Synthesis of polymeric microspheres employing SPG emulsification technique

Relatively uniform polymeric microspheres, the coefficients of variation being close to 10%, were obtained by the BPO-initiated suspension polymerization of styrenic monomers. Unlike the conventional stirred-tank system, a particular microporous glass membrane (SPG) provided uniform monomer droplets continuously when monomer was allowed to permeate through the micropores. The monomer droplets were suspended in an aqueous solution containing the stabilizing agents, transferred to a stirred vessel, and polymerized. Up to 10μm spheres, of a far narrower size distribution than those obtained by conventional microsuspension polymerization spheres, were obtained. The initial droplet size and distribution were retained with the successful suppression of secondary particle nucleation by the addition of hydroquinone in the aueous phase. Crosslinked polystyrene spheres were also synthesized in the presence of various low-molecular-weight diluents. While a good solvent, toluene, was not so effective; poor solvents, n-heptane and n-heptane, easily yielded the microporous structure, the specific surface area being as high as 160 m²/g. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The characteristics and measuring technique of refractory dissolved organic substances in urban runoff.

It is considered that refractory dissolved organic substances have caused an increase in the COD concentration in Lake Biwa in recent years. We investigated the organic matter in the first flush of stormwater runoff from a road in the watershed area of the lake, and studied the possibility of improvement in the water environment from that aspect. After percolating the stormwater through soil, we analyzed organic substances fractionated by using GPC-TC. And we examined the effect of removal of organic substances by comparing the peak height before and after percolation. In the result of the experiments, we found that soil infiltration reduced the refractory dissolved organic substance and we successfully designed a system for a simple and easy experimental facility to treat urban runoff.     

Effects of weak shear on hyperswollen lyotropic smectic liquid crystals

We have developed a Zimm-type viscometer specially designed for the simultaneous measurements of the structure factor and the viscosity of hyperswollen lyotropic liquid crystals under a very weak shear. We have investigated the shear effects on the layer undulation fluctuation in the lamellar structure and the transition from the anisotropic lamellar to the isotropic sponge phase. We have found a significant difference in the rheological properties between the lamellar and the sponge phase: The former exhibits non-Newtonian flow behavior, while the latter exhibits Newtonian behavior.Paper presented at the Twelfth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 19–24, 1994, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.     

The first specific antibody against cytotoxic polyacetylenic alcohol, panaxynol

Antitumor polyacetylenic alcohol, panaxynol, was isolated and purified from a powder of the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. Panaxynol inhibited the growth of various kinds of cultured tumor cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. In this paper we demonstrated the first specific antibody production against panaxynol. Anti-panaxynol antibody was elicited in rabbits by immunization with panaxynol hemisuccinate-bovine serum albumin conjugate (panaxynol hemisuccinate-BSA conjugate). An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the determination of panaxynol was established using a double-antibody technique. The EIA was highly specific against panaxynol although the antibody showed a minimal cross-reactivity with other types of polyacetylenic alcohol, i.e. panaxydol (12.0%) and panaxytriol (0.77%). Panaxynol at a concentration as low as 6.4 ng/ml can be detected. Using this assay we reconfirmed the rapid consumption of panaxynol by target tumor cells in an in vitro-culture system. The anti-panaxynol antibody may be a valuable tool for studies of the biological properties of polyacetylenic compounds.     

A reconfigurable VLSI-based double-lens tracking camera

Watching and tracking an object while seeing a much wider view is one of advantages of the eye system. We proposed and developed a tracking camera system that mimics the eyes by using double-lens modules. In the system, a wide view is captured through the wide-lens module, while the target in it is tracked and magnified through the telescopic lens module. Electronic circuits for tracking control are implemented onto the reconfigurable VLSI or FPGA in order to embed the parallelism in the tracking algorithm into the hardware. A successfully developed FPGA-based prototype performs high-speed tracking at the video-rate. This work was present in part at the 12th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 25–27, 2007     

Superovulatory responses in Japanese black beef cows following largest follicle aspiration or human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) treatment

The effect of largest follicle aspiration or hCG administration before induction of superovulation on the ovarian response of Japanese Black beef cows was investigated using a crossover design in which induction of superovulation was attempted in every cow. The superovulatory response of cows whose largest follicle had been aspirated from the ovaries by ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration 1 day before induction of superovulation, did not differ from the response in non-treated control cows. In contrast, in cows given 5,000 IU of hCG 3 days before induction of superovulation, the proportions of fertilized ova and transferable embryos significantly decreased compared with the other groups.     

Failure to reject an allografted tumor after elimination of macrophages in mice

After an i.p. transplantation of an allogeneic tumor (Meth A) to C57BL/6 mice, a macrophage (M phi)-rich, non-T, non-NK cell population is induced as the major infiltrate and cytotoxic cells. We here evaluated the role of the M phi s in the rejection of allografted Meth A cells and characterized the M phi s in comparison with other well-known M phi s. At all time intervals after transplantation, the highest cytotoxic activities against Meth A tumor were obtained with the M phi-rich population. In addition, the lymphocyte-rich population had a significant but low cytotoxic activity, whereas two other population types, granulocytes and large granular cells, were inactive. When the M phi-rich or the T cell-depleted M phi-rich population was i.p. transplanted simultaneously with Meth A cells into untreated C57BL/6 mice, the tumor cells were rejected without growth. After specific elimination of M phi s by in vivo application of dichloromethylene diphosphonate-containing liposomes, the cytotoxic activity against Meth A cells was hardly induced at the transplantation site of Meth A cells and the allografted Meth A tumor continued to grow, indicating that a type of M phi is the effector cell essential for the rejection. In contrast to other well-known M phi s, the cytotoxic activity against Meth A cells was cell-to-cell contact dependent and soluble factor (e.g., NO and TNF-alpha) independent. Moreover, the cytotoxic activity of the M phi s (H-2b) against 51Cr-labeled Meth A (H-2d) cells was inhibited by the addition of unlabeled H-2d, but not H-2b, H-2k or H-2h, lymphoblasts as well as Meth A cells, implying the specific interaction of the M phi s with H-2d cells.     

Impact damage patterns studied by a model simulation

A lattice model has been developed to explore impact damage patterns in brittle materials. The damage evolution was modelled as a process involving the change of strain-energy distribution by cracking. Using a cubic lattice system, a large strain energy was supplied to the system surface. Crack growth initiated by this local energy supply was followed by means of computer simulations. The damage patterns were compared for systems which have different distributions of strain energy stored prior to the local energy supply. The simulations reveal a characteristic difference in the damage pattern. Impact damage for a system with a spatially fluctuating distribution of strain energy is limited around an impact point. Impact damage for a systen with a relatively uniform distribution of strain energy penetrates deeply. The results of the simulations are discussed in connection with the material evaluation and the material resistance.