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前報に続き本研究では、スチコン、バリオおよび鍋の3種の大量調理機器を用いた加熱法および水冷時間がほうれん草の性状に与える影響について明らかにすることを目的とした。バリオ加熱は、加熱初期の温度上昇が早く、その後もパン底全面の温度を高温維持できるため、食材投入後も茹で水を高温保持でき、食材の品温も高温になりやすい。可溶性固形分は、大量調理機器間で比較すると、バリオ2分加熱および鍋2分加熱と比較し、スチコン3分加熱のほうが有意に高かった（p＜0.05）。さらに加熱後の水さらしにより、可溶性固形分は低い値を示した。ビタミンCの残存率は、水を介して加熱するバリオ2分加熱および鍋2分加熱と比較し、スチコン3分加熱のほうが加熱時間は長かったにもかかわらず、大量調理機器間で有意な差を認めなかった。バリオおよび鍋加熱後、水さらし時間が3分と長くなるとビタミンCの残存率は有意に低下した（p＜0.05）。, In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of heating methods and watercooling time on the properties of spinach using three types of large-scale cooking equipment, namely, the steam convection oven, the Vario cooking center, and the pan. In the Vario cooking center, the temperature increased quickly at the beginning of heating, and the entire bottom of the pan could be maintained at a high temperature. As a result, the boiling water stayed at a high temperature even after the ingredients were added, and the temperature of the ingredients tended to be high. Soluble solid content was significantly higher after heating for 3 min in the steam convection oven compared with heating for 2 min in the Vario cooker and for 2 min in the pot (p＜0.05).Furthermore, the soluble solid content showed a low value following exposure to water after heating. The residual content of vitamin C did not show a significant difference between the three types of cooking equipment, even though the heating time of the steam convection oven (3 min) was longer than that of the Vario cooking center and the pan (2 min). Following heating in the Vario cooking center and the pan, exposure to water for 3 min or longer significantly decreased the residual content of vitamin C (p＜0.05).

Licorice, the root of Glycyrrhiza spp., is used in a large number of herbal medicines, such as traditional Chinese medicines, Japanese Kampo medicines, and therapeutic drugs. Since glycyrrhizin (GL) is among the main components in licorice and exhibits numerous beneficial pharmacological activities, the content of GL directly affects biological activity. The quality control based on GL content is an important factor in ensuring biological activity; however, the content of GL in licorice varies depending on plant cultivation environment, genetic factors, and species type. Previously, we prepared an anti-GL monoclonal antibody (anti-GL mAb) and employed it in various immunochemical assays for quality control of licorice and licorice-based products. In this study, we employed the anti-GL mAb in chemiluminescence enzyme immunostaining (CLEIS) to develop a very simple, rapid, specific, and sensitive quality control assay for licorice products, with a limit of detection of 3.9 ng. Furthermore, the CLEIS assay enabled semiquantitative analysis of GL in Kampo medicines. Our results showed that multiple samples can be simultaneously analyzed using CLEIS, and it is a useful tool for determining GL content, as well as ensuring chemical quality control of licorice-containing products and herbal medicines.

A 3-month-old female weighing 3.6 kg, with trisomy 21, who had undergone pulmonary artery banding for atrioventricular septal defect 2.5 months prior to the presentation was referred to our hospital because of nasal discharge and cough for 3 days and wheezing and decreased feeding for 1 day before

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the herniation of abdominal organs into the thorax, resulting in hypoplastic lungs and pulmonary hypertension. The impact of the first cry, a crucial event for lung transition during birth, on CDH patients remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of the first cry during birth on CDH patient survival, along with other prognosis factors. A multi-institutional retrospective study assessed CDH patient characteristics and survival rates by analyzing factors including the first cry, disease severity, birth weight, Apgar scores, oxygenation index (OI) and surgical closure. Among the CDH patients in the study, a positive first cry was linked to 100% survival, regardless of disease severity (p < 0.001). Notably, the presence of a positive first cry did not significantly affect survival rates in patients with worse prognostic factors, such as low birth weight (

