Material Research Articles

An Effective Method for Extracting DNA From Human Hair Samples

Introduction: In historical cases, mass disasters, missing person’s identification, and Archaeogenetic investigations, the bone, teeth, and hair samples are often the best and the only biological material available for DNA typing. In this study, we demonstrated an extremely effective protocol for DNA extraction of hair. Materials and Methods: Obtaining genetic information from hair samples for DNA typing involves the following steps: sterilization, DNA extraction, quality control, PCR, and profiling. After extracting aDNA (Ancient DNA) from the hair, autosomal STR analyses were performed for each sample using the AmpFlSTR® MiniFiler™ and Identifiler™ kits. Result: Qualitative analysis of DNA by electrophoresis showed the excellent quality of the extracted samples so that the electrophoresed bands were clearly visible. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that the FDEH method is cheaper and faster than commercial kits; moreover, this new method enhances DNA recovery from hair. Because of simple protocol and high quality, this method can be utilized in Medical.

Investigation on the effect of metal foam properties on the PCM melting performance subjected to various heat fluxes

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of structural and mechanical characteristics of metal foam on the melting behavior of phase change materials under the influence of different heat fluxes. To this aim, a two dimensional numerical model considering the non-equilibrium thermal factor, non-Darcy effect and local natural convection was used. The governing equations of PCM and metal foam are discretized using a finite volume method with a collocated grid arrangement. To simulate the melting of PCM, the enthalpy-porosity method is applied which computes the liquid fraction at each iteration, based on the enthalpy balance. The effect of metal foam characteristics (porosity, pores size and base material) and wall heat flux on the PCM melting time were investigated. The result showed that for both wall heat fluxes (4000 W m-2 and 8000 W m-2), foam structure and its mechanical properties have significant influence on the PCM melting time which these effects should be considered.

Effects of biomass conditioner on soil nutrient and microbial community characteristics of alpine desertified grassland in northwest Sichuan, China

Biomass conditioner made from agricultural and animal husbandry waste for resource disposal could be used to improve desertified soil, which is one of the effective ways of ecological management on desertified grasslands in northwest Sichuan. To clarify the effects of different raw material conditioners on alpine desertified grassland in northwest Sichuan, we analyzed the effects of three conditioners on soil nutrients and microbial community characteristics. With no conditioner as the control (CK), three different biomass conditioners were set up with an application rate of 12 t·hm-2, including mushroom dregs (JZ), straw (JG) and biochar (SWT). The results showed that all biomass conditioners could significantly increase soil available nutrients and active organic carbon by 23.0%-521.6%. Among the three conditioners, JG had the best effect, with an improvement range for soil nutrient and organic carbon of 65.1%-521.6%. Because biomass conditioner was only applied in the first year, soil available nutrients and active organic carbon in the second year decreased by 4.5%-92.3% compared with that of the first year, while soil organic carbon and microbial biomass carbon content of the second year increased by 5.6%-458.0%. The biomass conditioners changed the relative abundance of the dominant bacteria in the microbial community. JG significantly affected bacterial flora, while JG and JZ affected fungal flora. Compared with CK, JG significantly reduced the diversity of soil bacteria and fungi. The Shannon index was decreased by 2.9% and 31.8%, while the Simpson index was increased by 175.0% and 320.9%, respectively. Results of the redundancy analysis showed that the contents of soil available nutrients and active organic carbon were important factors affecting microbial community composition. The contents of soil nitrate and microbial biomass carbon had greater impacts on bacterial community composition, explaining 65.9% of community variations. The contents of soil available potassium and microbial biomass carbon had a greater impact on fungal community composition, explaining 83.2% of community variation. According to the comprehensive comparison, straw conditioner could significantly increase soil available nutrients and active organic carbon, and benefit the growth of beneficial bacteria and fungi, which could be used as a promotion measure to improve soil quality of alpine desertified grassland in northwest Sichuan.

