Fabrication of Inorganic Coatings Incorporated with Functionalized Graphene Oxide Nanosheets for Improving Fire Retardancy of Wooden Substrates

Flame-retardant chemicals are frequently used within consumer products and can even be employed as a treatment on the surface of different types of materials (e.g., wood, steel, and textiles) to prevent fire or limit the rapid spread of flames. Functionalized graphene oxide (FGO) nanosheets are a promising construction coating nanomaterial that can be blended with sodium metasilicate and gypsum to reduce the flammability of construction buildings. In this work, we designed and fabricated novel and halogen-free FGO sheets using the modified Hummers method; and subsequently functionalized them by pentaerythritol through a chemical impregnation process before dispersing them within the construction coating. Scanning electron microscopic images confirm that the FGO-filled coating was uniformly dispersed on the surface of wooden substrates. We identified that the FGO content is a critical factor affecting the fire retardancy. Thermogravimetric analysis of the FGO coating revealed that higher char residue can be obtained at 700 °C. Based on the differential scanning calorimetry, the exothermic peak contained a temperature delay in the presence of FGO sheets, primarily due to the formation of a thermal barrier. Such a significant improvement in the flame retardancy confirms that the FGO nanosheets are superior nanomaterials to be employed as a flame-retardant construction coating nanomaterial for improving thermal management within buildings

Growth behaviour of Ge nano-islands on the nanosized Si{111} facets bordering on two {100} planes

Abstract Si(100) substrates were used to fabricate various nanosized {111} facets between the (100) planes using photolithography and anisotropic wet chemical etching. Following simultaneous Ge chemical vapour deposition on the neighbouring (100) and {111} facets, the Ge nano-island formation and distribution was observed on both the (100) terraces and the {111} side walls using a dynamical atomic force microscope. The nano-island formation on the nanosized {111} strip facets was found to be strongly suppressed upon reducing the strip width due primarily to the interaction of adatoms on the neighbouring facets. Specifically, the difference in the effective chemical potential of Ge adatoms on the two neighbouring facets leads to the depletion of nano-islands on the {111} strip with width <500 nm under the growth condition used in this study

Development and characterization of a potential diagnostic monoclonal antibody against capsid protein VP1 of the chicken anemia virus

Chicken anemia virus (CAV) is an important viral pathogen that causes anemia and severe immunodeficiency syndrome in chickens worldwide. In this study, a potential diagnostic monoclonal antibody against the CAV VP1 protein was developed which can precisely recognize the CAV antigen for diagnostic and virus recovery purposes. The VP1 gene of CAV encoding the N-terminus-deleted VP1 protein, VP1Nd129, was cloned into an Escherichia (E.) coli expression vector. After isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyronoside induction, VP1Nd129 protein was shown to be successfully expressed in the E. coli. By performing an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay using two coating antigens, purified VP1Nd129 and CAV-infected liver tissue lysate, E3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) was found to have higher reactivity against VP1 protein than the other positive clones according to the result of limiting dilution method from 64 clones. Using immunohistochemistry, the presence of the VP1-specific mAb, E3, was confirmed using CAV-infected liver and thymus tissues as positive-infected samples. Additionally, CAV particle purification was also performed using an immunoaffinity column containing E3 mAb. The monoclonal E3 mAb developed in this study will not only be very useful for detecting CAV infection and performing histopathology studies of infected chickens, but may also be used to purify CAV particles in the future

Women with endometriosis have higher comorbidities: Analysis of domestic data in Taiwan

AbstractEndometriosis, defined by the presence of viable extrauterine endometrial glands and stroma, can grow or bleed cyclically, and possesses characteristics including a destructive, invasive, and metastatic nature. Since endometriosis may result in pelvic inflammation, adhesion, chronic pain, and infertility, and can progress to biologically malignant tumors, it is a long-term major health issue in women of reproductive age. In this review, we analyze the Taiwan domestic research addressing associations between endometriosis and other diseases. Concerning malignant tumors, we identified four studies on the links between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, one on breast cancer, two on endometrial cancer, one on colorectal cancer, and one on other malignancies, as well as one on associations between endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome, one on links with migraine headache, three on links with pelvic inflammatory diseases, four on links with infertility, four on links with obesity, four on links with chronic liver disease, four on links with rheumatoid arthritis, four on links with chronic renal disease, five on links with diabetes mellitus, and five on links with cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.). The data available to date support that women with endometriosis might be at risk of some chronic illnesses and certain malignancies, although we consider the evidence for some comorbidities to be of low quality, for example, the association between colon cancer and adenomyosis/endometriosis. We still believe that the risk of comorbidity might be higher in women with endometriosis than that we supposed before. More research is needed to determine whether women with endometriosis are really at risk of these comorbidities

Lumboperitoneal Shunt: A New Modified Surgical Technique and a Comparison of the Complications with Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in a Single Center

Background and objectives: Hydrocephalus remains a disease requiring surgical treatment even in the modern era. Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement is the most common treatment, whereas lumboperitoneal (LP) shunts are less commonly used due to initial reports of very high rates of complications. In the present study, we retrospectively reviewed our experience of the new two-stage procedure with LP shunt implantation to assess the complications and the results of this procedure versus VP shunt insertion. Materials and Methods: All patients from a single center who had received LP shunts using a Medtronic Strata device or VP shunts in the past six-year interval were retrospectively reviewed. The LP shunt insertion was a new two-stage procedure. We compared the three major complications and shunt revisions between the two groups, including shunt malfunction, infection, and subdural hematoma. Results: After matching the age and sex of both groups, we included 96 surgery numbers of LP shunts and 192 surgery numbers of VP shunts for comparison. In the LP shunt group, one patient (1.0%) underwent revision of the shunt due to shunt infection. In the VP shunt group, 26 surgeries (13.5%) needed revision, and 11 surgeries (5.7%) had shunt infection. Shunt malfunction occurred in 14 patients (7.3%) and all needed revisions. The revision rate showed statistically significant differences between the LP and VP shunt groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The recent improvements in the quality of the LP shunt device and the proficiency of the procedure has made the LP shunt a safer procedure than the VP shunt. The programmable valve can avoid overdrainage complications and reduce the revision rate. With our procedural steps, the LP shunt can be used to decrease the complications and revision rates

Ultrastructure of Spermatogenesis of the Paradise Fish, Macropodus opercularis

The intricate process of spermatogenesis in the paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis, was studied. In this species, the unrestricted or lobular type testes lining the caudal side of the body cavity are translucent and slender. Spermatogonia occur along the length of the tubules and the development of sperm takes place within cysts formed by Sertoli cells. Spermiogenesis involves preparatory morphological events followed by conspicuous modifications such as the movement of the centrioles, completion of the nuclear condensation, reduction of the cytoplasm, and the final differentiation of the flagellar complex. Mature spermatozoon has an oval nucleus, condensed chromatin, and typical 9 + 2 flagellar axoneme but lack acrosome. The role of the material in the nucleus and the cytoplasm as it reaches the Sertoli cell in the control of spermatogenesis is discussed