２０２１年度は「ホスピタリティ概論」を遠隔授業で実施して２年目となった。この科目の受講生を対象に、オンライン学習環境についてのアンケートを行い、２０２０年の結果と比較した。受講場所は自宅外が増加した。アクセスの円滑さの評価は、やや低下した。画面・音声・提示資料の明瞭性等についての評価は横ばいである。受講中に感じることとして、アクセスへの不安が増加した一方、遠隔授業を受けることの快適さも増加している。自由記述回答での特徴的な頻出語についての調査結果からは、受信環境整備の重要性が示唆されている。, ‘Introduction to Hospitality’ was conducted by remote class in two years in row in ２０２１. A survey on remote education environment was conducted, and the result was compared with that of ２０２０ survey. Number of students who took remote class outside home increased. Evaluation of accessibility was slightly decreased. Clarity of the screen, sound and teaching materials remain the same. As for what the students feel during the class, concerns about access increased, while number of students who feel comfortable in taking remote classes increased. Frequent words in free text answer are reported.

食品に適した大量調理機器を選択し、最適な調理条件を設定することで、嗜好・品質特性を高め、給食の調理における効率化および標準化に繋げる基礎資料を得ることを目的とした。大量調理機器は、鍋、スチコン、バリオを用い、湿式加熱による食品の調理特性を検討した。スチコンが最も加熱時間を要した。スチコン加熱は、湿式加熱のうち蒸気による凝縮熱伝導と熱風蒸し操作であるため、食材の表面から内部へ温度の上昇は緩慢となり、均一な加熱となることで野菜の糖度は高かった。バリオ加熱は、加熱初期の温度上昇が早く、デンプンの糊化が急速に進み、じゃがいもではビタミンＣが失われにくかったが、にんじんでは高温で加熱される時間が長くなりビタミンＣの分解が進んだ。

Formononetin (FMN) is a methoxy isoflavone found abundantly in leguminous plants and associated foods. Several analytical methods have been developed to detect FMN. However, they are costly, complicated, and time-consuming. This study describes an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) to determine FMN content in food samples using a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against FMN produced by a newly established hybridoma cell line. Validation studies were conducted, and this assay was found to be sufficiently reliable, with an analytical measurement range of 19.53-1250 ng/mL and a detection limit of 17.42 ng/mL. Furthermore, icELISA was successfully applied for a cell-based assay in which the amount of FMN and ononin uptake was quantified in MC3T3-E1 cells. Hence, icELISA is a simple and reliable method for the detection and quantification of FMN, as well as elucidation of its functions and underlying mechanisms of action.

This study summarizes the applications of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against bioactive natural compounds for the functional analysis of crude drugs. To date, we have established more than 40 kinds of MAbs against natural compounds and set up enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The intracellular accumulation of harringtonine (HT) and its derivatives into cells was determined by ELISA using anti-HT MAb, and the uptake levels of these compounds conformed to their respective antiproliferative activities. Eastern blotting is an on-membrane quantitative analytical system that uses MAbs against natural compounds and it can also be used in a biological sample for pharmacokinetics study. Glycyrrhizin (GC) was detected in the serum of rats treated with GC by eastern blotting. Additionally, eastern blotting using MAb against 3-monoglucuronyl-glycyrrhetinic acid (3-MGA) could determine a potential causative agent of pseudoaldosteronism induced by excess intake of GC. The immunoaffinity column coupled with MAb made preparing an extract containing all components feasible except the target compound. Cell-based studies using GC-removed licorice extract, which was prepared by the immunoaffinity column conjugated with anti-GC MAb, revealed the potential functions of GC in licorice extract. Moreover, MAbs were used in determining cellular localization and target molecules of natural compounds. The combination of analysis using MAb and LC-MS/MS showed that aristolochic acid I (AA-I), a naturally occurring nephrotoxin and carcinogen, targets α-actinin-4 in the kidney cells. MAbs against natural compounds are useful tools to determine real pharmacological functions, cellular localization, and molecular targets of natural compounds in crude extracts.

