Regarding the other parameters, in the majority of the temporal series there were no significant differences. In the cases where differences with statistical significance were detected, they were not unidirectional. The replacement of native forest by grasses can potentially increase tick abundance not by the modification of microclimatic conditions, but by increasing the tick-host

encounter rate due to a higher cattle density. The hypothesis that deforestation and introduction of exotic grasses affects the non-parasitic phase of R. BMS-777607 concentration microplus in northern Argentina was not supported. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The present study was carried out with a view to enhance the dissolution of poorly water-soluble BCS-class II drug aceclofenac by co-grinding with novel porous

carrier Neusilin US2. (amorphous microporous granules of magnesium aluminosilicate, Fuji Chemical Industry, Toyama, Japan). Neusilin US2 has been used as an important pharmaceutical excipient for solubility enhancement. Co-grinding of aceclofenac with Neusilin US2 in a ratio of 1:5 was carried out by ball milling for 20 h. Samples of co-ground mixtures were withdrawn at the end of every 5 h. and characterized for X-ray powder diffraction, differential Linsitinib scanning calorimetry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The analysis revealed the conversion of crystalline aceclofenac to its amorphous form upon milling with Neusilin US2. Further, in vitro dissolution rate of aceclofenac from co-ground mixture was significantly higher compared to pure aceclofenac. The accelerated stability study of co-ground mixture was carried out at 40A degrees C/75%RH for 4 weeks, and it showed that there was no reversion from amorphous to crystalline form. Thus, it is advantageous to use a porous carrier like Neusilin US2 in improvement of dissolution of poorly soluble drugs.”
“Interactions

between pharmaceutical ingredients play an important role in the development of drug formulations. It was the aim of our present studies to investigate drug-polymer interactions. Interaction of the antiviral drug acyclovir with polyethylenimines, polyvinylamines FG4592 and the non-ionic PVP was investigated using a modified equilibrium dialysis. The membrane was only permeable to free acyclovir, while polymers and acyclovir-polymer-associates did not pass through. Significant amounts of acyclovir were bound with the polyethylenimines. The formation of associates consisting of acyclovir and either PVP or polyvinylamine could not be demonstrated. In solutions of acyclovir and polyethylenimine (Mr=25000) the amount of bound drug is increased with increasing concentration of acyclovir. Between 7.9 mu g and 31.7 mu g take part in the formation of associates. Differences in the osmotic pressure of the solutions do not play an important role in the permeation of acyclovir.

QCA served as the reference standard. The area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy.

Results: All scans demonstrated diagnostic image quality, with 99% (543/548) of included coronary segments interpretable by HD-CCTA. Median effective radiation dose was 2.8 mSv (interquartile range, 1.3-3.9). The AUC for the per-patient assessment for stenosis >= 50% was 0.90 (95% confidence interval

PLX4032 ic50 [CI], 0.77-0.96), with sensitivity of 95% (95% CI, 85%-100%), specificity of 79% (95% CI, 63%-95%), positive predictive value of 78% (95% CI, 61%-95%), and negative predictive value of 95% (95% CI, 85%-100%).

Conclusions: Compared with QCA, HD-CCTA with multiple dose reduction measures resulted in low radiation doses and high diagnostic accuracy to detect and exclude obstructive coronary artery disease.”
“To evaluate vaginal microflora and interleukin-1 beta (IL-beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) concentrations in the cervicovaginal fluid of a group of pregnant women in preterm labor when compared C188-9 ic50 with a group of full-term pregnant women not yet in labor.

Case-control study performed in a University tertiary referral maternity in Campinas, Brazil with 45 pregnant women in preterm labor and 45 full-term pregnant women not in labor. All patients underwent speculum

examination for the collection of cervicovaginal fluid. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) was diagnosed according to the criteria of Amsel and Nugent. Culture

was performed for group B streptococcus (GBS) and lactobacilli, and hybrid capture assay for screening for chlamydial and gonococcal infection. Cytokine concentrations were measured using ELISA technique. Statistical analysis was performed using chi(2), Fisher’s exact, and crude and adjusted odds ratios. Significance level was defined at 5%. The main outcome measures were cervicovaginal cytokines in preterm labor.

IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly associated with preterm labor. The changes in vaginal microflora, as well as BV and GBS, were more frequent in women in preterm labor, although BV and GBS showed no statistical significance. The presence of Candida sp., find more absence of lactobacilli, positive screening for chlamydial and gonococcal infection and the presence of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha were not associated with preterm labor.

IL-6 and IL-8 and the presence of any type of vaginal infection were the factors that were significantly associated with preterm labor.”
“The associative properties of Me2N (CH2)(2)OE58B7 and I-Me3N+(CH2)(2)OE58B7 in aqueous solution in the temperature range of 20-50 degrees C have been investigated by dynamic and static laser light scattering. Here E represents an oxyethylene unit and B an oxybutylene unit. The results obtained were compared with results for EmBn analog.

Neurourol. Urodynam. 31: 455-459, 2012. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, click here Inc.”
“The formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsy is a challenging sample for molecular assays such as targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). We compared three methods for FFPE DNA quantification, including a novel PCR assay (‘QFI-PCR’) that measures the absolute copy number of amplifiable DNA, across 165 residual clinical specimens. The

results reveal the limitations of commonly used approaches, and demonstrate the value of an integrated workflow using QFI-PCR to improve the accuracy of NGS mutation detection and guide changes in input that can rescue low quality FFPE DNA. These findings address a growing need for improved quality measures in NGS-based patient testing.”
“Contamination of natural aquatic ecosystems by hospital wastewater is a major environmental and human health issue. Disinfectants, pharmaceuticals, radionuclides and solvents are widely used in hospitals for medical purposes and research. After application, some of these substances combine with hospital effluents and, in industrialised countries, reach the municipal sewer network. In certain developing countries, hospitals usually discharge their wastewater into septic tanks equipped with diffusion

wells. The discharge of chemical compounds from hospital activities into the natural environment can lead to the pollution of water resources and risks for human health. The aim of this article is to present: (i) the steps of a procedure intended to evaluate risks to human health linked to hospital Cytoskeletal Signaling inhibitor effluents discharged into a septic tank equipped with a diffusion well; and (ii) the results of its application on the effluents of a hospital in Port-au-Prince. The procedure is based on a scenario that describes the discharge of hospital effluents,via septic tanks, into a karstic formation where water resources

are used for human consumption. COD, Chloroform, dichlomethane, dibromochloromethane, dichlorobromomethane and bromoform contents were measured. Furthermore, the presence of heavy metals (chrome, nickel and lead) and faecal coliforms were studied. Maximum concentrations were 700 NPP/100 ml for faecal coliforms and 112 mg/L for Selleck MAPK Inhibitor Library COD. A risk of infection of 10(-5) infection per year was calculated. Major chemical risks. particularly for children, relating to Pb(II), Cr(III), Cr(VI) and Ni(II) contained in the ground water were also characterised. Certain aspects of the scenario studied require improvement, especially those relating to the characterisation of drugs in groundwater and the detection of other microbiological indicators such as protozoa, enterococcus and viruses. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Aim To evaluate the efficacy and proper use of in-and-out catheterization as a strategy for trial without catheterization (TWOC) for treatment of acute urinary retention (AUR).

Currently, the graft material of choice is autogenous bone graft from the anterior iliac crest. Nonetheless, autogenous bone grafting carries the significant risk of donor-site morbidity, leads to postoperative pain, and entails an additional operative cost. With the success of allograft bone material in implant site development, we explore the option of using human mineralized cancellous bone allograft in alveolar cleft patients. This article reports on the success of using mineralized human allograft to treat 2 adult

