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Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) have exceptional mechanical and thermal properties, but the use of these materials to reinforce polyolefins is challenging. In the present study, ethanol, acetone, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and water were used as dispersion media for alkenyl succinic anhydride-modified CNFs (ACNFs). Masterbatches were prepared from these ACNFs wetted in the various liquids and then melt-compounded with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) using a twin-screw extruder, followed by injection-molding. The morphologies of the resulting HDPE/ACNF composites were characterized using optical and electron microscopy, and the rheological and mechanical properties of these composites were also evaluated. The results showed that the storage and loss moduli as well as the tensile moduli and strength of the composites produced using the organic liquids were higher than those of the composite made using water, owing to the better dispersion of ACNFs in the HDPE matrix in the former. This improved dispersion would be expected to increase the contact area between the ACNFs and the matrix and to enhance the orientation of the HDPE molecules. IPA was found to give the highest tensile modulus and strength among the organic liquids used in this study. The tensile modulus and strength of the composite containing ACNFs produced from IPA were, respectively, four times and two times higher than those of the neat HDPE. IPA is a relatively non-toxic, inexpensive compound, and so could be readily adopted for industrial scale processing.

Background This epidemiological study investigated the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/arachidonic acid (AA) ratio (EAR) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)/AA ratio (DAR) in ninth-graders in Japan. Methods A total of 175 ninth-grade children from Tsunan Town (boys/girls, 115/60) were enrolled in the study between 2015 and 2017. All participants were assessed during annual health check-ups to determine their EAR and DAR. All data were compared between boys and girls using the Mann-Whitney test. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to describe the strengths of correlation between the EAR, DAR, and relevant parameters. Results The median (minimum, maximum) EAR and DAR of all participants were 0.13 (0.05, 0.46) and 0.47 (0.25, 0.84), respectively. There was no significant difference in the EAR between boys and girls at 0.12 (0.05, 0.46) and 0.13 (0.06, 0.27) (P = 0.375), respectively. In addition, the DAR was not significantly different (P = 0.125). There was a significant positive correlation between EAR and triglyceride, BMI, and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-IR but a significantly negative correlation with HbA1c (r = -0.209, P = 0.006). In contrast, there was no significant correlation between DAR and any parameters. Conclusions This is the first epidemiological study investigating the EAR using a population-based cohort of Japanese adolescents. The EAR in boys/girls in Japan is 0.12 (0.05, 0.46)/0.13 (0.06, 0.27). The study results suggest that children with a healthy diet may generally have a lower average blood glucose level.

Because of their high mechanical performance, high specific surface area, and high aspect ratio, there is a strong interest in cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) as a reinforcing material for plastics. Although three hydroxyl groups per repeating unit exposed on the surface is a unique characteristic of CNFs, an effective chemical treatment to improve the reinforcing efficiency of CNFs for hydrophobic thermoplastic resin has not yet been reported. In this study, six systematically designed aliphatic ester groups with linear, cyclic and branched structures, were incorporated on the surface of CNFs using the hydroxyl groups with a degree of substitution of 0.4. The melt compounding of the esterified CNFs and HDPE was performed at 140 °C using a twin screw extruder followed by injection molding at 160 °C and investigated the CNF dispersibility in HDPE and the CNF reinforcing efficiency in injection-molded HDPE samples. Incorporation of linear long chains results in the best dispersion of CNFs in HDPE compared with cyclic and branched chains, but the latter chains give higher reinforcing efficiencies in Young’s modulus and tensile strength. Especially, the bulky t-butyl group gave the highest reinforcing efficiency. Thus, the structure of ester groups incorporated on the CNFs very much affects on the dispersibility in HDPE, Young’s modulus and tensile strength, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the esterified CNFs-reinforced HDPE composites. Addition of pivaloylated CNFs increases the Young’s modulus of HDPE from 1.20 to 3.32 GPa, and the tensile strength from 23.4 to 51.2 MPa. The CTE is 72.5 ppm/K, which is less than one-third that of the HDPE. The high reinforcing efficiency of these composites is partly explained by the formation of the double shish–kebab crystal structure during injection molding identified by the TEM observation.

