Mechanical and rheological properties of calcium carbonate-filled ethylene propylene diene elastomer reinforced by metallic acrylate salt

High performance ethylene propylene diene methylene elastomer (EPDM)/calcium carbonate (CaCO₃)/aluminum triacrylate (ALTA) hybrids have been prepared by a melt compounding process. The mechanical properties of the peroxide cured EPDM/CaCO₃/ALTA vulcanizates were investigated by tensile, hardness, resilience, abrasion and fatigue life tests. The results showed that the ALTA can greatly improve the modulus at 100 %, tensile strength, abrasion resistance and fatigue life of the EPDM/CaCO₃/ALTA vulcanizates, while retaining their high elongation at break. ALTA as a reactive filler had accelerating effect on the vulcanization reaction of and increased the crosslink density of the EPDM/CaCO₃ composites. This phenomenon is due to increasing the ionic bonds arise from both homo-polymerization of ALTA and graft co-polymerization of it onto the EPDM. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of ALTA causes to the roughness of the fracture surface of CaCO₃-filled EPDM compounds demonstrating high interaction between the fillers and EPDM improved by introduction of ALTA. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the glass transition temperature (T _g ) and dissipation peak (tan δ) of EPDM composites decreases with increasing ALTA content. Decrease in tan δ value and inward shifting of T _g were related to improved interaction of filler and EPDM.     

Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect potato leafroll virus in field grown potato,cv. Russet Burbank

Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in detecting potato leafroll infections in field grown potato, cv. Russet Burbank, was studied from 1986 to 1988 at Rosemount, Minnesota. The objective was to determine relative reliability of current season foliage ELISA, tuber tissue ELISA, and tuber progeny foliage ELISA. Serological tests were most accurate when foliage of tuber progenies was tested. ELISA underestimated total leafroll infection when current season foliage from the inoculated plant was used, in those plants inoculated during late tuber bulking stage. Current season foliage ELISA tests using newly expanded terminal leaflets were more reliable than were tests using older leaflets. Leafroll infection was detected in the current season foliage and tuber progenies (tuber tissue as well as tuber progeny foliage) of some plants seven days after inoculation. Most current season foliage infections were detected by day 14–28 depending on year. Differences among years were most likely caused by variation in quality of virus source plants and numbers of vectors used in inoculation. ELISA tests on tuber tissue were almost as effective as ELISA tests on tuber progeny foliage in detecting potato leafroll 20 days after inoculation, but ELISA on tuber tissue substantially underestimated infection if plants were sampled earlier. Maximum percent tuber infection occurred 20 days or more after inoculation. Movement of the virus from the inoculated stem to other stems decreased with increased plant age at inoculation. Percent infected tubers declined with increased plant age at inoculation. Action thresholds developed for aphids in managing potato leafroll virus should take into account the temporal change in percent infected tubers.     

Pre and early post-emergence weed control with Paraquat in potatoes

Studies using Paraquat herbicide for early post-emergence control of broadleaved and grass weeds in Katahdin and Russet Burbank potatoes were conducted in Maine during four growing seasons. All rates and times of application of Paraquat gave good commercial control of grass and broadleaf weeds when compared to Premerge and Dowpon treatment as checks. Paraquat applied to Katahdins 2 weeks after ground crack reduced the yield of tubers but did not significantly affect specific gravity. Yield and specific gravity of Russet Burbank was reduced by Paraquat applied one and 2 weeks after ground crack. Paraquat can be used effectively for weed control in Katahdin up to one week after ground crack without crop damage. In Russet Burbank it appeared that application at ground crack was about as late as Paraquat could be applied without affecting yield or specific gravity of tubers.     

Preparation and thermal properties of polyphenylene sulfide/organic montmorillonite composites

Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) was used for the intercalation modification of nano-montmorillonite (MMT). The spectra of Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) suggested that CTAB had intercalated into the layers of MMT. And the interlayer spacing of MMT increased from 1.198 to 3.616 nm. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curves of organic montmorillonite (OMMT) showed three-step degradation. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs showed that surface morphology of MMT remained unchanged. Then polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)/organic montmorillonite (OMMT) composites were prepared by melt blending. And composites were treated at 180 °C for 24 h. The results of SEM showed that OMMT had good dispersion behavior and adhesion with PPS. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed the addition of OMMT resulted in heterogeneous nucleation crystallization of PPS. The results of TGA showed there was a good improvement of the thermal stability of PPS. The FTIR and color measurement analysis showed the addition of OMMT could improve the thermal oxidation stability.     

