Low Stress Mechanical Properties of Plasma-Treated Cotton Fabric Subjected to Zinc Oxide-Anti-Microbial Treatment

Cotton fabrics are highly popular because of their excellent properties such as regeneration, bio-degradation, softness, affinity to skin and hygroscopic properties. When in contact with the human body, cotton fabrics offer an ideal environment for microbial growth due to their ability to retain oxygen, moisture and warmth, as well as nutrients from spillages and body sweat. Therefore, an anti-microbial coating formulation (Microfresh and Microban together with zinc oxide as catalyst) was developed for cotton fabrics to improve treatment effectiveness. In addition, plasma technology was employed in the study which roughened the surface of the materials, improving the loading of zinc oxides on the surface. In this study, the low stress mechanical properties of plasma pre-treated and/or anti-microbial-treated cotton fabric were studied. The overall results show that the specimens had improved bending properties when zinc oxides were added in the anti-microbial coating recipe. Also, without plasma pre-treatment, anti-microbial-treatment of cotton fabric had a positive effect only on tensile resilience, shear stress at 0.5° and compressional energy, while plasma-treated specimens had better overall tensile properties even after anti-microbial treatment.     

Fabrication of P/N/B-Based Intumescent Flame-Retardant Coating for Polyester/Cotton Blend Fabric

Polyester/cotton (T/C) blend fabrics are highly flammable due to the particular “scaffolding effect”. In this work, an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) agent containing P, N, and B was designed and synthesized using bio-based phytic acid, pentaerythritol, boric acid, and urea. The IFR compounds were deposited onto a T/C blend fabric by the surface-coating route. The chemical structure of IFR agent and its potential cross-linking reactions with T/C fibers were characterized. The morphology, thermal stability, heat-release ability, flame retardancy, and mechanism of coated T/C blend fabrics were explored. The self-extinguishing action was observed for the coated T/C blend fabric with a weight gain of 13.7%; the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value increased to 27.1% versus 16.9% for a pristine one. Furthermore, the intumescent flame retardant (IFR) coating imparted T/C blend fabrics with high thermal stability and significantly suppressed heat release by nearly 50%. The char residue analyses on morphology and element content confirmed the intumescent FR action for coated T/C blend fabrics. The prepared IFR coating has great potential to serve as an eco-friendly approach for improving the flame retardancy of T/C blend textiles.     

Microbiologically Pure Cotton Fabrics Treated with Tetrabutylammonium OXONE as Mild Disinfection Agent

The microbiological purity of textiles plays a pivotal role in the use of textiles, especially in hospitals and other medical facilities. Microbiological purity of cotton fabric was achieved by a new disinfection method using tetrabutyloammonium OXONE (TBA-OXONE) before washing. As a result of the disinfection, the cotton fabric became microbiologically pure, despite the markedly decreased washing time with respect to the widely used standard procedure. Shortening of the washing time allowed for significant energy savings. In addition, the effect of the number of disinfection and washing cycles on the tensile properties and tearing force of the fabric was examined. After 120 disinfection and washing cycles the mechanical properties of cotton fabric were only slightly worsened.     

MEBO药纱治疗Wagner 3级糖尿病足疗效观察

目的分析探讨湿润烧伤膏(moist exposed burn ointment, MEBO)药纱治疗Wanger 3级糖尿病足的临床疗效。方法选取2015年3月至2016年11月台山市中医院外科收治的60例Wanger 3级糖尿病足患者作为研究对象,并按照随机数表法将其随机分为试验组(30例)和对照组(30例),其中试验组患者采用MEBO药纱治疗,对照组患者采用凡士林油纱治疗,对比观察两组患者自受试之日起至创面愈合的换药次数、每次换药所需时间、换药费用、创面愈合时间、揭除敷料时的疼痛程度及临床疗效等。结果试验组患者的换药次数为(45.5±9.2)次、换药时间为(11.1±1.4) min、换药费用为(1255.36±171.65)元、创面愈合时间为(43.2±5.5) d,均明显优于对照组患者的换药次数(59.7±10.5)次、换药时间(17.7±2.1) min、换药费用(1693.60±209.94)元、创面愈合时间(52.5±7.4) d,P均0.01,差异具有统计学意义;治疗第8天,试验组患者揭除敷料时创面无疼痛者17例、轻度疼痛者9例、中度疼痛者3例、重度疼痛者1例,明显优于对照组的轻度疼痛者6例、中度疼痛者15例、重度疼痛者9例,P0.01,差异具有统计学意义;治疗6周后,试验组患者中治愈24例、好转5例、无效1例,明显优于对照组的治愈12例、好转9例、无效9例,P0.01,差异具有统计学意义。结论 MEBO药纱可有效促进Wanger 3级糖尿病足创面的愈合,缩短创面愈合时间,减少换药次数及换药时间,降低揭除敷料时的疼痛程度及换药费用,疗效显著。     