Introduction Kwakhurin (Kwa) is one of the unique isoflavonoids produced in Pueraria candollei var. mirifica (P. candollei), which has long been used as folk medicine for rejuvenation in Thailand. Recently, the use of P. candollei-derived products has widely spread among Japanese women for cosmetic purposes. Correspondingly, there has been an increase in the number of reports regarding possible health hazards caused by estrogenic activity inherent to the plant; thus, the need for a detailed evaluation of the phytoestrogen content of P. candollei-derived products has gained a sense of urgency in recent years. Objective This study aims to develop a rapid enzyme immunoassay that can be applied to the quantitative analysis of Kwa in P. candollei and its derived products. Material and method A rapid and sensitive immunoassay was developed with a combination of Kwa-specific monoclonal antibody (MAb 11F) and Kwa-magnetic particles (MPs) conjugates, which increased the surface area of the solid phase, resulting in a decrease in the immunoreaction time. Result This novel MPs-based enzyme immunoassay (MPs-EIA) was used to determine Kwa concentration in the range from 2.44 to 78.1 ng/mL with a limit of detection of 1.90 ng/mL. Validation analyses revealed that the proposed MPs-EIA protocol was sufficiently precise and accurate for effective quantitative analysis of Kwa in P. candollei and its derived products.

本研究は、2017年度から始まった本学の初年次教育を定着させるとともに、新入生が大学での教育を理解し、建学の精神に代表される理念やディプロマポリシーを自分のものとして捉え、その実現に向けた主体的な学修の基盤を構築するという初年次教育の目標の達成を図ることにある。このためには、彼らの特性をとらえるとともに、彼らが初年次教育をどのように捉え、理解したかを把握しなければならない。そこで初年次教育の科目の一つとして開設された「ホスピタリティ概論」を活用して、全受講生を対象とした2つの調査を3年間実施した。1つ目の調査は入学当初の学生像をとらえ授業展開に生かすために学生の特徴を把握するものであり、第1回目の授業で実施された。2つ目の調査は授業内容の理解度を評価するものであり、第10回目に実施された。これらの回答を年度と学科毎に集計、分析した。その結果、次のことが明らかになった。①オープンキャンパスへの参加や進学希望状況などの本学入学に至る経緯が学科によって異なること、そして、入学当初には心身に不安を抱いている学生が、どの学科にも相当数存在すること。3年間の調査によって各学科の学生の特色が明らかになり、学科毎の適切な学修支援方策の作成に向けた示唆が得られたこと。②この講義を受けて、建学の精神であるホスピタリティの獲得に大学が力を入れており、その実現が求められていると多くの学生が認識していること、及び、本科目の重点目標である多様性の理解力の育成につながる他学科の学生とのコミュニケーションの機会に意義を見出していること等から、授業の目標達成に向けた順調な歩みが見られること。これらの結果及び他の科目の報告から、初年次教育が定着しつつあること、そして、その目標達成に向けた歩みが順調であると判断した。ただ、更なる充実のための課題も浮かび上がっている。

In pediatric cardiac cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it must overcome several challenges including the patient's size and higher heart rate. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate imaging optimization. Cardiac cine MRI data from 24 patients was analyzed (age range: 3 months-10 years, average age: 5 years, male/female: 11/13, R-R interval: 450±4 to 819±7 ms). About 11 cases out of 24 have good image quality. For small variations in the R-R interval and higher temporal resolution improved image quality with significant difference (P

本研究は、初年次教育の深化を図るために、その一つの科目である「ホスピタリティ概論」を対象として、受講生の感想等を分析し、授業の改善を図ることを目的としている。2017年度に開設された「ホスピタリティ概論」は、2年目を迎えるにあたって、前回の調査で明らかになった課題の幾つかに改善を加えて実践された1）。加えられた改善点は、上級生を学生スタッフとして雇用し、受講生の学修活動の促進を図ること、そして各課割り当てからボランティアの事務職員を担当にし、教職協働体制の円滑化を図ることの2点である。昨年度同様のクリッカー調査とアンケート調査を実施し、2年間の結果の比較・分析を行った。この結果、次のことが明らかになった。クリッカー調査 ①平成30年度の方が29年度よりも、心身の不安を訴える1年生が多いこと。 ②入学の動機づけとなるオープンキャンパスへの参加に関しては、平成30年度の方が、複数回参加や家族の参加が多くなっており、参加しなかった割合が低くなっていること。③全学オリエンテーションと学科別オリエンテーションの理解度に関しては、共に平成29年度の方が高い数値を示していること。アンケート調査 ④「他学科の人とおしゃべりする機会が持てた」や、「他学科の人の意見を聞くことができて有意義だった」という授業内でのコミュニケーション関しては、平成30年度の方が高い評価が得られていること。⑤「ホスピタリティを理解する上で、この授業に合格点を与えることができる」に関しては、平成30年度の方が高い評価が得られていること。 ⑥自由記述欄の文字数の調査では、平成30年度の方が高い数値になっていること。上述の①～③に示されているように、年度によって学生の質的な変化が生じているように見え、今後の動向を注視しなければならないことが明らかになった。また、④～⑥の結果からは、今年度の改善点である学生スタッフの活用によって、「ホスピタリティ概論」における学生の学修活動の活性化をもたらしたと判断する事ができる。しかし、他の項目では学科による差も見られ、課題が生じているといえる。