Achieving a structural hierarchy and a uniform nanofiller dispersion simultaneously remains highly challenging for obtaining a robust polymer nanocomposite of immiscible components. In this study, a remarkably facile Pickering emulsification approach is developed to fabricate hierarchical composites of immiscible acrylic polymer and native cellulose nanofibers by taking advantage of the dual role of the nanofibers as both emulsion stabilizer and polymer reinforcement. The composites feature a unique "reverse" nacre-like microstructure reinforced with a well-dispersed two-tier hierarchical nanofiber network, leading to a synergistic high strength, modulus, and toughness (20, 50, and 53 times that of neat polymer, respectively), high optical transparency (89%), high flexibility, and a drastically low thermal expansion (13 ppm K-1, 1/15th of the neat polymer). The nanocomposites have a three-dimensional-shape moldability, also their surface can be patterned with micro/nanoscale features with high fidelity by in situ compression molding, making them attractive as the substrate for flexible displays, smart contact lens devices, and photovoltaics. The Pickering emulsification approach should be broadly applicable for the fabrication of novel functional materials of various immiscible components.

Aims/Introduction Little information is available regarding the status of insulin resistance (IR) and insulin deficiency (ID), as well as their relationship with obesity in children using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) in a population-based setting. Materials and Methods The study included a total of 445 ninth-grade children participating in health check-up programs implemented in Tsunan Town, Niigata, Japan (boys/girls, 252/193 [participation rates: 98.1/95.5%]). HOMA of insulin resistance ≥2.5 was defined as IR, and HOMA of β-cell function

Background It is not clear whether resistin, adiponectin and leptin are as closely associated with cardiovascular disease risk in childhood as in adulthood. Methods A survey was performed on elementary school 4 th graders aged 9 to 10 years in Ina-machi, Saitama, Japan to investigate whether resistin, adiponectin and leptin in these children might be associated with cardiovascular risk factors (atherosclerosis index: AI, waist-to-height ratio: W/H ratio, body mass index: BMI), and how the presence of obesity might affect their association. Results A total of 204 boys and 176 girls participated in the survey. Leptin and the leptin-to-adiponectin ratio (L/A ratio) were significantly correlated with the cardiovascular risk factors except AI, and adiponectin was shown to be negatively correlated with all the cardiovascular risk factors examined in the entire study population. While the serum resistin concentration was not found to be significantly different among the boys and girls with or without obesity, the resistin-to-adiponectin ratio (R/A ratio) was found to be significantly different between the obese and non-obese boys but not between the obese and non-obese girls. Among the obese boys, there was a significant correlation between resistin and AI and between the R/A ratio and the cardiovascular risk factors, neither of which was noted among the entire boy population or the non-obese boys. Whereas the R/A ratio was significantly correlated with all the cardiovascular risk factors only in the obese boys. (AI: 0.426, p

The effects of morphological changes on the thermal expansion, toughness and heat resistance of polyamide-6 (PA)/styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene (SEBS)/polyphenylene ether (PPE) blends were investigated. Compared with the typical ‘sea (PA matrix)–island (PPE domain)–lake (SEBS in PPE domain)’ morphology, an injection-molded ternary blend with a preferential distribution of SEBS component at the interface between PA and PPE exhibited a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) in the flow direction. This low CLTE was ascribed to the deformation of SEBS and PA into a co-continuous microlayer network structure during injection molding. Consequently, the expansion preferentially occurred towards the thickness direction. Further CLTE reduction either by a change in PA viscosity or by the selective location of an inorganic filler was examined, and its influences on impact strength and heat resistance are discussed based on transmission electron microscopy observations. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry

