Virtuaalinen näyttely selaimessa : Room-scale VR-kokemuksen tuotanto WebVR-työkaluilla

Opinnäytetyön aiheena on WebVR:n ja room-scale VR:n hyödyntäminen yhdessä. Opin käyttämään WebVR-työkaluja työharjoitteluni aikana ja sieltä saamani kokemuksen myötä päätin tutkia WebVR:ää vielä lisää ja tein siitä pääaiheen opinnäytetyöhöni. Tavoitteena oli tarkastella WebVR-työkaluja ja selvittää, miten niitä voi käyttää room-scale VR-kokemuksien tekemiseen. Aluksi käyn läpi mitä WebVR on ja esittelen kaksi eri WebVR-työkalua. Seuraavana kerron, mikä tekee room-scalesta omalaatuisen ja miten se toimii. Lopuksi kerron projektista, jossa yhdistyvät nämä kaksi aihetta. Projekti on WebVR-työkaluilla tehty room-scale näyttely. WebVR on vielä uusi konsepti, minkä takia teoreettinen tutkimus oli enimmäkseen tehty lukemalla konferessilokeja ja verkkoartikkeleita sekä katsomalla videoita. Toiminnallisen osuuden projekti oli tehty asiakastyöna työharjoitteluni aikana kahdelle puusepälle, jotka halusivat virtuaalisen näyttelyn veistoksistaan. Työ oli ensimmäinen WebVR asiakasprojek-tini ja sen aikana opin WebVR-työkalun käytön perusperiaatteet, sekä luomaan sillä room-scale VR-kokemuksen. Opiskeluni ja työkokemuksen perusteella tulin johtopäätökseen, että saatavilla olevat työka-lut sopivat hyvin monipuolisten VR-kokemuksien luomiseen, room-scale mukaan lukien. Kuten kaikessa VR-sisällössä, room-scale vaatii suunnittelua ja kokeilua hyvän kokemuk-sen saavuttamiseksi. Koska WebVR on uusi aihe, se saattaa olla monelle tuntematon, minkä takia uskon opin-näytetyöni olevan hyödyllinen herättämään useamman ihmisen kiinnostuksen aiheesta. Opiskelijat, opettajat ja kehittäjät voivat hyötyä WebVr-työkaluista, koska ne ovat ilmaisia ja ovat saatavilla verkkoselaimissa ilman erillisiä sovellus vaatimuksia.The topic of this thesis is applying WebVR and room-scale VR together. I learned to use WebVR tools during my internship and with the experience gained from there I decided to study WebVR further and make it my main topic. The goal was to study WebVR tools and find out how they can be used to create room-scale VR experiences. First, I will go through what WebVR is and introduce two different WebVR tools. Secondly, I will tell what what makes room-scale VR unique and how it works. Finally, I will tell about the project which combines these two topics. The project is a room-scale exhibition made with WebVR tools. WebVR is still a young concept, which is why the theoretical research was conducted mostly by reading conference logs, reading web articles and watching videos. The project for the functional part of the thesis was carried out during my internship as a customer work for two carpenters who wanted a virtual reality exhibition of their crafts. It was my first WebVR customer project and during the process I learned the fundamentals of using a WebVR tool as well as creating a room-scale VR experience with it. Through my studies and work experience with WebVR, I’ve concluded that the available tools suit well for creating various VR experiences, including room-scale. As with all VR content, room-scale VR requires planning and testing to create an enjoyable experience. WebVR as a topic might be unknown for many people due to it being new, which is why I believe my thesis could be useful for bringing WebVR to more people’s attention. Students, teachers and developers can benefit from WebVR tools since they are free to use and available on web browsers without the requirement for third party applications.Työssa mainittuja WebVR-sovelluksia VR-laitteella katsomista varten tarvitaan niitä tukeva selain. Ohjeita selainten lataamiseen löytyy osoitteesta https://webvr.info

Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant evaluation of lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus DC.) Stapf leaves

Cymbopogon citratus commonly called lemon grass is claimed to possess diverse medicinal value among different cultures. The present study determined the phytochemicals and evaluated the antioxidant potential of Cymbopogon citratus leaves. The phytochemical and proximate analysis of the powdered leaves were carried out using standard methods. The antioxidant activity of the crude methanol extract and its fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and chloroform) was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were assessed using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates, reducing sugars, saponins, tannins, flavonoids and other phenolics compounds. The moisture, ash, fat, crude fibre, crude protein, water soluble ash and acid insoluble ash contents were 13.00%, 7.63%, 2.44%, 29.40%, 4.45%, 6.13% and 4.00%, respectively. Among the extract and fractions tested, the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. The ethyl acetate fraction also had the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents. There was a strong relationship between the polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of the extract and fractions with a coefficient of determination (r²) of 0.889 and 0.920 for total phenols and total flavonoids, respectively. The present study showed that the leaves of Cymbopogon citratus especially the ethyl acetate fraction possess good antioxidant activity and could serve as potentially source of natural antioxidants.Keywords: Medicinal plants, Lemon grass, Cymbopogon citratus, Phytochemicals, antioxidant

