scholarly journals Investigations by AFM of Ageing Mechanisms in PLA-Flax Fibre Composites during Garden Composting

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 2225
Author(s):  
Alessia Melelli ◽  
Delphin Pantaloni ◽  
Eric Balnois ◽  
Olivier Arnould ◽  
Frédéric Jamme ◽  
...  

PLA-flax non-woven composites are promising materials, coupling high performance and possible degradation at their end of life. To explore their ageing mechanisms during garden composting, microstructural investigations were carried out through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We observe that flax fibres preferentially degrade ‘inwards’ from the edge to the core of the composite. In addition, progressive erosion of the cell walls occurs within the fibres themselves, ‘outwards’ from the central lumen to the periphery primary wall. This preferential degradation is reflected in the decrease in indentation modulus from around 23 GPa for fibres located in the preserved core of the composite to 3–4 GPa for the remaining outer-most cell wall crowns located at the edge of the sample that is in contact with the compost. Ageing of the PLA matrix is less drastic with a relatively stable indentation modulus. Nevertheless, a change in the PLA morphology, a significant decrease in its roughness and increase of porosity, can be observed towards the edge of the sample, in comparison to the core. This work highlights the important role of intrinsic fibre porosity, called lumen, which is suspected to be a major variable of the compost ageing process, providing pathways of entry for moisture and microorganisms that are involved in cell wall degradation.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fajar Inggit Pambudi ◽  
Michael William Anderson ◽  
Martin Attfield

Atomic force microscopy has been used to determine the surface crystal growth of two isostructural metal-organic frameworks, [Zn2(ndc)2(dabco)] (ndc = 1,4-naphthalene dicarboxylate, dabco = 4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) (1) and [Cu2(ndc)2(dabco)] (2) from...


Author(s):  
S. Tripathy ◽  
E. J. Berger

Costal cartilage is one of the load bearing tissues of the rib cage. Literature on the material characterization of the costal cartilage is limited. Atomic force microscopy has been extremely successful in characterizing the elastic properties of articular cartilage, but no studies have been published on costal cartilage. In this study AFM indentations on human costal cartilage were performed and compared with macro scale indentation data. Spherical beaded tips of three sizes were used for the AFM indentations. The Hertz contact model for spherical indenter was used to analyze the data and obtain the Young’s modulus. The costal cartilage was found to be almost linearly elastic till 600 nm of indentation depth. It was also found that the modulus values decreased with the distance from the junction. The modulus values from macro indentations were found to be 2-fold larger than the AFM indentation modulus.


2018 ◽  
pp. 335-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Torode ◽  
Marina Linardic ◽  
J. Louis Kaplan ◽  
Siobhan A. Braybrook

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanela Rankovic ◽  
Ruben Ramalho ◽  
Christopher Aiken ◽  
Itay Rousso

ABSTRACTThe RNA genome of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is enclosed in a cone-shaped capsid shell that disassembles following cell entry via a process known as uncoating. During HIV-1 infection, the capsid is important for reverse transcription and entry of the virus into the target cell nucleus. The small molecule PF74 inhibits HIV-1 infection at early stages by binding to the capsid and perturbing uncoating. However, the mechanism by which PF74 alters capsid stability and reduces viral infection is presently unknown. Here, we show, using atomic force microscopy (AFM), that binding of PF74 to recombinant capsid-like assemblies and to HIV-1 isolated cores stabilizes the capsid in a concentration-dependent manner. At a PF74 concentration of 10 μM, the mechanical stability of the core is increased to a level similar to that of the intrinsically hyperstable capsid mutant E45A. PF74 also prevented the complete disassembly of HIV-1 cores normally observed during 24 h of reverse transcription. Specifically, cores treated with PF74 only partially disassembled: the main body of the capsid remained intact and stiff, and a cap-like structure dissociated from the narrow end of the core. Moreover, the internal coiled structure that was observed to form during reverse transcriptionin vitropersisted throughout the duration of the measurement (∼24 h). Our results provide direct evidence that PF74 directly stabilizes the HIV-1 capsid lattice, thereby permitting reverse transcription while interfering with a late step in uncoating.IMPORTANCEThe capsid-binding small molecule PF74 inhibits HIV-1 infection at early stages and perturbs uncoating. However, the mechanism by which PF74 alters capsid stability and reduces viral infection is presently unknown. We recently introduced time-lapse atomic force microscopy to study the morphology and physical properties of HIV-1 cores during the course of reverse transcription. Here, we apply this AFM methodology to show that PF74 prevented the complete disassembly of HIV-1 cores normally observed during 24 h of reverse transcription. Specifically, cores with PF74 only partially disassembled: the main body of the capsid remained intact and stiff, but a cap-like structure dissociated from the narrow end of the core HIV-1. Our result provides direct evidence that PF74 directly stabilizes the HIV-1 capsid lattice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (48) ◽  
pp. eabc9294
Author(s):  
Qingqing Wu ◽  
Yue Li ◽  
Mohan Lyu ◽  
Yiwen Luo ◽  
Hui Shi ◽  
...  

