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Different chemical extractants and ion exchange resins are used to assess the bioavailability of soil nutrients for crop plants. The major problems associated with the use of IER in soil testing are their reusability and the difficulties encountered in their separation from the soil being extracted. We addressed these difficulties by encapsulating a weakly acidic cation exchange resin and weakly basic anion exchange resin in separate dialysis membrane pouches and suspending them together in a cellulose extraction thimble during extraction. The suitability of this method has been evaluated for diverse types of soils widely varying in physicochemical properties. The standardization of protocol revealed that the ideal conditions for extraction of micronutrients were: 20:40 soil water ratio and 4 h extraction at 25°C in a shaker incubator at 120 rpm. This simple modified ion exchange resin method can be used multiple times for routine soil tests in laboratories for extraction of cationic micronutrients. The soil extracts can be analyzed for cationic micronutrients. The coefficients of determination (R2) between resin extractable- and diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid extractable- nutrients were 0.31, 0.59, 0.67, and 0.88 for Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With more and more research happening in the various dimensions of all the sanitary napkin components, various sanitary napkins are available in the market with enhanced functionalities. The increasing consumer awareness on eco-friendliness and the demanding expectations on disposable products to maintain a healthy environment have been the driving forces to initiate the research on improving the eco-friendliness of disposable hygienic product and producing low-cost sanitary napkins. The reasons for non-penetration of sanitary napkins in all strata of Indian markets are mainly due to financial non-affordability, lack of awareness about health, and hygiene etc. The efforts by the Government in the form of creating awareness and offering subsidiaries and supplying raw materials at low cost, low cost sanitary napkins are now available in the market. All these efforts will together guarantee the low cost of the sanitary napkin but still the quality is not ensured, the main reason for this is the higher cost of the testing apparatus. This project focuses on fabricating an economic and indigenous instrument for the accurate evaluation of selected performance properties of sanitary napkin. Varieties of sanitary napkins have been tested in this fabricated performance tester (SANPER tester) and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastic weft knitted single jersey fabrics are produced by plating of elastane (elastomeric polyurethane) yarn with lyocell yarn in a circular knitting machine with positive feeder. This type of fabrics and their cloths have great response in the market as they have the tendency to re-gain their original size and shape due to physical extension by any part of human body. This research analyzed the effect of elastane plating on the physical and thermal comfort properties such as GSM, thickness, stitch density, air permeability, water vapor transmission rate, thermal conductivity and thermal resistivity of lyocell single jersey knitted fabrics by varying the loop length. The work revealed that the physical properties like stitch density, thickness and GSM increased with increase in elastane content and decrease in increasing of loop length. The air permeability, water vapor transmission rate and thermal resistivity of the fabrics decreased with increasing of elastane plating and increased with increasing of loop length. The thermal conductivity values of the fabrics are not much significant at 95% significance level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dhivya, Padma, and Santhini ([2]) states that wound dressing is designed to be in contact with the wound, which is different from a bandage that holds the dressing in place. Keywords: Chitosan; hemostatic efficacy; plain gauze; secondary layer; spunlace; wound dressing; ; ; ; ; ; EN Chitosan hemostatic efficacy plain gauze secondary layer spunlace wound dressing ZH 8044 8050 7 11/21/22 20221220 NES 221220 Introduction The selection of fibers and textile structures are very essential for the selection hemostatic wound dressing material (Kubera Sampath Kumar et al. [4]; [6]; [5]). 2020a. Study of wound dressing material coated with natural extracts of Calotropis Gigantean, Eucalyptus Globulus and buds of Syzygium Aromaticum solution enhanced with rhEGF (REGEN-D TM 60). 2017a. Evaluation of antibacterial efficacy and wound healing activity of natural fibre based wound dressing coated with natural extracts of calotropis gigantean, eucalyptus globules and buds of syzygiumaromaticum enhanced with epidermal growth factor. [Extracted from the article]

This work is concerned with the characterization of pulp extracted from agro-waste fibers using steam explosion technique. Steam explosion is a very efficient and non-reactive technique to extract soft and absorbent cellulose pulp from agro waste fibers like banana, bagasse, and sisal. Preforms prepared from the extracted pulp, with the aid of binders, using the water laid method, enhanced their suitability to be used for sanitary napkins, due to improved fiber integrity and absorbency. The preforms developed from these extracted pulp were used as the absorbent core of the sanitary napkins to replace the widely used synthetic viscose wood pulp, which thereby improved the eco-friendliness of the sanitary napkins. The preforms were made from these pulps in combination with various binders namely cassava, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and sodium alginate in various concentrations namely 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5%. The various preform samples were tested for physical and absorbency-related performance characteristics like grams per square meter, thickness, density of the pulp, absorbency and immersion time, vertical wicking, strike through rate and swelling measurements. It was found that the preforms made with cassava as the binder, recorded higher absorbency properties when compared to other preforms, which were made using CMC and sodium alginate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the part of work, the leave extracts of aloe vera, piper betel, and neem leaf were prepared and coated on bamboo fiber-based material for wound dressing applications. The fabrics coated with different compositions of the natural extract were enhanced with recombinant