The loading of various phosphates on the surfaces of nanoparticles of allophane (1–2SiO2·Al2O3·5–6H2O) was investigated. The allophane used was a high-silica type with a Si/Al ratio of 0.85. The phosphate-sorption isotherm was measured using (NH4)2HPO4 solution, which showed the highest phosphate sorption of the seven phosphates examined. This sorption isotherm was in better agreement with the Langmuir equation than the Freundlich equation. The resulting maximum sorption capacity was 4.87 mmol/g and the Langmuir constant was 0.0033 L/mmol. The sorption energy (ΔG) calculated from the Langmuir constant was −2.96 kJ/mol. The amount of loaded phosphate varied greatly according to the phosphate used, being greater for orthophosphates than for polyphosphates. The amount of loaded phosphate also depended on the cation present, in the order Ca-Na-NH4-phosphate. The Si/Al ratios of the samples were decreased by orthophosphate loading due to the partial replacement of SiO4 by PO4 tetrahedra, but this effect was offset by the partial dissolution of the allophane by polyphosphate loading. The 29Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectra of all the phosphateloaded samples showed an increase of a peak at −90 ppm (the Q1–Q3 polymerized tetrahedral unit) and the decrease of a peak at −78 ppm peak (the Qo monomeric tetrahedral unit). The 31P MAS NMR spectra showed peaks at ~−10 ppm, assigned to Q2 units corresponding to polymerized tetrahedra which consisted of loaded PO4 together with Si(Al)O4. The structure changes produced in allophane by phosphate loading are discussed in light of these data.

Using phase separation, alumina-based porous ceramics with three-dimensional frameworks were prepared, with fine structural roughness created by subsequent hot-water treatment. The pore volume of the porous alumina and its specific surface area increased concomitantly with increasing hot-water treatment time. Porous alumina/fluorinated oil bulk composites were prepared by coating hydrophobic silane onto the porous ceramic surface and subsequently impregnating fluorinated oil. A wetting ridge formed at the bottom of the water droplets on the composites. Partial contact between the water and solid surface was inferred from a comparison of interface energies in the system. The composites provided a smaller sliding angle (SA) than that of the sample without impregnating fluorinated oil. The composite with fine roughness exhibited longer sustainability of a small SA than that without fine roughness. Particle image velocimetry revealed that the dominant sliding mode for water droplets on this composite was slipping. The droplets moved on the surface under an external electric field. Coulombic force contributes to this motion.

Hexagonal ZnO was grown on hexagonal (001) sapphire substrate, then cubic La(Sr)MnO3(LSMO) was grown on ZnO underlayer by ion beam sputtering at substrate temperatures of 550-750°C to obtain double-layer of LSMO/ZnO. Out-of-plane (001) oriented ZnO was grown with in-plane orientation of [10-10](0001)ZnO//[11-20](0001)sapphire. Mixed phase of LSMO with out-of-plane (001), (110) and (111) orientations was grown on (001) ZnO usually. However each single phase of LSMO could be grown by controlling deposition conditions. The LSMO grains have their in-plane orientations of [110](110)LSMO //[10-10](0001)ZnO and [110](111)LSMO//[11-20](0001)ZnO.

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of pectin on Fe bioavailability in ileorectomised rats or caecectomised rats. In Expt 1, rats were divided into the following two groups: ileorectomised rats fed a fibre-free diet (FF diet) and ileorectomised rats fed a FF diet supplemented with 5 % (w/w) pectin (pectin diet). Apparent Fe absorption in ileorectomised rats fed the pectin diet was significantly lower compared with ileorectomised rats fed the FF diet. In Expt 2, caecectomised rats and sham-operated rats were given one of the following diets for 3 weeks: diet containing ferrous iron (FeII diet), diet containing pectin at 50 g/kg diet (pectin diet) and diet containing a mixture of FeII and product prepared by the enzymatic degradation of pectin (FeII–OGA diet), which were presumed to be oligomers of galacturonic acid. The Fe content of these diets was 7·6, 8·1 and 7·7 mg/kg diet, respectively. The bioavailability of Fe in rats fed the FeII diet was not affected by caecectomy. In contrast, in rats fed the pectin diet, where Fe bound to pectin was the only Fe source, Hb gain and Hb regeneration efficiency were significantly decreased by caecectomy. The bioavailability of Fe from the FeII–OGA complex was not affected by caecectomy. These results suggest that Fe in pectin might be released by microbial degradation and subsequently made available for absorption in the large intestine, although pectin might decrease Fe absorption in the small intestine.