How mechanical forces regulate plant growth is a fascinating and long-standing question. After germination underground, buried seedlings have to dynamically adjust their growth to respond to mechanical stimulation from soil barriers. Here, we designed a lid touch assay and used atomic force microscopy to investigate the mechanical responses of seedlings during soil emergence. Touching seedlings induced increases in cell wall stiffness and decreases in cell elongation, which were correlated with pectin degradation. We revealed that PGX3, which encodes a polygalacturonase, mediates touch-imposed alterations in the pectin matrix and the mechanics of morphogenesis. Furthermore, we found that ethylene signaling is activated by touch, and the transcription factor EIN3 directly associates with PGX3 promoter and is required for touch-repressed PGX3 expression. By uncovering the link between mechanical forces and cell wall remodeling established via the EIN3-PGX3 module, this work represents a key step in understanding the molecular framework of touch-induced morphological changes.


2009 ◽  
Vol 610-613 ◽  
pp. 55-60
Author(s):  
Wu Jang Huang ◽  
Wei Chu ◽  
Ling Hui Hsieh ◽  
Jian Guo Chen

This study aimed to prepare a high performance plastic concrete made of epoxy resin and Portland type-I cement mixed with at least one inorganic solid waste of demercurated lighting phosphor powder or municipal solid waste incineration scrubber residue. The ratio between liquid epoxy resin and cement was 1:2; the scrubber residue and demercurated phosphor powder were added as modifiers for cement component in order to improve the strength and thermal properties of synthesized plastic concrete. The results indicate that, the addition of scrubber residue causes a decrease in both strength and thermal properties; whereas, the demercurated phosphor powder can replace 100% of the contents of cement without any significantly change in either strength or thermal properties. Atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the chemical structure of cured concrete and the results indicate that the surface softness increases with an increase in the mixed percentage of epoxy resin.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Amir Hassan ◽  
Miguel V. Vitorino ◽  
Tiago Robalo ◽  
Mário S. Rodrigues ◽  
Isabel Sá-Correia

Abstract The influence that Burkholderia cenocepacia adaptive evolution during long-term infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients has on cell wall morphology and mechanical properties is poorly understood despite their crucial role in cell physiology, persistent infection and pathogenesis. Cell wall morphology and physical properties of three B. cenocepacia isolates collected from a CF patient over a period of 3.5 years were compared using atomic force microscopy (AFM). These serial clonal variants include the first isolate retrieved from the patient and two late isolates obtained after three years of infection and before the patient’s death with cepacia syndrome. A consistent and progressive decrease of cell height and a cell shape evolution during infection, from the typical rods to morphology closer to cocci, were observed. The images of cells grown in biofilms showed an identical cell size reduction pattern. Additionally, the apparent elasticity modulus significantly decreases from the early isolate to the last clonal variant retrieved from the patient but the intermediary highly antibiotic resistant clonal isolate showed the highest elasticity values. Concerning the adhesion of bacteria surface to the AFM tip, the first isolate was found to adhere better than the late isolates whose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure loss the O-antigen (OAg) during CF infection. The OAg is known to influence Gram-negative bacteria adhesion and be an important factor in B. cenocepacia adaptation to chronic infection. Results reinforce the concept of the occurrence of phenotypic heterogeneity and adaptive evolution, also at the level of cell size, form, envelope topography and physical properties during long-term infection.


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