Objective:To characterize the antifungal activity of methanolic leaf extract of Calotropis gigantea alone or in combination with amphotericin B against invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in mice.Methods:GC/MS was used f...Objective:To characterize the antifungal activity of methanolic leaf extract of Calotropis gigantea alone or in combination with amphotericin B against invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in mice.Methods:GC/MS was used for analysis of active constituents of Calotropis gigantea extract.Spore germination assay and broth micro-dilution method were used to determine antifungal potential of Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B against Aspergillus fumigatus.Neutropenic mice were randomly assigned into 5 groups:group 1 was neutropenic(control);group 2 was infected with Aspergillus fumigatus;group 3 was infected with Aspergillus fumigatus,and treated with Calotropis gigantea extract;group 4 was infected with Aspergillus fumigatus and treated with amphotericin B;group 5 was infected with Aspergillus fumigatus and treated with both Calotropis gigantea extract and amphotericin B.Fresh lung tissues were histopathologically examined.Fungal burden and gliotoxin concentration were evaluated in lung tissues.Catalase,superoxide dismutase,and malondialdehyde content were determined in lung tissues.Myeloperoxidase,tumor necrosis factor-alpha,interleukin-1,and interleukin-17 were also estimated by the sandwich enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay.Results:Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B had a minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration of 80 and 160μg/mL,respectively,for Aspergillus fumigatus.Additionally,Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B significantly reduced lung fungal burden by 72.95%and inhibited production of gliotoxin in lung tissues from 6320 to 1350μg/g lung.Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B reduced the oxidative stress of the lung via elevating the activity of antioxidant enzymes and decreasing the levels of lipid peroxidation.Myeloperoxidase activity and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines were also significantly reduced.Scanning electron microscopy revealed deteriorations in the hyphae ultrastructure in Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B treated Aspergillus fumigatus and leak of cellular components after damage of the cell wall.In vivo study revealed the suppression of lung tissue damage in mice of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis,which was improved with Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B compared to the control group.Conclusions:Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B is a promising treatment to reduce lung fungal burden and to improve the drugs’therapeutic effect against invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.展开更多
Wearable tensile strain sensors have attracted substantial research interest due to their great potential in applications for the real-time detection of human motion and health through the construction of body-sensing...Wearable tensile strain sensors have attracted substantial research interest due to their great potential in applications for the real-time detection of human motion and health through the construction of body-sensing networks.Conventional devices,however,are constantly demonstrated in non-real world scenarios,where changes in body temperature and humidity are ignored,which results in questionable sensing accuracy and reliability in practical applications.In this work,a fabric-like strain sensor is developed by fabricating graphene-modified Calotropis gigantea yarn and elastic yarn(i.e.Spandex)into an independently crossed structure,enabling the sensor with tunable sensitivity by directly altering the sensor width.The sensor possesses excellent breathability,allowing water vapor generated by body skin to be discharged into the environment(the water evaporation rate is approximately 2.03 kg m^(-2) h^(-1))and creating a pleasing microenvironment between the sensor and the skin by avoiding the hindering of perspiration release.More importantly,the sensor is shown to have a sensing stability towards changes in temperature and humidity,implementing sensing reliability against complex and changeable wearable microclimate.By wearing the sensor at various locations of the human body,a full-range body area sensing network for monitoring various body movements and vital signs,such as speaking,coughing,breathing and walking,is successfully dem-onstrated.It provides a new route for achieving wearing-comfortable,high-performance and sensing-reliable strain sensors.展开更多
Synthesis,characterization of Co_3O_4 and Ag-Co_3O_4 composites and evaluation of their photo-catalytic activities towards photo-degradation of aqueous solution of rhodamine B dye under irradiation of visible light ha...Synthesis,characterization of Co_3O_4 and Ag-Co_3O_4 composites and evaluation of their photo-catalytic activities towards photo-degradation of aqueous solution of rhodamine B dye under irradiation of visible light have been described in this paper.Co_3O_4 was prepared by solid phase mechano chemical process using Co(NO_3)_2·6H_2O and NH_4 HCO_3 as precursor materials.Ag was deposited on Co_3O_4 from AgNO_3 using Calotropis gigantea extract as reducing agent.XRD,SEM and FTIR were used for characterization of prepared composites.Photo-catalytic efficiencies of as-prepared Co_3O_4 and Ag-Co_3O_4 were evaluated for aqueous phase photo-degradation of rhodamine B.It was found that deposition of Ag on Co_3O_4 highly enhanced the photo-catalytic activity of Co_3O_4.Photo-catalytic degradation followed the Eley–Rideal mechanism.About 100% and 91% photo-degradation of 40 ml dye solution achieved at 313 K in 90 and 120 min over 0.05 g of Ag-Co_3O_4 as photo-catalyst using 100 and 200 mg·L^(-1) as initial concentration of dye respectively.展开更多
