APPLICATION OF BLENDED CEMENT IN SHOTCRETE TO

The application of blended cements in shotcrete is investigated to reduce the environmental burden. Reduction of the environmental burden and meeting the required properties of quick setting and strength development are achieved using blended cements with blast furnace slag and a powder accelerator with a main component of calcium sulfo-aluminate. The powder accelerator is hydro-reactive and promotes quick setting and strength development in shotcrete. The reduced environmental burden of shotcrete with blended cement and powder accelerator are calculated

Trend in maternal-child health services

In Japan, outcome measures for maternal and child health measures such as maternal, perinatal, and infant mortality have consistently shown a trend toward improvement. On the other hand, the problems of the declining birth rate, child abuse, and domestic violence have become evident since the 1990s. In terms of Japan’s maternal and child health, it is necessary to take measures to preserve mental health of mothers and children, and also to respond to family issues such as abuse and violence. The services needed such as comprehensive support centers for families with children and new postpartum care programs have been established. It is necessary to further improve the competence of doctors, public health nurses, and midwives working in the maternal and child health field and to promptly construct a cooperation system in the community

Potential role of group X secretory phospholipase A2 in cyclooxygenase-2-dependent PGE2 formation during colon tumorigenesis

AbstractAlthough the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) pathway of the arachidonic acid cascade has been suggested to play an important role in colon carcinogenesis, there is little information concerning the identity of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) involved in the arachidonic acid release in colon tumors. Here, we compared the potencies of three types of secretory PLA2s (group IB, IIA and X sPLA2s) for the arachidonic acid release from cultured human colon adenocarcinoma cells, and found that group X sPLA2 has the most powerful potency in the release of arachidonic acid leading to COX-2-dependent prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) formation. Furthermore, immunohistological analysis revealed the elevated expression of group X sPLA2 in human colon adenocarcinoma neoplastic cells in concert with augmented expression of COX-2. These findings suggest a critical role of group X sPLA2 in the PGE2 biosynthesis during colon tumorigenesis