Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

Food adulteration has emerged as a significant global issue, impacting consumer health and fair-trade practices. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and potential adulteration with starch in tomato paste products available in the Lebanese market. A total of 41 local and imported tomato paste samples, without starch declarations, were collected from the Lebanese market and analyzed for starch usage and various quality parameters (total soluble solids, Bostwick consistency, viscosity, titratable acidity, color, and dry matter content), as well as compliance with Libnor and Codex Alimentarius standards. Results revealed that 37% of samples failed to meet starch usage standards, and 27% did not comply with the required total soluble solids (>24%), while all samples complied with acidity standards (<7%). Compliant samples had significantly higher values for total soluble solids, acidity, dry matter, and color compared to non-compliant ones (p < 0.01). A comparison of local and imported tomato paste products showed no significant differences in physicochemical properties, color, shelf life, or price, with parameters being similar across samples. Among local samples, 48% did not comply with the starch usage standard, and 26% failed to meet the required total soluble solids level. In contrast, imported samples adhered to starch usage standards, although 30% did not comply with TSS levels. This study highlights the prevalence of adulteration in local and imported tomato paste products in Lebanon and calls for further enforcement measures to ensure consumer protection and fair trade.

Oral function deterioration attributed to ageing and medications is one of the main contributory factors of dysphagia. Therefore, oral health management is essential in older patients with schizophrenia. However, no previous studies have evaluated the oral function in patients with schizophrenia. We surveyed patients with schizophrenia to identify factors associated with ageing-related variations in oral function. This cross-sectional study included 34 male patients diagnosed with schizophrenia who were hospitalised at a psychiatric hospital between July and September 2021 and underwent a screening examination during dental care. The survey items included basic information, oral hygiene information, oral (oral diadochokinesis [ODK] and tongue pressure), physical function, and nutritional status. Thirty-six male community-dwelling older individuals were included as controls, and their outcomes were compared with those of patients with schizophrenia. Compared with healthy older adults, patients with schizophrenia demonstrated significantly lower teeth numbers, ODK, and calf circumference (CC) (p < .05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that ODK was associated with age and schizophrenia (p < .05). Conversely, tongue pressure was associated with CC (p < .05), suggesting different factors' association with the parameters indicating decreased oral function. Our study findings suggest that older patients with schizophrenia have decreased tongue pressure and generalised muscle mass, highlighting the need to manage oral function. Interventions for tongue pressure were more strongly associated with muscle mass and could be easier to manage than those with disease-dependent changes in ODK. Retrospectively registered.

To investigate the possible cause of Japan’s low-growth economy, we analyze the correlation between the quality of energy and economic production such as real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and energy intensity over the 52-year period from 1965 to 2017. Corrections are made for the quality of energy using two approaches—a physical-based quality correction (i.e., transformity) and an economics-based quality correction. We find that energy quality affects economic production, and that real GDP correlates with quality-corrected final energy consumption. We imply that economic inactivity due to the decline in energy acquisition capacity represented by the decline in societal-scale EROI (Energy Return on Investment) may be directly linked to the low economy growth. We also find that the energy intensity decreases as the quality of energy used improves, and that regardless of quality correction, the energy intensity decreases as the electrification rate increases. Finally, we conclude that the quantity and quality of energy are closely related to the performance of the Japanese economy and point out the importance of energy quality in Japan—a country that has a low energy self-sufficiency rate in an era when the supply of energy is being depleted.

In numerous biological contexts, animal cells need to interact physically with their environment by developing mechanical forces. Among these, traction forces have been well-characterized, but there is a lack of techniques allowing the measurement of the protrusion forces exerted by cells orthogonally to their substrate. We designed an experimental setup to measure the protrusion forces exerted by adherent cells on their substrate. Cells plated on a compliant Formvar sheet deform this substrate and the resulting topography is mapped by atomic force microscopy (AFM) at the nanometer scale. Force values are then extracted from an analysis of the deformation profile based on the geometry of the protrusive cellular structures. Hence, the forces exerted by the individual protruding units of a living cell can be measured over time. This technique will enable the study of force generation and its regulation in the many cellular processes involving protrusion. Here, we describe its application to measure the protrusive forces generated by podosomes formed by human macrophages.

昨年10月の菅総理による「2050年カーボンニュートラルを目指す」という発言，また今年4月の気候変動サミットにおける「2030年に温室効果ガスを2013年比46％削減を目指す」という発言以降，気候変動対策の技術としての「CCUS」に内外の関心が高まっている。

太陽電池発電設備は，耐用年数まで使用され，リユースやリサイクルが行われるものだけでない。近年，自然災害による太陽電池発電設備の損壊事故も多数発生している。自然災害により太陽電池発電設備にどのような事故が起きているのか，電気事業法における事故報告から，紹介する。 2018 年度に起こった，平成 30 年 7 月豪雨，台風 21 号，北海道胆振東部地震，台風 24 号による太陽電池発電所の事故報告は，計 48 件である。平成 30 年 7 月豪雨では，設備の立地地域における浸水や土砂崩れ等によるパネルやパワーコンディショナーの損傷といった被害が多い。台風では強風や高潮によるパネルの飛散や水没が多数発生。北海道胆振東部地震では，地震による地面の隆起，地割れ，液状化等に伴う架台，パネルの損傷や，パワーコンディショナーの短絡，地絡による運転機能喪失が発生した。