patients with severe alveolar cleft defects. The repairs were accomplished with a guided bone regeneration technique without the use of any autogenous bone, with subsequent GSK-3 inhibitor successful placement of endosseous implants. This opens up the possibility of avoiding harvesting iliac crest bone graft and its associated morbidities and expense by use of only mineralized allograft and a guided bone regeneration technique in an outpatient office setting. (C) 2009 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 67:1716-1722, 2009″
“Population-based longitudinal clinicopathological studies provide an ideal opportunity to study a variety of risk and protective factors in relation to pathology associated with dementia in individuals who are representative of the general population. The 90+ Study is a population-based study designed

specifically to study aging and dementia as well Danusertib nmr as its neuropathological

correlates in participants 90 years of age and older. We present demographic and pathological LY2090314 inhibitor data on the first 104 participants to come to autopsy from the brain donation component of the study, The 90+ Autopsy Study. Cognitive diagnosis was assigned according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 4th edition criteria for dementia and neuropathological diagnoses were made according to the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease protocol. Dementia was present in 61% of autopsied participants, the majority of whom were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (85%). Many different types of pathology typically associated with dementia were common in the oldest-old, and included neurofibrillary tangles, neuritic plaques, diffuse plaques, Lewy bodies, hippocampal sclerosis, and cerebral infarctions. Most types of pathology were more frequently found in participants suffering from dementia but there was extensive overlap in pathology among those with and without dementia. In addition, 22% of demented participants did not have sufficient pathology to account for their cognitive loss. Our results highlight the poor associations between these common pathological lesions and dementia in the oldest-old and the importance of considering many different types of pathology, possibly including some yet to be identified, in order to account for all dementias in the oldest-old.

One segmental bronchus was occluded in nine dogs (weight range, 20-25 kg). Dynamic dual-energy CT scanning was Selisistat inhibitor performed by using dual-source CT during the wash-in-washout study of xenon inhalation via mechanical ventilation. Imaging parameters were 14 x 1.2-mm collimation, 40 mAs (effective) at 140 kV and 170 mAs (effective) at 80 kV, pitch of 0.45, and 0.33-second rotation time. By using dual-energy software, CT images and xenon maps were

reconstructed. CT attenuation values were measured in the airways proximal to obstruction (AW(PROX)) and airways distal to obstruction (AW(DIST)) and at the parenchyma with patent airways (P(PATE)) and parenchyma with obstructed airways (P(OBST)). CT attenuation values on dynamic

xenon maps selleck screening library were plotted with exponential function; ventilation parameters, including velocity of ventilation (K value), magnitude of ventilation (A value), and time of arrival (TOA), were calculated on the basis of the Kety model.

Results: In all animals, delayed and weaker xenon enhancement was identified at the airway and parenchyma distal to obstruction. For the A value, in the wash-in study, the differences between AW(PROX) and AW(DIST) and between P(PATE) and P(OBST) were significant (71.80 and 57.64, P =.05; 51.86 and 37.52 HU, P = .02). The K value of P(OBST) was lower than that of P(PATE) in the wash-in study (0.006 and 0.010, P = .06). Mean and standard deviation for TOA were observed in the following increasing order: AW(PROX) ([3.50 +/- 7.70] x 10(-6) sec), P(PATE) (4.58 +/- 2.83), AW(DIST) (9.20 +/- 6.87), and P(OBST) (21.00 +/- 13.44).

Conclusion: Collateral

ventilation in a canine model with bronchial obstruction can be quantitatively assessed by using xenon-enhanced dynamic dual-energy CT.”
“Three different holographic photomaterials belonging to the class Evofosfamide price of photopolymerizable glasses have been synthesized using sol-gel techniques, and characterized with the purpose of a comparative study. Their behavior is analyzed in terms of achieved refractive index modulation, dark diffusion mechanism, diffraction efficiency and optical quality; in order to determine their suitability for different holographic applications. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3553840]“
“Quorum sensing is a cell density-dependent gene regulation system in bacteria. N-(3-oxododecanoyl) homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C12-HSL) is used in the las quorum-sensing system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is an opportunistic pathogen that causes many human diseases. Although many studies have investigated the sole effects of quorum sensing on several types of mammalian cells, including lung cells, little is known about the effects of quorum sensing on the cells associated with wound healing. To better understand the mechanism of bacterial wound infection, we investigated the effects of 3-oxo-C12-HSL on cells using a rat full-thickness wound-healing model.

