In this paper, we present a simple check valve whose operation mimics that of venous valves. Our check valve has a mono-leaflet and is constructed via an in situ fabrication method inside the PDMS platform. For the smooth operation of the valve's leaflet, the elasticity and the shape of the leaflet and the lubrication between the leaflet and the channel surface are important. We used 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate (4-HBA) as an elastic and photopolymerizable leaflet material. We mixed the triton X-100 with the 4-HBA pre-polymer solution for the adequate lubrication of the leaflet. We constructed the micro-pumping system by combining two venous-like check valves with an oscillating polymeric diaphragm driven by pneumatic force, and measured the flow rate according to the change of pumping frequency. We also investigated the pump's feasibility as a delivery system of biocompatible materials by using mouse embryo fibroblast cells.

The electromechanical behavior of an ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) based on a chitosan/polyaniline (CP) interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) is influenced by the internal structure of the CP ion exchange membrane. The freeze-drying method was found to be successful in improving the IPMC electromechanical properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations indicated that the ion exchange membranes became more porous after freeze-drying. From swelling ratio and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements, the freeze-dried membranes exhibited a higher swelling ratio and increased free water content. Electron beam deposition was used to manufacture the IPMC metal electrodes. Experiments on the bending of IPMC samples in a direct current electric field showed that the freeze-dried samples had a faster and larger bending motion than non-freeze-dried samples.

The proposed context awareness system is composed of acceleration data acquisition part and fuzzy inference system that processes acquired data, distinguishes user motion states and recognizes emergency situations. Two-axial accelerometer embedded in SenseWear PRO2 Armband (BodyMedia) on the right upper arm collects input data containing the longitudinal acceleration average (LAA), the transverse acceleration average (TAA), the longitudinal acceleration-mean of absolute difference (L-MAD), and transverse acceleration mean of absolute difference (T-MAD). Fuzzy inference system is a tool imitating the human ability of decision making. In our system, the fuzzy inference system was used to distinguish the user motion states and to recognize emergency situations. In an experiment using eight subjects, the recognition rates of lying, sitting, walking and running were 98.9%, 98.9%, 99.7% and 99.9%, respectively. Recognition rate for lying after walking and lying after running was 100%.

The postnatal development of somatostatin (SOM)- and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-immunoreactive (ir) neurons was examined in rat cerebral cortex, while considering their coexistence in cortical neurons. Using double immunohistochemical staining for SOM and NPY with diaminobenzidine and benzidine dihydrochloride as chromogens, we subdivided immunoreactive cells into double-labeled SOM/NPY-, SOM only-, and NPY only-ir neurons. SOM/NPY- and SOM only-ir neurons were detectable even at the day of birth, in contrast on NPY only-ir cells which first appeared in most cortices from week two. The morphological features of double-labeled SOM/NPY neurons differed with those of SOM only- and NPY only-ir neurons. No apparent changes in the shape and size of single-labeled neurons occurred with age; throughout their postnatal life they were round and ovoid, had a thin rim of perinuclear cytoplasm, and short processes. However, the features of SOM/NPY-ir neurons were not consistent according to postnatal age; by day P7, these neurons showed immature features and they began to show more advanced neuronal characteristics by week P2, when they had a larger and more intensely-stain cytoplasm. In addition, their processes were longer, thicker and more complex than at earlier ages. At this age, SOM/NPY-ir somata were close to their near maximum size. From week P4, they became smaller and were lightly labeled. SOM/NPY-ir somata were larger than SOM only- and NYP only-ir somata at and after two weeks of age. The present results, showing different postnatal maturation patterns such as time of appearance and morphological features, raise the possibilities that double-labeled SOM/NPY and single-labeled immunoreactive neurons may be different populations regulated by different mechanisms in their development, and with different functional properties during development.

Endoluminal closure of a 1.5-cm colon perforation with EBL decreased procedure time and was not inferior in leak pressure compared with endoclipping in this ex vivo porcine model.