Experimentelle Untersuchung des Abwälzverhaltens von Beveloidverzahnungen mit lokal angepassten Verzahnungsdaten entlang der Zahnbreite

Forschung im Ingenieurwesen - Zur Übertragung von Drehmoment und Drehzahl in beliebiger Achsanordnung eignen sich bei kleinem Achswinkel bis 30° Beveloidverzahnungen. Besonders...     

Digestive protection of probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus in Ricotta cheese by monoglyceride structured emulsions

This research aimed at studying the potential use of monoglyceride (MG) structured emulsions (MSEs) as delivery and protective systems for probiotic bacteria in Ricotta cheese. To this purpose, a low-fat commercial Ricotta cheese was added with MSEs formulated with milk, as water phase, and sunflower oil (MSE-SO) or anhydrous milk fat (MSE-AMF), as lipid phase. A commercial whole milk Ricotta cheese (W-RC) was considered as reference. A probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strain was inoculated as free cells in W-RC or embedded into the MSEs and added to the low-fat Ricotta at the same reference fat content. After physico-chemical characterisation, L. rhamnosus viability and sample destructuring behaviour upon in vitro digestion were evaluated. At the end of in vitro digestion, both W-RC and sample containing MSE-SO were unable to protect cells. By contrast, sample with AMF ensured a sufficient probiotic viability, even after 14 days of storage at 4 °C. This result was attributed to system composition and structure. During the gastric phase, the presence of caseins and MG-AMF mixed structures induced the formation of clots, entrapping and protecting cells against the acidic pH of the stomach, as confirmed by confocal micrographs and particle size. During the intestinal phase, cell viability was guaranteed by the formation of mixed micelles promoted by MG. It was demonstrated that microbial cells located near MG structures where they found protection.     

Training visual attention in a naturalistic visual environment

The efficiency of training visual attention in the central and peripheral visual field was investigated by means of a visual detection task that was performed in a naturalistic visual environment including numerous, time-varying visual distractors. We investigated the minimum number of repetitions of the training required to obtain the top performance and whether intra-day training improved performance as efficiently as inter-day training. Additionally, our research aimed to find out whether exposure to a demanding task such as a microsurgical intervention may cancel out the effects of training.

Results showed that performance in visual attention peaked within three (for tasks in the central visual field) to seven (for tasks in the periphery) days subsequent to training. Intra-day training had no significant effect on performance. When attention training was administered after exposure to stress, improvement of attentional performance was more pronounced than when training was completed before the exposure. Our findings support the implementation of training in situ at work for more efficient results.

Practitioner Summary: Visual attention is important in an increasing number of workplaces, such as with surveillance, inspection, or driving. This study shows that it is possible to train visual attention efficiently within three to seven days. Because our study was executed in a naturalistic environment, training results are more likely to reflect the effects in the real workplace.     

7,8-Dihydro-8-oxoguanosine Lesions Inhibit the Theophylline Aptamer or Change Its Selectivity

Aptamers are attractive constructs due to their high affinity/selectivity towards a target. Here 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanosine (8-oxoG) has been used, due in part to its unique H-bonding capabilities (Watson–Crick or Hoogsteen), to expand the “RNA alphabet”. Its impact on the theophylline RNA aptamer was explored by modifying its binding pocket at positions G11, G25, or G26. Structural probing, with RNases A and T₁, showed that modification at G11 leads to a drastic structural change, whereas the G25-/G26-modified analogues exhibited cleavage patterns similar to that of the canonical construct. The recognition properties towards three xanthine derivatives were then explored through thermophoresis. Modifying the aptamer at position G11 led to binding inhibition. Modification at G25, however, changed the selectivity towards theobromine (K_d≈160 μm ), with a poor affinity for theophylline (K_d>1.5 mm ) being observed. Overall, 8-oxoG can have an impact on the structures of aptamers in a position-dependent manner, leading to altered target selectivity.     

