Organic monolayer films with the same functional groups as collagen were prepared by a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method and the LB monolayers were soaked in a simulated body fluid. Nucleation of hydroxyapatite (HA) took place on the monolayers of the carboxyl group, while no nucleation occurred on the monolayers of amino groups. From IR spectra analyses it was found that an interfacial interaction between carboxyl groups and Ca ions was important for the HA nucleation, causing the formation of HA crystals from the simulated body environment.

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In this article, we seek to reconceptualize content-based instruction (CBI) curricula and practices from a critical perspective. Further, we propose developing criticality as an essential component of CBI, advocating for an approach we call critical content-based instruction (CCBI). While the importance of CBI has long been recognized, previous discussions predominantly focused on its effectiveness for language learning (and content learning to a lesser degree), and overlooked its fundamental linkage and relevance to broader educational missions. In order to fully maximize the potential of CBI and envision language education as integral to the advancement of society, we argue that a critical approach to CBI should be considered. First, we lay out how CBI came to be and how it has been treated in language pedagogy. We believe CBI is indeed a suitable forum for introducing and implementing a critical perspective because of its original contribution of broadening language education to meet societal needs. Second, we provide an overview of recent discourse surrounding world language education. Based on these reviews, we lastly and most importantly delineate directions for CCBI by presenting examples and possible challenges.

Crystallographic properties such as polymorphs and crystal orientations of calcium carbonate formed in biological systems can be controlled by interactions between organic matrices and inorganic substances. We have attempted to reveal such control mechanisms, using a polymerized Langmuir-Blodgett film of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid PDA as an organic matrix with highly regulated molecular alignment. Only calcite crystals were precipitated on the polymerized PDA film, even though in presence of Mg 2 ions which were reported to enhance aragonite formation in previous works. The calcite precipitates were aligned on the PDA film with their a-axes in parallel to the polymerization direction. Calcite structure does not give a reasonable match over the molecular alignment of the PDA film along its a-axis. A concerted mechanism of geometric matching and stereochemical effect should determine the polymorphs and directions of calcium carbonate crystals on the organic matrices.