Influence of Tea Leaf Particle Size on Catechin Extraction and Green Tea Sensory Acceptance

The intensity of the bitterness of catechins increases with increased concentration, but the taste palatability decreased in green tea extract. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a blend of tea leaf particles of various sizes would result in a good balance between catechin content and appreciable taste. The control is common tea (CT) with 6 - 10 mm long leaves. Blend tea (BT) was prepared by mixing 5 mm and 120 - 130 mm long tea leaves in a ratio of 3:2. The catechin content of hot water extracts was analyzed by HPLC, and the sensory test was conducted with 99 volunteers. In BT, the total catechin content was significantly higher than that in CT. The sensory test results revealed that BT was less bitter and had more preferable color than CT. More catechins were extracted from BT, but it tasted less bitter. Thus, the recalibration of the tea leaf particle size can result in good balance between catechin content and palatability.

Prevalence of Pachinko-Pachislot Playing Disorder and the Characteristics of Individuals with the Disorder: Analysis of National Pachinko/Pachislot Survey Results

To understand the reality of gambling disorder caused by playing pachinko/pachislot, a national pachinko/pachislot survey was conducted. Based on the survey result, we examined the appearance ratio and the characteristics of individuals with a suspected pachinko-pachislot playing disorder. The analysis result indicated that approximately 0.4% of survey respondents were suspected to have the disorder. This appearance ratio was comparable to the prevalence of gambling disorder in the general population. Those who had a suspected disorder were likely to be divorced, and have no savings. Meanwhile, no distinctive characteristics were found in their gender, annual household income, or the highest educational attainment.

Extraction of Essential Oils from Afghanistan Medicinal Plants Using Microwave and Conventional Methods

Afghanistan has many kinds of volatile-off-rich and not-fully-utilized flora. This article represents a review on Afghanistan medicinal plants contain essential oils. Lamiaceae, Asteraceae and Apiaceae are the most important botanical families which are widely found and used as traditional medicines, food and spices in Afghanistan. Over 215 plants which are used in traditional therapy in Afghanistan, 93 plants contain essential oils. Twenty-two plants contain essential oils applied to microwave extraction techniques and forty-nine plants contain essential oils applied to conventional extraction techniques. Totally 41 extracted species belong to above mentioned botanical families that could be found in Afghanistan too. But still there are some species of these families which are endemic in Afghanistan and not studied yet.

Recoil Momentum of Target Ions in Collisions of Ar^(6+)+CO_2 at Energies Below 300 eV/u

The collision dynamics and fragmentation process of molecule by highly charged ion impact for single electron capture processes at the low energies below 1 keV/u were studied. The collision energy dependence of the recoil momentum was obtained experimentally and compared it with those calculated by a theoretical model using a deflection function with polarization potential. A fairly good agreement between the measured and calculated results was reached. This suggests that the polarization potential plays a crucial role in the low-energy region.

Bone Quality in Female Ballet Dancers: A Possible Determinant of Bone Health

Hypotheses:Values of serum markers related to bone quality are abnormal in young female ballet dancers. Methods: In 13 elite Japanese female ballet dancers (average age, 22 years), markers related to bone quality were investigated. These included: serum homocystein (HC), a marker of increased oxidative stress;pentosidine (Pent), a marker of glycation- or oxidation-induced non-enzymatic cross-links;markers of bone metabolism (bone alkaline phosphatase, BAP;tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b, TRAP5b) and bone mineral density (BMD). It was determined whether there is a relationship between bone quality markers’ levels are related to amenorrhea and/or fatigue fractures. Results: Two dancers had fatigue fractures and 3 had a history of secondary amenorrhea. The average BMD was 1.305 ± 0.12 (g/cm2), in all these cases the Z-score was higher than -1.0. Although the serum levels of BAP, TRAP5b, and HC were normal in all examined dancers, in 2 out of 3 dancers with a history of secondary amenorrhea, pentosidine serum levels were increased. No relationship between bone quality markers’ levels and fatigue fractures was found. Conclusion: Latent deterioration of bone quality may occur in female athletes with secondary amenorrhea and otherwise normal BMD and calcium metabolism markers.

Examination of Screening of the Pachinko/Pachislot Playing Disorder Based on Gambling Disorder Scales

Pachinko and pachislot are unique forms of entertainment that dominate gambling activities in Japan. In this study, a web survey and interview were conducted in order to adjust three scales (DSM-5, SOGS, and PGSI) to pachinko/pachislot and explore an appropriate cutoff point for each of them. Using the assessment result in the interview as the outcome, the ROC curve of each scale was examined. The cutoff points were 4, 7, and 8 and the area under the curves (AUC) were 0.730, 0.783, and 0.724 for the DSM-5, SOGS, and PGSI, respectively. The study found that the type and situation of gambling influenced cutoff points in different ways depending on the questions asked in the scale.