Results: The second generation lentiviral vector rHIV-pWPT-EF1-alpha-GFP-W,

was the most efficient and provided the most durable transgene expression of the vectors tested. Transduction with this vector did not adversely affect MSC morphology, viability or differentiation potential, and transgene expression levels were unaffected by cryopreservation of transduced cells. Over-expression of HSP70 resulted in enhanced MSC survival and increased resistance to apoptosis in conditions of hypoxia and ischaemia. Selleck BLZ945 MSC differentiation capacity was significantly reduced after oxygen deprivation, but was preserved with HSP70 over-expression.

Conclusions: Collectively, these data validate the use of lentiviral vectors for efficient in vitro gene delivery to MSCs and suggest that lentiviral vector transduction can facilitate sustained check details therapeutic gene expression, providing an efficient tool for ex vivo MSC modification. Furthermore, lentiviral mediated over-expression of therapeutic genes in MSCs may provide protection in an ischaemic environment and enable MSCs to function in a regenerative manner, in part through maintaining the ability to differentiate. This finding may have considerable significance in improving the efficacy of MSC-based therapies.”
“Multiwalled-carbon

nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized via thermoinitiated free radical polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) using benzoyl peroxide. Tip sonication was used during the polymerization reaction to separate agglomerated nanotubes. The functionalization was confirmed by control experiments and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

(ATR-FTIR). Differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the addition of poly(HEMA)-MWCNTs to a two-component polyurethane coating will have little effect on the glass transition temperature of the coating. The poly-(HEMA)-functionalized MWCNTs formed large colloidal structures of highly dispersed nanotubes in both the nonsheared and sheared coatings GSK1210151A cell line as determined by atomic force microscopy. This study determined a quick and easy method to functionalize MWCNTs for incorporation into a two-component polyurethane coating. A simple method for producing ordered structures of the MWCNTs via shear observed. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 964-969, 2011″
“Primary headache prevalence in the adult Italian general population has been little studied so far. This is an observational, cross-sectional, population-based study conducted in a subject sample that was representative of the city of Parma’s general population a parts per thousand yenage 18. The lifetime prevalence of headache was 69.1%, i.e. 75.8% in women and 60.6% in men; the past-year prevalence of headache was 42.8%, i.e. 52.0% in women and 31.1% in men. Most people suffer from one headache subtype. Headache past-year prevalence decreases with age, both in men and in women.

A simple genetic score of 11 polymorphisms may identify those subjects at increased risk of CHD beyond conventional risk factors. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of surgical treatment in children of walking age with unilateral and bilateral developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH).

Methods: We examined the records of fifty-six children of walking age with bilateral dysplasia and 156 children of walking age with unilateral dysplasia treated with open reduction and pelvic osteotomy with or without femoral osteotomy from 1990 to 2000. The minimum duration of follow-up was five years. The mean age at surgery was thirty-four months in

the bilateral group and twenty-five months in the https://www.selleckchem.com/products/jnk-in-8.html unilateral group.

Preoperative radiographs were evaluated to determine the Tonnis grade MK-2206 order of the dislocation and the acetabular index, and the latest radiographs were evaluated to determine the Severin classification. The Kalamchi and MacEwen classification was used to assess osteonecrosis, and the McKay classification was used to assess the clinical outcome at the time of the latest follow-up. For the statistical analyses, we selected the worse side in patients in the bilateral group as the index hip if the outcome was asymmetrical and the left hip if the outcome was symmetrical. The Fisher exact and Student t tests were used for comparisons of outcomes between the groups. Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyze factors associated with osteonecrosis and with the McKay classification.

