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Background: We previously developed a transgenic rice that contains seven linked human predominant T-cell epitopes (7Crp) derived from Japanese cedar (JC) pollen allergens Cry j 1 and Cry j 2. Oral administration of 80 g of transgenic rice for 20 weeks suppressed allergen-specific T-cell proliferation in participants with JC pollinosis, but their clinical symptoms did not improve. Objective: We examined the clinical efficacy of low-dose (5 g and 20 g) intake of the transgenic rice administered for two successive seasons. Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study, transgenic rice seeds (5 g or 20 g) were orally administered to the participants for 24 weeks in each of two successive JC pollen seasons. We analyzed T-cell proliferation and cytokine expression, and monitored symptom and medication scores during the pollen season. Quality of life (QOL) was evaluated by using the Japanese Allergic Rhinitis Quality of Life Standard Questionnaire (JRQLQ). Results: Specific T-cell proliferation after stimulation with 7Crp, Cry j 1, and Cry j 2 was significantly suppressed in the second JC pollen season. No significant differences were found among the three groups (5 g, 20 g, and placebo) with regard to clinical symptoms or medication scores in the first season. However, the medication scores and face scale for overall condition of JRQLQ improved in the 5-g transgenic rice group in the second season, although careful re-examination with a large sample size is necessary to confirm the results. Conclusion: Low-dose oral administration of transgenic rice that contains 7Crp significantly reduced allergen-specific T-cell responses and improved medication scores during the second season of administration. Thus, oral intake of the transgenic rice has the potential to induce immune tolerance to JC pollen allergens when administered for at least two successive seasons.

Background: A rice-based peptide vaccine containing 7 linked human predominant T-cell epitopes (7Crp) derived from Japanese cedar (JC) pollen allergens, Cry j 1 and Cry j 2, was developed. Here, we examined the efficacy and safety of this transgenic rice in JC pollinosis patients. Methods: Transgenic rice (5, 20, and 80 g) was administered orally. We measured the T-cell proliferative activity against 7Crp, Cry j 1, and Cry j 2; the cytokine expression levels; and specific IgE and IgG4 production levels. In addition, the symptom and medication scores were monitored during the pollen season, and quality of life (QOL) was evaluated. Results: T-cell proliferative activities to Cry j 1, Cry j 2, and 7Crp were significantly depressed in a dose-dependent manner. Oral intake of 80 g transgenic rice for 20 weeks resulted in significant suppression of allergen-specific T-cell proliferation with downregulation of IL-13 and upregulation of IL-10 levels but no changes to specific IgE and IgG4 levels. The QOL symptom scores for allergic rhinitis were not significantly improved. Conclusions: Allergen-specific T-cell responses were significantly reduced by oral intake of transgenic rice in a dose-dependent manner. However, neither medication score nor QOL symptom scores could be improved during the JC pollen season with oral intake of transgenic rice for 20 weeks.

Research has previously shown that ultraviolet light C (UV-C) can inactivate unexpected infection. However, this type of potential disinfection is dramatically reduced for the shadow area such as under desk or medical equipment. Because the UV-C reflectance ratio is low on the general wall surfaces. We compared Stucco against the other materials to investigate whether we could improve disinfection for the shadow area. The reflectance ratios of UV-C irradiation of each material were examined, with particular attention to the rates for the author’s Modified Stucco. To evaluate the disinfection effects of the UV-C reflective lighting, colonies of E. coli and of Staphylococcus hominis were cultured in an agar media and counted over a certain time period after applying UV-C irradiation from a sterilizing lamp onto the investigation materials. The author’s Modified Stucco, produced reflectance ratios that was 11 times that of white wallpaper. This demonstrated that the UV-C reflected on the Stucco wall having optimum components and their compositions inhibited the number of E. coli and S. hominis, resulting in significantly disinfection effects on white wallpapers. The space with Modified Stucco and then irradiated by a UV-C may give a strong disinfection effect.

