Mechanical and Thermal Analysis of Duroplastic Matrix Composites over a Range of Temperatures.

It is commonly acknowledged that polymer composites in service are often subjected to not only intricate mechanical loads but also harsh environmental conditions. The mechanical and thermal properties of five particular composites are explored here. The composites are composed of laminates of glass cloth type "E" sheet infilled with a duroplastic matrix. This is a thermoset polymer-epoxy resin with different molecular weights. The composites were fabricated by IZOERG company, which is based in Poland. The final articles were 1.5 mm thick by 60 cm long and 30 cm wide, with the glass layers arranged parallel to the thickness. Young's modulus and tensile strength were measured at room temperature. Using the thermal analysis of dynamic mechanical properties (DMTA), the values of the storage modulus and the loss modulus were determined, and the damping factor was used to determine the glass transition temperature (Tg). It was revealed that the nature of changes in the storage modulus, loss modulus, and damping factor of composite materials depends on the type of epoxy resin used. Thermal expansion is a crucial parameter when choosing a material for application in cryogenic conditions. Thanks to the TMA method, thermal expansion coefficients for composite materials were determined. The results show that the highest value of the coefficient of thermal expansion leads the laminate EP_4_2 based on brominated epoxy resin cured with novolac P. Duroplastic composites were characterized at cryogenic temperatures, and the results are interesting for developing cryogenic applications, including electric motors, generators, magnets, and other devices.

Effect of Thermomechanical Loading at Low Temperatures on Damage Development in Glass Fiber Epoxy Laminates.

Due to the high interest in the use of glass/epoxy laminates in aerospace applications, aviation, and as cryogenic tanks, it is crucial to understand the behavior of composites under challenging environmental conditions. Polymer composites are exposed to low temperatures, including cryogenic temperatures, which can lead to the initiation of microdamage. This paper investigates damage initiation/accumulation and its influence on the properties of cross-ply woven glass fiber epoxy composites at low temperatures compared to room temperature conditions. To evaluate the influence of a low-temperature environment on the mechanical performance of glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite (GFRP) laminates, three types of test campaigns were carried out: quasi-static tensile tests and stepwise increasing loading/unloading cyclic tensile tests at room temperature and in a low-temperature environment (-50 °C). We demonstrated that the initial stiffness of the laminates increased at low temperatures. On the other hand, there were no observed changes in the type or mechanism of developed damage in the two test conditions. However, the reduction in stiffness due to the accumulated damage was more significant for the laminates tested at low temperatures (~17% vs. ~11%). Exceptions were noted in a few formulations where the extent of damage at low temperatures was insignificant (<1%) compared to that at room temperature. Since some of the studied laminates exhibited a relatively minor decrease in stiffness (~2-3%), we can also conclude that the formulation of matrix material plays an important role in delaying the initiation and formation of damage.

Targeting nuclear ß-catenin as therapy for post-myeloproliferative neoplasm secondary AML.

Transformation of post-myeloproliferative neoplasms into secondary (s) AML exhibit poor clinical outcome. In addition to increased JAK-STAT and PI3K-AKT signaling, post-MPN sAML blast progenitor cells (BPCs) demonstrate increased nuclear ß-catenin levels and TCF7L2 (TCF4) transcriptional activity. Knockdown of ß-catenin or treatment with BC2059 that disrupts binding of ß-catenin to TBL1X (TBL1) depleted nuclear ß-catenin levels. This induced apoptosis of not only JAKi-sensitive but also JAKi-persister/resistant post-MPN sAML BPCs, associated with attenuation of TCF4 transcriptional targets MYC, BCL-2, and Survivin. Co-targeting of ß-catenin and JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib (rux) synergistically induced lethality in post-MPN sAML BPCs and improved survival of mice engrafted with human sAML BPCs. Notably, co-treatment with BET protein degrader ARV-771 and BC2059 also synergistically induced apoptosis and improved survival of mice engrafted with JAKi-sensitive or JAKi-persister/resistant post-MPN sAML cells. These preclinical findings highlight potentially promising anti-post-MPN sAML activity of the combination of ß-catenin and BETP antagonists against post-MPN sAML BPCs.

Influence of aging solutions on wear resistance and hardness of selected resin-based dental composites.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different plasticizing aging solutions on wear resistance and hardness of selected universal resin-based dental composites. METHODS: Three light cured (one nanofilled, two microhybride) and one hybride chemical cured composites were aged at 37 °C for 48 h in distillated water, ethyl alcohol solution or Listerine mouthwash. After aging the microhardness tests were carried out and then tribological tests were performed in the presence of aging solution at 37 °C. During wear testing coefficients of friction were determined. The maximal vertical loss in micrometers was determined with profilometer. RESULTS: Aging in all liquids resulted in a significant decrease in hardness of the test materials, with the largest values obtained successively in ethanol solution, mouthwash and water. The effect of the liquid was dependent on the particular material, but not the type of material (interpreted as the size of filler used). Introduction of mouthwash instead of water or ethanol solution resulted in a significant reduction in the coefficient of friction. The lowest wear resistance was registered after aging in ethanol and for the chemical cured hybrid composite, but the vertical loss was strongly material dependent. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of different aging solution, including commercial mouthrinse, on hardness and wear was material dependent, and cannot be deduced from their category or filler loading. There is no simple correlation between hardness of resin-based dental composites and their wear resistance, but softening of particular composites materials during aging leads to the reduction of its wear resistance.

Chromatin-modifying complex component Nurf55/p55 associates with histones H3 and H4 and polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit Su(z)12 through partially overlapping binding sites.

Drosophila Nurf55 is a component of different chromatin-modifying complexes, including the PRC2 (Polycomb repressive complex 2). Based on the 1.75-Å crystal structure of Nurf55 bound to histone H4 helix 1, we analyzed interactions of Nurf55 (Nurf55 or p55 in fly and RbAp48/46 in human) with the N-terminal tail of histone H3, the first helix of histone H4, and an N-terminal fragment of the PRC2 subunit Su(z)12 using isothermal calorimetry and pulldown experiments. Site-directed mutagenesis identified the binding site of histone H3 at the top of the Nurf55 WD40 propeller. Unmodified or K9me3- or K27me3-containing H3 peptides were bound with similar affinities, whereas the affinity for K4me3-containing H3 peptides was reduced. Helix 1 of histone H4 and Su(z)12 bound to the edge of the ß-propeller using overlapping binding sites. Our results show similarities in the recognition of histone H4 and Su(z)12 and identify Nurf55 as a versatile interactor that simultaneously contacts multiple partners.