Moharam Habibnejad Korayem^1,*, Zahra Rastegar²

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.2, pp. 109-122, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.04706

Abstract The mechanical properties of single cells have been recently identified as the basis of an emerging approach in medical applications since they are closely related to the biological processes of cells and human health conditions. The problem in hand is how to measure mechanical properties in order to obtain them more accurately and applicably. Some of the cell’s properties such as elasticity module and adhesion have been measured before using various methods; nevertheless, comprehensive tests for two healthy and cancerous cells have not been performed simultaneously. As a Nanoscale device, AFM has been used for… More >

Raghisa Khalid¹, Nazeran Idrees^1,*, Muhammad Jawwad Saif²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.60, No.1, pp. 41-54, 2019, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2019.06554

Abstract Degree based topological indices are being widely used in computer-aided modeling, structural activity relations, and drug designing to predict the underlying topological properties of networks and graphs. In this work, we compute the certain important degree based topological indices like Randic index, sum connectivity index, ABC index, ABC₄ index, GA index and GA₅ index of Book graph B_n and Stacked book graph B_m,n. The results are analyzed by using edge partition, and the general formulas are derived for the above-mentioned families of graphs. More >

Daoming Shen¹, Hua Si^1,*, Jinhong Xia¹, Shunqun Li²

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 63-76, 2019, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2019.04799

Abstract The correct determination of thermal parameters, such as thermal conductivity and specific heat of soil during freezing, is the most important and basic problem for the construction of an appropriate freezing method. In this study, a calculation model of three stages of soil temperature was established. At the unfrozen and frozen stages, the specific temperatures of dry soil, water, and ice are known. According to the principle of superposition, a calculation model of unfrozen and frozen soils can be established. Informed by a laboratory experiment, the latent heat of the adjacent zone was calculated for More >

Karinna Chouman¹, Birgit Korioth-Schmitz¹, Markus Sack², Jörn Engelbert Schmitz¹, Anh Tuan Pham¹, Rainer Fischer^2,4, Stefan Barth⁵, Torsten Klockenbring¹, Rolf Fendel^1,6

European Cytokine Network, Vol.29, No.2, pp. 59-72, 2018, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2018.0409

Abstract Interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression and secretion, induced by inflammatory processes, stimulate the acute phase response cascade. The overexpression of IL-6 contributes to a variety of inflammatory diseases, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, Castleman’s disease, multiple myeloma, and prostate cancer. Screening for high amounts of IL-6 in the patients’ blood serum can be crucial for an adequate treatment. In this study, five novel murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reactive to human IL-6 were generated. The mAbs were characterized for potential diagnostic purposes and recombinant antibodies were derived thereof. Initial epitope mapping using a combination of blocking experiments and Hyper-IL-6, a fusion… More >

Gálvez Muñoz YA¹, E Martínez Moreno², S Ramírez Vera², L Latournerie Moreno³, JM Lesher Gordillo¹, G Castañón Nájera^1*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.87, pp. 60-67, 2018, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2018.87.060

Abstract The research was conducted with the aim to identify the variability in situ of wild and semi-wild morphotypes of Capsicum spp. that were found growing in different places of Tabasco and the north of Chiapas States. Morphotypes included “Amashito” (five types), “Pico de paloma” (two types), “Garbanzo”, “Ojo de sapo”, “Ojo de cangrejo”, “Colmillo de lagarto” and “Corazón de pollo”. Such characterization is important because there is an extensive variability of forms cultivated in the country, resulting from a wide range of agroecological diversity as well as diverse forms, colours, flavors and sizes that constitute a valuable… More >

Haifeng WANG^{1, 2, 3} , Hongxuan HE²

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.2, pp. 47-54, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.07006

Abstract The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes among Bacteria are a serious threat to global health. Their occurrence in animals which are in contact with humans is also important. The Chinese cobra (Naja atra, Elapidae), though a highly venomous species, is appreciated as food and as a source of materials used in traditional Chinese medicine. We are here reporting the isolation of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (Enterobacteriaceae) from the lung of Naja atra, obtained from a snake farm in a Beijing suburb. Our study analyzed, using gene sequencing, the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in… More >

Hassen Mohamed Sbihi^1,*, Hamid Shaikh², Lahssen El Blidi², Imed Arbi Nehdi¹, Ubair Abdus Samad², Moufida Romdhani-Younes³, Saud Ibrahim Al-Resayes¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.6, pp. 651-661, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2018.634105

Abstract In this study, different samples of alkyd resins based on Citrullus colocynthis seed oil (CCSO)—which has a high content of linoleic acid—were prepared as a renewable raw material. Short (I), medium (II), and long (III) alkyd resins were synthesized using oil, glycerol, and phthalic anhydride (PA) in different proportions. Prunus mahaleb seed oil (PMSO), which contains conjugated linolenic acid, was blended with CCSO in different proportions to examine the effect of PMSO on the film properties of alkyd resins (IV and V). All synthesized resins were characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis. These More >

Cansu Ulker*, Yuksel Guvenilir

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.6, pp. 591-598, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634189

Abstract As an alternative biodegradable aliphatic polyester, poly(w-pentadecalactone-co-ε-caprolactone) copolymer was synthesized via enzymatic ring-opening polymerization. A new biocatalyst, Candida antarctica lipase B, immobilized onto rice husk ash was used for catalysis. Reactions were carried out at various temperatures and periods for varied copolymer compositions in order to obtain the highest molecular weight copolymer. The best reaction parameters were found to be 80 °C and 6 hours and molecular weights increased proportionally with the amount of w-pentadecalactone (w-PDL). The molecular structure of copolymer with 75% weight ratio of w-PDL (Mn = 19720 g/mol) was characterized by proton More >

Sawsan Dacrory^1*, Hussein Abou-Yousef¹, Ragab E. Abou-Zeid¹, Samir Kamel¹, Mohamed S. Abdel-Aziz², Mohamed Elbadry³

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.5, pp. 536-547, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634190

Abstract Carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels were developed through crosslinking process using eco-friendly crosslinkers such as maleic, succinic, and citric acids. Carboxymethyl cellulose was prepared from the cellulosic fraction of olive industry residues. A series of hydrogels with varying crosslinker acid concentrations, reaction times, and reaction temperatures was produced to study the swelling capacities and gel fraction of the obtained hydrogels. Additional study pertains to the preparation of antimicrobial nanocomposite hydrogels through in-situ incorporation of the silver nanoparticles during the crosslinking reaction. Silver nanoparticles were prepared by reduction of AgNO3with leaves of Ricinus communis. The particle size of More >

Galia Moreno, Karla Ramirez, Marianelly Esquivel, Guillermo Jimenez*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.4, pp. 362-369, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634167

Abstract Cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose and nanocellulose were prepared from three agricultural waste resources: pineapple leaf (PALF), banana rachis (BR), and sugarcane bagasse (SCB). Each waste resource was first converted into microcrystalline cellulose which was subsequently converted into cellulose nanoparticles by using mild (30% w/v) and strong (60% w/v) sulfuric acid concentrations for extraction. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize each waste resource and extracted cellulosic materials. Furthermore, nanocelluloses were studied by zeta potential, size analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cellulose nanowhiskers were successfully obtained and More >