bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Organic/inorganic nanocomposites prepared by mechanical smashing of agglomerated silica ultrafine particles in molten thermoplastic resin
Authors: Tanahashi Mitsuru , Hirose Masaki , Lee Jeong‐Chang , Takeda Kunihiko 
Published: November 2006

AbstractA new approach for the preparation of organic/inorganic nanocomposites was investigated in which nano‐sized silica particles without surface modification were dispersed by the mechanical smashing of strength‐controlled porous silica agglomerates in molten resin during direct melt‐compounding. The method consists of two stages. The first stage involves preparation of the strength‐controlled agglomerated silica nanoparticles with pore structure, and the second stage involves melt‐compounding of a thermoplastic resin with the silica agglomerates prepared in the first stage. In the first stage, on the basis of the theory of stability of an aqueous colloidal silica solution, the pore structure and the fracture strength of the silica agglomerate could be controlled by pH‐control and electrolyte ion‐addition to the colloidal solutions of silica nanoparticles. In the next stage, primary silica nanoparticles could be dispersed in some matrix resins such as a poly(ethylene‐ran‐vinyl alcohol) and polystyrene uniformly by the proposed mechanical approach by the use of the high shear stress acting on porous silica agglomerates inside these melt‐compounded resins. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fabrication of micropatterns with dyes in polymer films by selective doping of dye vapor in a vacuum
Authors: Mizokuro Toshiko , Mochizuki Hiroyuki , Tanigaki Nobutaka , Hiraga Takashi 
Published: November 2006

AbstractIn this article a novel process for patterning of dye into a positive‐type novolac resin is reported by doping vapor of the blue dye, Solvent Blue 59 (SB59), using a simple vacuum process named the vapor transportation method. SB59‐doped novolac resin films were examined by UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy and optical microscopy. When SB59 vapor was doped into unexposed films at temperatures above 130°C, absorption peaks due to SB59 were detected. In contrast, no absorption peaks were detected when SB59 vapor was doped into exposed films. These results indicated the selective doping of SB59 vapor into unexposed novolac resin films. When SB59 vapor reached the surfaces of micropatterned novolac resin films with both unexposed and exposed areas, SB59 was doped selectively into the unexposed areas of the films, resulting in the production of micropatterns with SB59 molecules in the patterned films. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gastric cancers in young and elderly patients show different genomic profiles
Authors: Buffart TE , Carvalho B , Hopmans E , Brehm V , Kranenbarg E Klein , Schaaij‐Visser TBM , Eijk PP , van Grieken NCT , Ylstra B , van de Velde CJH , Meijer GA 
Published: November 2006

AbstractAlthough most gastric cancers occur in elderly patients, a substantial number of cases of this common disease occur in young patients. Gastric cancer is a heterogeneous disease at the genomic level and different patterns of DNA copy number alterations are associated with different clinical behaviour. The aim of the present study was to explore differences in DNA copy number alterations in relation to age of onset of gastric cancer. DNA isolated from 46 paraffin‐embedded gastric cancer tissue samples from 17 patients less than 50 years of age [median 43 (21–49) years] and 29 patients greater than or equal to 70 years of age [median 75 (70–83) years] was analysed by genome‐wide microarray comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) using an array of 5000 BAC clones. Patterns of DNA copy number aberrations were analysed by hierarchical cluster analysis of the mode‐normalized and smoothed log2 ratios of tumour to normal reference fluorescence signal intensities using TMEV software, after which cluster membership was correlated with age group. In addition, supervised analysis was performed using CGH Multi‐array. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the array CGH data revealed three clusters with different genomic profiles that correlated significantly with age (p = 0.006). Cluster 1 mainly contained young patients, while elderly patients were divided over clusters 2 and 3. Chromosome regions 11q23.3 and 19p13.3 contributed most to age‐related differences in tumour profiles. Gastric cancers of young and old patients belong to groups with different genomic profiles, which likely reflect different pathogenic mechanisms of the disease. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lack of effect of influenza immunisation on anticoagulant control in patients on long‐term warfarin
Authors: MacCallum Peter , Madhani Manisha , Mt‐Isa Shahrul , Ashby Deborah 
Published: November 2006

