bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development and characterization of a novolac resin/BaTiO3 nanoparticles composite system
Authors: Asimakopoulos I. , Zoumpoulakis L. , Psarras G. C. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractPolymer composites incorporating ferroelectric and piezoelectric crystal particles, randomly distributed within the host matrix, represent a novel class of materials. In this study, composite materials consisted of novolac resin and barium titanate nanoparticles were prepared and examined, varying the nanofiller content. Structural characterization was conducted via X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Mechanical and dielectric properties were examined by employing bending and shear strength tests and broadband dielectric spectroscopy, respectively. Bending and shear strength found to decrease with the filler content. Dielectric permittivity was found to increase significantly with filler content, and the detected relaxation processes were attributed to interfacial polarization, glass to rubber transition of the matrix, and reorientation of polar side groups of the polymer chain. Although, the mechanical performance of the examined systems seems not to be attractive in applications due to its brittleness, nanocomposites' dielectric response could be proved interesting in electrical and electronic devices applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Evaluation of the complex hygrothermal behaviors of epoxy–amine systems
Authors: Choi Sungwon , Phantu Andrea , Douglas Elliot P. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractIn this study, the complex hygrothermal behavior of two epoxy systems used for strengthening applications was studied. In these systems, property loss by plasticization simultaneously occurred with property gain during additional curing. A comparison of the changes in the glass‐transition temperature (Tg) and crosslink density with water immersion at different temperatures clearly showed that the two effects of additional curing by a postcuring reaction and plasticization by water absorption were in competition with each other during the exposure. The changes in the conversion with different exposure conditions suggested that water accelerated the postcuring reaction, even at low temperatures; this resulted in a significant difference in the postcuring reaction between unexposed and exposed epoxies. The construction of the plot of Tg versus conversion for the unexposed system and the placement of the Tg for exposed systems onto this master plot provided a method for evaluating the plasticization effect while excluding the influence of additional curing. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
On the characterization of sodium alginate/gelatine‐based hydrogels for wound dressing
Authors: Saarai Amarjargal , Sedlacek Tomas , Kasparkova Vera , Kitano Takeshi , Saha Petr 
Published: February 2012

AbstractIn this study, sodium alginate/gelatine (SA/G) hydrogels were prepared to obtain wound dressing with good, moist, healing, and biocompatibility properties. The physicochemical properties of hydrogels were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and a swelling test. Dynamic viscoelastic properties including the storage, loss moduli, G′ and G″, and loss angle, tan delta of both freshly prepared and swelled gels were examined in oscillatory experiments. Its results revealed that tested SA/G hydrogels exhibit highly elastic behavior similar to the viscoelastic response of human skin. Based on the performed analysis, it could be suggested that the SA/G hydrogel is a potential wound dressing material providing and maintaining the adequate moist environment required to prevent scab formation and the dehydration of the wound bed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Interfacial compatibility of wood flour/polypropylene composites by stress relaxation method
Authors: Wang Yi , Cao Jinzhen , Zhu Lizhi , Zhao Guangjie 
Published: February 2012

