Effective Mechanical Properties of Multilayer Nano-Heterostructures

Two-dimensional and quasi-two-dimensional materials are important nanostructures because of their exciting electronic, optical, thermal, chemical and mechanical properties. However, a single-layer nanomaterial may not possess a particular property adequately, or multiple desired properties simultaneously. Recently a new trend has emerged to develop nano-heterostructures by assembling multiple monolayers of different nanostructures to achieve various tunable desired properties simultaneously. For example, transition metal dichalcogenides such as MoS2 show promising electronic and piezoelectric properties, but their low mechanical strength is a constraint for practical applications. This barrier can be mitigated by considering graphene-MoS2 heterostructure, as graphene possesses strong mechanical properties. We have developed efficient closed-form expressions for the equivalent elastic properties of such multi-layer hexagonal nano-hetrostructures. Based on these physics-based analytical formulae, mechanical properties are investigated for different heterostructures such as graphene-MoS2, graphene-hBN, graphene-stanene and stanene-MoS2. The proposed formulae will enable efficient characterization of mechanical properties in developing a wide range of application-specific nano-heterostructures

Peningkatan Kualitas Campuran Kulit Pisang Dengan Ampas Tahu Melalui Fermentasi Dengan Phanerochaete Chrysosporium Dan Neurospora Crassa Sebagai Pakan Ternak

Banana peel can be used as an alternative feed based on the potential availability and nutritional. The experiments were conducted to improve the nutrient quality of Banana Peel and Tofu Waste mixture (BPTW) by using Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Neurospora crassa. This substrate consists of banana peel 70% and tofu waste 30%. The experiment was performed in 3 treatment completely randomized design (CRD) with 6 replicates. The treatments were : A= fermentation BPTW by Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Neurospora crassa (1:1), B = fermentation BPTW by Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Neurospora crassa (2:1), and C = fermentation BPTW by Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Neurospora crassa (1:2). Measured variables were Crude Fiber (CF), Crude Protein (CP), Nitrogen Retention and CF digestion. The result of the research showed that the treatment affected significantly (p<0.01) reduced CF and increased CP, nitrogen retention and CF digestion. In conclusion, fermentation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Neurospora crassa (2:1) was the best treatment for improving banana peel and tofu waste nutrient qualit

Impact of Chromogranin A deficiency on catecholamine storage, catecholamine granule morphology and chromaffin cell energy metabolism in vivo

Chromogranin A (CgA) is a prohormone and granulogenic factor in neuroendocrine tissues with a regulated secretory pathway. The impact of CgA depletion on secretory granule formation has been previously demonstrated in cell culture. However, studies linking the structural effects of CgA deficiency with secretory performance and cell metabolism in the adrenomedullary chromaffin cells in vivo have not previously been reported. Adrenomedullary content of the secreted adrenal catecholamines norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) was decreased 30–40 % in Chga-KO mice. Quantification of NE and EPI-storing dense core (DC) vesicles (DCV) revealed decreased DCV numbers in chromaffin cells in Chga-KO mice. For both cell types, the DCV diameter in Chga-KO mice was less (100–200 nm) than in WT mice (200–350 nm). The volume density of the vesicle and vesicle number was also lower in Chga-KO mice. Chga-KO mice showed an ~47 % increase in DCV/DC ratio, implying vesicle swelling due to increased osmotically active free catecholamines. Upon challenge with 2 U/kg insulin, there was a diminution in adrenomedullary EPI, no change in NE and a very large increase in the EPI and NE precursor dopamine (DA), consistent with increased catecholamine biosynthesis during prolonged secretion. We found dilated mitochondrial cristae, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, as well as increased synaptic mitochondria, synaptic vesicles and glycogen granules in Chga-KO mice compared to WT mice, suggesting that decreased granulogenesis and catecholamine storage in CgA-deficient mouse adrenal medulla is compensated by increased VMAT-dependent catecholamine update into storage vesicles, at the expense of enhanced energy expenditure by the chromaffin cell

Effects of Boiled Tomato Waste Utilization in the Diet on Serum Lipid Profile and Egg Quality of Laying-hens

