Search results

Dehydrated bacterial cellulose’s (BC) intrinsic rigidity constrains applicability across textiles, leather, health care and other sectors. This study aims to yield a novel BC modification method using glycerol and succinic acid with catalyst and heat, applied via an industrially scalable padding method to tackle BC’s stiffness drawbacks and enhance BC properties.

Fabric-like BC is generated via mechanical dehydration and then finished by using padding method with glycerol, succinic acid, catalyst and heat. Comprehensive material characterizations, including international testing standards for stiffness, bending properties (cantilever method), tensile properties, moisture vapor transmission rate, moisture content and regain, washing, thermal gravimetric analysis, derivative thermogravimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and colorimetric measurement, are used.

The combination of BC/glycerol/succinic acid dramatically enhanced porous structure, elongation (27.40 ± 6.39%), flexibility (flexural rigidity of 21.46 ± 4.01 µN m; bending modulus of 97.45 ± 18.20 MPa) and moisture management (moisture vapor transmission rate of 961.07 ± 86.16 g/m²/24 h; moisture content of 27.43 ± 2.50%; and moisture regain of 37.94 ± 4.73%). This softening process modified the thermal stability of BC. Besides, this study alleviated the drawbacks for washing (five cycles) of BC and glycerol caused by the ineffective affinity between glycerol and cellulose by adding succinic acid with catalyst and heat.

The study yields an effective padding process for BC softening and a unique modified BC to contribute added value to textile and leather industries as a sustainable alternative to existing materials and a premise for future research on BC functionalization by using doable technologies in mass production as padding.

Nucleic acid testing is an effective method of accurate prevention and control and a key measure to block the spread of the epidemic. However, the fraud in nucleic acid testing occurred frequently during epidemics. This paper aims to provide a viable scheme for the government to strengthen the supervision of nucleic acid testing and to provide a new condition for the punishment for the negative act of the government and the upper limit of the reward for nucleic acid testing institution of no data fraud.

This paper formulates an evolutionary game model between the government and nucleic acid testing institution under four different mechanisms of reward and punishment to solve the issue of nucleic acid testing supervision. The authors discuss the stability of equilibrium points under the four distinct strategies and conduct simulation experiments.

The authors find that the strategy of dynamic reward and static penalty outperforms the strategies of static reward and static penalty, dynamic reward and static penalty, static reward and dynamic penalty, dynamic reward and dynamic penalty. The results reveal the appropriate punishment for the negative act of the government can enhance the positivity of the government's supervision in the strategy of dynamic reward and static penalty, while the upper limit of the reward for nucleic acid testing institution of no data fraud cannot be too high. Otherwise, it will backfire. Another interesting and counterintuitive result is that in the strategy of dynamic reward and dynamic penalty, the upper limit of the penalty for data fraud of nucleic acid testing institution cannot be augmented recklessly. Otherwise, it will diminish the government's positivity for supervision.

Most of the existing evolutionary game researches related to the reward and punishment mechanism and data fraud merely highlight that increasing the intensity of reward and punishment can help improve the government's supervision initiative and can minimize data fraud of nucleic acid institution, but they fall short of the boundary conditions for the punishment and reward mechanism. Previous literature only study the supervision of nucleic acid testing qualitatively and lacks quantitative research. Moreover, they do not depict the problem scenario of testing data fraud of nucleic acid institution regulated by the government via the evolutionary game model. Thus, this study effectively bridges these gaps. This research is universal and can be extended to other industries.

Deficiencies or imbalances in dietary fat intake may influence on mental and neurological functions of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study aims to compare body mass index (BMI) and the amount of fatty acids intake in the autistic patients with the comparison group.

This case-control was carried out on 200 randomly selected children from 5 to 15 years old (100 autistic patients as the case group and 100 healthy children as the comparison group) in Tehran, Iran. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess the intake of calorie, macronutrients and different types of dietary fatty acids including saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), linoleic acid (LA), α-Linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and trans fatty acids.

