DinCH and ESBO actual migration from PVC infusion tubings used in an oncopediatric unit

Plasticizer leaching from poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) tubing is a well‐studied phenomenon and is a real issue in medical care today. The present study focuses on the release of two plasticizers 1,2‐cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH) (primary) and epoxidized soy bean oil (ESBO) (secondary) from PVC extension tubings used in an oncopediatric unit. The release of plasticizers is calculated by comparison to unused tubings with the same batch number. Both the DINCH and ESBO ratio diminishes in used versus new extension tubings. The loss of plasticizers has not been related to the presence of a specific drug. Our results confirm the leaching of classic plasticizers like the DINCH and of secondary plasticizers like the ESBO from tubings in real life. It confirms too the existence of a complex phenomenon in which exchanges between drugs, lipids, PVC matrices, and the administration sequences can change the global release of plasticizers. Considering all the variables involved in real‐life data, the in vitro testing appears to be the most efficient way to confirm these observations. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46649.     

Roughness of oxide glass subcritical fracture surfaces

An original setup combining a very stable loading stage, an atomic force microscope and an environmental chamber, allows to obtain very stable subcritical fracture propagation in oxide glasses under controlled environment, and subsequently to finely characterize the nanometric roughness properties of the crack surfaces. The analysis of the surface roughness is conducted both in terms of the classical root mean square roughness to compare with the literature, and in terms of more physically adequate indicators related to the self‐affine nature of the fracture surfaces. Due to the comparable nanometric scale of the surface roughness, the AFM tip size and the instrumental noise, a special care is devoted to the statistical evaluation of the metrologic properties. The roughness amplitude of several oxide glasses was shown to decrease as a function of the stress intensity factor, to be quite insensitive to the relative humidity and to increase with the degree of heterogeneity of the glass. The results are discussed in terms of several modeling arguments concerning the coupling between crack propagation, material's heterogeneity, crack tip plastic deformation and water diffusion at the crack tip. A synthetic new model is presented combining the predictions of a model by Wiederhorn et al (J Non‐Cryst Solids, 353, 1582‐1591, 2007) on the effect of the material's heterogeneity on the crack tip stresses with the self‐affine nature of the fracture surfaces.     

Derivatives of Iressa, a specific epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, are powerful apoptosis inducers in PC3 prostatic cancer cells

The tyrosine kinase activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is widely involved in signaling pathways and often deregulated in cancer. Its role in the development of prostate cancer is well established, and therapeutic strategies such as blockade of the intracellular tyrosine kinase domain with small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been proposed. Herein we describe the synthesis and in vitro pharmacological properties of C6- and C7-substituted 4-anilinoquinazolines, analogues of Iressa and powerful proapoptotic inducers in hormone-independent prostate cancer PC3 cell lines.     

The contribution of stereo vision to the control of braking

In this study the contribution of stereo vision to the control of braking in front of a stationary target vehicle was investigated. Participants with normal (StereoN) and weak (StereoW) stereo vision drove a go-cart along a linear track towards a stationary vehicle. They could start braking from a distance of 4, 7, or 10m from the vehicle. Deceleration patterns were measured by means of a laser. A lack of stereo vision was associated with an earlier onset of braking, but the duration of the braking manoeuvre was similar. During the deceleration, the time of peak deceleration occurred earlier in drivers with weak stereo vision. Stopping distance was greater in those lacking in stereo vision. A lack of stereo vision was associated with a more prudent brake behaviour, in which the driver took into account a larger safety margin. This compensation might be caused either by an unconscious adaptation of the human perceptuo-motor system, or by a systematic underestimation of distance remaining due to the lack of stereo vision. In general, a lack of stereo vision did not seem to increase the risk of rear-end collisions.     

Mechanical enhancement of C/C composites via the formation of a machinable carbon nanofiber interphase

C/C composites with improved mechanical strength were synthesized using a filler constituted by a carbon felt covered with catalytically grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and a carbonaceous matrix generated by the pyrolysis of a phenolic resin. First, the synthesis method of the filler allows the homogeneous deposition and anchorage of CNFs on the host microfilaments at a rapid densification rate. Carbon nanofibers grown this way lead to the formation of numerous micro- and nanobridges between the microfilaments, conferring a significant improvement of the mechanical resistance of the CNF/C system allowing one to tailor its dimensions and shape. Thus, further fabrication of C/C composites can be achieved: the CNF/microfilament structure was infiltrated with a phenolic resin and carbonized at 650 °C to generate a carbonaceous matrix by thermal decomposition. Similar experiments on the microfilaments carried out at the same synthesis time, without catalyst and at higher reaction temperatures led to the deposition of a pyrolytic carbon sheath and to poor mechanical enhancements. This clearly indicates the advantage of using CNF growth as an efficient densification process before infiltration. Such C/C composites exhibit high-quality bonding between the two carbon phases, the matrix and the CNF/microfilament filler, via the formation of a considerable amount of CNF interphase.     