Manufacture and performance of O-carboxymethyl chitosan sodium salt/cellulose fibers in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide system

A series of O-carboxymethyl chitosan sodium salt (NaCMCh) with different degree of substitution (DS) of -CH₂COONa agent were successfully prepared by altering the reaction temperature and time. Both fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ¹³C-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹³C-NMR) were used to study the structure of NaCMCh. And the impact of DS on the antibacterial activity of NaCMCh was investigated. Then, the NaCMCh with optimal antibacterial activity was selected to prepare NaCMCh/cellulose fibers in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) system. The structure, crystallization behavior, thermal property and morphology of obtained fibers were carefully studied with FTIR, Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric (TG) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. Meanwhile, the antibacterial activity as well as mechanical properties of resultant fibers was also investigated. The results demonstrated that the fibers had strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli), acceptable mechanical properties and good water retention.     

A rapid and simple method for determination of potato chloroplast DNA type

A procedure for restriction enzyme analysis of the potato chloroplast DNA (ctDNA) is described. The advantages of this method are: 1) rapid determination of ctDNA type, 2) no ultracentrifugation, and 3) low cost of analyses. This method makes it easy to distinguish the ctDNA types of wild and cultivated potato accessions.     

A study of surface morphology and structure of cotton fibres with soluble immobilized-cellulase treatment

Our previous studies have demonstrated that cotton fabrics treated with soluble immobilized-cellulase showed considerably lower degradation and higher retention of tensile strength than those treated with free cellulase. It is important to investigate the surface morphology and structure of cotton fibres for understanding the enzymatic degradation. In this study, the effects of the soluble immobilized-cellulase on the surface morphology and structure of cotton fibres were investigated. The ultrastructural changes in the fibre surfaces were inspected using Tapping-Mode Atomic Force Microscopy (TM-AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the results showed that the smooth surfaces could be obtained after the immobilized-cellulase treatment, and no obvious damage was observed on the fibre surfaces. The hydrogen bonds in the certain depth area beneath the fibre surface were investigated using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) after the cellulase treatments. Furthermore, the result of fibre accessibility indicated that the hydrolysis occurring in the interior of the cotton fibres was limited during the immobilized-cellulase treatment. Crystalline index (CI) of the cotton fibres treated with free cellulase was slightly higher than that of fibres treated with immobilized cellulase.     

Modeling the functional compression properties of hand-knotted carpets using factorial design and response surface methodology

The most performance quality of cut-pile carpets is related to mechanical behavior of surface piles under compression loading in use. In this study, main purpose was to achieve the predictive models of the functional compression properties of carpet including work of compression (WC), compressional resilience (RC), linearity of compression-thickness curve (LC), and thickness loss (TL) after recovery on hand-knotted carpets with symmetric (Turkish) knot. Eighteen hand-knotted carpet samples with different structural specifications were produced. Meanwhile, compression properties were investigated in new and worn out carpet samples by a Hexapod tumbler tester in 4000 and 12000 revolutions. Factorial experimental design and response surface method were applied for modeling of each compression properties. To optimize the initial models the Box-Cox transformation was used. In the final models, contribution of different variables was also determined. The models showed a desirable fit and high adjusted R² values were observed. The ANOVA test showed that the obtained models are valid at 5 % level significant.     

Anatomical evidence for the existence of roots on potato tubers and stolons

Roots on potato tubers and stolons displayed the normal root anatomy which consisted of a central vascular cylinder surrounded by endodermis with Casparian strips, the cortex and epidermis. Tuber roots appear to initiate from the parenchyma cells adjacent to the vascular tissue. Shoot tips were similar to normal apical meristems. These observations support our research demonstrating the growth of functional roots from potato tubers and stolons.     

Bison,a new red-skinned potato variety

Bison, a new red potato, was introduced by North Dakota State University. This new red variety has smooth tuber type and bright red skin color. Bison yields somewhat less than Norland and Red Pontiac but the advantage of Bison over these two varieties is its uniformity and bright red color. Bison is about medium in total solids and makes chips comparable in color to Norchip but lighter in color than Kennebec. Bison is resistant to race 0 of the late blight organismPhytophthora infestans, but susceptible to race 1–4.     

