RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY IN JAPAN

Shoji Kimura 한국막학회 1991 멤브레인 Vol.1 No.1

Since the discovery of the Loeb-Sourirajan reverse osmosis membrane, thirty years have passed and many membrane technologies and new membranes for applications have been developed in the world. In the early stage of these developments Japan has not contributed much, but from the middle of 70ties Japan has started its own R&D projects starting from the desalination technology, and now various private industries and government ministries are actively engaging in R & D of membrane technologies in Japan. In Table 1 the chronological developments of important events of developments and projects relating membrane technologies inside and outside of Japan are introduced and their details will be explained. The first membrane technology applied in the Japanese industry was a electrodialysis(ED) process using ion-exchange membranes. These membranes were first developed in early 50ties and the Japanese government decided to use this method for concentration of sea-water to produce salt, which was then produced by solar evaporation. This development program started from 1960 by the Japan Monopoly Corp.(at that time). To apply ED process for sea-water concentration it was necessary to develop ion-exchange membranes having very low electric resistance to avoid energy loss due to Joule heat, and those having selectivity to permeate single valent ions only to avoid scale formation in the ED stacks. Three Japanese companies, Asahi Glass, Asahi Chemical and Tokuyama Soda, have succeeded to develop such membranes, and until 1971 all of the seven salt manufacturing companies had adopted ED for production of food salt.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY IN JAPAN

Kimura, Shoji The Membrane Society of Korea 1991 멤브레인 Vol.1 No.1

Since the discovery of the Loeb-Sourirajan reverse osmosis membrane, thirty years have passed and many membrane technologies and new membranes for applications have been developed in the world. In the early stage of these developments Japan has not contributed much, but from the middle of 70ties Japan has started its own R&D projects starting from the desalination technology, and now various private industries and government ministries are actively engaging in R & D of membrane technologies in Japan. In Table 1 the chronological developments of important events of developments and projects relating membrane technologies inside and outside of Japan are introduced and their details will be explained. The first membrane technology applied in the Japanese industry was a electrodialysis(ED) process using ion-exchange membranes. These membranes were first developed in early 50ties and the Japanese government decided to use this method for concentration of sea-water to produce salt, which was then produced by solar evaporation. This development program started from 1960 by the Japan Monopoly Corp.(at that time). To apply ED process for sea-water concentration it was necessary to develop ion-exchange membranes having very low electric resistance to avoid energy loss due to Joule heat, and those having selectivity to permeate single valent ions only to avoid scale formation in the ED stacks. Three Japanese companies, Asahi Glass, Asahi Chemical and Tokuyama Soda, have succeeded to develop such membranes, and until 1971 all of the seven salt manufacturing companies had adopted ED for production of food salt.

Recent Development of Various Inorganic Membranes in Japan

Kimura, Shoji The Membrane Society of Korea 1997 멤브레인 Vol.7 No.1

Two membrane-rdated research projects are now being developed in Japan and their main target is to develop new inorganic membranes. The first project is the R & D of membranes for carbon dioxide recovery at high temperature, conducted by the Japan Fine Ceramics Center (JFCC) and Japan Fine Ceramics Association (JFCA) under the supervision by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The second one is the R & D of membranes for petroleum refinery and chemical processes, conducted by the Japan High Polymer Center (JHPC) under the supervision by the Petroleum Energy Center (PEC). Cooperating with these projects researchers in many universities and research institutes have been publishing many interesting data of inorganic membranes manufactured by various methods. Many such results are summarized and reported.

일본의 무기막 개발 현황

Kimura Shoji 한국막학회 1997 멤브레인 Vol.7 No.1

Two membrane-rdated research projects are now being developed in Japan and their main target is to develop new inorganic membranes. The first project is the R & D of membranes for carbon dioxide recovery at high temperature, conducted by the Japan Fine Ceramics Center (JFCC) and Japan Fine Ceramics Association (JFCA) under the supervision by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The second one is the R & D of membranes for petroleum refinery and chemical processes, conducted by the Japan High Polymer Center (JHPC) under the supervision by the Petroleum Energy Center (PEC). Cooperating with these projects researchers in many universities and research institutes have been publishing many interesting data of inorganic membranes manufactured by various methods. Many such results are summarized and reported.

Circumferential Spinal Cord Decompression through a Single Posterior Approach with Microendoscopy for Thoracic and Thoracolumbar Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament

Shoji Seki,Hayato Mine,Yoshiharu Kawaguchi,Hiroto Makino,Tomoatsu Kimura 대한척추외과학회 2015 Asian Spine Journal Vol.9 No.4

Thoracic and thoracolumbar ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) can be difficult to treat due to the anatomical position. The purpose of this study was to report the significance of a novel surgical technique that represented two cases of thoracic or thoracolumbar OPLL. The first patient was a 72-year-old woman who had a beak-type OPLL at the T11/12. The second was a 45-yearold woman who had a beak-type OPLL at the T12/L1. We performed circumferential spinal cord decompression through a single posterior approach with microendoscopy in both cases. The postoperative computed tomography revealed the complete removal of the OPLL, and the magnetic resonance imaging confirmed adequate decompression of the spinal cord. Preoperative symptoms were substantially improved in both patients. To date, we have used this novel technique to treat five patients with thoracic or thoracolumbar OPLL. This new surgical technique is likely to be useful in patients with a beak-type OPLL of the thoracic or thoracolumbar spine.

