The denaturation of protein under high pressure : I. The reversal from the pressure denaturation of ovalbumin and horse serum albumin

From the measurements of the turbidities of ovalbumin and horse serum albumin (HSA) under high pressure by means of the high pressure apparatus with optical windows, the pressure denaturations and the reversals to their native states by the release of pressure were investigated. Ovalbumia solutions were turbid more or less, though the degrees depended upon the pH and the salt content, and the turbidity did not reverse at all from the denatured states to the native ones in the case of the release of pressure. And also, the ovalbumin compressed at the pressures above about 4, 000kg/cm^2 precipitated at the isoelectric point. On the other hand, the turbidity and the solubility in water of HSA depended very sensitively on the salt content. The pH 6.0 and salt-free HSA solution became more easily turbid than in the isoelectic and salt-free solution by compression, and the reversal to the native state by the release of pressure was found, but not complete. The pH 4.8 and 6.8 salt-free HSA solutions did not become turbid under high pressure. The pH 4.8 and 6.8 buffer containing HSA solution became considerably turbid under high pressure, and then completely and rapidly reversed by releasing the pressure. The HSA solution which perfectly reversed as to turbidity was equivalent to the native solution in the solubility in water at the isoelectric point, the optical rotation, the ultraviolet absorption spectra and the reactivity of sulfhydryl groups, but different in the solubility in the 10% solution of sodium sulfate and the susceptibility to proteolysis. Therefore, HSA reverses partially from the pressure denaturation by the release of pressure as well as the urea denaturation by the dialysis

The protein denaturation under high pressure : effects of ph and some substances on the pressure denaturation of ovalbumin solution

The effects of the pH and of the various added substances on the pressure denaturation of ovalbumin solution were examined by measuring the solubility as an index. The results are as follows: Ovalbumin has the maximum stability near pH 9 toward pressure-denaturation, the rate of pressure denaturation reaction of ovalbumin is proportional to the square root of hydrogen-ion concentration independently of the treated pressure and temperature, and the activation volumes are negative and the values depend on temperature but not on pH. Sulfate and glucose are inhibitors, and urea and ethyl alcohol are accelerators for pressure denaturation. And a little amount of calcium chloride and sodium chloride accelerates the pressure denaturation, but a large amount of them tend to inhibit it

The effect of guardians' health literacy on the child's spending time at home: A cross-sectional study among Japanese schoolchildren

Background: The contents of children's daily activities and the amount of time spent on them has been directly linked to their health and development. Parental health behavior has also been considered a key factor, and the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between parent/guardian health literacy (HL) and their child's time spent at home by behavioral types. The study was conducted in elementary schools in Japan.\ud Method: The target subjects for this study were elementary schoolchildren (all grades, aged 6 to 12 years) and their parents/guardians, and almost 3000 schoolchildren and their parents/guardians in the Northern and Southern districts in Japan participated. The questionnaire for parents/guardians included amount of time spent per day on the seven major behavioral contents of their child's time at home, on weekdays and weekends, respectively, and a shortened five-item health literacy (HL) scale. Parent/guardian HL results were categorized into two groups (low HL group and high HL group), and we analyzed the association between the HL and child's time spent at home by behavioral contents. Results: Children in the high HL parent/guardian group spent significantly less time watching TV and playing games than those in the low HL group, both on weekdays and weekends. Time spent playing outside on weekdays and on hobbies on weekdays and weekends was significantly longer for children in the high HL parent/guardian group than in the low HL group. Results of logistic regression analyses adjusted for confounders showed that higher parental/guardian HL reduced children's spending more than 30 minutes watching TV or playing games and increased children's spending more than 30 minutes on outside playing and doing hobbies. Conclusions: Parental/guardian HL affected the child's time spent at home. The results could suggest that increasing parental/guardian HL has strong potential to improve children's major lifestyle behaviors

ゲンダイ ニオケル セットウジ オ ゴ ノ ヘンセン

The　outcome　of　WWII　affected　not　only　the　Japanese　political　system　and　social structure　but　the　use　of　the　language，　including　honorifics．　This　paper　investigates the　polite　prefix　o－／go－used　by　schoolchildren　in　their　compositions　and　discusses how　the　newly　emerged　language　norm　influenced　the　ways　in　which　members　of the　community　used　honorific　expressions． 　The　survey　yielded　the　following　observations： 　i）In　prewar　days，　the　use　of　honorifics　was　based　stricdy　upon　fixed　hierarchical relationships．　The　usage　became　more　context／scene－sensitive　after　the　war，　e．g．， the　pre丘x　o－／80－was　utilized　more　often　to　soften　or“beautify”the　image　of　the word　modlfied（bika－80）and　less　freqμently　to　show　respect（sonkei－80）． 　ii）The　frequency　of　use　of　bika－go　peaked　during　the　Showa　30s（1950s－60s）．　In view　of　another　fact　thht　the　employment　of　sonkei－go　and　humble　words（kenjo－ 80）drastically　decreased　after　Showa　40（1965）（see　Suzuki　2000），　it　seems reasonable　to　supPose　that　significant　changes　took　place　in　the　use　ofhonoriflc expressions　around　Showa　40

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