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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an expiratory muscle training （EMT）program on swallowing, tongue pressure and thickness, labial closure force, spirometry, and respiratory pressure in elderly patients under long-term care. The subjects were twenty elderly inpatients without dementia or dysphagia, who were under long-term care at the health facility of a hospital in Tokushima prefecture. They were randomly assigned to one of the two groups, the sham EMT group and the active EMT group. The improvement rates of SVC, %FVC, PEF, %PEF, MEP, %MEP and MIP were significantly different between two groups （p< 0.01）. The EMT program was well-tolerated and led to improvements in respiratory function and muscle strength other than swallowing indices in elderly patients under long-term care. These results may contribute to the prevention and treatment of aspiration pneumonia in elderly individuals under long-term care.

We propose test statistics for testing for the equivalence of the mean functions with respect to time for two sets of time series and that for several sets of time series. We also propose multiple ...

High concentrations of acetaldehyde are often observed in indoor environments. One possible source of this is acetaldehyde formation produced by ethanol from wood building materials. To characterize indoor acetaldehyde formation and propose methods for its reduction, chamber-based experiments were conducted in which alcohols were added to pulverized solid woods. The results indicated that acetaldehyde was generated from the ethanol-added wood materials, and softwoods, namely Japanese cedar, Japanese cypress, and Swedish redwood generated more acetaldehyde than the other three woods. The experiments using different types of alcohols of methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, and 2-propanol revealed a tendency similar to the reported enzymatic profile of the higher plant-derived alcohol dehydrogenase. It was confirmed that acetaldehyde generation was reduced by treatment methods typically used for inactivating enzymes, namely chemical treatments using pyrazole, borate, and urea and thermal treatments. The findings suggest that the chemical and thermal treatment methods are useful to reduce acetaldehyde generation in indoor environments.

Predator-induced phenotypic plasticity is the ability of prey to adapt to their native predator. However, owing to environmental changes, encounters with unknown predators are inevitable. Therefore, study of prey and non-native predator interaction will reveal the primary stages of adaptive strategies in prey-predator interactions in the context of evolutionary processes. Here, Xenopus tadpoles exposed to a non-native predator, a larval salamander, showed a significant increase in body weight and tail length to body length ratio. The Tmax2 test indicated a significant enhancement of the tail muscle and decrease in the relative ventral fin height in tadpoles exposed to predation risk, leading to significantly higher average swimming speeds. The analysis of muscle-related metabolites revealed that sarcosine increased significantly in tadpoles exposed to non-native predators. Multiple linear regression analysis of the fast-start swimming pattern showed that the fast-start swimming speed was determined by the time required for a tadpole to bend its body away from the threat (C-start) and the angle at which it was bent. In conclusion, morphological changes in tadpoles were functionally adaptive and induced by survival behaviors of Xenopus tadpoles against non-native predators., Summary: Xenopus tadpoles exposed to a non-native predator increase their tail length, muscle tissue and swimming speed, all of which are functionally adaptive and induced by tadpole survival behavior.

Identification of autochthonous, allochthonous, and reworked (derived fossil) taxa in diatom analyses is of fundamental importance for understanding how taphonomic processes affect diatom assemblages and for estimating paleoenvironments in coastal areas. To characterize modern and Neogene diatom assemblages, we surveyed the distributions of modern diatom assemblages and of Neogene fossil diatom assemblages in the Toberi River area, eastern Hokkaido, Japan. Then, on the basis of these results, we analyzed two cores collected near the Toberi River mouth and examined changes in the fossil diatom assemblages during the late Holocene. The results showed that not only allochthonous and extinct diatom taxa, but also extant taxa that have persisted over an extended geological time period, should be excluded when diatom assemblages are analyzed to reconstruct Holocene paleoenvironments in this area.

