MICROENCAPSULATION AND ITS UTILIZATION IN THE SECTOR OF HORTICULTURE : A REVIEW

Microencapsulation today has evolved as a trustworthy tool in providing endurance to majority of the biologically active compounds which in general are not so stable and tends to degenerate very easily. In the field of horticulture, the horticultural commodities are stacked with such important active compounds. These compounds help in providing an advantageous output against various types of diseases and health related issues and ailments. But as mentioned majority of these important substances are not very rigid and extremely susceptible to changes in the environment, which may be physical, chemical or biological type. Therefore microencapsulation comes out as an important an protective tool where these targeted compounds called as the core materials are being covered or wrapped by the encapsulation process through outer coating called as the wall material and final product called as the microcapsules are delivered which have an increased availability and high effectiveness of the core materials inside. Therefore, the present paper is aimed in discussing about the process of microencapsulation in brief and to through a light toward some of the works of microencapsulation which has been successfully carried out in the discipline of horticulture.

Rancang Bangun Alat Batik Kulit Kepala Harimau Barongan Reyog Ponorogo Menggunakan Arduino

Ponorogo identik dengan kesenian dan kerajinan reyog, salah satunya adalah topeng Barongan. Material utama topeng Barongan adalah kayu dadap sebagai kerangka utama dan kulit harimau sebagai pelapis luarnya. Perburuan harimau dilarang keras dalam rangka konservasi satwa langka, sehingga memaksa pengrajin topeng Barongan mencari alternatif lain, salah satunya menggunakan kulit sapi yang diberi pola khas harimau. Namun teknik yang digunakan masih manual sehingga memerlukan ketelitian, ketekunan dan waktu yang relatif lama. Maka dalam penelitian ini dibuat alat batik kulit kepala harimau Barongan Reyog Ponorogo. Gerakan alat batik kulit Barongan diatur oleh G-Code dan diinput melalui Software Grbl sender. Arduino berfungsi sebagai kontroler yang selanjutnya dapat menggerakkan motor Stepper sebagai penggerak sumbu dan Solenoid sebagai penekan penbrush untuk pewarnaan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan alat batik Barongan Reyog Ponorogo mampu membuat pola harimau pada ukuran 30 x 35 cm dan memiliki kualitas yang hampir sama dengan teknik manual dengan waktu pewarnaan 8 menit. Ponorogo has been famous for its Reyog arts and crafts, one of them is the Barongan mask. The main materials for the Barongan mask are Dadap wood as the mainframe and tiger leather as the outer coating. Tiger hunting is strictly prohibited in the context of the conservation of endangered species. To force the Barongan mask craftsmen for other alternatives, one of the alternatives is to use cow leather which is drawn with a typical tiger pattern. However, the technique used is still manual, meanwhile, the manual technique requires a lot of precision, persistence, and time. So the research aim is to design and implement the tool for drawing the Barongan tiger's scalp on Reyog Ponorogo. The movement of the Barongan leather batik tool was regulated by G-Code and input via the Grbl sender Software then accepted by Arduino as a controller which can then move the Stepper motor as an axis drive and the Solenoid as a pen brush press for coloring. The results of this study indicate that the Barongan Reyog Ponorogo batik tool can make a tiger pattern at a size of 30 x 35 cm and almost has the same quality as the manual technique with a coloring time of 8 minutes.

Review of the efficacy of HEPA filtered air to control coronavirus risks in cleanrooms

The risk of viral transmission in the built environment is a matter of concern in the era of the novel coronavirus pandemic, for most of society, given that humans spent the majority of their time indoors. For pharmaceuticals and healthcare, there is an additional concern about working in cleanrooms and the degree to which protective measures are appropriate. With cleanrooms, an important concern is with the efficacy of HEPA filters. This article looks at the risks stemming from SARS-CoV-2 and applies these to the cleanroom context. The article concludes that the cleanroom environment does not contribute to the risk of viral transmission, and certain design aspects can, in fact, reduce the risk compared with other built environments. Characteristics of the novel coronavirus Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV). Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted between animals and people ¹. Coronaviruses are classified as RNA ‘enveloped’ viruses, whereas viruses such as rotavirus, or poliovirus are termed non-enveloped. Enveloped viruses have an envelope or outer coating which is needed by the virus to help it attach to the host cell. If this outer coating is destroyed, for example by a disinfectant, the virus cannot survive. The mode of transmission for enveloped viruses is characterized by the specific virus; however, the most common routes are via indirect or direct contact of infectious virus particles, contact with or inhalation of respiratory droplets ². The specific coronavirus of concern is SARS-CoV-2, with SARS standing for ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome’ and CoV representing ‘coronavirus’. The associated respiratory disease is termed COVID-19 (to represent ‘coronavirus disease 2019). This particular virus can cause severe respiratory disease because cells in the lung are damaged and no longer able to transport oxygen into the bloodstream. Some symptoms of disease such as fever and fatigue result from the activities of the immune system trying to eliminate the infection from the body. Heat (fever) inactivates viruses and fatigue results from the high energy demands of the immune system fighting the virus ³.

