东京集合住宅SB·野泽

坐落在东京的“S B·野泽”,其用地三面临街,四面均有一定的红线退让。建筑师试图在这一宁静的住宅区内,努力营造出优雅、得体的建筑品位。建筑中部为集中式布置的共享空间和交通核,外部用2.6m开间×两个柱距的基本空间体块为单元布置了15户住户。各种设备管线集中于外墙周边的管道井,使每个住户的浴室都能面向外部。建筑外部用双层的玻璃格栅包裹,各住户外墙均设计有60cm的挑檐外廊空间。这种兼顾控制视线、风、光功能的平板玻璃格栅窗的做法是在越南“空间体块河内样板间”的设计中积累下来的经验。依时间的不同,住户可将格栅任意开合。…     

Role of electron-phonon interaction in lattice dynamics and superconductivity of oxide spinel LiTi2O4

The lattice dynamics of an oxide spinel LiTi₂O₄ is studied by taking account of the electron-phonon (EP) interaction derived on the basis of the realistic tight-binding bands fitted to the first-principles bands. Due to the characteristic dependences of the EP interaction on wavevectors and vibrational modes, a remarkable frequency renormalization of the O vibrational modes, which hybridize with the Ti vibrational modes, is obtained over a wide region of the Brillouin zone. The overall features of the calculated phonon density of states are in agreement with those observed by the inelastic neutron scattering measurements. By using the EP interaction and the renormalized phonon frequencies we have calculated the EP spectral functionα ² F(ω). The superconducting transition temperature, gap function, and tunneling spectra are calculated by solving the Éliashberg equation. The results agree well with the observations.     

Enhancing older people’s activity and participation with socially assistive robots: a multicentre quasi-experimental study using the ICF framework*

Socially assistive robots (SARs) are seen as part of a pragmatic solution to addressing the increasing demands, shortage of care workers and to realizing the potential of optimum integrated care. Yet their effectiveness and impact on older people’s care, activities and participation are still unknown. A total of 67 people aged 65 and over participated in a 24-week-long, quasi-experimental study in five residential nursing homes in Japan. The personalized care plan and targets were created based on the framework of the WHO’s International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF). Three types of socially assistive robots were used. The participants in the robot intervention groups showed greater improvements in their scores for targeted activities and participation than the control group. Statistically significant improvements were observed in communication, self care, and social life. SARs have great potential for improving older people’s quality of life. With further research, the use of these robots by older people could be considered as a serious option in the future. In addition, the ICF framework can be utilized further for measuring the effects of introducing SARs on older people’s quality of life.     

Characterization and properties of iron-incorporated gismondine prepared at 80°C

Iron-incorporated zeolites were successfully synthesized at a low temperature such as 80°C by choosing appropriate starting materials and characterized by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and magnetic susceptibility. ICP-AES showed␣that Fe component can be readily incorporated␣up to a maximum extent of Fe substitution, Fe/(Fe + Al) × 100 = 22.7%. XRD measurements suggested that the zeolites obtained have a crystal structure of gismondine type. The characterizations identified that the Fe component present in the products is all incorporated into the zeolite framework. The ammonia and water desorption profiles were compared for Fe-free and 22.7% Fe-zeolites ion-exchanged for NH₄⁺ by means of TG-MS and DSC. The ammonia desorption peak temperatures considerably shifted toward lower temperatures by the introduction of Fe, suggesting decreased solid acidity. DSC thermograms of the as-synthesized gismondines revealed that they do not contain free water (i.e., water not coordinated to cations) in the pores irrespective of the Fe content. The enhanced catalytic reactivity of the Fe-incorporated gismondines was also confirmed from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. An apparent activation energy of 43 kJ mol⁻¹ was obtained independent of the Fe contents in zeolites. This value was much lower than 70 kJ mol⁻¹ for the same reaction in the homogeneous solution containing iron alum as a reference sample.     

Fabrication and efficiency evaluation of a hybrid NiCrAl pressure cell up to 4 GPa

A hybrid NiCrAl pressure cell was fabricated to measure magnetic quantities under high pressure above 3 GPa. A pressure of 4.0 GPa was achieved and the pressure cell was found to be reusable even after a pressurizing trial up to 4.0 GPa. Pressure was monitored using (63)Cu nuclear quadrupole resonance of Cu(2)O and ruby fluorescence. The pressure efficiency of a fresh cell was maintained at 96%, and no appreciable deformation was observed at pressures below 3 GPa; on the other hand, the efficiency after pressurizing trials decreased gradually and reached 75% at 4 GPa accompanied by a maximum expansion inside the cylinder of 2%.     

