The products were characterized using FTIR, GPC/SEC, and viscosity measurements. The polyesters have hydroxyl values that were reduced due to esterification, from 1043 mg KOH/g of the liquefied wood to 400-800 mg KOH/g. Polyhydroxyl alcohols (22-23%) in the polyester formulations were replaced by wood derivatives. Such saturated polyesters are suitable for further use in polyurethane foam production. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 115: 1265-1271, 2010″
“Background- Natural selection shapes many human genes, including

some related to complex diseases. Understanding BB-94 manufacturer how selection affects genes, especially pleiotropic ones, may be important in evaluating disease associations and the role played by environmental variation. This may be of particular interest for genes with antagonistic roles that cause divergent patterns of selection. The lectin-like low-density lipoprotein 1 receptor, encoded by OLR1, is exemplary. It has

antagonistic functions in the cardiovascular and immune systems because the same protein domain binds oxidized low-density lipoprotein and bacterial cell wall proteins, the former contributing to atherosclerosis and the latter presumably protecting from infection. We studied patterns of selection in this gene, in humans and nonhuman primates, to determine whether variable selection can lead to conflicting results in cardiovascular disease association studies.

Methods and Results- We analyzed sequences from 11 nonhuman primate species, as well as single-nucleotide polymorphisms and sequence data from multiple human populations. Results Selleckchem GW4064 indicate that the derived allele is favored LY2835219 Cell Cycle inhibitor across primate lineages (probably because of recent positive selection). However, both the derived and ancestral alleles were maintained in human populations, especially European ones (possibly because of balancing selection derived from dual roles of LOX-1). Balancing selection

likely reflects response to diverse environmental pressures among humans.

Conclusions- These data indicate that differential selection patterns, within and between species, in OLR1 render association studies difficult to replicate even if the gene is etiologically connected to cardiovascular disease. Selection analyses can identify genes exhibiting gene-environment interactions critical for unraveling disease association.”
“Cannabis can produce and/or exacerbate psychotic symptoms in vulnerable individuals. Early exposure to cannabis, particularly in combination with genetic factors, increases the risk of a subsequent, primary, psychotic disorder. Because paranoia is a common feature of stimulant abuse and cocaine-dependent individuals frequently endorse a history of cannabis abuse, we examined whether early cannabis exposure, in conjunction with polymorphic variation in the catechol-O-methyl transferase gene (COMT Val158Met), influences the risk for cocaine-induced paranoia (CIP).