基質の切断生成物をELISA法で直接測定する原理に基づいたADAMTS13活性測定法のキット化を行い，そのキットの基本的な性能を評価した． 本キットの最小検出感度は，健常人のADAMTS13活性100％に対して，0.4％と高感度であった．また，調製したプレート内のウエル間の均一性（変動係数（CV）=3.3％）は良好で，濃度の違う検体での同時再現性（CV=1.1～4.7％）及び日差再現性（CV=2.6～7.5％）も良好であった．希釈試験では，原点に回帰する良好な直線性が得られた．またヘモグロビンやビリルビン等の共存物質の影響は，検討した濃度範囲では認められなかった．反応はEDTAで完全に阻害された． 臨床検体及び健常人検体を本キットで測定したときのADAMTS13活性は，健常人プール血漿100％に対し先天性のADAMTS13活性欠損症であるUpshaw-Schulman症候群（USS）で0.5％以下～2.7％，USS保因者群で7.7～85.3％，血栓性血小板減少性紫斑病（TTP）群で0.5％以下～58.1％，健常人で54.7～134.4％と測定され，TTPの診断に必要な判別能を有しており，SDS-agaroseゲル電気泳動法との相関は相関係数（r）=0.931と良好であった．本キットは優れた性能と操作性を有していることから，TTPの診断や血小板輸血時の適否判断などにおいて有用であると考えられた．

To clarify the seasonal fluctuations in air pollution and the effect of long-range transport, we collected airborne particles (n=118) at Dazaifu in Fukuoka, Japan, from June 2012 to May 2013 and measured Pb and SO4(2-), which are indicators of the long-range transport of anthropogenic air pollutants, as well as their mutagenicity, and other factors. The levels of airborne particles, Pb, and SO4(2-) were very high on March 4, 8, 9, and 19, and May 13, 21, and 22, 2013. The backward trajectories indicated that air masses had arrived from the Gobi Desert and northern China on those days. The mutagenicity of airborne particles was examined using the Ames test on Salmonella typhimurium YG1024. Highly mutagenic airborne particles were mostly collected in winter, and most of them showed high activity both with and without S9 mix. High levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found in many samples that showed high mutagenicity. For the samples collected on January 30, February 21, and March 4, the levels of Pb, SO4(2-), PAHs, and mutagenicity were high, and the backward trajectories indicated that air masses present on those days had passed through northern or central China. The Japan Meteorological Agency registered Asian dust events at Fukuoka on March 8, 9, and 19, 2013. The results of the present study suggest that high levels of anthropogenic air pollutants were transported with Asian dust. Similarly, long-range transport of air pollutants including mutagens occurred on days when Asian dust events were not registered.

Background Recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors based on serotype 2 (AAV-2) have become leading vehicles for gene therapy. Most humans in the general population have anti-AAV-2 antibodies as a result of naturally acquired infections. Pre-existing immunity to AAV-2 might affect the functional and safety consequences of AAV-2 vector-mediated gene transfer in clinical applications. Methods An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was developed using microwell plates coated with intact particles of recombinant AAV-2 vectors, and horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-human immunoglobulin G (HRP-IgG). Neutralizing antibody titres were analysed by assessing the ability of serum antibody to inhibit transduction into HEK293 cells of AAV vectors that express β-galactosidase. Results Anti-AAV-2 antibodies were detected by ELISA in two of 20 healthy subjects. The positivity criterion (optical density >0.5) in ELISA corresponded to the cut-off value (320-fold dilution of serum) in the AAV-2 neutralization assay. Influences of interfering substances were not observed. Conclusion This ELISA method may be useful for rapid screening of anti-AAV-2 neutralizing antibodies in candidates for gene therapy.

Final version of "Chronic kidney disease (CKD) Practice Guide" book is displayed on the Japanese Society of Nephrology (JSN) homepage in April, 2007. JSN epidemiology working-group finally approved the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation equation for Japanese. Serum creatinine (Cr) should be measured by enzyme method. The modified the abbreviated MDRD Study equation for Japanese is already printed in the "CKD practice guide". GFR = 175 x Cr(-1.154) x Age (-0.203) x 0.741 (if women 0.742) The limit of detection of enzymatic method of serum creatinine is at least 0.02 mg/dL to evaluate GFR accurately. Moreover, Japanese Government will assume decreasing the number of the prevalence and reserve of the lifestyle related disease up to present 25% to be a policy objective by 2015. And, it obligated the checkup and the health guidance specially provided to the employee of 40 years or more who worked in each corporation to be executed on April 1, 2008. The spread of the automatic clinical analyzer reduces a necessary amount of the specimen and the amount of the reagent, and has reduced time and the cost of clinical chemistry test greatly. The environment of the clinical examination will change in the future, and useful information for the patient and the doctor change again like this. To offer information suitable for needs in the changing age, the researcher who works at the site of the clinical examination and the researcher who works at the site of the reagent development should cooperate mutually, and continue study and the effort.