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Notes: A prophylactic antistriae cream (Centella asiatica extract, α-tocopherol, and collagen-elastin hydrolisates) was assessed by a double blind trial in 80 pregnant women.In the placebo group 22 women (56%) presented striae, whereas in the treated group only 14 women (34%) developed striae in this pregnancy; this difference was significant (p 〈 0.05; χ2 test). An arbitrary score was designed to assess the intensity of striae (from 0 to 3); this score was 1.42 (sd 0.5) in the treated group and 2.13 (sd 1.32) in the placebo group and this difference was also significant (p= 0.014; Mann–Whitney test).In women with a history of striae during puberty, the active cream induced a significant absolute prevention in 89% of the cases whereas in the placebo group all the women developed striae (p= 0.00014; χ2 test).

Notes: Extensive Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo (GEMC) simulations of a rigid molecule model of C60, characterized by a deeply attractive short-ranged interaction potential, are performed with the aim to establish the effect of the system size on the existence and location of the liquid–vapor binodal line and of its critical point. The results obtained with N=300, 600, and 1500 particles indicate that the position and the overall shape of the binodal is only minorly influenced by finite size effects. The estimated critical temperature and density at the different N fall in the ranges 1920–1940 K, and 0.4–0.45 nm−3, respectively. The results are discussed by making reference to previous studies of finite size effects in GEMC simulations. The GEMC predictions are also compared with previous computer simulation and theoretical calculations for the same model fluid. The agreement is on the whole satisfactory for both the liquid–vapor coexistence line and the critical point parameters. On the basis of previously determined freezing lines of C60, and of the actual binodal line, different estimates of the location of the triple point are also made. Triple point temperatures are found, in any case, definitely lower (by at least 150 K) than the critical temperatures, thus confirming the existence of a relatively narrow liquid phase region in the phase diagram, as predicted in previous molecular dynamics and theoretical works. The existence of such a liquid phase for the adopted model potential is discussed and assessed in the more general framework of liquid–vapor coexistence conditions in fluids interacting through short-ranged forces. The possibility to get the liquid phase of "real life" C60, hitherto not observed experimentally, is also discussed in connection with recent high temperature experimental results on fullerite samples. © 1997 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: The phase diagrams of hard-core Yukawa mixtures (HCYM), constituted of equal sized hard spheres interacting through an attractive Yukawa tail, are determined by means of Gibbs Ensemble Monte Carlo (GEMC) simulations, Semi-grand Canonical Monte Carlo (SGCMC) simulations, and through the modified hypernetted-chain (MHNC) theory. Freezing lines are obtained according to an approach recently proposed by Giaquinta and co-workers [Physica A 187, 145 (1992); Phys Rev. A 45, 6966 (1992)] in which an analysis of multiparticle contributions to the excess entropy, Δs, is performed, with the determination of the Δs=0 locus. Liquid–vapor coexistence, determined through GEMC simulations, turns out to be favored when the strength ratio ν of unlike to like particle interaction, is close to 1. For lower ν's, liquid–vapor coexistence is favored at low densities, and liquid–liquid coexistence, determined through SGCMC simulations, at high densities. The liquid–vapor binodal shifts downward in temperature and flattens when ν decreases, with a decrease of the critical temperature. At ν=0.9 a triple point can be identified from the intersection of the freezing line with the binodal line; at ν=0.7, instead, the binodal ends on the line of liquid–liquid (consolute) critical points, the intersection of the two lines thus identifying the "crossover" density and temperature between the two equilibrium regimes which correspond to the critical end point of the mixture. We find that, for not too high densities, consolute equilibrium can be also explored through GEMC simulations; the results for liquid–liquid coexistence obtained through this method and SGCMC simulations compare quite satisfactorily with each other. The trend of the liquid–vapor binodal to disappear for relatively weak unlike interactions is discussed in connection with the disappearance of liquid–vapor equilibrium which occurs in one component hard-core Yukawa fluids characterized by very short ranged attractive forces. The latter behavior has been conjectured to be relevant for the onset of crystallization in protein solutions; the implications of the present results, which are obtained in the context of a two component, albeit rough, modelization of a realistic solution, are discussed. In agreement with similar results obtained by Giaquinta et al., we finally find that the Δs=0 locus not only brings the signature of the freezing transition, but also of structural rearrangements preluding to other phase equilibria; in fact, the Δs=0 line turns out to be coincident to a high accuracy with the line of consolute critical points and with the gas branches of the liquid–vapor binodals. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: By molecular dynamics (MD) simulations we study the crystallization process in a model system whose particles interact by a spherical pair potential with a narrow and deep attractive well adjacent to a hard repulsive core. The phase diagram of the model displays a solid–fluid equilibrium, with a metastable fluid–fluid separation. Our computations are restricted to fairly small systems (from 2592 to 10368 particles) and cover long simulation times, with constant energy trajectories extending up to 76×106 MD steps. By progressively reducing the system temperature below the solid–fluid line, we first observe the metastable fluid–fluid separation, occurring readily and almost reversibly upon crossing the corresponding line in the phase diagram. The nucleation of the crystal phase takes place when the system is in the two-fluid metastable region. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the nucleation time allows us to estimate directly the nucleation free energy barrier. The results are compared with the predictions of classical nucleation theory. The critical nucleus is identified, and its structure is found to be predominantly fcc. Following nucleation, the solid phase grows steadily across the system, incorporating a large number of localized and extended defects. We discuss the relaxation processes taking place both during and after the crystallization stage. The relevance of our simulation for the kinetics of protein crystallization under normal experimental conditions is discussed. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.