We introduce a mathematical model, based on networks, for the elasticity and plasticity of materials. We define the tension tensor for a periodic graph in a Euclidean space, and we show that the tension tensor expresses elasticity under deformation. Plasticity is induced by local moves on a graph. The graph is described in terms of the weights of edges, and we discuss how these weights affect the plasticity., 29 pages, 14 figures. Final version

Acquired choanal atresia is a rare complication of pharyngeal surgical interventions. Here, we report the case of a 72-year-old woman who was treated in our institution for acquired choanal atresia after failed previous treatments. We have excised the obstructing fibrotic scar tissue and then reconstructed the area using a mucosal local flap and free radial forearm flap transfer. Choanal stenosis caused by abnormal granulation was identified in the months after surgery; however, this was treated with endoscopic dilatation and steroid injections in the outpatient setting. No restenosis was identified 1 year after the operation. Postoperative evaluation of speech was satisfactory. Free flap transfer could be an option for refractory choanal atresia, and endoscopic dilatation with local steroid injections may be an effective method to treat postoperative restenosis.

The Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the Enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity (POSSUM) is widely used to predict surgical complications affecting various organs. However, there are few reports about objective evaluation methods for head and neck surgery. In this study, we retrospectively examined the association between POSSUM score and actual surgical complications of head and neck reconstruction surgery. In total, 711 patients who underwent head and neck reconstruction after cancer extirpation between January 2007 and January 2015 were studied. The predicted risk of complications was calculated using the POSSUM score and compared with the actual rate of perioperative complications. Perioperative complications occurred in 178 (25%) patients, comprising systemic complications in 52 (7%) patients, surgical site infection of the head and neck area in 78 (11%) patients and failure of the free flap in 55 (8.8%) patients. When patients were divided into a perioperative complication group and a no-complication group, a significant difference between the two groups was observed in the predicted postoperative rate calculated from the POSSUM score (p .0001, odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval = 1.02-1.04). Furthermore, the cutoff value of the POSSUM score calculated from the receiver operating characteristic curve using Youden's index was 43.0%. POSSUM is a useful risk indicator for head and neck reconstruction surgery. It is possible to objectively calculate the prediction level using a standard assessment method without adding burden to any medical facility. Therefore, patients may be considered at high risk for perioperative complications when the POSSUM score is 43.0% or higher.

Thin prepregs with thickness of less than 0.06 mm support flexible lamination design because it is possible to apply various stacking sequences. The objective of this study is to elucidate the effects of the layer thickness and stacking sequence on the open-hole compressive (OHC) strength for thin-ply carbon fiber reinforced plastic composite (CFRP) laminates. Details of layer thickness and stacking sequence effects on the OHC strength for the thin-ply CFRP laminates were evaluated experimentally. Furthermore, finite element analyses incorporating Hashin’s 2-D failure criteria and a cohesive zone model were conducted to evaluate the damage progression behavior. Results demonstrated that the numerical model was useful for predicting the OHC strength of thin-ply CFRP laminates with various stacking sequences.

To assess the exposure of flame retardants (FRs) for school-children, organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers (PFRs) and organobromine flame retardants (BFRs) were determined in the indoor dust samples collected from elementary schools and domestic houses in Japan in 2009 and 2010. PFRs were detected in all the dust samples analyzed and the highest concentration of total PFRs was thousand-fold higher than that of BFRs. Among the PFRs, tris(butoxyethyl)phosphate (TBOEP) showed the highest concentration with a median (med.) of 270,000 ng g(-1) dry weight (3700-5,500,000 ng g(-1) dry weight), followed by tris(methylphenyl)phosphate (TMPPs)>triphenyl phosphate (TPHP)=tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCIPP)=tris(2-chloroisopropyl)phosphate (TCIPP)=tris(2chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP)>ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP). Significantly higher concentrations of TBOEP, tri-n-butyl phosphate (TNBP), TPHP, TMPPs, and total-PFRs were found in dust samples from elementary schools than from domestic houses. It might be due to that higher concentrations of TBOEP (as leveling agent) were detected from the floor polisher/wax products collected in those elementary schools. On the other hand, significantly higher concentrations of TCEP, TCIPPs, and total chloroalkyl-PFRs were found in domestic houses than in elementary schools. Exposure assessments of PFRs via indoor dust from elementary schools and domestic houses were conducted by calculating the hazard quotient (HQ). Among PFRs, HQs for TBOEP exceeded 1 (higher than reference dose: RfD) and its highest value was 1.9. To reduce the intake of TBOEP by school-children, it is recommended that the use of floor polisher/wax containing TBOEP be reduced in schools.

