A microporous polyethylene (PE) film has been developed for use as the separator of a lithium (Li) ion secondary battery (LIB). LIBs are necessary in modern society as a power supply for portable equipment such as cellular phones and notebook computers. The greatest problem with using LIBs has been ensuring safety when using a Li compound and a flammable organic electrolytic solution. The most important point for ensuring the safety of LIBs has been using a separator to prevent contact between the cathode and the anode. The Asahi Kasei Corporation has developed the safety function of the separator and improved the performance of the LIB. The manufacture of battery separators made of microporous PE films was studied for PEsolvent systems (two-component phase-separation systems), as well as for new systems in which an inorganic powder was added to the PE and the solvent in this two-component system to produce three-component phase-separation systems. This method is based on thermally induced phase separation.

Chordoid glioma, which generally occurs in adults, is a rare CNS tumor arising in the anterior part of the third ventricle. We report two cases of chordoid glioma of the third ventricle in a 42-year-old woman and a 51-year-old man, respectively. Both tumors showed essentially the same histological and immunohistochemical features; the tumors were composed of cords and nests of epithelioid, GFAP-immunoreactive cells in a mucinous stroma with lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates at the tumor periphery. Ultrastructural examination in one case revealed that the tumor cells were characterized by the presence of hemidesmosomes and associated focal basal lamina formation, intermediate junctions, microvilli and cilia, and intercellular microrosettes with microvilli. Of interest was that small blood vessels with fenestrated endothelial cells were present in the stroma. In the brain, the presence of fenestrated endothelial cells is a feature of the circumventricular organs (except the subcommissural organ), among which the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis is located in the anterior part of the third ventricular floor that is lined by specialized ependymal cells known as tanycytes. These findings further strengthen the hypothesis that chordoid glioma may represent a peculiar clinicopathological subtype of ependymoma (chordoid ependymoma) originating from the lamina terminalis area.

A 46-year-old man presented with severe tension pneumocephalus triggered by mild head injury 7 years after craniotomy. He had a history of subarachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm, coating of the aneurysm performed via a craniotomy, and a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt inserted. He fell from bed in a rehabilitation hospital. Eight hours after the injury, he became comatose and suffered general convulsion. He was then transferred to our hospital. Radiography and computed tomography (CT) revealed a large amount of intracranial air and a widely opened frontal sinus. On the day of admission, the shunt tube was ligated. Surgery was performed to repair the dura mater and close the frontal sinus. Postoperative CT revealed reduction in the amount of air and frontal sinus obstruction. The patient had a good postoperative course without meningitis. Tension pneumocephalus may occur as a complication several years after a craniotomy because of the chronic lowering of intracranial pressure induced by a VP shunt. Complete frontal sinus repair is important during the initial craniotomy.

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Biaxially oriented Nylon 66 film has been developed by a new tubular process. The relationship between the structure resulting from the manufacturing conditions and properties have been examined. A key technology of manufacturing is quenching of the melt, because of the high rate of polymer crystallization. The properties of biaxially oriented Nylon 66 film are found to be determined mainly by the degree of polymerization, the molecular and hydrogen bond plane structure, orientation within the film, and the degree of crystallinity. Toughness and high thermal resistance are also properties of this film. Therefore, applications for packaging have been examined, and a "retortable pouch seems especially promising.