2010年中国黄海绿潮藻优势种分子生物学鉴定及形态特征研究（英文）

近五年来,在中国南黄海海域连续爆发了大规模的绿潮灾害。该论文主要针对采集自2010年绿潮中绿潮优势种藻体,结合分子生物学方法和主要形态特征进行研究。对样品ITS序列分析的结果表明,绿潮优势种为Ulva linza-procera-prolifera类群(LPP complex)。5S rDNA间隔区序列分析结果显示,样品中LPP类群的种类主要为Ulva prolifera,说明绿潮中最为主要的种类为Ulva prolifera。此外,在2010年绿潮的整个过程中,漂浮Ulva compressa一直存在,而且部分基本形态特征发生了改变。在绿潮中,Ulva compressa可以生长为气囊状而漂浮于海面,成为其他藻体的附着基质,从而有利于绿潮的迁移和扩大。尽管发生了形态变化,绿潮的主要种类是LPP和Ulva compressa,其中管状中空分枝繁多的Ulva prolifera是最为主要的。

Factors associated with intention to undergo specific health guidance among Japanese workers using health belief model

Objectives: To examine the factors associated with the intention to undergo “specific health guidance”. Methods: Self-reported questionnaire data were collected from 4861 health insurance union members of a company in Japan from August to September 2010. The information gathered included the intention to undergo “specific health guidance,” the Health Belief Model (HBM) subcomponents (perceived severity, susceptibility, benefit, and barriers), other factors related to undergoing specific health guidance, sex, and age. Perceived threat and net benefit were the main HBM components. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the associations between intention and the main HBM components, i.e., perceived threat and net benefit. We used two models with intention as the dependent variable;Model 1 used four HBM subcomponents, and Model 2 used perceived threat and net benefit as independent variables. Results: A total of 3457 individuals answered all variables (response rate;71.1%). Perceived severity (OR: 1.83, 95%CI: 1.59 - 2.10), benefit (OR: 6.91, 95%CI: 5.94 - 8.04), barriers (OR: 0.11, 95%CI: 0.09 - 0.13), perceived threat (OR: 1.52, 95%CI: 1.31 - 1.76), and net benefit (OR: 11.28, 95%CI: 9.60 - 13.25) were related to intention (all p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that net benefit (OR: 11.23, 95%CI: 9.55 - 13.20) had a stronger correlation with intention than did perceived benefit (OR: 4.67, 95%CI: 3.95 - 5.51) and barriers (OR: 0.15, 95%CI: 0.13 - 0.18) (all p < 0.01). Conclusions: The results suggested that the main HBM components may predict health behavior better than the subcomponents. These results may effectively promote the benefits of, and reduce barriers to, programs aiming to increase participation in specific health guidance.

Path Integral Molecular Dynamics Simulation on Atomic Distribution in Amorphized Ice Ic

We have investigated the effects of compression and quantization on atomic distribution in ice Ic and in its compressed states at 77 K and 10 K, using the path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) simulations over wide range of volume. It has been found that the high density amorphous ice (HDA) is attained by compression but volume range to retain ice structure is wider at 10 K than 77 K. We have discovered that quantum dispersion of atoms in ice Ic at 10 K induces non-zero probability that hydrogen-bonded H2O molecular molecules are oriented nonlinearly in the crystal structure, which was believed to contain exclusively linear orientation of hydrogen-bonded molecular pairs in this ice. It has been found that for HDA there is each non-zero probability of orientational disorder of hydrogen-bonded H2O pairs, of such uniform distribution of H atoms as observed in supercritical fluids in general, and of H atoms located at the O-O midpoint. The present PIMD simulations have revealed that these observed anomalous characteristics of atomic distribution in HDA are caused by both quantization of atoms and compression of the system.

Weak Values Influenced by Environment

A weak value of an observable is studied for a quantum system which is placed under the influence of an environment, where a quantum system irreversibly evolves from a pre-selected state to a post-selected state. A general expression for a weak value influenced by an environment is provided. For a Markovian environment, the weak value is calculated in terms of the predictive and retrodictive density matrices, or by means of the quantum regression theorem. For a non-Markovian environment, a weak value is examined by making use of exactly solvable models. It is found that although the anomalous property is significantly suppressed by a Markovian environment, it can survive a non-Markovian environment.

Flame-retardant properties of in situ sol-gel synthesized inorganic borosilicate/silicate polymer scaffold matrix comprising ionic liquid

This paper focuses on the superiority of organic?inorganic hybrid ion-gel electrolytes for lithiumion batteries(LiBs)over commercial electrolytes,such as 1 M LiPF6 in 1:1 ethylene carbonate(EC):dimethyl carbonate{DMC){1 M LiPF6-EC:DMC},in terms of their flame susceptibility.These ion-gel electrolytes possess ionic liquid monomers,which are confined within the borosilicate or silicate matrices that are ideal for nonflammability.Naked flame tests confirm that the organicinorganic hybrid electrolytes are less susceptible to flames,and these electrolytes do not suffer from a major loss in terms of weight.In addition,the hybrids are self-extinguishable.Therefore,these hybrids are only oxidized when subjected to a flame unlike other commercial electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries.Supplementary analyses using differential scanning calorimetric studies reveal that the hybrids are glassy until the temperature reaches more than 100℃.The current results are consistent with previously published data on the organic-inorganic hybrids.

The Cross-ratio Compactification of the Configuration Space of Ordered Points on

A natural compactification of the virtual configuration space of N points on the Riemann sphere C is constructed by using cross-ratios. We show that this compactification is homeomorphic to the Bers＇ compactification of the virtual moduli space of a punctured Riemann sphere of type N. In particular, the system of global and explicit coordinates of this standard compactification is given by cross-ratios.