An 81-year-old man was referred to our hospital because gastric cancer was detected on screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Surgical resection of the tumor was performed. It was 25 × 20 mm in size and swollen lymph nodes were present nearby. Lymphadenectomy was also performed. Histopathologically, the tumor reached the proper muscle layer via venous invasion. There were three components that constituted the tumor, that is, 40% of mass was invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC), 40% was papillary adenocarcinoma and 20% tubular adenocarcinoma. Vascular invasion was prominent. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the tumor showed an entirely intestinal mucin phenotype, being positive only for CD10 and negative for MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC6. HER2 staining score ranged from 2+ to 3+, depending on the components described above. HER2 gene amplification was present in all the components according to dual-color in situ hybridization. The metastatic lymph nodes were similar to the primary site in morphology and immunohistochemistry, but HER2 amplification was higher in the lymph nodes. The IMPC component with HER2 amplification is rarely seen and its positivity for CD10 is an unexpected finding for gastric IMPC. Hence, this is a highly unusual case judging by the literature; further studies are needed to clarify the nature of gastric IMPC.

Summary Natural DO 14 C is recognized as one of the most useful tracers in the estimation of groundwater age. Fluorescent dye is commonly used as an indicator of drilling fluid contamination during borehole investigation. Fluorescein (FS) is one of the most frequently used fluorescent dyes, yet as it contains little radiocarbon it may affect DO 14 C age when it is mixed with natural DOC. In this study, fulvic acid (FA) was isolated from groundwater containing FS and DO 14 C value of isolated FA was measured. Separation methods were proposed by using the difference between sorption and desorption behavior of FA and FS onto synthetic adsorbent resin. DO 14 C measurement on FA from a mixture of FA and FS is estimated by removing FS from the mixture and correcting for the amount of C derived from FS. Furthermore, DO 14 C age is compared with the groundwater age estimated by He. The results show that the values of DO 14 C age for separated FA estimated by the two methods had good agreement with those that corresponded to groundwater age estimated by He. This result indicates that DO 14 C is a useful indicator of groundwater age even for groundwater contaminated with FS.

Characteristics of dissolved humic and fulvic acids in river waters were studied during 2003–2005 at 4 sites located in the headwaters and in the upper and lower Tokachi River, including a lowland tributary site. Fulvic acids from the headwaters to downstream areas have similar elemental composition and 13C-NMR spectra. Humic acids have similar characteristics in the Tokachi River system. In contrast, δ13C and Δ14C values exhibit a decreasing trend from the upper to the lower and tributary sites, although the headwater site has heavier δ13C and lower Δ14C values than the upper site. Fulvic acids had similar δ13C values from the upper to lower sites, but 123′ higher in Δ14C than those of humic acids on average. The δ13C and Δ14C values exhibited differences in downward variation for humic and fulvic acids. In the Tokachi River system, these results suggest that differences in transport pathways and residence times of humic and fulvic acids reflect differences in the δ13C and Δ14C values in a single river basin.