To investigate the causes of death and how they changed over time in patients with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes who were receiving dialysis.Of the 1384 patients who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at18 years of age between 1965 and 1979, 113 who were subsequently confirmed as having received dialysis and having died as of January 1, 2008 were found eligible for the study. The cause of death trends were expressed according to the duration of dialysis.The leading causes of death were end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (36.3%), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (31.9%), and infections (20.3%). Among CVD, cerebral hemorrhage was the most frequent (38.9%) and showed a significant trend for an increase in the duration of dialysis (P=0.01, the Cochran-Armitage trend test). The mortality from ESRD concentrated within 5 years of dialysis and that from CVD increased after 10 years of dialysis, while the mortality from infections peaked during 5 to 10 years from initiation of dialysis.The leading causes of death in dialysis patients with type 1 diabetes were ESRD, CVD, and infections. As the duration of dialysis increased, however, CVD contributed more to mortality. Special attention should be paid to CVD, particularly cerebral hemorrhage, to improve the long-term prognosis of patients.

This study examined the relationships between serum adiponectin (AD) and leptin (LP) levels, and obesity using a populationbased cohort consisted of 315 (9–10 year olds: G1) and 308 (12–13 year olds: G2) school children. Serum AD, LP and other markers were compared according to the presence of obesity. The prevalence rates of obesity were 14.9% in G1 and 9.4% in G2. The medians of serum AD (mg/dl: non-obese/obese) were statistically lower in obese children (9.6/8.3 in G1, p < 0.05; 8.9/6.6 in G2, p < 0.05), and the medians of serum LP (ng/dl) were statistically higher in obese children (3.7/12.5 in G1, p < 0.05; 2.9/8.4 in G2, p < 0.05). The serum LP levels were significantly positively correlated with percent overweight (POW) irrespective of age and sex, and the serum AD levels were significantly negatively correlated with POW except for boys in G1. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that LP, LDL-cholesterol and gender in G1, and LP, AD, blood pressure and gender in G2 were significantly correlated with POW. A large-scale, population-based study revealed that AD was lower and LP higher in obese children, and that the obese status in G2 was related to a worse metabolic profile than the case in G1. # 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The fabrication of miscible or nanostructured polymer blends or alloys raises much hope, but poses significant scientific and industrial challenges over the past several decades. Here, we propose a novel strategy using high-shear processing and demonstrate the high-shear effects on the nano-dispersed structure formed in the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/polyamide 11 (PA11) blends, in which PA11 domains with a size of several tens of nanometers are dispersed in the PVDF phase. For the blend of PVDF/PA11 = 65/35, the TEM image shows that many nanometer-sized PA11 particles are dispersed in the PVDF domain to form a special type of domain-in-domain morphology. In contrast, no PVDF nano-dispersion was observed in the PA11 phase. The effects of both the screw rotation speed and the mixing time on the blend structure were systematically studied. It shows that the extruder screw rotation speed and the mixing time are two critical factors to prepare the nanostructured blends. In addition, the investigations on the thermal behavior of the obtained blends indicate the improved miscibility between PVDF and PA11 by the high shear processing.

The current study evaluates the indices of glucose control for diabetics (i.e., glycated albumin (GA), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), plasma glucose (PG) and immuno-reactive insulin (IRI)) in non-diabetic children from a population-based cohort, and compares those values according to the presence of obesity to examine any differences in these indices. GA, HbA1c, casual PG and casual IRI in obese children (n = 209) were compared to those of non-obese children (n = 1060) in Ina town, Saitama Prefecture, in 2002-2003. In obese children, the levels of HbA1c, PG and IRI were statistically higher when compared to those of non-obese children. In contrast, the median and intra-quartile range (IQR) of GA of obese children (13.6%: 12.6-14.7) was statistically lower when compared to that of non-obese children (14.3%: 13.5-15.4, p < 0.001). The low GA (%) in obese children is mainly due to the low absolute value of GA (g/dl) rather than a higher albumin value (g/dl). This is the first report to reveal that GA levels are low in obese, non-diabetic children. Additional data collection and an experimental approach are necessary to reveal the reasons behind lower GA levels in obese children.

