Analysis of the aggregation of an anionic porphyrin with a cationic surfactant at the supercritical carbon dioxide-water interface using UV-visible external reflection spectrometry.

An external reflection (ER) spectrometric device was developed to directly measure adsorbates at the supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2)-water interface. The aggregation of diprotonated species of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphinetetrasulfonic acid (H4tpps(2-)) at the positively charged SC-CO2-water interface, prepared by adsorption by the cetyltrimethylammonium ion (CTA(+)), was studied using this device. Orientations of the H4tpps(2-) monomers and J-aggregates at the SC-CO2-water interface were assessed using s- and p-polarized external reflection (ER) spectra. It appeared that the porphyrin plane of the H4tpps(2-) monomer was nearly parallel to the SC-CO2-water interface, and that the long axis of the rod-like H4tpps(2-) J-aggregate was also nearly parallel to the interface. Dependence of the ER spectra on CTA(+) concentration and CO2 pressure were investigated, and the interfacial CTA(+) concentration was found to cause changes in the interfacial H4tpps(2-) species present. Increasing the CO2 pressure changed the interfacial species from the H4tpps(2-) monomer to the H4tpps(2-) J-aggregate because the interfacial CTA(+) concentration increased as the pressure increased. This suggests that the interfacial chemical species can be changed by controlling the pressure and temperature of the SC-CO2. This is the first report of direct measurements of the chemical species at the SC-CO2-water interface, as far as we know.

Fluid mixing using AC electrothermal flow on meandering electrodes in a microchannel.

The mixing of fluids using AC electrothermal flow (AC-ETF) is presented. A pair of coplanar electrodes with a sinusoidal interelectrode gap was used to enhance the mixing in a microchannel. To demonstrate the performance of the mixer, conventional dilution experiments were conducted using Texas Red-labeled dextran. The dependence of mixing on the salt concentration (10(-3) ∼ 10(-1) mol dm(-3) ) of the solutions and frequency (100 kHz ∼ 5 MHz) of the applied voltage were investigated. AC-ETF was responsible for the mixing at salt concentrations >10(-2) mol dm(-3) , whereas the effect of AC-EOF was suggested to play a role at concentrations <10(-2) mol dm(-3) in the low-frequency region. The fluorogenic reaction of human serum albumin (HSA) with SYPRO Red in the mixer was also examined, and results showed that enrichment of fluorescence intensity and an almost uniform distribution of stained HSA were achieved. The present mixer can be employed as a powerful tool to facilitate efficient chemical and biomedical analysis on microfluidic devices.

Gel-type autologous chondrocyte (Chondron) implantation for treatment of articular cartilage defects of the knee.

BACKGROUND: Gel-type autologous chondrocyte (Chondron) implantations have been used for several years without using periosteum or membrane. This study involves evaluations of the clinical results of Chondron at many clinical centers at various time points during the postoperative patient follow-up. METHODS: Data from 98 patients with articular cartilage injury of the knee joint and who underwent Chondron implantation at ten Korean hospitals between January 2005 and November 2008, were included and were divided into two groups based on the patient follow-up period, i.e. 13~24-month follow-up and greater than 25-month follow-up. The telephone Knee Society Score obtained during telephone interviews with patients, was used as the evaluation tool. RESULTS: On the tKSS-A (telephone Knee Society Score-A), the score improved from 43.52 +/- 20.20 to 89.71 +/- 13.69 (P < 0.05), and on the tKSS-B (telephone Knee Society Score-B), the score improved from 50.66 +/- 20.05 to 89.38 +/- 15.76 (P < 0.05). The total improvement was from 94.18 +/- 31.43 to 179.10 +/- 24.69 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Gel-type autologous chondrocyte implantation for chondral knee defects appears to be a safe and effective method for both decreasing pain and improving knee function.

Artificial chaperone-assisted refolding in a microchannel.

Protein refolding using a simple dilution method in a microchannel often led to the formation of protein aggregates, which bound to the microchannel wall, resulting in low refolding yields. To inhibit aggregation and improve refolding yields, an artificial chaperone-assisted (ACA) refolding, which employed detergents and beta-cyclodextrin was used. Model proteins, hen egg white lysozyme and yeast alpha-glucosidase, were successfully refolded in a microchannel. The microscopic observation showed that the ACA method suppressed protein aggregation and facilitated the refolding of lysozyme, whereas significant aggregation was observed when a simple dilution method was employed. The ACA method increased the lysozyme refolding yield by 40% over the simple dilution approach. Similarly, for a-glucosidase, the refolding yield using the ACA method (ca. 50%) was approximately three times compared with the simple dilution method. The ACA refolding method is a suitable approach to use in the refolding of proteins using a microfluidic system.