AbstractPurposeThe effect of influenza vaccination on oral anticoagulant control is uncertain but important to establish since anticoagulants are widely used and most patients taking them are candidates for immunisation because of age or underlying cardiac disease. We therefore prospectively evaluated the effect of influenza vaccination on International Normalised Ratio (INR) control in patients on long‐term warfarin.MethodsWe undertook a prospective audit of patients on long‐term warfarin attending a single hospital anticoagulant clinic who reported receiving influenza vaccination within the 10 days prior to a clinic visit. We compared the stability of anticoagulant control in the 12 months prior to and 10 days after immunisation, restricting analysis to those patients whose warfarin dosage was unchanged before and after vaccination.ResultsOf 106 consecutive patients who reported receiving influenza vaccination within the 10 days prior to a clinic visit, results were evaluable in 78 because the dose of warfarin was unchanged before and after vaccination. Influenza immunisation had no apparent effect on anticoagulant control. No bleeding or thrombotic complications were reported.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that it is not necessary to routinely monitor the INR more closely after influenza vaccination. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Investigation on crosslinking behaviors of NBR/PVC filled with anhydrous copper sulfate particles by dynamic mechanical analysis
Authors: Shen Fei , Yuan Xiaofang , Wu Chifei 
Published: November 2006

AbstractCrosslinking behaviors of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR)/poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) alloy, filled with anhydrous copper sulfate (CuSO4) particles, were investigated for the first time by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) under hetero and isothermal modes, respectively. In the heterothermal testing, (NBR/PVC)/CuSO4 compound showed two marked increases in the storage modulus (E′), corresponding to coordination crosslinking of NBR‐CuSO4 and self‐crosslinking of NBR and PVC respectively. During the isothermal testing, a dramatic increase in E′ was found at the initial stage while that of original NBR/PVC alloy was not detected. The marked increase in E′ of (NBR/PVC)/CuSO4 compound was mainly due to the crosslinking induced by coordination between CN and Cu2+. The increasing extent of E′ increased with the rise of CuSO4 content, suggesting the formation of a greater number of crosslinks. Moreover, the activation energy (Ea) of crosslinking process was about 139 kJ/mol. In this work, fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT‐IR) and equilibrium swelling method were also performed for the characterization of the compound. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 41–51, 2007
Miscibility and morphology of poly(ethylhexylacrylate)/liquid crystal blends prepared under different conditions
Authors: Slimane Sofia Kara , Roussel Frédérick , Maschke Ulrich 
Published: November 2006