Cryogenic microcracking of rubber toughened composites

This study investigated the influence of carboxyl‐terminated butadiene acrylonitrile (CTBN) liquid rubbers on the microcracking response of polymeric composite materials to cryogenic cycling. Matrices of carbon fiber/epoxy prepregs were modified with different concentrations of two CTBN liquid rubbers. The glass transition temperature and the interlaminar shear strength of the laminate systems were depressed as a result of the presence of CTBN in the epoxy phase. An increase in total rubber concentration with the continuous phase was found to decrease and in some cases eliminate microcracking in laminates exposed to cryogenic cycling.     

Mechanistic in situ High‐Pressure NMR Studies of Benzene Hydrogenation by Supramolecular Cluster Catalysis with [(η6‐C6H6)(η6‐C6Me6)2Ru3(μ3‐O)(μ2‐OH)(μ2‐H)2][BF4]

In situ high‐pressure NMR spectroscopy of the hydrogenation of benzene to give cyclohexane, catalysed by the cluster cation [(η⁶‐C₆H₆) (η⁶‐C₆Me₆)₂Ru₃(μ₃‐O)(μ₂‐OH)(μ₂‐H)₂]⁺ 2 , supports a mechanism involving a supramolecular host‐guest complex of the substrate molecule in the hydrophobic pocket of the intact cluster molecule.     

From single cell model to battery pack simulation for Li-ion batteries

A practical universal modeling and simulation approach is presented in this paper to show that accurate battery pack simulation can be achieved if cell-to-cell variations were taken into account. A generic equivalent circuit model was used in the approach with parameters deduced from cell testing with proper protocols, which could come from live cell monitoring in a control circuitry. Using a single cell model, which was validated against experimental data and demonstrated with validity of high accuracy in predicting cell performance, we showed that such a high accuracy in single cell model is essential for a high fidelity pack simulation. It is also important to derive statistical confidence intervals accurately from experiments to characterize intrinsic cell-to-cell variations in capacity and internal resistance, which need to be considered in the pack model. If parameters for each individual cell were correctly approximated and used in the pack model, the accuracy in the prediction of pack performance could be significantly improved.     

Experimental investigation of interfacial mass transfer mechanisms for a confined high‐reynolds‐number bubble rising in a thin gap

Interfacial mass transfer is known to be enhanced for confined bubbles due to the efficiency of the transfer in the thin liquid films between them and the wall. In the present experimental investigation, the mechanisms of gas–liquid mass transfer are studied for isolated bubbles rising at high Reynolds number in a thin gap. A planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) technique is applied with a dye the fluorescence of which is quenched by dissolved oxygen. The aim is to measure the interfacial mass fluxes for pure oxygen bubbles of various shapes and paths rising in water at rest. In the wakes of the bubbles, patterns due to the presence of dissolved oxygen are observed on PLIF images. They reveal the contrasted contributions to mass transfer of two different regions of the interface. The flow around a bubble consists of both two thin liquid films between the bubble and the walls of the cell and an external high‐Reynolds‐number in‐plane flow surrounding the bubble. Mass transfer mechanisms associated to both regions are discussed. Measurement of the concentration of dissolved oxygen is a difficult task due to the nonlinear relation between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration in the gap. It is however possible to accurately measure the global mass flux transferred through the bubble interface. It is determined from the fluorescence intensity recorded in the wakes when the oxygen distribution has been made homogeneous through the gap by diffusion. Assuming a reasonable distribution of oxygen concentration through the gap at short time also allows a measurement of the mass fluxes due to the liquid films. A discussion of the results points out the specific physics of mass transfer for bubbles confined between two plates as compared to bubbles free to move in unconfined flows. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 2394–2408, 2017     

Perivascular Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells,an Immune Privileged Niche for Viruses?

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play a critical role in response to stress such as infection. They initiate the removal of cell debris, exert major immunoregulatory activities, control pathogens, and lead to a remodeling/scarring phase. Thus, host-derived ‘danger’ factors released from damaged/infected cells (called alarmins, e.g., HMGB1, ATP, DNA) as well as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (LPS, single strand RNA) can activate MSCs located in the parenchyma and around vessels to upregulate the expression of growth factors and chemoattractant molecules that influence immune cell recruitment and stem cell mobilization. MSC, in an ultimate contribution to tissue repair, may also directly trans- or de-differentiate into specific cellular phenotypes such as osteoblasts, chondrocytes, lipofibroblasts, myofibroblasts, Schwann cells, and they may somehow recapitulate their neural crest embryonic origin. Failure to terminate such repair processes induces pathological scarring, termed fibrosis, or vascular calcification. Interestingly, many viruses and particularly those associated to chronic infection and inflammation may hijack and polarize MSC’s immune regulatory activities. Several reports argue that MSC may constitute immune privileged sanctuaries for viruses and contributing to long-lasting effects posing infectious challenges, such as viruses rebounding in immunocompromised patients or following regenerative medicine therapies using MSC. We will herein review the capacity of several viruses not only to infect but also to polarize directly or indirectly the functions of MSC (immunoregulation, differentiation potential, and tissue repair) in clinical settings.