Direct synthesis of syndiotactic-rich poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) via radical polymerization of hydrogen-bond-complexed monomer

Radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) in toluene was investigated in the presence of hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA). We succeeded in directly preparing syndiotactic-rich poly(NIPAAm), the syndiotacticity of which (r = 70%) is the highest among those of radically-prepared poly(NIPAAm)s so far reported, by lowering polymerization temperature to –60°C in the presence of a twofold amount of HMPA. The NMR analysis revealed that the induced syndiotactic-specificity was ascribed to 1:1 complex formation between NIPAAm and HMPA. Furthermore, thermodynamic analysis described that the induced syndiotactic-specificity was enthalpically achieved

Effect of polymerization conditions on the syndiotactic-specificity in radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide and fractionation of the obtained polymer according to the stereoregularity

Radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) was examined in the presence of hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA). The addition of an excess amount of HMPA induced syndiotactic-specificity that gradually enhanced as the feed monomer was consumed. The syndiotacticity of the obtained poly(NIPAAm)s was improved by increasing the [HMPA]0/[NIPAAm]0 ratio to 5 and prolonging the polymerization time to 96h (racemo = 72%). It was also revealed that more stereoregulated poly(NIPAAm) could be fractionated by reprecipitating the resulting polymers from hexane-THF mixture. This result suggested that more stereoregulated poly(NIPAAm) showed a lower solubility than less stereoregulated poly(NIPAAm)s. Furthermore, unusual hysteresis was observed in transmittance analysis of an aqueous solution of the fractionated syndiotactic poly(NIPAAm)

Versatile Psychophysiological Potencies of Essential Oils, when Seen as a Function of Behavioral Task Assigned to the Participants after Inhalation

To elucidate the psychophysiological effect of inhaling essential oils, in this paper, we sought to assess the following 12 essential oils: basil, bergamot, cardamom, cinnamon, juniper, lemon, orange, palmarosa, peppermint, sandalwood, spearmint, and ylang ylang. As these being target odors, we focused on the verbal (semantic) and non-verbal (skin temperature) endpoints of the stimuli. In our experimental design, we managed to assign different behavioral tasks to the participants. The Uchida-Kraepelin test was used as a mental arithmetic task and listening to environmental (natural) sounds as an auditory task. In the verbal study, for an example, we conducted the sensory test twice, once before and once after the task. As a measure of the perceived odor quality in participants after inhalation of a given aroma, we employed a sensory evaluation spectrum. It is a bar graph in which the mean of the difference in score between pre- and post-task inquiry (post minus pre) was plotted against the impression descriptors. Taking into account of the obtained skin temperature changes between pre- and post-task inhalations, the subtle nuances between verbal and non-verbal expressions seen as a function of the two behavioral tasks assigned to the participant suggested that essential oils may have versatile psychophysiological potencies by the nature

Sensory processing sensitivity and culturally modified resilience education: Differential susceptibility in Japanese adolescents

This study investigated the efficacy of a culturally modified resilience education program on Japanese adolescents’ well-being from a differential susceptibility perspective. First, a culturally modified resilience education intervention was developed by employing the SPARK resilience program and implemented with 407 Japanese high school students in Tokyo (age = 15–16, M = 192, F = 215). To test intervention efficacy, students’ level of resilience, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and depression were measured pre-, post-, and three months after intervention. Additionally, sensory processing sensitivity, using the Japanese version of the Highly Sensitive Child Scale for Adolescence, was measured as an index of individual sensitivity. Analysis of variance was used to examine the baseline differences and interaction effects of students’ gender and level of sensory processing sensitivity. Latent growth curve models were used to assess the overall effects of the intervention and change over time. Results indicated that the intervention was effective in enhancing students’ overall self-efficacy; and that highly sensitive students, who scored significantly lower in well-being than their counterparts at baseline, responded more positively to the intervention, and had a greater reduction in depression and promotion of self-esteem. These findings provided unique evidence in line with the differential susceptibility perspective and useful implications to develop personalized treatment interventions for adolescents in different cultural contexts

Kheper, a Novel ZFH/δEF1 Family Member, Regulates the Development of the Neuroectoderm of Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

AbstractKheper is a novel member of the ZFH (zinc-finger and homeodomain protein)/δEF1 family in zebrafish. kheper transcripts are first detected in the epiblast of the dorsal blastoderm margin at the early gastrula stage and kheper is expressed in nearly all the neuroectoderm at later stages. kheper expression was expanded in noggin RNA-injected embryos and also in swirl mutant embryos and was reduced in bmp4 RNA-injected embryos and chordino mutant embryos, suggesting that kheper acts downstream of the neural inducers Noggin and Chordino. Overexpression of Kheper elicited ectopic expansion of the neuroectoderm-specific genes fkd3, hoxa-1, and eng3, and the ectopic expression of hoxa-1 was not inhibited by BMP4 overexpression. Kheper interacted with the transcriptional corepressors CtBP1 and CtBP2. Overexpression of a Kheper mutant lacking the homeodomain or of a VP16–Kheper fusion protein disturbed the development of the neuroectoderm and head structures. These data underscore the role of Kheper in the development of the neuroectoderm and indicate that Kheper acts as a transcriptional repressor

Fruit Quolity of'Gros Colman'Grapes Produced on Virus-free Vines

The Grape cultivar 'Gros Coleman'(Vitis vinifera)is the latest-maturing variety in japan,mainly cultivatde in green-houses in southern Okayama.Vines treated with virus-free treatments before raising in a nursery bed have been introduced in the last desade to improve the fuit quality,especially skin coloration and sugar content.However,some growers feel that the fruit taste from treated vines tends to deteriorate earlier than from untreated vines. We investigated change in the qualities of the berries produced on treated and untreated vines from October to January.After analysing skin color,berry turgidity,and juice constituents,we concluded that the palatability of berries on virus-free vines might be lessened in late December or thereafter of the rapid decrease in amino acids such as glutamic acid,glutamine,and alanine,which considerrably affects fruit taste.岡山県南部で施設栽培されている晩熟性ブドウの’グローコールマン’では、果実の品質を高めるためにウイルスフリー樹の導入が進められてきた。それによって、多くの場合は果実の着色や糖の蓄積が促進されるようになったが、樹によっては出荷最盛期の12月下旬になると果実の「張り」や食味が低下すると言われている。本研究で主産地の岡山市一宮地区内にある５ケ所の’グロー･コールマン’園で、ウイルスフリー樹と在来樹の果実の成熟を比較した結果、12月上旬から1月中旬までの間に果粒の「張り」や果汁の糖濃度が低下することは認められなかった。しかし、ウイルスフリー樹では果汁のアミノ酸が速く低下する傾向があり、それが食味の低下を引き起こす可能性があると推察される