Metabolic Profiling of VOCs Emitted by Bacteria Isolated from Pressure Ulcers and Treated with Different Concentrations of Bio-AgNPs

Considering the advent of antibiotic resistance, the study of bacterial metabolic behavior stimulated by novel antimicrobial agents becomes a relevant tool to elucidate involved adaptive pathways. Profiling of volatile metabolites was performed to monitor alterations of bacterial metabolism induced by biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (bio-AgNPs). Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis were isolated from pressure ulcers, and their cultures were prepared in the presence/absence of bio-AgNPs at 12.5, 25 and 50 µg mL⁻¹. Headspace solid phase microextraction associated to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was the employed analytical platform. At the lower concentration level, the agent promoted positive modulation of products of fermentation routes and bioactive volatiles, indicating an attempt of bacteria to adapt to an ongoing suppression of cellular respiration. Augmented response of aldehydes and other possible products of lipid oxidative cleavage was noticed for increasing levels of bio-AgNPs. The greatest concentration of agent caused a reduction of 44 to 80% in the variety of compounds found in the control samples. Pathway analysis indicated overall inhibition of amino acids and fatty acids routes. The present assessment may provide a deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms of bio-AgNPs and how the metabolic response of bacteria is untangled.     

Maskless Preparation of Spatially-Resolved Plasmonic Nanoparticles on Polydimethylsiloxane via In Situ Fluoride-Assisted Synthesis

Here, a fluoride-assisted route for the controlled in-situ synthesis of metal nanoparticles (NPs) (i.e., AgNPs, AuNPs) on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is reported. The size and coverage of the NPs on the PDMS surface are modulated with time and over space during the synthetic process, leveraging the improved yield (10×) and faster kinetics (100×) of NP formation in the presence of F⁻ ions, compared to fluoride-free approaches. This enables the maskless preparation of both linear and step gradients and patterns of NPs in 1D and 2D on the PDMS surface. As an application in flexible plasmonics/photonics, continuous and step-wise spatial modulations of the plasmonic features of PDMS slabs with 1D and 2D AgNP gradients on the surface are demonstrated. An excellent spatially resolved tuning of key optical parameters, namely, optical density from zero to 5 and extinction ratio up to 100 dB, is achieved with AgNP gradients prepared in AgF solution for 12 minutes; the performance are comparable to those of commercial dielectric/interference filters. When used as a rejection filter in optical fluorescence microscopy, the AgNP-PDMS slabs are able to reject the excitation laser at 405 nm and retain the green fluorescence of microbeads (100 µm) used as test cases.     

Clinical significance of contact lens related changes of ocular surface tissue observed on optical coherence images

PurposeTo investigate the relationship between the real contact lens imprint into the conjunctival tissue, observed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and conjunctival staining and contact lens wearing comfort.Methods17 participants (mean age = 26.6 SD ± 3.6 years; 7 females) were fitted with three different contact lenses base curves of the same silicone hydrogel custom lens type (Visell 50; Hecht Contactlinsen, Au, Germany) in a randomised order. One lens was optimally fitted according to the manufacturer's recommendation, one fitted 0.4 mm flatter and one fitted 0.4 mm steeper. After 4 h of lens wear the contact lens edge in the area of the conjunctiva was imaged nasally and temporally using OCT (Optovue iVue SD-OCT). To correct the artefact due to optical distortion with OCT, the imprint of all worn lenses was measured on a glass plate afterwards. Conjunctival staining in the limbal region after 4 h of lens wear was classified using the CCLRU Grading Scale. Comfort scoring was based on visual analog scales from 0 (very poor) to 100 (excellent).ResultsThe mean conjunctival imprint of all contact lens edges was 32.0 ± 8.1 μm before and 7.3 ± 6.5 μm after distortion correction of the OCT images. The distortion corrected conjunctival imprint with the 0.4 mm steeper lens (11.5 ± 6.2 μm) was statistically significantly greater compared to the optimally fitted lens (6.5 ± 5.9 μm) (One-way ANOVA followed Tukey-test; p = 0.017) and greater compared to the 0.4 mm flatter lens (3.9 ± 5.3 μm) (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the optimally fitted lens and the 0.4 mm flatter lens (p = 0.209). The nasally measured imprint (11.4 ± 9.0 μm) was significantly greater than the temporally measured (3.3 ± 7.6 μm) (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant correlation between the amount of conjunctival imprint and the graded conjunctival staining (p = 0.346) or the wearer’s comfort (p = 0.735).ConclusionsContact lens edges imaged by OCT exhibited displacement artefacts. The observed conjunctival imprints are a combination of real conjunctival compression and artefacts. A deeper imprint of the contact lens into the conjunctiva caused by a steeper base curve was not related to clinically significant staining or changes in comfort after 4 h of lens wear. The observed differences between nasal and temporal imprint are likely to be caused by variations of conjunctival thickness and the shape of the underlying sclera.     