Seasonal characteristics of surface water fulvic acids (FAs) isolated from Japanese clear-water lakes were investigated. Qualitative changes in Lake Biwa and Lake Tankai FAs were determined and compared. Although the relative molecular weights determined by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography did not change remarkably, the elemental compositions, $$ E_{600}^{1\% } $$ values and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectral properties varied with the season. Both the H/C and N/C ratios for Lake Biwa FAs tended to be higher than those for Lake Tankai FAs, but O/C ratios were lower and decreased from spring to winter. The $$ E_{600}^{1\% } $$ values suggested that Lake Biwa FAs contained lower levels of unsaturated structures than Lake Tankai FAs, and the amounts of these structures increased in winter. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra indicated that Lake Biwa FAs are richer in saturated aliphatic chains, especially in spring. Overall, Lake Biwa FAs exhibited clearer seasonal changes in these characteristics than Lake Tankai FAs, suggesting that the seasonal variation may depend on changes in aquatic microbial activities.

In order to elucidate the spatial distribution of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in the Japanese coastal environment, hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorines (OCs: PCBs, DDTs, CHLs, HCHs, HCB) were determined in bivalves (oysters and mussels) collected from Japanese coastal waters. HBCDs and PBDEs were detected in all samples analyzed. Concentration ranges of HBCDs were 12–5200 ng g −1 lipid wt., followed by PCBs (20–3100 ng g −1 ) > PBDEs (3.1–86 ng g −1 lipid wt.). The highest concentration of HBCDs was found in the Osaka region. This result indicates that HBCDs are ubiquitous and predominant compounds in bivalves from the Japanese coastal waters. Since no species differences between oysters and mussels were observed for the bioaccumulation properties of HBCDs and PBDEs, oysters could be utilized for BFR contamination monitoring worldwide as an alternative to mussels. Global comparisons between oysters and mussels showed that HBCD concentrations in Japan are among the highest levels reported from Asia and Europe. Estimated dietary exposures of HBCDs and PBDEs through seafood were 0.45–34 ng kg body weight −1 d −1 , and 0.054–6.8 ng kg body weight −1 d −1 , respectively. These exposure levels were more than 1000 times lower than the lowest observable effects or no observable adverse effects levels for HBCDs and PBDEs, respectively.

Impact of climate change on marine biogeochemical parameters and ecosystem is one of the important issues of our environment. Direct evidence of marine pelagic ecosystem changes is found with warming of sea water and sea-level rise in the main stream of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea and the western North Pacific during these three decades based on the analysis of long-term comprehensive hydrographic observations. In terms of annual mean, the warming rate of surface air temperature and sea surface temperature ranged from 0.15 to 0.21°C per decade in and around the main stream of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea, which exceed the global mean warming rate of 0.128 ± 0.026°C per decade during the period from 1956 to 2005 reported in IPCC 2007. One of the features in this rapid warming region is an increase of number of Pterosagitta draco, a cosmopolitan warm-water zooplankton. Biogeochemical parameters, such as wet weight of zooplankton, plant pigment and nutrients concentration in the upper 200 m have been decreasing while dissolved oxygen content and seawater temperature have been increasing in the upper 200 m in the main stream of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea. These observed linear trends of the biogeochemical parameters would be foresights for temperate oceans in the future.

The pH-induced conformational changes of proteins are systematically studied in the framework of a hydrophobic-polar (HP) model, in which proteins are dramatically simplified as chains of hydrophobic (H) and polar (P) beads on a lattice. We express the electrostatic interaction, the principal driving force of pH-induced unfolding that is not included in the conventional HP model, as the repulsive energy term between P monomers. As a result of the exact enumeration of all of the 14- to 18-mers, it is found that lowest-energy states in many sequences change from single "native" conformations to multiple sets of "denatured" conformations with an increase in the electrostatic repulsion. The switching of the lowest-energy states occurs in quite a similar way to real proteins: it is almost always between two states, while in a small fraction of ≥16-mers it is between three states. We also calculate the structural fluctuations for all of the denatured states and find that the denatured states contain a broad range of incompletely unfolded conformations, similar to "molten globule" states referred to in acid or alkaline denatured real proteins. These results show that the proposed model provides a simple physical picture of pH-induced protein denaturation.

