12/171 = 7%, P = .93). The reproducibility of initial MAU at consecutive visits was higher in workers with vs. without persistent risk factors (8/9[89%] vs. 4/11[36%] P = 0.03).

Conclusions: The use of MAU as a first step screening strategy in an occupational health care setting is hampered by false positives and low sensitivity to identify subjects with cardiovascular and renal risk.”
“Background: Blood loss during total hip arthroplasty can be substantial and may lead to adverse patient outcomes and increased health-care costs. Many blood-management options are available for these procedures. The purpose of the present study was to test the hemostatic efficacy

of a bipolar sealer used during Nec-1s order total hip arthroplasty in order to determine whether its use results in significantly lower transfusion requirements and/or improved clinical, functional, and health-related 17-AAG quality-of-life outcomes in healthy patients.

Methods: This prospective, single-center, randomized,

double-blinded study was designed to enroll a total of 140 patients. Patients with a low preoperative hemoglobin level or a history of bleeding abnormalities and other medical conditions were excluded. Patients were randomized to either the treatment arm (radiofrequency energy with use of the Aquamantys 6.0 bipolar sealer) or control arm (standard Bovie electrocautery). The primary outcome measure was the transfusion requirement, and the secondary outcome measures were intraoperative estimated Cell Cycle inhibitor blood loss, postoperative hemoglobin levels, perioperative narcotic usage, length of hospital stay, postoperative pain scores, and postoperative function as

measured with the Harris hip score and the Short Form-12 quality-of-life score.

Results: Seventy-one patients were assigned to the treatment arm, and sixty-nine were assigned to the control arm. The mean number of units of blood transfused for all patients in the study and control arms were 0.38 and 0.44, respectively (p = 0.72). The transfusion requirements were similar in the two groups, with fifteen of seventy-one patients in the treatment arm and fourteen of sixty-nine patients in the control arm requiring a transfusion (p = 0.9). No significant differences were detected between the groups in terms of estimated blood loss, postoperative hemoglobin levels, perioperative narcotic usage, length of hospital stay, postoperative pain scores, Harris hip scores, or Short Form-12 scores.

Conclusions: In:this patient population, there were no significant differences between the treatment and control groups in terms of the need for blood transfusions or overall blood loss. Given these findings, we have discontinued the use of this bipolar sealing device in uncomplicated primary total hip arthroplasty patients at our institution.

Baclofen (3 mu ACP-196 M) inhibited the release of [H-3]NA (IC50 =

2 mu M), an action reversed by Sch 50911 (10 mu M). GABA (100 mu M) inhibited the release of [H-3]NA (IC50 = 75 mu M), an effect reversed by Sch 50911 (10 mu M) but not by bicuculline (10 mu M). However, picrotoxin (100 mu M) prevented the inhibitory action of GABA. GABA(B) and GABA(A) heteroceptors mediate the release of NA from sympathetic nerves in human dental pulp in vitro.”
“Hypothyroidism is a clinical disorder commonly encountered by the primary care physician. Untreated hypothyroidism can contribute to hypertension, dyslipidemia, infertility, cognitive impairment, and neuromuscular dysfunction. Data derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggest that about one in 300 persons in the United States has hypothyroidism. The prevalence increases with age, and is higher in females than in males. Hypothyroidism may occur as a result of primary gland failure or insufficient thyroid gland stimulation by the hypothalamus or pituitary gland. Autoimmune ��-catenin signaling thyroid disease is the most common etiology of hypothyroidism in the United States. Clinical symptoms of hypothyroidism

are nonspecific and may be subtle, especially in older persons. The best laboratory assessment of thyroid function is a serum thyroid-stimulating hormone test. There is no evidence that Sepantronium Apoptosis inhibitor screening asymptomatic adults improves outcomes. In the majority of patients, alleviation of symptoms can be accomplished through oral administration of synthetic levothyroxine, and most patients will require lifelong therapy. Combination triiodothyronine/thyroxine therapy has no advantages over thyroxine monotherapy and is not recommended. Among patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, those at greater risk of progressing

to clinical disease, and who may be considered for therapy, include patients with thyroid-stimulating hormone levels greater than 10 mIU per L and those who have elevated thyroid peroxidase antibody titers. (Am Fam Physician. 2012;86 (3):244-251. Copyright (c) 2012 American Academy of Family Physicians.)”
“OBJECTIVE: To estimate walking capacity in intermittent claudication patients through a prediction model based on clinical characteristics and the walking impairment questionnaire.