Brain T1-weighted images using spin echo (SE) sequence has poor contrast at 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3.0 T MRI) systems from the influence of crosstalk and magnetized transfer (MT) effect, and prolongation of the T1 value. Therefore, improving of scan parameters has been reported such as excitation flip angle (FA) and interleave data acquisition. The purpose of this study was to show the effects of alterations of presaturation pulse amplitude and chemical shift selective (CHESS) pulse amplitude. Gray-to-white matter contrast increased with decreasing amplitude of presaturation pulse in whole brain imaging. Presaturation and CHESS pulse consist of radio frequency pulse. Therefore, both pulses have a similar effect on MT pulse. Manual alteration of presaturation pulse amplitude for each scan lacks versatility on clinical use. However, decreasing amplitude of presaturation pulse is equal to decreasing thickness of presaturation pulse. About CHESS pulse, it requires no manual alteration for each scan. For example, switching fat suppression mode from strong to weak increase T1 contrast. Our study demonstrated that using not only low excitation FA and interleave date acquisition but also low amplitude of presaturation and CHESS pulse increase the contrast in T1 SE brain scans at 3.0 T MRI.

Glycyrrhizin (GC) is a triterpenoid saponin isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza spp., a medicinal plant that is present in 70% of Kampo prescriptions. Since the GC content in Glycyrrhiza spp. affects its various pharmacological activities, Glycyrrhiza spp. is prescribed to contain at least 2% of GC in the Japanese pharmacopoeia, and its quality control based on GC content is required. In this study, a magnetic particles-based enzyme immunoassay (MPs-EIA) was developed using specific monoclonal antibody against GC (MAb 2H2) for the detection of GC in Glycyrrhiza spp. In this system, the immunoreaction time using primary and secondary antibodies was reduced by taking advantage of the wide surface area of magnetic particles (MPs) conjugated with GC by N,N′‑carbonyldiimidazole (CDI)-mediated method. Optimization of MPs-EIA revealed that total assay time (~2 h) was reduced to over half of that of conventional indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (~5 h). In addition, the GC concentration was detectable within the range from 97.7 to 781 ng/mL, with a limit of detection of 71.4 ng/mL. A series of further validation analyses support the reliability and accuracy of the developed MPs-EIA for the detection of GC in Glycyrrhiza spp. Since the present MPs-EIA overcomes the disadvantage of ELISA in terms of rapidity, it provides a useful approach for the effective quality control of Glycyrrhiza spp., especially when handling multiple samples.

A high biomass loading in ionic liquid (IL) pretreatments that reduces the total cost of the process is potentially a key technique in biorefining. Previously, we demonstrated that, with microcrystalline cellulose, a higher cellulose loading could lead to improved accessibility and consequently higher hydrolytic reactivity, when catalyzed by an acid. In this study, we expand this concept to the lignocellulosic biomass such as bagasse. The pretreatment of bagasse was performed with a representative IL,1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, over a biomass loading range of 5–50 wt% and was subsequently subjected to crystallinity measurements and acid hydrolysis. The results indicated a criterion of the pretreatment condition, which showed a higher pretreatment efficiency at a higher biomass loading. At the optimum pretreatment condition, the hydrolytic reactivity for 33 wt% biomass loading was 1.4 times higher than that at the conventional loading of 5 wt%. This concurred with the results that demonstrated a high biomass loading condition produces a lower crystallinity.