AbstractA comparative study of the phase diagrams and morphology of blends of poly(2‐ethylhexylacrylate) and low molecular weight liquid crystals (LCs) prepared under different conditions is presented. Two LCs are used; one is the 4‐cyano‐4′‐n‐pentyl‐biphenyl and the other is the eutectic mixture of cyanoparaphenylenes known as E7. Two series of blends are prepared under different conditions. The first series is obtained by the polymerization induced phase separation (PIPS) process under UV‐curing starting from a monomeric mixture, while the second series is prepared by a combination of the solvent induced phase separation and the thermally induced phase separation process starting from a mixture containing a commercial polymer with known molecular weight. Using gel permeation chromatography, it is found that the polymer molecular weight of the UV‐cured systems decreases with the concentration of LC in the precursor mixture. The experimentally obtained phase diagrams of these two series of systems show a miscibility shift at the composition where the molar mass of the polymer in the PIPS/UV blend exceeds that of the commercial polymer. Data are rationalized in terms of the Flory‐Huggins theory of isotropic mixing and the Maier‐Saupe theory of nematic order. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 18–27, 2007
Thickness dependence of free‐standing thin films
Authors: Guérin Gérald , Prud'homme Robert E. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBelow a critical thickness, of about 60 nm, the glass transition temperature of polystyrene (PS) films decreases with film thickness, as demonstrated using free‐standing films. A geometrical model is developed here describing this phenomenon in the case of ideal (Gaussian) chains. This model, which can be considered as an application of the free volume model, assumes that the decrease of the glass transition temperature from thick to ultrathin films is due to the modification of the interpenetration between neighboring chains. The theoretical curve deduced from the model is in excellent agreement with the PS experimental results, without using any adjustable parameters. From these results, it can be concluded that new chain motions, usually buried in bulk samples, are expressed by the presence of the surface. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 10–17, 2007
Distress overlaps with anxiety and depression in patients with head and neck cancer
Authors: Pandey Manoj , Devi Nandkumar , Thomas Bejoy C. , Vinod Kumar S. , Krishnan Rita , Ramdas K. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractPsychological problems in cancer patients often go unrecognized until they are specifically sought. This is more in patients with depression as they are reluctant to complain about their symptoms. The present study was carried out to evaluate the relation of distress with anxiety and depression in 123 patients with head and neck cancers using Distress Inventory for Cancer version 2 (DIC2) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS). The mean DIC 2 scores were 24.6 while that of subscales ranged from 2.6 to 11.0. Fifteen patients were found to have clinical caseness for anxiety while 12 (10%) were caseness for depression. Total distress, emotional and social distress subscales were found to have positive correlation with anxiety and depression suggesting a possible overlap of two constructs. In multivariate analysis only belief in god was found to significantly affect the distress. Results of present study suggest significant psychological morbidity in head neck cancer patients undergoing curative treatment. This is the first study reporting on the psychometric properties of distress inventory on cancer version 2 since its validation, the results suggest a possible overlap of two constructs similar to that seen with other tools on distress and this may have major implications for clinical practice. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Description of atomic burials in compact globular proteins by Fermi‐Dirac probability distributions
Authors: Gomes Antonio L. C. , de Rezende Júlia R. , de Araújo Antônio F. Pereira , Shakhnovich Eugene I. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractWe perform a statistical analysis of atomic distributions as a function of the distance R from the molecular geometrical center in a nonredundant set of compact globular proteins. The number of atoms increases quadratically for small R, indicating a constant average density inside the core, reaches a maximum at a size‐dependent distance Rmax, and falls rapidly for larger R. The empirical curves turn out to be consistent with the volume increase of spherical concentric solid shells and a Fermi‐Dirac distribution in which the distance R plays the role of an effective atomic energy ϵ(R) = R. The effective chemical potential μ governing the distribution increases with the number of residues, reflecting the size of the protein globule, while the temperature parameter β decreases. Interestingly, βμ is not as strongly dependent on protein size and appears to be tuned to maintain approximately half of the atoms in the high density interior and the other half in the exterior region of rapidly decreasing density. A normalized size‐independent distribution was obtained for the atomic probability as a function of the reduced distance, r = R/Rg, where Rg is the radius of gyration. The global normalized Fermi distribution, F(r), can be reasonably decomposed in Fermi‐like subdistributions for different atomic types τ, Fτ(r), with ΣτFτ(r) = F(r), which depend on two additional parameters μτ and hτ. The chemical potential μτ affects a scaling prefactor and depends on the overall frequency of the corresponding atomic type, while the maximum position of the subdistribution is determined by hτ, which appears in a type‐dependent atomic effective energy, ετ(r) = hτr, and is strongly correlated to available hydrophobicity scales. Better adjustments are obtained when the effective energy is not assumed to be necessarily linear, or ετ*(r) = hτ*rα,, in which case a correlation with hydrophobicity scales is found for the product ατhτ*. These results indicate that compact globular proteins are consistent with a thermodynamic system governed by hydrophobic‐like energy functions, with reduced distances from the geometrical center, reflecting atomic burials, and provide a conceptual framework for the eventual prediction from sequence of a few parameters from which whole atomic probability distributions and potentials of mean force can be reconstructed. Proteins 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A flame speed correlationfor unconfined gaseous explosions
Authors: Dorofeev Sergey B. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractAn approximate method for description of flame acceleration in congested areas filled with combustible gases is presented. The method takes into account both the flame folding arising from interactions with obstacles of the flow produced by the flame and the increase of the burning rate resulting from turbulence generated in the flow ahead of the flame. A simple analytical expression for the flame speed is suggested. Coefficients in this correlation are determined by fitting the model predictions with a set of experimental data. This correlation is then used to evaluate the maximum flame speed that may be developed in vapor cloud explosions as a function of scale and obstacle density. As an example of applications, the flame speeds are evaluated for four typical fuels: methane, propane, ethylene, and hydrogen, and for three different levels of congestion. Both ideal stoichiometric mixtures of the four fuels with air and clouds with nonuniform concentration distributions are considered. The method is shown to take appropriate account of mixture properties. In particular, the well‐known difference in combustion behavior of methane, propane, ethylene, and hydrogen was well captured by the method. On the basis of the maximum flame speeds, the severity of the blast effect from unconfined gaseous explosions is evaluated. The results are compared with other methods for evaluation of the blast effect from unconfined vapor cloud explosions. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2007
Synthesis of Aβ[1‐42] and its derivatives with improved efficiency
Authors: Zarándi Márta , Soós Katalin , Fülöp Lívia , Bozsó Zsolt , Datki Zsolt , Tóth Gábor K. , Penke Botond 
Published: November 2006

