Epidemic of influenza in Kyushu-Okinawa District (April 1994-March 1995)

The prevalence of influenza in Kyushu-Okinawa District in April 1994- March 1995 was studied as the prevalence of influenza virus, to determine the sero-type of influenza viruses isolated in Kyushu- Okinawa District prefectures and cities. As a result, three sero-types of influenza viruses, i.e. type A/H1N1, type H3N2 and type B, were isolated in Kyushu-Okinawa District in this season, but most of the isolates were type A/H3N2 and type B. Weekly changes of reported influenza patients and period of virus isolation at local public health institutes revealed that influenza epidemics of the earlier part in this season was caused by type A/H3N2 and the latter part due to type B. Type A/H3N2 spread all over Kyushu-Okinawa District in a shorter period (about 2 weeks) through the westside of Kyushu and down south, and type B stayed about one month in northern Kyushu and took about 7 weeks to spread all over Kyushu-Okinawa District. Based on these results, the spread of influenza virus in Kyushu-Okinawa District was visualized on the isopleth maps.     

Factors affecting steam gasification rate of low rank coal char in a pressurized fluidized bed

A high-pressure bubbling fluidized bed reactor was used to study the steam gasification of coal char under pressure. Indonesian sub-bituminous coal char (Adaro) and Australian lignite char (Loy Yang) were gasified with steam in the reactor at temperatures below 1173 K and at total pressures ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 MPa. The steam gasification rates of the coal chars were determined by analysis of the gaseous products. Activation energies for the steam gasification of the chars were as high as about 250 kJ/mol, which suggests that the temperature dependence of the gasification was substantial. The apparent gasification rates under the study conditions were described by a Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L–H)-type equation. Analysis of the reaction kinetics on the basis of the L–H equation indicated that increasing steam pressure effectively increased the gasification rate.     

Electrical properties of a cyclotriphosphazene matrix polymer: Cyclotri(trifluoroethoxy, acryloyloxy-ethyleneoxy)phosphazene matrix polymer

Cyclotri(trifluoroethoxy, acryloyloxy-ethyleneoxy)phosphazene compound is synthesized from the cyclic trimer of dichlorophosphazene by replacing two CI atoms with trifluoroethoxy and acryloyloxy-ethyleneoxy groups. This compound was polymerized by UV irradiation with the aid of a photosensitizer. The polymerization proceeds in the acrylate group by opening the double bond. Whereas the matrix polymer is an insulator at low temperatures, it is a semiconductor at high temperatures. Namely, the conductivity is 8.84×10^–9 S/cm at 19.2°C and 1.17×10^–6 S/cm at 75.0°C. Both dielectric constant and dielectric loss increase with increasing temperature and with decreasing frequency. The conductivity of the cyclotri(trifluoroethoxy, acryloyloxy-ethyleneoxy) phosphazene monomer is higher than that of the corresponding polymer and the dielectric constants are higher at lower frequencies. These results are consistent with the existence of a charge transfer complex.     

Inhibition of adrenaline-induced lipolysis by ginseng polypeptide and its modified peptides

The anti-lipolysis by ginseng polypeptide and its modified peptides was examined using porcine adipose cells. Ginseng polypeptides modified by amino acid substitution or proteolyzation reduced or lost the inhibiting activity of adrenalin-induced lipolysis. Correlation between the anti-lipolytic activity of ginseng polypeptide and its Mg(2+)- and ribose-binding activities is discussed.     

Synthesis and properties of poly(organophosphazenes) electrolyte [NP(NHC6H5)2−x(NHC6H4SO3H-p)x]n

Poly(anilino sulphanic)phosphazene [NP(NHC₆H₅)_2–x (NHC₆H₄SO₃H) _x ] _n was prepared by the reaction between poly(anilino)phosphazene [NP(NHC₆H₅)₂] _n and sulphonic chloride (HSO₃Cl) in tetrachloroethane solvent. It was found that the glass transition temperature and conductivity of poly(anilino sulphanic)phosphazene increased with increasing value ofx. In addition, the storage power of the polymer withx=0.74 was determined and they were possible to charge by repitation of the use.     

Studies on syntheses and permeabilities of special polymer membranes. XIV. Permeation characteristics of modified nylon 12 membranes

The permeation characteristics and the burst strength of nylon 12 membranes treated with heat in various solutions such as aqueous solutions of formic acid, formic acid/formalin, and sodium hydroxide/ formalin were investigated under various conditions. They were significantly influenced by the treatment solution, temperature and time, and the concentration of acid and alkali in the treatment solution. In particular, nylon 12 membranes treated with formic acid/formalin remarkably improved the permeation characteristics and the burst strength. These phenomena were discussed from the standpoint of the effective pore size and pore number in the membrane, and the form and aggregation of polymer molecules forming the membrane.     

Phosphonitrilic Chloride: 36. Electrical conductivity of dichlorocyclophosphazene trimer and dichlorophosphazene polymer

The resistivity of polycrystalline hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene was investigated over a range of moulding pressures. The best moulding pressure was about 400 kg/cm², and Ohm's law was obeyed to 300 V/cm. Although samples prepared under the same conditions gave different values of the resistivity, the equation ? = ?₀exp^(ΔE/RT) applied in all cases, and the activation energy was about 2.0 eV for all samples. The excitation energy derived from ultraviolet absorption was also about 2.0 eV and it has been assumed that ionic conductivity is predominant.     

Angular distribution of rayleigh scattering from randomly branched polycondensates

The angular dependence of scattered light, P(X), from randomly branched homopolycondensates was calculated by using moment-generating functions. Analytical expressions could be derived both for Gaussian sub-chains and for sub-chains obeying random flight statistics. For small X values (region of scattered visible light), P(X) can be well approximated by Zimm's formula: which holds for linear (f = 2) and branched polycondensates as well. At large X values (X-ray small angle scattering), however, strong deviations from the linear Zimm formula appear. The effect of excluded volume alters the mean-square radius of gyration but has no detectable influence on the shape of the particle scattering factor.