Online Portable Microcantilever Biosensors for Salmonella enterica Serotype Enteritidis Detection

The micro- and nano-technologies coupled with a deep knowledge of organic/inorganic interfaces guarantee an exceptional sensitivity and specificity of the sensor, while the lab-on-a-chip platform reduces assay times and limits sampling and/or sample preparation, providing compact and portable objects. Therefore, the development of innovative biosensors such as antibody-immobilized microcantilevers can overcome the evident limits of nowadays technologies, such as time consuming, expensiveness, difficult automation, low sensitivity, accuracy, and precision for quantitative methods. The present study proposes two device designs for the detection of food pathogens, exploiting an antibody-immobilized microcantilever biosensors, a novel class of mass detectors. For the first one, we integrated the mechanical sensors on a microfluidic platform (lab-on-a-chip) to perform online analysis, directly in liquid environment. We showed that our portable biosensors could easily detect the presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella enterica serotype enteritidis in concentration 10⁵ cfu/mL in just 40 min, without any enrichment and/or sample preparation. To increase the mass sensitivity of our analysis, we also fabricated microstructures optimized for vibrating in vacuum environment. Using a dip-and-dry technique, we showed that, in such configuration, the experimental limit of detection is as low as 10³ cfu/mL. Due to the extremely small volumes needed, our biosensors operating in vacuum have the potentiality of detecting the presence or absence of a single cell.     

A one-pot ultrasound-assisted water extraction/cyclodextrin encapsulation of resveratrol from Polygonum cuspidatum

The ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of resveratrol and other polyphenols from Polygonum cuspidatum has been carried out with the aim of developing an efficient and eco-friendly extraction process. The finely milled roots were sonicated (titanium horn, 19.5 kHz) in methanol, in different cyclodextrin water solutions [β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) or hydroxypropyl β-CD (HPβ-CD)] and also in pure water. UAE dramatically increased the yields and cut down extraction times compared to conventional extraction under stirring. Outstanding results have been achieved with the β-CD solution (1.5% w/w); in fact HPLC analysis showed that the selective inclusion properties of CDs toward phenolic stilbenes gave a much cleaner analytical extract profile. This green method gave 7.51 mg of total resveratrol (free + cleaved polydatin glucoside) per gram of dry plant. Thanks to polyphenol encapsulation within CDs, this extract showed excellent water dispersibility, higher stability and an antioxidant power which is comparable to that of the MeOH extract (DPPH, ORAC_FL). These important features should pave the road for its application in food supplements or phytochemical preparations.     

Electrochemical hydrodehalogenation of polychloromethanes at silver and carbon electrodes

The reductive dehalogenation of CCl₄, CHCl₃, CH₂Cl₂ and CH₃Cl has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential electrolysis at Ag, glassy carbon (GC) and graphite electrodes in dimethylformamide (DMF) + 0.1 M Et₄NClO₄ in the absence and presence of a proton donor. In particular, the study was focused in the evaluation of the intermediates and final products of the reduction process and how their distribution could be affected by tuning relevant chemical and electrochemical parameters. In general, depending on the value of the applied potential, all polychloromethanes (PCMs) can be partially or completely dechlorinated, methane being exclusively formed in the latter case. The nature of the electrode material and the proton availability of the medium affect drastically the distribution of reduction products. The results point out that at both types of electrode, reduction of PCMs takes place through two competing reaction pathways both leading to methane. One reaction route involves a sequence of reductive dehalogenation steps, with the removal of one chlorine atom at a time, whereas the other is based on hydrogenolysis of carbenes and bypasses the intermediacy of partially dechlorinated PCMs. The presence of a proton source affects substantially the hydrodehalogenation efficiency, enhancing the concentration of intermediate PCMs and the final yield of methane. The silver electrode exhibits an extraordinary electrocatalytic effect resulting in remarkable positive shifts of the reduction potentials of all PCMs with respect to GC. The Ag surface strongly affects the kinetics of the dissociative electron transfer to CH_nCl_(4−n) (n = 0–3) as well as the reactivity of the intermediate radicals, carbanions and carbenes.     

