Micropartícula de quitosana complexada com íons metálicos [Fe(II), Fe(III), Zn(II)] foram preparadas e caracterizadas a fim de se obter sistemas microparticulados para a adsorção de substâncias. A técnica de preparo utilizada foi a secagem por aspersão, através da qual se obteve micropartículas esféricas colapsadas e com superfície rugosa. O tamanho de partícula foi influenciado tanto pela reação de reticulação com glutaraldeído como pela presença e tipo do metal utilizado para a formação do complexo. A adsorção do ciprofloxacino pelas micropartículas desenvolvidas foi estudada em meio aquoso, O estado de equilíbrio foi influenciado pelo tipo de metal presente na micropartícula e pela concentração inicial de ciprofloxacino na solução. Com o intuito de descrever o mecanismo de adsorção, foram utilizados modelos matemáticos de isotermas de Langmuir e Freundlich, sendo que os dados apresentaram um melhor ajuste para a isoterma de Freundlich. Através da análise de modelos de cinética de pesudo-primeira-ordem e pseudo-segunda-ordem, verificou-se que os dados melhor se ajustaram ao modelo de pseudo-segunda-ordem, indicando que o mecanismo de adsorção do ciprofloxacino pelas micropartículas é através de quimissorção. A determinação da capacidade de adsorção do ciprofloxacino, conduzido in vitro, demonstrou que as micropartículas de quitosana-Fe(III) e quitosana-Zn(II) apresentam efetividade de adsorção. Com isso as micropartículas de quitosana-Fe(III) foram encapsuladas por uma matriz de pectina, sendo este utilizado para a adsorção de antimicrobianos residuais presentes no cólon. A estabilidade das esferas foi determinada em meios digestivos simulados, onde se verificou uma estabilidade de 1 h e 5 h nos meios gástricos e intestinal, respectivamente. Quando as esferas foram incubadas no meio colônico, observou-se uma degradação dependente da concentração de pectina. Com o intuito de evitar a adsorção do ciprofloxacino no meio intestinal, as esferas foram revestidas com Eudragit RS. Estudos de adsorção em meio colônico simulado demonstrou que a capacidade de adsorção das micropartículas de quitosana-Fe(III) não é afeta pela encapsulação na matriz de pectina. O sistema desenvolvido demonstra ser promissor para a extração do ciprofloxacino presente no meio colônico simulado. / The aim of this work was to develop, characterize chitosan- metal ion [Fe(II), Fe(III), Zn(II)] microparticle, and evaluate the adsorption capacities of ciprofloxacin by these complexes. The microparticles were prepared by a spray drying method. They showed good sphericity and a roughness surface morphology. The particle size was influenced by crosslinking reaction and by the kind of metal ion onto the microparticle. A batch adsorption system was applied to study the adsorption of ciprofloxacin from aqueous solution by chitosan-metal ion crosslinked microparticle. The adsorption process was fast, and the equilibrium contact times were influenced by the kind of metal ion onto microparticle. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were used for mathematical description of the adsorption equilibrium, and it was found that experimental data fitted well to Freundlich model. Adsorption models, based on the assumption of the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order mechanism showed that the pseudo-second-order adsorption mechanism is predominant, and the adsorption process appears to be controlled by the chemical reaction. Chitosan-Fe(III) and chitosan-Zn(II) microparticle demonstrated the highest adsorption of ciprofloxacin. Chitosan-Fe(III) microparticle was encapsulated in a pectin matrix. The system was used for the adsorption of colonic residual antibiotics responsible by the emergence of resistance. The stability of the beads was carried out on simulated digestive media. Beads incubated in simulated gastric and intestinal medium were stable for 1 h and 5 h, respectively. When incubated in simulated colonic medium, beads were then degraded by pectinases contained in the medium. Coating with Eudragit RS was needed to prevent the early adsorption of antibiotics in intestinal medium. Adsorption studies in simulated colonic medium show that the adsorption capacity of chitosan-Fe(III) is not modified after encapsulation within pectin beads making the elimination reaching the colon clinically feasible.

