Investigation on Tensile and Flexural Strength of KOH Treated Ridge Gourd Fiber-Polyester Resin Composite

Abstract- Natural fiber is abundantly availing in nature. Nowadays this is used in composite materials. In general ridge gourd fiber is very strength material due to its woven. So this fiber is using in composites. Here potassium hydroxide (KOH) treated ridge gourd fiber is used in composite. One of the traditional methods, hand lay – up method is to use for preparing ridge gourd fiber reinforcing polyester composite. Specimens are to be test as per ASTM standards. Tensile and flexural strength are analyzed and optimize the parameters. Then, the fractured surfaces are analyzed with the help of SEM images. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.150312

Exploration of natural polymers for use as green corrosion inhibitors for AZ31 magnesium alloy in saline environment

Seven natural polymers namely, chitosan (CHI), dextran (Dex), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), sodium alginate (ALG), pectin (PEC), hydroxylethyl cellulose (HEC), and Gum Arabic (GA) were screened for anticorrosion property towards AZ31 Mg alloy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. CHI, Dex, CMC, PEC, and GA accelerated the corrosion while ALG and HEC moderately inhibited the corrosion of the alloy. HEC and ALG (1 g/L) protected the alloy by 64.13 % and 58.27 %, respectively. Two inhibitor cocktails consisting of either HEC or ALG, KI, and Date palm seed oil have been formulated. HEC- and ALG-formulations inhibited the alloy corrosion by 80.56 % and 77.43 %, respectively from EIS technique. Surface observation studies using SECM, AFM, SEM, and EDX agreed with other experimental results revealing effective corrosion inhibition by the formulations. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FTIR, and UV–vis results disclose that Mg(OH)2 co-existed with adsorbed inhibitor complexes

Improved mycobacterial protein production using a Mycobacterium smegmatis groEL1ΔC expression strain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The non-pathogenic bacterium <it>Mycobacterium smegmatis </it>is widely used as a near-native expression host for the purification of <it>Mycobacterium tuberculosis </it>proteins. Unfortunately, the Hsp60 chaperone GroEL1, which is relatively highly expressed, is often co-purified with polyhistidine-tagged recombinant proteins as a major contaminant when using this expression system. This is likely due to a histidine-rich C-terminus in GroEL1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In order to improve purification efficiency and yield of polyhistidine-tagged mycobacterial target proteins, we created a mutant version of GroEL1 by removing the coding sequence for the histidine-rich C-terminus, termed GroEL1ΔC. GroEL1ΔC, which is a functional protein, is no longer able to bind nickel affinity beads. Using a selection of challenging test proteins, we show that GroEL1ΔC is no longer present in protein samples purified from the <it>groEL1ΔC </it>expression strain and demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of purifying and characterising proteins produced using this strain.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This novel <it>Mycobacterium smegmatis </it>expression strain allows efficient expression and purification of mycobacterial proteins while concomitantly removing the troublesome contaminant GroEL1 and consequently increasing the speed and efficiency of protein purification.</p

Design of Monopole Antenna with Band- Notching Function for UWB Applications

ABSTRACT-A monopole antenna is a resonator antenna and has omni-directional radiation pattern. Slots used in monopole antenna for performing band-notching function by eliminating the interference in wireless communications. This letter presents a novel printed monopole antenna for ultrawideband applications with dual band-notched function. The antenna structure consists of a square radiating patch with an inverted Tshaped ring slot surrounded by a C-shaped slot for single band notching function. By inserting an inverted T-shaped parasitic structure inside the inverted T-shaped slot dual band-notching is achieved. A small ground slots are inserted to increase the bandwidth of planar monopole antenna with microstrip-fed. The antenna has an operating range of 3.05-11.5 GHz. The effect of slot is studied for varying the notch band operation of the antenna without changing the nature of omni-directional radiation characteristics in its operating band. The issue on monopole antenna with effects of slots and feed line is obtained

Interleukin 13 Mutants of Enhanced Avidity Toward the Glioma-Associated Receptor, IL13Rα2

Interleukin 13 (IL13) binds a receptor that is highly overexpressed in malignant gliomas, IL13Rα2. IL13 protein is composed of four helices: α-helix A, B, C, and D, and we found a new “hot spot” in α-helix D that is crucial for the binding of IL13 to IL13Rα2. Lys-105 plus Lys-106 and Arg-109 represent this hot spot. In the current study, we have made substitutions at these three positions in IL13. We examined both neutralization of an IL13-based cytotoxin's glioma cell killing and direct receptor binding of the new IL13 mutants. We observed that Lys-105 and Arg-109 are critical for IL13 binding to IL13Rα2, indeed. However, new mutants of important properties were identified with regard to tumor targeting. IL13.K105R mutant, in which lysine was substituted by arginine, neutralized the killing of IL13Rα2-positive cells by IL13-based cytotoxin more efficiently than wild-type IL13. However, IL13.K105L or IL13.K105A was deprived of any such activity. Furthermore, IL13.K105R and IL13.R109K competed 77- and 27-fold better, respectively, with the binding of [(125)I]IL13 to the IL13Rα2 binding sites when compared with wild-type IL13. Thus, we have uncovered the first forms of IL13 of higher avidity toward IL13Rα2. These mutants should prove useful in the further design of anticancer diagnostics/therapeutics

Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of alpha-helix D segment of interleukin-13 reveals new functionally important residues of the cytokine.

