Explore the vast range of titles available.

Climate change, as a defining issue of the current time, is causing severe heat-related illness in the context of extremely hot weather conditions. In Japan, the remarkable temperature increase in summer caused by an urban heat island and climate change has become a threat to public health in recent years. This study aimed to determine the potential risk factors for heatstroke by analysing data extracted from the records of emergency transport to the hospital due to heatstroke in Fukuoka City, Japan. In this regard, a negative binomial regression model was used to account for overdispersion in the data. Age-structure analyses of heatstroke patients were also embodied to identify the sub-population of Fukuoka City with the highest susceptibility. The daily maximum temperature and wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), along with differences in both the mean temperature and time-weighted temperature from those of the consecutive past days were detected as significant risk factors for heatstroke. Results indicated that there was a positive association between the resulting risk factors and the probability of heatstroke occurrence. The elderly of Fukuoka City aged 70 years or older were found to be the most vulnerable to heatstroke. Most of the aforementioned risk factors also encountered significant and positive associations with the risk of heatstroke occurrence for the group with highest susceptibility. These results can provide insights for health professionals and stakeholders in designing their strategies to reduce heatstroke patients and to secure the emergency transport systems in summer.

It has been reported that genetic factors are associated with risk factors and onset of lifestyle-related diseases, but this finding is still the subject of much debate. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation of genetic factors, including salivary telomere length and three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may influence lifestyle-related diseases, with lifestyle-related diseases themselves. In one year at a single facility, relative telomere length and SNPs were determined by using monochrome multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction and TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays, respectively, and were compared with lifestyle-related diseases in 120 Japanese individuals near our university. In men and all participants, age was inversely correlated with relative telomere length with respective p values of 0.049 and 0.034. In men, the frequency of hypertension was significantly higher in the short relative telomere length group than in the long group with unadjusted p value of 0.039, and the difference in the frequency of hypertension between the two groups was of borderline statistical significance after adjustment for age (p = 0.057). Furthermore, in men and all participants, the sum of the number of affected lifestyle-related diseases, including hypertension, was significantly higher in the short relative telomere length group than in the long group, with p values of 0.004 and 0.029, respectively. For ADIPOQ rs1501299, men's ankle brachial index was higher in the T/T genotype than in the G/G and G/T genotypes, with p values of 0.001 and 0.000, respectively. For SIRT1 rs7895833, men's body mass index and waist circumference and all participants' brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity were higher in the A/G genotype than in the G/G genotype, with respective p values of 0.048, 0.032 and 0.035. For FOXO3A rs2802292, women's body temperature and all participants' saturation of peripheral oxygen were lower in the G/T genotype than in the T/T genotype, with respective p values of 0.039 and 0.032. However, relative telomere length was not associated with physiological or anthropometric measurements except for height in men (p = 0.016). ADIPOQ rs1501299 in men, but not the other two SNPs, was significantly associated with the sum of the number of affected lifestyle-related diseases (p = 0.013), by genotype. For each SNPs, there was no significant difference in the frequency of hypertension or relative telomere length by genotype. Relative telomere length and the three types of SNPs determined using saliva have been shown to be differentially associated with onset of and measured risk factors for lifestyle-related diseases consisting mainly of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

STM results showed that Fe atoms were deposited on a Si(111)-7 × 7 reconstructed surface, which was saturated with CH3OH molecules. Fe atomic linear structure was composed of stable clusters and in-situ observed by the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The aim to improve its application of magnetic memory material, both formation process and models, has been explored in this paper. By combining surface images and mass spectrometer data, an intermediate layer model was established. In terms of thermal stability, the most favorable adsorption sites of CH3OH were further explored. After that, Fe atoms were deposited on the Si(111)-7 × 7-CH3OH surface, forming a linear cluster structure. On the one hand, a new Fe cluster model was put forward in this paper, which was established with height measurement and 3D surface display technology. This model is also affected by the evaporation temperature, which can be consistent with the atomic stacking pattern of face centered cubic structures. On the other hand, the slight height change suggested the stability of linear structures. Even in the condition of thin air introduction, Fe cluster showed a good performance, which suggested the possibility of magnetic memory application in the future. These investigations are believed to have, to a certain extent, increased the probability of forming Fe linear clusters on the surface of silicon substrate, especially according to the models and surface technology we adjusted.