METHODS: The sample included 133 intermittent claudication patients of both genders aged between 30 and 80 years. Data regarding clinical characteristics, the walking impairment questionnaire and treadmill walking test performance were obtained. Multiple regression modeling was conducted to predict claudication onset distance and total walking distance using clinical characteristics (age, height, mass, body mass index, ankle brachial index lower, gender, history of smoking and co-morbid conditions) and walking impairment questionnaire responses.

Results: Okra gel formulation showed good properties in terms of pH, viscosity and mucoadhesion. The drug was able to permeate through the goat nasal mucosa within 255 min. The test okra nasal gel, with and without enhancer, showed superior permeation properties to gels prepared with synthetic polymers – hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and

sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC). For example, drug flux (j) of okra nasal gel formulation and gel formulations made with HPMC and NaCMC was 134.8, 120.9 and 84.8, respectively.

Conclusion: Okra mucilage is a promising natural and safe gel former that can be developed to serve as an alternative selleck inhibitor to currently used synthetic gel formers for nasal drug delivery.”
“Contents Our objectives were (i) compare in vitro development of early cleavage stage domestic cat embryos after cryopreservation by minimal volume vitrification vs a standard slow, controlled-rate method, (ii) determine viability of vitrified domestic cat embryos by oviductal transfer BIBW2992 concentration into synchronous recipients and (iii) evaluate in vivo survival of black-footed cat (BFC, Felis nigripes) embryos after intra- and inter-species transfer. In vitro-derived (IVM/IVF) cat embryos were used to evaluate in vitro development after controlled-rate cryopreservation

vs vitrification vs controls. Blastocyst development was similar in both groups of cryopreserved embryos (2226%), but it was lower (p<0.05) than that of fresh embryos (50%). After embryo transfer, four of eight recipients of vitrified embryos established pregnancies three of six (50%) and one of two (50%) that received embryos from in vivo- and in vitro-matured oocytes, respectively. Three male and two female kittens weighing from 51 to 124g (mean=88g) were delivered on days 6165 of gestation. In BFC, four intra-species embryo transfer procedures were carried out two recipients received 查看更多 fresh day 2 embryos (n=5,

8) and two recipients received embryos that had been cryopreserved on day 1 (n=6) or 2 (n=8). A 2year-old recipient of cryopreserved embryos established pregnancy and delivered two live male kittens. Subsequently, five cryopreserved BFC embryos were transferred to a domestic cat recipient. On day 29, the recipient was determined to be pregnant and delivered naturally a live, healthy female BFC kitten on day 66. In summary, in vivo survival of vitrified domestic cat embryos was shown by the births of kittens after transfer into recipients. Also, we demonstrated that sperm and embryo cryopreservation could be combined with intra- and inter-species embryo transfer and integrated into the array of assisted reproductive techniques used successfully for propagation of a rare and vulnerable felid species, the black-footed cat.”
“Background The cost-effectiveness of the optimal use of hospital-based acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treatments and their potential impact on coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in China is not well known.

Oxidative savings in neurons contributes to the decrease in fluorescence characterizing the inhibitory bands. These findings

provide strong in vivo support for the astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle hypothesis.”
“Fruit of Prunus domestica was extracted in ethanol. The ethanol extract was further extracted with two solvents ethyl acetate selleck kinase inhibitor and chloroform. The crude ethanol extract and two fractions (ethyl acetate and chloroform) were screened for their antibacterial activity using the agar well diffusion method.They were tested against nine bacteria; five Gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcuc intermedius, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus pumilus) and four Gram negative bacteria (Eschrichia coli, Proteus mirabilis Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhi and Klebsiela pneumoniae). The susceptibility of microorganisms to all three fractions was compared with each other and with standard antibiotic (Ampicillin) Among all fractions ethyl acetate exhibited highest antibacterial activity (average zone of inhibition 34.57mm +/- 1.3)while ethyl alcohol exhibited least antibacterial activity (average zone of inhibition 17.42mm +/- 3.3). Minimum inhibitory concentration of ethanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions was found in the range of 78ug/ml to 2500ugl/ml against gram positive and gram negative bacteria”
“Three new compounds, debilitriol Vorasidenib (1), debilignanoside

