A Model of the Relationship Between Psychosocial Variables and Diurnal Cortisol Rhythm Under Chronic Stress by Using Structural Equations

By using structural equations, we investigated the effect of chronic stress on salivary cortisol rhythm and proposed a causal model of chronic stress by using psychosocial and physiological data. First, 111 healthy workers (48 males, 63 females) completed questionnaires on chronic stress and lifestyle habits. Then, they provided saliva samples and answered questionnaires that were prepared to assess their psychological states 5 times (on waking up and at 10:00, 11:40, 14:00, and 16:00) on workdays. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that chronic stress and longer commuting time resulted in sleep irregularities and this disrupted the cortisol circadian rhythm. This suggests that chronic stress disrupts the cortisol circadian rhythm even in healthy individuals, and sleep regularity mediates the effect of chronic stress on the cortisol rhythm.

     

Effects of short- and long-term dexamethasone treatment on growth and growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone (GRH)-GH-insulin-like growth factor-I axis in conscious rats

Although the inhibitory effects of a chronic excess of glucocorticoids (GC) on body growth and GH secretion are well established, the mechanisms involved remain unclear. In this study, we examined the chronic effects of a high dose of dexamethasone (DEX) on spontaneous GH secretion and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I in conscious rats. The animals were given daily i.p. injections of DEX (200 microg/day) for either one or four weeks. Body growth assessed by tibia length and serum IGF-I levels was significantly inhibited 1 week after treatment. By contrast, spontaneous GH secretion was not altered 1 week after the treatment. Neither hypothalamic GRH and somtatostain mRNA levels nor GH responses to GRH from single somatotropes were affected 1 week after the treatment. Four weeks after DEX treatment, body growth of the rats was noticeably suppressed. Interestingly, spontaneous GH secretion, hypothalamic GRH mRNA levels and GH responses to GRH were all inhibited 4 weeks after treatment. Pituitary GRH receptor mRNA levels were not altered 1 week after treatment, but increased after 4 weeks. These results indicate that a high dose of DEX initially impairs IGF-I production and subsequently inhibits spontaneous GH secretion in rats. Inhibition of spontaneous GH secretion resulting from chronic GC excess is due, at least in part, to the impairment of hypothalamic GRH synthesis and pituitary GH responsiveness. An increase in the pituitary GRH receptor may be caused by decreased GRH secretion.     

Air vent in water chamber and surface coating on liner slides concerning auxiliary cooling system for the high temperature engineering test reactor

Experimental study was made to confirm the validity of new designs of the auxiliary cooling system for the high temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR). First, it is necessary to vent residence air in outlet side of water chamber of the auxiliary heat exchanger for the HTTR. Accordingly, we have proposed to mount a proper bend duct in the outlet side of the water chamber. Air vent is done by difference between pressures at both ends of the bend duct caused by the forced water circulation using the water pumps. From flow tests, it was confirmed that it is capable of venting the air through the bend duct by circulating the water in maximum capacity of the water pumps. Second, it is essential to prevent seizure and excessive wear of the liner slides of the auxiliary concentric hot gas duct for the HTTR at a service temperature of 950°C. Therefore, we have put forward to coat titanium nitride (TiN) on the surface of the liner slides made of nickel-based superalloy Hastelloy XR using the thermochemical vapor deposition method. As a result of seizure and wear tests, it was confirmed that the TiN coating film of 3 μm on the surface of Hastelloy XR is sufficient.     

Extensions of polyacrylic acid ammonium salts in the adsorption layer to fluidize alumina slurries

An average shell volume occupied in the adsorption layer on alumina by a polyacrylic acid ammonium salts molecule (PAA) defined as the average area occupied by an adsorbed PAA on alumina multiplied by the average thickness of the water layer at the limit of thickening, has been calculated from the adsorbed amount of PAA and from the flow points of alumina in the presence of PAA of different molecular weights. A steric effect of the PAA dispersant on the dispersion of alumina resulted in a flow with no yield stress. This was due to the change of the extension of PAA in the adsorption shell from a sphere to an ellipsoid with a long axis which exceeded the effective distance that the van der Waals attraction force reaches at a molecular weight for the PAA of between 10 000–20 000.     

