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The Japanese translation of Bernard Suits's The Grasshopper was published in 2015. We report in this article the background of the translation, the way our project was operated, some notable difficulties we had and the impact that our translation has had so far. The description of the difficulties with translation touches upon how we interpreted the terms 'lusory' and 'prelusory'. This article also includes an appendix describing the history of how the word 'grasshopper' has been translated into Japanese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the mechanism of Fe3+ion extraction was investigated in the tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP)/triethyl-pentyl-phosphonium (P2225) bis(trifluoromethyl-sulfonyl)amide (TFSA) system. According to the performed analysis, the Fe3+extraction is based on cation exchange with ionic liquids: Moreover, the removal of Fe and B by continuous extraction was investigated. It was determined that nine extraction cycles led to the removal of all B and most of the Fe and increased the concentration of rare earth ions in the organic phase by a factor of 2.2. The electrochemical behavior of the extracted [Fe(III)(TBP)3(TFSA)3] complex was investigated at 373 K, and two reduction steps were detected: Based on these results, potentiostatic electrodeposition from an electrolytic bath was carried out at −1.75 V at 373 K after the ninth cycle of continuous extraction. Electrodeposits with 0.8–0.9 μm diameter were recovered on the Cu substrate, and metallic Fe in these deposits was identified by their energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) spectra. Finally, the effectiveness of solvent extraction and direct electrodeposition in the recovery process was demonstrated in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The extraction behavior of rare earth (RE) species was investigated on benzoyltrifluoroacetone (Hbfa) /triethyl-pentyl-phosphonium bis(trifluoromethyl-sulfonyl)amide ([P2225][TFSA]) system in this study. The stoichiometry of the extracted complex shown RE: ligands = 1:3 by slope analysis regardless of the kinds of acid media in the aqueous phase. The extraction mechanism in this system was revealed as [RE3+]aq+ 3[Hbfa]IL[RE(bfa)3]IL+ 3[H+]aqand [TFSA]−anion did not participate in the extraction mechanism. The result of Raman spectroscopy also supported the stoichiometry of the extracted complex. Moreover, the chelate formation constant (β) of [Nd(bfa)3] and [Dy(bfa)3] was also evaluated by the direct measurement of [bfa]−anion by ion chromatography. The hypersensitive peak (4I9/2→2G7/2*) in the UV-Vis-NIR spectrum also confirmed the formation of [Nd(bfa)3]. The average chelate formation constants (logβ) of [Nd(bfa)3] and [Dy(bfa)3] were estimated to be 7.58 and 7.93, respectively. The value of logβ(Dy) was larger than that of logβ(Nd); thus, this result indicates that [Dy(bfa)3] was more stable than [Nd(bfa)3]. Furthermore, the optimized structure of the extracted complexes – [Nd(bfa)3(H2O)3] and [Dy(bfa)3(H2O)2] – were also evaluated by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation. On the optimized geometries, the average bond length of the centered Nd3+ion or Dy3+ion against the O atom in the 1-carbonyl group was 2.728 Å or 2.407 Å, respectively. This result suggested that the Dy3+ion would be combined more strongly with the [bfa]−anion than the Nd3+ion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The extraction behavior of rare earth (RE) elements usingN,N,N′,N′-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) in an ionic liquid (IL) system was investigated by slope analyses. Metallic salts of Pr(III), Nd(III), and Dy(III) with bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (TFSA) were synthesized and studied for their extraction mechanism. The selected concentration of TODGA was diluted with triethylpentylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([P2225][TFSA]) to prepare an extracting phase for the slope analyses. The stoichiometry of RE(III) was determined in order to estimate the extracted species. Furthermore, the complexation state of the extracted species was evaluated by spectroscopic analyses, including Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. The FT-IR and Raman spectra were estimated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Thorough analysis of the FT-IR spectrum was carried out in order to assign the TODGA group that mainly coordinated the metal ion. The solvation of the [TFSA]−anion in the coordination sphere of [Nd(TODGA)(2–3)]3+was investigated by Raman spectroscopic analysis. The coordination ability of TODGA was investigated from the peak shift of the hypersensitive transition (4I9/2→2G7/2) in UV–Vis spectroscopic measurements. From electrochemical analysis, the extracted [Nd(TODGA)3]3+complex in [P2225][TFSA] was found to be reduced as per the following reaction: [Nd(TODGA)3]3++ 3e−→ Nd(0) + 3[TODGA] at −3.0 V, and the diffusion coefficient of [Nd(TODGA)3]3+was calculated to be 1.6 × 10−11m2s−1at 373 K. The direct electrodeposition of the extracted [Nd(TODGA)3]3+in [P2225][TFSA] at 373 K allowed us to conclude that the middle layer of Nd electrodeposits was the metallic state, while a part of the top surface was the oxidation state by XPS analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To examine the pathophysiology of reductions in antithrombin (AT) activity during pregnancy and to better characterize the laboratory features of pregnant women with severely depressed AT activity. Methods: Laboratory variables for blood samples obtained within 5 d prior to delivery were compared among three women groups with severely depressed (<45%, n = 6), modestly depressed (45-69%, n = 10), and normal AT activity levels (>70%, n = 134). Results: Pregnancy-induced hypertension was present in 16.7% (1/6), 30.0% (3/10), and 