Objective: An experiment had been conducted to study the effects of boiled tomato waste utilization in the diet on the serum lipid profile: total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and the egg quality (egg yolk cholesterol, egg yolk lipid and egg yolk color index) of 200 Isa Brown laying-hens of 60 weeks-old fed diet containing boiled tomato waste powder and to determine the appropriate level of boiled tomato waste in the diet. Materials and Methods: The experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with five different levels of boiled tomato waste powder in diets (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12%) as treatments and each treatment was replicated four times. Measured variables were total cholesterol, LDL and HDL of blood serum and total cholesterol, fat contents of egg yolk as well as egg yolk color index of laying-hens. Results: The experiment showed that the total cholesterol, LDL and HDL of laying-henʼs blood serum and fat content of egg yolk was not affected (p>0.05) by different levels of boiled tomato waste powder in diets, while the egg yolk total cholesterol and egg yolk color index were significantly influenced (p<0.05). The increase in the level of boiled tomato waste powder in the diet reduced the total cholesterol in egg yolk but increased the egg yolk color index. Conclusion: The inclusion of 12% boiled tomato waste powder in laying-henʼs diet was the best level for lowering egg yolk total cholesterol and improving egg yolk color index

Investigation of complete and incomplete fusion in 7^{7}Li+124^{124}Sn reaction around Coulomb barrier energies

The complete and incomplete fusion cross sections for $^{7}$Li+$^{124}$Sn reaction were measured using online and offline characteristic $\gamma$-ray detection techniques. The complete fusion (CF) cross sections at energies above the Coulomb barrier were found to be suppressed by $\sim$ 26 \% compared to the coupled channel calculations. This suppression observed in complete fusion cross sections is found to be commensurate with the measured total incomplete fusion (ICF) cross sections. There is a distinct feature observed in the ICF cross sections, i.e., $\textit{t}$-capture is found to be dominant than $\alpha$-capture at all the measured energies. A simultaneous explanation of complete, incomplete and total fusion (TF) data was also obtained from the calculations based on Continuum Discretized Coupled Channel method with short range imaginary potentials. The cross section ratios of CF/TF and ICF/TF obtained from the data as well as the calculations showed the dominance of ICF at below barrier energies and CF at above barrier energies.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Berberine modulates AP-1 activity to suppress HPV transcription and downstream signaling to induce growth arrest and apoptosis in cervical cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background-</p> <p>Specific types of high risk Human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) particularly, HPV types 16 and 18 cause cervical cancer and while the two recently developed vaccines against these HPV types are prophylactic in nature, therapeutic options for treatment and management of already existing HPV infection are not available as yet. Because transcription factor, Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) plays a central role in HPV-mediated cervical carcinogenesis, we explored the possibility of its therapeutic targeting by berberine, a natural alkaloid derived from a medicinal plant species, <it>Berberis </it>which has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties with no known toxicity; however, the effect of berberine against HPV has not been elucidated.</p> <p>Results-</p> <p>We studied the effect of berberine on HPV16-positive cervical cancer cell line, SiHa and HPV18-positive cervical cancer cell line, HeLa using electrophoretic mobility gel shift assays, western and northern blotting which showed that berberine could selectively inhibit constitutively activated AP-1 in a dose- and time-dependent manner and downregulates HPV oncogenes expression. Inhibition of AP-1 was also accompanied by changes in the composition of their DNA-binding complex. Berberine specifically downregulated expression of oncogenic c-Fos which was also absent in the AP-1 binding complex. Treatment with berberine resulted in repression of E6 and E7 levels and concomitant increase in p53 and Rb expression in both cell types. Berberine also suppressed expression of telomerase protein, hTERT, which translated into growth inhibition of cervical cancer cells. Interestingly, a higher concentration of berberine was found to reduce the cell viability through mitochondria-mediated pathway and induce apoptosis by activating caspase-3.</p> <p>Conclusion-</p> <p>These results indicate that berberine can effectively target both the host and viral factors responsible for development of cervical cancer through inhibition of AP-1 and blocking viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 expression. Inhibition of AP-1 activity by berberine may be one of the mechanisms responsible for the anti-HPV effect of berberine. We propose that berberine is a potentially promising compound for the treatment of cervical cancer infected with HPV.</p