The adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of nerve agent, isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate, Sarin (GB) on powdery TiO 2 film has been investigated using attenuated total reflection-infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) in ambient atmosphere. Producing innocuous isopropyl methylphosphonic acid as a consequence of GB adsorption at the surface of TiO 2 indicates that powdery TiO 2 film is effective to hydrolyze GB. The adsorbed GB and IMPA were quickly decomposed by TiO 2 photocatalysis to give isopropanol, acetone, formate, and methylphosphonic acid, and finally completely mineralized to phosphoric acid, water, and carbon dioxide. We also elucidated a plausible adsorption structure and photocatalytic decomposition mechanism of GB at the surface of TiO 2 photocatalyst.

This study demonstrated that the prognosis of CPFE is significantly worse than that of IPF alone. In particular, CPFE with paraseptal emphysema associated with high esPAP has an extremely poor prognosis.

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We have detected biological toxins using localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and synthetic glycosyl ceramides (β-lactoside, globosyl trisaccharide (Gb3), or GM1 pentasaccharide) attached to gold (Au) nanoparticles. The particle diameters ranged from 5-100 nm. The detection sensitivity for three toxins (ricin, Shiga toxin, and cholera toxin) was found to depend not only on the attached glycoside but also on the diameter of the Au nanoparticles. For the detection of ricin, the 20-nm β-lactoside-coated Au nanoparticle exhibited the highest LSPR response, whereas 40-nm Gb3- and GM1-coated Au nanoparticles gave the best results for Shiga toxin and cholera toxin, respectively. In addition, a blocking process on the nanoparticle surface greatly improved the detection sensitivity for cholera toxin. The LSPR system enabled us to detect ricin at 30 ng/mL, Shiga toxin at 10 ng/mL, and the cholera toxin at 20 ng/mL.