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology, Nanotechnology Research Institute, TsukubaCentral 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565,Japan, and Mitsubishi Chemical, Science and TechnologyResearch Center, 1000 Kamoshida-cho, Aoba-ku,Yokohama 227-0033, JapanReceived June 29, 2005Revised Manuscript Received August 5, 2005

A substantial approach was proposed to design polymer alloys with very low coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE). The large reduction in CLTE is not based on an addition of low-thermal-expansion filler to suppress the bulk expansion, but on the fine control of the polymer alloy's micro-morphology so that the expansion is preferentially toward the thickness direction. In this study, rubber was used as an additive to tune the thermal expansion behavior of various plastics. Although the rubber has a high thermal expansion coefficient, it was found that, when the rubber domains are deformed into microlayers and co-continuous with the plastic matrix, the CLTE of the polymer alloy parallel to the microlayer directions could be reduced to a very low level. Various influencing factors including rubber concentration, viscosity ratio, interfacial adhesion as well as the domain size were investigated.

We investigated the crystalline morphology of isotactic polypropylene obtained by melt crystallization under carbon dioxide (CO2) at various pressures. Spherulites consisting of regularly arranged fibrils without subsidiary lamellae were obtained by crystallization under CO2 below 2 MPa, whereas large spherulites consisting of irregularly arranged fibrils with subsidiary lamellae were obtained under ambient pressure. Distorted domain crystals with uniform optical anisotropy consisting of α-form were found to be obtained under CO2 above 2 MPa, and needle crystals consisting of γ-form were obtained above 12 MPa. Transmission electron micrographs showed that straight and thick lamellae are regularly arranged in both the distorted domain crystals and the needle crystals. The uniformly thick lamellae were confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry thermograms; that is, the melting temperature is higher and the melting peak is sharper than those obtained under ambient pressure. Such characteristic crystalline morphologies obtained under CO2 may be attributed to local ordering in the melt state. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2738–2746, 2004

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether gender differences exist in the relationship between percent body fat (%BF) and body mass index (BMI) in Japanese children using a population-based cohort. Subjects are comprised of 187 boys and 163 girls aged 9-10, and 137 boys and 155 girls aged 12-13. Percent BF was measured using a bipedal biometrical impedance analysis (BIA) device. The relationship between %BF and BMI was investigated as a function of age and gender with Pearson's correlation coefficient. Strong linear relationships existed between %BF and BMI, especially in girls (9-10-year-old boys: r=0.779, P0.0001; 9-10-year-old girls: r=0.975, P0.0001; 12-13-year-old boys: r=0.786, P0.0001; 12-13-year-old girls: r=0.975, P0.000l). These results indicate that %BF can be predicted from BMI in Japanese children aged 9-10 and 12-13 years. The correlations in boys were not as strong as those observed in girls, that is, less variability was explained for girls than for boys. Further study will be necessary to ascertain whether the strong correlation seen among girls will be observed in different age or ethnic groups, and to ascertain the mechanism that produces this gender difference.

Waist circumference, not BMI, is one of the factors in the definition of metabolic syndrome in adults. In children, waist circumference is also a well known predictor of metabolic syndrome. However, waist circumference measurement is not as commonly recorded as weight and height measurements in physical examinations in schools. This means BMI data is available for every child, but waist circumference is not. Therefore, we investigated whether there is an alternative way to estimate waist circumference even in those children whose waist circumference measurement has not been taken. We evaluated the relationship between BMI and the waist circumference of schoolchildren using a relatively large-scale population-based cohort in Japan. There was a significant linear relationship between BMI and waist circumference noted in each age- and sex-divided group [9-10-year-old boys: waist=13.99+2.63BMI (r=0.940, p0.001), 9-10-year-old girls: waist=15.09+2.61BMI (r=0.933, p0.001), 12-13-year-old boys: waist=23.67+2.22BMI (r=0.880, p0.001), 12-13-year-old girls: waist=23.83+2.15BMI (r=0.859, p0.001)]. This means it is possible to estimate waist circumference from height and weight, at least among those age groups of children in Japan. This estimation could be an alternative way and useful in detecting childhood metabolic syndrome or obesity disease in which a waist circumference figure is necessary.

