Structure and gas permeation properties of asymmetric polyimide membranes made by dry–wet phase inversion: Influence of the polyimide molecular weight

In this article, we report the influence of the polyimide molecular weight (1.2 × 10⁵, 2.6 × 10⁵, and 4.1 × 10⁵) on the structure and the gas permeation properties of asymmetric polyimide membranes made by the dry–wet phase‐inversion process. The apparent skin layer thickness of the asymmetric membrane increased with increasing molecular weight, and the thicknesses of the membranes prepared from the three polyimides with a casting polymer solution containing 8.0 wt % butanol were 132, 350, and 739 nm, respectively. That is, the gas permeance in the asymmetric membranes increased with decreasing molecular weight. In contrast, the gas selectivity of the asymmetric membranes did not depend on the skin layer thickness. The solvent evaporation in the dry phase‐inversion process and the nonsolvent diffusion in the dry process were important factors that determined the formation of the asymmetric membrane. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Supramolecular Zn(II)-Dipicolylamine-Azobenzene-Aminocyclodextrin-ATP Complex: Design and ATP Recognition in Water

Cyclodextrins (CyDs) are water-soluble host molecules possessing a nanosized hydrophobic cavity. In the realm of molecular recognition, this cavity is used not only as a recognition site but also as a reaction medium, where a hydrophobic sensor recognizes a guest molecule. Based on the latter concept, we have designed a novel supramolecular sensing system composed of Zn(II)-dipicolylamine metal complex-based azobenzene (1-Zn) and 3A-amino-3A-deoxy-(2AS,3AS)-γ-cyclodextrin (3-NH₂-γ-CyD) for sensing adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP). 1-Zn showed redshifts in the UV-Vis spectra and induced circular dichroism (ICD) only when both ATP and 3-NH₂-γ-CyD were present. Calculations of equilibrium constants indicated that the amino group of 3-NH₂-γ-CyD was involved in the formation of supramolecular 1-Zn/3-NH₂-γ-CyD/ATP. The Job plot of the ICD spectral response revealed that the stoichiometry of 1-Zn/3-NH₂-γ-CyD/ATP was 2:1:1. The pH effect was examined and 1-Zn/3-NH₂-γ-CyD/ATP was most stable in the neutral condition. The NOESY spectrum suggested the localization of 1-Zn in the 3-NH₂-γ-CyD cavity. Based on the obtained results, the metal coordination interaction of 1-Zn and the electrostatic interaction of 3-NH₂-γ-CyD were found to take place for ATP recognition. The “reaction medium approach” enabled us to develop a supramolecular sensing system that undergoes multi-point interactions in water. This study is the first step in the design of a selective sensing system based on a good understanding of supramolecular structures.     

Contribution of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells to the Clearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Skin Wounds

Chronic infections are considered one of the most severe problems in skin wounds, and bacteria are present in over 90% of chronic wounds. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is frequently isolated from chronic wounds and is thought to be a cause of delayed wound healing. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, unique lymphocytes with a potent regulatory ability in various inflammatory responses, accelerate the wound healing process. In the present study, we investigated the contribution of iNKT cells in the host defense against P. aeruginosa inoculation at the wound sites. We analyzed the re-epithelialization, bacterial load, accumulation of leukocytes, and production of cytokines and antimicrobial peptides. In iNKT cell–deficient (Jα18KO) mice, re-epithelialization was significantly decreased, and the number of live colonies was significantly increased, when compared with those in wild-type (WT) mice on day 7. IL-17A, and IL-22 production was significantly lower in Jα18KO mice than in WT mice on day 5. Furthermore, the administration of α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), a specific activator of iNKT cells, led to enhanced host protection, as shown by reduced bacterial load, and to increased production of IL-22, IL-23, and S100A9 compared that of with WT mice. These results suggest that iNKT cells promote P. aeruginosa clearance during skin wound healing.     

A three-dimensional,clothed human thermal model

We have developed a three-dimensional clothed human thermal model for predicting physiological responses to temperature and humidity within clothing by considering the thermal properties of fabrics, clothing ensembles, and their designs. The model is a coupled simulation system of a human thermal model and a clothing thermal model. The model performance was investigated by comparing its predictions with experimental data. The following results were obtained. (1) The model predictions of skin temperature distributions and the micro-climate within clothing basically agreed with experimental data. (2) The skin temperatures of clothed body parts were higher than the corresponding body parts in the nude condition, and the skin temperatures of the hand and foot were higher than those in the nude condition, both in the model predictions and in the experimental data. (3) The model prediction of total moisture transfer was almost the same as obtained from the experimental data. 1998 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Jpn Res, 26(8): 554–566, 1997     

Effect of drying and tempering on rice fissuring analysed by integrating intra-kernel moisture distribution

The fissure generation of one short- and two long-grain rough rice dried at different air conditions for 15, 30 and 60 min, and respectively, tempered at 20, 30, 40 and 50 °C for tempering duration ranging from 0 to 330 min was analysed by integrating moisture gradients in rice kernels. Results indicated that drying and tempering processes had significant effects on the moisture gradient and rice fissuring. The percentage of fissured kernels increased with increasing drying time and decreasing tempering time. The tempering duration required for long-grain rice was shorter than that for short-grain rice to prevent kernel fissuring. Higher tempering temperatures can effectively eliminate moisture gradients and then lower the rice fissuring generation. Tempering at 50 °C reduced fissuring incidence by 32 to 50% compared to tempering at 20 °C. Moreover, short-grain rough rice was very susceptible to fissure whereas long-grain rough rice with a high amylose content was much more fissure-tolerance.     