[Abstract] Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most frequent complications of diabetes and is a leading cause of vision loss in adulthood. To better understand the molecular pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy, we performed comprehensive gene expression analysis of the mouse retina under diabetic conditions with an in-house cDNA microarray system that was designed to be suitable for the small amount of RNA available from a single mouse retina. Diabetes was induced in male C57BL/6 mice by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin, and the changes in retinal mRNA levels were examined in three pairs of diabetic and age-matched control mice at 1 and 3 months after the injection of streptozotocin. Northern blot analysis with amplified total cRNA confirmed the increase in mRNA levels of several selected genes. Most of the significantly up-regulated genes could be classified into two functional categories: oxidative phosphorylation and protein turnover. All mitochondrial DNA-encoded and most of the nuclear DNA-encoded genes for oxidative phosphorylation were up-regulated in the diabetic retina. This was in sharp contrast with a previous report of a down-regulation of these genes in skeletal muscles of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice and type 2 diabetic humans. Genes for protein synthesis and ubiquitin were also up-regulated in the diabetic retina, suggesting the increase in turnover rates for at least a part of the protein population. Taken together, the diabetic retina appears to be in a state activated for intermediary metabolism, presumably because of an increase in insulin-independent glucose influx. These results provide insights into possible preventive and therapeutic intervention of diabetic retinopathy.

Flubendiamide, N2-[1,1-dimethyl-2-(methylsulfonyl)ethyl]-3-iodo-N1-[2-methyl-4-[1,2,2,2-tetrafluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethyl]phenyl]-1,2-benzenedicarboxamide, is a novel class of insecticide having a unique chemical structure. The uniqueness of the structure results from three parts with novel substituents; a heptafluoroisopropyl group in the anilide moiety, a sulfonylalkyl group in the aliphatic amide moiety, and an iodine atom at the 3-position of the phthalic acid moiety. The compound shows extremely strong insecticidal activity especially against lepidopterous pests including resistant strains. Flubendiamide would have a novel mode of action, because the insecticidal symptoms accompanied by a discriminative contraction of the larval body are distinguished from those of commercial insecticides. It is also very safe for non-target organisms. Flubendiamide is expected to be a suitable agent for controlling lepidopterous insects as part of the insect resistance management and the integrated pest management programs. © Pesticide Science Society of Japan

Field observations were carried out to clarify the regional differences in snowflake size distributions and the causes for these differences. When snowflake size distributions can be approximately expressed by the exponential distribution ND = N0 exp(-λD), the intercept parameter N0 in different regions of Japan, becomes larger according to the distance from the coast, even under the condition of equal snowfall intensity. This information can be interpreted by the idea that supercooled cloud droplets predominate in the snow clouds initially, while the phase change from water to ice advances as the clouds move inland. The slope λ of the size distributions in the central Japan group is more gentle than that in the northern Japan group, since the adhesion strength of snow crystals is strong under the warmer condition.

This chapter examines water chemistry in terms of iron, organic matter, and nutrients in river, drainage, and groundwater from the middle reaches of the Amur River, to ascertain the watershed environment of the Amur River Basin during 2005–2007. Nitrate-N concentration was 0.46 ± 0.38 mg/L for river water and 1.9 ± 5.0 mg/L for groundwater, corresponding respectively to 87 ± 11 % and 39 ± 42 % of total inorganic nitrogen. Dissolved iron concentrations were 0.10–1.08 mg/L for river water and 0.39 ± 0.26 mg/L on average. A positive correlation was found between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved iron concentrations in river water. However, the groundwater had average iron concentrations of 4.9 ± 3.1 mg/L and 4.3 ± 9.9 mg/L of DOC concentration, and there was no correlation between DOC and dissolved iron concentrations. The results indicate that wetland and forest areas are important in the export of dissolved iron and organic matter in the middle reaches of the Amur River. In the groundwater system, sources of dissolved iron and organic matter are independent for each underground environment, because of differences in geologic media, groundwater flow, and redox conditions.

