Removal of Borate Ions from Wastewater Using an Adsorbent Prepared from Waste Concrete (PAdeCS).

The removal of boron from model wastewater using PAdeCS, a material derived from waste concrete, was studied. Three different types of boron removal methods were examined: adsorption with untreated PAdeCS, adsorption with heat-treated ettringite-enriched PAdeCS, and coagulation-sedimentation method by mixing untreated PAdeCS as a calcium source and aluminum sulfate as an aluminum and sulfate ion source for the formation of ettringite. The highest boron removal performance was observed for the coagulation-sedimentation method, where the boron concentration in the model wastewater decreased rapidly from 100 mg/L to the level below the Japanese effluent standard at 10 mg/L when the weight ratio of PAdeCS addition into water is 4.

Preparation of High-Purity Calcium Carbonate by Mineral Carbonation Using Concrete Sludge.

A new type of mineral carbonation process for concrete sludge, a waste of fresh concrete under hydration, was developed, and the carbonation performances of the process were examined by laboratory-scale experiments. The process is composed of two steps; filtration of concrete sludge and bubbling of CO into the filtrate to form calcium carbonate. Model concrete sludge, a mixture of cement and water, was filtered through a cellulose filter after hydration for 24 h to obtain a solution containing dissolved calcium ions.

Removal of fluoride ions from aqueous solution by metaettringite.

Fluoride contamination is a major problem in wastewater treatment. Metaettringite (which has previously shown enhanced anion adsorption) was investigated as a possible adsorbent to remove fluoride from low-concentration solution (25 mg-F/L). The fluoride removal properties of ettringite and metaettringite were first compared at pH 10, and metaettringite was found to be more effective.

Investigation of Mineral Carbonation with Direct Bubbling into Concrete Sludge.

Mineral carbonation, which is CO fixation through a carbonation reaction using alkaline earth metals, is being investigated as a carbon capture and utilization method to reduce CO atmospheric emissions. Concrete sludge is an alkali waste material from the concrete industry and contains abundant calcium components. We investigated the applicability of concrete sludge for mineral carbonation.

Emission fluxes of styrene monomers and other chemicals for products containing expanded polystyrene beads.

Styrene in indoor air can adversely affect human health. In this study, styrene monomer and other chemical emission fluxes for products containing expanded polystyrene beads (pillows, cushions, and soft toys) were measured at various temperatures to simulate typical product use. The contributions of the products to styrene and other chemical concentrations in indoor air and human exposure to these chemicals were estimated, and health risk assessments were performed.

Volatile and semivolatile organic compound emissions from polymers used in commercial products during thermal degradation.

Emissions of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds from various kinds of polymer sheets during thermal degradation process were determined by the passive flux sampling method. The polymer sheets used were commercial products made of: polyethylene (PE), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM), polycarbonate (PC)), and polymer sheet samples: poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS) and four types of poly vinyl chloride (PVC) with different contents of additives; (bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)), and triphenylphosphine (TPP)). The emission fluxes from the polymer sheets were measured for up to 30 days stored under a constant temperature (25-75 °C).

Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin ameliorates acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity in mice.

Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin alpha (rhTM) has been developed as an anticoagulant with anti-inflammatory activity. Notably, acetaminophen (APAP) -induced liver disease (AILI) is caused by direct metabolite-induced hepatotoxicity as well as hepatic hyper-coagulation. To evaluate the utility of anticoagulant for the treatment of AILI, rhTM was administered in a mouse AILI model and liver damage was analyzed.

Effects of high fructose intake on liver injury progression in high fat diet induced fatty liver disease in ovariectomized female mice.

Epidemiology shows that the morbidity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increased in postmenopausal women and chronic high fructose intake induces NAFLD progression. To analyze the effects of high fructose intake on estrogen deficiency, we evaluated liver disease progression using ovariectomized mice fed with a high fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Hepatic steatosis developed in all HFD groups.

Correlation between Odor Concentration and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Composition of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).

We examined the correlation between the odor concentration and the chemical composition of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Three types of ETS samples were prepared: secondhand smoke (SHS), thirdhand smoke (THS), and field ETS samples from an outside smoking area. The odor concentrations of the ETS, SHS, and THS samples were determined by the triangle-odor-bag method, and the chemical compositions were determined by proton transfer mass spectrometry.

Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds in a Newly Built Daycare Center.

We measured temporal changes in concentrations of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and individual volatile organic compounds in a newly built daycare center. The temporal changes of the TVOC concentrations were monitored with a photo ionization detector (PID), and indoor air was sampled and analyzed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the concentrations of the constituent VOCs. The measurements were performed just after completion of the building and again 3 months after completion.