High biomass loading is a key technique to reduce the pretreatment cost of lignocellulosic biomass. In this work, various biomass species such as bagasse, erianthus, cedar, and eucalyptus were pretreated using an ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, at different biomass loadings, particularly focusing on a high loading region. Cellulose structural changes in pretreated biomass were investigated via X-ray scattering and 13C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) spectroscopy. The structural behaviors roughly fell into two categories, corresponding to either grassy (bagasse and erianthus) or woody (cedar and hardwood) biomass. The grassy biomass gradually transformed from cellulose-I to cellulose-II in a monotonic manner against the biomass loading. In contrast, the transformation in the woody biomass occurred abruptly as solids was decreased within the high loadings range (50 wt% to 33 wt%). Below 33 wt%, a reformation of cellulose-I from cellulose-II proceeded readily. In terms of cellulose crystallinity, erianthus as well as bagasse showed a minimum value at 25 wt% loading, whereas the crystallinity for the woody biomass did not possess such a clear minimum. Acid hydrolysis of these pretreated biomass was also conducted and the relationship between the reactivity and the cellulose structural changes was discussed.

Glycyrrhetinic acid is a major metabolite of glycyrrhizin, which is one of the main components of licorice roots and is considered to be one of the pharmacologically active substances in licorice. A new hybridoma cell line, named G-2A6, was generated by fusing mouse myeloma cells and splenocytes, which were immunized using glycyrrhetinic acid-keyhole limpet hemocyanin to produce a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against glycyrrhetinic acid. By using the anti-glycyrrhetinic acid mAb, we attempted to develop a simple, rapid, and highly sensitive indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA). The developed icELISA had a range from 3.91 to 125 ng/ mL with low coefficients of variation (less than 5%) and demonstrated a high recovery rate of glycyrrhetinic acid spiked into licorice powder (average = 101.76%). In addition, the icELISA could determine the glycyrrhetinic acid concentration in glycyrrhetinic acid-spiked human serum with simple pretreatment, which suggests that the developed ELI...

In this study, we have developed amorphous bulk in the Al-Mn-Si alloy system as a precursor of thermoelectric materials consisting of nano-grains. The quenched ribbon samples at the composition of Al34.4Mn21.2Si44.4 became single amorphous phase. By applying approximately 3 GPa at room temperature, we succeeded in preparing bulk amorphous samples without possessing any other crystalline phases.

Assuming the minimal time to send a bit of information in the Einstein clock synchronization of the two clocks located at different positions, we introduce the extended metric to the information space. This modification of relativity changes the red shift formula keeping the geodesic equation intact. Extending the gauge symmetry hidden in the metric to the 5-dimensional general invariance, we start with the Einstein-Hilbert action in the 5-dimensional space-time. After the 4+1 decomposition, we obtain the effective action which includes the Einstein-Hilbert action for gravity, the Maxwell-like action for the velocity field and the Lagrange multiplier term which ensures the normalization of the time-like velocity field. As an application, we investigate a solution of the field equations in the case that a 4-dimensional part of the extended metric is spherically symmetric, which exhibits Schwarzschild-like space-time but with the minimal radius. As a discussion we present a possible informational model of synchronization process which is inherently stochastic. The model enables us to interpret the information quantity as a new spatial coordinate., 34 pages, 7 figures

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE) primarily affects premature infants on positive pressure ventilation. PIE is rarely reported in infants and children in the absence of mechanical ventilation and/or associated respiratory infection. We report a case of PIE in a 22-month-old girl who had severe respiratory distress due to respiratory syncytial virus infection. Chest computed tomography showed cystic lung lesions mimicking congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation. The cystic lesions spontaneously resolved after conservative treatment. Based on the clinical course and the chronological changes on imaging, the cystic lung lesions were diagnosed as localized persistent PIE.