The effect of the substrate on the gradient domain morphology was investigated for immiscible blends of poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate-co-acrylicacid-co-vinylacetate) [P(2EHA-AA-VAc)] and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoro acetone) [P(VDF-HFA)]. The blends were prepared on substrates of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) coated on a liner and of poly(tetrafluoro ethylene) (PTFE) from a THF solution by coating. The chemical compositions and the cross-sectional morphology of the surface (surface in contact with air) and bottom (surface in contact with substrate) sides were examined by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The P(2EHA-AA-VAc)/P(VDF-HFA) (50/50), (30/70) blends prepared on PDMS revealed a gradient domain morphology, whereas the (50/50) and (30/70) blends prepared on PTFE formed a sea-island type of phase separation structure. On the other hand, when the P(2EHA-AA-VAc)/P(VDF-HFA) (70/30) blend was prepared on PTFE, P(2EHA-AA-VAc) and P(VDF-HFA) components segregated at the surface and the bottom, respectively. We concluded that the affinity between P(VDF-HFA) and the substrates strongly influenced the formation of the gradient domain morphology and the surface segregation of P(2EHA-AA-VAc).

The effects of the solution concentration and the rate of solvent evaporation on the formation of gradient structures were examined for poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate-co-acrylic acid-co-vinyl acetate) [P(2EHA-AA-VAc)]/poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoro-acetone) [P(VDF-HFA)] blends. When the 30/70 P(2EHA-AA-VAc)/P(VDF-HFA) blend was prepared from 10 wt% THF solution, a gradient structure was not formed. When the 70/30, 50/50, and 30/70 P(2EHA-AA-VAc)/P(VDF-HFA) blends were prepared by casting from 5 wt% tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE), the chemical compositions of the surface and bottom sides of the blends were different depending on the blend ratio and rate of solvent evaporation. Therefore, it was concluded that the formation of a gradient structure is strongly influenced by the solution concentration and the rate of solvent evaporation.

The gradient structure was observed for the sectional layer of the poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate-co-acrylic acid-co-vinyl acetate); P(2EHA-AA-VAc)/poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoro acetone); P(VDF-HFA) (30/70) blend thin film using SEM. The elipsoidal domain corresponded to P(2EHA-AA-VAc) particle was observed and its size increased from surface to bottom. In the bottom side, P(2EHA-AA-VAc) layer having ∼10μm thickness was formed. The characteristic gradient domain morphology was reduced by adding the micrograin silica into P(2EHA-AA-VAc)/P(VDF-HFA) (30/70) blend. Finally, pressure sensitive adhesive; PSA properties (180° peel adhesion and probe tack) were evaluated in these blends on account of confirming the effect of the micrograin silica on the gradient structure.

組成が異なる数種のアクリルコポリマー/フッ素コポリマー (30/70) ブレンドフィルムについて, 断面のモルフォロジーをSEMにより観察した. ポリアクリル酸2-エチルヘキシルを主成分とするアクリルコポリマー/フッ素コポリマーブレンドは相分離系であり, 傾斜構造が観察された. その断面にはアクリルコポリマーからなる楕円状粒子が観察され, その大きさは表面から底部にかけて増大した. さらに, 底部側で約10μmのアクリルコポリマー層が観察された. 一方, アクリル酸メチルを主成分とするアクリルコポリマー/フッ素コポリマー (30/70) ブレンドは相溶系であり, 傾斜構造は観察されなかった. 傾斜構造を示したブレンドフィルムのプローブタックは, 断面のモルフォロジーを反映して表裏で著しく異なり, 基材のいらない粘着テープとして有効であると判断した.