A preliminary study on the antimicrobial activities and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the ethyl acetate extract of Dennettia tripetala G. Baker seeds

The study investigated the antimicrobial properties and the chemical composition of ethyl acetate extract of Dennettia tripetala (pepper fruit) seeds. Crude extract obtained by maceration of pulverized seeds in ethyl acetate was evaluated for antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger using standard agar-well diffusion method. GC-MS method was used to determine the chemical constituents of the extract. The extract was oily, yellowish-brown with a yield of 1.66 % and had activity against most of the test microorganisms, with inhibition zone diameters ranging between 10 to 25 mm. About 41 chemical constituents were present in the extract with formic acid methyl esters and fatty acids accounting for 57.23 and 18.49 % respectively. Ethyl acetate extract of Dennettia tripetala seeds possessed antimicrobial activity against bacteria but not fungi. The observed activity may be due to the presence of formic and fatty acid esters in the seed. The study further established a scientific proof for the traditional use of Dennettia tripetala seed extracts in treating microbial infections. &nbsp

Biological Activities of a Macrocyclic Diterpenoid Isolated from the Roots of Jatropha gossypiifolia

Background: Extracts of Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae) have been used ethnomedicinally for the treatment of various ailments. The present study was to investigate the biological activity of Jatrophone, a macrocyclic diterpenoid isolated from the roots of J. gossypiifolia. Methods: Phytochemical studies followed by chromatographic separation of the methanol root bark extract led to the isolation of a macrocyclic diterpenoid, identified as jatrophone on the basis of NMR and mass spectra data and by comparison with literature. The isolated compound, jatrophone was evaluated for its antiprotozoal activity against Plasmodium falciparum strains [D6 (chloroquine sensitive) and W2 (chloroquine-resistant)], Leishmania donovani and Trypanosoma brucei. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against type culture of selected fungi and bacteria. Analgesic activity was investigated using the acetic acidinduced writhing and hot plate model in mice. The cytotoxicity was assessed against VERO cell line (monkey kidney fibroblast) using neural red uptake method. Results: Jatrophone showed significant antiplasmodial and antileishmanial activities with IC50 of 0.55, 0.52 and < 0.4 µg/mL for P. falciparum (D6 strain), P. falciparum (W2 strain) and L. donovani respectively. Compound 1 was highly cytotoxic to VERO cell line with IC50 of 0.43 µg/mL. Jatrophone demonstrated significant analgesic effect with a percentage reduction in acetic acid-induced writhes of 54.03% and 66.35% at 5 and 10 mg/kg respectively. No significant antimicrobial activity was observed against the test organisms. Conclusion: The present study has shown that jatrophone possess antimalarial, antileishmanial, and analgesic activitie

Antimicrobial activity of ethyl acetate extract of Citrullus lanatus seeds

Purpose: To determine the antimicrobial activity and chemical constituents of ethyl acetate extract of Citrullus lanatus seeds.Methods: Antimicrobial activity of the ethyl acetate extract of the seeds of C. lanatus was evaluated against Staphylococus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Bacillus subtilis NCTC8236, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145 and Candida albicans ATCC 24433 using standard microbiological method. Chemical constituents of the extract were determined with Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC MS) systems.Results: An oily, yellowish orange coloured extract with a yield of 18.7 % was obtained. The extract inhibited the growth of all test microorganisms at minimum inhibitory concentration range of 0.313 -2.5 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration of 0.313-5 mg/mL. GC MS profile of the extract showed the presence of oleic acid (31.22 %), saturated fatty acid (23.85 %) and gamma tocopherol (8.79 %). Other organic compounds accounted for 36.16 % of the extractConclusion: Ethyl acetate extract of the seeds of Citrullus lanatus has antimicrobial effect against some Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria as well as C. albicans. Twenty-one compounds including fatty acids, hexamethyl-2-ethylacridine, gamma tocopherol and methylphthalate have been identified in the seeds.Keywords: Citrulluslanatus seeds, ethyl acetate extract, antimicrobial activit

Evaluation of three medicinal plant extracts against Plasmodium falciparum and selected microganisms

Background: A great revival of scientific interests in drug discovery has been witnessed in recent years from medicinal plants for health  maintenance. The aim of this work was to investigate three Nigerian  medicinal plants collected in Nigeria for their in vitro antiplasmodial and antimicrobial activities.Materials and Methods: Extracts obtained from parts of Persea americana, Jatropha podagrica and Picralima nitida and their fractions wereevaluated for in vitro antiprotozoal and antimicrobial activity.Result: The methanol extract of P. nitida demonstrated activity against chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum clones with IC50 values of 6.3 and 6.0 µg/mL, respectively. Methanol and chloroform extracts of P. americana seed showed antifungal activity against Cryptococcus neoformans IC50 less than 8 and 8.211 µg/mL respectively. Finally, the petroleum ether extract of P. americana had activity against methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with an IC50 value of 8.7 µg/mL.Conclusion: The study revealed the antibacterial and antiplasmodial activities of the plants extracts at the tested concentrations.Keywords: Antifungal, Antibacterial, Persea americana, Picralima nitida, Jatropha podagrica, Plasmodium falciparu