Purification and some properties of cholesterol oxidase stable in detergents from gamma-proteobacterium Y-134

Cholesterol oxidase (CHO) with high stability in detergents was found from an isolated strain, Y-134, belonging to the gamma-subclass of Proteobacteria. CHO production reached its maximum by incubation at 30 degrees C for 12 d. It was purified from cell-free extract prepared by mixing the cells with 0.4% Triton X-100. The absorption spectrum of the purified enzyme exhibited maxima at 274 and 410 nm, and a shoulder at 330 nm. The molecular mass was 115 kDa with two identical subunits of 58 kDa. The enzyme oxidized cholest-5-en-3beta-ol (cholesterol) and 5alpha-cholestan-3beta-ol (dihydrocholesterol) at a high reaction rate, and the K(m) value for cholesterol was 65 microM. The stability of the enzyme was higher than other CHOs in nonionic detergents with high values of hydrophilelipophile balance (HLB) such as Triton X-450 and sodium cholate. NH2-terminal sequence analysis showed a high similarity to CHO from Burkholderia cepacia, but not to CHOs from Streptomyces or Brevibacterium.     

Investigation of undeclared food allergens in commercial Thai food products

This study investigates the presence of undeclared allergens - namely milk, egg, wheat and peanut - in commercial processed food products in Thailand. Out of 142 commercial products, 55 positive cases were found (by quantitative ELISA method) to contain an undeclared allergen greater than 10 ppm. Among all positive products, undeclared milk appeared the most frequently (21 cases), followed by egg and wheat with similar frequency (17 cases), while peanut was rarely found. Milk- or egg-positive products were further confirmed by the presence of the milk protein, casein, or the egg protein, ovalbumin, by Western blot test. Our results should help to increase the awareness among Thai food manufacturers of the need for more careful management of allergenic food ingredients, and to encourage the labeling of allergen information for allergic consumers, thus reducing the health hazard from food allergy.     

Applicability of GC, GC/MS and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry to screening for 140 pesticides in agricultural products

The applicability of GC, GC/MS and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) to screening for 140 pesticides in agricultural products was examined. Validation of multi-residue screening methods for the determination of 88 pesticides in 12 crops (asparagus, cauliflower, burdock, carrot, broccoli, spinach, matsutake mushroom, orange, soybean, sesame, millet and tea) was done by GC and GC/MS. Of the 88 pesticides, 63 were obtained with recoveries in the range from 50 to 150% at the 0.1 microg/g level in the 12 crops. Applicability of the official methods in Japan to 74 pesticides, including 22 pesticides with low recovery (< 50%) by GC or GC/MS analysis, was also examined by LC/MS/MS. LC/MS/MS acquisition parameters were established for 67 pesticides in positive and negative electrospray ionization (ESI) modes. Of 67 pesticides validated in 7 crops using LC/MS/MS at the 0.1 microg/g level, 44 showed recoveries in the range from 50 to 150%. The occurrence of matrix interference in LC/MS/MS can lead to false-positive detection of MCPA in spinach, cabbage and orange and false-negative detection of four pesticides in orange, spinach, apple and unpolished rice. Good linearity was observed in the studied ranges by GC, GC/MS (r > 0.990) and LC/MS/MS (r > 0.995). Of the total of 140 pesticides validated by GC, GC/MS and LC/MS/MS, 107 were newly recognized as suitable subjects for screening.     

Screening method for the determination of 199 pesticides in agricultural products by gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS)

A screening method is described for determining 200 pesticides, except dimethipin, divided into four groups by means of gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) using an ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with automated gain control (AGC). The quantitation limit for 194 pesticides was 0.01 mg/kg on a crop basis, except for allidochlor, dimethoate, hexythiazox, methamidophos and triadimenol. The calibration curve of each pesticide was linear in the range of 0.04-5.0 microg/mL. One hundred and ninety-nine pesticides were added to matrix of potato, spinach, cabbage, apple, orange, soybean and unpolished rice at twice the limits of quantitation. The recoveries of 194 pesticides from all crops were satisfactory (50-150%) for screening purposes. Although some pesticides in apple and orange were not determined by selected ion monitoring (SIM) analysis at the limits of quantitation, all of them were identified by ion-trap GC/MS/MS at the same concentration. Thus, the ion trap GC/MS/MS technique is useful for the screening of residual pesticides present at low levels in agricultural products.