Non-invasive Raman identification of crystalline and glassy phases in a 1781 Sèvres Royal Factory soft paste porcelain plate

A Raman study of a Sèvres soft paste (frit) porcelain plate allowed the identification of both the crystalline and amorphous phases. Cristobalite and pseudowollastonite gave main Raman signatures in the body where also tridymite, amorphous alkali silicate glass and lead arsenate apatite were detected. Na_0.4K_0.1Ca_0.5Pb₄(AsO₄)₃ lacunar apatite is identified as opacifier in blue and green overglaze enamel. Pb-Sb-reach pyrochlore (Naples Yellow) pigment was found in yellow and green overglaze enamels. The orange hue is obtained by superposing a hematite bearing red paint stroke over the yellow. These results are compared to those previously obtained by detailed OM, SEM, XRD and XRF analyses. Some of the phases identified by XRD (quartz, tridymite) are hardly detected by Raman and vice versa cristobalite was not found by XRD, most probably due to its low amount.     

Automatic on-line monitoring of atmospheric volatile organic compounds: gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection as complementary systems

Traditionally air quality networks have been carrying out the continuous, on-line measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in ambient air with GC-FID. In this paper some identification and coelution problems observed while using this technique in long-term measurement campaigns are described. In order to solve these problems a GC-MS was set up and operated simultaneously with a GC-FID for C₂-C₁₁ VOCs measurement.There are few on-line, unattended, long term measurements of atmospheric VOCs performed with GC-MS. In this work such a system has been optimized for that purpose, achieving good repeatability, linearity, and detection limits of the order of the GC-FID ones, even smaller in some cases. VOC quantification has been made by using response factors, which is not frequent in on-line GC-MS. That way, the identification and coelution problems detected in the GC-FID, which may led to reporting erroneous data, could be corrected.The combination of GC-FID and GC-MS as complementary techniques for the measurement of speciated VOCs in ambient air at sub-ppbv levels is proposed. Some results of the measurements are presented, including concentration values for some compounds not found until now on public ambient air VOC databases, which were identified and quantified combining both techniques. Results may also help to correct previously published VOC data with wrongly identified compounds by reprocessing raw chromatographic data.     

Stress Distributions Around Rigid Nanoparticles

A closed form solution for the stress fields around a rigid nanoparticle under uniaxial tensile load is provided. The work explicitly accounts for the presence, around the nanoparticle, of an interphase of thickness comparable to the particle size and different elastic properties from those of the matrix. The solution allows one to determine, in closed form, the stress concentration around nanoparticles relevant for fracture and strength assessments of polymer nanocomposites.     

Antioxidant activity of phenolic and phenylethanoid glycosides from Teucrium polium L

In the present study, the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae) were assessed. Fractionation of methanol extract obtained from the aerial parts of T. polium yielded one new phenylethanoid glycoside, named poliumoside B, together with four known flavonoids, two iridoid glycosides and a known poliumoside. The structures of all of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data from 1D and 2D NMR experiments and MS spectral analyses. The antioxidant activities of the crude extracts and of the isolated compounds were evaluated through tests such as DPPH radical-scavenging capability, reducing power, xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect and inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation. The highest antioxidant activity was found in the n-butanol extract, which also contained active polyphenols, thus suggesting that this plant could be used as a source of natural molecules, to provide safe antioxidant additives and nutraceuticals. The structure–activity relationships of the isolated compounds are also discussed.     

How meaty? Detection and quantification of adulterants,foreign proteins and food additives in meat products

The worldwide consumption of meat is increasing, especially in developing countries. Many studies have correlated a diet characterised by high intake of processed red meats with a risk of colorectal cancer, stroke, coronary heart diseases and diabetes. Moreover, the quality and safety of meat products may be compromised by several admitted and not admitted procedures (i.e. addition of food additives and/or foreign proteins). For these reasons, the topic ‘meat products’ quality and safety’ has gained much in importance during last few years. In this review, the recent advances in the field of analytical methods for the evaluation of meat adulteration due to the addition of foreign proteins and food additives are reported, compared and critically evaluated. Moreover, the most representative monitoring practices, developed worldwide, related to meats adulteration are described and discussed.