Mesophase structure discovered through in-situ X-ray measurement in drawing process of poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate) fiber

The structure development in the continuous laser-heated drawing process of poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate) (PEN) fiber was analyzed by in-situ X-ray diffraction measurement. Because of the rapid and uniform laser heating, and the resultant steady-state nature of the necking-drawing, the structure development after the on-set of necking could be measured in the time resolution of several hundred microseconds. We found for the first time the temporal appearance of meridional (001') diffraction at several milliseconds after the on-set of necking indicating that the mesophase structure similar to the one reported for poly(ethylene terephthalate) was also formed in the initial stage of fiber structure development of PEN. The d-spacing of the (001') diffraction 1.230 +/- 0.003 nm was shorter than the c-axis lengths of both alpha and beta crystals.ArticlePOLYMER. 50(19):4429-4431 (2009)journal articl

In-situ analysis of fiber structure development for isotactic polypropylene

Structural development of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) fibers was analyzed in real time through in-situ WAXD/SAXS and fiber temperature measurements during CO(2) laser-heated drawing because the CO(2) laser irradiation can nearly fix the necking position on the running fiber. The in-situ WAXD/SAXS measurements were carried out with a high time-resolution of 0.4 ms. The as-spun iPP fibers of two different initial structures were laser-heat-drawn to a draw ratio of 6.5. For the drawing of PP fiber containing mesophase structure, diffraction from the oriented mesophase remained until an elapsed time of 1.0 ms, when oriented alpha-phase crystal started to form. Meanwhile, for the drawing of PP fiber containing both an alpha-phase and a mesophase structure, fragmented microcrystals were reorganized by orientation-induced crystallization before an elapsed time of 1.0 ms. The long period increased drastically with fragmentation, and decreased with reorganization. The long period was about 16 nm for both drawn fibers.ArticlePOLYMER. 52(9):2044-2050 (2011)journal articl

Identification of Secretory Immunoglobulin A in Human Sweat and Sweat Glands

Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) plays an important role in local immune defense mechanisms. Although skin is always exposed to external antigens, the role of local immune defenses involving sIgA in the skin has not been adequately studied. In order to evaluate the presence of sIgA in sweat, we have measured the concentration of sIgA in human sweat by enzyme immunoassay and have localized the components of sIgA in the sweat glands of human axillary skin. The concentration of sIgA in sweat was found to be 10 times higher in men than in women (13.0 ± 0.9 μg/ml versus 1.6 ± 0.9 μg/ml). Secretory component (SC) was localized immunohistochemically in protein synthetic organelles, such as the perinuclear spaces and Golgi complex, in cytoplasmic vesicles, and along the external surface membranes of mucous cells on the terminal segment of eccrine sweat glands. IgA and J chain were present in plasma cells in the protein synthetic organelles. The luminal aspects of eccrine sweat ducts also strongly express SC, as well as IgA and J chain. Neither SC, IgA, or J chain were identified in epithelial cells of apocrine sweat glands. These findings are consistent with the theory that J chain complexed with dimeric IgA is synthesized in plasma cells and is transported by SC-mediated endocytosis transfer across mucous cells of eccrine sweat glands and thus into sweat

Development of a fiber structure in poly(vinylidene fluoride) by a CO(2) laser-heated drawing process

Rapid and uniform heating by CO(2) laser radiation can fix the position where necking occurs. Therefore, this study investigated the development of a fiber structure in poly(vinylidene fluoride) in continuous drawing by in situ measurement using synchrotron X-ray radiation with a time resolution of several hundred microseconds. Two neck-deformation behaviors were observed in the laser drawing: a moderate neck deformation under low drawing stress and a steep neck deformation under high drawing stress. The low drawing stress resulted in a mixture of alpha- and beta-crystals in which the beta-crystal was formed within 1ms after the necking, earlier than the alpha-crystal. The development of the fiber structure under high drawing stress was almost complete in less than 1 ms, and the developed structure contained only beta-crystals. Small-angle X-ray scattering images showed meridional streaks at low drawing stress, whereas a four-pointed pattern occurred under high drawing stress. Low drawing stress generated a long periodic structure that was defective in the periodic regularity of crystalline and amorphous regions, although the molecular chains were nearly oriented along the fiber axis. The high drawing stress resulted in a well-packed structure of adjacent fibrils with alternating amorphous and crystalline regions. Polymer Journal (2010) 42, 657-662; doi: 10.1038/pj.2010.53; published online 23 June 2010ArticlePOLYMER JOURNAL. 42(8):657-662 (2010)journal articl