AbstractTo investigate the interfacial compatibility of wood flour/polypropylene (PP) composite, compressive stress relaxation curves at different temperatures (26, 40, and 60°C) were determined at various wood contents (0, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70%) without coupling agent and further determined at wood contents of 50 and 60% by using maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) and silane as coupling agents. The apparent activation energy (▵E) was also calculated according to the Eyring's absolute rate reaction theory. The results showed that the stress relaxed faster at higher temperatures. ▵E of wood flour/polypropylene composites without coupling agent showed the highest value at wood content of 40%, suggesting that the best interfacial compatibility between wood and PP occurred at 40% wood content. Adding coupling agents increased ▵E obviously at higher wood contents (50 and 60%). With the increasing loading level of coupling agents, ▵E increased at first and then decreased gradually or finally reached a constant level depending on the type of coupling agent. The optimal loading of coupling agent corresponding to the highest ▵E value was related to wood content and the type of coupling agent. Within the experimental conditions used in this study, the optimal loading level for MAPP was 2% at both wood contents while for silane it was 1.5% and 2% at wood content of 50 and 60%, respectively. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
The effect of absorbed moisture on dielectric behavior of silica (micro)‐unsaturated polyester composites
Authors: Sharma Ram A. , D'Melo Dawid , Chaudhari L. , Bhattacharya S. , Gawande Rajiv , Patil Gopal S. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractIt is well known that most of the dielectric failures occur in high voltage equipment due to absorption of moisture by the insulating material from the environment. Hence, the effect of absorbed moisture on electrical and mechanical properties of silica‐unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) composites has been evaluated. The absorption of moisture in silica‐UPR composites does not show any significant change in electrical and mechanical properties. The effect of acetone and water absorption on silica‐UPR composites was determined and it was that found silica‐UPR composite shows higher acetone absorption when compared with water. The differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis studies of silica‐UPR composites show no significant change in glass transition temperature using prehumidified (0–95% RH) silica filler. As there is no significant change in thermal and mechanical properties after exposure to humid conditions, it can be concluded that water does not penetrate inside the polymer matrix. Hence, the silica particles are the best choice to use as filler in UPR matrix for UPR composite used in electrical equipment. The developed silica‐UPR composite was successfully used in the preparation of medium voltage inductive transformers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Group 3 Metal Initiators with an [OSSO]‐Type Bis(phenolate) Ligand for the Stereoselective Polymerization of Lactide Monomers
Authors: Kapelski Andreas , Buffet Jean‐Charles , Spaniol Thomas P. , Okuda Jun 
Published: February 2012

AbstractA series of 1,ω‐dithiaalkanediyl‐bridged bis(phenols) of the general type [OSSO]H2 with variable steric properties and various bridges were prepared. The stoichiometric reaction of the bis(phenols) 1,3‐dithiapropanediyl‐2,2′‐bis(4,6‐di‐tert‐butylphenol), 1,3‐dithiapropanediyl‐2,2′‐bis[4,6‐di(2‐phenyl‐2‐propyl)phenol], rac‐2,3‐trans‐propanediyl‐1,4‐dithiabutanediyl‐2,2′‐bis[4,6‐di(2‐phenyl‐2‐propyl)phenol], rac‐2,3‐trans‐butanediyl‐1,4‐dithiabutane diyl‐2,2′‐bis[4,6‐di(2‐phenyl‐2‐propyl)phenol], rac‐2,3‐trans‐hexanediyl‐1,4‐dithiabutanediyl‐2,2′‐bis[4,6‐di(2‐phenyl‐2‐propyl)phenol], 1,3‐dithiapropanediyl‐2,2′‐bis[6‐(1‐methylcyclohexyl)‐4‐methylphenol] (C1, R=1‐methylcyclohexyl), and 1,4‐dithiabutanediyl‐2,2′‐bis[6‐(1‐methylcyclohexyl)‐4‐methylphenol] with rare‐earth metal silylamido precursors [Ln{N(SiHMe2)2}3(thf)x] (Ln=Sc, x=1 or Ln=Y, x=2; thf=tetrahydrofuran) afforded the corresponding scandium and yttrium bis(phenolate) silylamido complexes [Ln(OSSO){N(SiHMe2)2}(thf)] in moderate to good yields. The monomeric nature of these complexes was shown by an X‐ray diffraction study of one of the yttrium complexes. The complexes efficiently initiated the ring‐opening polymerization of rac‐ and meso‐lactide to give heterotactic‐biased poly(rac‐lactides) and highly syndiotactic poly(meso‐lactides). Variation of the ligand backbone and the steric properties of the ortho substituents affected the level of tacticity in the polylactides.
