Cationic polyurethane‐fluorinated acrylate hybrid dispersions (PUFA) were prepared by the copolymerization of styrene, butyl acrylate, and 2,2,3,4,4,4‐hexafluorobutyl methacrylate in the medium of crosslinked polyurethane via phase inversion polymerization. The said polyurethane was synthesized in acetone from 2,4‐tolyene diisocyanate, N‐methyldiethanolamine, trimethylolpropane, and soft polyester diol block. The influences of hydrophilic monomer on the surface properties, immersion behaviors, particle size and, zeta potential of the dispersions were investigated. The results show that the addition of hydrophilic monomer can be advantaged to the stability of dispersions and yet will increase the surface free energy by more than 19.9%. The PUFA coating films cured at ambient conditions have the lower surface free energy (less than 0.02033 J/m2). At the same time, there is an obvious mobility of fluorinated groups in fluorinated polymer films. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006

340Clinical studies in neuro-oncology typically express results using traditional outcome measures such as tumor size, toxicity effects, and of course, survival rates. Although paramount, these measures fail to fully capture the residual capacity, psychosocial health, and overall quality of life (QOL) of surviving patients. In recent years, a new emphasis has been placed on evaluating quality of life in patients, thus acknowledging the impact produced not only by the disease process, but also by different ABSTRACT: Background: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a self-administered questionnaire to measure the health-related quality of life (QOL) of patients with brain cancer. We wanted to assess both core and disease-specific concerns in a single, easy-to-use instrument, thus promoting concision and clinical utility. The questionnaire departs from its predecessors in that it was designed for-and validated among French speaking Canadians. Methods: A focus group of health professionals was used to develop items for the questionnaire, which was later validated with 105 patients suffering from brain cancer. The underlying structure of the questionnaire was investigated using principal component analysis and confirmed using a principal factor analysis. Results: The final version of the questionnaire contains 30 items. Seven multi-item scales, tapping into distinct dimensions of QOL, were uncovered (i.e., functional well-being, symptom severity/fear of death, social support/acceptance of disease, autonomy in personal care, digestive symptomatology, neurocognitive function, and pain). Assessment of reliability revealed elevated internal consistency for each of the seven scales (Cronbach coefficient alpha ≥.65), whereas known-groups validity (anchor-based approach) revealed that the different dimensions uniquely discriminated between patients with different functional levels (Karnofsky Performance Scores) and clinical status (exposure to neurosurgery, radiotherapy, and use of chemotherapy and anticonvulsants). Conclusion: Our QOL questionnaire, the Sherbrooke Neuro-Oncology Assessment Scale, or SNAS, taps into both core and disease-specific issues relevant to neuro-oncology patients. It has good validity and reliability, and clearly reflects the multidimensional nature of QOL. Depending on the research focus, it may be used in clinical trials to track the impact of disease and/or treatment on satisfaction, functional status, and general well-being. RÉSUMÉ: Élaboration et validation d'un questionnaire sur la QDV pour les patients atteints de tumeurs cérébrales.Contexte : Le but de cette étude était d'élaborer et de valider un questionnaire autoadministré destiné à mesurer la qualité de vie reliée à la santé (QDV) de patients atteints de cancers du cerveau. Nous voulions évaluer les questions fondamentales et spécifiques de la maladie par un seul outil facile à utiliser, mettant l'emphase sur la concision et l'utilité clinique. Le questionnaire est différent de ses prédécesseurs du fait qu'il a été plan...