Petiole nitrate content of Maine-grown Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes in response to varying nitrogen rate

Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes were grown with at-planting nitrogen fertilizer rates varying from 0 to 270 kg ha^?1 following small grains and red clover. Petiole samples were collected from the 4th and 5th leaflets at four to six dates each during the 1986 to 1989 growing seasons. The samples were dried and analyzed for NO ₃ ^? N content. Petiole NO ₃ ^? N levels were strongly related to nitrogen rate regardless of cultivar, growing season, and cropping system. Differences among treatments and NO ₃ ^? N content varied substantially as the growing season progressed with petiole NO ₃ ^? N levels declining rapidly in underfertilized plots as the plants aged. Petiole NO ₃ ^? N levels were higher at midseason following red clover than following small grains. Sampling 50 to 60 days after planting (DAP) is most appropriate as a tool for scheduling supplemental nitrogen applications. At 50 DAP, critical petiole NO ₃ ^? N levels were 1.6 and 1.7% for Russet Burbank and Shepody, respectively. Petiole NO ₃ ^? N levels above 2.2% at 50 DAP resulted in lower yields of Russet Burbank than when petiole NO ₃ ^? N levels were in the 1.6 to 2.2% range. Petiole NO ₃ ^? N testing should be particularly useful as a diagnostic tool in management strategies which make maximum use of previous crop residues, organic amendments, and soil reserves as nitrogen sources.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with single or combined antisera for viruses S and X in potato tubers and plants

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with single or combined antisera was effective for diagnosing potato virus S (PVS), potato virus X (PVX) or both viruses in plants grown in the greenhouse or field. In dormant tubers, stolon, middle and apical end composite sampling with or without eyes and sprouted tubers produced reliable positive assays for PVX. Only tuber pieces with sprouts resulted in consistently reliable assays for PVS. Composite sampling of potato foliage was effective for detecting one PVX infected plant in a total of 100 Kennebec, Norland, or Russet Burbank plants. There were some false negative results and greater variability in composite PVS assays, but on average, one PVS infected plant can be detected in composites of 10 Kennebec, Norland, or Russet Burbank plants. Sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (0.01M NaDIECA) in phosphate buffered saline + 0.5% Tween (PBS-T) added to plant extracts enhanced specific reactions for either virus. Onceor twiceused enzyme conjugate was effective in ELISA of either virus from potato foliage.     

Purification of potato virus A and its detection in potato by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Potato virus A (PVA) was purified fromNicandra physaloides by a simple method that omitted organic solvent clarification and consisted of differential centrifugation followed by equilibrium centrifugation in CsCl. An antiserum was produced that specifically detected PVA in potato leaf sap using either the SDS-agar test or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). No heterlogous reaction of the antiserum with potato virus Y was detected. Purified PVA was highly infectious; it had an A 258/280 nm absorbance ratio of 1.28. The particles had a normal intact appearance in the electron microscope. Detection of PVA in potato sprouts and foliage by ELISA was compared with the local lesion assay onPhysalis angulata L. plants. ELISA was superior over an indicator plant test when sprout tissue was used. PVA antiserum reacted similarly with mild and crinkle isolates.     

A rapid method for determining blackspot susceptibility of potato clones

Two methods of determining susceptibility of potato clones to blackspot were compared: (1) bruising by weight dropping and (2) bruising by abrasive peeling. A highly significant positive correlation was obtained between the intensity of enzymatic discoloration following abrasive peeling and the amount of blackspot that developed by weight dropping (r=0.93). Abrasive peeling was more rapid than the weight-dropping method. Tuber samples were abraded 30 sec and the amount of enzymatic discoloration evaluated after 24 hr. The need for individually bruising and hand peeling of tubers was eliminated with this method. Because of the rapidity of the abrasive peeling method, it can be used effectively in potato breeding programs to screen large numbers of clones for blackspot susceptibility. Results indicate that tuber maturity affects enzymatic discoloration and blackspot susceptibility. Immature tubers, dug while the vines are still green, are more resistant to blackspot than mature tubers. Tuber maturity therefore must be considered when screening clones for susceptibility to blackspot.     