Physico-chemical changes and maturity evaluation of composts from wood residue mixed with sewage sludge and chicken manure

Purpose Using the effective approaches for modifying the recycled wood as a novel bulky agent improves the quality of soil amendment. This study aimed to compare the stability and maturity of the soil amendments produced by the compostation of forest industrial waste and sewage sludge on seed germination. Method Three materials, namely sawdust, sewage sludge, and chicken manure were mixed at different ratios (dry weight basis) to reach the initial bulk density of 0.40 Kg.L-1, the temperature of 30 °C, the C/N ratio of 25, and the moisture content of 60 %. A pilot-scale composting process was applied to monitor the aeration rate, temperature, and moisture contents during the process over time. The comparison of physico-chemical, phytotoxicity, and germination indices among the samples was performed in three repetitions. Results The results of this study indicated that the sustainable conditions (i.e., the temperature of 70 °C, aeration rate of 0.30 L.Kg-1DM.min-1, and moisture content of 50-60 %) can have a significant effect on the thermophilic stage for compost curing without any inhibitory repercussion. Increasing the germination index of cress (Lepidium sativum) up to 79 % proved that the toxicity of industrial sewage sludge was declined through the elimination of heavy metals. Conclusion This study revealed that the availability of bulky agents such as wood residue can reinforce the microbial activity by continuously decreasing the C/N ratio to the minimum value of 13.2.

A Study of 3D Printed Box Structure

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are commonly used for surveillance and aerial mapping. Balsa wood construction is common for small UAV. However, for larger UAV size, balsa construction can be too fragile. 3D printing based airframe can help in producing accurate profile contour needed in a wing design, particularly on Blended Wing Body (BWB) design. Nowadays, 3D printing machines are not expensive and easily available. Flight Technology and Test Centre (FTTC) RIG, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) has been developing and building small BWB UAV made of 3D printing. At the moment, the strength and stiffness of the wing box structure has not been properly investigated. The general target of this research is to understand the static mechanical behavior of a small wing box suitable for UAV manufactured by 3D printing. A simple wing box that can be produced on in-house 3D printer was produced. Standard tensile test was conducted to the PLA (Polylactic Acid) printed material. Finite element simulation of the wing box was performed, and static test experiment was conducted. Stresses and displacements were obtained and analyzed.

Contents: Materials and Corrosion. 06/2021

Contents: Materials and Corrosion. 06/2021

An Analytical Solution of Wave Motion in a Transversely Isotropic Poroelastic Half-Space Underlying a Liquid Layer

In this paper, an analytical method is developed for the axisymmetric dynamic response of a finite thickness liquid layer overlying a transversely isotropic porous solid half-space due to body waves. Potential functions and integral transforms are used together to handle the equations of wave motion in two media. The time-harmonic excitation with axisymmetric shape is assumed to be distributed in the interface of liquid and porous media. Green’s functions of stress and displacement are derived as closed-form integral expressions. Demonstration of the effect of the liquid thickness, degree of material anisotropy, and frequency of excitation on the dynamic response is considered here. Numerical results for a uniform distributed disk load are comprised with the existing elastic and poroelastic solutions to illustrate the quality of the method. The results of the current paper can be used in analysis and modelling the rigid or flexible foundations in marine structures.

Transferring Occlusal Anatomy from Worn Temporary Crowns to Zirconium Oxide Crowns.

Purpose/Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of transferring the occlusal anatomy of provisional crowns to monolithic zirconium oxide crowns. Materials and Methods: From a prepared typodont-tooth (#36), ten CAD/CAM provisional polymethylethacrylate crowns were fabricated with the E4D system. Each provisional crown had its occlusion adjusted. They were scanned (E4D) and the .stl files of the crown preparations were merged with the files from the adjusted crowns (3 shape software) to produce ten polished monolithic zirconium oxide crowns. For comparison, provisional and monolithic zirconium oxide crowns were scanned (True-Definition scanner), the .stl files aligned, converted into a normalized 76x76-matrix, analyzed with ANOVA with repeated measures and Tukey's test. To generate deviation distribution tables and difference plots, .stl files (provisional crowns and monolithic zirconium oxide crowns) were merged with Geomagic software. Results: There were significant differences between provisional crowns and monolithic zirconium oxide crowns. The differences were manly in the fissure area. 86% of the calculated deviations were between + 0.06mm and - 0.04mm, 42.4% of all data points were within ± 0.022mm with a SD of 0.005mm. The main differences were in the fissures, requiring clinically none or only minimal occlusal adjustments for these zirconium oxide crowns.

