The effect of tissue porosity on ion (sodium, potassium, and chloride) diffusivity in agarose gels and porcine intervertebral disc tissues was investigated using an electrical conductivity method. An empirical, constitutive model for diffusivity (D) of solutes in porous fibrous media was proposed: D/Do = exp[-alpha(r(s)/k(1/2))beta] where r(s) is the Stokes radius of a solute, kappa is the Darcy permeability of the porous medium, Do is the diffusivity in free solution, alpha and beta are two positive parameters whose values depend on material structure. It is found that alpha = 1.25 +/- 0.138, beta = 0.681 +/- 0.059 (95% confidence interval, R2 = 0.92, n = 72) for agarose gels and alpha = 1.29 +/- 0.171 and beta = 0.372 +/- 0.088 (95% confidence interval, R2 = 0.88, n = 86) for porcine annulus fibrosus. The functional relationship between solute diffusivity and tissue deformation was derived. Comparisons of our model prediction with experimental data on diffusion coefficients of macromolecules (proteins, dextrans, polymer beads) in agarose gels in the literature were made. Our results were also compared to the data on ion diffusivity in charged gels and in cartilaginous tissues reported in the literature. There was a good agreement between our model prediction and the data in the literature. The present study provides additional information on solute diffusivity in uncharged gels and charged tissues, and is important for understanding nutritional transport in avascular cartilaginous tissues under different mechanical loading conditions.

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A series of novel polyamides containing diacetylene groups as side chains were prepared by Cadiot-Chodkiewcz-coupling of polymer precursors bearing 2-propynyloxy side groups with 4-bromo-3-butyn-1-01. The conversion of the acetylenic groups was in the range of 87.5-96.5% depending on the chemical structure of the polymer backbone. The polymers are highly amorphous and undergo random cross-linking on heating. Thermally treated polymer films show third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility x (3) of the order of lo-'' esu (= lo-'* m5N2).