Dietary total antioxidant capacity from different assays in relation to serum C-reactive protein among young Japanese women

Background

The association between dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) from different assays and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) has not been assessed in non-Western populations. We examined the association between dietary TAC and serum CRP concentration in young Japanese women using different four TAC assays.

Methods

The subjects were 443 young Japanese women aged 18?C22?years. Dietary TAC was assessed with a self-administered diet history questionnaire and the TAC value of each food using the following four assays: ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP); oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC); Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC); and total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP). Serum CRP concentrations were measured by highly sensitive nephelometry.

Results

The major contributor to dietary TAC was green, barley, and oolong tea (FRAP: 53%, ORAC: 45%, TEAC: 36%, and TRAP: 44%). The prevalence of elevated CRP concentrations (?? 1?mg/L) was 5.6%. TAC from FRAP was inversely associated with serum CRP concentrations (adjusted odds ratio [OR] for elevated CRP concentration in high [compared with low] dietary TAC group: 0.39 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.16-0.98]; P?=?0.04). TAC from ORAC was inversely associated with CRP, although the association was not significant (OR: 0.48 [95% CI: 0.20-1.14]; P?=?0.10). TAC from TEAC was inversely associated with CRP (OR: 0.32 [95% CI: 0.12-0.82]; P?=?0.02), as was TAC from TRAP (OR: 0.31 [95% CI: 0.12-0.81]; P?=?0.02).

Conclusions

Dietary TAC was inversely associated with serum CRP concentration in young Japanese women regardless of assay. Further studies are needed in other populations to confirm these results.     

Photocatalytic activities of nanocrystalline Si-modified titania xerogels prepared by the glycothermal method

Xerogels of nanocrystalline Si-modified titanias having large surface areas and superior thermal stabilities were obtained by the glycothermal method, followed by the removal of the organic phase by flash evaporation, and their physicochemical and photocatalytic properties were investigated. With the increase in the amount of Si addition, the crystallite size of the sample decreased and BET surface area increased. The zeta potential shifted to the more negative side by Si addition, which affected the adsorbability of dyes. The obtained xerogels of Si-modified titanias were effective photocatalysts for decomposition of organic dyes and exhibited higher activities compared to JRC-TIO-4. Xerogel samples were highly dispersed in aqueous solutions because the coagulation, which may occur during the drying stage in the sample preparation, was effectively prevented and this feature is one of the critical factors for the high activities of the xerogel catalysts. Their effectiveness for photocatalytic decomposition of cationic dyes was remarkable since the negative surface charge of the catalysts enhanced the adsorbability for these dyes.     

Effect of anion species from Ca-sources on framework type of Na–Ca zeolites prepared at 80°C

Na–Ca zeolites were synthesized at 80°C from the mixtures of sodium orthosilicate as a Si-source, Al(OH)₃ powder as a Al-source, and Ca-sources. A variety of calcium salts highly soluble in␣water were chosen in this work: CaCl₂, CaI₂, Ca(HCOO)₂, Ca(CH₃COO)₂, and Ca(EtCOO)₂ to investigate the effect of anion species from the Ca-sources on the framework type and crystallinity of Na–Ca zeolites. The crystal phase diagrams as functions of the molar ratio SiO₂/Al₂O₃ and reaction period were determined for different Ca-source systems on the basis of the XRD patterns and SEM observations. The use of CaCl₂ or CaI₂ as a Ca-source led to faujasite, hydroxysodalite, and gismondine, whereas hydroxycancrinite was preferentially produced from the reactants including Ca(NO₃)₂ independent of SiO₂/Al₂O₃ (=4–20) and reaction period (168–840 h). It was found that the presence of iodine anion strongly hinders the crystallization of Na–Ca zeolites, in particular, in a high SiO₂/Al₂O₃ range. On the other hand, the systems containing organic carboxylates gave more complex results where faujasite, haüyne, gismondine, and hydroxycancrinite were formed. All the reaction systems containing these anion species, as well as NO₃^-, also underwent the dissolution–nucleation–growth processes after faujasite was yielded at the early stage, as a result, the zeolite framework type varied from faujasite to hydroxysodalite, haüyne, and finally gismondine or hydroxycancrinite.