Amplification of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phytophthora infestans</Emphasis> RG57 loci Facilitates <Emphasis Type="Italic">in planta</Emphasis> T-RFLP Identification of Late Blight Genotypes

Late blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, is a devastating disease in potato and tomato and causes yield and quality losses worldwide. The disease first emerged in central America and has since spread in North America including the United States and Canada. Several new genotypes of P. infestans have recently emerged, including US-22, US-23 and US-24. Due to significant economic and environmental impacts, there has been an increasing interest in the rapid identification of P. infestans genotypes. In addition to providing details regarding the various phenotypic characteristics such as fungicide resistance, host preference, and pathogenicity associated with various P. infestans genotypes, information related to pathogen movement and potential recombination may also be determined from the genetic analyses. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis with the RG57 loci is one of the most reliable procedures used to genotype P. infestans. However, the RFLP procedure requires propagation and isolation of the pathogen and relatively large amounts of DNA. Isolation of the late blight pathogen is sometimes impossible due to the poor condition of the infected tissues or the presence of fungicide residues. In this study, we describe a procedure to identify P. infestans at the molecular level in planta using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of the RG57 loci. This T-RFLP assay is sufficiently sensitive to detect and differentiate P. infestans genotypes directly in planta without propagation and isolation of the pathogen, to facilitate the timely implementation of best management practices.     

Study on the stability and reusability of Glutamate Dehydrogenase immobilized on bacterial cellulose nanofiber

In this study, a simple method with improved properties for Glutamate Dehydrogenase immobilization is proposed by using bacterial cellulosic nanofiberas as a novel and inexpensive biomatrix. Acetobacter xylinum ATCC 10245 has been chosen and cultivated for synthesis of this nanofiber with the diameter of 30-70 nm. Thereafter, Glutamate Dehydrogenase was immobilized into the nanofiber pores in two steps: 1) enzyme adsorption and 2) crosslinking by glutaraldehyde. Optimum pH for the activity of immobilized enzyme and optimum temperature was reported in this work. Also the relative activity of immobilized enzyme was about 38 % in comparison to the enzyme activity of the first day after about two months. Moreover after reusing of the enzyme for 9 cycles, the immobilized enzyme retained over 83 % of its initial activity. Glutamate Dehydrogenase is immobilized on bacterial cellulosic nanofiber for the first time which can affect on facilitation of Glutamate production. Also can be a good method for having a stable and robust immobilized Glutamate Dehydrogenase that can withstand harsh operating conditions in processes which are common in these kind of reactions.     

Antibacterial Bombyx Mori silk fabric modified with reactive chitosan quaternary ammonium salt and its laundering durability

A new fiber-reactive chitosan derivative was synthesized in two steps from a chitosan of low molecular weight. First, a water-soluble chitosan derivative, N-[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium)propyl] chitosan chloride (short for HTCC), was prepared by reacting chitosan with 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride. Second, HTCC was further modified by reacting with N-(hydroxymethyl)-acrylamide to prepare a fiber-reactive chitosan derivative, O-methyl acrylamide quaternary ammonium salt of chitosan (short for NMA-HTCC), which can form covalent bonds with silk fiber under alkaline conditions. The chemical structure of NMA-HTCC was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The substitution degree of HTCC and the double-bond content of NMA-HTCC were tested. Then NMA-HTCC was used for antibacterial finishing of Bombyx Mori silk fabric. The results showed that silk fabric treated with NMA-HTCC had a significantly improved antibacterial activity to Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and the antibacterial activity of silk fabric finished by NMA-HTCC was much better than that finished by chitosan and HTCC. Bombyx Mori silk fabric modified with NMA-HTCC demonstrated excellent durable antibacterial activity, even after 50 repeated launderings, the bacterial reduction rate of silk fabric maintained over 95 %.     

