Synthesis of thermoresponsive copolymer/silica-coated magnetite nanoparticle composite and its application for heavy metal ion recovery

To enhance chemical stability and suppress of aggregation of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs), which are used as a support for thermoresponsive copolymer immobilization, silica coating of the MNPs is applied via the electrooxidation method. Although the resulting silica coated-MNPs also formed aggregates, the size distribution of the aggregate shifted to smaller size range. Because of that, the surface area available for copolymer immobilization increased approximately 6.7 times at maximum as compared with that of the uncoated MNPs. It contributed to the increase of the amount of the immobilized copolymer on the silica-coated MNPs, which is approximately four times larger than that on the uncoated MNPs. Fe₃O₄ dissolution test confirmed enhancement of chemical stability of MNPs. The thermoresponsive copolymer immobilized on the silica-coated MNPs shows the ability to recycle Cu(II) ion from Cu(II) containing solution by changing temperature with significantly shorter time than those in other thermoresponsive adsorbents in gel form.     

Role of Metabolism in Bone Development and Homeostasis

Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are the underlying energy sources for animals and are catabolized through specific biochemical cascades involving numerous enzymes. The catabolites and metabolites in these metabolic pathways are crucial for many cellular functions; therefore, an imbalance and/or dysregulation of these pathways causes cellular dysfunction, resulting in various metabolic diseases. Bone, a highly mineralized organ that serves as a skeleton of the body, undergoes continuous active turnover, which is required for the maintenance of healthy bony components through the deposition and resorption of bone matrix and minerals. This highly coordinated event is regulated throughout life by bone cells such as osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes, and requires synchronized activities from different metabolic pathways. Here, we aim to provide a comprehensive review of the cellular metabolism involved in bone development and homeostasis, as revealed by mouse genetic studies.     

Formation and Characterization of Ce3ZrO8 Prepared by the Hydrazine Method

A compound denoted as (Ce_0.75Zr_0.25)O₂ (Ce, ZrO₈) is formed near room temperature from cerium and zirconium nitrates using hydrazine monohydrate. It has a cubic unit cell with a = 0.5342 nm. Characterization of powders heated to various temperatures at 10°C/min demonstrates that the specific surface area does not decrease below 20 mVg until >1000°C.     

The short-term effect of a smoking prevention program for the upper graders of elementary schools--the results of intervention study for two years with quasi-experimental design

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term effect of a smoking prevention program for Japanese elementary school-children in the fifth and sixth grades. The program was developed with concepts found in the Know Your Body Program and the conclusions of a National Cancer Institute-convened Expert Advisory Panel, and focused on teaching about the short-term effects of smoking and on resistance to social pressures to smoke. The study was conducted with a quasi-experimental design. An intervention group (52 boys and 54 girls) received three sessions for both the fifth grade in 1992 and the sixth grade in 1993. Moreover, the intervention group received a pre-test before the first session and a post-test after the third session in each grade. A comparison group (102 boys and 91 girls) received the same tests at the same time as the intervention group, but did not receive any program on smoking prevention. The short-term effect of the program were evaluated using the results of the pre-test in the fifth grade and of the post-test in the sixth grade in both groups. The results were as follows: 1) Remarkable short-term effects of the intervention were seen in respect to awareness of the importance of not smoking in girls, and also in the knowledge of the short-term effects of smoking in both sexes. 2) The intervention was not effective with respect to intention to smoke at the age of 20 and self-efficacy of refusing to smoke in both sexes. 3) The short-term effects were not clear in the smoking behavior in both sexes because the rates of ever smokers and of monthly smokers were almost the same for two years between the intervention group and the comparison group. 4) The smoking behaviors of children, their parents and their best friends had little influence on the results of the post-test in the sixth grade.     

High performance liquid chromatographic separation of stereoisomeric bile acids as their UV-sensitive esters

High performance liquid chromatographic separation of a series of mono-, di- and trihydroxylated 5β-cholanic acids which differ only in position and configuration of hydroxyl groups at positions C-3, C-7 and/or C-12, is reported. The C-24 free acids were derivatized to four different classes of UV-sensitive esters, i.e.,p-bromophenacyl (BP),m-methoxyphenacyl (MP), 4-nitrophthalimidemethyl (NPM) and 9-anthrylmethyl (AM) esters, and chromatographed on two, variants of C₁₈ reversed-phase columns (Nova-Pak C₁₈ and Zorbax ODS) with methanol-water systems as mobile phase. Separation efficiency and elution order of some isomeric pairs were influenced by both the structure of the C-24 ester groups and the nature of the columns used. Excellent chromatographic properties were found for those derivatives, particularly for the NPM esters.     

Elevated serum lipoprotein (a) levels associated with ulcerative colitis in a young Japanese patient

Thromboembolism has been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A possibility exists that lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], a newly-discovered prothrombotic factor, also participates in the development of at least some cases of IBD. Marked elevation of serum Lp(a) levels was observed in a young patient with ulcerative colitis. A biopsy specimen of the rectal mucosa showed findings compatible with ulcerative colitis, as well as small vessel thrombus occurring within the muscularis mucosa in the rectum. Serum Lp(a) levels were markedly elevated on admission (71 mg/dl), with a gradual decrease to 46 mg/dl on discharge. Moreover, serum Lp(a) levels decreased in parallel with clinical improvement. In the quiescent clinical stage, no small vessel thrombus was observed in the mucosa on follow-up colonoscopy. The association between IBD and hyper-Lp(a)-emia would be presumable but it has been, to our knowledge, previously unreported. The case reported here would be the first young patient, suggesting the presence of hyper-Lp(a)-emia and small vessel thrombus formation occurring in association with the development of ulcerative colitis.     

Radiation tolerance of type IIa synthetic diamond detector for 14 MeV neutrons

Radiation tolerance of a type IIa synthetic diamond detector was examined from irradiation of mono-energetic 14 MeV neutrons. Measurements of I–V (current–voltage) characteristics and energy spectrum for 5.486 MeV alpha particles were performed after neutron irradiation. In the I–V characteristics measurement, enhancement of rectification was observed after neutron irradiation of up to 2.0 × 10¹² n/cm². Concurrently with the enhancement of rectification, significant decrease in signal amplitude was observed in energy spectrum measurement for alpha particles. It is considered that these changes were due to increase in the concentration of defects acting as shallow energy levels in the forbidden band. For neutron irradiation of higher than 1.6 × 10¹³ n/cm², weakening of the rectification characteristics and recovery of the signal amplitude were observed. These changes imply that deep energy levels, which were also considered to be introduced by defects, were dominant and weakened the effects of the shallow energy levels. Increase in the concentration of the deep trapping levels resulted in gradual decrease of the signal amplitude and degradation in the energy resolution. The peak for the alpha particles was obtained up to 5.5 × 10¹³ n/cm².     

Online-Religion in Japan: Websites and Religious Counseling from a Comparative Cross-Cultural Perspective

This article considers the nature of online religion by examining the websites and religious counseling activities conducted by new Japanese religions. Beginning with an overview of the widespread use of the Internet in Japan and its use in religion, the article examines the cultural and social factors that keep the religious use of the Internet from becoming as pervasive in Japan as it is in the U.S. The article then describes a website with elements of online religion and the Internet-based religious counseling services being provided by ministers of the new Shintō-derived religions of Konkōkyō and Tenrikyō. These activities have successfully given some people who need religious assistance access to religious teaching. In concluding, the article examines the reasons for the success of these efforts, as well as the reasons why they have not expanded in scope, in light of the cultural and organizational advantages and disadvantages that affect Internet use.