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Nanohydroxyapatite (HAP) was crystallized in an aqueous solution of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to prepare the composites of CMC and HAP with a stable interface between them with the aim of developing a sustainable tough biomass composite material inspired by bone. The temperature (room temperature to 90 °C) and the concentration of CMC (0.83-13.2 g/L) were optimized for the mechanical properties of the composites. The composite containing 67 wt % HAP prepared at 50 °C in the presence of 9.9 g/L CMC exhibited the largest flexural strength of 113 ± 2 MPa and the elastic modulus of 7.7 ± 0.3 GPa. X-ray diffraction showed that nanometer-sized HAP crystals were formed with a large aspect ratio, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy revealed that CMC was bound to the surface of HAP through an ionic interaction between Ca2+ and COO-. Since the composite has a higher flexural strength than polyamide 6 (92 MPa) and a higher elastic modulus than polyamide 6 with 40 wt % glass fiber (5.5 GPa), it can be used as new tough biomass composite material to replace petroleum-derived engineering plastics.

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Tube radial distribution chromatography based on the tube radial distribution flow, or annular flow, in an open-tubular capillary has been reported, where the annular flow is created through phase-separation multiphase flow. We have proposed the first-ever procedure for consecutive sample injection analysis using chromatography. In basic terms, a commercially available HPLC system could be used with a sample injector (0.2 µL volume) and a fused-silica capillary tube (250 cm long) as a separation column instead of a normal packed one, while the built-in detection cell was replaced by improved on-capillary detection. A ternary mixed solution of water/acetonitrile/ethyl acetate (3:8:4 volume ratio) was delivered into the capillary tube as an eluent at a flow rate of 2.0 µL min-1. Model sample solutions of 1-naphthol and 2,6-naphthalenedisulfonic acid were consecutively analyzed by the present chromatography with a processing rate of 6 samples per hour. Simple and rapid consecutive analysis could be performed because washing and initialization of the separation tube was no longer necessary. The obtained results provide clues to developing new methodologies which combine features of both chromatography (separation) and the flow injection method (consecutive analysis).

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A polyethylene glycol/citrate mixed solution was fed into a single channel of a Y-type micro-channel on a microchip as an aqueous two-phase system. A phase separation multi-phase flow with a liquid-liquid interface was generated due to a phase transformation. An annular flow, one of the flow types in the phase separation multi-phase flow, was observed through bright-field microscopy. The flow consisted of citrate-rich inner and polyethylene glycol-rich outer phases. We attempted to separate and collect the two phases in the single channel into two separate Y-type channels. When the pressure losses for the separated channels were not very different, we observed symmetric flow in the Y-type channel. When the pressure losses were quite different, the polyethylene glycol-rich phase with higher viscosity was selectively distributed to the separated channel with lower pressure loss. Thus, the polyethylene glycol-rich phase was successfully and intentionally collected from the chosen Y-type channel via the creation of annular flow in the single channel.

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A tube radial distribution chromatography (TRDC) method based on phase-separated multiphase flow created through phase transformation via temperature change has been developed. These systems typically required a temperature-controlling device containing a water bath and a stirrer. Herein, we proposed a novel TRDC system without a cooling device, where the phase transformation was achieved via pressure loss in a capillary tube of 50 µm inner diameter and 550 cm length. Model analytes were successfully separated with the developed TRDC system, which provided a simplified platform and helped to clarify the operating principle of TRDC based on phase transformation in a capillary tube.

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Partially phosphorylated poly(vinyl alcohol) was prepared by treating poly(vinyl alcohol) with 100% phosphoric acid, and 5, 10 and 20% of the hydroxyl groups were converted to phosphoric acid ester. Addition of Ca2+ to an aqueous solution of phosphorylated poly(vinyl alcohol) gave a transparent gel. Five cycles of alternate soaking of the gel in aqueous CaCl2 and aqueous (NH4)2HPO4 were carried out to crystallise hydroxyapatite (HAP) in the phosphorylated poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix. The X-ray diffraction peaks of HAP formed in 5% phosphorylated PVA were sharp, while those of HAP formed in 20% phosphorylated PVA were broad. The contents of inorganic phase in the hybrid powder were increased from 58 to 76wt% as the fraction of phosphate groups in the gel was decreased from 20% to 5%. The hybrid powder was first subjected to uniaxial pressing, followed by cold isostatic pressing (CIP) and warm isostatic pressing (WIP) at 120°C at pressures of 300-980MPa, to obtain the specimens for three-point bending test. These hybrid specimens showed bending strengths of 15-53MPa. The hybrid compacts prepared from 10% phosphorylated poly(vinyl alcohol) showed the smallest Young's modulus, the largest displacement at break, and the largest fracture energy, showing that it has the highest toughness among the hybrid materials prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol) with varying degrees of phosphorylation.

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The association of a molecular chaperone, gp57A, of bacteriophage T4, which facilitates formation of the long and short tail fibers, was investigated by analytical ultracentrifugation, differential scanning microcalorimetry, and stopped-flow circular dichroism (CD) to establish the association scheme of the protein. Gp57A is an oligomeric alpha-helix protein with 79 amino acids. Analysis of the sedimentation velocity data by direct boundary modeling with Lamm equation solutions together with a more detailed boundary analysis incorporating association schemes led us to conclude that at least three oligomeric species of gp57A are in reversible and fast association equilibria and that a 3(mer)-6(mer)-12(mer) model described the data best. On the other hand, differential scanning microcalorimetry revealed a highly reversible two-step transition of dissociation/denaturation, both of which accompanied decrease in CD at 222 nm. The melting curve analysis revealed that it is consistent with a 6(mer)-3(mer)-1(mer) model. The refolding/association kinetics of gp57A measured by stopped-flow CD was consistent with the interpretation that the bimolecular reaction from trimer to hexamer was preceded by a fast alpha-helix formation in the dead-time. Trimer or hexamer is likely the functional oligomeric state of gp57A.

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Congenital afibrinogenaemia is a rare hemorrhagic disorder characterized by the absence of fibrinogen. We report a case of congenital afibrinogenaemia presented with leg ulcer. A 30-year-old man presented with a history of prolonged bleeding from birth. His parents are cousins. He repeatedly showed haematoma after traumas on his leg. He was diagnosed as having congenital afibrinogenaemia because of plasma fibrinogen deficiency. Because his leg ulcer gradually increased in size, he was admitted to our department for treatment. Laboratory examinations revealed prolonged bleeding time, prolonged coagulation time, prolonged prothrombin time, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time and plasma fibrinogen was not measurable. Histological examination revealed hyperkeratosis, acanthosis and severe fibrotic change in the whole dermis. Severe hemosiderin deposit was found in the middle dermis. His leg ulcer cured 2 months after the beginning of fresh frozen plasma administration (FFP), but recurrence of the leg ulcer after FFP treatment was found. This is the second reported case of congenital afibrinogenaemia presented with leg ulcer.

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