TiO2上的CuAg纳米粒子用于高效乙醛光降解

光降解乙醛(CH3CHO)是一种新型高效的乙醛去除方法，通常采用TiO2作为光催化剂。然而TiO2对乙醛吸附能力较弱，对产物的选择性较低，电子-空穴对重组率较高，严重限制了对乙醛的降解性能。本研究通过在TiO2上负载CuAg纳米粒子(CuAg/TiO2)，成功构建了高效稳定的光催化降解乙醛催化剂，有效解决了TiO2的固有缺陷。在自然光照射下，CuAg/TiO2对乙醛的降解率高达42.49%。连续4轮全光谱光催化降解乙醛，CuAg/TiO2活性均保持在98.89%以上。进一步的机理研究表明，CuAg/TiO2中的CuAg纳米粒子在光照下产生热电子，随后热电子转移到TiO2和吸附在Ag位点上的氧中。CuAg/TiO2上生成的超氧自由基能有效地降解乙醛，从而在乙醛降解过程中表现出优异的性能。     

Synthesis of monodispersed silver particles: Synthetic techniques to control shapes,particle size distribution and lightness of silver particles

The purpose of this paper is to give process for preparing monodispersed silver particles with round shape having aspect ratio of 1, because the shape is suitable for preparing silver grids with fine pattern size. We found that the combination of gelatin and hydrazine gave the monodispersed silver particles with the aspect ratio of 1. Presence of the high molecular compounds is crucial probably because they are adsorbed on the surface of growing silver particles and control the uniform crystal growth. In addition, the relationship between these reaction conditions and the particle shape are discussed in detail.     

高分辨连续光源原子吸收光谱法测定铀铌铅多金属矿中痕量银

铀铌铅多金属矿组成成分复杂,准确有效的测定其中的痕量银,有利于银的回收利用。采用HCl-HNO₃-HF-HClO₄处理铀铌铅多金属矿样品,以HCl(1+4)-2g/L酒石酸为测定介质,以λ_Ag=328.068nm为分析谱线,建立了高分辨连续光源原子吸收光谱法(HR-CS-AAS)测定铀铌铅多金属矿样品中痕量银的新方法。对仪器参数进行了优化,确定采用迭代基线校正(IBC)背景校正方式,CCD检测器有效像素点选择5个;由银的平均吸收光谱图和吸光度-波长-时间三维吸收光谱图可知,银的CCD检测器分辨率为0.0020nm/pixel,λ_Ag=328.068nm在327.86~328.27nm范围内没有受到溶液中其他共存元素的谱线干扰。在优化的实验条件下,银的吸光度与其质量浓度在0.40~1.60μg/mL范围内运用二次方程最小二乘法拟合校准曲线,相关系数为0.9999,特征浓度为0.0148μg/mL,方法检出限为0.0013μg/mL。将HR-CS-AAS测定样品中银的参数与空心阴极灯原子吸收光谱法(HCL-AAS)相比,其检出限更低,特征浓度更低,标准溶液系列的吸光度更高。按照实验方法对铀铌铅多金属矿样品中的银进行测定,结果与电感耦合等离子体质谱法基本一致,相对标准偏差(RSD,n=9)为0.63%~3.3%。按实验方法在铀铌铅多金属矿样品中加入银标准溶液进行加标回收试验,回收率为97%~104%,满足国家地质矿产行业标准DZ/T 0130—2006的要求。     

Silver(I)-Ion-Mediated Cytosine-Containing Base Pairs: Metal Ion Specificity for Duplex Stabilization and Susceptibility toward DNA Polymerases

Spectroscopic characterization of Ag^I-ion-mediated C-Ag^I-A and C-Ag^I-T base pairs found in primer extension reactions catalyzed by DNA polymerases was conducted. UV melting experiments revealed that C-A and C-T mismatched base pairs in oligodeoxynucleotide duplexes are specifically stabilized by Ag^I ions in 1:1 stoichiometry in the same manner as a C-C mismatched base pair. Although the stability of the mismatched base pairs in the absence of Ag^I ions is in the order C-A≈C-T>C-C, the stabilizing effect of Ag^I ions follows the order C-C>C-A≈C-T. However, the comparative susceptibility of dNTPs to Ag^I-mediated enzymatic incorporation into the site opposite templating C is dATP>dTTP≫dCTP, as reported. The net charge, as well as the size and/or shape complementarity of the metal-mediated base pairs, or the stabilities of mismatched base pairs in the absence of metal ions, would be more important than the stability of the metallo-base pairs in the replicating reaction catalyzed by DNA polymerases.     

云花皱织物的设计与开发

设计与开发了云花皱织物。络筒工序以"高车速、小张力、降毛羽、提产量"为工艺原则;整浆联合工序以"高车速、贴伏毛羽、减磨兼顾增强"为工艺原则;银丝不上浆,按照色经排列要求放在相应的伸缩筘中,并控制好张力;银丝和黑色花式线应穿在规定的综框;织造工序以"高车速、大张力、早开口"为工艺原则。经过对织造准备工序和织造工序的优化使得织造效率达到90%以上,下机一等品率达到93%,入库一等品率达到99%。     

铜硫分离中银的选择性导向回收

为了研究新型抑制剂在铜硫分离过程中对银浮选行为的影响, 采用石灰和LY作为硫抑制剂, 通过6种动力学模型, 分别考察了低碱和高碱环境下铜、银和铁的浮选回收率及动力学行为。结果表明, 6种动力学模型均可较好地拟合试验数据。石灰选择性较差, 在低碱性介质中对黄铁矿的抑制效果较弱, 在强碱性介质中不利于铜和银矿物的回收; 而LY在铜硫分离过程中表现出良好的选择性, 它可以在低碱和高碱环境下强烈抑制黄铁矿, 并在弱碱性矿浆中实现铜硫的高效分离, 同时诱导独立银矿物定向富集至铜精矿产品中。