(2), and equisetumine (3), along with nine known compounds, were isolated from the whole plant of Equisetum debile. Their structures were elucidated by spectral and chemical methods.”
“The increase of aesthetic demands, together with the successful outcome of current implants, has renewed interest in the search for new materials

with enough mechanical properties and better aesthetic qualities than the materials customarily used in implanto-prosthetic rehabilitation. Among these materials, zirconium has been used in different types of implants, including prosthetic abutments. The aim of the present review is to analyse current scientific evidence supporting the use of this material for the above mentioned purposes.

We carried out the review Ralimetinib of the literature published in the last ten years (2000 through 2010) of in vitro trials of dynamic and static loading of zirconium abutments found in the databases of Medline and Cochrane using the key words zirconium abutment, fracture resistance, fracture strength, cyclic loading.

Although we have found a wide variability of values among the different studies, abutments show favourable clinical behaviour for the rehabilitation of single implants in the anterior area. Such variability may be explained by the difficulty to simulate daily mastication under in vitro conditions. The clinical evidence, as found in our study, does not recommend the use of implanto-prosthetic zirconium abutments in the molar area.

Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“A melamine-formaldehyde-urea (MFU) resin was used as adsorbent to clean wastewater containing a basic dye (methylene blue) used to simulate leather and textile processing dyes. Dye removal was followed by measuring the initial and final dye concentration in solution by UV-Vis spectroscopy using the analytical wavelength of lambda = 665 nm and the molar absorptivity of epsilon = (8.43 +/- 0.05) x 10(4) L mol(-1) cm(-1). The concentration range of methylene blue in solution for adsorption experiments

was between 10(-7) and 10(-5) M so as to avoid dye polymerization reactions in solution that would give rise to 4EGI-1 inhibitor apparent deviations from Beer’s law. Batch and column methods were used for investigating Volasertib purchase adsorptive removal of dye. Parameters such as pH and contact time were optimized. The capacity of the sorbent for the dye was found by classical adsorption modeling (15.0 mg g(-1)) with the aid of a Langmuir isotherm. The optimal pH for adsorption was 7-8. Adsorption is thought to proceed mainly through cation exchange of methylene blue (MB(+)) with the R-COO (-) exchange groups of the sorbent. Adsorption was fast, and reached an equilibrium within 30 min. Color removal of simulated leather dyeing wastewater was shown to be feasible under optimal conditions. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym

Sci 112: 3442-3448, 2009″
“We report a case of typhoid rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure and acute pancreatitis in a 23-year-old Vietnamese male who was admitted to the intensive care unit with a 15-day history of fever followed by severe abdominal pain. On examination, the patient was febrile and his abdomen was diffusely Apoptosis Compound Library solubility dmso tender. Serum creatinine was 533 mu mol/L, pancreatic amylase 1800 U/L and lipase 900 U/L; the myoglobin blood level was high, which is associated

with significant myoglobinuria. Blood, urine and stool culture yielded Salmonella enterica serovar typhi, which was sensitive to ceftriaxon, ampicillin and ciprofloxacin. Ceftriaxon was initiated for a total of 14 days. Subsequently, the patient maintained a good urine output with improved renal parameters and accordingly was discharged. In this report, we review the literature and discuss the pathogenesis of the disease thoroughly. (C) 2008 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“A 79-year-old male was treated for 6 months with linezolid for prosthetic knee joint osteomyelitis. At the end of this 6-month period, quantitative stool cultures revealed partial loss of the normal gut flora and concomitant colonization by opportunistic pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other Gram-negatives. Follow-up cultures at 6 weeks after antibiotic discontinuation revealed restoration of the normal flora. Prolonged linezolid administration may lead to replacement of normal gut flora by pathogenic microorganisms, which under certain conditions might cause systemic infections.

