Surface modification and use of polymer complex agents to mitigate metal crossover of anion-exchange membranes.

The facile surface modification of a commercial anion-exchange membrane (i.e., Neosepta-AFX, Astom Corp., Japan) was investigated with brominated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (BPPO), which had non-charged polar groups, and its quaternized form (QPPO) to improve the acid recovery efficiency in diffusion dialysis (DD). By coating a thin layer of BPPO on the membrane surface, the significant changes in the surface compactness and charge density were observed while the electrochemical properties were mostly maintained. From the DD experiments, it was revealed that the membrane modified with 1 wt% BPPO exhibited the moderate acid permeability as well as the highest acid selectivity (KAcid/KFe3+=48.81), which is more than double compared with that of the pristine membrane (KAcid/KFe3+=22.48) among the tested membranes. The electron-rich polar groups contained in BPPO are believed to provide moderate proton transport while the reduced swelling property of the membrane surface can effectively mitigate the crossover of metal cations. In addition, the acid selectivity (KAcid/KFe3+=30.69) was largely improved by using small molecular weight poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI, Mn=1800) with a small content (in the range of 1-5 wt%) as a solution additive for the growing size of metal species by the formation of polymer-metal complexes.

The glycemic status of diabetes in an urban area of Cambodia.

Recently the Korea Diabetes Association participated in the 'Cambodia-Korea Twinning Project' to help Cambodia establish its own modernized diabetes center and to raise awareness of the seriousness of diabetes. Here we report the status of diabetes in an urban area of Cambodia as obtained through this project.

Effects of atractylodis rhizoma pharmacopuncture on an acute gastric mucosal lesion induced by compound 48/80 in rats.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of Atractylodis Rhizoma pharmacopuncture (ARP) against acute gastric mucosal lesions induced by compound 48/80 in rats. METHODS: The ARP was injected in Joksamni (ST36) and Jungwan (CV12) 1 hr before treatment with compound 48/80. The animals were sacrificed under anesthesia 3 hrs after treatment with compound 48/80. The stomachs were removed, and the amounts of gastric adherent mucus, gastric mucosal hexosamine, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), xanthine oxidase (XO), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured. Also, histological examination were performed. RESULTS: Gastric adherent mucus, gastric mucosal hexosamine and histological defects of gastric mucosa declined significantly after ARP treatment. Changes in gastric mucosal TBARS were also reduced by ARP treatment, but this result was not statistically significant. ARP treatment did not change the XO and the SOD activities. CONCLUSIONS: ARP showed protective effects for acute gastric mucosal lesions induced by compound 48/80 in rats. These results suggest that ARP may have protective effects for gastritis.

Modulatory Effects of Chrysanyhemi Flos Pharmacopuncture on Nitric-oxide (NO) Production in Murin Macrophagy Cells.

OBJECTIVES: Much evidence exists that herbs have effective immunomodulatory activities. Chrysanthemi Flos (CF) is effective in clearing heat, reducing inflammation, dropping blood pressure and treating headache and is used as a pharmaceutical raw material for an immune enhancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the modulatory effect of Chrysanthemi Flos pharmacopuncture on nitric-oxide (NO) production in activating macrophages. METHODS: After a murine macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7, was cultured in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), immune-modulating abilities of CF were evaluated by using NO, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) production and phagocytic activity of macrophages. RESULTS: CF enhanced the activities of macrophages by increasing the phagocytic activity and decreasing NO production. Especially, both LPS and CF, 200 ㎍/ml, treatment could significantly reduce the NO production, but did not change the production of IL-6 and TNF-α. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that CF may be of immunomodulatory value, especially for adverse diseases due to increased NO production. It may have potential for use as immunoenhancing pharmacopuncture.