The effect of the addition of microbubbles on the formation of silver nanoparticles produced in an ultrasonic radiation-mediated process was investigated. The addition of microbubbles with an area-based median diameter of 26.0 µm and a bubble volume density of 0.18 cm3/L significantly increased the silver nanoparticle formation rate during the sonochemical process. The size distribution of the silver nanoparticles was largely unaffected by the addition of the microbubbles. The influence of changes in the microbubble volume density on the formation of the silver nanoparticles was also investigated; it was confirmed that the rate of formation of the silver nanoparticles increased moderately with increasing volume density. The gradient in absorption spectra was approximately 30 times larger for the case when microbubbles (median diameter: 28.3 µm) were added at 0.74 cm3/L, compared with the case without microbubbles. The results suggested that the microbubbles provided reaction sites similar to cavitation bu...

A pilot-scale plant to treat concrete sludge and produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and an environmental purification agent (phosphorus adsorbent derived from concrete sludge, PAdeCS®) was designed, constructed, and operated. Concrete sludge from a concrete pile and pole production plant, boiler gas containing CO2, and groundwater were used in the plant. The process involved calcium extraction from concrete sludge into water, followed by reaction of the calcium with CO2 to produce crystalline CaCO3. The pilot-scale plant was operated for 1 week, and the mass flows, conversion of CO2 to CaCO3, and net CO2 emissions of the process were estimated. High-purity CaCO3 (>97%) suitable for industrial use was obtained. Based on the power consumption of the process and the amount of CO2 sequestered into CaCO3, a net reduction in CO2 emissions can be achieved using this process. The produced PAdeCS can be used as an inexpensive substitute for calcium series environmental purification agents.

The feasibility of the combined air-cleaning method, which consisted of a wet scrubber and the photo-Fenton reaction, in the removal of gaseous acetaldehyde was evaluated. An acetaldehyde-gas removal efficiency of 99% was achieved in the one-pass test (residence time of 17s) using an inlet acetaldehyde-gas concentration of 1000 ppb at an initial total-iron-ion concentration of 50 mg L−1 and initial hydrogen peroxide concentration of 630 mg L−1. Even at the low initial total-iron-ion concentration of 4 mg L−1, a removal efficiency of 92% was achieved. The acetaldehyde removal efficiency was relatively independent of the initial hydrogen peroxide concentration. UV irradiation further augmented the rate of the photo-Fenton reaction leading to enhanced acetaldehyde-gas removal.

The age assigned to the Miocene N7/N8 (M4/M5) planktonic foraminifera zone boundary is markedly different from the astronomically tuned Neogene time scales published in 2004 (ATNTS2004) and 2012 (ATNTS2012). This difference is primarily because of the lack of reliable assignment of the zone boundary to magnetostratigraphy, which needs to be resolved for the better refinement of the geologic time scale. Our previous biostratigraphic results from an onland sedimentary sequence of the upper Ichishi Group in central Japan allow location of the stratigraphic position of the lowest occurrence datum (LOD) of Praeorbulina sicana, a key planktonic foraminifera species for defining the N7/N8 (M4/M5) zone boundary. In this study, we performed laser ablation-multiple collector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry U–Pb dating on zircons from two felsic tuff beds in the Ichishi sequence. The age of the zone boundary is approximated by a U–Pb age of 17.03 ± 0.11 Ma for a tuff bed ∼2 m above the boundary. We also conducted a magnetostratigraphic analysis in which site-mean characteristic remanent magnetization directions were determined for 19 sites and showed a reverse–normal–reverse (R–N–R) stratigraphic change in polarity. The N7/N8 (M4/M5) zone boundary is within the upper reverse polarity zone. The R–N–R sequence can be correlated with a stratigraphic portion corresponding to chrons C5Dr–C5Dn–C5Cr; hence, the age of the zone boundary is within Chron C5Cr. Our results are thus compatible with the age (16.97 Ma) assigned to the boundary in ATNTS2004 rather than ATNTS2012 and should be considered when the Neogene time scale is updated. A normal polarity subzone found in the upper reverse polarity zone can also be dated at ∼17.0 Ma and is probably correlated with a short normal polarity episode in Chron C5Cr. In terms of tectonic rotation, the site-mean magnetization directions determined in this study suggest an ∼35° clockwise rotation in Ichishi with respect to the North China Block in the Asian continent since ∼17.2 Ma (the upper boundary age of Chron C5Dn). Clockwise rotation of Southwest Japan, which occurred in association with backarc opening of the Japan Sea, was probably in progress during deposition of the upper Ichishi Group sediments.