Micropartícula de quitosana complexada com íons metálicos [Fe(II), Fe(III), Zn(II)] foram preparadas e caracterizadas a fim de se obter sistemas microparticulados para a adsorção de substâncias. A técnica de preparo utilizada foi a secagem por aspersão, através da qual se obteve micropartículas esféricas colapsadas e com superfície rugosa. O tamanho de partícula foi influenciado tanto pela reação de reticulação com glutaraldeído como pela presença e tipo do metal utilizado para a formação do complexo. A adsorção do ciprofloxacino pelas micropartículas desenvolvidas foi estudada em meio aquoso, O estado de equilíbrio foi influenciado pelo tipo de metal presente na micropartícula e pela concentração inicial de ciprofloxacino na solução. Com o intuito de descrever o mecanismo de adsorção, foram utilizados modelos matemáticos de isotermas de Langmuir e Freundlich, sendo que os dados apresentaram um melhor ajuste para a isoterma de Freundlich. Através da análise de modelos de cinética de pesudo-primeira-ordem e pseudo-segunda-ordem, verificou-se que os dados melhor se ajustaram ao modelo de pseudo-segunda-ordem, indicando que o mecanismo de adsorção do ciprofloxacino pelas micropartículas é através de quimissorção. A determinação da capacidade de adsorção do ciprofloxacino, conduzido in vitro, demonstrou que as micropartículas de quitosana-Fe(III) e quitosana-Zn(II) apresentam efetividade de adsorção. Com isso as micropartículas de quitosana-Fe(III) foram encapsuladas por uma matriz de pectina, sendo este utilizado para a adsorção de antimicrobianos residuais presentes no cólon. A estabilidade das esferas foi determinada em meios digestivos simulados, onde se verificou uma estabilidade de 1 h e 5 h nos meios gástricos e intestinal, respectivamente. Quando as esferas foram incubadas no meio colônico, observou-se uma degradação dependente da concentração de pectina. Com o intuito de evitar a adsorção do ciprofloxacino no meio intestinal, as esferas foram revestidas com Eudragit RS. Estudos de adsorção em meio colônico simulado demonstrou que a capacidade de adsorção das micropartículas de quitosana-Fe(III) não é afeta pela encapsulação na matriz de pectina. O sistema desenvolvido demonstra ser promissor para a extração do ciprofloxacino presente no meio colônico simulado. / The aim of this work was to develop, characterize chitosan- metal ion [Fe(II), Fe(III), Zn(II)] microparticle, and evaluate the adsorption capacities of ciprofloxacin by these complexes. The microparticles were prepared by a spray drying method. They showed good sphericity and a roughness surface morphology. The particle size was influenced by crosslinking reaction and by the kind of metal ion onto the microparticle. A batch adsorption system was applied to study the adsorption of ciprofloxacin from aqueous solution by chitosan-metal ion crosslinked microparticle. The adsorption process was fast, and the equilibrium contact times were influenced by the kind of metal ion onto microparticle. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were used for mathematical description of the adsorption equilibrium, and it was found that experimental data fitted well to Freundlich model. Adsorption models, based on the assumption of the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order mechanism showed that the pseudo-second-order adsorption mechanism is predominant, and the adsorption process appears to be controlled by the chemical reaction. Chitosan-Fe(III) and chitosan-Zn(II) microparticle demonstrated the highest adsorption of ciprofloxacin. Chitosan-Fe(III) microparticle was encapsulated in a pectin matrix. The system was used for the adsorption of colonic residual antibiotics responsible by the emergence of resistance. The stability of the beads was carried out on simulated digestive media. Beads incubated in simulated gastric and intestinal medium were stable for 1 h and 5 h, respectively. When incubated in simulated colonic medium, beads were then degraded by pectinases contained in the medium. Coating with Eudragit RS was needed to prevent the early adsorption of antibiotics in intestinal medium. Adsorption studies in simulated colonic medium show that the adsorption capacity of chitosan-Fe(III) is not modified after encapsulation within pectin beads making the elimination reaching the colon clinically feasible.