Results: Age at surgery and preoperative Tonnis grade differed significantly between the groups. Forty-five (80.3%) of the patients in the bilateral group and 135 (86.5%) of the patients in the unilateral group had a satisfactory Severin classification (Ia, Ib, or II); the difference between the groups was not significant. According to the McKay classification, twenty-six (46%) of the patients in the bilateral group had an satisfactory outcome compared with 111 (11%) of the patients in the unilateral group (p = 0.006). Osteonecrosis was significantly greater

in see more the bilateral group as well (p = 0.01). Patient age at surgery and Tonnis grade were risk factors for osteonecrosis. Older age and bilaterality were associated with a poorer McKay classification. The logistic regression analysis was repeated after removing the nineteen patients (34%) in the bilateral group who had an asymmetrical outcome; and this analysis confirmed that asymmetrical outcome was a risk factor for a poorer McKay classification.

Conclusions: Our data confirmed that the clinical outcome of bilateral developmental dysplasia of the hip was worse primarily because of asymmetrical outcomes. Age and Tonnis grade played an important role in the risk of occurrence of osteonecrosis. The radiographic outcome according to the Severin classification did not differ significantly between the groups.

Ock). The WWTW effluent elevated water temperatures and nutrient content in the R. Ray and rendered a direct comparison of fish populations in the two rivers untenable. Instead, the stability of population parameters within each river during matched pre- and post-remediation periods was compared. Stickleback populations in both rivers were annual but fish in the R. Ray spawned earlier and were Selleckchem 4EGI-1 larger

than those in the R. Ock. In the R. Ray fish gained mass throughout the winter months whereas in the R. Ock growth was much reduced during this period. In fish from the R. Ray the somatic RNA:DNA ratio remained elevated during May-November after remediation, rather than declining as in the same period pre-remediation and as was the case for fish in the R. Ock during both periods. The specific growth rate of the first post-remediation generation of sticklebacks in the R. Ray was higher than that of the previous pre-remediation generation. Following remediation there was no decline in hepatic EROD activity or in the abundance of hepatic CYP1A transcripts in fish in the R. Ray suggesting that the primary route of exposure to contaminants for these fish was not via the water column, and that the change in performance of the fish post-remediation was not impeded by continued exposure

to contaminants. Both EROD activity and CYP1A expression increased in fish in the R. Ock during the later stages of the study suggesting that the fish in this river were exposed Copanlisib in vivo to an unidentified contaminant episode.

This may have been linked with the poorer performance of fish in the R. Ock during the post-remediation period. The improved performance of fish in the learn more R. Ray suggest that there may be factors in good quality secondary treated sewage effluent which can adversely influence the performance of fish populations, directly or indirectly, and which can be removed by tertiary treatment. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Aim The benefit of robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy (RALM) over traditional laparoscopic myomectomy (TLM) remains undetermined. The aim of this study was to reveal any potential advantage of RALM over TLM. Material and Methods Between June 2010 and October 2011, all women presenting with symptomatic uterine myomas were enrolled in this study. Perioperative variables were compared between these two groups. The patients recruited in this study were allocated into the two groups based on their financial considerations. Results A total of 42 patients received RALM (n=20) or TLM (n=22) for symptomatic uterine myomas. The operation time was longer in the RALM group; but the total abdominal drainage amount on postoperative day 1 was significantly less in the RALM group than the TLM group. Multivariate analysis revealed that the RALM procedure (coefficient=79.1, P<0.001), number of myomas (coefficient=15.4, P=0.002), and the presence of a cervical myoma (coefficient=54.9, P=0.

The results of mechanical properties measurement showed that the tensile strength, tensile modulus, and tear strength were improved significantly when the organoclay content was less than 5.0 phr. The tensile strength and the tear strength of the nanocomposite with only 3.0 phr organoclay were improved by 92.8% and 63.4%, respectively. It showed organoclay has excellent reinforcement effect with low content. The reduction of the score and cure times of the composites

indicated that the organoclay acted as accelerator in the process of vulcanization. The incorporation of a small amount of organoclay greatly improved CBL0137 mw the swelling behavior and thermal stability, which was attributed to the good barrier properties of the dispersed

