“
“Curing characteristics, tensile properties, morphological studies of tensile fractured surfaces using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the extent of rubber filler interactions of rattan-powder-filled natural rubber (NR) composites were investigated as a function of filler loading and silane coupling agent (CA). NR

composites were prepared by the incorporation of rattan powder at filler loading range of 030 phr into a NR matrix with a laboratory size two roll mill. The results indicate that in the presence of silane CA, scorch time (ts2), and cure time (t90) of rattan-powder-filled NR composites were shorten, while, maximum torque (MH) increased compared with NR composites without silane CA. Tensile strength and tensile

modulus of composites were enhanced whereas elongation at break find more reduced in the presence of silane CA mainly due to increase in rubber-filler interaction. It is proven by SEM studies that the bonding between the filler and rubber matrix has improved. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012″
“Background: A low-sodium diet is an accepted treatment of patients with heart failure (HF), although minimal evidence exists on the appropriate amount of sodium intake for this population. Certain HF guidelines have liberalized dietary sodium recommendations, which actually exceed guidelines for healthy adults.

Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that high sodium intake is related to acute decompensated HF (ADHF) in ambulatory HF patients.

Secondary outcomes included all-cause hospitalization and mortality.

Design: We prospectively enrolled medically stable, ambulatory patients with systolic 4EGI-1 molecular weight HF (n = 123; mean +/- SD age: 60 +/- 13 y) from 2 outpatient HF clinics from 2003 to 2007. Baseline estimates of dietary sodium and other nutrient intakes were obtained from two 3-d food records.

Results: The median follow-up time was 3.0 y. Mean (+/- SD) sodium intakes were 1.4 +/- 0.3, 2.4 +/- 0.3, and 3.8 +/- 0.8 g Na/d in the lower, middle, and upper tertiles, respectively. Cumulative ADHF event rates at 3 y were 12 +/- 6%, 15 +/- 7%, and 46 +/- 11% in the low, middle, and upper tertiles, respectively Saracatinib research buy (log-rank P = 0.001). For ADHF, the upper tertile was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.55 (95% CI: 1.61, 4.04; P < 0.001). Time-to-event probabilities were significant for mortality (log-rank P = 0.022) but not for all-cause hospitalization (log-rank P = 0.224). The high-sodium tertile was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.39 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.83; P = 0.018) for all-cause hospitalization and 3.54 (95% CI: 1.46, 8.62; P = 0.005) for mortality.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study provides the first prospective evidence that ambulatory HF patients who consume higher amounts of sodium are at greater risk of an ADHF event. These data provide support for more stringent sodium intake guidelines than those currently recommended for HF patients.