Long-term non-surgical contraceptive methods for cats, especially community cats, are of global interest for cost-effective and humane reasons. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-based vaccine for immunocontraception and to confirm its safety in intact female cats. Recombinant Salmonella typhimurium flagellin fljB (STF2)-GnRH protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. We divided female cats into vehicle control group (n = 4) and two experimental groups (100 μg injection group [n = 7] and 1000 μg injection group [n=7]), and immunized them twice intramuscularly (0.2 mL/cat at zero week and 4 weeks later into the other leg). Breeding trials started on day 120. All control cats (n = 4/4), 71% of the 100 μg injection group (n = 5/7), and 57% of the 1000 μg injection group (n = 4/7) became pregnant within 203 days after the introduction of male cats. The 1000 μg injection group had significantly a longer median time to conception following treatment (166 days) than the control (17 days, p < 0.05). Average litter size was significantly lower in the 1000 μg GnRH-vaccinated cats (2.8 ± 0.7) than in the control cats (4.5 ± 0.5, p < 0.05). Injection site reactions were not observed in any cat. The E. coli-expressed STF2-GnRH vaccine did not provide contraception in a sufficient proportion of the cats. However, it might be effective to suppress fertility through infertility vaccines before inducing permanent infertility through the trap-neuter-return.

The mixed matrix membranes for CO2/N2 separation, which is composed of commercially available MgCO3 and amphiphilic comb polymer matrix based on poly(ethyleneglycol) behenyl ether methacrylate and poly(oxyethelene methacrylate) synthesized via a facile free radical polymerization, were fabricated. The use of a CP improved the dispersion of the MgCO3 in ethanol due to the specific interaction between CP and MgCO3. The MMMs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HR-TEM), and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). The best performance of gas separation for CP/MgCO3 MMM was shown in the case of 45wt% MgCO3 with the highest CO2 /N2 selectivity(93.8) and good CO2 permeance (30.9GPU). This performance of this CP/MgCO3 MMM is higher than other MgCO3 commercially available MMMs.

A cost-effective, easy method for enhancing the CO2 permeance and CO2/N2 selectivity of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) was fabricated using commercially available MgCO3 crystals. The MgCO3 crystals were homogenously dispersed in polymer matrices via mechanical stirring to prepare MMMs. In particular, an amphiphilic comb polymer (CP) consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) behenyl ether methacrylate (PEGBEM) and poly(oxyethylene methacrylate) (POEM) was shown to be ideal matrix because of the interactions between its carbonyl oxygen atoms and MgCO3. Through SEM, HR-TEM, WAXS, DSC, FT-IR, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm measurements and Raman spectroscopies, the MgCO3 and CP/MgCO3 hybrids were characterized. The CP/MgCO3 MMM with 45 wt% MgCO3 exhibited the highest CO2/N2 selectivity of 93.8 and CO2 permeance of 30.9 GPU.

The interfacial chemical behavior, lattice exchange and dissolution, of FeS(s) as one of the important sulfide minerals was studied. Emphases were made on the surface characterization of hydrous FeS(s), the lattice exchange of Cu(Ⅱ) and FeS(s), and its effect on the dissolution of FeS(s), and also affect some organic ligands on that of both Cu(Ⅱ) and FeS(s), Cu(Ⅱ) which has lower sulfide solubility in water than FeS(s) undergoes the lattice exchange reaction when Cu(Ⅱ) ion contacts FeS(s) in the aqueous phase. For heavy metals which have higher sulfide solubilities in water than FeS(s), these metal ions were adsorbed on the surface of FeS(s) Such a reaction was interpreted by the solid solution formation theory. Phthalic acid(a weak chelate agent) and EDTA(a strong chelate agent) were used to demonstrate the effect of organic ligands on the lattice exchange reaction between Cu(Ⅱ) and FeS(s). The pHzpc of FeS(s) is 7 and the effect of ionic strength is not showed. It can be expected that phthalic acid has little effect on the lattice exchange reaction between Cu(Ⅱ) and FeS(s), whereas EDTA has very decreased the removal of Cu(Ⅱ) and FeS(s). This study shows that stability of sulfide sediments was predicted by its solubility. The pH control of the alkaline-neutralization process to treat heavy metal in wastewater treatment process did not needed. Thereby, it was regarded as an optimal process which could apply to examine a long term stability of marshland closely in the treatment of heavy metal in wastewater released from a disused mine.