In the present in vitro study, the effects of pH and ionic strength on the release of iron from pectin and the ability of pectin to reduce ferric iron to ferrous iron were examined. The bioavailability of Fe bound to pectin was evaluated in rats. The amount of Fe released from pectin was at a maximum at pH 2·0 and decreased as the pH value increased. At pH 2·0, the amount of Fe released from pectin increased as the ion length increased; at pH 5·0, ion length had no effect on pectin release. Pectin effectively reduced Fe from the ferric form to the ferrous form. In rats fed a pectin diet, where Fe bound to pectin was the only Fe source, the final Hb concentration using diets containing 4·4–5·7, 7·2 or 11·5 mg Fe/kg diet was equal to the concentration in rats fed diets containing 4·5, 7·6 or 13·5 mg ferrous iron/kg diet, respectively. Hb regeneration efficiencies in rats fed pectin diets were significantly different from rats fed a diet containing 13·5 mg ferrous iron/kg diet. In rats fed a diet with or without pectin, where ferric iron was the only Fe source, pectin increased the final Hb concentration. These results suggest that Fe bound to pectin is utilised by rats.

We performed fertilization experiments with Acropora digitifera, which is one of the dominant scleractinian corals in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan, to determine optimal conditions for in vitro manipulations. Our result suggests that conspecific fertilization is essentially complete within 30 min under the experimental conditions used in usual fertilization experiments in corals. Previous in vitro experiments (1 × 105–106 sperm/ml, 4–8 h) are likely to have overestimated the efficiency of fertilization of Acropora spp. in the field. Therefore, we suggest that incubation periods shorter than those used to date (i.e. complete exclusion of sperm 1 h after their addition) would be more appropriate for the estimation of fertilization rates in corals.

We report on time-resolved CCD photometry of the newly-discovered dwarf nova, TSS J022216.4+412259.9 during its outburst in 2005 November–December. The best-estimated superhump period was 0.0554 days, which is the shortest superhump period among WZ Sge-type dwarf novae ever known. Double-peaked humps were also detected with a period of 0.05487 days in the early stage of the outburst. A rebrightening exhibited after the end of the plateau phase. All of these observations indicate the WZ Sge nature of the system. We mainly discuss the rebrightening stage of the superoutburst, compared with other WZ Sge-type dwarf novae.

Elastic constants of metallic multilayered film have been calculated using MEAM (Modified Embedded Atom Method) potential. Structural relaxation has been performed to obtain relaxed model structure of (111) stacked multilayers which consist of two fee metal elements. The composition modulation wavelength dependence of elastic constants was found to be large, and we could not observe any large enhancement of elastic modulus in the calculated systems.

Phase and amplitude is controlled by manipulating the digitized radiation field. Application to the phase switching, and the calibration of phase and amplitude is discussed.

FFT based 2D Dygital Lens is discussed comparing with Fourier synthesis. The sensitivity of constructing Large Array will be 50mJy. Precise manipuration of the radiation field is possible in it.

Monocrystalline cubic SiC (β -SiC) thin films with lower defect densities have been epitaxially grown by chemical vapor deposition on off-axis Si (100) substrates with off-directions different from the conventional 〈011〉. Stacking faults of β -SiC films are investigated by the electrolytic etching and SEM observation. The effects of off-direction deviated from 〈011〉 are examined for the first time. The off-angle is fixed at 2 degrees. We find a reduction in defect density with increasing deviation angle θ, of off-direction from [011] toward [011[ (θ = 0 - 45°). The defect density becomes one order of magnitude smaller than that of on-axis (100) substrates. A typical value of the stacking fault density is approximately 6 × 106 cm−2 on the substrate with θ = 30° (film thickness: 24μ m).

Schottky barrier contacts have been made on CVD—grown β - SiC on Si substrates, and their C—V and I—V characteristics are measured. Dependence of the Schottky characteristics on Si substrate orientation ((n11),(n=1,3,4,5,6), and (100)) is examined. The Schottky diodes of the β-SiC films on Si (611), Si(411), and Si (111) show excellent characteristics compared with the conventional Schottky diodes using Si(100) substrates. That is, reverse leakage currents are small, ideality factors are close to unity, and barrier heights are larger.