human epidermal growth factor (REGEN-D™ 150). The FTIR confirms the presence of alcoholic and phenolic group which were responsible for antibacterial activity. The SEM morphology of the developed dressing material was porous nature and more suitable for the process of curing wound. In antimicrobial tests, the zone of incubation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus ranges from 18 to 22 mm. In vivo study using albino rats induced with diabetes reveals that the wound healing rate is increased in the range of 25–54% compared to a negative control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the leave extracts of Calotropis gigantean, Eucalyptus globulus and buds of Syzygium aromaticum were prepared and coated on natural fibers based bamboo gauze fabric for wound dressing applications. The fabrics coated with different compositions of the natural extract were enhanced with rhEGF (REGEN-D™ 60). The morphology of developed samples was studied using SEM to know its pores sizes. Various mechanical properties have been studied. The antibacterial activity was studied using Gram positive and negative types of bacteria. The wound healing efficacy of the coated fabric samples were studied through in vivo method. The type of wound selected for the study was second degree wound. The dorsal surface of the rat's skin was removed and second degree wound was created. Then the developed fabric samples were dressed over the wound surface and the wound healing was studied by wound closure rate in equal interval of days. A specified composition of natural extracts coated on bamboo gauze fabric enhanced with rhEGF (REGEN-D™ 60) exhibits good antibacterial property was confirmed from the formation of zone of inhibition in antibacterial test against Escherichia coli and a Staphylococcus aureus and appropriate wound closure rate on second degree wound through in vivo evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the leave extracts of Aloe vera, piper betel and neem leaf were prepared and coated on bamboo fiber based material for wound dressing applications. The fabrics coated with different compositions of the natural extract were enhanced with rhEGF (REGEN-D™ 150). The FTIR confirms the presence of alcoholic and phenolic group which were responsible for antibacterial activity. The SEM morphology of the developed dressing material was porous nature and more suitable for the process of curing wound. In antimicrobial tests, the zone of incubation of E. coli and S. aureus ranges from 18 mm and 22. In vivo study using albino rats induced with diabetes reveals that the wound healing rate is increased in the range of 25% to 54% compared to a negative-control group. Overall, the natural extracts coated dressing material has considerable potential and well suited for clinical application that was evidenced through antimicrobial and in vivo study results. Therefore, natural extracts coated on bamboo-based dressing materials are claimed to have helpful nature for wound healing and the current study will be one of the platforms for natural extracts coated material-based medical textile applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the influence of modified yarn path on ring spinning like straight path, left diagonal path, and right diagonal path on the physical properties of the cotton fabrics like tensile strength, tear strength, and drape performance. The results show that the fabrics made with the left diagonal yarn path gives a better overall performance of the physical properties of the cotton fabrics followed by straight path and right diagonal yarn path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jute and hollow conjugated polyester fiber (HCP)-reinforced nonwoven composites were designed by Box and Behnken model approach. Its thermal properties such as thermal conductivity, thermal resistance, thermal transmittance, and thermal diffusivity were evaluated. From the test results of response surface method (RSM), the weight of composite material maintained as 3280 g/m2 with the proportion of jute/HCP fiber in the ratio of 50/50%, 60/40%, and 70/30% played a significant role in insulation and mechanical properties. Various needling density maintained on the composite material such as 300, 150, and 75 punches/cm2 contributes to the role of significant impacts on the research process. The optimum of 150 needling density with the proportion of 50/50 Jute and HCP fiber was selected to produce four kinds of composite structures. Its thermal, sound, electrical insulation values and limiting oxygen values were analyzed and suggested for building environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After reviewing the past work into the characterization of weave structures and their relationships with various properties of fabrics, an account is given of the present knowledge of them on comfort properties which represents one of the major areas that have been neglected in garments. The shortcomings of this knowledge are shown to be that, although many studies have been conducted on comfort, there have been no systematic studies of weave structures and their impact on comfort. Thermal comfort properties of fabrics are affected by a gamut of fiber, yarn, and fabric properties. In this study, the characterization in the comfort properties, namely thermal resistance and thermal conductivity, has been studied as a function of weave structures and other geometrical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the effect of modified yarn path in ring spinning such as straight path, left diagonal path and right diagonal path on moisture management properties of the cotton fabric like wetting time, absorption time, spreading area, spreading speed, accumulative one way transport index and overall moisture management capability. The results show that the fabric made with right diagonal yarn path exhibits better overall performance of the moisture management properties of the cotton fabric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of air, oxygen and argon plasma treatment on the thermal comfort behavior of cotton woven fabric which is spun from modified yarn path in ring spinning has been investigated in this study. The cotton fabric samples were undergone different plasma treatment namely air, argon and oxygen. The fabric air permeability has tend to be decreased with the plasma treatment and the oxygen plasma-treated fabric has least air permeability. The untreated fabric shows higher air permeability followed by left diagonal yarn path, straight path and right diagonal yarn path. It was also observed thermal resistance and water vapor permeability of the