Electrochemical studies on liquid properties in extended nanospaces using mercury microelectrodes.

We developed a novel nanofluidic chip equipped with mercury microelectrodes, which enables electrochemical measurements to be made in 10-100 nm scale spaces (called extended nanospaces), and evaluated the performances. The effects of both space sizes and concentrations on the conductance (G) values of KCl solutions in extended nanospaces (216-5000 nm) were examined using impedance spectrometry. We found that the experimental G values in the extended nanospaces decreased non-linearly with decreasing KCl concentrations in the range of 10(-2) to 10(-7) M and could be explained by theoretical model taking account of surface charge density of on a glass surface. This was found to result from enhancement of proton concentrations of the confined solution owing to fast proton exchange between SiOH groups on surfaces and water. Moreover, the G values provided the specific resistance and capacitance of KCl solutions in the extended nanospaces. These results showed that the viscosity of KCl solutions increased by size-confinement and that the viscosity of solution in 216 nm-sized extended nanospaces became about 2.8 times as large as that of bulk solution. We concluded that the developed nanofluidic chip becomes a new experimental tool for demonstrating confinement-induced nanospatial electrochemical properties of liquids.

Polymer channel chips as versatile tools in microchemistry.

The paper describes the fabrication and chemical applications of polymer microchannel chips, with special reference to in situ observations of the chemical/physical processes occurring in polystyrene microchannel chips, including those in microchannel-microelectrode/microheater chips. On the basis of absorption/fluorescence microspectroscopy and microelectrochemistry techniques, we show some characteristic features of liquid/liquid extraction, electrochemical responses, and photochemical/electrochemical/thermal synthetic reactions in microchannel chips.

Tuning microchannel wettability and fabrication of multiple-step Laplace valves.

By using characteristics of titania nanoparticles, a patterning and tuning method of microchannel surface wettability was developed for microfluid control. Titania modification of a microchannel provided a nanometer-sized surface roughness and the subsequent hydrophobic treatment made the surface superhydrophobic. Photocatalytic decomposition of the coated hydrophobic molecules was used to pattern the surface wettability which was tuned in the range from superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic under controlled photoirradiation. Four-step wettability-based Laplace valves working as passive stop valves (6.8-12.5 kPa pressure barrier) were prepared by using the patterned and tuned surface. As a demonstration, a batch operation system consisting of two sub-nL dispensers and a reaction chamber was constructed. Fundamental liquid manipulations required for the batch operation were successfully conducted, including liquid measurement (390 and 770 pL), transportation, injection into the chamber, and retention in the chamber. To verify the quantitative operation, the system was applied to a fluorescence quenching experiment as an example of volumetric analyses. The present method provides flexible patterning in a wide range of tuned wettability surfaces in microchannels even after channel fabrication and it can be applied to various two- or multi-phase microfluidic systems.

AC electroosmotic micromixer for chemical processing in a microchannel.

A rapid micromixer of fluids in a microchannel is presented. The mixer uses AC electroosmotic flow, which is induced by applying an AC voltage to a pair of coplanar meandering electrodes configured in parallel to the channel. To demonstrate performance of the mixer, dilution experiments were conducted using a dye solution in a channel of 120 microm width. Rapid mixing was observed for flow velocity up to 12 mm s(-1). The mixing time was 0.18 s, which was 20-fold faster than that of diffusional mixing without an additional mixing mechanism. Compared with the performance of reported micromixers, the present mixer worked with a shorter mixing length, particularly at low Peclet numbers (Pe < 2 x 10(3)).

Pressure-driven flow control system for nanofluidic chemical process.

We developed a novel flow control system for a nanofluidic chemical process. Generally, flow control in nanochannels is difficult because of its high-pressure loss with very small volume flow rate. In our flow control method, liquid pressure in a microchannel connected to the nanochannels is regulated by utilizing a backpressure regulator. The flow control method was verified by using simple structured microchip, which included parallel nanochannels. We found that the observed flow rate was three times lower than the value expected from Hagen-Poiseuille's equation. That implied a size-dependent viscosity change in the nanochannels. Then, we demonstrated mixing of two different fluorescent solutions in a Y-shaped nanochannel and also a proton exchange reaction in the Y-shaped nanochannel. The flow control method will contribute to further integration of nanochemical systems.

