Role of structural similarity between starting zeolite and product zeolite in the interzeolite conversion process.

GIS- and LTL- (the three capital characters indicate the framework type-code) type zeolites were obtained by organic structure-directing agent free hydrothermal conversion of FAU-type zeolite at 125 degrees C in the presence of NaOH and KOH, respectively. MOR-type zeolite was found coexisting with GIS-type when the hydrothermal conversion with NaOH was carried out at 140 degrees C. There was a common building unit consisting of four-membered ring chain such as d6r, dsc, and dcc (the three characters indicate the composite building unit-code) units present in both the starting zeolite (FAU-type zeolite) and the product zeolites (GIS- and LTL-type zeolites), which was the crucial factor for crystal growth through interzeolite conversion. In the case of severe hydrothermal synthesis conditions such as high temperature, however, the crystallization behavior was similar to that observed in conventional hydrothermal synthesis using amorphous materials because the starting zeolite was excessively decomposed. The hypothesis was confirmed by successful interzeolite conversion of *BEA- to MFI-type zeolite which shared the common composite building unit mor.

Effective and selective bisphenol A synthesis on a layered silicate with spatially arranged sulfonic acid.

The silylated derivatives of a layered alkali silicate, magadiite, modified with propylsulfonic or arylsulfonic acid were synthesized and used as catalysts for an acid-catalyzed condensation of phenol with acetone. The propylsulfonated magadiites with a different amount of the attached silyl group were synthesized by the silylation of the dodecylammonium-exchanged magadiite with the tuned amount of 3-(mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane and the subsequent oxidation of the attached thiol to sulfonic acid. The arylsulfonated magadiite was synthesized by the silylation of the dodecylammonium-exchanged magadiite with 2-(4-chlorosulfonylphenyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane and the subsequent hydrolysis of the attached sulfonyl chloride to sulfonic acid. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and elemental mappings of the products, and the photoluminescent spectra of the Eu(3+)-exchanged products suggested that propylsulfonic or arylsulfonic acid was homogeneously distributed in the interlayer space. When all the sulfonated materials were used as an acid catalyst for condensation between phenol and acetone, p,p' bisphenol A selectively formed over the o,p' isomer, and higher yield and selectivity were attained on the catalysts with larger amount of the attached sulfonic acid. When the interlayer space of the propylsulfonated magadiite was expanded by the co-attachment of octadecylsilyl group, lower selectivity was obtained. The arylsulfonated magadiite showed considerably higher p,p' bisphenol A yield than the propylsulfonated magadiites.

[Effectiveness of a community health service program using exercise intervention for elderly people with osteoarthritis of the knees: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an exercise program conducted as part of community health services to improve pain and physical function in elderly people with osteoarthritis of the knee (knee OA). METHODS; The subjects were 88 (12 males aged 77.8 +/- 5.4 years and 76 females aged 73.2 +/- 5.3 years) community-dwelling independent elderly people with knee OA who participated voluntarily in exercise classes sponsored by Musashino city of Tokyo. They were allocated randomly to the intervention group (n = 44) and the control group (n = 44). For the intervention group, exercise classes of 90 min duration were held 8 times over 3 months. The exercise program comprised flexibility exercises (stretching of knee and ankle joints), resistance exercises (strengthening of quadriceps, extension and flexion of the knee joint with an elastic band), and movement exercises (turning over, getting up, standing up). The subjects were instructed to perform these exercises at home every day. Knee pain scores (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index; WOMAC), peak torque of joint during knee flexion and extension, range of motion (ROM) of the knee joint, and functional fitness (standing and walking ability) were evaluated before and after the intervention period. RESULTS: Significant inter-group differences were observed for peak torque during knee flexion and standing and walking ability of females. Assessment of interactions between time and group by repeated measure ANOVA adjusted for age and sex revealed significance differences for the WOMAC score (P = 0.031), the peak torque during knee extension (P = 0.016) and knee flexion (P = 0.000), ROM (P = 0.037), standing ability (P = 0.000)and walking ability (P = 0.000). The effect of the intervention was 0.44 for WOMAC score, 0.23 for peak torque during knee extension, 0.64 for knee flexion, 0.32 for ROM, 0.81 for standing ability, and 1.13 for walking ability. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that the exercise program for elderly people with knee OA improved knee pain and physical function.