9.0% (12/134) of the women with the above-mentioned AT activities, respectively. The AT activities were significantly and negatively correlated with the D-dimer, urate, and creatinine levels. The D-dimer level was significantly and negatively correlated with the fibrinogen level. Women with AT activity <45% exhibited markedly elevated levels of hemoglobin and liver enzymes and a significantly lower level of fibrinogen than the other women groups, while the platelet count did not differ among the three groups. Conclusions: Enhanced thrombin generation was involved in the decrease in AT activity. AT activity can decrease in the absence of thrombocytopenia. The liver dysfunction that was seen in cases with severely depressed AT activity may have resulted from impairments in liver perfusion caused by microthromboses generated as a result of the relative lack of AT and/or the shortage of circulating plasma in women with reduced AT activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To test the hypothesis that the blood antithrombin (AT) activity is correlated with the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), the plasma renin activity (PRA), and/or the PAC-to-PRA ratio during the late stage of pregnancy. Methods. The AT activity, PAC, and PRA were determined within 7 days prior to delivery in 47 women, consisting of 30 normotensive and 6 hypertensive women with singleton pregnancies and 11 normotensive women with twin pregnancies. Results. The median values of the 47 women were 86% of the normal activity level for the AT activity, 442 pg/mL for the PAC, 3.7 ng/mL/h for the PRA, and 108 pg/mL per ng/mL/h for the PAC-to-PRA ratio. Women with an AT activity ≤86% had a significantly lower PRA and a higher PAC-to-PRA ratio than women with an AT activity >86% (3.5 ± 3.0 vs. 6.6 ± 4.7 ng/mL/h for PRA, p = 0.008; 156 ± 109 vs. 97 ± 46 pg/mL per ng/h for PAC-to-PRA ratio, p = 0.021). The AT activity was significantly correlated positively with the PRA and negatively with the PAC-to-PRA ratio. Conclusions. The existence of a common pathophysiological background between a reduced AT activity and a reduced PRA during the late stage of pregnancy was suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Changes in the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and the plasma renin activity (PRA) have not been extensively studied in women with twin pregnancies. Methods: The PAC and PRA levels were determined during the second and third trime-sters and on postpartum day 3 in 14 normotensive women with twin pregnancies and 80 normotensive and 7 preeclamptic women with singleton pregnancies. Results: In women with twin pregnancies, elevated PAC and PRA levels (598 ± 248 pg/mL and 10.0 ±4.7 ng/ mL/h, respectively) in the second trimester decreased significantly during the third trimester (to 396 ± 210 pg/mL and 3.5 ± 2.9 ng/mL/h, respectively), whereas the corre-sponding PAC increased significantly (from 421 ± 207 to 667 ± 371 pg/mL) and the PRA did not change significantly (from 7.3 ± 3.4 to 6.9 ± 4.2 ng/mL/h) in women with normal singleton pregnancies. These changes in the PAC and PRA levels in women with twin pregnancies resembled those in hypertensive women with singleton pregnancies. Conclusions: In women with twin pregnancies, both the PAC and PRA levels were significantly enhanced during the second trimester, whereas those in the third trimester were significantly reduced compared with those in women with normal singleton pregnancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase transition of nematic phase exposed to a uniaxial field is studied in the Behte approximation. The transition is of first order, and a jump at the transition decreases as the field is increased. At length a critical point appears at a critical field, beyond which no transition occurs. The critical point is especially of interest, where an estimated value of the critical field derived here is smaller than a half of an approximate value of mean field theory. Calculus of a free energy, which is inevitable for an analysis of first order phase transition, is discussed. The specific heat diverges with an index 2/3 at the critical field as temperature changes, which is elucidated to be a general character of the critical point without symmetry change at every classical theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionMethodsResultsConclusionsSmall fibre neuropathy (SFN) is an early manifestation of diabetic polyneuropathy. Although oxidative stress, inflammation and change of intestinal bacterial population are assumed to be their pathogenesis, the effects of dietary nutrition have not been evaluated. The relationship between dietary nutrition intake and pain sensation was evaluated in the Japanese population.We conducted the Iwaki project, a population-based study recruiting 1,028 individuals, in 2018. The relationships between the pain threshold from intraepidermal electrical stimulation (PINT) and the amount of dietary nutrition evaluated by a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire were examined. The odds ratio was further explored after categorizing subjects based on low (< 63.7 μg/day), intermediate (63.7-159.2 μg/day), and high cryptoxanthin levels (> 159.2 μg/day).Univariate linear regression analyses showed significant correlations between PINT and cryptoxanthin intake even after adjustments for other nutritional intakes (ß = 0.107, p < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed low and high cryptoxanthin intake as significant risk factors for abnormal PINT (≥ 0.20 mA). Multivariate linear regression analyses showed significant correlations between PINT and cryptoxanthin intake levels after adjustment for other clinically PINT-related factors (ß = 0.09, p < 0.01).Adequate intake of cryptoxanthin is recommended to maintain the pain threshold in the Japanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]