Determination of assimilable organic carbon (aoc) in ozonated water with acinetobacter calcoaceticus

The effect of ozone application in drinking water on the production of assimilable organic carbon (AOC) was evaluated. The typical procedure to determine AOC is suggested by van der Kooij, which is the method of bacterial growth measurement by colony‐forming units using the strain P17 and/or NOX. The bacterial indicator species used for this study is Acinetobacter calcoaceticus which was isolated and identified while ozonating Nakdong river water. This strain could never be isolated from the raw water, but this strain was the predominant isolate in the ozonated water. Within a short incubation time, this organism was found to replicate well on acetate and oxalate as the sole carbon sources. The yield coefficients of this organism for acetate and oxalate are the same order of magnitude as the value of P17 and NOX. With full‐scale experiments, A. calcoaceticus concentration was found to increase after ozonation, but did not decrease upon chlorination. In laboratory‐scale experiments with Yongsan river water, aldehyes were found to be produced in proportion to the ozone dose. The raw water contains low concentrations of aldehydes, but has a high AOC concentration. A correlation between aldehyde production and AOC production was observed in the tested water with ozonation.     

Effect of polyurethane surface chemistry on its lipid sorption behavior

The relationships among surface, bulk properties and lipid sorption behaviors of segmented polyurethanes (SPUs) with various polyol soft segments were investigated. The polyols used in this study were poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO), and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). The hard segment of these segmented polyurethanes was composed of 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and 1,4-butanediol, present at 50 wt%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) and dynamic contact angle measurements were carried out in order to analyze the surface chemical structure in the air- and water-equilibrated states. XPS revealed that in the air-equilibrated state, lower surface free energy components were enriched at the air-solid interface, whereas in the water-equilibrated state, higher surface free energy components were enriched at the water-solid interface. The change in environment from air to water induced the surface reorganization in order to minimize interfacial free energy. Lipid sorption behaviors of SPUs were investigated by means of infrared spectroscopy. Even after extensive rinsing of the surface, the amount of lipid present on the SPU surface was more than that calculated on the assumption that a monolayer covers the SPU surface. Therefore, the lipid was not only adsorbed on the surface of SPU but absorbed into SPU. The SPU with hydrophilic PEO sorbed larger amount of phospholipid compared with that with hydrophobic polyol such as PTMO and PDMS. Also, the competitive sorption behaviors of phospholipid and cholesterol from their mixed liposome solution were studied. The ratio of sorbed cholesterol to phospholipid increased with an increase in surface hydrophobicity owing to the hydrophobic nature of cholesterol.     

Wortmannin, a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, inhibits erythropoietin-induced erythroid differentiation of K562 cells

We report a large kindred in which a punctate palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) is associated with malignancy, including Hodgkin's disease, renal, breast, pancreatic and colonic adenocarcinomas. The family was traced through four generations, and over 320 individuals were identified, of whom 49 had punctate PPK. The punctate PPK appeared to be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with variable penetrance. Ten of the 43 adults (23%) with punctate PPK developed malignancies, and five of these developed before the age of 50. Of the 271 unaffected individuals, six (2%) have developed malignancies, one prior to the age of 50. The association of keratoderma and malignancy is discussed.     

Infrared sensing properties of positive temperature coefficient thermistors with large temperature coefficients of resistivity

Infrared (IR) detecting elements were prepared using positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistors with large temperature coefficients of resistivity (α). Their compositions were denoted as Ba_1−x Sr _x Nb_0.003Ti_0.997O₃ + 1 mol % TiO₂ + 0.07 mol %MnO (x=0, 0.2), and their temperature coefficients of resistivity were 78 and 50% K⁻¹, respectively. Their IR sensing properties were measured under the self-regulating heating conditions, and were compared with those of a detector with small α (18 % K⁻¹). It was shown that large α was effective for controlling the element temperature by self-regulating heating and for improving sensitivity. The responsivity,R _v of the element withx=0.2 was 980 VW⁻¹, and was as large as those of pyroelectric detectors. Expressions which normalize the sensitivity and the thermal time constant were derived. From these expressions, criteria for improving some IR sensing properties were obtained.     

Surface Hardening of Carbon Steel Using High Powered YAG Laser

A high powered YAG laser with kaleidoscope for surface modification was applied to the surface hardening of carbon steels containing 0. 18-0.54 wt% C without the absorbents, and the relationships between laser processing and surface hardening were investigated by hardness and microstructure. The structure of the hardened zone underwent complete martensitic transformation in all of the carbon steels tested, and its hardness increased with greater carbon content. Under identical irradiated conditions, the hardened zone expanded with increasing carbon content. A hardened zone extending from the surface to a depth of 1.0 mm was obtained at a laser power of 1.0 kW and a scanning speed of 1 mm/sec. It was found that in the surface hardening of carbon steels, a high powered YAG laser can be used to control the hardened zone by selecting the appropriate irradiation conditions, however, the hardened zone was affected by the assistant gas and the flow rate.