fabric has increased with the plasma treatment and the oxygen plasma-treated fabric has higher thermal resistance and water vapor permeability. The untreated fabric shows lower thermal resistance and water vapor permeability followed by left diagonal yarn path, straight path and right diagonal yarn path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the effect of molding temperature, molding pressure and molding time on the final compression molded CFF and its hybrid composites for its acoustic property. The results of tests like sound absorption coefficient, noise absorption coefficient (NRC) value, thickness and density of composites conducted to characterize the bio-composites developed with different fiber loads of chosen fiber and processing conditions, are discussed in this study. When comparing the overall results on the acoustic property of the composites, 100% CFF composite showed highest NRC of 0.6 by keeping the process variables at lower conditions (165°C temperature, 5 Bar pressure and 3-min time). The influence of temperature and pressure is significant on the NRC value than time on the acoustic properties of the composite board. If the fiber loading of CFF rise, the NRC value also increased. The maximum sound absorption observed at 1.8 KHz because of the natural frequency of the CFF material. The processing conditions, reinforcement fiber wt%, thickness and density have a significant impact on the NRC values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the application of neem charcoal microparticles on thermophysiological comfort properties of the treated fabrics as against the control fabrics. The materials used for this study are 100% cotton, the synthetic woven fabrics and their blends such as 100% polyester and 65/35 polyester/cotton. The fabrics are pre-washed and are analyzed for the constructional parameters. The neem wood aged more than 5 years are collected and are used for preparation of neem charcoal particles using furnace heating method followed by ball milling. Characterization of the neem charcoal microparticles for particle size and distribution is carried out through Particle Analyzer. The presence of particles on the treated fabrics is confirmed through SEM study. Testing the untreated and treated fabrics for the thermophysiological properties such as wetting, wicking, water vapor permeability, air permeability, and thermal resistance by following the relevant standard test procedures were carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study conducted to understand the limitations of existing wound-dressing systems. A case study on healing performance of different types of commercially available wound dressings was conducted at Madras Medical College and Government General Hospital (MMC&GH), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India (Ethical Clearance No. 3250/ME5/2010). The study indicated that the single-layer dressing would not satisfy most of the requirements of an ideal wound-dressing system, and hence there is the need for developing a multilayer wound-dressing system with each layer satisfying different requirements of an ideal wound-dressing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabric tear strength is an important parameter in textile material, ever since it is close to relate to the service of the fabric. Tear strength of the fabrics depends on the flexibility of the yarn in fabric structure. In this research, the tear strength of 11 cotton woven fabrics is analyzed based on the weave parameters such as crossing over firmness factor (CFF), Floating Yarn Factor (FYF), Fabric Firmness Factor (FFF) and weave factor (P1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the effect of molding temperature, pressure and time on the final compression-molded hybrid composites with polypropylene resin for its flexural strength. The results of tests conducted to characterize the hybrid composites developed with different proportion of fibers and processing conditions are discussed in this study. When comparing the overall results on the flexural strength of the composites, 25:75 Chicken Feather Fiber (CFF)/Jute composite showed highest flexural strength by keeping minimum temperature, maximum pressure and medium time. The influence of pressure on flexural strength is significant compared to temperature and time. As time increases the flexural strength decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work discusses the influence of process variables on antimicrobial properties of cotton single jersey knitted fabrics. The antimicrobial process variables are optimized based on the Box-Benken experimental design using design-expert software 8.0 to predict the optimum process parameter for achieving the required level of antimicrobial properties. The effects of process parameters such as yarn count, loop length, and finishing % of the zone of inhibition (ZOI) against the Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus microbes on cotton knitted fabric have been carried out. Result shows that except yarn count other parameters are not significant toward the ZOI against microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the application of Musa acuminata leaf methanol extract on cellulose fabrics. Musa acuminata is a banana species. It is a popular edible fruit consumed worldwide. Musa acuminata leaf methanol extract was prepared, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy was performed to analyze the extracted solution using 0.1% NaOH. The methanol extract in three different concentrations, viz., 3%, 5%, and 7%, was applied on cotton fabrics using padding mangle at room temperature, 40°C, and 50°C, respectively. After application of the methanol extract, antibacterial property of the fabric was tested both qualitatively by a zone of inhibition (AATCC-147) and quantitatively by reduction of bacteria evaluated in percent (AATCC-100). Presence of gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria were studied following the AATCC standards. The results reveal that the methanol extract from Musa acuminata leaf, an economic resource, can be applied to medical textile fabrics to impart antibacterial action and UV protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The herpetofauna of Nepal have been historically understudied, and although previous studies have reported on bioinventory surveys of the Kathmandu Valley, few have surveyed widely during the peak monsoon season. In addition, past studies largely neglected to survey intact forest habitats. Here we conduct a comprehensive field survey of the herpetofauna of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, with