The Ni(2+)-imprinted poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl-L-histidine) (PHEMAH) monolithic column was synthesized by bulk polymerization. The template ion (Ni(2+)) was removed with a 4-(2-pyridylazo) resorcinol (PAR):NH(3)- NH(4)Cl solution. The water-uptake ratio of the PHEMAH-Ni(2+) RAD001 chemical structure monolith increased compared with PHEMAH because of the formation of nickel-ion cavities in the

polymer structure. The adsorption of Ni(2+) ions on both the PHEMAH-Ni(2+) and PHEMAH monoliths were studied. The maximum adsorption capacity was 0.211 mg/g for the PHEMAH-Ni(2+) monolith. Fe(3+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+) ions were used as competitive species in the selectivity experiments. The PHEMAH-Ni(2+) monolithic column was 268.8, 25.5, and 10.4 times more selective than the PHEMAH monolithic column for IPI-549 research buy the Zn(2+), Cu(2+), and Fe(3+) ions, respectively. The PHEMAH-Ni(2+) monolithic column could be used repeatedly without a decrease in the Ni(2+) adsorption capacity. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 117: 3704-3714, 2010″
“Background: Acute rhinosinusitis in a child with signs and symptoms of a cold that persist beyond 10 days is recommended to be treated with antimicrobials. One reason for this recommendation is to prevent. the complications of sinus infection.

We wanted to find out whether there is any evidence to support this.

Methods: We reviewed retrospectively all the medical records of children treated in our hospital from February 1996 to March 2006 for complications related to rhinosinusitis.

Results: Twenty children had

such complications. Their symptoms of uncomplicated acute respiratory infection had lasted for an average of 5.1 days before the appearance of the complication, and only 3 children had respiratory symptoms lasting longer than 10 days.

Conclusions: Complications of rhinosinusitis in children appear during the first few days of acute upper respiratory infection. This finding does not support the recommendation that antibiotics should be started if upper respiratory symptoms have lasted longer than 10 days in Bindarit mw children. Even though patients with findings suggesting invasive periorbital infection require immediate antimicrobial treatment, we should be critical in our recommendations as to when antibiotics need to be given to patients with only prolonged upper respiratory infections.”
“Purpose Grief is a reaction to a significant loss that can profoundly affect all aspects of life and capacity to function well. The consequences can vary from severe psychological distress through to physical disturbances and significant social problems. This study sought to identify a measure of vulnerability in grief, by examining the psychometric properties of the Adult Attitude to Grief (AAG) scale in a sample of 168 people seeking help in their bereavement.

Recent findings

The field is beginning to move beyond a cartilage focus to include other joint tissues relevant to osteoarthritis such as ligaments, meniscus, and

bone. Synovitis also appears Fedratinib price to play a role in osteoarthritis but has not been a focus of aging studies. Studies in small animals, including mice and rats, demonstrate age-related changes that can contribute to osteoarthritis and show that animal age is a key factor to be considered in interpreting the results of studies using surgically induced models of osteoarthritis. There is accumulating evidence that cellular processes such as damage-induced cell senescence contribute to osteoarthritis and a growing body of literature on the role of epigenetic regulation of gene expression in aging and osteoarthritis.

Summary

Not

all osteoarthritis is due to aging processes in joint tissues, but the age-related changes being discovered certainly could play a major contributing role.”
“Purpose of review

Obesity is one of the main risk factors of the incidence and prevalence selleck chemical of knee osteoarthritis. Recent epidemiological data showing an increased risk of hand osteoarthritis in obese patients opened the door to a role of systemic inflammatory mediators, adipokines, released by adipose tissue.

Recent findings

Recent experimental studies confirm the critical roles of adipokines in the pathophysiologic features of osteoarthritis, with an emphasis on a new member, chemerin. Animal models of diet-induced obesity show that overload cannot completely explain the aggravation of spontaneous or posttraumatic knee osteoarthritis. We now have data suggesting that some adipokines may be surrogate biomarkers for severity of osteoarthritis.

