Critical Role of the Acetylene Content and Fe/C Ratio on the Thickness and Density of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Grown at Low Temperature by a One-Step Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition Process.

The present work explores the role of the carbon source content and the Fe/C ratio on the synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) by one-step aerosol-assisted CCVD operated at a medium temperature (615 °C) on aluminum substrates. The main objective was to overcome the limitations of VACNT growth, constituting a drawback for applications requiring thick VACNTs. By using acetylene as carbon feedstock and ferrocene as a catalyst precursor, we demonstrate that when acetylene content is reduced to 1.

Thermoresponsive Water-Soluble Polymer Layers and Water-Stable Copolymer Layers Synthesized by Atmospheric Plasma Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition.

The growth of thermoresponsive layers with the atmospheric pressure plasma-initiated chemical vapor deposition (AP-PiCVD) process is reported for the first time. N-vinyl caprolactam (NVCL) was successfully homopolymerized and copolymerized with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), yielding water-soluble and water-stable thermoresponsive thin films, respectively. Strong chemical retention and high thermoresponsivity were achieved, highlighting the ability of AP-PiCVD to grow functional conventional homopolymers and copolymers.

Autoimmunity in 28 patients after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: comparison with Sjögren syndrome and scleroderma.

The occurrence of autoantibodies in 28 long-term survivors of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) (21 with chronic graft-versus-host disease) was compared with 48 cases of idiopathic Sjögren syndrome and 82 cases of scleroderma. Antinuclear, anti-smooth muscle, and anti-mitochondria antibodies occurred respectively in 80%, 82% and 14% of the post BMT cases. Anti-native DNA, anti-soluble nuclear antigen and anticentromere antibodies were not found.

Comparing HEp-2 cell line with rat liver in routine screening test for antinuclear and antinucleolar autoantibodies in autoimmune diseases.

The comparative study of the human tumor cell line HEp-2 and rat liver for the detection of antinuclear and antinucleolar autoantibodies by the indirect immunofluorescence technic in routine screening test demonstrate that, taking titer and staining pattern into account, both substrates are able to separate autoimmune disease (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and primary biliary cirrhosis) patients from healthy subjects. The minimal screening test must include sera diluted 1:20 and 1:80. The capability of the HEp-2 substrate to reveal and to discriminate different speckled nuclear and nucleolar patterns explain its greater performance, notably in detecting anticentromere antibodies highly specific for the CREST syndrome and a speckled nuclear antibody frequently associated with primary biliary cirrhosis, allowing an earlier diagnosis of autoimmune diseases presenting these patterns.