an emphasis on the surrounding foothills containing intact forest habitat. We record natural history and distribution data for seven species of amphibians and four species of reptiles. We also use mitochondrial sequence data to confirm the phylogenetic placement of two frog species, Megophrys (Xenophrys) parva and Duttaphrynus melanostictus. Using phylogenetic and morphological data we assign Megophrys parva from the Kathmandu Valley to Megophrys zhangi. We find that while this species shares a haplotype with its sister species, Megophrys monticola, morphological data align the individuals from the Kathmandu Valley with M. zhangi from Tibet. We find that M. zhangi exhibits no phylogenetic structure within the Kathmandu Valley, and wider sampling is needed throughout the Himalayas to determine its full range. These findings support the hypothesis that molecular sequence data will lead to the discovery of cryptic species in Nepal and facilitate the revision of species taxonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims at research on characterization of Wrightia tinctoria fiber, such as fiber content, fiber longitudinal view, cross-sectional view, fiber diameter, moisture content, SEM analysis, surface resistivity, swelling, and also mechanical properties of fiber, such as fiber strength, elongation, linear density, etc. The fiber was used to produce carded webs using the pilot carding machine from blends of Wrightia tinctoria fiber (W) with cotton (C), bamboo (B), and polyester (P) in the blend ratios of 25:75 and 50:50 for required GSM. The produced webs were bonded using spunlace bonding technique to produce required non-woven medical apparel. The produced nonwoven were tested for dressing mass and thickness, absorbency of wound dressing, the dehydration rate of dressing, wettability, vertical wicking, air permeability, potential of hydrogen, water vapor permeability, and anti-bacterial. The test results of the studies were investigated in detail and observed that the product development from Wrightia tinctoria fiber has immense potential for curing various skin diseases as revealed from the test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty surface (0–15 cm) samples of acidic soils were analyzed for water soluble (WS), exchangeable (EX), lead displaceable (Pb-disp.), acid soluble (AS), manganese (Mn) oxide occluded (MnOX), organically bound (OB), amorphous Fe oxide occluded (AFeOX), crystalline iron (Fe) oxide occluded (CFeOX) and residual (RES) fractions of Mn, and also for extractable Mn in some common soil extractants: (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) (pH 7.3), DTPA (pH 5.3), AB-DTPA (pH 7.6), Mehlich-3 (pH 2.0), Modified Olsen, 0.005 M calcium chloride (CaCl2), 1 M magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and ion exchange resins. The WS-Mn fraction showed a significant and positive correlation with Mn extractable in DTPA (pH 5.3) and AB-DTPA (pH 7.6), while both WS-Mn and EX-Mn fractions correlated significantly and positively with Mn concentration and uptake by maize plants grown in these soils. The AB-DTPA (pH 7.6) and DTPA (pH 5.3) appeared suitable to assess the availability of Mn in acidic soils. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Air permeability is one of the most important aspects of clothing. This study presents the geometrical and air permeability properties of single-jersey-knitted fabric structures made from cotton, bamboo and cotton–bamboo-blended yarns. The objective was to determine the influence of blend ratio, yarn linear density and stitch length on geometrical and air permeability properties of bamboo cotton-knitted fabrics. Yarns with linear densities of 19.6, 23.6, 29.5 tex and with the same twist level were used to construct the fabrics of single-jersey structure with loose, medium and tight structures. The air permeability of the fabrics was observed to increase with an increase in bamboo fibre content. The anticipated increase in air permeability with a decrease in yarn linear density (tex) and an increase in stitch length was observed. Bamboo fibre in the fabric causes a reduction in fabric thickness and mass/unit area for all linear densities of yarn. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mercury (Hg) and its compounds are exceptionally noxious and extensively distributed in the atmosphere. We have used caffeic acid decorated silver nanoparticles (CA–AgNPs) for the colorimetric detection of the Hg(II) ions in the aqueous systems. In this method, a paper strip was simply used as a dipstick type device for the fast and selective detection of the aqueous Hg(II) ions. The paper strip displays a color change within 50 seconds with superior selectivity after being dipped into the solution containing a concentration of Hg(II) ions in the range of 20–0.0001 ppm. The developed method allows us to detect Hg(II) through naked eyes with a LOD of 0.0001 ppm. The interaction between prepared CA–AgNPs and Hg(II) was also studied using reactive kinetics, thermodynamic parameters and density functional theory (DFT). The proposed method can be a cost-effective tool for field-level applications for on-site real-time detection of mercury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prakash C Deedwania* speaks to Simi Thankaraj, Assistant Commissioning Editor: Prakash C Deedwania, MD, FACC, FAHA, FACP, FCCP, is Professor of Medicine at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine (CA, USA), Chief of the Cardiology Division for the Veterans Administration Central California Health Care System/UCSF Program in Fresno (CA, USA), Director of Cardiovascular Research for the UCSF Fresno-Central San Joaquin Valley Medical Education Program and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Stanford University in Palo Alto (CA, USA). Dr Deedwania is a fellow of the American Heart Association (AHA), American College of Cardiology (ACC), American College of Chest Physician and American College of Physician, and a member of the American Thoracic Society, American Federation of Clinical Research, Council on Silent Myocardial Ischemia and Infarction, International Society of Ambulatory Science and New York Trudeau Society. He has served as Chair of the Executive Committee of the Laennec Society of the AHA and is currently President of the California Chapter of the American Society of Hypertension and is Past President of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology. He is a member of several writing groups, including the ACC/AHA Practice Guidelines on Chronic Stable Angina and Ambulatory ECG Monitoring. Dr Deedwania also serves on the Practice Guidelines Committee