Identification of Compounds and Insecticidal Activity of the Root of Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia Pulcherrima L)

Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Caesalpiniaceae) is an ornamental plant with several ethnomedicinal uses. The present study was designed to investigate the brine shrimp cytotoxicity and insecticidal activity of oil obtained from C. pulcherrima root. The powdered root was extracted with methanol and then defatted with petroleum ether (40-60oC) to obtain a viscous oil. The oil was investigated for its brine shrimp cytotoxicity and insecticidal activity in vitro. The chemical constituents were identified by Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry. The oil showed significant lethal effect against Artemia salina (Brine shrimp) with LC50 of 23.85 μg/mL and mild insecticidal activity against Tribolium castaneum and Callosbruchus analis with percentage mortality of 20% and 40% respectively at 1 mg/cm2. GC-MS analysis identified 37 compounds mainly steroids, terpenoids and fatty acids.Keywords: Caesalpinia pulcherrima, chemical constituents, cytotoxicity, insecticidal activity

Isolation and Elucidation of 15-Acetylguanacone from Soursop (Annona muricata Linn) Fruit and Molecular Docking Experiments

Annona muricata (Soursop) has attracted attention due to its content of annonaceous acetogenins, a large family of naturally occurring polyketides isolated from various species of the genus Annonaceae. The ethyl acetate fraction of Annona muricata was subjected to standard isolation protocol-gradient and isocratic silica gel column chromatography- to obtain three waxy and whitish amorphous compounds, 002/A1, 002/A2 and 002/C. The structure of compound 200/A2 was elucidated using 1H-NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and electron impact (EI+) mass spectroscopy. The molecular weight of 200/A2 was determined as 662 by EI-MS ([M+H]+ : m/z = 662.1) leading to the molecular formula C39H66O8 as obtained using high resolution MS. The existence of an α, β-unsaturated γ-lactone moiety, non-hydroxylated at the C-4 position, was suggested by an IR carbonyl absorption at 1735.9 cm-1 and 1662.7 cm-1; the IR also gave signal for hydroxyl group at 3339.0 cm-1. The presence of a characteristic vinyl proton δ 7.24 (H-35, d), which is characteristic for α, β- unsaturated γ-lactone was confirmed by the 1H-NMR spectrum. The compound was thus elucidated to be 15-acetyl guanacone, an acetogenin. This acetogenin has not been reported in Annona muricata previously. The compound was subsequently subjected to molecular docking experiments which revealed that it targets and binds to vascular endothelial growth factor 2, VEGF2 (-8.5kcal/mole) and α1 β2 integrin (-6.8kcal/mole), This thus suggests that 15-acetyl guanacone prevents metastasis and invasion by cancer cells, and ultimately initiates apoptosis.Key words: VEGF2; Integrin; Cancer; Acetogenins; Apoptosis; Soursop

Chemical Characterization, Anti inflammatory and Analgesic Properties of Jatropha Multifida Root Bark

Jatropha Multifida is used in African folk medicine for the treatment of infection, pain, fever, various inflammatory conditions, tumor and tumor related diseases. The present study investigated the phytochemical constituents of the powdered root bark using established standard procedures. The methanol root bark extract at doses of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg was subjected to evaluation of anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in experimental animal models. The anti-inflammatory activity was estimated by measuring the mean thickness in carrageenan-induced hind paw oedema in Wistar albino rats. The analgesic activity was assessed by acetic acid-induced writhing in Swiss albino mice. Indomethacin (10 mg/kg) and acetyl salicylic acid (100 mg/kg) were used as standards in the anti-inflammatory and analgesic assay respectively. Phytochemical investigations reveal the presence of alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, saponins and flavonoids. The extract at a dose of 400 mg/kg significantly (P < 0.01) reduced paw thickness in rat compared to control. There was a dose dependent decrease in writhings which was significant (P < 0.05) at 400 mg/kg compared to control. The results therefore suggest that J. Multifida root bark has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities which further substantiate its use in folk medicine

Isolation of Diterpenoids from Jatropha podagrica against Hepatitis C virus

One new lathyrane diterpenoid, Jatropodagrene (1) along with three known compounds have been isolated from the root bark of Jatropha podagrica. The structure of the new compound was established from its 1D and 2D NMR spectra and in comparison with data reported in previous literatures. Compound 1 was highly cytotoxic (98.86% inhibition) to the HCV virus, while compounds 2 (EC50, EC90, CC50 5.8, 33.1, 22.6 μg/mL, respectively) and 3 displayed significant anti HCV activity. This is the first report of the anti hepatitis C virus activity of lathyrane skeleton and J. podagrica.Keywords: Jatropha podagrica; medicinal plant; hepatitis C virus; extract; pure compound