Nano-structuring of the surface caused by adsorption of molecules or atoms and by the reaction of surface atoms with adsorbed species are reviewed from a chemistry viewpoint. Self-assembly of adsorbed species is markedly influenced by weak mutual interactions and the local strain of the surface induced by the adsorption. Nano-structuring taking place on the surface is well explained by the notion of a quasi-molecule provided by the reaction of surface atoms with adsorbed species. Self-assembly of quasi-molecules by weak internal bonding provides quasi-compounds on a specific surface. Various nano-structuring phenomena are discussed: (i) self-assembly of adsorbed molecules and atoms; (ii) self-assembly of quasi-compounds; (iii) formation of nano-composite surfaces; (iv) controlled growth of nano-materials on composite surfaces. Nano-structuring processes are not always controlled by energetic feasibility, that is, the formation of nano-composite surface and the growth of nano-particles on surfaces are often controlled by the kinetics. The idea of the “kinetic controlled molding” might be valuable to design nano-materials on surfaces.

Reliable information of radioactivity inventory resulted from the radiological characterization is important in order to plan decommissioning planning and is also crucial in order to promote decommissioning in effectiveness and in safe. The information is referred to by planning of decommissioning strategy and by an application to regulator. Reliable information of radioactivity inventory can be used to optimize the decommissioning processes. In order to perform the radiological characterization reliably, we improved a procedure of an evaluation of neutron-activated materials for a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR). Neutron-activated materials are calculated with calculation codes and their validity should be verified with measurements. The evaluation of neutron-activated materials can be divided into two processes. One is a distribution calculation of neutron-flux. Another is an activation calculation of materials. The distribution calculation of neutron-flux is performed with neutron transport calculation codes with appropriate cross section library to simulate neutron transport phenomena well. Using the distribution of neutron-flux, we perform distribution calculations of radioactivity concentration. We also estimate a time dependent distribution of radioactivity classification and a radioactive-waste classification. The information obtained from the evaluation is utilized by other tasks in the preparatory tasks to make the decommissioning plan and the activity safe and rational.

We performed benchmark calculation for radioactivity activated in a Primary Containment Vessel (PCV) of a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) by using MAXS library, which was developed by collapsing with neutron energy spectra in the PCV of the BWR. Radioactivities due to neutron irradiation were measured by using activation foil detector of Gold (Au) and Nickel (Ni) at thirty locations in the PCV. We performed activation calculations of the foils with SCALE5.1/ORIGEN-S code with irradiation conditions of each foil location as the benchmark calculation. We compared calculations and measurements to estimate an effectiveness of MAXS library.

The Fe atoms were deposited on the Si(111)-7 × 7 surface, which has been saturated with the C2H5OH molecules. Then, the Fe clusters were formed on Si(111)-7 × 7-C2H5OH surface and in situ observed by the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The STM images showed that with the increase of Fe clusters, the size of clusters was about 5 nm and they self-assembled in straightly linked chain crossing the step to lower or upper terrace. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was in situ carried out on the surface of Fe/Si(111)-7 × 7-C2H5OH samples before and after the introduction of thin air (4.5 × 10-2 Langmuir) into the STM chamber. The XPS results showed that the Fe clusters are stable in the abovementioned thin air condition at room temperature. Based on the STM and XPS results, the driving force making one-dimensional straightly linked chain structure might be the magnetic force of the Fe clusters. The formation of straightly linked Fe clusters chains suggests the formation of single magnetic domain Fe clusters.PACS07.79.Cz, 81.15.-z, 75.75.Fk

The overview of standardization activities for shielding materials is described. We propose a basic approach for standardizing material composition used in radiation shielding design for nuclear and accelerator facilities. We have collected concrete composition data from actual concrete samples to organize a representative composition and its variance data. Then the sensitivity analysis of the composition variance has been performed through a simple 1-D dose calculation. Recent findings from the analysis are summarized.

Oxidation of CO on the FeOx/Pt/TiO2 catalyst is markedly enhanced by H2 and/or H2O at 60 °C, but no such enhancement is observed on the Pt/TiO2 catalyst, but shift reaction (CO + H2O → H2 + CO2) does not occur on the FeOx/Pt/TiO2 catalyst at 60 °C. DRIFT-IR spectroscopy reveals that the fraction of bridge bonded CO increases while that of linearly bonded CO decreases on the FeOx loaded Pt/TiO2 catalyst. The in-situ DRIFT IR spectra proved that the bridged CO is more reactive than the linearly bonded CO with respect to O2, and the reaction of the bridge-bonded CO with O2 as well as of the linearly bonded CO is markedly enhanced by adding H2 to a flow of CO + O2. From these results, we deduced that the promoting effect of H2 and/or H2O is responsible for the preferential oxidation (PROX) reaction of CO on the FeOx/Pt/TiO2 catalyst, and a following new mechanism via the hydroxyl carbonyl or bicarbonate intermediate is proposed for the oxidation of CO in the presence of H2O. [InlineMediaObject not available: see fulltext.]