of the Heart Failure Society of America and recently served on the joint writing group of AHA/American Diabetes Association (ADA)/ACC for the position statement on intensive glucose control in patients with diabetes. Dr Deedwania has authored numerous landmark clinical trials, has authored or coauthored more than 350 publications and serves on the editorial boards of numerous journals, and lectures regularly both nationally and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to develop knitted denim fabrics by using cotton and eri silk yarns. Three combinations of 3/1 twill knitted denim fabrics were developed. Two materials cotton yarn 30s and eri silk yarn 2/80s Nm with three types (100% cotton, 50% cotton/50% eri silk, 100% eri silk) of knitted denim fabrics were produced. Moisture management properties were tested for the developed samples.100% eri silk knitted denim fabric was found with the excellent accumulative one way transport index % and a very good overall moisture management capability better than that of 100% cotton and 50% cotton/50%eri silk knitted denim fabrics. The results indicated that the eri silk knitted denim fabric is more suitable for active wear and functional wear applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The handicraft sector plays a significant role in providing employment opportunities in rural and semi-urban areas of the country. It helps in generating substantial income for the artisans. The uses for palm leaves are abundant. Attractive items made of Palm Leaves are very popular in South India, mostly in Southern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. However, to generate sustainable revenue through their products, the artisans need to understand the buyer's requirements. This study aims to understand the consumer's purchasing behavior when buying palm leaf products. The sample consists of 233 consumers with diverse backgrounds from the state of Tamil Nadu, India. A questionnaire was developed to measure awareness and attitude influence while purchasing palm leaf products. The results can help the artisans to get an insight into end-user expectations and requirements toward palm leaf products and suggest strategies to increase the income of artisans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant cellulosic, calotropis giganteafiber properties, and natural oils were discovered in this study. This study consists of various experimental values of the calotropisgiganteafiber and the results such as chemical composition, Assessment of Hollowness Free Space, X-ray Diffraction Analysis, FTIR, SEM, Density Gradient Column (DGC), free space availability calculation, and oil-holding capacity were discussed in this study. The results were found to depend on density of the oil and web, and the method has appeared to be promising. It is revealed that calotropis giganteafiber has large free spaces, which are used for holding oils. The equations established would support the correlation in such as oil-holding capacity. The web of calotropis giganteafiber has a high degree of oil absorption for all the three types of oils such as the coconut oil, castor oil, and ground nut oil. It can be seen that the mass of the oil absorbed for coconut oil is about 9 g when expressed as percentage over the actual mass of the web, it goes to about 1800%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural fibers are gaining popularity among researchers and academics for use in polymer composites due to their environmental friendliness and long-term viability.A new series of green composites using chicken feather fiber (CFF) and jute as reinforcing materials in a polypropylene resin-based polymer matrixwere used to fabricate the hybrid composites. This paper examines the impact of molding pressure, temperature, and time on the tensile strength and water absorption characteristics of compression molded hybrid composites. The findings of experiments undertaken to evaluate hybrid composites produced with different fiber fractions and processing parameters are discussed in this paper.When the composites' overall tensile strength was compared, the 100% Jute fiber composite had the highest tensile strength when the maximum pressure, temperature, and time were kept constant. Temperature and pressure have a considerable impact on composite sample tensile strength, whereas time has little influence.As predicted, raising the jute weight percentage in composites increases water absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-six samples of woven fabric were finished with Musa acuminata SAP in three different concentrations, viz., 50%, 75%, and 100% were applied on cotton fabrics using padding mangle at four different temperatures, viz., room temperature, 50°C, 75°C, and 100°C and also with three different process timings, viz., 20 min, 40 min, and 60 min, respectively. The finished fabrics have been analyzed on the whiteness and yellow index properties. It has been observed that the fabric finished with a 50% concentration of Musa acuminata SAP with 50°C for a prolonged time of processing shows a lesser yellow index and higher whiteness index value followed by the 100% and 75% concentration of SAP. The finished optimized fabric samples have been evaluated on the physical properties of fabric such as tensile strength, tear strength, pilling, drape coefficient, and stiffness of the fabric. It has been found that the fabric finished with a 50% concentration of Musa acuminata SAP with the lowest temperature at least processing time has better performance in the physical properties of the fabric when compared to the highest concentration of Musa acuminata SAP with the highest temperature at highest process timing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the methanol extract of Musa acuminate leaves has a significant development on the quality of the protection features such as, antibacterial and ultraviolet protection, was observed. The fabric finished with a higher concentration of M. acuminata sap (7%) at the temperature rate of 40–50°C has higher zone of inhibition against gram-positive bacteria and improved ultraviolet protection factor than the controlled sample. The fabric finished with the lower concentration of M. acuminata sap (3% & 5%) has lesser zone of inhibition against gram-positive bacteria. The fabric finished with a 7% concentration of M. acuminata leaves methanol extract at 40–50°C shows high protection factor against antibacterial and ultraviolet protection. Hence, it is observed that the fabric finished with a higher concentration of M. acuminata sap exhibits a higher zone of inhibition against bacteria's and