Liquid filling method for nanofluidic channels utilizing the high solubility of CO2.

We developed a fabrication method and a liquid filling method for a nano chemical reactor that used Y-shaped nanochannels specially designed for mixing and reacting. In order to reduce the pressure loss and to utilize the characteristics of the nanochannel, inlet microchannels were fabricated just beside the nanochannels. We investigated an initial liquid filling method into the nanochannels that ensured there were no air bubbles that could cause a flow stack due to the capillary pressure. In our method, the micro- and nanochannels were filled with carbon dioxide and any remaining air during the initial liquid introduction was dissolved utilizing the high solubility of carbon dioxide. We propose that chemical reactions in nanospaces can be realized by utilizing these fabrication and liquid introduction techniques.

Analysis of the association of cobalt(III) chelates with fluorine-containing phenols in supercritical carbon dioxide.

The solubilities of several cobalt(III) chelates (CoL3) with in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) were investigated in the presence of fluorine- and trifluoromethyl-substituted phenols (PhOH) using UV-vis spectrophotometry. Solubility enhancement of CoL3 complexes in SC-CO2 was accomplished by adding PhOH. The association constants for tris(pentane-2,4-dionato)cobalt(III) (Co(acac)3) with various PhOH in SC-CO2 were determined from the relationship between the solubility enhancement and the PhOH concentration for each corresponding phenol. For compounds with no fluorine or trifluoromethyl groups in the ortho position, the association constants decreased as the pKa values of the PhOH compounds increased. In addition, the association constants for the PhOH compounds bearing a fluorine or trifluoromethyl group in the ortho position were less than the values expected based on their pKa values. These results are ascribed to the occurrence of the steric hindrance of the ortho-fluorine or trifluoromethyl group. Furthermore, the association constants for various CoL3 complexes and 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenol (BTMP) increased as the basicity of the chelating ligand increased. Finally, the thermodynamic parameters and the numbers of CO2 molecules released upon association of Co(acac)3 and BTMP were calculated using data for the dependence of the association constant on the pressure and temperature.

CEA producing primary hepatic carcinoid.

Imaging studies of a hepatic tumor in a 53-year-old woman with elevated serum levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5HIAA) revealed a hypervascular tumor in the right lobe. Grossly, the brownish tumor was measured 13.5x12 cm with four daughter nodules. Microscopically, the majority of these columnar and round tumor cells had ribbon-or rosette-like patterns with the expression of neuroendocrine marker proteins, such as Grimelius, NSE, chromogranin A, and synaptophysin, and moderate expression of CEA but without the expression of cytokeratin nos 7,8,14,18,19 and OV-6; the minority had glandular patterns with a strong expression of CEA but without the expression of cytokeratin nos 7,8,14,18,19 and OV-6. Ultrastructurally, most tumor cells contained populations of electron-dense core granules ranging between 100 and 200 nm in diameter. After hepatectomy, serum CEA, NSE, and 5HIAA reverted to normal ranges and persisted for 19 months. These findings suggested that the diagnosis of primary hepatic carcinoid was tenable and that the tumor might derive from hepatic stem cells which acquired the additional nature of producing CEA without cytokeratins characteristic of hepatocytes or bile duct cells. Some molecular based approaches have attributed unique biological behavior and histogenesis to this carcinoid tumor.

Photochemical ion receptor based on a structurally distorted ruthenium(II) complex having a crown-ether moiety at the 3,3'-positions on the 2,2'-bipyridine ligand.

Ru(bpy)2(CE-bpy)2+ was prepared where bpy and CE-bpy were 2,2'-bipyridine and bpy having a crown-ether moiety at the 3,3'-positions, respectively. Although Ru(bpy)2(CE-bpy)2+ showed only very weak emission in acetonitrile, recognition of Na+, Li+, or K+ by the crown-ether moiety in CE-bpy resulted in increases in both the emission intensity and the lifetime of the complex, demonstrating that it acted as a photoreceptor. The results were discussed in terms of a steric hindrance between the 3,3'-substituents on CE-bpy and structural changes in both CE-bpy and the complex upon ion recognition, as studied by variable-temperature 1H-NMR and steady-state/dynamic emission spectroscopy of the complex.

Channel shape effects on the solution-flow characteristics and the liquid/liquid extraction efficiency in polymer microchannel chips.

