The branched PBS copolymers were characterized with (1)H-NMR, dif

The branched PBS copolymers were characterized with (1)H-NMR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic rheological testing, Bromosporine solubility dmso and tensile properties analysis. The results of DSC and WAXD show that, with the increasing of the 1,2-OD segments content, the glass transition temperature (T(g)), melting temperature (T(m)), crystallization temperature

(T(c)), and the degree of crystallinity (X(c)) decrease. While the crystal structure of PBS does not change by introducing 1,2-OD segments. The results of TGA and dynamic rheological testing indicate that the thermal stability of neat PBS is improved with the addition of 1,2-OD segments. The incorporation of 1,2-OD segments has some effects on the rheological

properties of PBS, such as complex viscosities ( vertical bar eta* vertical bar), storage modulus (G’), and loss modulus (G ”). Tensile testing demonstrates that the elongation at break is improved significantly with increasing 1,2-OD segments content, but without a notable decrease of tensile strength. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 117: 2538-2544, 2010″
“Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease that can negatively impact health-related quality of life (HRQL) across generic (e.g., physical, social and emotional wellbeing) and disease-specific (e.g., pulmonary, ocular, dermatologic) domains. Measurement of HRQL Nec-1s cell line in sarcoidosis has largely relied on generic patient-reported outcome

tools, with little disease-specific measures available. The purpose of this paper is to present the development and testing of disease-specific item banks and short forms of lung, skin and Selleck JNJ-64619178 eye problems, which are a part of a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument called the sarcoidosis assessment tool.

After prioritizing and selecting the most important disease-specific domains, we wrote new items to reflect disease-specific problems by drawing from patient focus group and clinician expert survey data that were used to create our conceptual model of HRQL in sarcoidosis. Item pools underwent cognitive interviews by sarcoidosis patients (n = 13), and minor modifications were made. These items were administered in a multi-site study (n = 300) to obtain item calibrations and create calibrated short forms using item response theory (IRT) approaches.

From the available item pools, we created four new item banks and short forms: (1) skin problems, (2) skin stigma, (3) lung problems, and (4) eye Problems. We also created and tested supplemental forms of the most common constitutional symptoms and negative effects of corticosteroids.

Several new sarcoidosis-specific PROs were developed and tested using IRT approaches.

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