Gas phase complete catalytic oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures

In this work oxidation of benzene and ethenylbenzene (IUPAC name for styrene) as single compounds and in binary mixtures over a Pt honeycomb catalyst were investigated. Both aromatic compounds showed zero-order kinetics over a wide concentration range. The ethenylbenzene reaction rate was affected weakly by the presence of benzene, whereas benzene oxidation was inhibited strongly by ethenylbenzene. The Mars-van Krevelen mechanism (which is generally accepted for single aromatic compound oxidation kinetics) gave rise to inconsistencies in describing mixture behaviour. A different kinetic model is proposed, where benzene reacts from the gas phase and ethenylbenzene is adsorbed on the catalyst competing with oxygen for active sites. This model was able to interpret the oxidation of mixtures quite satisfactorily.     

Capital-energy substitution in manufacturing for seven OECD countries: learning about potential effects of climate policy and peak oil

The simultaneous influence of increasing oil scarcity, greenhouse gas control and renewable energy targets will result in a future of sustained energy prices. Whether modern economies can find a smooth path away from fossil fuels is a fundamental socio-economic and political question, which according to standard economics depends to a large extent on the degree of substitution between energy and capital. We study this issue by modelling the manufacturing sector with a translog cost function in seven OECD countries using the EU-KLEMS database for the period 1970–2005. After a literature survey, different production structures accounting for input substitution, returns to scale and technical change are estimated, and substitution elasticities are derived. Our results indicate a general complementarity or weak substitution relationship between energy and capital, suggesting that an increase in energy price, e.g. due to climate policy or scarcer fossil fuels, will likely reduce capital inputs, which might lead to a lower output of manufacturing.     

Rayleigh-like instability in the ion-shaping of Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles embedded within a silica matrix

We have studied how spherical 23 ± 3 nm Au(45)Ag(55) nanoparticles embedded within a silica matrix transform into prolate nanorods and nanowires by irradiating them with swift heavy ions. Samples were irradiated at room temperature and normal incidence with 74 MeV Kr and 36 MeV S ions for fluences up to 1.0 × 10(15) cm(-2). We demonstrate the existence of two regimes: (i) below a critical fluence, ～ 2.0 × 10(14) cm(-2), the transformation of the spherical nanoparticle into a nanorod is an individual process, i.e. each nanoparticle transforms into a single nanorod; (ii) for larger fluences the transformation from nanorod to nanowire becomes a collective process, i.e. the break up and dissolution of unstable nanorods contribute to the growth of long nanowires. The passage from the first to the second regime can be interpreted in terms of a Rayleigh-like instability under irradiation. The latter becomes active when the diameter of the nanowire approaches its saturation width under irradiation. Furthermore, we show that the composition of the alloy is only slightly modified during the ion-shaping process. Finally, the energy and the fluence thresholds for deformation and the deformation strain-rate are estimated.     

Interactions between anthocyanins and organic food molecules in model systems

The interactions between different glucosidic anthocyanins (pelargonin, cyanin, delphinin, malvin and petunin) and some organic compounds (lactic, galacturonic, tannic, phenolic and sinapic acids; pyrogallol, furfural, pectin, cellulose, hydrolitic lignin) which are present in food‐stuffs were investigated at pH 3.0–4.3 and 25 °C. The interactions were monitored by means of u.v.‐VIS spectra and their different behaviours were highlighted by following changes in absorbance over a range of wavelengths (Δλ and ΔA). Significant effects on absorbance were detected and are discussed in terms of the phenomenon of co‐pigmentation.     

Communication via Mobile Vesicles in Brane Calculi

P systems and Brane calculi are two (families of) computational models inspired by the structure and the functioning of living cells. Although they have different goals there is a recent growing of interests in results that bridge the two research areas.Here we consider an important kind of communication based on the natural budding of mobile membranes (e.g., Golgi apparatus) that is already defined for P systems and we show how to construct an analogous communication in the basic Phago/Exo/Pino Brane calculus.