AbstractIt has been proved that the principal component of senile plaques is aggregates of β‐amyloid peptide (Aβ) in cases of one of the most common forms of age‐related neurodegenerative disorders, Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the synthetic methods for the synthesis of Aβ peptides have been developed since their first syntheses, Aβ[1‐42] is still problematic to prepare. The highly hydrophobic composition of Aβ[1‐42] results in aggregation between resin‐bound peptide chains or intrachain aggregation which leads to a decrease in the rates of deprotection and repetitive incomplete coupling reactions during 9‐flurenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) synthesis. In order to avoid aggregation and/or disrupt internal aggregation during stepwise Fmoc solid phase synthesis and to improve the quality of crude products, several attempts have been made. Since highly pure Aβ peptides in large quantities are used in biological experiments, we wanted to develop a method for a rational synthesis of human Aβ[1‐42] with high purity and adequate yield.This paper reports a convenient methodology with a novel solvent system for the synthesis of Aβ[1‐42], its N‐terminally truncated derivatives Aβ[4‐42] and Aβ[5‐42], and Aβ[1‐42] labeled with 7‐amino‐4‐methyl‐3‐coumarinylacetic acid (AMCA) at the N‐terminus using Fmoc strategy. The use of 10% anisole in Dimethylformamide/Dichloromethane (DMF/DCM) can substantially improve the purity and yield of crude Aβ[1‐42] and has been shown to be an optimal coupling condition for the synthesis of Aβ[1‐42]. Anisole is a cheap and simple aid in the synthesis of ‘difficult sequences’ where other solvents are less successful in the prevention of aggregation during the synthesis. Copyright © 2006 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diversity of the O‐superfamily conotoxins from Conus miles
Authors: Luo Sulan , Zhangsun Dongting , Feng Jiancheng , Wu Yong , Zhu Xiaopeng , Hu Yuanyan 
Published: November 2006

