Effect of pretreatment on mechanical properties of orange peel particulate (bio-waste) reinforced epoxy composites

Effects of chemical treatments with benzoyl chloride, acetone and alkali on the physical and mechanical properties of Orange Peel Particulate (OPP) reinforced epoxy composite materials have been studied. Hand lay-up technique was applied to manufacture the composites. The experimental results illustrate that chemical treatment with benzoyl chloride has a considerable impact. The properties of OPP reinforced composite material have been enhanced by 15% (for tensile test) and 30% (in case of flexural test) due to benzoyl chloride treatment as compared to raw OPP composites. It is evident from Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) that non cellulosic content was removed from the surface of the fiber due to benzoyl chloride treatment. After chemical treatment there was good interfacial bonding between matrix and filler material as observed in SEM micrographs. From the experimental observations, it can be seen that among all fabricated composites, set of composites with 30% filler loading yields excellent mechanical properties.

Development of a method for producing effective CdS/CdTe/Cu/Au solar elements on a flexible substrate designed for backup supplying systems prevention of emergency situations

The technology of forming film solar cells based on CdS / CdTe configuration of the "superstrat" type on a flexible substrate has been improved. To increase the efficiency of the developed solar cells on a flexible substrate, a chemical etching procedure in a nitrogen-phosphorus mixture was added to the traditional "chemical treatment". The conducted studies of the output parameters of the developed device structures showed that the highest values are observed in the case of chemical etching, both before the "chloride treatment" and after it. In the course of the study, it was found that a mandatory procedure in the formation of effective device structures is chemical etching in a nitrogen-phosphorus mixture both before the "chloride treatment" and after it. Carrying out the described procedures made it possible to obtain solar cells on a flexible substrate with an efficiency of 13.1 %. The increase in the efficiency of solar cells with two-stage chemical etching can be explained by the formation of excess tellurium on the surface, which leads to a decrease in resistance and, therefore, to a more efficient penetration of chlorine during the subsequent chloride treatment. Analysis of the transverse cleavage of the investigated device structures demonstrates significant grain growth and surface smoothness of the base layer, which ensures good adhesion with back contact. A study of the degradation resistance of the developed device structures during operation has been carried out. It was found that the obtained solar cells based on CdTe on a flexible substrate have a high degradation resistance and after 10 bending cycles there is no decrease in the output parameters. Thus, it has been established that chemical etching in a nitrogen-phosphorus mixture is a mandatory procedure for the formation of efficient solar cells on a flexible substrate.

Cultivation method for revitalized potato material in the system of original seed production

To arrange a system of virus-free potato seed production in the Sakhalin region, a series of studies undertaken to come up with a method towards potato material cultivation in film-gauze greenhouses. At the initial stage, the key agrotechnical methods were developed for growing test-tube microplants, including optimal planting plans – 70×15 cm (the highest yield derived from a standard mini-tuber fraction pcs/m2), 70×30 cm (for clone selection); spraying with insecticides (Aktellik – 3 l/ha, Rogor – 2 l/ha) and fungicides (Ridomil – 1 kg/ha, Tsineb – 2.4 kg/ha) to combat agents transmitting viral and fungal infections; chlorocholine chloride treatment (1.1%) to reduce the growth of the vegetative mass; serological analysis of plants for latent infection with viruses X, Y, S, M, F; burning tops with Reglon (2 l/ha) 2 weeks before harvesting. A set of agrotechnical methods used for producing healthy seed tubers on the Timiryazevskoye seed farm made it possible to reduce the elite cultivation cycle from 5 to 4 years, increase the yield by 57.2%, and reduce the production cost by 43.5%. Subsequently, the methods worked out for producing potato seeds were improved based on modern breeding varieties and phytoregulators (Azolen, Elena, Extrasol, Epin-Extra, Zircon) in spray mixtures with the fungicide Shirlan, contributing to an increased yield up to 34% and efficiency of a standard seed fraction up to 33%. Under production conditions, this method provided a conditionally net income of 450-700 thousand rubles/ha.