A microscope method was developed for testing the blending ratio of akund/cotton blended yarns. Fiber characteristics such as diameter, longitudinal feature, and hollow structure were observed to identify akund and co...A microscope method was developed for testing the blending ratio of akund/cotton blended yarns. Fiber characteristics such as diameter, longitudinal feature, and hollow structure were observed to identify akund and cotton. Therefore, the measurement of the blending ratio for akund/cotton blended yarns based on each fiber's amount, moisture regain, and metric count was available. The results show that using specimen's longitudinal section is more effective during the fiber counting than specimen's transverse section benefiting from the separation of the fibers.展开更多
Aims Savannahs depend on fire for their persistence.Fire influences regeneration from seeds in several ways:it converts the environment into a more open space which can benefit the establishment of seedlings,and fire ...Aims Savannahs depend on fire for their persistence.Fire influences regeneration from seeds in several ways:it converts the environment into a more open space which can benefit the establishment of seedlings,and fire itself can also enhance germination by chemical and physical cues,such as smoke and heat.There is limited information as to how seed of Asian savannah species respond to fire,even though Asia has several dry vegetation types that are associated with fire.Our main question was whether fire enhances or triggers the germination of woody species occurring in southwest Chinese dry valleys,which have savannah vegetation.Methods We conducted tests with heat(80°C)and smoke solution treatments,and tests with real fire by burning grass on top of sand trays containing seeds.We tested 35 species,including savannah species,and gully and forest species.Depending on seed availability,not all species were tested for all treatments.Twenty-six species had total germination>4%and these were used for analysis.Important Findings Heat increased germination of three species(strongest reaction:Dodonaea viscosa),smoke increased germination of five species(strongest reaction:Calotropis gigantea).Both treatments decreased germination for five and seven species,respectively.Real fire was detrimental for most species,except for D.viscosa,which is known to respond positively to heat shock.Even though fire-related cues were not a trigger for germination for most species in our study,fire could still be crucial for regeneration by competition release.展开更多
基金the Deanship of Scientific ResearchVice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research+1 种基金King Faisal UniversitySaudi Arabia [Project No. GRANT93 (170061)]
文摘Objective:To characterize the antifungal activity of methanolic leaf extract of Calotropis gigantea alone or in combination with amphotericin B against invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in mice.Methods:GC/MS was used for analysis of active constituents of Calotropis gigantea extract.Spore germination assay and broth micro-dilution method were used to determine antifungal potential of Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B against Aspergillus fumigatus.Neutropenic mice were randomly assigned into 5 groups:group 1 was neutropenic(control);group 2 was infected with Aspergillus fumigatus;group 3 was infected with Aspergillus fumigatus,and treated with Calotropis gigantea extract;group 4 was infected with Aspergillus fumigatus and treated with amphotericin B;group 5 was infected with Aspergillus fumigatus and treated with both Calotropis gigantea extract and amphotericin B.Fresh lung tissues were histopathologically examined.Fungal burden and gliotoxin concentration were evaluated in lung tissues.Catalase,superoxide dismutase,and malondialdehyde content were determined in lung tissues.Myeloperoxidase,tumor necrosis factor-alpha,interleukin-1,and interleukin-17 were also estimated by the sandwich enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay.Results:Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B had a minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration of 80 and 160μg/mL,respectively,for Aspergillus fumigatus.Additionally,Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B significantly reduced lung fungal burden by 72.95%and inhibited production of gliotoxin in lung tissues from 6320 to 1350μg/g lung.Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B reduced the oxidative stress of the lung via elevating the activity of antioxidant enzymes and decreasing the levels of lipid peroxidation.Myeloperoxidase activity and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines were also significantly reduced.Scanning electron microscopy revealed deteriorations in the hyphae ultrastructure in Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B treated Aspergillus fumigatus and leak of cellular components after damage of the cell wall.In vivo study revealed the suppression of lung tissue damage in mice of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis,which was improved with Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B compared to the control group.Conclusions:Calotropis gigantea/amphotericin B is a promising treatment to reduce lung fungal burden and to improve the drugs’therapeutic effect against invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.
