米国の電力協同組合に関する予備的調査

In case of the creation of eco-villages, it should be taken into account that establishing consumer-owned electric cooperatives for power supply for the villages on renewable base. There are electric cooperatives in the Yakushima island, but it is exceptional in Japan. In the U.S., there are more than 900 electric cooperatives serving 37 million people and supplying 10% of total electricity sales in the US. Electric co-ops are forming decentralized power supply system in the rural areas. It is compatible with nature of renewable energy, then electric co-ops are actively promoting renewable energy, because the introduction of renewable energy contributes both environmentally and economically for the consumers in the rural areas. Electric co-ops are playing a significant role in the promotion of renewable energy in the US. The experiences of US electric co-ops are very suggestive for the introduction of decentralized sustainable power supply system into eco-villages in Japan.協同組合,再生可能エネルギ-,持続性,エコビレッ

Relationship between the experience of being a bully/victim and mental health in preadolescence and adolescence: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Several studies have proven that the experiences of being bullied or bullying others are associated with poor mental health among adolescent youths. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between the experience of the bully/victim and mental health among preadolescents and adolescents. Methods Subjects were the Japanese fifth and sixth grade elementary school students (preadolescents: mean age = 11.3 years; n = 338) and junior high school students (adolescents: mean age = 13.8 years; n = 486). A self-report questionnaire was administered containing items concerning the experience of being a bully/victim and the Youth Self Report (YSR). Results Four groups relating to the experience of being a bully/victim were formed: “Victim Only,” “Bully Only,” “Victim and Bully,” and “Neither.” Approximately 65% of preadolescents and approximately 25% of adolescents engaged in bullying behaviors. Of these, the rate of participants in the “Bully Only” group was low, and that in the “Victim and Bully” group was high. Regarding the relationship between the experience of being a bully/victim and mental health, both preadolescents and adolescents of the “Victim Only” group had significantly higher scores on the YSR’s internalizing problems compared with the “Neither” group. Moreover, both preadolescents and adolescents of the “Bully Only” group had significantly higher scores on the YSR’s externalizing problems compared with the “Neither” group. Regarding the relationship between the experience of being a bully/victim and suicidal ideation for both preadolescent and adolescent girls, the relative risks of suicidal ideation were significantly higher in the “Victim and Bully” group than in the “Neither” group. Conclusions Preadolescents indicated a higher rate of bullying behaviors than adolescents. In both preadolescents and adolescents, different effect patterns on mental health were found for the “Victim Only,” “Bully Only,” and “Victim and Bully” groups. The prevention and intervention methods for mental health should be tailored according to the type of experience associated with being a bully/victim and according to the developmental stages of preadolescence or adolescence

Insoluble Fe-Humic Acid Complex as a Solid-Phase Electron Mediator for Microbial Reductive Dechlorination

We report that the insoluble Fe-HA complex, which was synthesized with both commercial Aldrich humic acid (HA) and natural HA, functions as a solid-phase electron mediator (EM) for the anaerobic microbial dechlorination of pentachlorophenol. Spectroscopic characterizations and sequential Fe extraction demonstrated that the Fe-HA complex was predominated with Na₄P₂O₇-labile Fe (represented as the organically bound Fe fraction) and poorly ordered Fe fraction (the fraction left in the residue after the sequential extraction), which were associated with different possible binding processes with carboxylate and phenolic groups. The change in the electron-mediating activity caused by Fe extraction indicated that the electron-mediating function of the Fe-HA complex is attributable to the Na₄P₂O₇-labile Fe fraction. The Fe-HA complex also accelerated the microbial reduction of Fe­(III) oxide, which suggested the presence of multiple electron-mediating functions in the complex. The electron shuttle assay showed that the Fe-HA complex had an electron-accepting capacity of 0.82 mequiv g^–1 dry Fe-HA complex. The presence of redox-active moieties in the Fe-HA complex was verified by cyclic voltammetry analysis of the sample after electrical reduction, with a redox potential estimated at 0.02 V (vs a standard hydrogen electrode)