Anthropomorphizing makes material goods as happiness-inducing as experiences

Anthropomorphizing makes material goods as happiness-inducing as experiences

Atomic Chirality and a Materials Revolution

Atomic Chirality and a Materials Revolution

On Megalepthyphantes lydiae Wunderlich, 1994 (Araneae: Linyphiidae)

Megalepthyphantes lydiaeWunderlich, 1994 is redescribed and illustrated on the basis of new material from Greece. Judging from the structure of the palp, this species is similar to the north-African M. auresensisBosmans, 2006 and M. bkheitae (Bosmans & Bouragba, 1992). In the peculiar shape of its embolus M. lydiae resembles the Irano-Caucasian M. camelus (Tanasevitch, 1990). From these species M. lydiae is clearly distinguished by structural details of the genitalia in both sexes.

Weathering of Outdoor Beech Wood and Methods of Conservation

The aim of this study is to highlight the appearance of deterioration resulting from weathering effects on the beech wood used in the ornamentation of wooden window grilles (Mashrabiya) in the Mosque of Prince Hassan, in Akhmim-Sohag and in the Mosque of Khawand Asalbay, in Fayoum, Egypt. This wood was accurately examined with a Digital microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to diagnose the deterioration processes on the surface of the wood. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) was used to identify the changes in the main components of the beech wood resulting from weathering factors. The chromatic change of the beech wood surface was measured by spectrophotometer and the results were calculated by using the CIE-L*a*b* system. Results showed the physical and chemical changes that had occurred in the degraded beech wood. The results helped to develop a treatment plan using already experimented materials that do not harm the wooden artifacts.

Mutation of the Seaside Architecture in Algeria and its Impact on Coastal Landspace. A Case Study: Ain El Turc, Algeria

The sea strongly contributes to the identity of coastline areas. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the coastline is a geographical entity which calls for specific organization. From an architectural point of view, design elements have been associated with the assets (or constraints) of the site. Thus, the view is associated with the bow window, protection against the climate with canopies and protruding roofs, and quality of the soil and bedrock. Integration into the site is also highly desirable, both in form (ship) and in construction materials. The urbanization of coastal areas in Algeria is a colonial fact. In pre-colonial times, little importance was given to these areas, whereas later they became a priority: port sites, the speed of communications with Europe, rich agricultural plains, a mild climate and welcoming beaches. The developments and seaside constructions carried out during this period were part of the logic of attractiveness to welcome more European settlers and promote the sedentarization and growth of those already living in Algeria. After independence, political and economic choices did not unfortunately take into account the geographical and climatic specificity of Algeria’s coastal zones. Thus, population growth and rural depopulation have led to a sharp increase in the demand for real estate, which has resulted in unbridled urbanization, regardless of the seaside vocation of these territories. In this article, based on the case of the seaside resort of Ain El Turc, which has colonial architectural production of an exceptional quality that takes into account the specificities of the coastline and the presence of the sea, the aim is to assess and verify if this architecture was perpetuated after independence. To this end, we have highlighted, through bibliographic research, the characteristics of seaside architecture from the 19th and 20th centuries and those of the contemporary time. An analysis of all the dwellings located in the Saint Rock district in the municipality of Ain El Turc consisted in identifying these characteristics and establishing a classification of these constructions.

An Interdisciplinary Approach for the Historical and Technical Characterization of Medieval and Modern Mortars

The study concerns Italian masonries and focuses on historical, medieval and modern mortars. Within the context of the different regions under examination (Piedmont, the Po Valley area, Latium, the Umbria-Marche region, and Apulia and Sardinia) a wide variety of materials with different chemical-physical characteristics were used in masonry work, determining different structural behaviors. The project aims at improving our knowledge about historical mortars in order to further the conservation of Italian built heritage, especially in zones with seismic risk. To achieve these results, we took samples and carried out analyses to investigate the different mechanical and cohesion properties that influence the vulnerability of ruined or collapsed structures. This information has enabled advances to be made in the prevention, maintenance, protection and preservation of historical buildings. Further details will concern the history of construction techniques, with particular regard to the relationship between local resources and construction sites. Another important topic is the role of different components and additives during the preparation of the mortars and their level of hydraulicity.