organoclay layers. The outstanding performance of co-reinforcement system with organoclay in the tire formulation showed that the organoclay had a good application prospect in the tire industry, especially for the improvement of abrasion resistance and 3-MA nmr the reduction of production cost. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 119: 1185-1194, 2011″
“The obese patients with diabetes or cardiovascular risk factors are associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer as well as adenomas under the shared pathogenesis related to atherosclerosis. Here we determined the association between increased arterial stiffness and colorectal adenomas incorporating parameters including age, gender, waist circumference, body mass index, lipid profiles, fasting glucose, and blood pressure. Subjects who simultaneously underwent colonoscopies and pulse wave velocity (PWV) determinations between July 2005 and September 2006 were analyzed, based on which the subjects were classified into two groups as patients group with colorectal adenomas (n = 49) and control group (n = 200) with normal, non-polypoid benign lesions or hyperplastic polyps. Uni- and multi-variate analyses were performed

to calculate the odd ratio for colon adenomas. Based on uni-variate analysis, age, waist Cell Cycle inhibitor circumference, body mass index, heart-femoral PWV (hfPWV), and brachial-ankle PWV were significantly associated with adenomas (p < 0.05) and multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the heart-femoral PWV, waist circumference, and the levels of LDL-C were significant risk factor for colorectal adenoma. However, arterial stiffness did not affect the progression of colon adenoma. The finding that hfPWV, reflecting aortic stiffness, was increased in patients with colorectal adenomas lead to conclusion that patients who have prominently increased arterial stiffness can be recommended to undergo colonoscopic examinations and at the same time we also recommend counseling about the risk for atherosclerosis in those who have colorectal adenomas.

However, there was a significant association between increased condyle excursion and pain (P = .035) and also maximum mouth opening movement was associated with lateral movement (P = .01; r = 0.31).

Conclusions. Increase in condyle excursion may significantly influence pain perception in TMD patients. GSK690693 solubility dmso The type of dysfunction and severity of alterations on the imaging exams were not related to the severity of pain or range of motion of the mandible. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral

Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2009; 108: e117-e124)”
“ObjectivesTo identify the factors underlying prostate cancer (PCa) patients’ depression-anxiety, sexual problems, urinary dysfunction and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)-linked breast changes and hot flushes, and test these as predictors of loss of masculinity (LoM) over 36months following diagnosis.

MethodsOne thousand seventy patients from the TROG 03.04 (RADAR) trial the EORTC QLQ C-30 and PR 25 questionnaires, and the International Prostate Cancer Symptom Score of the American Urological Association

at baseline, 3, 7, 12, 18, 24 and 36months. Selected items from these scales were factor-analysed to identify a four-component solution for responses at 18 and 36months, and these components were regressed against a single-item measuring LoM.

ResultsDepression-anxiety factor was the most powerful predictor of LoM at both time points, followed by sexual problems of ADT side effects (breast changes and hot flushes). Urinary dysfunction TGF-beta inhibitor was not a consistent predictor of LoM. Depression-anxiety was also the most significant factor distinguishing between those men who reported LoM and those who did not.

ConclusionsAlthough LoM is often reported as arising from ADT, the relative power of depression-anxiety in predicting LoM, both at the selected time points and using a time-lagged analysis,

plus the finding that depression-anxiety was the most consistent difference between men who reported LoM and those who did not, argues for the presence of adverse mood states as being the key ingredient in deciding if PCa patients experience loss of their feelings of masculinity. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.”
“Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) radical polymerization Selonsertib order was used for controlled grafting of styrene and p-chlorostyrene from the surface of ramie fiber. The hydroxyl groups in ramie fiber were first converted to thiocarbonylthio groups as the RAFT chain transfer agent then used to mediate the RAFT polymerization of styrene, and p-chlorostyrene in tetrahydrofuran using azobis (isobutyronitrile) as initiator at 60 degrees C. The grafted copolymers were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, and contact angle measurements. The results confirmed that grafting occurred on the surface of the ramie fiber, substantially increasing the water contact angle from 75.