Summary

Preclinical studies targeting adipokines are now

expected to provide new hope for patients with osteoarthritis, especially those with metabolic syndrome.”
“Purpose of review

Regenerative medicine offers the exciting potential of developing alternatives to total joint replacement for treating osteoarthritis. In this article, we highlight recent work that addresses key challenges of stem cell-based therapies for osteoarthritis and provide examples AZD6738 of innovative ways in which stem cells can aid in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Recent findings

Significant progress has been made in understanding the challenges to successful stem cell therapy, such as the effects of age or disease on stem cell properties, altered stem cell function due to an inflammatory joint environment and phenotypic instability in vivo. Novel scaffold designs have been shown to enhance the mechanical properties of tissue-engineered cartilage and have also improved the integration of newly formed tissue within the joint. Emerging strategies such as injecting stem cells directly into the joint, manipulating endogenous stem cells to enhance regenerative capacity and utilizing stem cells for drug discovery have expanded the potential uses of stem cells in treating osteoarthritis.

To fully appreciate the QA movement, and design or implement quality improvement projects, its basic principles need to be

understood. This chapter aims to give insights in basic principles underlying QA, and to discuss historical lessons that have been learnt from other industries. Furthermore, it discusses how to implement and assure a sustainable QA program. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Resistive switching memory (RRAM) based on the redox-induced conductivity change in some Ulixertinib in vivo metal oxides attracts considerable interest as a new technology for next-generation nonvolatile electronic storage. Although resistance-switching phenomena in several transition metal oxides have been known from decades, the details of the switching mechanisms and the nature of the different resistive states are still largely debated. For nonvolatile memory applications, the scaling potential of RRAMs is the most relevant issue, and understanding the scaling capability of RRAM devices requires a sound

interpretation of resistance-switching operation and reliability aspects. This work addresses the scaling dependence of RRAM switching parameters. The dependence on the electrode area and on the size of the conductive filament (CF) responsible for low-resistance memory state is investigated. The RRAM conduction modes depending on CF size are discussed based on temperature dependent resistance analysis. Reset characteristics in different resistance states are explained by a Joule heating model

for CF oxidation. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3544499]“
“Cardiovascular OICR-9429 death represents the single largest cause of mortality in women with 70% of deaths attributable to modifiable risk factors, such as hypertension. This analysis aims at evaluating, whether there are gender disparities in antihypertensive drug usage and blood pressure ( BP) control. We included 18 017 patients with arterial hypertension from the International Survey Evaluating Microalbuminuria Routinely by Cardiologists in patients with Hypertension (I-SEARCH). The study was conducted between September 2005 and March 2006 in 26 countries, and data on patient demographics, cardiovascular disease and risk factors, BP, and cardiovascular DZNeP drug treatment were collected. Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 2.1 mm Hg higher in women (150.6 +/- 0.35 mm Hg, n=8357/18 017) than in men (148.5 +/- 0.35 mm Hg; P<0.0001, n=9526/18 017), whereas no difference in diastolic BP was seen (88.2 +/- 0.20 vs 88 +/- 0.20 mm Hg; P=0.198). Gender differences in SBP were more pronounced in diabetic as compared with nondiabetic patients (3.5 vs 1.7 mm Hg, n=4272 vs n=13 611; P<0.0001) and became evident at an age 55 years old. Overall BP-control rate was 33.6% in men and 30.6% in women (P<0.

9% non-Mycobacterium), parasitic infestations (16.7%), and deep fungal infections (5.6%). Tuberculosis cases formed the largest granuloma group (40.8%),

followed by leprosy (31.7%) and leishmaniasis (15.9%). A total of 36 cases were diagnosed by direct C59 Wnt datasheet smear (PR 15.5%), 61 cases by skin biopsy (PR 31.0%), 84 cases by intradermal test (PR 63.6%), 26 cases by serological tests (PR 60.5%), 18 cases by tissue culture (PR 69.2%), and eight cases by PCR (PR 100%).