A Comparative Analysis among Different Surface Sterilisation Methods for Rice Invitro Culture

Invitro tissue culture establishment is the most important phase in rice (Oryza sativa L.) genetic improvement studies. But, invitro tissue growth demands a sterile condition conducive for unhampered nutrient supply to the explant which otherwise face competition from unwanted microbial contamination of explant origin. To eliminate such contaminants, there are several surface sterilisation techniques available for Invitro culture establishment of mature rice seed explants, which include the application of either mercuric chloride or sodium hypochlorite as sterilizing agents. Therefore, a comparative study was conducted to determine the effect of these sterilization techniques on decontaminating the rice seed explants without affecting their invitro germination potential. The most effective sterilisation was obtained with 0.2% mercuric chloride treatment for 8 minutes, which produced 93.62± 0.191% of contamination free seeds. But, the highest germination (94.53± 0.210%) was obtained with 4% of NaOCl treatment for 10 minutes. The results demonstrated that the level of contamination decreases with increasing concentration of sterilising agents and the duration of the treatment. The germination percentage decreased with increasing concentration of mercuric chloride. Sodium hypochlorite enhanced germination until a concentration increase of 4% and then the germination percentage decreased with increasing concentration and treatment duration. These findings may help in determination of most appropriate surface sterilisation technique in rice for in vitro culture.

All-Cellulose Material Prepared by Zinc Chloride Treatment

Vulcanized fiber is an all-cellulose material made from cotton and/or wood cellulose after zinc chloride treatment. This material was invented in the UK in the mid-19th century and is used because of its excellent characteristics, such as impact resistance and electrical insulation. Recent research revealed that the vulcanized fiber strength can be attributed to the chemically defibrillated cellulose nanofibers. In this report, we describe the history and structural characteristics of vulcanized fibers and introduce a new aspect of zinc chloride treatment.

Lithium Chloride Protects against Sepsis-Induced Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Cancer Cachexia

Inflammation-mediated skeletal muscle wasting occurs in patients with sepsis and cancer cachexia. Both conditions severely affect patient morbidity and mortality. Lithium chloride has previously been shown to enhance myogenesis and prevent certain forms of muscular dystrophy. However, to our knowledge, the effect of lithium chloride treatment on sepsis-induced muscle atrophy and cancer cachexia has not yet been investigated. In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of lithium chloride using in vitro and in vivo models of cancer cachexia and sepsis. Lithium chloride prevented wasting in myotubes cultured with cancer cell-conditioned media, maintained the expression of the muscle fiber contractile protein, myosin heavy chain 2, and inhibited the upregulation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase, Atrogin-1. In addition, it inhibited the upregulation of inflammation-associated cytokines in macrophages treated with lipopolysaccharide. In the animal model of sepsis, lithium chloride treatment improved body weight, increased muscle mass, preserved the survival of larger fibers, and decreased the expression of muscle-wasting effector genes. In a model of cancer cachexia, lithium chloride increased muscle mass, enhanced muscle strength, and increased fiber cross-sectional area, with no significant effect on tumor mass. These results indicate that lithium chloride exerts therapeutic effects on inflammation-mediated skeletal muscle wasting, such as sepsis-induced muscle atrophy and cancer cachexia.

Heparanase Modulation by Wingless/INT (Wnt)

Heparanase is an endo-beta-glucuronidase, the only enzyme in mammals capable of cleaving heparan sulfate/heparin chains from proteoglycans. The oligosaccharides generated by heparanase present extensive biological functions since such oligosaccharides interact with adhesion molecules, growth factors, angiogenic factors and cytokines, modulating cell proliferation, migration, inflammation, and carcinogenesis. However, the regulation of heparanase activity is not fully understood. It is known that heparanase is synthesized as an inactive 65 kDa isoform and that post-translation processing forms an active 50 kDa enzyme. In the present study, we are interested in investigating whether heparinase is regulated by its own substrate as observed with many other enzymes. Wild-type Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griséus) ovary cells (CHO-K1) were treated with different doses of heparin. Heparanase expression was analyzed by Real-time PCR and flow cytometry. Also, heparanase activity was measured. The heparanase activity assay was performed using a coated plate with biotinylated heparan sulfate. In the present assay, a competitive heparin inhibition scenario was set aside. Exogenous heparin trigged a cell signaling pathway that increased heparanase mRNA and protein levels. The Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, judged by TCF-driven luciferase activity, seems to be involved to enhance heparanase profile during treatment with exogenous heparin. Lithium chloride treatment, an activator of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, confirmed such mechanism of transduction in vivo using zebrafish embryos and in vitro using CHO-K1 cells. Taken together the results suggest that heparin modulates heparanase expression by Wnt/beta-catenin.