The aim of this study was to investigate long-term, cause-specific mortality trends among patients with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes in Japan.Individuals included in the study had received a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes at age18 years between 1965 and 1979. All individuals were followed up for their survival status until 1 January 2005. The causes of death were divided into end-stage renal disease (ESRD), acute diabetic complications (ADC), accident/suicide, cardiovascular disease (CVD), infections, cancers, others (non-diabetic/diabetic) and unknown. The cause-specific mortality trends were expressed according to the follow-up period and year of diagnosis.A total of 1,385 patients were enrolled in the study, and the survival status of 1,324 was confirmed. Mortality rate at the 35 year follow-up (per 100,000 person-years) was 659.3, and the standardised mortality ratio (SMR) was 10.7. The SMR at the 25 year follow-up markedly declined from 19.3 in the 1965-1969 diagnosis group to 6.6 in the 1975-1979 diagnosis group. Approximately 40% died of ADC among those with10 years of follow-up. A similar proportion of individuals died of ESRD among those with 10-19 years of follow-up. The longer the duration of follow-up, the lower the mortality from ADC and the greater the mortality from CVD.In Japanese people with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes of more than 20 years of duration, CVD was the leading cause of death, as is the case among similar white people. The longer the duration of diabetes, the more attention should be paid to preventing CVD.

The various properties of the polymer materials are dependent on three-dimensional structures. Recently, three-dimensional structures are observed by using electron tomography. The electron tomography is the method that reconstructs three-dimensional structures by computerized tomography from the series of inclination images of an ultra thin section.We observed it about the various polymer materials that have typical higher-order structure.It became clear that this method is very effective in the evaluation of three-dimensional structures in comparison with conventional electron microscope observation.

PPE/PA polymer alloy is industrially manufactured by blending the three components of PPE, PA and elastomer in an extruder. It is well known that the properties of the alloy are greatly affected by not only by the type of polymers, but also their morphology.In this study, we report morphological changes in the mixing process, and we also report a relationship between the final morphology and mixing conditions. The domain size of the PPE phase and the morphology of the elastomer strongly depend upon the degree of mixing and the styrene content of the elastomer.The impact strength of the alloy can be closely correlated with the domain size.

Morphologies in the vicinity of interfaces of immiscible linear-low-density polyethylene/poly(methyl methacrylate) (LLDPE/PMMA)=80/20 (w/w) blends containing polyethylene- block -poly(methyl methacrylate) (PE- b -PMMA) were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that crystalline lamellae of polyethylene was oriented vertically to the interface between LLDPE and PMMA phases in LLDPE/PMMA blends containing PE- b -PMMA. In addition, length of lamellae oriented vertically to the interface became longer with increasing content of PE- b -PMMA in the blends.

自動車用バンパー材料に広く使用されているプロピレン (PP) /エチレンプロピレンラバー (EPR) 系材料 (エラストマーモディファイポリプロピレン, EMP) の高性能化のために, エラストマーマトリックスの構造モデルに基づいてエラストマーのミクロ結晶成長制御とPPの超高結晶化によるミクロドメイン化の構造制御を行い, EMPにない優れた性能体持ったスーパーオレフィンポリマー (SOP) が得られた. 高分解能電子顕微鏡観察とコンピューターによる画像処理および原子間力顕微鏡を用いた観察から, SOPの構造的特徴を解析した. その結果, 成形品中の構造は, エラストマー相と樹脂相が層状に並んで存在し, その樹脂相は結晶相が非晶相の運河に浮かんだ島の状態になっており, エラストマー相はポリエチレン系の結晶相が非晶相の海に浮かんだ島の構造をしていることがわかった. 構造スケールから考え, SOPはマイクロコンポジットあるいはモレキュラーコンポジットといえる.