Effects of dehydration on immune functions after a judo practice session
Authors: Chishaki Takeharu , Umeda Takashi , Takahashi Ippei , Matsuzaka Masashi , Iwane Kaori , Matsumoto Hidehiko , Ishibashi Goshi , Ueno Yuichi , Kashiwa Naohiro , Nakaji Shigeyuki 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTWe investigated the effects of dehydration after a judo practice session on player muscle and immune functions. Subjects included 25 female university judoists. Investigations were performed before and after 2.5 h of regular judo practice. Body composition, serum enzymes (myogenic enzymes, immunoglobulins and complements), neutrophils counts, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production capability, and phagocytic activity (PA) were measured. Subjects were divided into two groups according to level of dehydration after practice (mild dehydration and severe dehydration groups) and results were compared. Creatine kinase was found to increase significantly after practice. In addition, neutrophil count also increased significantly after practice in both groups. The changing ratios of IgA, IgG and C3 observed in the mild dehydration group were significantly higher than those in the severe dehydration group. In the severe dehydration group, post‐practice PA/neutrophil had decreased significantly. Significant positive correlations were found between severity of dehydration and changing ratios of IgA, IgG, IgM, C3, C4 and ROS production capabilities, whereas no significant association was seen with PA and/or serum SOD activity. These results suggest that dehydration resulted in immunosuppression, including decreased neutrophil function. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Changes in neutrophil functions during a 10‐month soccer season and their effects on the physical condition of professional Japanese soccer players
Authors: Suda Yoshimasa , Umeda Takashi , Watanebe Kiyotaka , Kuroiwa Jun , Sasaki Eiji , Tsukamoto Toshiaki , Takahashi Ippei , Matsuzaka Masashi , Iwane Kaori , Nakaji Shigeyuki 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTWe examined changes in neutrophil function of soccer players over a 10‐month period and determined its effectiveness as an index for athlete physical condition. Subjects included 21 male professional Japanese soccer players. Data on body composition, myogenic enzymes and neutrophil function were obtained before and after 2 h of training at 3 investigation points: one week before opening season, at season mid‐point, and one week before the last game of the season. As a result, change ratios of myogenic enzyme levels before and after the 2‐hr training session at the third investigation point were significantly higher compared to the two other points. Reactive oxygen species production and phagocytic activity significantly increased after 2‐hr training session at point 1, although the extent of the increase became smaller over time and ROS production capability decreased significantly by point 3 assessment. Fatigue, especially muscle fatigue, chronically accumulated along with a gradual decrease in neutrophil immune function over the 10‐month season. Therefore, determination of neutrophil function can be used as a useful index to assess and understand an athlete's physical condition. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prospective randomized trial of preoperative enteral immunonutrition followed by elective total gastrectomy for gastric cancer
Authors: Fujitani K , Tsujinaka T , Fujita J , Miyashiro I , Imamura H , Kimura Y , Kobayashi K , Kurokawa Y , Shimokawa T , Furukawa H 
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Background
Perioperative enteral immunonutrition is thought to reduce postoperative morbidity in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. This study assessed the clinical effects of preoperative enteral immunonutrition in well nourished patients with gastric cancer undergoing total gastrectomy.

Methods
Well nourished patients with primary gastric cancer, fit for total gastrectomy, were randomized to either a control group with regular diet, or an immunonutrition group that received regular diet supplemented with 1000 ml/day of immunonutrients for 5 consecutive days before surgery. The primary endpoint was the incidence of surgical-site infection (SSI). Secondary endpoints were rates of infectious complications, overall postoperative morbidity and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on 3–4 days after surgery.

Results
Of 244 randomized patients, 117 were allocated to the control group and 127 received immunonutrition. SSIs occurred in 27 patients in the immunonutrition group and 23 patients in the control group (risk ratio (RR) 1·09, 95 per cent confidence interval 0·66 to 1·78). Infectious complications were observed in 30 patients in the immunonutrition group and 27 in the control group (RR 1·11, 0·59 to 2·08). The overall postoperative morbidity rate was 30·8 and 26·1 per cent respectively (RR 1·18, 0·78 to 1·78). The median CRP value was 11·8 mg/dl in the immunonutrition group and 9·2 mg/dl in the control group (P = 0·113).

Conclusion
Five-day preoperative enteral immunonutrition failed to demonstrate any clear advantage in terms of early clinical outcomes or modification of the systemic acute-phase response in well nourished patients with gastric cancer undergoing elective total gastrectomy. Registration number: ID 000000648 (University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) database).
