New nanocomposite films were prepared with atactic polypropylene as the matrix and either of three types of cellulose whiskers, with various surface and dispersion characteristics, as the reinforcing phase: aggregated without surface modification, aggregated and grafted with maleated polypropylene or individualized and finely dispersed with a surfactant. Films obtained by solvent casting from toluene were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and tensile testing. In the linear region, the mechanical properties above the glass-rubber transition were found to be drastically enhanced for the nanocomposites as compared to the neat polypropylene matrix. These effects were ascribed to the formation of a rigid network with filler/filler interactions. In addition, interactions between the filler and the matrix as well as the dispersion quality were found to play a major role on the mechanical properties of the composites when investigation of the films was performed in the nonlinear region.

Biocompatible Materials↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Call for researchers associated with a biological study of neural tube defects: prospective study of the role of homocysteine in neural tube defects in France].

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Biomedical Research↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Neural tube defects and vitamin B12: a report of three cases].

Periconceptional folic acid supplementation reduces the frequency of embryological neural tube defects (NTD). This fact led the USA to fortify grain products with folic acid (140 microg/100 g) starting in January 1998, with a resultant decrease in the incidence of NTD. Folate deficiency is thus confirmed to be a risk factor for NTD. However, in a prospective study, we investigated three women who conceived a fetus with NTD; no folate deficiency was found in these women but all three had decreased vitamin B12 levels (cobalamin), which can be an other risk factor. Samples were obtained from two women in Algeria, 2 days after interruption of pregnancy, and from a vegetarian woman, in France, one month after interruption of pregnancy. Red cell folate and plasma folate, vitamin B12, B6 and homocysteine were assayed and the mutations C677T (in metylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene), A2756G (in methionine synthase gene) and A66G (in methionine synthase reductase gene) were sought. Elevated plasma folate levels were found in both Algerian women. Vitamin B 12 levels in all three women were decreased or in the lowest quartile of normal values. One woman presented simultaneously a vitamin B 12 deficiency, and heterozygous mutations in the three genes. The second woman presented a A66G homozygous mutation and the third heterozygous C677T and A66G mutations. Acquired and inborn factors are intricated in some cases of pregnancies with NTD and B 12 deficiency can be responsible for intracellular folate cycle failure. It would therefore be advisable to consider fortifying grain products with both folic acid and vitamin B12.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Unusual behavior of serum markers in risk evaluation for trisomy 21].

Screening of Down syndrome using serum markers is based on statistic risk determination calculated from the results of markers. An increased risk of fetal Down syndrome is associated with high hCG levels and low AFP levels in maternal serum. In the daily practice, the use of these two markers also leads to observation of different analytical patterns. We reviewed these patterns according to published data and our own experience. Some patterns are well documented (neural tube defects or trisomy 18) some of them remain unexplored. Numerous difficulties are encountered in the clinical use of these markers patterns: lack of consensus for their analytical definition, problems in interpretation, lack of regular dispositions.

Biomarkers↗