Natural rubber has unique physical properties that cannot be replaced by products from other latex-producing plants or petrochemically produced synthetic rubbers. Rubber from Hevea brasiliensis is the main commercial source for this natural rubber that has a cis-polyisoprene configuration. For sustainable production of enough rubber to meet demand elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involve...

Hevea brasiliensis is the most widely cultivated species for commercial production of natural rubber (cis-polyisoprene). In this study, 10,040 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were generated from the latex of the rubber tree, which represents the cytoplasmic content of a single cell type, in order to analyse the latex transcription profile with emphasis on rubber biosynthesis-related genes. A tot...

Chlorinated rubber, the addition and substitution reaction product of natural rubber and chlorine gas, is knOWn for its low Water vapor permeability, good chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, and flame retardant properties.' Consequently, it is used as a coating component in a.variety of coating applications including marine coatings, swimming pool coatings, and corro...

MYB transcription factors hold vital roles in the regulation of plant secondary metabolic pathways. Laticifers in rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) are of primary importance in natural rubber production because natural rubber is formed and stored within these structures. To understand the role of MYB transcription factors in the specialized cells, we identified 44 MYB genes (named HblMYB1 to Hb...

BACKGROUND Primary tracheal tumors occur infrequently, accounting for less than 0.1% of all tumors. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is the second most common type of malignancy of the trachea after squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Little has been reported on the risk factors for tracheal ACC. The purpose of this study is to describe a case of tracheal ACC in a patient who had been exposed to rubbe...

Natural rubber is used as an important raw material by the pressure sensitive adhesives industry. However, the normal quality variation is relatively high compared to synthetic polymer alternatives. This paper discusses measurements of the magnitude and nature of this natural rubber quality variation using a special dynamic mechanical rheological tester. Also the paper discusses some of the cau...

Coring is reported to occur because rubber pieces are shaved off from a rubber stopper when a needle is inserted into the rubber stopper of transfusion liquid formulation. We verified whether coring really occurs in insulin vials of self-injecting patients. We collected insulin cartridges from 30 hospitalized patients and used the primary injection (trial injection), the secondary injection and...

Natural rubber biosynthesis in guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is associated with moderately cold night temperatures. To begin to dissect the molecular events triggered by cold temperatures that govern rubber synthesis induction in guayule, the transcriptome of bark tissue, where rubber is produced, was investigated. A total of 11,748 quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were obtained. T...

Road distress results in high maintenance costs. However, increased understandings of asphalt behaviour and properties coupled with technological developments have allowed paving technologists to examine the benefits of introducing additives and modifiers. As a result, polymers have become extremely popular as modifiers to improve the performance of the asphalt mix. This study investigates the ...