ultraviolet protection factors when compared to the lower concentration of methanol extraction of M. acuminata leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of Musa acuminata SAP on the air permeability of the finished cotton fabric Water vapor permeability The influence of I Musa acuminata i SAP on the water vapor permeability of the finished specimen is described in Figure 3. Keywords: Cotton fabrics; comfort; Musa acuminata; natural extracts; thermal comfort; SAP; ; ; ; EN Cotton fabrics comfort Musa acuminata natural extracts thermal comfort SAP ZH 8092 8100 9 11/21/22 20221220 NES 221220 Introduction I Musa Acuminata i stem SAP is naturally extracted by cutting the cultivated plant just 1 ½ feet above from the ground level where the SAP (Separate substance Present) flow is relatively uniform and making a pit over it, helps to exude the sap due to the higher root pressure. Two-way ANOVA was utilized to identify the significance of differences between finished and controlled fabric samples and fabric physical properties, thermal comfort properties of woven finished fabric samples. [Extracted from the article]

In this study eri silk/micro denier polyester/bamboo, eri silk/micro denier polyester/tencel plated interlock fabrics and the moisture management properties have been developed and analyzed. The effects of raw material combination and fabric structure on moisture management properties with plated interlock knit fabrics are examined. For this study, two types of plated interlock knit structures have been developed. The outer layer made up of bamboo/tencel yarns (14.8 tex), the middle layer micro denier polyester (125 denier) connected with more tuck points, the next to skin layer made up of eri silk yarns (14.3 tex). The result shows that plated interlock knit structure are highly influences the moisture management properties. When compare to eri silk/micro denier polyester/bamboo and tencel combination Excellent moisture management properties were observed in eri silk/micro denier/tencel combination plated interlock knitted fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventeen Mollisols having pH(1:2) in the range of 6.00 to 8.42 were analyzed with five extractants, and the extractable zinc (Zn) ranges were 0.84 to 2.75 mg Zn kg-1 soil for diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) (pH 7.3), 0.91 to 2.72 mg Zn kg-1 soil for DTPA + ammonium bicarbonate (pH 7.6), 1.82 to 7.18 mg Zn kg-1 soil for Mehlich 3, 1.22 to 3.83 mg Zn kg-1 soil for ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) + ammonium carbonate, and 0.88 to 1.18 mg Zn kg-1 soil for 1 mol L-1 magnesium chloride (MgCl2) (pH 6.0). Zinc extracted by DTPA (pH 7.3) and Mehlich 3 showed significant positive correlation with sand content, whereas only Mehlich 3 showed negative correlation with soil pH. All extractants showed significant positive correlation with each other except for 1 mol L-1 MgCl2-extractable Zn, which had significant positive correlation with only Mehlich 3- and EDTA + ammonium carbonate-extractable Zn. A greenhouse experiment showed that Bray's percentage yield of rice was poorly correlated to extractable soil Zn but had a significant and negative linear correlation with soil pH (r = -0.662, significant at p = 0.01). Total Zn uptake by rice had a significant positive correlation with 1 mol L-1 MgCl2- and Mehlich 3-extractable Zn. A proposed parameter (p extractable Zn + p OH-) involving both soil extractable Zn and pH terms together showed significant and positive correlation with Bray's percentage yield and total Zn uptake of rice. The calculated values of critical limits of soil Zn in terms of the proposed parameter were 14.1699 for DTPA (pH 7.3), 13.9587 for DTPA + ammonium bicarbonate, 13.7016 for Mehlich 3, 13.9402 for EDTA + ammonium carbonate, and 14.1810 for 1 mol L-1 MgCl2 (pH 6.0). The critical limits of Zn in rice grain and straw were 17.32 and 22.95 mg Zn kg-1 plant tissue, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Plant tissues of rice and wheat crops (n = 5) collected at harvest time were wet-ashed in di-acid mixture [analytical-grade nitric acid (HNO3)-perchloric acid (HClO4), 3:1, v/v] on a sand bath at 200 °C or dry-ashed in a muffle furnace at 550 °C for 3 h in triplicate. The samples were analyzed for calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and molybdenum (Mo) using double-beam atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GBC-Avanta ∑ model) and for boron (B) by colorimetry (UV-VIS spectrophotometer, ECIL-GS 5705 model) using Azomethine-H procedure. As per the paired t-test, both wet-ashing and dry-ashing procedures resulted in statistically similar analytical values for B, Ca, Fe, and Mo. However, the mean coefficients of variation were higher with the wet-ashing procedure (6.19 to 9.64%) as compared to the dry-ashing procedure (2.14 to 3.45%). The dry-ashing procedure was found to be the best for routine chemical analysis of B and Mo in plant samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five soil extractants, namely, 0.005 M diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) (pH 7.3), 0.005 M DTPA+1 M ammonium bicarbonate (pH 7.6), Mehlich 3, 0.01 M ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)+0.05 M ammonium carbonate (pH 8.6), and 1 M magnesium chloride (MgCl2) (pH 6.0), were evaluated to predict the response of wheat to zinc (Zn) application in Mollisols. These extractants could be arranged in the following decreasing order of their Zn extracting power: Mehlich 3>0.005 M DTPA+1 M ammonium bicarbonate>0.01 M EDTA+0.05 M ammonium carbonate>0.005 M DTPA>1 M MgCl2. The critical limits of Zn in soil, below which the yield response to late sown wheat (var. UP-2338) to Zn application could be expected, were 0.57 mg 0.005 M DTPA (pH 7.3) extractable and 1.72 mg Mehlich 3-extractable Zn kg-1 soil. The critical limit of Zn in whole shoot at 60 days after emergence was found to be 26.1 mg Zn kg-1 plant tissue. The DTPA and Mehlich 3-extractable soil Zn also correlated significantly and positively with Zn concentration in whole shoot at 60 days after emergence and total Zn uptake by wheat at harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A library of supramolecular assemblies of acyclic- and cyclic organotelluriums assisted by intermolecular Te... X (X = Cl, Br, I, O, S) secondary bonds has been synthesized and X-ray characterized. In each case the immediate coordination geometry around the central Te atom is pseudotrigonal bipyramidal in which two methylene carbon atoms (attached to Te) in cyclic organotelluriums and methyl carbon atoms in acyclic organotelluriums and the stereochemically