Effect of Five Essential Oils as Green Disinfectants on Selected Photographic Prints: Experimental Study

Albumen, silver gelatin and chromogenic prints are found abundantly among photographic collections in Egypt. Due to the uncontrolled environment in archives and libraries, this precious visual heritage with its high protein and cellulose content provides the right culture medium required for fungal growth. Many essential oils have been proven to have antibacterial and antifungal properties. Essential oils offer a safe alternative to other common disinfection methods; however, their effect on the properties of photographs have not received much study. This paper studies the effect of vapors of anise, cinnamon, clove, lavender and thyme oils on albumen, silver gelatin and chromogenic prints, to find a proper disinfection method that is user-friendly and environmentally safe and respects the nature of photographic materials. Essential oils were provided by the National Research Center (NRC) in Cairo, Egypt. Artificially aged albumen prints, and naturally aged silver gelatin and chromogenic prints were exposed in desiccators to the selected essential oils in the vapor phase for a period of 5 days. All samples were artificially aged at a temperature of 80°C and 65% RH for a period of 5 days to study the long-term effects of the tested treatments. Treatments were evaluated using several techniques including visual inspection, microscopic inspection, colorimetric measurements, and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that all tested essential oils had a very slight effect on the tested photographic samples; however lavender oil was found to be the best option, specifically in terms of preserving the chemical properties of the photographic surfaces.

Corrosion Inhibition Properties of Sulfonated Polyaniline-Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Composite on Mild Steel

In this work, we demonstrate water based corrosion inhibition properties of engineered sulfonated polyaniline molecules on poly(vinyl alcohol), PANI-PVA, for mild steel. The corrosion-inhibition performances were evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization in salty corrosive 3 % NaCl solution. The anti-corrosion coating based on these composite materials display barrier properties against corrosion causing agents and show corrosion protection efficiency of 84.39 %, compared with uncoated. The material showed lower value of corrosion current (Icorr) that is 2.56 μA cm-2 and positive shift in corrosion potential (Ecorr), -0.426 V, in comparison with uncoated steel. Open circuit potential (OCP) Studies and electrochemical impedance (EIS) were also carried out to check the corrosion protection ability of the material. OCP studies, Nyquist plot and Bode plots showed that the synthesized PANI-PVA possess corrosion protection ability on mild steel against the corrosive species.

Progress on biosynthesis and function of the natural products of Zi Cao as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb.

Zi Cao is an important traditional medicinal plant resource in China. Shikonin and its derivatives, as the purple-red naphthoquinones among natural products of its roots, are commonly used clinically in the treatment of sores and skin inflammations. Over the past few decades, due to their highly effective multiple biological activities, pharmacological effects, good clinical efficacy and high utilization value, shikonin and its derivatives have attracted increasing attention of domestic and foreign researchers. For this reason, the wild plant germplasm resources have been suffering a grievous exploitation, leading to a serious threat to the habitat. With the development of the biosynthesis, molecular metabolism and biotechnology, as well as the continuous innovation of research methods on the biological activities and pharmacological effects of plant natural products, significant progress has been made in the research on the biosynthetic pathways and related regulatory genes of shikonin. The pharmacological action and its mechanism of shikonin have also been deeply elucidated, which greatly promoted the basic research and clinical application development of shikonin. In this review, we briefly introduce and analyze the classification of Zi Cao, structure and composition of natural shikonin and its biosynthesis pathway, functional genes related to the regulation of shikonin biosynthesis, and biological activities and pharmacological functions of shikonin. Finally, we address possible prospective for the trend on the future research and development of natural shikonin and its derivatives, hoping to provide a useful reference for the deep mining and development of medicinal natural products from important Chinese medicinal materials, and to promote the modern development of traditional Chinese medicine.