自動車バンパーには, 耐衝撃性ポリプロピレン (プロピレンーエチレンブロック共重合体) に, 20～30 wt%のエチレンープロピレンゴムと10%前後のタルクが配合された, いわゆる複合強化ポリプロピレンが広く使用されているが, バンパ-の大型化に伴い, 薄肉軽量化や成形サイクルの短縮が大きな課題となっている. 課題を解決すべく検討した結果, 第2報1) で報告された, ミクロ結晶制御により強化されたエラストマーを用い, エラストマー相がポリプロピレンの非晶部と連続相をなしてマトリックスを形成する, 強化エラストマー配合量の多い領域で, ポリプロピレンを高結晶化および高流動化すれば, ポリプロピレンの結晶ラメラがドメイン化し, 耐衝撃性や引張り伸び特性の低下を伴わずに, 上記課題を解決できることが明らかになった. このことにより, 従来技術では達成し得なかったレベルの物性を有する, スーパーオレフィンポリマーを得る可能性が見いだされた.

The aim of the study was to investigate trends in the incidence of blindness and the association with laser photocoagulation in patients with type 1 diabetes in Japan.Patients diagnosed between 1965 and 1979 aged under 18 years old were studied. The status of blindness and laser photocoagulation was identified as of 1 January 1995. To examine the time trend, we divided the cohort into two groups: 285 patients diagnosed between 1965 and 1969 (65-69 cohort) and 769 patients diagnosed between 1975 and 1979 (75-79 cohort). Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the demographic characteristics.Blindness developed in 60 subjects in the 65-69 cohort and 15 subjects in the 75-79 cohort. The incidence of blindness in the 75-79 cohort was significantly lower than that in the 65-69 cohort (p0.0001). In spite of no change in the use of laser photocoagulation in the 75-79 cohort compared with the 65-69 cohort, the hazard ratio for the blindness in those who received laser photocoagulation in the 75-79 cohort decreased significantly to 0.55 (p0.01) compared with those in the 65-69 cohort when adjusted for the age of onset, sex, and time of diagnosis.The incidence of blindness decreased significantly for the subjects diagnosed more recently. The change in quality and the earlier introduction of laser photocoagulation might have contributed to the decreased incidence of blindness observed over time.

The management of diabetes has changed recently with the early intervention, including diet, exercise, various pharmacological agents and education. In this review, we have provided current evidences of early intervention in various treatments. For example, sulfonylureas, metformin, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, pioglitazone and glinides appear to be some of the drugs of choice to start with early pharmacological treatment when type 2 diabetic patients continue to have hyperglycemia despite diet and exercise. Clinical studies have shown that insulin therapy should be started sooner at an early stage in the natural progression of the diabetes. Moreover, recent data have demonstrated that treatment with early intervention of lifestyle adjustments as well as some pharmacological agents resulted in greater improvement of glycemic control. Further studies are expected to show the best point of intervention during diabetic course in preventing from progression of diabetic stage and diabetic complications.

We previously reported that mortality is worse for pubertal-onset type 1 diabetes than for the prepubertal-onset variety (1). Other studies have disparately reported that the risk for incipient microangiopathy in type 1 diabetic patients is higher during puberty than before puberty (2–4) or that the risk is similar (5,6). However, evidence regarding the relationship between puberty and advanced microangiopathy is limited (7). We therefore investigated the incidence of blindness and renal replacement therapy (RRT) by pubertal status at diagnosis. A total of 1,408 type 1 diabetic patients diagnosed at

In 760 children age 9 to 10 years, the serum adiponectin composition (high molecular weight [HMW], hexameric medium molecular weight [MMW], and trimeric low molecular weight [LMW]) was found to vary markedly depending on whether the total adiponectin value was high or low. A lower total adiponectin value was associated with a lower ratio of HMW adiponectin.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is known to be immiscible with isotactic polypropylene (PP) in the quiescent state. In an injection-molded blend of PP HDPE (= 60 40 wt. ratio) , a regularly phase separated structure with periodic distance of about 0.15 μm was found. The regular structure could not be formed by a simple melt mixing of immiscible polymer pair but only by the spinodal decomposition (under zero shear rate in mold) from a single-phase mixture attained (by UCST depression or LCST elevation) in high shear fields in an injection machine. The shear-dependent mixing and demixing mechanism was supported by transmission electron microscopy: the volume ratio of PP-rich region and HDPE-rich region being different from the charge ratio and the HDPE crystal lamellae developed in the PP-rich region. The mechanism was also supported by microscopic observation of the structure development (characteristic to the late stage of spinodal decomposition) during isothermal annealing above the melting point of PP; i.e. bicontinuous structure with nice regularity developed and grew up self-similarly.