active electron lone pair occupy equatorial positions whereas the axial positions are occupied by halogen, oxygen or sulphur. They exists either as (a) ordered oligomers (trimeric, tetrameric, octameric aggregates) (b) cross linked chains, (c) zig-zag -2 dimensional ribbons and stairs, and (d) 3-dimensional supramolecular networks. It is observed that the supramolecular associations assisted by Te...O and Te...S secondary bonds are modified whereas those assisted by Te...halogen remain more or less the same vis-à-vis the supramolecular associations present in their precursors in the solid state. The first detection of C-H...O hydrogen bonds in organotellurium compounds has been done and their use in the synthesis of tellurium essential and ligand essential supramolecular assemblies is demonstrated. Tetraorganotelluroxanes obtained by easy and efficient routes represent the examples of cooperative participation of intermolecular and intramolecular Te...O secondary bonds and C-H...O hydrogen bonds. Hypervalent Te-I (formed through n ? s* orbital interactions) bonds in cyclic telluranes act as potential synthons for the formation of CT complexes possessing unusual structures. The utility of organotelluriums in the serendipitous synthesis of the first triphenyl methyl phosphonium salts of [C 4 H 8 TeI 4 ] 2- and [TeI 6 ] 2- anions is shown. The second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of some of these new supramolecular assemblies of organotelluriums indicates that the presence of C-H...O hydrogen bonds enhances their non linear optical (NLO) properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inaccuracy of dietary self‐reports may result from an inability to estimate portion sizes of foods. To determine the influence of cultural factors, 162 subjects at three study locations in rural India and 100 subjects in Massachusetts, USA were asked to estimate weights and volumes of four commonly used food items. Compared with their Massachusetts counterparts, subjects in India evinced errors in their estimates of food weights which averaged only about 20% as large, with standard deviations less than half as large. In the combined data from the four study locations, relative to those with just primary education, individuals with some college overestimated the small and large reference weights by 79% and 52%, respectively (p <0.01). Implications of this research, including the use of quantitative dietary assessment methods in low literacy populations with relatively little formal education and possibilities of bias in epidemiologic studies, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper methods for obtaining approximations and bounds for the moments of order statistics from a continuous parent distribution are discussed. These bounds and approximations depend on the distribution function only through certain moments of order statistics in small samples. It is shown that for the Cauchy distribution bounds and approximations of all finite moments can be obtained. Some numerical calculations for normal and Cauchy distributions are also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, adhesive joints are largely applied in the automotive, aircraft and aerospace, civil, and naval industries. Although several applications involve flat (plane) adherends, curved joints play an important role in many engineering applications like civil and aircraft construction. This work aims to investigate three structural adhesives, ranging from brittle to ductile, applied in curved joggle-lap joints between carbon fibre reinforced polymer adherends and subjected to internal pressure, to validate a robust design procedure and provide project guidelines for this complex structural, geometrical, and loading system, which constitute the main novelty of the proposed work. A numerical cohesive zone model parametric analysis was undertaken by varying the overlap length, thickness of the adherends, and adherends' curvature, including the evaluation of peel and shear stresses in the adhesive, failure mode comparison, maximum load, and energy dissipated after failure. Validation of the cohesive zone model technique was initially performed using flat single-lap joint under tensile loads. A significant effect of the overlap length and thickness of the adherends on the maximum load was found, while the adherends' curvature effect on the maximum load was negligible. Ductile adhesives, although less strong, generally performed better in terms of maximum load and dissipated energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work deals with the theoretical study of conformational equilibrium of calix[4]tetrolarenes (1,2,3 trimethoxy substituted calix[4]arene) in gaseous and solvation phases. A total of 64 calculations (four conformations at eight level of theories) were performed using Density Functional Theory (DFT) functionals viz. wB97XD, B97D, B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP with diffused (6-31 + G(d)) and non-diffused basis sets (6-31G(d)). It has been found that the conformational profile of calix[4]tetrolarene changes from cone to 1,3-Alternate upon incorporating - OMe group. The B97D and wB97XD functionals gave the most accurate result having rmsd value ~0.73Å followed by B3LYP and CAM-B3LYP > 0.78Å. Furthermore, NBO calculations demonstrated that reduction in charges at lower rim oxygens reduces the chances of hydrogen bonding. Moreover, global reactivity parameters and molecular dynamics also complement the observed trend. Owing to the methoxy substitutions, anion binding study of these new molecules indicates towards the promising capability to bind Cl− and F− ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is one of the most commonly used additive manufacturing processes because of its environment-friendly nature and cost-effectiveness. However, it suffers badly from low surface quality due to a larger layer resolution. The surface finish of FDM parts can be enhanced by post chemical treatment using various solvents. The chemical treatment reduces the surface roughness by dissolving the external surfaces of 3D-printed samples. Chemical treatment is an easy, fast and economical technique. In the present investigation, the effect of chemical treatment on surface roughness and tensile strength of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) parts made using the FDM process is investigated using two chemicals, namely acetone and 1, 2 dichloroethane. The post chemical treatment dramatically improves the surface finish and dimensional accuracy of ABS specimens. But chemical treatment results in the reduction of the tensile strength. Better