Orientador: Marisa Masumi Beppu / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T00:01:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Albarelli_JulianaQueiroz_M.pdf: 12079656 bytes, checksum: 4883a6fcc74937bc5e4be6b917ed0747 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: A quitosana é um polímero natural muito estudado devido à sua boa capacidade adsorvente. A aplicação deste biopolímero para remoção de metais pesados tem sido estudada desde o início dos anos 1970 sendo que o número de trabalhos sobre este tema cresceu rapidamente desde então. No entanto, o uso da quitosana como adsorvente em maior escala enfrenta alguns obstáculos, devido à sua baixa resistência mecânica. Uma possível alternativa para melhorar aspectos mecânicos e que também contribui para uma melhor transferência de massa do adsorbato no adsorvente é a imobilização da quitosana em matrizes sólidas utilizando-se técnicas de recobrimento de partículas. Neste contexto, este trabalho visou investigar a imobilização da quitosana em substratos para a aplicação em sistemas de adsorção. Inicialmente foram testados como suporte para imobilização da quitosana vidro, polipropileno, borracha vulcanizada, porcelana e tecido de algodão. O substrato de vidro, utilizado na forma de esferas, apresentou melhor interação com a solução de recobrimento e características adequadas para aplicação em processos de adsorção. As esferas de vidro foram recobertas por diferentes métodos utilizando quitosana 2,5% (m/v) em solução de ácido acético 3% (v/v). O material recoberto foi utilizado em sistemas de adsorção em batelada e contínuo a fim de se analisar a capacidade de remoção de cobre pelo filme de quitosana. Dentre as diferentes técnicas de revestimento estudadas, o processo por "dip coating" obteve um revestimento homogêneo e apresentou boa aderência do filme ao substrato. A natureza da superfície a ser recoberta e a temperatura da solução de recobrimento foram variadas objetivando-se melhorar a fixação da camada de quitosana no suporte, sendo esta ultima variável a mais importante para as condições estudadas. As isotermas de adsorção indicaram um aumento na capacidade de adsorção com o aumento da temperatura na qual ocorre a adsorção. Os dados foram mais bem representados pela isoterma de Langmuir, indicando que o principal fenômeno de adsorção se assemelha a adsorção em monocamada. Observou-se que a capacidade máxima de adsorção encontrada em 25 º C foi semelhante a outros sistemas de adsorção de cobre utilizando quitosana relatados na literatura. Verificou-se um melhor ajuste para o modelo cinético de pseudo-segunda ordem, sugerindo que o fator limitante para a transferência de massa é a reação química. Os estudos de adsorção dinâmica usando as esferas recobertas em sistema de leito fixo demonstraram a possibilidade de seu uso com resultados promissores. / Abstract: Chitosan is a natural polymer largely studied because of its good adsorption capacity. The application of this biosorbent for heavy metal removal has been studied since early 1970s and the number of papers in this subject has grown quickly ever since. However, the use of this material in larger scale faces some barriers due to its low mechanical strength. A possible alternative to improve mechanical resistance and also enhance mass transfer is the immobilization of chitosan onto solid matrices using particle coating techniques. In this context, this study investigates the immobilization of chitosan onto solid supports and its application on adsorption systems. It was tested as support for chitosan immobilization glass, polypropylene, vulcanized rubber, porcelain and cotton. The glass support, used in bead form, has shown the best interaction with the coating solution and good characteristics for application in adsorption processes. Glass beads were coated by different methods using chitosan 2.5% w/v in acetic acid 3% v/v solution. The coated material was used in batch and continuous adsorption systems to analyze the copper removal capacity of the chitosan film. Among the different coating techniques studied, the dip coating procedure formed a homogeneous coating and presented an acceptable film adhesion to the substrate. Variables such as type of surface to be covered and temperature of the coating solution were analyzed on the fixation of the coated material on the substrate. The latter variable affected the most in the studied condition. Adsorption isotherms indicated an increase in the adsorption capacity along with the increase of adsorption temperature. The data were better fitted by Langmuir model, which indicates that the main phenomenon that occurred approaches to a monolayer-type adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity was found at 25ºC and its value was similar to other copper adsorption systems reported in the literature. The mechanism of sorption showed a better fitting to the second order kinetic model, suggesting that the limiting factor to mass transfer is the chemical reaction. The dynamic adsorption studies using the coated beads in a fixed bed system demonstrated the possibility of its use with promising results. / Mestrado / Engenharia de Processos / Mestre em Engenharia Química