Fabrication of electropsun PLGA and small intestine submucosa-blended nanofibrous membranes and their biocompatibility for wound healing

In recent decades, tremendous research has focused on the production of nanoscale fibers using synthetic polymers, with the goal of fabricating nanofibrous scaffolds for wound healing. However, the hydrophobicity of such polymers typically hinders attachment and proliferation of the cells. In this study, we combined poly-d,l-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) and small intestine submucosa (SIS) to fabricate blended nanofibers for wound healing by electrospinning. PLGA and SIS were dissolved in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro isopropanol to produce different weight ratios of PLGA/SIS-blended nanofibrous membranes (NFM). Physicochemical characterization of the electrospun NFM was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, water contact angle analysis, degradation test and tensile testing. The PLGA/SIS-blended NFM showed improved hydrophilicity and tensile strength. Better infiltration, attachment and proliferation of rat granulation fibroblasts of PLGA/SIS-blended NFMs compared to PLGA NFMs were identified by morphological differences determined by SEM and a water-soluble tetrazolium salt assay kit. Based on our results, the PLGA/SIS blended NFMs were found to be suitable for use as a potential material for wound dressing.     

Dyeing performance of the azo dyes containing trifluoromethyl group for polyester fabrics and its single crystal structure

The structures of disperse dyes and their intermolecular interactions have important impacts on dyeing and printing performances for polyester fabrics. The fluorine dyes show some unique molecular stability and photochemical properties. The dyeing property of the azo dye containing trifluoromethyl group for polyester fabrics, 4'-(N-acetoxyethyl-Nethyl)- amino-2-bromine-4-nitro-6-trifluoromethylazo- benzene (D1), was investigated and compared with the similar structure disperse dye. The results show that the high color yield and good exhaustion of the dyed PET fabrics could be obtained. The polyester fabrics dyed with D1 had excellent light fastness. Its single crystal was prepared and the supramolecular interactions were solved by X-ray diffraction. Dye D1 formed triclinic crystals in a trimeric packing mode. The C-F bond distances of CF3 are 1.2730 Å, 1.2240 Å and 1.2900 Å, respectively. The two benzene rings linked azo unit (-N=N-) are obviously twist. The dihedral angle of the two benzene rings is 50.23 o. There are six weak hydrogen bonds around trifluoromethyl group in the intramolecule and intermolecule. The excellent light stability of the dye should be attributed to its unique supramolecular structure.     

Functional electrospun cellulosic nanofiber mats for antibacterial bandages

Functionalization of cellulosic nanofibers was established to develop antibacterial bandages. The functionalization was conducted through preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) containing different metal nanoparticles (MNPs) such as copper nanoparticles (CuNPs), iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) and zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs). Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize CMC containing MNPs and scanning electron microscopy coupled with high energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) to study the surface morphology of CMC with and without MNPs. Furthermore, back scattering electron detector was used to show the position of metal nanoparticles on the microcrystalline CMC. In addition, UV-visible spectroscopy was used to confirm MNPs formation. Nanofiber mats of CMC containing MNPs were synthesized using electrospinning technique. Surface morphology of electrospun CMC containing MNPs was characterized using SEM. The obtained data revealed that elctrospun CMC nanofibers containing MNPs were smooth and uniformly distributed without bead formation. The average fiber diameters were in the range of 150 to 200 nm and the presence of MNPs in the nanofiber did not affect the size of the electrospun nanofiber diameter. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images displayed that MNPs were existed inside and over the surface of the electrospun nanofibers without any agglomeration. The average particle diameters of MNPs were 29-39 nm for ZnNPs, 23-27 nm for CuNPs and 22-26 nm for FeNPs. Moreover, Water uptake of electrospun nanofiber mats and the release of MNPs from nanofibers were evaluated. Nevertheless, electrospun CMC nanofibers containing MNPs had an excellent antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.     

Fabrication of hydrophobic/oleophilic cotton fabric by mussel-inspired chemistry for oil/water separation

A straightforward approach was proposed to modify cotton fabric for oil/water separation based on musselinspired reaction. The poly(DMA-Octadecyl acrylate) was designed to contain key chemical constituents present in mussel adhesive proteins by free radical polymerization of dopamine hydrochloride and octadecyl acrylate, which strongly adsorbed to fabric substrates, providing a special surface for fabric. The chemical structure, surface topography, and surface wettability of the fabric were characterized. The results showed that as-prepared cotton fabric displayed a high CA of >150° when dripped water droplets were on the modified fabric surface, and the oil contact angle (OCA) was close to 0°, it had excellent potential to be used in practical applications and has created a new method of fabric modification for oil/water separation.     

