All solid-state polymer electrolytes prepared from a hyper-branched graft polymer using atom transfer radical polymerization

We propose an all solid-state (liquid free) polymer electrolyte (SPE) prepared from a hyper-branched graft copolymer. The graft copolymer consisting of a poly(methyl methacrylate) main chain and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate side chains was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization changing the average chain distance between side chains, side chain length and branched chain length of the proposed structure of the graft copolymer. The ionic conductivity of the SPEs increases with increasing the side chain length, branched chain length and/or average distance between the side chains. The ionic conductivity of the SPE prepared from POEM₉ whose POEM content = 51 wt% shows 2 × 10⁻⁵ S/cm at 30 °C. The tensile strength of the SPEs decreases with increases the side chain length, branched chain length and/or average distance between the side chains. These results indicate that a SPE prepared from the hyper-branched graft copolymer has potential to be applied to an all-solid polymer electrolyte.     

Effects of model coal tar components on adhesion strength of polyurethane coating on steel plate

In order to study the effects of coal tar components on the adhesion strength of a heavy duty anticorrosive coating formed with tar-urethane resin on a steel plate, polyurethane coatings that were compounded with 15 kinds of polycyclic aromatic compounds as model coal tar components were prepared. In the model coal tar components, naphthalene, quinoline, 2-naphthol, and phenanthrene showed good compatibility with polyurethane. To test their heavy duty anticorrosive properties, tensile adhesion strength of the cured coatings prepared with the compatible model coal tar components was measured, and the change in tensile adhesion strength as a function of time during salt-water spray treatment was measured. We found that the systems compounded with naphthalene, 2-naphthol, and phenanthrene showed good properties in an ordinary state for adhesion strength. However, only the system with 2-naphthol was found to have good properties in the change of tensile adhesion strength as a function of time during salt-water spray treatment. The curing time of the system with 2-naphthol was slower than that of the others, i.e., we found an inverse proportion between curing speed and adhesion durability. We also measured the dynamic viscoelasticity of cured coatings. We found that a tan δ curve of the system with 2-naphthol shifted towards a low temperature side and the tan δ at the temperature at which adhesion strength was measured was larger than that of the others. We hypothesized that the reason for the tan δ shift was a result of the decrease in crosslinking density because 2-naphthol partially capped the isocyanate group. Considering these results, we hypothesized that one of the reasons why the adhesion properties of the system with 2-naphthol had improved was due to the increase of tan δ. Presented at the 32nd Adhesion Symposium of the Adhesion Society of Japan, Tokyo Japan, June 27–28, 1994.     

Propagation characteristics of a diffracted M2 beam

The propagation characteristics of a beam diffracted by a circular aperture are investigated. The beam-quality factor M2 defined by an 86.5% power-content radius is given theoretically and experimentally as a function of the truncation ratio. It is found that the theoretical limit of M2 is 2.37 times as great as that of an incident beam as the truncation ratio approaches 0. For a weakly diffracted beam a simple formula giving M2 is derived. Although M2 does not increase much with diffraction, the influence of diffraction should be taken into account in beam brightness.     

Iskandar Malaysia Ecolife Challenge: low-carbon education for teachers and students

Environmental education in Malaysia is not a specific subject in the school curriculum. Rather, its general principles are dispersed across the whole of the curriculum. Consequently, teachers without adequate awareness regarding environmental issues may not make an effort to educate students on the importance of preservation and conservation of the environment, and may refrain from inculcating sustainable practices. The Iskandar Malaysia (IM) Ecolife Challenge is an initiative taken under a low-carbon policy. Its ambitions are twofold: first, to educate both students and teachers on low-carbon issues, and second, to impart the tools with which a low-carbon society may be developed in the IM region. The program took place in 2014, over a period of 1 month, with 80 primary schools participating across IM. The activities covered recycling, saving water and saving electricity, as well as the completion of a workbook designed to raise consciousness of local and global environmental concerns. A survey conducted before and after the program, with 5641 (36.1 %) of 15,623 primary sixth grade students (12 year olds) who had participated in the program, showed that their low-carbon practices had increased by 8 %, while their teachers’ awareness had increased by 5 %. The survey also showed that the total weight of recycling items collected during the period of intervention was 45,540 kg, while a total of 90,857 kWh of electricity and 767.85 m³ of water were saved by the schools. If such an initiative was to be implemented across all 228 primary schools in the IM region, the implications are considerable: a total of 322 kt CO₂ could potentially be reduced in 1 month, which would help to achieve a low-carbon society.     