To investigate the mode of action of the newly synthesized optically active imidazole compound, NND-502, (-)-(E)-[4-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene]-1-imidazolylacetonit rile, its effect on ergosterol biosynthesis in cell-free extracts of Candida albicans was examined and compared with that of the (S)-enantiomer of NND-502 in addition to lanoconazole and bifonazole, both of which are clinically used for the treatment of dermatomycoses. NND-502 was found to interfere with ergosterol biosynthesis by inhibition of sterol 14alpha-demethylase, while no interference due to the (S)-enantiomer of NND-502 was found, indicating that the stereochemical orientation of the 2, 4-dichlorophenyl group plays an important role in the interaction with the enzyme. In terms of drug concentration exerting 50% inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis, NND-502 was 2.5 and 28 times more effective than that of lanoconazole and bifonazole, respectively.

In vitro and in vivo anti-Candida albicans and anti-Aspergillus fumigatus activities of NND-502, a new imidazole-antimycotic, were compared with those of fluconazole (FCZ), itraconazole (ITZ) and:or amphotericin B (AmB). NND-502 exhibited strong in vitro antifungal activity against both fungal species; its MIC against C. albicans was 1‐4 times lower than that of FCZ, and its MIC against A. fumigatus was at least 60‐2000 times lower than that of ITZ and AmB. In vivo antifungal treatments with each drug were initiated 1 h after inoculation in the experimental models, so that antifungal potential reflected prophylactic activity rather than therapeutic activity. The oral regimen of NND-502 in a murine model of systemic C. albicans infection was much less effective than that of FCZ. In vivo anti-A. fumigatus activity of oral NND-502 in a murine model of systemic infection was apparently superior to that of FCZ and ITZ in terms of prolonging survival. In addition to the murine model of systemic aspergillosis, intravenous NND-502 was shown to be highly effective in a rat model of pulmonary aspergillosis compared with intravenous AmB; 90% of animals survived at a dose of 2.5 mg:kg per day of NND-502 while only 30% of animals escaped death when 5 mg:kg per day of AmB was used. This potent efficacy of NND-502 was also confirmed in a sublethal challenge study in which the administration of the agent at a dose as low as 1.25 mg:kg per day resulted in the significant reduction of organisms in the lung; no comparable effect of AmB was found. © 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Complexation equilibria of Ag(I) and Cu(II) ions with poly( N -vinylimidazole) have been investigated potentiometrically by measuring concurrently the pH and pM (M=Ag(I), Cu(II)) of the equilibrium mixture solutions of the linear polymer and metal ions in the presence of sodium nitrate at 25°C. The equilibria were highly sensitive to the degree of dissociation of the conjugate acid of the polymer as well as the sodium nitrate concentration level, mainly due to the polyelectrolytic nature of the polymer, however, by correcting for this electrostatic effect based on a `Donnan-based concept', insights into the intrinsic complexation equilibria have been gained, i.e. the electrostatic non-ideality term has properly been estimated by the use of the acid-dissociation property of the conjugate acid polymer as a probe. Multidentate complex formation with neighboring imidazole groups on the polymer molecules has been revealed for both complexation systems at fully dissociated states, i.e. two imidazole groups are involved in Ag + ion complexation and four groups in Cu 2 + ion complexation, respectively. The intrinsic formation constants of the polymer complexes thus evaluated were compared with the reported formation constants for respective multidentate complexes with imidazole ligand, a monomer analog of the polymer molecule. The coordination number decreased stepwisely with a decrease in the degree of dissociation of the conjugate acid for both metal complexation systems.

Gibbs−Donnan-based logic, employed to examine counterion equilibria in charged polymer suspensions, has led to assessment of their water sorption properties. With such information made available, a...