Manufacturing technique and mechanical properties of polylactide acid net/chitosan composite membrane

Guided tissue regeneration is an important treatment for periodontal diseases, as it helps periodontal tissues to regenerate. This study aims to evaluate the influence of different procedures for gelation on the mechanical properties of low melting-point polylactic acid (LPLA) net/chitosan composite membranes. After immersion in a chitosan solution, LPLA nets undergo different steps of gelation and freeze-drying, forming the porous LPLA/Chitosan composite membranes. The tensile strength, swelling, degradation and water content of the resulting membranes are then evaluated. According to the experimental results, different sequences for gelation influence the tensile strength and swelling ratio, but do not significantly influence the water content ratio and contact angle.     

Kinetin,thermotherapy, and tissue culture to eliminate potato virus (PVX) in potato

PVX infected plantlets from two potato cultivars grownin vitro with 0.3, 3, 30 or 300 ppm kinetin were exposed to temperatures of 28 or 35 C. After 3 wk, axillary buds were isolated and grown aseptically in organogenic media, followed by PVX testing by ELISA. The serological test was also run on whole plantlets at the end of the kinetin-temperature exposure. No donor plants exposed to 28 C nor the plantlets derived from their buds gave an ELISA (-) reaction, regardless of the kinetin content of the media or that of the cultivar. At 35 C the virus was suppressed to undetectable levels in several whole plantlets. In the cultivar Alpha, 2 out of 6 resulting plantlets after isolation of buds were virus-free in the presence of 3.0 mg/1 kinetin during the treatments. From Atzimba, about 15–40% of the regenerated plants were ELISA (-), without any relationship to the cytokinin content in the media. Heat had a stronger influence on virus elimination than kinetin and the results varied with the cultivar.     

Length of dormancy and sprouting characteristics of ten potato cultivars

The length of dormancy and sprouting characteristics of ten cultivars (Bison, Kennebec, Norchip, Norgold Russet, Norland, Red Pontiac, Russet Burbank, Viking, Dakchip, and ND8891-3), were compared. Russet Burbank had the longest dormancy period and the slowest rate of sprouting after dormancy ended. Viking and Norgold Russet had the most sprouts and Kennebec the fewest. Dakchip had the shortest dormancy period, the greatest weight of sprouts and the greatest weight loss. Dormancy was shortest in the warmest (20°C) storage. Storage at 2°C for six to nine weeks increased sprouting after dormancy ended compared with continuous 10 or 20°C storage.     

Albinism of potato spindle tuber viroid-infected Rutgers tomato in continuous light

Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV) caused albinism in the new growth of Rutgers tomato under continuous light. The albinism response was obtained with 4 isolates causing severe symptoms in tomato and with 1 mild isolate which is normally symptomless. Rutgers tomato inoculated with the 4 severe strains of PSTV developed typical ‘bunchy top’ symptoms in 12 to 16-hr day lengths. Symptoms developed slower and much less distinctly on plants incubated in 6-hr days. New growth in PSTV-infected plants was green in short days (12-hr illumination) and chlorotic to white in continuous light. Infectivities of extracts from white portions of plants were from 3 to 10 times greater than those from green portions of infected plants. Albino symptoms also developed in other tomato varieties when inoculated with PSTV and kept under continuous light. Albinism was most pronounced under continuous light at 30°C, somewhat less intense at 24°, and at 16°, new growth of infected leaves and stems remained green. Albinism did not develop in otherSolanum species which are symptomless hosts of PSTV nor in seedling potato plants grown in continuous light.     

Some aspects of potato appearance and texture. III. Sampling tubers for cation analysis

Individual unpeeled Kennebec tubers were analyzed after being subdiviled in various ways for sampling. The individual portions were wetashed whith a nitric-perchloric mixture and three cations were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Representative samples of the tubers could be obtained by using subsamples of a blend or by using two opposite sectors cut longitudinally where each sector comprised 1/16th of the tuber. The latter method gave the greatest uniformity among the subsamples. Magnesium was uniformly distributed in the tubers studied, while calcium and potassium were more concentrated in the area external to the vascular tissue and in the stem and the bud ends of the tubers. The inequality of calcium distribution was extremely great.