基金National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFE0111100)Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China(KY202201002)+3 种基金Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology(BZ2022017)Shanghai Science and Technology Committee(21015800600)We would like to thank the China National Textile and Apparel Council(J202002)Jiangsu Advanced Textile Engineering Technology Center(XJFZ/2021/7),projects with number 2021-fx010104 for their support.
文摘Wearable tensile strain sensors have attracted substantial research interest due to their great potential in applications for the real-time detection of human motion and health through the construction of body-sensing networks.Conventional devices,however,are constantly demonstrated in non-real world scenarios,where changes in body temperature and humidity are ignored,which results in questionable sensing accuracy and reliability in practical applications.In this work,a fabric-like strain sensor is developed by fabricating graphene-modified Calotropis gigantea yarn and elastic yarn(i.e.Spandex)into an independently crossed structure,enabling the sensor with tunable sensitivity by directly altering the sensor width.The sensor possesses excellent breathability,allowing water vapor generated by body skin to be discharged into the environment(the water evaporation rate is approximately 2.03 kg m^(-2) h^(-1))and creating a pleasing microenvironment between the sensor and the skin by avoiding the hindering of perspiration release.More importantly,the sensor is shown to have a sensing stability towards changes in temperature and humidity,implementing sensing reliability against complex and changeable wearable microclimate.By wearing the sensor at various locations of the human body,a full-range body area sensing network for monitoring various body movements and vital signs,such as speaking,coughing,breathing and walking,is successfully dem-onstrated.It provides a new route for achieving wearing-comfortable,high-performance and sensing-reliable strain sensors.
基金The World Academy of Sciences(TWAS)(13-301 RG/MSN/AS_C) is acknowledged for financial support under COMSTECH-TWAS Grants Program
文摘Synthesis,characterization of Co_3O_4 and Ag-Co_3O_4 composites and evaluation of their photo-catalytic activities towards photo-degradation of aqueous solution of rhodamine B dye under irradiation of visible light have been described in this paper.Co_3O_4 was prepared by solid phase mechano chemical process using Co(NO_3)_2·6H_2O and NH_4 HCO_3 as precursor materials.Ag was deposited on Co_3O_4 from AgNO_3 using Calotropis gigantea extract as reducing agent.XRD,SEM and FTIR were used for characterization of prepared composites.Photo-catalytic efficiencies of as-prepared Co_3O_4 and Ag-Co_3O_4 were evaluated for aqueous phase photo-degradation of rhodamine B.It was found that deposition of Ag on Co_3O_4 highly enhanced the photo-catalytic activity of Co_3O_4.Photo-catalytic degradation followed the Eley–Rideal mechanism.About 100% and 91% photo-degradation of 40 ml dye solution achieved at 313 K in 90 and 120 min over 0.05 g of Ag-Co_3O_4 as photo-catalyst using 100 and 200 mg·L^(-1) as initial concentration of dye respectively.
文摘A microscope method was developed for testing the blending ratio of akund/cotton blended yarns. Fiber characteristics such as diameter, longitudinal feature, and hollow structure were observed to identify akund and cotton. Therefore, the measurement of the blending ratio for akund/cotton blended yarns based on each fiber's amount, moisture regain, and metric count was available. The results show that using specimen's longitudinal section is more effective during the fiber counting than specimen's transverse section benefiting from the separation of the fibers.
基金National Natural Science Foundation China,Grant U1502264 Title:Geography,diversity and conservation of Savanna Ecosystems in Yunnan,China.
文摘Aims Savannahs depend on fire for their persistence.Fire influences regeneration from seeds in several ways:it converts the environment into a more open space which can benefit the establishment of seedlings,and fire itself can also enhance germination by chemical and physical cues,such as smoke and heat.There is limited information as to how seed of Asian savannah species respond to fire,even though Asia has several dry vegetation types that are associated with fire.Our main question was whether fire enhances or triggers the germination of woody species occurring in southwest Chinese dry valleys,which have savannah vegetation.Methods We conducted tests with heat(80°C)and smoke solution treatments,and tests with real fire by burning grass on top of sand trays containing seeds.We tested 35 species,including savannah species,and gully and forest species.Depending on seed availability,not all species were tested for all treatments.Twenty-six species had total germination>4%and these were used for analysis.Important Findings Heat increased germination of three species(strongest reaction:Dodonaea viscosa),smoke increased germination of five species(strongest reaction:Calotropis gigantea).Both treatments decreased germination for five and seven species,respectively.Real fire was detrimental for most species,except for D.viscosa,which is known to respond positively to heat shock.Even though fire-related cues were not a trigger for germination for most species in our study,fire could still be crucial for regeneration by competition release.