(C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://0-dx.doi.org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.1063/1.4739264]“
“The last two decades have witnessed an exponential growth in the interest for using bio-derived products, which has been driven

by the need for replacing petroleum based materials reducing the fuel consumption and, equally important, for producing materials with lower environmental impact. Vegetable oils constitute a rich source for many different polymers and polymer precursors and they are being considered for the production of “greener” composites. The wide range of possible combinations of vegetable oils, chemical modifications, polymerization routes, nature of the fillers and fibers used as reinforcement materials allows tailoring the composite properties to fit the requirements of structural or functional materials. CCI-779 molecular weight Thus, a wide range of macro, Selleck ACY-241 micro

and nanosized particles and fibers have been proposed as reinforcements/fillers, including organic and inorganic ones, natural or synthetic, in order to give adequate answers to specific requirements. Although, the role of oil-based products may seem modest in some cases (partial replacement of synthetic materials), there is a clear trend to increase the percentage of “green”-based raw materials in the formulations of commodities as well as specialty polymers/composites for high added value applications. Examples of different FK228 clinical trial types of reinforced thermoset and elastomeric bio-composites are presented in this short review. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background: Intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in infants and children. To date, no study has evaluated the ability of physicians

to predict the likelihood of intussusception.\n\nObjective: This study aimed to determine the ability of pediatric physicians to predict intussusception in patients being evaluated for intussusception and to investigate whether certain clinical findings correlate with physicians’ risk assessment.\n\nMethods: A prospective cohort study of children aged 1 month to 6 years who presented with possible intussusception. The predicted likelihood of intussusception was recorded by physicians before knowledge of imaging results or final diagnosis. We defined a physician’s prediction as high versus low risk based on a threshold prediction of 25% likelihood.\n\nResults: A total of 308 patients were studied including 38 (12.3%) with intussusception. Physicians’ prediction was positively associated with the risk of intussusception (test for linear trend: odds ratio [OR], 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-2.7; P < 0.001). Among patients considered high risk, the rate of intussusception was 36% (95% CI, 25%-49%) compared with 6% for those judged to be low risk (95% CI, 4%-10%). Using a threshold of 25% likelihood, successful prediction of high versus low risk occurred in 82% (95% CI, 77%-86%).