Systematic review and meta-analysis of cutting diathermyversusscalpel for skin incision
Authors: Ly J , Mittal A , Windsor J 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBackgroundSkin incisions have traditionally been made using a scalpel. Cutting diathermy, a more recent alternative, is thought to increase the risk of infection, impair healing and decrease cosmesis. Recent studies suggest otherwise, claiming that diathermy may offer potential advantages with respect to blood loss, incision time and postoperative pain. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare skin incisions made by either scalpel or cutting diathermy.MethodsA systematic literature search and review was performed for studies published from January 1980 until June 2011. Randomized clinical trials comparing scalpel and cutting diathermy for skin incisions of any operation were included. Primary outcomes included wound complication rate, blood loss, incision times and pain scores.ResultsFourteen randomized trials met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, providing outcome data for a total of 2541 patients (1267 undergoing skin incision by cutting diathermy and 1274 by scalpel). The median length of follow-up across all studies was 6 weeks (range 4 days to 19 months). Compared with a scalpel incision, cutting diathermy resulted in significantly less blood loss (mean difference 0·72 ml/cm2; P &lt; 0·001) and shorter incision times (mean difference 36 s; P &lt; 0·001), with no differences in the wound complication rate (odds ratio 0·87; P = 0·29) or pain score at 24 h (mean difference 0·89; P = 0·05).ConclusionSkin incisions made by cutting diathermy are quicker and associated with less blood loss than those made by scalpel, and there are no differences in the rate of wound complications or postoperative pain.
An improved gas chromatography screening method for doping substances using triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, with an emphasis on quality assurance
Authors: De Brabanter Nik , Van Gansbeke Wim , Geldof Lore , Van Eenoo Peter 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTA GC‐QqQ‐MS method was developed for the detection of over 150 compounds from different classes (steroids, narcotics, stimulants, β‐blockers, β‐2‐agonists and hormone antagonists) in a qualitative way. In the quantitative part, the traditional steroid profile with the most important endogenous steroids is expanded with six minor metabolites, which further improves the detection and identification of endogenous steroid abuse. In addition to these, norandrosterone, salbutamol and the major metabolite of cannabis are also quantified. Methods developed for anti‐doping purposes should be subjected to the highest level of quality. Here, the addition of a combination of (deuterated) internal standards allows for an accurate quality control of every single step of the methodology: hydrolysis efficiency, derivatization efficiency and microbiological degradation are monitored in every single sample. Additionally, special attention is paid to the relationships between parameters indicating degradation by micro‐organisms and the reliability of the steroid profile. The impact of the degradation is studied by evaluation of the quantities and percentages of 5α‐androstane‐3,17‐dione and 5β‐androstane‐3,17‐dione. The concept of measurement uncertainty was introduced for the evaluation of relative abundances of mass‐to‐charge ratios and the obtained ranges were compared with the World Anti‐Doping Agency regulations on tolerance windows for relative ion intensities. The results indicate that the approaches are similar. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Purification of monoclonal antibodies, IgG1, from cell culture supernatant by use of metal chelate convective interaction media monolithic columns
Authors: Rajak Poonam , Vijayalakshmi M. A. , Jayaprakash N. S. 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTMonoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have diverse applications in diagnostics and therapeutics. The recent advancement in hybridoma technology for large‐scale production of MAbs in bioreactors demands rapid and efficient purification methods. Conventional affinity purification systems have drawbacks of low flow rates and denaturation of antibodies owing to harsh elution conditions. Here, we attempted purification of MAbs by use of a high‐throughput metal–chelate methacrylate monolithic system. Monolithic macroporous convective interaction media–iminodiacetate (CIM‐IDA) disks immobilized with four different metal ions (Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+ and Co2+) were used and evaluated for purification of anti‐human serum albumin IgG1 mouse MAbs from cell culture supernatant after precipitation with 50% ammonium sulfate. Elution with 10 mM imidazole in the equilibration buffer (25 mM MMA = MOPS (Morpholino propane sulfonic acid) + MES (Morpholino ethane sulfonic acid) + Acetate + 0.5 M NaCl, pH 7.4) resulted in a purification of 25.7 ± 2.9‐fold and 32.5 ± 2.6‐fold in experiments done using Zn2+ and Co2+ metal ions, respectively. The highest recovery of 85.4 ± 1.0% was obtained with a CIM‐IDA‐Zn(II) column. SDS–PAGE, ELISA and immuno‐blot showed that the antibodies recovered were pure, with high antigen‐binding efficiency. Thus, metal chelate CIM monoliths could be a potential alternative to conventional systems for fast and efficient purification of MAbs from the complex cell culture supernatant. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis, Computational Modeling, and Properties of Benzo‐Appended BODIPYs
Authors: Uppal Timsy , Hu Xiaoke , Fronczek Frank R. , Maschek Stephanie , Bobadova‐Parvanova Petia , Vicente M. Graça H. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractA series of new functionalized mono‐ and dibenzo‐appended BODIPY dyes were synthesized from a common tetrahydroisoindole precursor following two different synthetic routes. Route A involved the assembly of the BODIPY core prior to aromatization, while in Route B the aromatization step was performed first. In general, Route A gave higher yields of the target dibenzo‐BODIPYs, due to the ease of aromatization of the BODIPYs compared with the corresponding dipyrromethenes, probably due to their higher stability under the oxidative conditions (2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone in refluxing toluene). However, due to the slow oxidation of highly electron‐deficient BODIPY 3 c bearing a meso‐C6F5 group, dibenzo‐BODIPY 4 c was obtained, in 35 % overall from dipyrromethane, only by Route B. Computational calculations performed at the 6‐31G(d,p) level are in agreement with the experimental results, showing similar relative energies for all reaction intermediates in both routes. In addition, BODIPY 3 c had the highest molecular electrostatic potential (MEPN), confirming its high electron deficiency and consequent resistance toward oxidation. X‐ray analyses of eight BODIPYs and several intermediates show that benzannulation further enhances the planarity of these systems. The π‐extended BODIPYs show strong red‐shifted absorptions and emissions, about 50–60 nm per benzoannulated ring, at 589–658 and 596–680 nm, respectively. In particular, db‐BODIPY 4 c bearing a meso‐C6F5 group showed the longest λmax of absorption and emission, along with the lowest fluorescence quantum yield (0.31 in CH2Cl2); on the other hand monobenzo‐BODIPY 8 showed the highest quantum yield (0.99) of this series. Cellular investigations using human carcinoma HEp2 cells revealed high plasma membrane permeability for all dibenzo‐BODIPYs, low dark‐ and photo‐cytotoxicities and intracellular localization in the cell endoplasmic reticulum, in addition to other organelles. Our studies indicate that benzo‐appended BODIPYs, in particular the highly stable meso‐substituted BODIPYs, are promising fluorophores for bioimaging applications.
Label‐Free Live‐Cell Imaging of Nucleic Acids Using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy
Authors: Zhang Xu , Roeffaers Maarten B. J. , Basu Srinjan , Daniele Joseph R. , Fu Dan , Freudiger Christian W. , Holtom Gary R. , Xie X. Sunney 
Published: February 2012

AbstractImaging of nucleic acids is important for studying cellular processes such as cell division and apoptosis. A noninvasive label‐free technique is attractive. Raman spectroscopy provides rich chemical information based on specific vibrational peaks. However, the signal from spontaneous Raman scattering is weak and long integration times are required, which drastically limits the imaging speed when used for microscopy. Coherent Raman scattering techniques, comprising coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, overcome this problem by enhancing the signal level by up to five orders of magnitude. CARS microscopy suffers from a nonresonant background signal, which distorts Raman spectra and limits sensitivity. This makes CARS imaging of weak transitions in spectrally congested regions challenging. This is especially the case in the fingerprint region, where nucleic acids show characteristic peaks. The recently developed SRS microscopy is free from these limitations; excitation spectra are identical to those of spontaneous Raman and sensitivity is close to shot‐noise limited. Herein we demonstrate the use of SRS imaging in the fingerprint region to map the distribution of nucleic acids in addition to proteins and lipids in single salivary gland cells of Drosophila larvae, and in single mammalian cells. This allows the imaging of DNA condensation associated with cell division and opens up possibilities of imaging such processes in vivo.