Adhesion of the powder flame sprayed coatings using Fe-Cr-Co-Mo powder

The aim of the research was to assess the adhesion of the powder flame sprayed coatings to the previously prepared substrate. The spraying tests were carried out using Rototec 51000 base powders which was Ni-Al-Mo alloys, then coated with an outer coating made of Rototec 19404, which is an alloy Fe-Cr-Co-Mo. The coatings were tested for adhesion in accordance with the PN-EN ISO 14916: 2017 standard and also topography tests of sprayed coatings using scanning electron microscopy.

Modular Origami Robot Inspired by a Scorpion Tail

Arthropod animals like scorpions with modular body parts can be an inspiration for a robot’s structure. The design presented here relays on inter-connected origami towers, but could also be easily disassembled. Each origami tower is fully autonomous and at the same time is part of the robot as a whole. The towers are positioned between two platforms that enable modularity. The scorpion’s tale shape is achieved by the varying platform diameter resulting in cone-like form. Each tower is actuated independently to enable multiple degrees of freedom. Maneuvering with separated units, assists in easier reparation as well as replacement. Detaching the towers into separate parts makes this structure develop more precise movements, since every unit will move autonomously. Therefore, having a higher number of separated movements combined leads to a smooth bionic movement. So, the overall hierarchy will be modular contributing to a greater curvature bending of the whole structure. Actuating and maneuvering the robot in the main concept is done by separated electro motors, built in the platform. The basic structure will be built from thick paper with plastic coatings. The thick paper itself is lightweight, but at the same time flexible. To protect the paper towers, double plastic foil is placed as an outer coating which acts as an origami cover. This transparent layer is elastic hence it can follow and support the individual units’ movements. This work is focused on understanding origami towers kinematics and different combinations of inter-connected towers to achieve multiple degrees of freedom. A conceptual model is developed, supported by CAD and mathematical models. At the end a prototype is presented.

Infectious Scleritis: What the ID Clinician Should Know

Scleritis is an inflammatory process involving the outer coating of the globe which is characterized by focal or diffuse hyperemia, moderate to severe pain, and frequent impairment of vision. Most cases of scleritis are autoimmune in nature and are managed with topical and/or systemic corticosteroids. Infectious scleritis is a less common entity, occurring in 5%–10% of cases, and requiring directed antimicrobial therapy. We present a case of Nocardia farcinica anterior nodular scleritis diagnosed via positive culture of an excisional biopsy of a scleral nodule. The patient improved after combined surgical and medical therapy with amoxicillin-clavulanate and moxifloxacin for 12 months. Based on a literature review, a summary of reported cases of infectious scleritis is provided, and guidelines pertaining to diagnosis and management are offered.

Weathering, Soil, and the Minerals in Wine

Weathering of rocks is the crucial first step in making vineyards possible. For where the debris produced by weathering—the sediment we met in Chapter 5—becomes mixed with moist humus, it will be capable of supporting higher plant life. And thus we have soil, that fundamental prerequisite of all vineyards, indeed of the world’s agriculture. So how does this essential process of weathering come about? Any bare rock at the Earth’s surface is continually under attack. Be it a rocky cliff, a stone cathedral, or a tombstone, there will always be chemical weathering—chemical reactions between its surface and the atmosphere A freshly hewn block of building stone may look indestructible, but before long it will start to look a bit discolored and its surface a little crumbly. We are all familiar with an analogy of this: a fresh surface of iron or steel reacting with moisture and oxygen in the air to form the coating we call rust. In his “Guide to the Lakes” of England, William Wordsworth put the effects of weathering far more picturesquely: “elementary particles crumbling down, over-spread with an intermixture of colors, like the compound hues of a dove’s neck.” A weathered rock is one that is being weakened, broken down. The rock fragments themselves are further attacked, which is why stones in a vineyard often show an outer coating of discolored material, sometimes referred to as a weathering rind (Figure 9.1; see Plate 22). If the stone is broken open, it may show multiple zones of differing colors paralleling the outer surface of the fragment and enclosing a core of fresh rock. Iron minerals soon weather to a powdery combination of hematite, goethite, and limonite, and the rock takes on a reddish-brown, rusty-looking color. The great example of such weathering in viticulture is the celebrated terra rossa, but the rosy soils in parts of Western Australia and places further east such as McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley are also due to iron minerals. Several Australian wines take their names from this “ironstone.”

Influence of Pulse Frequency on the Structure and Oxidation Resistance of AlPO4 Ceramics Coating and its Deposition Dynamics

A facile pulse arc discharge deposition method was developed to prepare AlPO4 oxidation resistant outer coating on SiC pre-coated carbon/carbon composites (SiC-C/C). The deposition dynamics and the influence of pulse frequency on composition, microstructure and oxidation resistance of the as-prepared coating were investigated. Results show that pulse arc discharge deposition is an effective route to achieve dense and crack-free AlPO4 coatings. The deposition activation energy of the AlPO4 coating is calculated to be 3.07 kJ·mol-1. The AlPO4 coating prepared at a pulse frequency of 2000 Hz exhibits good oxidation resistance, which can effectively protect C/C composites from oxidation in air at 1773 K for 262 h with a weight loss of 1.58%.