Antibacterial Bombyx Mori silk fabric modified with reactive chitosan quaternary ammonium salt and its laundering durability

A new fiber-reactive chitosan derivative was synthesized in two steps from a chitosan of low molecular weight. First, a water-soluble chitosan derivative, N-[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium)propyl] chitosan chloride (short for HTCC), was prepared by reacting chitosan with 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride. Second, HTCC was further modified by reacting with N-(hydroxymethyl)-acrylamide to prepare a fiber-reactive chitosan derivative, O-methyl acrylamide quaternary ammonium salt of chitosan (short for NMA-HTCC), which can form covalent bonds with silk fiber under alkaline conditions. The chemical structure of NMA-HTCC was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The substitution degree of HTCC and the double-bond content of NMA-HTCC were tested. Then NMA-HTCC was used for antibacterial finishing of Bombyx Mori silk fabric. The results showed that silk fabric treated with NMA-HTCC had a significantly improved antibacterial activity to Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and the antibacterial activity of silk fabric finished by NMA-HTCC was much better than that finished by chitosan and HTCC. Bombyx Mori silk fabric modified with NMA-HTCC demonstrated excellent durable antibacterial activity, even after 50 repeated launderings, the bacterial reduction rate of silk fabric maintained over 95 %.     

Fabrication of electropsun PLGA and small intestine submucosa-blended nanofibrous membranes and their biocompatibility for wound healing

In recent decades, tremendous research has focused on the production of nanoscale fibers using synthetic polymers, with the goal of fabricating nanofibrous scaffolds for wound healing. However, the hydrophobicity of such polymers typically hinders attachment and proliferation of the cells. In this study, we combined poly-d,l-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) and small intestine submucosa (SIS) to fabricate blended nanofibers for wound healing by electrospinning. PLGA and SIS were dissolved in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro isopropanol to produce different weight ratios of PLGA/SIS-blended nanofibrous membranes (NFM). Physicochemical characterization of the electrospun NFM was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, water contact angle analysis, degradation test and tensile testing. The PLGA/SIS-blended NFM showed improved hydrophilicity and tensile strength. Better infiltration, attachment and proliferation of rat granulation fibroblasts of PLGA/SIS-blended NFMs compared to PLGA NFMs were identified by morphological differences determined by SEM and a water-soluble tetrazolium salt assay kit. Based on our results, the PLGA/SIS blended NFMs were found to be suitable for use as a potential material for wound dressing.     

Dyeing performance of the azo dyes containing trifluoromethyl group for polyester fabrics and its single crystal structure

The structures of disperse dyes and their intermolecular interactions have important impacts on dyeing and printing performances for polyester fabrics. The fluorine dyes show some unique molecular stability and photochemical properties. The dyeing property of the azo dye containing trifluoromethyl group for polyester fabrics, 4'-(N-acetoxyethyl-Nethyl)- amino-2-bromine-4-nitro-6-trifluoromethylazo- benzene (D1), was investigated and compared with the similar structure disperse dye. The results show that the high color yield and good exhaustion of the dyed PET fabrics could be obtained. The polyester fabrics dyed with D1 had excellent light fastness. Its single crystal was prepared and the supramolecular interactions were solved by X-ray diffraction. Dye D1 formed triclinic crystals in a trimeric packing mode. The C-F bond distances of CF3 are 1.2730 Å, 1.2240 Å and 1.2900 Å, respectively. The two benzene rings linked azo unit (-N=N-) are obviously twist. The dihedral angle of the two benzene rings is 50.23 o. There are six weak hydrogen bonds around trifluoromethyl group in the intramolecule and intermolecule. The excellent light stability of the dye should be attributed to its unique supramolecular structure.     

Fabrication of hydrophobic/oleophilic cotton fabric by mussel-inspired chemistry for oil/water separation

A straightforward approach was proposed to modify cotton fabric for oil/water separation based on musselinspired reaction. The poly(DMA-Octadecyl acrylate) was designed to contain key chemical constituents present in mussel adhesive proteins by free radical polymerization of dopamine hydrochloride and octadecyl acrylate, which strongly adsorbed to fabric substrates, providing a special surface for fabric. The chemical structure, surface topography, and surface wettability of the fabric were characterized. The results showed that as-prepared cotton fabric displayed a high CA of >150° when dripped water droplets were on the modified fabric surface, and the oil contact angle (OCA) was close to 0°, it had excellent potential to be used in practical applications and has created a new method of fabric modification for oil/water separation.     

Nano-calcium carbonate reinforced polypropylene and propylene-ethylene copolymer nanocomposites: Tensile vs. impact behavior

Improvement of both the tensile and impact strength of the same polymeric material has always been a great challenge for the plastic industry. The study focuses on the effect of incorporation of calcium carbonate nanoparticles (0.3 wt% to 15 wt%) into three polypropylene (PP) based matrices viz. PP homopolymer, propylene-ethylene (PP-PE) copolymer and the blend of PP:PP-PE (30:70) to improve their impact behavior without hampering the tensile strength much. A loss in both the tensile and impact properties was observed in PP based nanocomposite. However, PP-PE based nanocomposites showed a significant improvement in impact strength (47 %) at 10 wt% loading with a loss of tensile strength by 22 %. To minimize this loss a blend of PP:PP-PE (30:70) was explored as a matrix. At 10 wt% loading, this matrix showed an improvement of 30 % in impact strength whereas the tensile loss was minimized to 10 %. Further, silane coupling agent which promoted good interfacial adhesion was used for best compositions. The variation of crystalline morphology of the nanocomposites with various formulations was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction.     