The autistic patients had higher BMI, birth weight and mother’s BMI compared to the comparison group (All p < 0.01). No significant difference was found in the amount of dietary calorie, protein, carbohydrate and total fat intake between two groups. The risk of ASD was associated with higher intake of MUFAs (OR: 3.18, CI%:1.13–4.56, p = 0.04), PUFAs (OR: 4.12, CI95%: 2.01–6.25, p < 0.01) and LA (OR: 4.76, CI95%: 1.34–14.32, p < 0.01).

The autistic children had higher BMI and higher intake of unsaturated fatty acids except for omega-3 fatty acids. Further longitudinal studies are warranted.

The main aim of this study is to characterise and identify specific chemo-sensory profiles of ciders from the Canary Islands (Spain).

Commercial samples of Canary ciders were compared to ciders from the Basque Country and Asturias. In total, 18 samples were studied, six for each region. The analysis comprised their sensory profiling and chemical characterisation of their polyphenolic profile, volatile composition, conventional chemical parameters and CIELAB colour coordinates. In parallel, the sensory profile of the samples from the Canary Islands was first compared with their Basque and Asturian counterparts by labelled sorting task. Then, their specific aroma profile was characterised by flash profile. Further quantification of sensory-active compounds was performed by GC–MS and GC-FID to identify the volatile compounds involved in their aroma profile.

Results show that Canary ciders present a specific chemical profile characterised by higher levels of ethanol, and hydroxycinnamic acids, mainly t-ferulic, t-coumaric and neochologenic acids, and lower levels of volatile and total acidity than their Asturian and Basque counterparts. They also present a specific aroma profile characterised by fruity aroma, mainly fruit in syrup and confectionary, and sweet flavours related to their highest levels of vinylphenols formed by transformation of hydroxycinnamic acids.

An integrated strategy to explore the typicity of the currently existing Canary ciders in the market was developed. The results are important in that they will help other regions to identify specific typical chemo-sensory profiles and to promote the creation of certifications supporting regional typicity.

The purpose of this study is to investigate starch mucor (SM) in potassium iodide (KI) as corrosion inhibitor of aluminium in hydrochloric acid (HCl) medium.

The SM in KI was characterized by gravimetric, scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, potentiodynamic polarization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer techniques. The inhibition efficiency was optimized using response surface methodology.

The result revealed that the inhibitor inhibited corrosion at a low concentration with the rate of inhibition increasing as the concentration of the inhibitor increased. The inhibition efficiency increases as the temperature was increased with slight incorporation of the inhibitor (SM in KI). This indicates that the corrosion control is both inhibitor (SM in KI) and temperature dependent.

The research results can provide the basis for using SM in KI as corrosion inhibitor of aluminium in HCL medium. Mixed-type inhibitor nature of SM was proved by cathodic and anodic nature of the polarization curves.

This paper aims to investigate the prepared modified alkyd and poly(ester-amide) (PEA) resins as antimicrobial and insecticide binders for surface coating applications.

Salicylic diethanolamine and 4-(N, N-dimethylamino) benzylidene glutamic acid were prepared and used as new sources of polyol and dibasic acid for PEA and alkyd resins, then confirmed by: acid value, FT-IR and 1H-NMR. The coating performance of the resins was determined using measurements of physico-mechanical properties. The biological and insecticide activities of the prepared resins were investigated.

The tests carried out revealed that the modified PEA and alkyd enhanced both phyisco-mechanical and chemical properties in addition to the biological and insecticide activities. The results of this paper illustrate that the introduction of salicylic diethanolamine and 4-(N, N-dimethylamino) benzylidene glutamic acid within the resin structure improved the film performance and enhanced the antimicrobial activity performance of PEA and alkyd resins.

The modified alkyd and PEA organic resins can be used as biocidal binders when incorporated into paint formulations for multiple surface applications, especially those that are exposed to several organisms.