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2018-04-10T17:46:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 marcellamedeirosmascaro.pdf: 13407576 bytes, checksum: ae5ff061df5f73e8086af25c8dd58095 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-04-11T11:15:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 marcellamedeirosmascaro.pdf: 13407576 bytes, checksum: ae5ff061df5f73e8086af25c8dd58095 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-11T11:15:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 marcellamedeirosmascaro.pdf: 13407576 bytes, checksum: ae5ff061df5f73e8086af25c8dd58095 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-03 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Nesta pesquisa aborda-se uma tentativa de contornar a realidade em que se encontra o ensino de Matemática em nosso país. Foram propostas atividades que possam ser inseridas no planejamento do professor, e que, ao mesmo tempo, explorem a construção de significado pelo aluno, ajudando a minimizar dificuldades que os estudantes costumam ter com esta disciplina, e fazendo com que eles possam captar o conhecimento de forma mais enriquecedora. Para isso, defende-se um trabalho conjunto entre as vertentes da Matemática do Ensino Básico (aritmética, geometria e álgebra), bem como a construção de tabelas para análise e organização de dados, através do uso dos materiais manipuláveis: Tangram e Material Dourado. Materiais esses que podemos encontrar facilmente dentro da própria escola e que, a princípio, seriam utilizados apenas no primeiro segmento do Ensino Fundamental. Fortalecendo essa argumentação, temos estudos históricos sobre a Matemática, uma breve contextualização do ensino atual desta disciplina, bem como a legislação vigente em nosso país. A partir desta dissertação pode-se perceber que, até nos materiais mais simples, são encontrados fortes aliados na tentativa de enriquecer nossas aulas e fazer algo diferenciado e esclarecedor para nossos alunos. / This research addresses an attempt to circumvent the current reality of the teaching of mathematics in our country. Activities have been proposed, that can be included in the planning of the teacher, and at the same time, explore the construction of meaning by the students, helping to minimize the difficulties that they use to have in this school subject and making them receive the knowledge in the more enriching way. To this end, it argues the combined work between the components of elementary education mathematics (arithmetic, geometry and algebra), as well as the construction of tables for analysis and data organization, through the use of manipulable materials: Tangram and Golden Beads Material. These materials can easily be found within the school and which, in principle, would be used only in the firsts grades of elementary school. Strengthening this argument, we have historical studies on the Mathematics, a brief contextualization of the current teaching of this subject, as well as the legislation in force in our country. From this dissertation it can be seen that, even in the simple materials, we found strong allies in an attempt to enrich our classes and do something different and enlightening for the students.

La dengue et le chikungunya sont deux arboviroses émergentes qui sont transmises à l'homme par la piqûre de moustiques du genre Aedes. Il n'existe ni vaccin ni traitements commercialisés pour ces arboviroses. Il apparaît donc nécessaire de développer de nouvelles stratégies pour isoler les virus circulants et bloquer leur transmission. La compréhension des mécanismes mis en jeu dans les cellules des vecteurs Aedes lors d'une infection par le virus de la dengue (DENV) sont encore très peu étudiés, notamment pour les sérotypes 1 et 3. Par des analyses protéomiques de l'infection d'une lignée cellulaire du moustique Aedes albopictus par ces séroytypes, nous avons démontré qu'en réponse à l'infection, les cellules de moustiques utilisent les mécanismes antioxydants combinés à la production d'énergie pour faire face au virus. Les résultats de notre étude devraient permettre de mieux comprendre l'interaction DENV-vecteur Aedes au niveau cellulaire dans le but de concevoir des stratégies efficaces pour le contrôle du DENV. Nous avons également regroupé dans une revue les connaissances acquises sur les études protéomiques des principaux compartiments des arthropodes vecteurs de maladies humaines. Dans un second volet, nous avons mis en évidence une méthode rapide d'isolement et de concentration des DENV et du chikungunya. Cette technique d'isolement basée sur la capture de virus sur des billes magnétiques enrobées de polymères anioniques permet d'obtenir des particules virales infectieuses. Cette méthode combinée à des approches classiques de détection de virus pourrait non seulement permettre l'identification des échantillons infectés ayant une faible charge virale, mais aussi l'isolement simultanée de particules infectieuses de dengue et de chikungunya à partir d'un seul échantillon. / Dengue (DENV) and Chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses are two emerging arboviruses that are transmitted to humans by the bite of Aedes sp. mosquito vectors. Neither vaccines, nor medical treatments, are commercially available for these infections. It is, therefore, necessary to elaborate novel strategies to isolate the circulating viruses and block their transmission.Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved, during the infection of the Aedes vector by dengue virus (DENV), especially serotypes 1 and 3, remains very scant. We, therefore, performed a proteomics analysis of an Aedes albopictus cell line, infected by these two DENV serotypes, and showed that the cells use both anti-oxidant and energy-production mechanisms in the fight against the virus. These results should help to improve our knowledge of the interaction of the DENV virus and the Aedes mosquito vector, at the cellular level, with the aim of designing efficient strategies for the control of this virus. We have, in addition, developed a rapid and sensitive isolation technique, based on viral particle adsorption to magnetic beads coated with an anionic polymer. The use of this technique is of great interest, as it permits the rapid and simultaneous detection and isolation of CHIKV and DENV from samples with reduced viral loads.

