The electrospun nanofibers membranes (ENMs) have gained great attention due to their superior performance. However, the low mechanical strength of ENMs, such as the rigidity and low strength, limits their applications in many aspects which need adequate strength, such as water filtration. This work investigates the impact of electrospinning parameters on the properties of ENMs fabricated from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solved in N, N-Dimethylformamide (DMF). The studied electrospinning parameters were polymer concentration, solution flow rate, collector rotating speed, and the distance between the needle and collector. The fabricated ENMs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand the surface morphology and estimate the average fiber sizes. The membrane porosity percentage was measured using the dry-wet weight method. Also, a dynamic mechanical analyzer was used to determine the mechanical strength properties (tensile strength and Young's modulus) (DMA). The obtained results revealed that the polymer concentration and flow rate mainly affect the porosity and fiber size in ENMs. Increasing the polymer concentration improves the strength and flexibility, while the flow rate did not show a clear effect on the mechanical strength of ENMs. Both fibers collecting speed and spinning distance did not clearly impact the membrane morphology. ENMs flexibility significantly increased with increasing the collector speed and decreasing the spinning distance. Strong and flexible ENMs with small fibers can be fabricated using 10% PAN/DMF at a flow rate of 1 mL/h, collector speed of 140 rpm, and spinning distance of 13 cm.
The present study aims to evaluate the effects of methotrexate (MTX) with and without vitamin A (Vit. A) on some biochemical parameters and histological structure in male rabbits liver. Twenty male rabbits weighing 1250-1480 gm were divided into four equal number groups. The first group was given 2 ml distilled water as control group. The second group was given MTX (20 mg/kg), the third group was given Vit. A (5000 IU), while the fourth group was given MTX (20 mg/kg) +Vit. A (5000 IU) in alternative days. Following four weeks of treatment, lipid profile total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), [low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)]; in addition to thyroid hormones tr
... Show MoreEstimating the semantic similarity between short texts plays an increasingly prominent role in many fields related to text mining and natural language processing applications, especially with the large increase in the volume of textual data that is produced daily. Traditional approaches for calculating the degree of similarity between two texts, based on the words they share, do not perform well with short texts because two similar texts may be written in different terms by employing synonyms. As a result, short texts should be semantically compared. In this paper, a semantic similarity measurement method between texts is presented which combines knowledge-based and corpus-based semantic information to build a semantic network that repre
... Show MoreGiven the paucity and toxicity of available drugs for leishmaniasis, coupled with the advent of drug resistance, the discovery of new therapies for this neglected tropical disease is recognised as being of the utmost urgency. As such antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as promising compounds against the causative Leishmania species, insect vector-borne protozoan parasites. Here the AMP temporins A, B and 1Sa have been synthesised and screened for activity against Leishmania mexicana insect stage promastigotes and mammalian stage amastigotes, a significant cause of human cutaneous disease. In contrast to previous studies with other species the activity of these AMPs against L. mexicana amastigotes was low. This suggests that ama
... Show MorePoly [2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinyl] (MEH-PPV) thin films were created in this study using both spin coating and drop casting processes. MEH-PPV thin films generated by Ferric Chloride (FeCl3) doping (0.03, 0.06, 0.09, and 0.12 wt%) were studied for some physical features using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). An FTIR test showed that there was no chemical reaction that occurred between Ferric Chloride (FeCl3) and MEH-PPV, but rather a physical one, that is, an organic material composite occurred. As for FE-SEM, the pure sample MEH-PPV formed uniformly, but when FeCl3 was added by weight, we have differ
... Show MoreGenus Salix is among family Salicaceae, distributing in the northern hemisphere. It is represented in Egypt by two species (Salix mucronata and Salix tetrasperma). The classification of Salix at the generic and infra-generic levels is still outstanding. We have agreed to list the Egyptian species of this genus. We collected them during field trips to most Egyptian habitats; fresh and herbarium specimens were subjected to taxonomic revision based on morphological characters; scanning electron microscope (SEM) for pollen grains; isozyme analysis using esterase and peroxidase enzymes and genetic diversity using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). We recorded that both sexes of S.
The liver of marsh harrier grossly appeared as large, bi-lobed organ divided into left and right lobes, which are approximately equal in size and not divided into secondary lobes. Histologically, the liver of marsh harrier was found to contain numerous lobules which are not well defined by the connective tissue of the septa except that surrounded the portal triads. The parenchyma of liver composed of irregular branching cords of hepatocytes organized in double rows alternating with tortures path sinusoids which are lined with flattened endothelial cells and large, irregular outlined kupffer cells. Hepatic cords arranged in a radial pattern around the central vein of the liver lobule while in a subscapsular region they run parallel to the ca
... Show MoreBackground: Morphological and histological examination of the testes can provide a suitable insight into the health of the reproductive system. Aim: The objective of the current study was to investigate the morphological and histological features of the testes of local pigeons (Columba livia domestica) at mature and immature stages of age. Methods: Two groups of collected specimens underwent macroscopic and microscopic investigation to evaluate and compare the main general properties of their testes. Results: The findings indicated that the testis has an oval shape in both pre-puberty and post-puberty stages, situated on the inner side of the kidney towards the caudal extreme of the lungs. However, the left testis was bigger than those on t
... Show MoreThis work was conducted to study the extraction of pelletierine sulphate from Punica granatum L. roots by liquid membrane techniques. Pelletierine sulphate is used widely in medicine. The general behavior of extraction process indicates that pelletierine conversion increased with increasing the number of stages and the discs rotation speed but high rotation speed was not favored because of the increased risk of droplet formation during the operation. The pH of feed and acceptor solution was also important. The results exhibit that the highest pelletierine conversion was obtained when using two stages,(10 rpm) discs speed of stainless steel discs,(pH= 9.5) of feed solution and (pH= 2) of acceptor solution in n-decane. Assuming the existence
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