Influence of weave structure on low-stress mechanical properties and total hand values of cotton fabric

Attempts have been made to produce other derivatives of cotton muslin fabric by altering its weave structure fromplain to twill and sateen with higher pick insertions to make it dimensionally stable for its potential use in readymadegarments, besides saris and ladies dress materials. Low-stress mechanical properties and total hand values of thesefabrics are evaluated to understand their suitability for use in readymade garments. It is observed that sateen showshigher drape, higher compression resilience, lowest shear rigidity, moderate bending rigidity, and lowest surfacesmoothness & frictional values, finally showing best total hand values and higher gloss than the other twowoven structures

Optimization of antimicrobial finishing on cotton muslin fabric by treatment with PEG, chitosan and cetrimide

In the present work, combinations of different concentrations of binary mixture of chitosan + PEG, chitosan + cetrimideand PEG + cetrimide have been applied on bleached cotton muslin fabric by pad-dry-cure process in the presenceof citric acid + sodium hydrogen phosphate catalyst, and the consequent percentage strength retention aftertreatment, percentage strength retention after soil burial test and average bacterial reduction % are evaluated with an aim tooptimize the concentrations of chitosan, polyethylene glycol and cetrimide to achieve a balance between antimicrobialproperties and tenacity retention. Optimization results show that the application of 2% chitosan + 2% PEG (50:50) withcitric acid and SHP as mixed catalyst system gives shows very good antimicrobial/ rot resistant properties without much loss of tenacity

Can HCCH/HBNH Break B=N/C=C Bonds of Single-Wall BN/Carbon Nanotubes at Their Surface?

The iminoborane (HBNH) molecule, which prefers cycloaddition reactions, selectively breaks a B=N bond of smaller diameter single-wall BNNTs and expands a ring at their surface, either at the edges or at the middle of the tube. Density functional theory (DFT) is used to test whether its organic counterpart HCCH can do the same with BNNTs. HCCH-BNNT complexes are identified and transition states located for these combination reactions. Also explored are possible reactions of HBNH with SWNTs and HCCH with SWNTs. Data suggest that B=N (C=C) bond breaking, followed by ring expansion at the surface may be possible. Although [2+2] cycloaddition reaction seems possible for HBNH-BNNTs, a high energy barrier hinders the process for other combinations of host and guest. Introduction of substituents to HBNH/HCCH may allow a facile process. In most cases of HCCH-BNNTs, HBNH-SWNTs, and HCCH-SWNTs, transition states are identified and suggest an electron-rich guest might lower barrier heights to form stable complexes. Reaction with HCCH or HBNH at the bay-region of smaller diameter armchair tube is not favorable

Microfluidics-based low-cost medical diagnostic devices: some recent developments

Here we present a short review of recently developed low-cost microfluidic devices aimed towards medical diagnostic applications. This review specifically focuses on three inexpensive devices, namely lab-on-a-compact-disc, paper-based, and thread-based devices. Here, we present a concise summary of all the recently developed protocols for simple bioassays to complex diagnostics. We also provide a new outlook on how the present practice of pathological diagnostics can be improved with the usage of such recent developments

Optimization of extraction and dyeing parameters for dyeing of khadi cotton fabric using waste/used marigold flower petals (Tagetes erecta)

The aim of the present study is to standardize a protocol for optimization of pre-treatment, mordanting and dyeing of cotton khadi fabric with waste marigold flower petals. The effects of different single and combined double mordanting on dye-ability and colour fastness properties have been studied after optimization of aqueous extraction of marigold flower as natural dye. Mordants used are potash alum, aluminium sulphate, stannous chloride as metallic salt mordant and harda (myrabolan) from natural source as mordant assistant. After finalizing the mordants, dyeing process variables are standardized for dyeing cotton khadi fabric with waste marigold flower extract as selective natural dye applied on 3% H2O2 (30%) bleached cotton khadi fabric. Dyeing process variables studied are dyeing time, temperature, MLR, pH, mordant concentration, dye concentration and salt concentration for dyeing with prefixed mordant. Colour fastness to washing, rubbing, light and perspiration against use of different mordants and also against different dyeing process variables are also investigated. The results indicate that, this particular natural dye renders better appreciation of colour yield by pre mordanting with 15% aluminium sulphate and harda (50:50) as compared to other single mordants (potash alum and stannous chloride) and double mordants used. Use of double mordant in 15 % application level, shows maximum K/S value with overall good colour fastness than others.