Modified alkyd and PEA resins based on newly synthesized modifiers have a significant potential to be promising in the production and development of antimicrobial and insecticide paints, allowing them to function to restrict the spread of insects and microbial infection.

This study aims to probe the relationship of facial disfigurement, stigmatization, burdensome, hopelessness and suicidal ideation in acid attack survivors and to scrutinize the mediating role of perceived burdensome and hopelessness in connection between facial disfigurement, social stigmatization and suicidal ideation among acid attack survivors.

Data was collected from Holy Family Hospital which is located in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Acid Survivors Foundation and social media sites. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect the sample. Sample comprised of N = 74 acid attack survivors. English version of discrimination and stigma scale, interpersonal needs questionnaire perceived burdensome scale, suicidal ideation attributes scale, Beck hopelessness scale and observer-rated facial disfigurement scale were used for the assessment. Statistical analysis includes correlation and mediation analysis through process macro.

Results indicated significant positive relationship between facial disfigurements, unfair treatment, stopping self and perceived burdensome with suicidal ideation, whereas overcoming stigma, hopelessness and positive treatment present a negative relationship with suicidal ideation. Results of the current study also showed that burdensome and hopelessness appear as significant mediator in association between facial disfigurement, social discrimination and suicidal ideation. This study provides the awareness about how by decreasing the hopelessness and perceived burdensome and resolving social stigmatization can minimize suicidal ideation and risks accompanying it.

This research covers a topic that violates human rights, it is a topic that never gets old and people are still facing its effects.

The purpose of this study was designed to investigate anise oil and geranium oil to amend body weight, serum bile acid and vitamin D, and liver histology in depressed rats.

Eighty male albino rats were divided into normal and depressed rats. Normal rats (40 rats) were divided into four equal groups: control, venlafaxine drug, anise oil and geranium oil groups. Depressed rats (40 rats) were divided into four equal groups: depressed rats, depressed rats + venlafaxine drug, depressed rats + anise oil and depressed rats + geranium oil groups. Body weight, food consumption and water intake were detected. Animal behavior, cerebral cortex and hippocampus neurotransmitters, serum bile acid and vitamin D and liver histology were also investigated in this study.

Body weight (117 ± 7.6 g), food consumption (5.6 ± 1.4 g/day) and water intake (8.7 ± 1.2 ml/day) were significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in depression compared to body weight (153 ± 7.6 g), food consumption (12.7 ± 1.6 g/day) and water intake (15.3 ± 1.6 ml/day) in control. Animal behavioral tests, e.g. sucrose preference (48.8 ± 1.5) test, distance traveled (70.0 ± 16.3), center square entries (0.20 ± 0.10), center square duration (52.18 ± 11.9), tail suspension (54.70 ± 2.9 s) test and forced swimming (134.4 ± 5.5 s) test were significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in depression compared to sucrose preference (89.2 ± 1.7) test, distance traveled (226 ± 90.1), center square entries (1.4 ± 1.8), center square duration (3.6 ± 2.0), tail suspension (19.3 ± 2.1 s) test and forced swimming (83.7 ± 3.6 s) test in control. Cerebral cortex and hippocampus areas neurotransmitters such as serotonin (7.4 ± 1.7 and 1.2 ± 0.54 pg/g tissue), dopamine (6.3 ± 1.5 and 0.86 ± 0.07 pg/g tissue), norepinephrine (8.1 ± 1.7 and 1.4 ± 0.41 pg/g tissue) and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) (1.3 ± 0.41 and 0.08 ± 0.04 µmole/g tissue), serum bile acid (46.8 ± 3.5 µmole/L) and vitamin D (1.3 ± 0.37 ng/ml) were significantly decreased (p?0.001) in depression compared to cerebral cortex and hippocampus areas neurotransmitters such as serotonin (16.8 ± 2.1 and 4.0 ± 1.4 pg/g tissue), dopamine (15.7 ± 2.0 and 1.8 ± 0.49 pg/g tissue) norepinephrine (18.2 ± 2.3 and 3.8 ± 1.3 pg/g tissue) and GABA (2.7 ± 0.62 and 0.16 ± 0.06 µmole/g tissue), serum bile acid (90.5 ± 4.3 µmole/L) and vitamin D (2.7 ± 0.58 ng/ml) in control. Depression induced injury to hepatic tissues. Oral supplementation with anise oil and geranium oil ameliorated body weight, serum bile acid and vitamin D and liver histology in depressed rats.