Cigarette smoking is a significant risk factor for higher incidences of numerous adverse health consequences. Related health disorders are also found in non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). To investigate the influence of cigarette smoking and exposure to SHS on the composition of human skin gas, a trace biogas emanating from human skin, dermal emissions of volatile compounds were semi-quantitatively measured for volunteers who smoke a cigarette and those exposed to SHS. This was performed using a passive flux sampler (PFS) coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). Numerous chemicals were detected, including acetaldehyde, toluene, 3-methyl furan (3-MF), 2,5-dimethyl furan (2,5-DMF), 3-ethenyl pyridine (3-EP), and nicotine, in the samples collected from the smokers after a smoking event, and a remarkable increase in the amount of chemicals collected was observed just after smoking. These chemicals were also found in the samples collected from volunteers exposed to SHS. Assessment of current smoking status is important for managing the negative effects of active and passive smoking, and for the development of public health policy. The tobacco specific chemicals such as 3-MF, 2,5-DMF, 3-EP, and nicotine, emanating from human skin surfaces, represent a potential non-invasive biomarker for monitoring current smoking status of active and passive smokers after establishing a more quantitative procedure.

In-situ real-time monitoring of volatile organic compound (VOC) exposure and heart rate variability (HRV) were conducted for eight multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) patients using a VOC monitor, a Holter monitor, and a time-activity questionnaire for 24 h to identify the relationship between VOC exposure, biological effects, and subjective symptoms in actual life. The results revealed no significantly different parameters for averaged values such as VOC concentration, HF (high frequency), and LF (low frequency) to HF ratio compared with previous data from healthy subjects (Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2010, 7, 4127–4138). Significant negative correlations for four subjects were observed between HF and amounts of VOC change. These results suggest that some patients show inhibition of parasympathetic activities along with VOC exposure as observed in healthy subjects. Comparing the parameters during subjective symptoms and normal condition, VOC concentration and/or VOC change were high except for one subject. HF values were low for five subjects during subjective symptoms. Examining the time-series data for VOC exposure and HF of each subject showed that the subjective symptoms, VOC exposure, and HF seemed well related in some symptoms. Based on these characteristics, prevention measures of symptoms for each subject may be proposed.

The molecular sieving effect of tetrahydrofuran (THF) clathrate hydrate was experimentally investigated. The capture and release of seven gases, i.e., helium (He), hydrogen (H2), neon (Ne), nitrogen (N2), xenon (Xe), methane (CH4), and ethane (C2H6), in THF clathrate hydrate were investigated. For gases with a diameter smaller than the window diameter, the order of the gas uptake rates in the THF clathrate hydrate was in accordance with the order of their van der Waals diameters, except for He. This result indicates that the gas uptake rate is generally controlled by the size of the gas molecules. The apparent diffusion coefficients for these gases in the THF clathrate hydrate were estimated. The van der Waals diameters of CH4 and Xe are larger than the window diameter. However, gas uptake by THF clathrate hydrate was observed for both gases. This can be attributed to the formation of the type I clathrate hydrate of these gases. No significant gas uptake of ethane was observed. Based on the results, H2/N2 and H2/C2H6 separation experiments were conducted. Gas separation of H2/N2 by THF clathrate hydrate was successfully achieved using the difference in their gas uptake rates of the gases, and the separation ratios were in the range 4–16 mol/mol. Gas separation of H2/C2H6 was also achieved utilizing the molecular sieving effect of THF clathrate hydrate.