AbstractConopeptides display prominent features of hypervariability and high selectivity of large gene families that mediate interactions between organisms. Remarkable sequence diversity of O‐superfamily conotoxins was found in a worm‐hunting cone snail Conus miles. Five novel cDNA sequences encoding O‐superfamily precursor peptides were identified in C. miles native to Hainan by RT‐PCR and 3′‐RACE. They share the common cysteine pattern of the O‐superfamily conotoxin (CCCCCC, with three disulfide bridges). The predicted peptides consist of 27–33 amino acids. We then performed a phylogenetic analysis of the new and published homologue sequences from C. miles and the other Conus species. Sequence divergence (%) and residue substitutions to view evolutionary relationships of the precursors' signal, propeptide, and mature toxin regions were analyzed. Percentage divergence of the amino acid sequences of the prepro region exhibited high conservation, whereas the sequences of the mature peptides ranged from almost identical with to highly divergent from inter‐ and intra‐species. Despite the O‐superfamily being a large and diverse group of peptides, widely distributed in the venom ducts of all major feeding types of Conus and discovered in several Conus species, it was for the first time that the newly found five O‐superfamily peptides in this research came from the vermivorous C. miles. So far, conotoxins of the O‐superfamily whose properties have been characterized are from piscivorous and molluscivorous Conus species, and their amino acid sequences and mode of action have been discussed in detail. The elucidated cDNAs of the five toxins are new and of importance and should attract the interest of researchers in the field, which would pave the way for a better understanding of the relationship of their structure and function. Copyright © 2006 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pro‐apoptotic bax‐α1 synthesis and evidence for β‐sheet to α‐helix conformational change as triggered by negatively charged lipid membranes
Authors: Sani Marc‐Antoine , Loudet Cécile , Gröbner Gerhard , Dufourc Erick J. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractSolid phase synthesis of Bax‐α1, the 25 amino acids domain (14TSSEQIMKTGALLLQGFIQDRAGRM38) of the pro‐apoptotic Bax protein has been accomplished using Fmoc chemistry. A new fast and harmless protocol is described for complete TFA removal from the purified peptide powder leading to a final purity greater than 98% as controlled by 19F‐NMR, UV and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. Secondary structure was determined in various solution and membrane media using UV Circular Dichroism. In water solution, Bax‐α1 is present as a mixture of β‐sheet and unstructured (random coil) conformations. A marked change from β‐sheet to α‐helix secondary structures is observed upon interaction with negatively charged phospholipids vesicles whereas neutral lipid membranes have no significant effect on the aqueous peptide conformation. Results are discussed in terms of Bax binding to mitochondrial membranes. Copyright © 2006 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The fractal nature of elastic aftereffect in metallic materials
Authors: Novikov V. , Usov V. , Shkatul'ak N. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractExperimental investigations of the phenomenon of the elastic aftereffect of a number of metallic materials have been carried out. It was found that the time‐dependent deformation may be described by a power function of time with fractional index. A mathematical model that describes the elastic aftereffect on a basis of fractal ideas about the process of deformation is constructed. A concept of a fractal set of relaxation periods is offered as an explanation of the elastic stability of the crystals, – or of their instability, i.e., emergence of residual deformation under the influence of external stress on the crystal system. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Thickness dependence of susceptibility and phase transition temperature in ferroelectric thin films
Authors: Lo V. C. , Li K. T. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe thickness dependence of the susceptibility and paraelectric–ferroelectric phase transition temperature in ferroelectric thin films has been numerically simulated using Landau–Khalatnikov theory. This dependence is attributed to the presence of a surface layer near the electrode/film interface. In the presence of interfacial strain, the surface layer exhibits different ferroelectric properties compared with those inside the film. The thickness dependence of coercive field and remanent polarization has been successfully simulated before by considering the presence of this surface layer [V. C. Lo, J. Appl. Phys. 94, 3353 (2003)]. Based on the same model, the experimental trends in the thickness dependence of susceptibility and phase transition temperature can be reproduced. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Transfer‐matrix approach to the problem of electrical conduction through a series of absorbers
Authors: Walczak Kamil 
Published: November 2006

AbstractHere we study incoherent transport through molecular wire treated as a linear chain of absorbers, where the phase‐breaking processes are modeled by the use of imaginary point‐like potentials. The calculations are performed within a transfer matrix method of the scattering theory. An analytic expression for the transmission of a finite chain is obtained, while the electrical current is then computed with the help of the Tsu–Esaki formula. In particular, it is shown that the maximal current dependence on the wire length is exponential. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)