Segmentation and Additive Approach: A Reliable Technique to Study Noncovalent Interactions of Large Molecules at the Surface of Single‐Wall Carbon Nanotubes

This investigation explores a new protocol, named Segmentation and Additive approach (SAA), to study exohedral noncovalent functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with large molecules, such as polymers, bio-molecules etc, by segmenting the entire system into smaller units to reduce computational cost. A key criterion of the segmentation process is the preservation of the molecular structure responsible for stabilization of the entire system in smaller segments. Noncovalent interaction of linoleic acid (LA, C18H32O2), a fatty acid, at the surface of a (10,0) zigzag nanotubeis considered for test purposes. Three smaller segmented models have been created from the full (10,0)-LA system and interaction energies were calculated for these models and compared with the full system at different levels of theory, namely ωB97XD, LDA. The success of this SAA is confirmed as the sum of the interaction energies is in very good agreement with the total interaction energy. Besides reducing computational cost, another merit of SAA is an estimation of the contributions from different sections of the large system to the total interaction energy which can be studied in-depth using a higher level of theory to estimate several properties of each segment. On the negative side, bulk properties, such as HOMO-LUMO gap, of the entire system cannot be estimated by adding results from segment models

CLINICO-PATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LUPUS NEPHRITIS IN EASTERN ZONE OF INDIA: A SINGLE TERTIARY CENTER EXPERIENCE

Objective: Lupus nephritis (LN) is the most common and serious manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Although diagnosis of LN is straight forward in a patient with SLE and proteinuria, and active urine sediment and perhapsrenal insufficiency, still renal biopsies are required at diagnosis to enable classification of nephritis severity, to provide prognostic information, and toguide treatment. Hence, the objective of this study is to determine the frequency of distribution of different classes of LN based on renal biopsy reports and to correlate it with various laboratory findings.Methods: Retrospective study was done in all patients with LN who had at least one representative renal biopsy and evaluated in NephrologyDepartment of SCB Medical College, Cuttack, in 6-month duration. Various laboratory values were recorded and correlated with histopathologicallupus classifications.Results: Out of 35 patients enrolled, 33 (94.28%) were females and 2 (5.71%) were males. Mean age was 27.53±12.26 years. Majority of cases belong to Class IV followed by Class V. Patients of Class IV LN have a significantly low hemoglobin level. Similarly, serum urea and creatinine are higher in Group IV than other groups, and serum creatinine was found to be significant. 24 hrs urinary protein excretion has a significant correlation with the classes of LN.Conclusion: This study suggests some meaningful correlation between laboratory findings and histopathological lupus classification. This study alsosuggests that renal biopsies are still beneficial for better evaluation of renal status and determination of LN classes.Keywords: Clinico-pathological correlation, Lupus nephritis, Biopsy

Effect of phosphorylation on the structure and fold of transactivation domain of p53

Several phosphorylations are known to occur in the N-terminal transactivation domain of human p53. To explore the structural effects of these phosphorylations, we have chemically synthesized the unphosphorylated p53-(1-39) and its three phosphorylated analogs, phosphorylated at Ser-15, Thr-18, and Ser-20. p53-(1-39) and its Ser-15 and Thr-18 phosphorylated analogs were tested for interaction with p300. The order of binding affinities was similar to that derived from biochemical experiments with the whole protein, indicating functional integrity of the domain. Differences in chemical shifts and coupling constants indicate significant structural changes upon phosphorylations. The single tryptophan in the unphosphorylated domain has an emission maximum and a Stern-Volmer constant that are characteristics of tryptophans situated in protein interiors. The diffusion constant is monomer-like, with an axial ratio of 1:7.5, indicating a significant degree of compaction. Upon phosphorylations, the emission maximum and diffusion constant change significantly toward values that indicate more open conformations. Binding of the hydrophobic probe bis-1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate to the unphosphorylated and one of the phosphorylated domains is also significantly different, suggesting different conformations. We propose that phosphorylations switch the largely folded transactivation domain to more open conformations that interact with transcription factors such as p300/cAMP- responsive element-binding protein-binding protein, leading to enhancement of gene expression

Solvation Enhances the Distinction Between Carboxylated Armchair and Zigzag Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWNT-COOH)

The effect of various solvents on the structures and properties of carboxylated SWNTs has been explored using the Same Level Different Basis Set approach (SLDB), where B3LYP functional of density functional theory (DFT) was applied. Armchair (4,4) and zigzag (8,0) and (9,0) tubes were considered as the test bed. In order to simulate varying concentration of –COOH groups, one to five acids groups were placed at one end of these tubes. These samples were placed in different solvents (namely, CS2, THF and water) with varying polarity and results were compared with gas-phase properties. Similar to the gas-phase, zigzag tubes also exhibit both regular (r-COOH, v(C=O) above 1700 cm-1) and low-frequency (lf-COOH, v(C=O) below 1700 cm-1) acid groups. Characteristics of r-COOH group are not affected much in solvents, but lf-COOH of the zigzag tube is the one that makes these tubes distinguishable from its armchair cousin. Stability and charge distribution of SWNT-COOH strongly depend on the number of acid groups in different solvents which may help controlling further functionalization. Vibrational analyses reveal certain features in the 1400-1600 cm-1 range that are characteristic of lf-COOH in different solvents, which may help in the assignment of experimental spectra of oxidized SWNT in solvents