Deteriorated portal flow may cause liver failure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma being treated with sorafenib.

We encountered two patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who showed rapid progression of liver failure during sorafenib treatment. One had portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) and the other developed portal vein thrombosis (PVT) during the treatment, and both of them experienced the elevation of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration during the administration of sorafenib. Their clinical courses indicate that the liver failure might have been caused by sorafenib-induced liver hypoxia, being amplified in the circumstances with reduced portal flow.

Optimized arrangement of constant ambient air monitoring stations in the Kanto region of Japan.

Continuous ambient air monitoring systems have been introduced worldwide. However, such monitoring forces autonomous communities to bear a significant financial burden. Thus, it is important to identify pollutant-monitoring stations that are less efficient, while minimizing loss of data quality and mitigating effects on the determination of spatiotemporal trends of pollutants.

A cluster analysis of constant ambient air monitoring data from the Kanto region of Japan.

This study demonstrates an application of cluster analysis to constant ambient air monitoring data of four pollutants in the Kanto region: NOx, photochemical oxidant (Ox), suspended particulate matter, and non-methane hydrocarbons. Constant ambient air monitoring can provide important information about the surrounding atmospheric pollution. However, at the same time, ambient air monitoring can place a significant financial burden on some autonomous communities.

Preparation and performance of arsenate (V) adsorbents derived from concrete wastes.

Solid adsorbent materials, prepared from waste cement powder and concrete sludge were assessed for removal of arsenic in the form of arsenic (As(V)) from water. All the materials exhibited arsenic removal capacity when added to distilled water containing 10-700 mg/L arsenic. The arsenic removal isotherms were expressed by the Langmuir type equations, and the highest removal capacity was observed for the adsorbent prepared from concrete sludge with heat treatment at 105°C, the maximum removal capacity being 175 mg-As(V)/g.

Hepatocarcinogenesis in chronic hepatitis C patients achieving a sustained virological response to interferon: significance of lifelong periodic cancer screening for improving outcomes.

Background: Due to advances in interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C, most elderly patients, and even many of those with advanced hepatic fibrosis, now achieve a sustained virological response (SVR). However, carcinogenesis remains problematic in these patients. Hence, we aimed to elucidate risk factors for hepatocarcinogenesis in SVR patients and to present an appropriate follow-up protocol for improving outcomes.

Development of a combined real time monitoring and integration analysis system for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

A combined integration analysis and real time monitoring (Peak Capture System) system was developed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Individual integration analysis and real time monitoring can be used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze VOCs in the atmosphere and in indoor environments and determine the variation in total VOC (TVOC) concentration with time, respectively. In the Peak Capture System, real time monitoring was used to predict future elevations in the TVOC concentration (peak), and this was used an indicator of when to collect (capture) ambient air samples for integration analysis.

A new method using a health index (HI) to screen low level toxic organic substances in consumer products.

To ensure selection of appropriate materials for industrial use in terms of toxicity, a procedure to estimate a health index (HI) that can be used for prioritizing less hazardous components of consumer products is described. The HI is based on the occupational exposure limits (OELs) of organic substances that compose the products. To calculate the HI of a product, it is often necessary to predict OEL values for the substances for which an OEL value has not yet been promulgated.

Methodology for predicting OEL from rodent LD50 values for metals and metallic compounds.

The relationship between the occupational exposure limits (OEL) and the lethal dose 50 (LD50) values of rats or mice for metals and metallic compounds was statistically analyzed by a stepwise multivariate regression method. The OEL values were predicted from LD50 values and metallic compensation coefficients (MCC), which were developed as the regression coefficients of dummy variables that represented the metallic element contained in the substance of interest. The value of the MCC indicated the extent of the adverse health effects of the metal in the substance.

A new method for separating HFC-134a from gas mixtures using clathrate hydrate formation.

A new separation method using gas hydrate formation is proposed for separating HFC-134a from gas mixtures containing N2 and HFC-134a. The feasibility of this separation method was investigated from various points of view. First, to determine the mixed hydrate stability region, three-phase equilibria of hydrate (H), liquid water (Lw), and vapor (V) for HFC-134a + N2 + water mixtures with various HFC-134a vapor compositions were closely examined in the temperature and pressure ranges of 275-285 K and 0.

Field validation of an active sampling cartridge as a passive sampler for long-term carbonyl monitoring.

A carbonyl sampler originally designed for the active sampling method (Sep-Pak XPoSure) was used for long-term passive sampling, and its applicability as a passive sampler was examined through field experiments. The uptake rates of passive sampling were determined experimentally from collocated passive and active samplings for various sampling periods. The obtained uptake rates of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone were 1.