A polymer microchannel chip with a symmetrical or unsymmetrical zigzag-side-walled structure was fabricated by an imprinting method, and applied to study shape effects on solution flow characteristics as well as on the liquid/liquid extraction efficiency of an aluminium(III) chelate complex (Al-DHAB: DHAB = o,o'-dihydroxyazobenzene) in a microchannel chip. In an unsymmetrical zigzag-side-walled channel chip (us-channel), an oil/water interface was sinusoidal, while that in a symmetrical zigzag-side-walled channel chip (s-channel) was flat as long as the observation was made under an optical microscope. It was demonstrated that the efficiency of the water-to-oil (1-butanol) extraction of Al-DHAB in the microchannel was governed by the contact time between the two phases. As the most important results, furthermore, the extraction efficiency was higher in the us-channel, as compared with that in the s-channel, owing to the sinusoidal liquid/liquid interfacial structure and, therefore, to the high interfacial area between the two phases.

Synergistic extraction equilibrium of gallium(III) with di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid and 8-quinolinol derivatives into supercritical carbon dioxide.

The synergistic effect of five 8-quinolinol derivatives (HQs) on the extraction of gallium(III) with di(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphoric acid (D2EHPA or HA) from weak nitric acid into supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) was investigated. 8-Quinolinol (Hq), 5-ethoxymethyl-8-quinolinol (HO(2)q), 5-hexyloxymethyl-8-quinolinol (HO(6)q), 5-(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxymethyl)-8-quinolinol (HFO(2)q), and 5-chloro-8-quinolinol (5-Cl-Hq) were used as synergists. Synergism was observed for all of the HQs. The synergistic effect increased in the following order: Hq < HO(2)q < HFO(2)q < 5-Cl-Hq ≍ HO(6)q. The extent of synergism can be related to both the distribution constant and the acid dissociation constant of the HQ. The synergistic extraction equilibrium of gallium(III) with D2EHPA and 5-Cl-Hq into SC-CO(2) was investigated; the results suggest that the composition of the extracted complex is as GaA(2)Q·HA. The synergistic extraction mechanism was the same for both SC-CO(2) and n-heptane. The synergistic extraction equilibrium constants in both cases were calculated based on the experimental results.

Development of a microfluidic device for measurement of distribution behavior between supercritical carbon dioxide and water.

A measuring method for the distribution behavior between supercritical carbon dioxide and water by a microchip was developed. A surface modification of the microchannel by dichlorodimethylsilane induced a spontaneous phase separation of the supercritical carbon dioxide and aqueous phases in the microchip. The maximum contact time of the aqueous phase to the supercritical carbon dioxide phase was obtained as 0.58 s. This device withstood pressure up to 12.8 MPa. The distribution of tris(acetylacetonato)cobalt(III) (Co(acac)(3)) from the supercritical carbon dioxide phase to the aqueous phase in a microchannel could be measured. The concentration of Co(acac)(3) distributed into the aqueous phase was increased by lengthening the contact time of both phases. These demonstrations showed that the method developed in this study could be used to measure the distribution behavior between supercritical carbon dioxide and water.

Experimental and theoretical characterization of an AC electroosmotic micromixer.

We have reported on a novel microfluidic mixer based on AC electroosmosis. To elucidate the mixer characteristics, we performed detailed measurements of mixing under various experimental conditions including applied voltage, frequency and solution viscosity. The results are discussed through comparison with results obtained from a theoretical model of AC electroosmosis. As predicted from the theoretical model, we found that a larger voltage (approximately 20 V(p-p)) led to more rapid mixing, while the dependence of the mixing on frequency (1-5 kHz) was insignificant under the present experimental conditions. Furthermore, the dependence of the mixing on viscosity was successfully explained by the theoretical model, and the applicability of the mixer in viscous solution (2.83 mPa s) was confirmed experimentally. By using these results, it is possible to estimate the mixing performance under given conditions. These estimations can provide guidelines for using the mixer in microfluidic chemical analysis.

Chemical responses of single yeast cells studied by fluorescence microspectroscopy under solution-flow conditions.

A microspectroscopy system combined with a fluid manifold was developed to manipulate and analyze "single" living cells. A sample buffer solution containing living cells was introduced into a flow cell set on a thermostated microscope stage and a few cells were allowed to attach to the bottom wall of the flow cell. With these living cells being attached to the wall, other floating cells were pumped out by flowing a buffer solution. These procedures made it possible to keep a few cells in the flow cell and to analyze single cells by fluorescence microspectroscopy. The technique was applied to study the time course of staining processes of single living yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cells by using two types of a fluorescent probe. The present methodology was shown to be of primary importance for obtaining biochemical/physiological information on single living cells and also for studying cell-to-cell variations in several characteristics.