Properties of poly(4-vinylpyridine-co-methyl vinyl ketone) membranes for reverse osmosis

The copolymer prepared from 4-vinylpyridine and methyl vinyl ketone could form a dense and tough membrane which is stronger than cellulose acetate when crosslinked with malonyl dihydrazide (MD) or 2-phenyl-4,6-dihydrazino-s-triazine (PDT), showing a fair performance in reverse osmosis for NaCl and CoCl₂ feed. The relationship between the content of MD or PDT and the membrane performance was investigated. An increase in MD or PDT led to an increase in membrane thickness and water content as well as the performance. A maximum rejection was obtained at ca. 30 mol % MD and ca. 13 mol % PDT based on MVK, and a maximum membrane strength at 20–30 mol % crosslinking agent. A membrane of a lower NaCl rejection tended to be permselective due to the complexation of the CoCl₂ with membrane. About 1:1 copolymer gave membranes of a higher rejection, which may be related to monomer arrangement in the copolymer chain. There methods for the flux improvement were presented and discussed: preparation of a copolymer blend membrane containing a hydrophilic monomer, crosslinking quaternization of membranes with diiodobutane, and oximation of the membrane material in order to introduce hydrophilic groups.     

A new design concept for hollow-cathode white light laser

A white light laser has been constructed which employs a concentric cylinder type laser tube and embodies the novel concept of separating the functions of confining the negative glow providing for diffusion of Cd vapor. The main source preventing the white light oscillation in previous designs is not a lack of Cd vapor in lasing zone but a decrease of the hollow-cathode effect due to many holes of large diameter.     

Vacuum-deposited amorphous phthalein films

Vacuum-deposited phthalein films in the amorphous state were studied. These films are transparent in the visible region and stable at room temperature. The crystallization energy for the deposited film, determined with a differential scanning calorimeter, is about 1.5 eV. The amorphous states of these deposited phthalein films were preserved by high energy barriers for crystallization. The lifetimes of the amorphous states of the deposited phthalein films are estimated to be several years at room temperature. These amorphous organic films are expected to have an optical use, because of their good optical transparencies and stabilities.     

Right axillary lymph node visualization by bipedal lymphography: a case report

In the course of bipedal lymphography, the right axillary nodes were filled with contrast medium from the right pelvic region via the subcutaneous lymphatics. This was verified in the absence of lymphatic obstruction or abnormal corollary lymphatic routes.     

Interdiffusion in copper-rich cu-ag solid solutions

Interdiffusion was studied in the temperature between 974 and 1273 K, using conventional sandwich-type diffusion couples consisting of pure copper and Cu-2.1 at. pct Ag alloy. The interdiffusion coefficient, , increased slightly with increasing the atomic fraction of silver, N_Ag. Values of were well represented by the parameters of ₀ = 0.21 x 10^-4 (m²/s) and ≈ = 184.5 - 143.0 N_Ag (kJ/g-atom) up toNAg = 0.02. The Kirkendall effect during diffu-sion treatments at 1174 K for up to 1.4724 x 10⁶ s was also studied. The marker moved always toward the silver-rich side. The ratio, D*_Ag / D*_Cu,was 5.6 for N_Ag = 0.011, while it was 4.2 for N_Ag = 0.     

Properties of reverse osmosis membranes prepared from poly(4-vinyl pyridine)-acrylonitrile copolymer and the partially quaternized copolymer

Reverse osmosis membranes were prepared from 4-vinyl pyridine(4VP)-acrylonitrile (AN) copolymers and those partially quaternized. Their salt rejection (S) and hydraulic water permeability (K₁) were investigated with regard, to co-polymer composition, the membrane profile by SEM observation, cross-linking quaternization with diiodobutane (DIB) and the method of membrane preparation. S decreased with increasing AN content, but K₁ was closely dependent on water content which had a minimum at about 65% 4VP. The increase in K₁ and water content in a high AN range was caused by the change in the membrane structure from dense to porous one.Quaternization with DIB to a small extent notably improved K₁, up to ten times without significant change in S, and most effectively improved both of the membrane structure and the performance of AN rich copolymer membranes which were the highest in tensile strength among the copolymers. It was found by IR and elemental analysis that DIB charged was nearly completely reacted. The DIB modified membranes were anion exchangeable and more than two-thirds of iodide were exchanged for chloride. The modification reduced the membrane strength, to the least extent in the AN rich copolymers, with increasing DIB due to an increase in water content. The quaternized membranes prepared by surface-treating with DIB gave an essentially similar performance and had a composite structure which held unreacted layer.Monofunctional quaternizing agents merely brought about a poor membrane performance.Water transport through the membranes followed solution-diffusion mechanism for the membranes of volume fraction of water smaller than 0.41. The membranes modified with DIB to a small degree were regarded as tight ionic membranes and able to be treated as a nonionic ones, although they behaved ionically showing a decrease in S with the increasing feed concentration.     

Schizophrenic psychoses and the CNTF null mutation

Genetic susceptibility plays an important role in the development of schizophrenic psychoses, and the neural maldevelopment hypothesis is suggested by neuropathological and neuroimaging findings. We investigated the association between a null mutation in the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) gene and functional psychoses including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. The frequency of mutant allele was significantly increased in patients with schizoaffective disorder, but not in those with schizophrenia in comparison with controls. The CNTF null mutation resulting in CNTF deficiency may confer potential susceptibility to schizoaffective disorder.     

L-band Er3+-doped fluorophosphate glass-fibre amplifier

The first L-band EDFA to employ fluorophosphate glass as the host glass material has been realised. The lowest fibre loss yet reported for fluorophosphate glass fibre of 0.7 dB/m is achieved. The amplifier achieved a flat gain with an average value of 21.7 dB in the L-band.     

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.