Measurements of residual perchloroethylene (PCE), a dry-cleaning solvent associated with human health effects, were made in dry-cleaned acetate cloth to enable improved characterizations of both occupational and environmental exposure. A limited sample size (25 acetate cloths) was used to explore the extent of inter-dry-cleaner variability in residual PCE and to characterize the effect of the pressing operation on residual PCE. A new method, which uses carbon-disulfide as the direct extracting agent, proved effective in the analysis of residual PCE, with a recovery-efficiency ≈ 75%. Inter-dry-cleaner variability of residual PCE, although marginally statistically significant, was relatively low, showing only a fourfold range compared to a 5-order-of-magnitude range obtained from Kawauchi and Nishiyama1. Pairwise comparison of residual PCE in nonpressed versus pressed acetate samples revealed a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.008), which amounted to a consistent (among dry-cleaners) pressing-related removal efficiency of 75 ± 4%. A preliminary assessment of the source term associated with the pressing operation (mass PCE liberated per kg cloth dry-cleaned, SPCE ≈ 30 mg/kg) indicates a minor contribution to the average ambient air concentrations within dry-cleaning establishments.

Microfossils abundantly occur in the upper part of the Pliocene Kuwae Formation in the Sakai stratigraphic section, Tainai City, northern Niigata Prefecture. We clarified the biostratigraphy and reconstructed the vertical paleoenvironmental changes based on micro fossils such as ostracodes, diatoms and planktonic foraminifers. As a result, the sequence in the Sakai section was divided into three parts based on lithology and correlated with the Neodenticula koizumii-N. kamtschatica diatom zone (NPD 8, 3.5-2.7 Ma). At least the lower and middle parts of the study sequence were assigned to the horizon below the datum of the rapid increase of N. koizumii (D85, 3.1-3.0 Ma). An index fossil planktonic foraminiferal species, Globorotalia inflata (s.l.), was abundantly found only in the middle to upper part of the study interval. This interval belonged to the No. 3 G. inflata bed, which has been used as a biozone in the Sea of Japan side during the Pliocene. Four ostracode bio associations were identifi...

A new type of process for separating metals in solution, based on bipolar membrane electrodialysis coupled with metal-ion chelation, is proposed. The method was applied to a mixed solution of lithium and cobalt, as in the recycling of waste lithium-ion batteries. When a chelating agent, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), was added to a mixed solution of lithium ions and cobalt ions, almost all the cobalt ions were chelated by EDTA to form anions, whereas lithium ions were hardly chelated, at pH > 4. Electrodialysis of the feed solution was conducted using a three-cell-type electrodialysis system, with a unit consisting of two ion-exchange membranes and a bipolar membrane. Lithium was transported to the lithium recovery cell and cobalt was transported to the cobalt recovery cell, using an applied electric field. The selectivity for each metal in the recovery cell was about 99%. The effects of initial EDTA concentration and pH were examined. Absorption of metal ions in the ion-exchange membranes was observed; this can be avoided by using a continuous semi-batch operation.

Dissolution rates of alkaline rocks, including wollastonite (CaSiO3), olivine (Mg2SiO4), and phlogopite (KMg3AlSi3O10(OH)2), with high pressure aqueous CO2 solution were measured to examine the feasibility of CO2 fixation via carbonation. Influence of solid/liquid ratio (1.0–10 g/250 mL), temperature (303–353 K), and CO2 pressure (1.0–3.0 MPa) on the extraction rates of calcium or magnesium ions was investigated. Under the experimental conditions studied, the calcium ion extraction rate from wollastonite was the highest among the three rock samples studied. The calcium concentration reached about 120 mg/L, and about 12% of the calcium in wollastonite sample was extracted after 60 min at 353 K with 1.0 MPa CO2. The calcium and magnesium extraction ratios from the alkaline rocks were much lower than those from waste concrete powder. Increasing the extraction time and temperature would be an effective way to promote calcium extraction from wollastonite.