Amino acid (AA) infusion is sometimes selected to avoid hypothermia during general anesthesia. However, the widespread clinical use of AA infusion therapy has not been established. This study aimed to clarify the evidence that AA infusion can increase patient body temperature and improve clinical outcomes using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Igaku Chuo Zasshi (Japana Centra Revuo Medicina) in November 2015. Studies were reviewed by 2 independent assessors to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving AA infusion compared with placebos during surgery under general or combined general/epidural anesthesia. Study quality was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system and the Cochrane methodology. The primary outcome was difference in body temperature before and after perioperative AA infusion. Shivering frequency, blood loss volume, postoperative intubation time, and hospitalization period were also assessed as clinical outcomes. We analyzed the outcome data using a random effect model. From 298 screened titles, 14 RCTs met our inclusion criteria, including 626 patients (327 in AA and 299 in placebo groups). In 626 participants from 14 RCTs, AA infusion increased body temperature by a mean difference (MD) of 0.46°C (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31-0.62, low-quality evidence). Regarding other outcomes, AA infusion decreased shivering frequency by a risk ratio of 0.34 (95% CI, 0.12-0.94; 7 RCTs, 248 participants, very low-quality evidence), shortened postoperative intubation time by MD of -125 minutes (95% CI, -210 to -38.8; 2 RCTs, 158 participants, moderate-quality evidence), and shortened the hospitalization period by MD of -1.81 days (95% CI, -2.07 to -1.55; 3 RCTs, 230 participants, low-quality evidence) compared with placebo. There was no significant difference in the volume of blood loss between the 2 groups (standardized MD, -0.20, 95% CI, -0.44 to 0.04; low-quality evidence). There was no publication bias. AA infusion in the perioperative period increased patient body temperature and improved clinical outcomes compared with placebo. However, the evidence to support the use of AA infusion is limited, and further large-scale RCTs are required.

High loading of cellulose in ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment is potentially a key technique for cellulose conversion to glucose in biorefining. In this work, to expand the potential use of this high loading technique, the accessibility of microcrystalline cellulose pretreated with an IL across a wide cellulose loading range (5–50 mol%) and its relationship with the hydrolytic reactivity were comprehensively investigated. The results show that the estimated cellulose accessibility based on the crystallinity and specific surface area was notably higher in 25 mol% loading than that for a conventional loading of 5 mol%. Consistently, acid-catalyzed glucose conversion was faster at this high loading, showing that a higher cellulose loading improves the pretreatment efficiency. In contrast, enzymatic hydrolysis was not enhanced by a high cellulose loading. A key difference between the activities in these two hydrolytic reactions is the catalyst size.

We investigated nano-structural changes of cellulose dissolved in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate—an ionic liquid (IL)—using a small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique over the entire concentration range (0–100 mol %). Fibril structures of cellulose disappeared at 40 mol % of cellulose, which is a significantly higher concentration than the maximum concentration of dissolution (24–28 mol %) previously determined in this IL. This behavior is explained by the presence of the anion bridging, whereby an anion prefers to interact with multiple OH groups of different cellulose molecules at high concentrations, discovered in our recent work. Furthermore, we observed the emergence of two aggregated nano-structures in the concentration range of 30–80 mol %. The diameter of one structure was 12–20 nm, dependent on concentration, which is ascribed to cellulose chain entanglement. In contrast, the other with 4.1 nm diameter exhibited concentration independence and is reminiscent of a cellulose microfibril, reflecting the occurrence of nanofibrillation. These results contribute to an understanding of the dissolution mechanism of cellulose in ILs. Finally, we unexpectedly proposed a novel cellulose/IL composite: the cellulose/IL mixtures of 30–50 mol % that possess liquid crystallinity are sufficiently hard to be moldable.

Liquiritin was reacted with a keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) to synthesize a liquiritin-KLH conjugate as an immunogen for mice. A hybridoma cell line named 2F8 secreted a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against liquiritin, which was applied to an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for liquiritin. ELISA showed a good linear range from 0.39 to 25 μg/mL of liquiritin. The maximum relative standard deviation (RSD) values for the intra-assay and interassay were approximately 5%. The recovery rates of liquiritin were in the range of 100.9-103.7%, and the concentrations of liquiritin in various licorice roots, as determined by ELISA, showed a good correlation with those analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC; R² = 0.948). These results suggested that ELISA with anti-liquiritin mAb could be a simple, rapid, convenient, and accurate method for the high-throughput analysis of liquiritin in various licorice products including liqueurs, sweets, and food supplements.

After the Tohoku earthquake tsunami in Japan, many evacuating options from a huge tsunami, e.g. tsunami tower, large building, moving onto hill, stronger breakwater, underground shelter and small lifeboat, have been proposed in recent years. In this paper, the authors have proposed and developed one kind of a large-sized tsunami shelter with mooring that is capable of accommodating at least one hundred people or more to evacuate from a run-up tsunami. The optimization for the shape of the tsunami shelter was also examined using Particle method, Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics. The tsunami force acting on the desired shape was compared with that on the basic shape, e.g. a rectangular shape. The proposed tsunami shelter could be one of useful options for evacuating from a huge tsunami attacking near coastal area.