Au cours de la Néolithisation au Proche-Orient, les bouleversements majeurs survenus au niveau de l’organisation socio-économique des communautés humaines (sédentarisation, agriculture et élevage) se sont accompagnés de changements dans le domaine techno-symbolique. Le présent travail a permis de caractériser l’une des principales manifestations matérielles dans ce domaine, les ornements personnels, à travers l’étude des éléments de parure de six sites syriens couvrant la période entre le 12e et le 6e millénaire avant J.-C. Dans une démarche méthodologique visant à traiter la grande diversité des objets archéologiques, du coquillage à la turquoise en passant par l’os et l’argile, plusieurs protocoles d’identification des matériaux, de classification morpho-typologique et d’analyse tracéologique ont été élaborés. L’analyse des objets de parure selon cette approche intégrative a permis de mettre en évidence l’évolution des formes recherchées et des matériaux utilisés depuis le Natoufien final jusqu’au PPNB récent, mais aussi des développements et des innovations techniques concernant notamment le traitement des roches dures comme la cornaline. Grâce à l’étude des contextes archéologiques et à la reconstitution de certaines parures, les fonctions de ces objets chez les premières sociétés néolithiques ont pu être en partie identifiées. Ainsi, durant le PPNA, les parures pouvaient marquer une appartenance identitaire, parallèlement à des parures « rituelles » qui pourraient être liées à la sphère symbolique propre à cette période. A partir du PPNB moyen les parures sont aussi associées à la mort et à des pratiques funéraires particulières. Les hypothèses proposées par cette thèse ouvrent des perspectives de recherche qui pourront être explorées en élargissant le corpus aux régions adjacentes (Anatolie, Jordanie, etc.) et à des périodes plus récentes. / During the neolithization process in the Near East, alongside the major shifts occurring in the socio-economic organization of the human communities (sedentism, agriculture and husbandry) changes also impacted the techno-symbolic world. The present work aims to characterize and understand one the main material expression in this domain, the personal adornments, by the study of bead assemblages from six Syrian sites dating from the 12th to the 6th millennium cal BC. In order to deal with the great diversity of the archaeological items, e.g. from shell to turquoise beads through bone pendants and clay objects, several methodological protocols of identification, morpho-typological classification and use-wear analysis have been elaborated. The analysis of the beads using this combination of approaches has brought to light the evolution in the conception and use of different shapes, types and materials for this purpose from the final Natufian period to the Late PPNB, as well as the technological development and improvements regarding particularly the transformation of hard stones such as the carnelian. Through the study of the archaeological contexts and the reconstitution of some ornaments, the functions of these objects have been partly addressed. Thus, during the PPNA, the ornaments expressed a social and cultural group affiliation, while from the Middle PPNB onwards they were also associated to the death and to particular funeral rituals. The hypothesis proposed by this work offers promising research perspectives which can be explored by extending the corpus to the adjacent areas (Anatolia, Jordan, etc.) and later periods.

Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) is a functional polymeric material that can be used for a wide variety of applications. There are many new future applications that were recently suggested for electrospun PVDF fibers. Electrospinning is a process capable of producing nano to micro sized PVDF fibers in a web. It is important to control the structure of the web during electrospinning because by controlling the structure of the web it is possible for the PVDF fiber web to have increased performance in comparison to other common forms of PVDF. While past scientific literature focused on applications of PVDF fibers, little was known on how to control structure of PVDF fiber webs during production. Even though defects can alter the structure and performance of the web only a few studies reported defect occurrence and how to reduce the occurrence of defects in fiber webs. This research investigated the defect free production space of electrospun PVDF and provided streamlined guidelines for manufacturers to use for electrospinning PVDF webs. Many studies looked at influencing fiber diameter and beading with one factor at a time experimentation; this work was foundational and was able to identify many important electrospinning parameters. But this methodology neglected the possibility of parameter interactions and often did not look at the effects of parameters on the occurrence of defects and the structure of those defects. Therefore a systematic understanding that included all of the important electrospinning parameters in relation to fiber and defect structure was needed to present a clear picture of the possibilities for controlling the structure of electrospun PVDF webs. This research explored ways to control the structure of PVDF fiber webs. The production space and control of web structure was explored by using a regression analysis to identify important parameters and interactions. Then the regression analysis was used to determine the effects of the important parameters that influenced the web structure. This research showed that the web structure can be controlled using solution parameters and processing parameters and monitored by system parameters. In addition, this study showed that by controlling the web structure it was possible to influence the porosity and piezoelectric properties of PVDF fiber webs. In its entirety, this research presents a systematic approach to producing PVDF fibers for tailored web performance.

The diagnostic methods implemented at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for the detection of Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) are time consuming and tedious, taking up to 5 days before a positive sample can be confirmed. The goal of this project was to streamline the detection procedure for serogroup O157 and 6 important non-O157 serogroups of STEC. Following a short enrichment step (4-6 hrs), two approaches were considered: (1) the filtration of enrichment culture through a gradient of filtration membranes (decreasing pore sizes), followed by capture using specific monoclonal antibody (mAb)-coated Dynabeads, and detection via fluorescence microscopy, (2) the addition of enrichment culture into a flow through system consisting of a column packed with large polystyrene beads (≥ 100 μm) coated with specific mAbs for capture. The results indicate that the filtration approach can only be applied to simpler food matrices. However, at least 100 CFU of the target STEC could be recovered using the filtration system following 4 hrs of enrichment of these matrices spiked with ≤ 15CFU of the target STEC. Similar capture results were obtained in the second approach using specific mAbs immobilized on covalently coupled protein G polystyrene beads and diluted enrichment media. A combination of these strategies together with immunofluorescence microscopy (IMS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) could provide diagnostic laboratories with a means to confirm a positive sample within 2 days of testing.

The aim of thesis is creating of business plan for starting businessman in retail with beads and beads components. In the thesis is looking into possibility of cooperation with sheltered workshops. The theoretical part covers necessary information regarding the business plan and basic informations about sheltered workshops. In the practical part are created specific parts of the business plan and appraisal of cooperation with sheltered workshop. The thesis is ended by draft of measures for improvement of business plan financial situation.

As illness becomes increasingly more common in the United States and across the globe, the need for better and faster medical treatment is greater than ever. The purpose of this work is to evaluate advanced polymers and polymer composites that will provide for increased fluid flow while maintaining outer dimensional, stiffness, and burst resistance characteristics when compared to a currently used material. A polymer configuration consisting of a proprietary formulation that has a durometer approximately 10% higher than the current material with an outer wall thickness of approximately .020" passed a series of tests involving tensile strength, stiffness, flexural fatigue resistance, vacuum lumen collapse resistance and hydraulic burst resistance. This material configuration passed the requirements for applicable test standards and had a tensile strength 13.4% less than the control group, was 52.7% stiffer, did not sustain any noticeable wear or defects during the flexural fatigue test, had a tensile strength 14.8% less that the control group during a post flex fatigue tensile test, did not burst when 150 psi was applied to it for 5 seconds, and is estimated to have a 43% higher flow rate capacity than the current material.