Habitat modification by invasive crayfish can facilitate its growth through enhanced food accessibility

Background

Invasive ecosystem engineers can facilitate their invasions by modifying the physical environment to improve their own performance, but this positive feedback process has rarely been tested empirically except in sessile organisms. The invasive crayfish Procambarus clarkii is an ecosystem engineer that destroys aquatic macrophytes, which provide a physical refuge for animal prey, and this destruction is likely to enhance vulnerability to predators. Using two series of mesocosm experiments, we tested the hypothesis that the invasive crayfish increases its feeding efficiency on animal prey by reducing submerged macrophytes, thus increasing its individual growth rate in a positive density-dependent manner.

Results

In the first experiment, increasing crayfish density reduced both macrophytes and animal prey (dragonfly and chironomid larvae) and, importantly, increased the growth rate of individual crayfish, in accordance with our expectation. In the second experiment, we used artificial macrophytes to clarify whether the physical architecture of macrophytes itself protects animal prey and limits crayfish growth rate. Increasing the artificial macrophyte quantity not only increased the survival of animal prey, but also retarded the crayfish growth rate.

Conclusions

We conclude that macrophytes strengthen bottom-up control of crayfish, but this effect can be relaxed by increasing the density of crayfish via reduction in macrophytes. This positive feedback process may explain the crayfish outbreaks and regime shifts occasionally observed in invaded freshwater ecosystems.

     

Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal,Russia

Background

High latitude ecosystems are at present changing rapidly under the influence of climate warming, and specialized Arctic species at the southern margin of the Arctic may be particularly affected. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), a small mammalian predator endemic to northern tundra areas, is able to exploit different resources in the context of varying tundra ecosystems. Although generally widespread, it is critically endangered in subarctic Fennoscandia, where a fading out of the characteristic lemming cycles and competition with abundant red foxes have been identified as main threats. We studied an Arctic fox population at the Erkuta Tundra Monitoring site in low Arctic Yamal (Russia) during 10 years in order to determine which resources support the breeding activity in this population. In the study area, lemmings have been rare during the last 15 years and red foxes are nearly absent, creating an interesting contrast to the situation in Fennoscandia.

Results

Arctic fox was breeding in nine of the 10 years of the study. The number of active dens was on average 2.6 (range 0–6) per 100 km² and increased with small rodent abundance. It was also higher after winters with many reindeer carcasses, which occurred when mortality was unusually high due to icy pastures following rain-on-snow events. Average litter size was 5.2 (SD = 2.1). Scat dissection suggested that small rodents (mostly Microtus spp.) were the most important prey category. Prey remains observed at dens show that birds, notably waterfowl, were also an important resource in summer.

Conclusions

The Arctic fox in southern Yamal, which is part of a species-rich low Arctic food web, seems at present able to cope with a state shift of the small rodent community from high amplitude cyclicity with lemming dominated peaks, to a vole community with low amplitude fluctuations. The estimated breeding parameters characterized the population as intermediate between the lemming fox and the coastal fox ecotype. Only continued ecosystem-based monitoring will reveal their fate in a changing tundra ecosystem.

     

A GIS-aided two-phase grey fuzzy optimization model for nonpoint source pollution control in a small watershed

A method for allocating allowable ranges of total nitrogen (TN) load to nonpoint (diffuse pollution) sources in a watershed has been developed by adopting the two-phase grey fuzzy optimization approach. Competing goals of water quality management authorities and TN load dischargers at nonpoint sources such as paddy field, upland crop field, and residential area are described with linear imprecise membership functions including interval numbers. TN load discharged from each cell of the nonpoint sources is assumed to be transported along with surface, subsurface, and river flow under the conventional first-order kinetic removal with respect to distance. The travel length of the load is estimated with a digital elevation model in a geographic information system (GIS). Uncertainty of river discharge and self-purification coefficients appearing in the TN transport model is also expressed with interval numbers. The GIS-aided grey fuzzy optimization model developed here is applied to the Seimei River watershed, Japan. By solving the optimization model, the allowable load represented by an interval number at each cell is procured, which would be a scientific base for effluent control regarding nonpoint sources in the area.     

Plant species identification using fecal DNAs from red-eared slider and Reeves’ pond turtle in agricultural canals for rural ecosystem conservation

Fecal DNA samples from the red-eared slider and Reeves’ pond turtle, suspected pests of lotus root paddies, were used to identify the plant species eaten by these turtles in order to develop a strategy for rural ecosystem conservation. The fecal samples were obtained from young and adult individuals (mostly female) of both species living in agricultural canals surrounding lotus root paddies in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. The samples were screened for the presence or absence of DNA from nine plant species using PCR and plant species-specific primers for the rbcL gene of chloroplast DNA. In the red-eared slider, our analysis identified seven plant species in the fecal DNA samples of adults and three plant species in those of young individuals. In Reeves’ pond turtle, our analysis identified two plant species from adult fecal samples and one species from those of young individuals. Thus, adult red-eared sliders consume a greater range of plants than young red-eared sliders or Reeves’ pond turtles. Both turtle species, independently of age, consumed lotus plants and were likely to cause feeding damage to lotus roots. Considering the plant species detected in adult red-eared sliders and these plant habitats, we suggest that this adult turtle is likely to travel between the agricultural canals and the lotus root paddies. These findings will help the development of strategies for preventing damage to lotus roots by these turtles; furthermore, they indicate that fecal DNA analysis will be applicable to investigation of the feeding habits of other animal species.