Nano-calcium carbonate reinforced polypropylene and propylene-ethylene copolymer nanocomposites: Tensile vs. impact behavior

Improvement of both the tensile and impact strength of the same polymeric material has always been a great challenge for the plastic industry. The study focuses on the effect of incorporation of calcium carbonate nanoparticles (0.3 wt% to 15 wt%) into three polypropylene (PP) based matrices viz. PP homopolymer, propylene-ethylene (PP-PE) copolymer and the blend of PP:PP-PE (30:70) to improve their impact behavior without hampering the tensile strength much. A loss in both the tensile and impact properties was observed in PP based nanocomposite. However, PP-PE based nanocomposites showed a significant improvement in impact strength (47 %) at 10 wt% loading with a loss of tensile strength by 22 %. To minimize this loss a blend of PP:PP-PE (30:70) was explored as a matrix. At 10 wt% loading, this matrix showed an improvement of 30 % in impact strength whereas the tensile loss was minimized to 10 %. Further, silane coupling agent which promoted good interfacial adhesion was used for best compositions. The variation of crystalline morphology of the nanocomposites with various formulations was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction.     

Effect of Growth Regulators and Ethanol on Termination of Dormancy in Potato Tubers

The main objective of this study was to find the best practice of inducing the sprouting of dormant potato tubers. We compared two protocols of breakage of dormancy, which are based on dipping excised potato eyes in an aqueous solution of gibberellic acid (GA₃) and kinetin (standard 1) or in the aqueous solution of GA₃, thiourea, and daminozide (standard 2), with a newly reported approach based on ethanol. We tested the effect of ethanol alone or in combination with GA₃ and/or kinetin on dormancy release and sprouting of the potato tubers. As a model, we used two potato genotypes (cultivars Pasat and Dorota), with long dormancy of 5 and 10 weeks respectively. We showed that the standard 2 was the most effective treatment both for dormancy breaking and in promoting sprout growth, especially for cv. Dorota, for which the treatment induced 82.3% of tuber eye-plugs to sprout 28 days after treatment and to produce 93.2% of emerged plants after subsequent 28 days of cultivation in the greenhouse. For this cultivar, similar efficacy was observed for the combination of 4% ethanol with GA₃ and kinetin. The same concentration of ethanol combined with GA₃ but without kinetin was the most efficient treatment for breaking dormancy of cultivar Pasat. However, the difference between the various treatment combinations was statistically insignificant. Ethanol alone or in combination with kinetin poorly induced breakage of dormancy, confirming the main role of GA₃ in artificial dormancy breaking. Thus our study showed that the standard 2 is the most effective approach for breakage of dormancy at least with long term-dormancy cultivars.     

Investigation on hydrostatic resistance and thermal performance of layered waterproof breathable fabrics

Waterproof breathable layered fabrics allow water vapor passing through, but resist liquid water to pass. This ability of the fabrics to protect rain and snow water while allowing sweat vapor to evaporate from inside to outside atmosphere, leads them to be used as outdoor sportswear or protective clothing. The big challenge of enhanced hydrostatic resistance of these fabrics with proper breathability and thermal comfort has widened the research scope. This study presents an experimental investigation on hydrostatic resistance and thermal behavior of layered waterproof breathable fabrics. Six different types of hydrophobic and hydrophilic membrane laminated layered fabrics were evaluated by varying different fabric parameters in the experiment. Hydrostatic resistance and water vapor permeability of the laminated fabrics were measured by SDL ATLAS Hydrostatic Head Tester and PERMETEST respectively. Thermal properties were evaluated by ALAMBETA instrument. Moreover, FX-3300 air permeability tester was used to measure air permeability which represents the porosity of the fabrics and computer based See System software was used for water contact angle measurement on the outer fabric surface in order to determine the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. This experiment clearly discusses the influence of different fabric characteristics and parameters on hydrostatic resistance and thermal properties of the breathable laminated fabrics. The results show that fabric material composition, density, thickness, and hydrophobic and hydrophilic membranes have significant effects on hydrostatic resistance, breathability and thermal properties of different laminated fabrics.