The feasibility of using the photo-Fenton reaction to improve the biodegradability of non-biodegradable compounds that originated from sewage was examined. Non-biodegradable compounds are degraded by hydroxyl (OH) radicals generated by the photo-Fenton reaction. During the degradation of non-biodegradable compounds, biodegradable intermediates such as organic acids are produced, resulting in improved biodegradability. The results of an experiment, in which a filtered supernatant solution of activated sludge from a sewage treatment plant was used, confirmed that the 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) increased with decreasing total organic carbon (TOC) concentration as a result of the photo-Fenton reaction. This increased the ratio of BOD5 to TOC, which indicated that the biodegradability was improved. Although many non-biodegradable compounds have electron-dense structures, many biodegradable compounds have electron-lucent structures. Hydroxyl radicals, which are an oxidant in the photo-Fenton reaction, act as an electrophilic agent. In the degradation experiments using a mixture of biodegradable and non-biodegradable compounds, OH radicals preferentially attacked non-biodegradable compounds, and biodegradable compounds accumulated in the solution. As a result, the biodegradability was improved.

Expiratory muscle training（EMT） for improving cough function and prevention of aspiration pneumonia in healthy elderly individuals as well as patients with neurological disorders has received recent attention. Although 2 studies elucidated its effects on swallowing function in a small population of patients with Parkinson’s disease, its overall efficacy remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of EMT on respiratory indices and swallowing function in elderly individuals receiving home care. The subjects were 22 community-dwelling elderly individuals receiving home care. An EMT training device（Threthold IMT） was applied with reversed use and the training period was 4 weeks. The loading pressure was 30% of baseline MEP and the training sessions were performed for 15 minutes twice a day. Each training session was monitored by a family member and recorded. Respiratory function［forced-vital capacity（FVC） and %FVC］ and respiratory muscle strength ［maximal expiratory pressure （MEP） and maximal inspiratory pressure （MIP）］ were measured at baseline and after 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks of EMT, while swallowing function ［repetitive saliva swallowing test （RSST）］ was measured at baseline and after 4 weeks. Two-way ANOVA was performed with the factors of ADL score and measurement week. Statistical analysis showed that both factors had effects, though there was no correlation between them. MEP was significantly improved at 3 and 4 weeks after EMT as compared to the baseline, whereas other respiratory indices and RSST were unchanged after EMT. Our findings indicate that EMT can strengthen expiratory muscles and suggest the need for higher expiratory loading pressure. Further research should define the target population more clearly and establish an effective EMT protocol to improve swallowing function.

We measured temporal changes in concentrations of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and individual volatile organic compounds in a newly built daycare center. The temporal changes of the TVOC concentrations were monitored with a photo ionization detector (PID), and indoor air was sampled and analyzed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the concentrations of the constituent VOCs. The measurements were performed just after completion of the building and again 3 months after completion. The TVOC concentration exceeded 1000 µg·m(-3) for all the sampling locations just after completion of building, and decreased almost one tenth after 3 months, to below the guideline values of the TVOC in Japan at 400 µg·m(-3). The concentrations of the target VOCs of which the indoor concentrations are regulated in Japan were below the guideline values for all the cases. The air-exchange rates were determined based on the temporal changes of the TVOC concentrations, and it was found that the countermeasure to increase the air exchange rate successfully decrease the TVOC concentration level in the rooms.

The photo-Fenton reaction was applied as a novel method for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the gas phase, and its effectiveness was experimentally examined. In conventional VOCs removal methods using a photocatalyst or ozone, VOCs are oxidized in the gas phase. Therefore, incompletely oxidized intermediates, which may have adverse effects on health, are likely to contaminate the treated air. On the other hand, in the VOCs removal method developed in this study, because the VOCs are oxidized in the liquid phase by the photo-Fenton reaction, any incompletely oxidized intermediates produced are confined to the liquid phase. As a result, the contamination of the treated air by these harmful intermediates can be prevented. Using a semi-batch process, it was found that the removal efficiency for toluene in a one-pass test (residence time of 17s) was 61%, for an inlet toluene gas concentration of 930 ppbv, an initial iron ion concentration of 20 mg L(-1), and an initial hydrogen peroxide concentration of 630 mg L(-1). The removal efficiency was almost constant as long as H(2)O(2) was present in the solution. Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the absence of any incompletely oxidized intermediates in the treated air.