We documented that alpha-helices A, C, and D in human interleukin-13 (IL13) participate in interaction with its respective receptors. We hypothesized that alpha-helix D is the site II of the cytokine that binds IL13Ralpha1, a component of the normal tissue heterodimeric signaling IL13/4 receptor (IL13/4R), and that alpha-helix D independently binds a monomeric IL13Ralpha2 receptor, which is a non-signaling glioma-restricted receptor for IL13. Therefore, we alanine-scanned mutagenized helix D of IL13 to identify the residues involved in the respective receptors interaction. Recombinant muteins of IL13 were produced in Escherichia coli, and their structural integrity and identity were verified. The alanine mutants were tested in functional cellular assays, in which IL13 interaction with IL13Ralpha2 (glioma cells) or an ability to functionally stimulate IL13/4R (TF-1 cells) were examined, and also in binding assays. We found that residues 105, 106, and 109 of the d-helix of IL13 are responsible for interacting with the glioma-associated receptor. Moreover, glutamic acids at positions 92 and 110, and leucine at position 104 was found to be important for IL13/4R stimulation. Thus, alpha-helix D of IL13 is the primary site responsible for interaction with the IL13 binding proteins. We propose a model that illustrates the binding mode of IL13 with cancer-related IL13Ralpha2 and physiological IL13/4R

Molecular targeting with recombinant cytotoxins of interleukin-13 receptor alpha2-expressing glioma.

A restricted receptor for interleukin 13 (IL-13R alpha2) is over-expressed in high-grade astrocytoma (HGA), but not in normal organs. In order to design and examine new anti-HGA therapies, which are molecularly directed against IL-13R alpha2, we established an IL-13R alpha2-expressing syngeneic immunocompetent murine model of HGA. The model was obtained by transfecting G-26 murine glioma cells with IL-13R alpha2. G-26-IL-13R alpha2(+) cells, but not mock-transfected cells, became susceptible to IL-13 mutant-based cytotoxic proteins that kill human HGA cells. G-26-IL-13R alpha2(+) cells maintained their tumorigenicity in immunocompetent C57BL/J6 mice and preserved their expression of IL-13R alpha2 in vivo. These characteristics of the G-26-IL-13R alpha2(+) tumors allowed us to test molecularly defined anti-glioma passive immunotherapy. A targeted recombinant chimera cytotoxin composed of multiply mutated IL-13 (IL-13.E13Y/R66D/S69D) and a derivative of Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE), PE1E, IL-13.E13Y/R66D/S69D-PE1E, was used in anti-tumor experiments. G-26-IL-13R alpha2(+) cells were killed by IL-13.E13Y/R66D/S69D-PE1E in an IL-4-independent fashion. To test the cytotoxin in vivo, G-26-IL-13R alpha2(+) tumors were established in C57BL/J6 mice and when the tumors reached a size of at least 50 mm3, the mice were treated with IL-13.E13Y/R66D/S69D-PE1E. In the mice treated with the targeted fusion cytotoxin, the tumors regressed and 80% of the animals were cured. This study documents the establishment of an IL-13R alpha2-positive model of HGA in immunocompetent rodents. Furthermore, the effectiveness and safety of the targeted IL-13-based cytotoxin against IL-13R alpha2-expressing tumors in a more clinically relevant in vivo HGA model is promising with regard to the future clinical utility of the cytotoxin

Surface protection of mild steel using benzimidazole derivatives: experimental and theoretical approach

<div><p>Interaction of organic molecules with the surface of metals plays important role in many applications. In particular, surface protective applications need much explanation from both experimental and theoretical point of view. Herein, we have investigated the surface adsorption characteristics and corrosion inhibition behavior of two new benzimidazole derivatives namely 2-(2-Bromophenyl)-1H-benzimidazole (BPBA) and 2-(2-Bromophenyl)-1-methyl-1H-benzimidazole (BPMA) on mild steel in 0.5 M HCl solution using experimental and theoretical approach. Electrochemical and weight loss experiments were used to elucidate the corrosion inhibition potentials of BPBA and BPMA. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were performed to confirm the adsorption of BPBA and BPMA on mild steel surface. Computer simulations were further employed to provide additional insights into the mechanism of interaction between the inhibitors and the steel surface. All the results confirmed that BPMA is a better corrosion inhibitor for mild steel than BPBA in 0.5 M HCl. This new inhibitors could find application industrially during processes such as oil well acidizing for steel protection against corrosion.</p></div