Conclusions: Mycobacterial infections constitute the most common infectious cutaneous granulomas among Egyptians. Routine methods such as direct smear, skin biopsy, and intradermal tests remain the most commonly applied and economical methods for diagnosis in developing countries, although specific methods such as tissue culture and PCR have higher positivity rates in the diagnosis. (C) 2011 International Society for

Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Arrhythmia is well described following cardiac transplantation. We report a case of recurrent selleckchem ventricular fibrillation (VF) originating from an orthotopic cardiac allograft. VF was consistently initiated on each occasion by a relatively early-coupled monomorphic ventricular ectopic. Antiarrhythmic agents failed to suppress the arrhythmia. Electrophysiological testing with noncontact mapping showed a high-frequency potential at the earliest activation site. Radiofrequency ablation resulted in abolition of ventricular ectopy with no further VF recurrence. Although there is substantial experience with ablation of atrial tachycardias in this setting, experience with ablation for ventricular arrhythmias is limited and ablation of VF not described.”
“After more than 60 years, the conventional production of influenza vaccines employing fertilized chicken eggs has reached its limits – both in

terms of temporal flexibility and vaccine production volume. This problem is compounded by the fact that the pandemic-driven situation in 2009 has roughly doubled the overall vaccine demand. Modern cell culture technology has significant JAK 抑制剂 advantages over the conventional method of manufacturing influenza vaccines employing embryonated chicken eggs, and enables manufacturers to respond rapidly to the increasing worldwide seasonal and pandemic-driven need for influenza vaccines. Recent articles in the popular press claiming that cell culture-based influenza vaccines can cause tumors have fomented uncertainty among the general population and physicians, and also discredit officially accepted test results and product licensing. This article provides an overview of the safety profile of the cell culture technology, of the cells and of the final vaccine product.”
“Purpose of review

As part of the preoperative evaluation, echocardiography provides noninvasive assessment of cardiovascular status in patients scheduled for lung resection, especially in the presence of chronic elevation of pulmonary arterial pressures.

The structure of the ThFe11C2 compound has three inequivalent iron sites with different local environment. A strongly enhanced magnetic moment is observed on certain Fe positions, coexisting with much lower magnetic moments on other iron positions of the lattice. Band structure calculations

Go 6983 indeed show that the Fe magnetic moments depend strongly on the local environment. The average Fe magnetic moment obtained from these calculations is in good agreement with the experimental average Fe moment obtained from magnetization measurements. The orbital contribution to the magnetic moment is found to be especially large on the Fe 4b position. Comparing calculated hyperfine fields with experimental results, it is found that the calculated and experimental hyperfine fields are correlated. However, similarly to the results reported before for elemental Fe, the magnitude of all calculated Fe hyperfine fields is about 25% smaller. The agreement with the Mossbauer measurements is improved by scaling the core polarization contribution and by estimating the orbital valence d-electrons contribution to the magnetic hyperfine fields

using the local spin density approximation+dynamical mean field theory calculated orbital moments. VC 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3567923]“
“A graft copolymer was synthesized by graft copolymerization of starch with styrene (St) and butyl acrylate (BA), using ferrous sulfate-hydrogen peroxide redox initiation system. The starch was pregelled in the presence selleck of acrylonitrile (AN) in aqueous alkali at high temperature before graft polymerization. Major factors affecting the polymerization reaction were investigated. It was found that a graft copolymer with higher percentage

conversion (PC), graft efficiency (GE) and graft percentage (GP) was obtained by controlling the initiator concentration, concentration, and ratio SN-38 inhibitor of monomers and polymerization temperature. The optimum conditions were as follows: H(2)O(2) concentration, 12%; monomer concentration, 120%; St/BA ratio, 1 : 1; polymerization temperature, 65 degrees C. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and NMR analyses were used to gain information on the structure of the products. It was demonstrated that St, BA, and AN had been successfully grafted onto starch and -CN had been saponified into -CONH(2) and -COO(-) to a certain degree when pregelling. Scanning electron microscope micrographs showed the coarse structure and broad network. The graft polymerization took place on the surface of starch granule and led to amorphization of the starch structure. Graft polymer had better thermal stability and was endowed with pseudo-plasticity. It was observed that the starch graft copolymer offers good properties such as water resistance as surface-sizing agent. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.