Effect of processing conditions on the characteristics of pores in hot isostatically pressed alumina

Effect of processing conditions on the characteristics of residual pores was studied with an optical microscope in hot isostatically pressed translucent alumina ceramics. Green bodies formed by isostatic pressing were sintered at 1300, 1400 and 1600°C and then hot isostatically pressed at a temperature 50°C below the respective sintering temperature for 1 h at 100 MPa. All specimens were fully dense within experimental accuracy (±0.1%), and the grain size increased with increasing sintering/hot isostatic pressing temperatures. A variety of pores were found in all specimens. The distribution of pores was uniform at various locations within the specimen. The pore population decreased with increasing pore size, but was finite in the size range exceeding 84 m. The pores in this range increased with increasing sintering/hot isostatic pressing temperature. Except for these large pores, the pore population was similar under all processing conditions.     

Comparative studies of circulating KL-6, type III procollagen N-terminal peptide and type IV collagen 7S in patients with interstitial pneumonitis and alveolar pneumonia

KL-6, a MUC1 mucin preferentially expressed in regenerating type 2 pneumocytes, has been reported to be a sensitive serum marker for evaluating the disease activity of interstitial pneumonitis (IP). Type III procollagen N-terminal peptide (PIIIP) and type IV collagen 7S (7S collagen) have also been reported to be useful in the serological evaluation of the activity. Their levels were measured and their serodiagnostic values were compared simultaneously in patients with IP and alveolar pneumonia. The study population was 45 patients with IP and 12 patients with alveolar pneumonia. Serum KL-6 levels were measured by a specific enzyme immunoassay, and both serum PIIIP and 7S collagen concentrations by their correspondent radioimmunoassay kits. There were no significant difference of serum C-reactive protein level, which was evaluated as an indicator of inflammatory process, between IP and alveolar pneumonia patients. In IP, the abnormally elevated rate of KL-6 [80% (36/45)] was significantly higher than those of PIIIP [40% (18/45)] and 7S collagen [40% (18/45)]. In alveolar pneumonia, the rate of KL-6 [0% (0/12)] was significantly lower than those of PIIIP [33% (4/12)] and 7S collagen [25% (3/12)]. There were no significant correlations among serum levels of the markers. These observations indicate that the serodiagnostic value of KL-6 for IP is superior to that of PIIIP and 7S collagen, and that KL-6 has a characteristic to discriminate IP from alveolar pneumonia.     

Effects of adrenomedullin on rat cerebral arterioles

The effects of adrenomedullin on isolated rat intracerebral arterioles were investigated and compared with those of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and amylin. Adrenomedullin produced dose-dependent vasodilation (maximum dilation 27.1 +/- 2.1% at 3 x 10(-7) M, median effective dose (EC50)) 1.6 x 10(-9) M). CGRP produced similar vasodilation (19.8 +/- 4.1%) at 10(-7) M with a lower EC50 of 2.8 x 10(-11) M. Amylin did not cause vasodilation at concentrations up to 10(-6) M. Adrenomedullin-induced vasodilation was significantly suppressed by CGRP-(8-37). These data suggest that adrenomedullin is a potent vasodilator for arterioles in the cerebral microcirculation that acts through CGRP receptors.     

A case of a lumbar spinal synovial cyst located on the midline]

We report a case of lumbar spinal synovial cyst located on the midline. A 72-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaint of low back pain radiating to the left buttock and posterior thigh. An MR image revealed an extradural cystic lesion adjacent to the dorsal side of the dural sac at the L4-5 level. The cyst was remote from the facet joints and existed on the midline just in front of the L4 lamina. A CT scan showed a concave deformity of the ventral aspect of the L4 lamina because of compression by the cyst. The patient underwent L4 laminectomy and total removal of the cyst. The cyst was in contact with the anterior surface of the ligamentum flavum and it had no connection with the facet joint. In the histological examination, the cyst was multilobular and lined with synovial epithelium. Therefore the cyst was diagnosed as a synovial cyst. After the operation, the pain radiating to the buttock and thigh completely disappeared. Intraspinal synovial cysts are usually located in the lower lumbar spine and most of them are adjacent to the facet joint. The cysts that are located on the midline are very rare. We review previous reports and discuss clinical and pathological features of spinal synovial cysts.     

Digital/analog hybrid system for filing of endoscopic images.

A new system was developed for filing all the endoscopic images generated in our hospital. The system is composed of an on-line network for analog images supplied from the endoscopy stations and stored on 300 mm optical disks, on the one hand, and an off-line PACS for digital images recorded on a 130 mm magneto-optical disk (MOD) at each endoscopy station, on the other. For close examination of the images digital images are displayed from the MOD on a high-resolution computer graphic monitor, and for quick review of a large number of images, analog images are retrieved from the 300-mm optical disks. This system has been in clinical use at our university hospital for the past year and has proven useful for education of endoscopy, for the quality control of the endoscopy practice, and for the management of the patients.