蜗牛酶在聚(N-异丙基丙烯酰胺)中的固定化及应用

将蜗牛酶固定到聚(N—异丙基丙烯酰胺)上得到一种热可逆的固定化酶。研究了固定化酶的性能和对几种不同底物的作用情况。结果表明蜗中酶对羧甲基纤维素钠、甲壳胺和可溶性棉花都有较好的降解活性。     

Representation of the visual streak in visuotopic maps of the cat's superior colliculus: Influence of the mapping variable

A series of visuotopic maps has been prepared from recordings of electrical potentials related to W-cell afferent activity in the cat's superior colliculus. These maps clearly exhibit an expected exaggeration of the representation of the upper visual field, due to tilt of the retina's visual streak in the ‘position of paralysis’. This asymmetry disappears when the visual field's coordinate system is rotated by an angle equal to the tilt of the axis of the nasal streak. Previously published maps, based on recordings from postsynaptic collicular units, have failed to reflect this tilt of the nasal visual streak, perhaps in part because the centers of unit receptive-fields are biased estimators of the retinal origin of axons terminating near a collicular recording site.     

Endotoxins in cotton: Washing effects and size distribution

Endotoxin contamination was measured in washed and unwashed cottons from three distinct growing areas, California, Mississippi, and Texas. The data show differences in endotoxin contamination based upon the geographic source of the cotton. It is also shown that washing bulk cotton before the carding process results in lower endotoxin in the cotton dust. Washing conditions can affect the endotoxin levels, and all size fractions of the airborne dust contain quantifiable endotoxin contamination. Endotoxin analyses provide a simple and reliable method for monitoring the cleanliness of cotton or airborne cotton dusts.     

Nuclear and Cytoplasmic Inclusion Bodies in Pinealocytes of the Cotton Rat, Sigmodon hispidus: An Electron Microscopic Study

Electron microscopic observations on pinealocytes of cotton rats (Sigmodon bispidus) killed in October revealed the presence of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies (CIBs) and two kinds of nuclear inclusions--coiled bodies and granular inclusion bodies. These inclusions were usually not bounded by a membrane. CIBs showed round or irregular profiles and consisted of granular and filamentous materials of moderate electron opacity intermingled with electron-lucent areas. Nuclear granular inclusions appeared as homogeneous or heterogeneous granules of variable electron opacity, which usually exhibited round profiles of variable diameters and consisted of granular and filamentous elements. Electron-opaque granules were observed in perinuclear spaces, dilated cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, as well as in the central portion of CIBs. In CIBs containing granules, the peripheral region was composed of the moderately electron-opaque substance seen in usual CIBs, while the central core was occupied by a granular and filamentous substance and an intervening electron-lucent matrix. Since an electron-opaque granular substance in nuclei, perinuclear spaces, cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and the central portion of CIBs may occur concomitantly, the granules seen in these sites may be related. Coiled bodies were round in profile and were composed of electron-opaque strands consisting of granular and filamentous elements and intervening material of low electron opacity. This structure, frequently located in close proximity to the nuclear granular inclusions, may play a role in the formation of the intranuclear granules in cotton rat pinealocytes.     

Mitotic activity during somite segmentation in the early chick embryo

Summary The mitotic activity of the somites, segmental plate and posterior mesoderm were investigated in colchicine-treated and untreated chick embryos at st. 7-14. The mitotic figures in the somites are restricted to the proximity of the lumen and have their spindles orientated predominantly tangentially to the cavity. In the segmental plate there is no pattern in terms of the position or orientation of the mitotic spindles, but there is a single region, often found close to the cranial end of the segmental plate, with an elevated mitotic index. This may indicate a certain degree of synchrony among groups of segmental plate cells. These results are discussed in relation to the process of somite segmentation.     

Anti-inflammatory activity of Justicia prostrata gamble in acute and sub-acute models of inflammation

In this study, the aqueous (AQJP) and alcoholic (ALJP) extracts of the whole plant of Justicia prostrata Gamble (Acanthaceae) were screened for their acute and subacute anti-inflammatory activities using carrageenan-induced acute inflammation and cotton-pellet-induced granuloma (subacute inflammation), respectively, in rats. In the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema model, both extracts were found to exhibit maximum reduction in paw volume at the first hour in a dose-dependent manner. At the dose of 500 mg/kg p.o., both extracts AQJP and ALJP showed maximum inhibition (51.39% and 62.5%, respectively) in rat paw oedema volume at the first hour of carrageenan-induced acute inflammation. In the cotton pellet granuloma assay, AQJP and ALJP at the dose of 500 mg/kg p.o. suppressed the transudative, exudative and proliferative phases of chronic inflammation. These extracts were able to (i) reduce the lipid peroxide content of exudates and liver and (ii) normalize the increased activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases in serum and liver of cotton pellet granulomatous rats. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of lignans, triterpenes and phenolic compounds in ALJP, whereas phenolic compounds and glycosides in AQJP. The anti-inflammatory properties of these extracts may possibly be due to the presence of phenolic compounds. The anti-inflammatory effects produced by the extracts at the dose of 500 mg/kg, p.o. was comparable with the reference drug diclofenac sodium (5 mg/kg p.o.).