Depression treatment persists for a long time, so the search for a new herbal treatment is of concern due to available sources, cheap and no side effects of herbal plants. Anise oil and geranium oil improved body weight, food consumption, water intake, animal behavioral tests, cerebral cortex and hippocampus areas neurotransmitters, serum bile acid and vitamin D and liver histology in depression.

This study aims to comparatively reveal the physical, thermal and mechanical properties of horse tail and mane hairs, which have the potential to be used in many areas.

Physical properties of horsehairs such as diameter, density, moisture and water absorption were measured. Fourier transform infrared, field emission scanning electron microscopy and amino acid analyzes were applied to the hairs. Thermal stability of horsehair was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. In addition, breaking strength and elongation values of mane and tail hairs were measured.

As a result of morphological analysis of horsehair, it was observed that there are usually gaps in the internal structure of horsehair, but the size and continuity of these gaps vary. It has been determined that there is a significant difference between the tenacity values of tail and mane hairs as well as geometric characteristics. In addition, amino acid analysis has shown that the amino acid contents of horse tail and mane hairs are similar and not much different from sheep’s wool.

Horsehair has been used for various purposes such as clothing, accessories, brushes, upholstery and reinforcement material. To use horsehair in accordance with its application area and performance characteristics, it is necessary to know its physical, thermal and mechanical properties. It is considerable to reveal the similar and different aspects of tail and mane hairs to determine whether they are alternatives to each other. Therefore, revealing the characteristics of tail and mane hairs comparatively constitutes the originality of this study.

This study aims to produce a superhydrophobic fabric surface with a layered rough structure and which are resistant to droplet adhesion. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) systems doped with stearic acid modified titanium dioxide (SA-TiO₂) nanoparticles was sprayed onto the surface of cotton fabric.

This experiment therefore uses a simple method to prepare superhydrophobic textiles by spraying SA-TiO₂ particles mixed with PDMS onto the surface of cotton fabrics. The effects of the ratio of stearic acid to TiO₂, spraying times and tension on the apparent morphological structure and hydrophobic properties of the cotton fabric were investigated.

The results showed that the stearic acid-modified TiO₂ nanoparticles were hydrophobic and more uniformly dispersed in the PDMS solution. When the modification ratio of stearic acid to TiO₂ was 3:5, the water contact angle of cotton fabric was 155.48° and sliding angle was 6.67° under the applied tension for three times of spraying, showing superhydrophobicity. The fabric shows super hydrophobic and anti-adhesive properties to a wide range of liquids such as cola, dyeing liquids, tea, milk and simulated blood. The surface tension of the liquid shows a negative correlation with its adhesion to the fabric.

The SA-TiO₂ and PDMS were applied to the fabric surface by spraying, which not only gave the fabric superhydrophobic properties, but also created anti-adhesion to a wide range of droplets.

The superhydrophobic cotton fabrics prepared by this method showed good anti-adhesive behavior to common stains and simulated blood and can be used in the development of medical protective textiles.

Modification of TiO₂ with stearic acid to prepare SA-TiO₂ with excellent hydrophobic properties, which was mixed with PDMS to make suspensions. Fluorine-free superhydrophobic fabrics were prepared by spraying method. It also exhibited excellent anti-adhesive properties against blood, providing a reference for the preparation of self-cleaning and anti-adhesive surgical gowns.