This study is to clarify whether obesity status affects glycated albumin (GA) and HbA1c levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. One hundred and seven individuals with type 2 diabetes without advanced complications participated in this study. The relationship between HbA1c, GA, hemoglobin (Hb), albumin (ALB), absolute value of GA (aGA) and Body Mass Index (BMI) were examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The comparison of each parameter was conducted using unpaired t-test between the obese (BMI> or =25) and the non-obese (BMI

This work attempts to clarify the influence of carbon black (CB) addition on the microstructure of injection-molded high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/polypropylene (PP) blends and effect of shear-induced polymer deformation on the conductive network structure. We observed that HDPE molecules are strongly interacted with carbon surfaces and CB particles are selectively located in HDPE domains. Morphology of the injection-molded specimen consists of three parts, namely, CB–HDPE complex domain, free HDPE domain and PP domain. The volume and microstructure of the free HDPE domain are significantly influenced by HDPE and CB concentration, CB structure, and PP viscosity. We also confirmed that the CB particles are capable of self-assembly to form random conductive networks even under high shear rate within very short time. The morphological changes were finally correlated to the variation of electrical conductivity.

Effects of interactions at the interface on the morphologies of immiscible polymer blends were investigated using linear low-density polyethylene/poly(4- vinylphenol) (LLDPE/PVPh) and LLDPE/poly(methyl methacrylate) (LLDPE/PMMA) blends containing polyethylene-block-PMMA (PE-b-PMMA). In the case of LLDPE/ PMMA/PE-b-PMMA blends, in which there is no specific interaction at the interface, shapes of dispersed droplets were maintained and sizes were simply diminished with increasing PE-b-PMMA content. On the other hand, in the case of LLDPE/ PVPh/PE-b-PMMA, in which hydrogen bonds are formed between PVPh and PMMA blocks at the interface, we found irregularly undulated phase boundaries.

According to recent studies, multidetector-row CT (MDCT) with a retrospective ECG-gating reconstruction algorithm shows a high correlation with coronary artery calcium score determined using electron-beam CT. Diabetes leads to many macrovascular complications, including coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors for cardiac macroangiopathy in type 2 diabetes using MDCT.An observational cross-sectional study was performed in 90 patients with diabetes mellitus. Coronary calcium data was acquired by MDCT (SOMATOM Volume Zoom, Siemens AG, Medical Solutions, Germany). Physical examinations, laboratory data, glycemic control, and control of other risk factors were analyzed.The coronary artery calcium score increased with age. Multivariant analysis revealed that the coronary calcium score was closely correlated with electrocardiogram evaluation and control of hypertension.Coronary artery calcium score as determined by MDCT can be used as a screening radiological examination for cardiac macroangiopathy in diabetes patients with electrocardiogram abnormality and hypertension.

A 51-year-old type 2 diabetic patient with a scrotal subcutaneous abscess is reported. He was diagnosed as having diabetes mellitus five years earlier. He had left scrotal swelling and pain with granulocytosis, elevated C-reactive protein and hyperglycemia. He was successfully treated with incision and drainage (Streptococcus agalactiae was identified in the pus), debridement, antibiotics, immunoglobulin and insulin. This case resembled Fournier's gangrene, an infective necrotizing fasciitis of the perineal, genital or perianal regions. Diabetes mellitus is a basic disorder often associated with Fournier's gangrene. Scrotal subcutaneous abscess should be prevented from progressing to Fournier's gangrene with early and appropriate treatment.

In situ polymerization by certain transition metal catalysts supported on and activated by acid-treated montmorillonite produces well-dispersed clay–polyolefin nanocomposites, without requiring either organic surfactants to be present in the clay phase or modification of the polyolefin structure.