Development and functional validation of a nano-delivery system of miR-16/polypeptide targeting ovarian cancer cells

To develop a nano-delivery system for targeted delivery of miR-16/polypeptide for enhancing cisplatin sensitivity of ovarian cancer. R9-SS-R9 and cRGD-R9-SS-R9 peptides were synthesized and self-assembled with miR-16 molecules to form a nano-delivery system. The stability, particle size, potential and morphology of the nanoparticles were determined by agarose gel electrophoresis, particle size potentiometer and transmission electron microscopy. CCK-8 assay was used to assess the toxicity of the polypeptides in ovarian cancer cells. Stem loop qRT-PCR and living cell imaging were used to verify the uptake efficiency and intracellular distribution of the nanoparticles. Flow cytometry and Western blotting were performed to verify the effect of the nanoparticles for enhancing cisplatin sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells and explore the possible mechanism. R9-SS-R9/miR-16 and cRGD-R9-SS-R9/miR-16 nanoparticles were successfully prepared. The nanoparticles, with a particle size below 150 nm, a dispersity index less than 0.1 and a potential of about 40 mV, showed a good serum stability. The polypeptide material had no obvious cytotoxicity. The miR-16/polypeptide nanoparticles could be efficiently absorbed by human ovarian cancer cells and were distributed in the cytoplasm. The nanoparticles significantly increased the intracellular expression level of miR-16 (P < 0.001) and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and Chk-1 proteins in ovarian cancer cells, thus enabling miR-16 to promote apoptosis and enhance cisplatin sensitivity of the cells. We successfully prepared a miR-16/polypeptide nano-delivery system for targeted delivery of miR-16 to ovarian cancer cells for enhancing cisplatin sensitivity of the cancer cells.

Material Selection and Manufacturing of Halogen Based Headlamp for Two-Wheeler Vehicle Technologies

In the plastic industry, distinctive handling hardware like expulsion, infusion trim, Calendaring, and thermoforming are utilized to fabricate various products. This equipment is fundamentally the improvement of Standard Injection Molding in which Injection Molding is significant. This procedure is utilized for the assembling of the hollow section part and the part with thin wall thickness. This research aimed to develop a halogen-based Headlamp for a two-wheeler vehicle. The essential objective of an automotive headlight is to enhance safety and protection in low light and poor climate conditions. It is the first time that a halogen-based headlamp for a two-wheeler vehicle has been created for the first time in Pakistan. The product in our project consists of three major components, reflector, halogen bulb, and lens. Material selection and processing were the two major tasks in this project. The product was manufactured through injection molding, a high vacuum metallization process, and then finally assembling of parts. To determine the quality of the product, six tests were performed according to Japanese standard JIS-D5500.

The decreasing a negative impact of climate change on Indonesian food security

The negative Impact of climate change and food security are crucial issues for Indonesia with a large population. Agricultural sector as a contributor about 5-7 percent to CO 2 emissions, is a victim of climate change as this sector is very sensitive to the change of climate such as rise of temperature, drought, El Nino and La Nina and rise sea level. The decline in production due to climate change and extreme climate is very risky for Indonesia's food security. Various studies and studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of climate change. However, since 2009, voluntary commitment of Indonesian Government to reduce 26 percent of CO 2 emissions set up the strong effort in many sectors to adapt with climate change. In agriculture, improving soil quality is key in maintaining food production. Soil conservation using vegetative or engineering technique is one of the most important technology. Nutrient management by applying balance fertilization, the use of organic material and ameliorant such as biochar, zeolite and other natural mineral are beneficial for plant production. All these ameliorants will be very useful in maintain soil organic matter (SOM) and soil carbon which very important in increasing water holding capacity. Water harvesting is one option to capture high precipitation and important to irrigate agricultural area. Besides, the use of cropping calendars, high yielding varieties which adapt to biophysical stress will be very useful. Other effort is also needed to control the peat fire, peat drainage and deforestation.