tensile strength is obtained while using acetone solvent and a better surface finish is obtained using dichloroethane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impedance spectra of 0.93BNT-0.07KNN revealed positive and negative temperature coefficient of resistance behaviour up to 400°Cand above 400°C. With the increase of temperature, decreased radii and displaced centres of semicircles from the real axis of impedance Cole-Cole plots suggested non-Debye type relaxation mechanism. Three dielectric relaxation regions: within (i) grain, (ii) grain- grain boundary and (iii) grain boundary were prominent in lower, middle and high temperature regions, respectively. The activation energy ranging from ∼0.79 to 1.2eV, suggested that the conduction carriers were cation and cation, oxygen vacancies in lower and higher temperature regions, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of sintering at different temperature on dielectric properties of microwave processed CaCu3Ti4O12(CCTO) ceramics have been investigated over the frequency range from 100 Hz to 1 MHz at room temperature. Density (ρ) as well as dielectric constant (ϵr) increased with the sintering temperature up to 1050°C, beyond that “ρ” and ‘ϵr’ both decreased. At 1 KHz, maximum value of dielectric constant (ϵr) achieved ∼13,000 with a loss (D) ∼ 0.1. Very weak temperature dependence was found in dielectric constant bellow 150°C. Change in dielectric constant can be explained on the basis of IBLC model in presence of secondary CuO phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni0.3Cu0.08Zn0.62Fe2O4(NCZF) ceramics were prepared by solid state reaction route and calcined at temperatures at (i) 600°C for 30 minutes and (ii) 900°C for 15 minutes in microwave furnace. Room temperature X-ray diffraction analysis of microwave sintered samples calcined at 900°C showed single phase cubic structure while, secondary peaks of iron oxide (Fe2O3) were found in sample calcined at 600°C. Single phase cubic structure of the sintered calcined at 600°C confirmed the microwave reactive sintering. Frequency and temperature dependent dielectric behavior and magneto-dielectric study showed comparable properties of both the microwave sintered samples. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on finding the relation between the yarn twist and ratio of blend on the properties of polyester, cotton, bamboo related to yarn and mentions the production of yarns along with its tenacity.

Community-wide mask wearing may contribute to the control of COVID-19 by reducing the amount of emission of infected saliva and respiratory droplets from individuals with subclinical or mild COVID-19. In this work, a brief review is presented on face masks and related things. First, the size of microorganisms in relation to PM2.5 and PM10 is given for an approximate estimate of the sizes of objects that needs to be filtered. In continuation, the principles of filtration of objects by the network of fibers (woven, non-woven, knitted, etc.) are given. Common fibers used for making face mask is presented along with various fabric structure and their manufacturing. Additionally, advancements like the treatment of fibers in terms of coated fabrics, nano-particle finishes, and green synthesized nano-particle coatings have been explained in view of their anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. The classification of the face masks based on their fabric make-up has been given which has been extended to classification based on the barrier properties and various efficiencies of the face masks. The characterization of face masks like particle filtration efficiency, bacterial filtration efficiency, breathing resistance, flash resistance, and flame resistance are also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a futuristic approach an attempt has been made in this study to improve the compatibility between reinforcement and polymer matrix in composites by various chemical treatments. The adhesion of these can be achieved by modifying the surface using the chemical treatments. The general appearance of the Agave Americana fibers which underwent benzoylation was rated to be good in visual evaluation. The chemical treatments increased lignin content with 31.3% on benzoylation but decreased by both acetylation and alkylation treatments with 20.08% and 0.95% respectively. Moisture content was decreased in the fiber samples by benzylation and water absorption property decreased on acetylation and alkylation which would assist in fiber matrix compatibility. The breaking strength increased on benzoylation, and elongation increased on alkylation. Among the three chemical treatments the maximum degradation of fibers occurred at the highest temperature of 390°C with mass loss of 98.2% by benzoylation. Thermal stability improved in all the chemical treated fiber samples. Morphological analysis exhibited the removal of gummy substances and had improved roughness on the surface of fibers. The novelty is brought in the study by the fiber selection and analysis made using varied chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tri-layer knitted fabrics created for the aim of active sportswear have been enhanced with the help of microdenier filament polyester yarn, spun polyester yarn, polypropylene, and cotton in this study. These developed trilayer knitted fabrics are then examined for the thermal comfort properties. The results evidently showed that Microdenier Polyester/Microdenier Polyester/Cotton tri-layer knitted fabrics combination shows exceptionally appreciable thermal comfort properties due to their structural factors such as filamentous nature, lesser thickness, low areal density, and lesser bulkiness. The effect of fiber chosen also plays a crucial part with respect to the thermal comfort properties of tri-layer fabrics developed. Samples such as Microdenier Polyester/Polypropylene/Cotton, Polypropylene/Microdenier Polyester/Cotton also performed better next to that of the Microdenier Polyester/Microdenier Polyester/Cotton combination because polypropylene also possesses a good wicking characteristic. A poor thermal behavior was found in the Microdenier Polyester/Cotton/Polypropylene sample because of the reasons such as protruding fibers of cotton, increased thickness, high areal density, etc. Also on comparing between the filament and the spun yarn, the filament yarn is highly recommended due to its appreciable behavior. Results evidently show that Microdenier Polyester/Microdenier Polyester/Cotton combination possesses an exceptionally appreciable thermal comfort property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]