Magnetic Effects on Flames and Gas Streams

Hidenori Tanaka,Kazuhide Tanaka,Koji Yoshida,Motoaki Kimura,Morimasa Higaki,Hideo Shoji,Atsusi Saima 대한기계학회 1998 KSME/JSME THERMAL and FLUID Engineering Conference Vol.1 No.1

역삼투와 투과 증발막 공정의 비교 2: 실험적 해석

Rhim Ji Won,Bae Seong Youl,Kimura Shoji,Robert Y.M. Huang 한국막학회 1993 멤브레인 Vol.3 No.1

역삼투 및 투과 증발막 분리공정이 nylon 4 blended 막을 사용하여 물-에탄올 계에 대하여 실험적으로 비교되어졌다. 위 두 공저의 이론적 비교를 다루었던 전 논문과 마찬가지로 투과 증발 공정의 분리 효율이 역삼투 공저의 경우 보다 더 좋음을 알 수 있었다. 그러나 투과도 데이타는 막의 결함들로 인하여 엉뚱한 결과를 보였다. Reverse osmosis(RO) and pervaporation(PV) membrane separation proceaes were compared with each other experimentally for the system of water-ethanol mixtures by using nylon 4 blended membranes. The separation effciencies of PV were better than those of RO as expected in previous paper covering the theoretical comparisons of both processes, however tbe permeabilities data showed erraerie results due to the membrane imperfections.

Clinical implication of surgically treated early-stage cervical cancer with multiple high-risk factors

Koji Matsuo,Seiji Mabuchi,Mika Okazawa,Mahiru Kawano,Hiromasa Kuroda,Shoji Kamiura,Tadashi Kimura 대한부인종양학회 2015 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.26 No.1

Objective: Presence of high-risk factor in cervical cancer is known to be associated with decreased survival outcomes. However, the significance of multiple high-risk factors in early-stage cervical cancer related to survival outcomes, recurrence patterns, and treatment implications is not well elucidated. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted for surgically treated cervical cancer patients (stage IA2–IIB, n=540). Surgical-pathological risk factors were examined and tumors expressing ≥1 high-risk factors (nodal metastasis, parametrial involvement, or positive surgical margin) were eligible for analysis (n=177, 32.8%). Survival analysis was performed based on the number of high-risk factors and the type of adjuvant therapy. Results: There were 68 cases (38.4%) expressed multiple high-risk factors (2 high-risk factors: n=58, 32.8%; 3 high-risk factors: n=10, 5.6%). Multiple high-risk factors remained an independent prognosticator for decreased survival outcomes after controlling for age, histology, stage, and treatment type (disease-free survival: hazard ratio [HR], 2.34; p=0.002; overall survival: HR, 2.32; p=0.007). Postoperatively, 101 cases (57.1%) received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and 76 cases (42.9%) received radiotherapy (RT) alone. CCRT was beneficial in single high-risk factor cases: HRs for CCRT over RT alone for cumulative risk of locoregional and distant recurrence, 0.27 (p=0.022) and 0.27 (p=0.005), respectively. However, tumor expressing multiple high-risk factors completely offset the benefit of CCRT over RT alone for the risk of distant recurrence: HR for locoregional and distant recurrence, 0.31 (p=0.071) and 0.99 (p=0.980), respectively. Conclusion: Special consideration for the significance of multiple high-risk factors merits further investigation in the management of surgically treated early-stage cervical cancer.

Portal bifurcation reconstruction using own hepatic vein grafts due to portal vein anomaly of the living donor for the patient with portal vein thrombosis

Akira Umemura,Hiroyuki Nitta,Takeshi Takahara,Yasushi Hasegawa,Hirokatsu Katagiri,Shoji Kanno,Megumi Kobayashi,Taro Ando,Taku Kimura,Akira Sasaki 한국간담췌외과학회 2020 Annals of hepato-biliary-pancreatic surgery Vol.24 No.4

A 57-year-old Japanese female was considered for living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) due to end-stage liver cirrhosis caused by primary biliary cholangitis with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) formation. A 26-year-old daughter of the patient was selected as a living donor; however, a computed tomography examination revealed trifurcated-type portal vein anomaly (PVA). Preoperative liver volumetry showed that the right lobe graft was necessary for the recipient; therefore, reconstruction of the portal vein bifurcation during LDLT was necessary. We planned to extract the recipient’s own hepatic vein grafts after total hepatectomy, and these would be attached with anterior and posterior portal branches as jump grafts. We performed laparoscopic donor hepatectomy as usual, and the recipient’s hepatic vein grafts were anastomosed on the bench. Then, the liver graft was inserted, and the hepatic vein reconstruction was routinely performed. We confirmed the alignment between the recipient’s portal vein and the bridged hepatic vein graft of the liver graft’s posterior branch, and anastomosed these two vessels. Moreover, we confirmed the front flow and expansion of the reconstructed posterior branch by declamping only the suprapancreatic side of the portal vein. The decision regarding the punch-out location was crucial. We confirmed the alignment between the reconstructed posterior branch and the bridged hepatic vein graft of the anterior branch, and anastomosed these two vessels employing the punched-out technique. In LDLT, liver transplant surgeons occasionally encounter living donors with PVA or recipients with PVT. Our contrivance may be useful when the liver graft needs reconstruction of portal vein bifurcation.