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The remarkable ability of polymeric additives to reduce the level of frictional drag significantly in turbulent flow, even under extremely low dilutions, is known as turbulent drag-reduction behavior. Several bio-polymers have been assessed as promising drag-reducing agents for the potential replacement of high molecular weight synthetic polymers to improve safety and ameliorate environmental concerns. This article reviews the recent advances regarding the impact of several bio-polymer additives on turbulent drag reduction in either pipe or rotating disk flow systems, and their potential applications in the petroleum, biomedical, and agricultural industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we simulate the electrophoretic motion of a bio-polymer through a synthetic nanopore in the presence of an external bias voltage by considering the hydrodynamic interactions between the polymer and the fluid explicitly. The motion of the polymer is simulated by 3D Langevin dynamics technique by modeling the polymer as a worm-like-chain, while the hydrodynamic interactions are incorporated by the lattice Boltzmann equation. We report the simulation results for three different lengths of the nanopore. The translocation time increases with the pore length even though the electrophoretic force on the polymer is the same irrespective of the pore length. This is attributed to the fact that the translocation velocity of each bead inside the nanopore decreases with the pore length due to the increased fluid resistance force caused by the increase in the straightened portion of the polymer. We confirmed this using a theoretical formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for durable concrete in marine environments such as areas prone to tidal flooding is important due to its ability to deteriorate the structures. This led to the design of a durable and strong Polymer-Modified Concrete (PMC) using natural or bio-polymer modified concrete. However, the use of biopolymer-modified concrete is very limited. Therefore, this research developed a bio-polymer modified concrete using Gracilaria sp., Moringa oleifera, and honey (GMH) for column retrofitting. The research aimed to retrofit and improve the compressive strength and durability of broken columns submerged by tidal flooding by applying bio-polymer modified concrete with GMH. A field application of column retrofitting was conducted in areas prone to tidal flooding. The retrofitted columns performance was observed for 14 months and validated by non-destructive and destructive tests. The result showed that the compressive strength of the retrofitted column achieved 32.37 MPa, which is a 92.34% increase compared to the baseline. This research provides answers to the challenge of concrete materials sustainability by promoting bio-polymer modified concrete that significantly increased its performance and long-term durability using GMH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leather industry is facing important environmental issues related to waste disposal. The waste generated during the tanning process is an important resource of protein (mainly collagen) which can be extracted and reused in different applications (e.g., medical, agricultural, leather industry). On the other side, the utilization of chemical fertilizers must be decreased because of the negative effects associated to an extensive use of conventional chemical fertilizers. This review presents current research trends, challenges and future perspectives with respect to the use of hide waste to produce composite polymers that are further transformed in smart fertilizers. Hide waste contains mostly protein (collagen that is a natural polymer), that is extracted to be used in the cross-linking with water soluble copolymers to obtain the hydrogels which are further valorised as smart fertilizers. Smart fertilizers are a new class of fertilizers which allow the controlled release of the nutrients in synchronization with the plant's demands. Characteristics of hide and leather wastes are pointed out. The fabrication methods of smart fertilizers and the mechanisms for the nutrients release are extensively discussed. This novel method is in agreement with the circular economy concepts and solves, on one side, the problem of hide waste disposal, and on the other side produces smart fertilizers that can successfully replace conventional chemical fertilizers.

Two different test systems were designed to evaluate the tribological behavior of five engineering plastics (Polyamide—PA grades and Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene—UHMW-PE) and a fully degradable bio-composite (Polylactic Acid—PLA/hemp fibers) targeted to agricultural machinery abrasive conditions. Pin-on-plate tests were performed with different loads, sliding velocity and abrasive particles. The material response was further investigated in a slurry containing abrasive test system with different sliding velocities and distances, abrasive media compositions and impact angles. The abrasive wear, the change of the 3D surface roughness parameters, the friction force and contact temperature evolution were also analyzed as a function of the materials' mechanical properties ( H , E , σ y , σ c , ε B , σ F , σ M) and the dimensionless numbers derived from them. Using the IBM SPSS 25 software, multiple linear regression models were used to statistically evaluate the measured data and to examine the sensitivity of the material properties and test system characteristics on the tribological behavior. For both test setups, the system and material characteristics influencing the dependent variables (wear, friction, heat generation) and the dimensionless numbers formed from the material properties were ranked using standardized regression coefficients derived from the regression models. The abrasion sensitivity of the tested materials were evaluated taking into account a wide range of influencing parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two known tin-based polymers of formula {[R3Sn(CH3COO)]n} where R = n-Bu– (1) and R = Ph– (2),were evaluated for their in vitro biological properties. The compounds were characterized via their physical properties and FT-IR, 119Sn Mössbauer, and 1H NMR spectroscopic data. The molecular structures were confirmed by single-crystal X-Ray diffraction crystallography. The geometry around the tin(IV) ion is trigonal bi-pyramidal. Variations in O–Sn–O···Sn′ torsion angles lead to zig-zag and helical supramolecular assemblies for 1 and 2, respectively. The in vitro cell viability against human breast adenocarcinoma cancer cell lines: MCF-7 positive to estrogens receptors (ERs) and MDA-MB-231 negative to ERs upon their incubation with 1 and 2 was investigated. Their toxicity has been studied against normal human fetal lung fibroblast cells (MRC-5). Compounds 1 and 2 exhibit 134 and 223-fold respectively stronger antiproliferative activity against MDA-MB-231 than cisplatin. The type of the cell death caused by 1 or 2 was also determined using flow cytometry assay. The binding affinity of 1 and 2 towards the CT-DNA was suspected from the differentiation of the viscosity which occurred in the solution containing increasing amounts of 1 and 2. Changes in fluorescent emission light of Ethidium bromide (EB) in the presence of DNA confirmed the intercalation mode of interactions into DNA of both complexes 1 and 2 which have been ascertained from viscosity measurements. The corresponding apparent binding constants (Kapp) of 1 and 2 towards CT-DNA calculated through fluorescence spectra are 4.9 × 104 (1) and 7.3 × 104 (2) M−1 respectively. Finally, the type of DNA binding interactions with 1 and 2 was confirmed by docking studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]