In vitro and in vivo antidermatophyte activities of NND-502, a new imidazole antimycotic agent, were compared with those of two existing antifungal agents, lanoconazole and terbinafine. NND-502 exhibited strong in vitro antifungal activity against Trichophyton spp.; its MIC was 1 to 4 times lower than that of lanoconazole or terbinafine. In an in vivo study with a guinea pig model of tinea pedis, 7-day topical treatment with a 0.5% solution of NND-502 (dissolved in polyethylene glycol 400) was more effective than that with a 0.5% solution of either lanoconazole or terbinafine for eradicating fungi from the infected feet. When the duration of treatment was shortened to 3 days, a topical 1% solution of NND-502 achieved a complete mycological cure, while topical 1% solutions of lanoconazole and terbinafine did not.

The influence of added sodium chloride concentration levels on the acid-dissociation equilibria of a weakly acidic linear polyelectrolyte and a conjugate acid of weakly basic linear polyelectrolyte has been investigated potentiometrically by use of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and poly(N-vinylimidazole) (PVIm) as examples of polyelectrolytes. Both equilibria are strongly influenced by the degree of dissociation of the polyacids as well as the concentration levels of sodium chloride due to an electrostatic effect originating from the negatively or positively charged polymer surfaces. These have been analyzed in a unified manner by taking accounts of two-phase properties of the charged linear polyions. Distribution of counterions and coions between a polyelectrolyte phase formed around the polymer skeleton and a bulk solution phase has been rationalized by a Donnan’s relation. Introduction of a volume term for the polyelectrolyte phase permits definition of averaged concentrations of mobile ions in the vicinity of the polyion molecules, which enables us to define hypothetical intrinsic acid-dissociation constants in the polyion domain. The intrinsic constants estimated by extrapolation of apparent acid-dissociation constants at zero-charge state are in good agreement with the acid-dissociation constants of the monomer analogs of the polymers, i.e., acetic acid for PAA and imidazole for PVIm, respectively. The difference between the apparent and intrinsic acid-dissociation constants for PVIm was much higher than that for PAA at defined degree of dissociation of the polyacids, even though the separations of the functionalities fixed on the linear polymers are approximately equal to each other.

This study reports carbon isotopic ratios (Δ(14)C and δ(13)C) of dissolved humic and fulvic acids in the Tokachi River system, northern Japan. These acids have a refractory feature and they represent the largest fraction of dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments. The acids were isolated using the XAD extraction method from river water samples collected at three sites (on the upper and lower Tokachi River, and from one of its tributaries) in June 2004 and 2005. δ(13)C values were -27.8 to -26.9 ‰ for humic and fulvic acids. On the other hand, the Δ(14)C values ranged from -247 to +26 ‰ and the average values were -170 ± 79 ‰ for humic acid and -44 ± 73 ‰ for fulvic acid. The difference was attributed to the residence time of fulvic acid in the watershed being shorter than that of humic acid. The large variation suggested that humic substances have a different pathway in each watershed environment.

The space of all immersed closed curves of rotation degree 0 in the plane modulo reparametrizations has the same homotopy groups as the circle times the 2-sphere., 7 pages

We classify the local structure of complex contact manifolds of dimension three with Legendrian vector fields. We also give the partial classification of the complex contact manifolds with Legendrian vector fields, in case the manifolds admit holomorphic contact 1-forms.

An HPLC method was based on anion-exchange separation of pyrophosphate (diphosphate) and orthophosphate and postcolumn spectrophotometric detection at 140 degrees C with a molybdenum(V)-molybdenum(VI) reagent. The reagent was easy to prepare, stable for at least 6 months at room temperature, and ready for the determination of pyrophosphate and orthophosphate by the so-called heteropoly blue method without use of any reducing agent. A photodiode-array detector for HPLC indicated the spectral characteristics of the heteropoply blue complex that was detectable at 330-800 nm. The HPLC method had a wide dynamic range from 3 x 10(-7) to 5 x 10(-4) M for both pyrophosphate and orthophosphate with a relative standard deviation of measurement of 10 approximately 2%. Pyrophosphate of 5 x 10(-7) and 5 x 10(-6) M, respectively, could be determined in the presence of a 20,000-fold excess of orthophosphate; 0.01 and 0.1 M.