Visible spectroelectrochemical characterization of Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms on optically transparent indium tin oxide electrode

We report visible spectroelectrochemical (SEC) characterization of cytochrome c₅₅₂ (cyt c₅₅₂) in viable Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms on tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) electrodes poised at 0.24 V vs. SHE. G. sulfurreducens biofilms were grown in minimal medium with acetate as electron donor (turnover conditions), followed by 24 h incubation in electron donor-depleted medium (non-turnover conditions). The electronic absorption spectra of G. sulfurreducens biofilms showed the lowest energy absorption band in the reduced state at 552 nm, which indicated excess of cyt c₅₅₂ in the biofilm. The spectra under non-turnover conditions displayed gradual reduction of the cyt c₅₅₂, following the step-wise decrease of electrode potential from 0.0 V to −0.6 V vs. standard calomel electrode (SCE). The spectral changes were fully reversible in both positive and negative direction of the scan potential, with average midpoint potential value of −0.42 V vs. SCE. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed that the thickness of biofilms under turnover conditions and non-turnover conditions was approximately 35 and 3.5 μm, respectively. This is the first study to observe the reversible redox conversion of cyt c₅₅₂ in viable G. sulfurreducens biofilms.     

Developing pyrrole-derived antimycobacterial agents: a rational lead optimization approach

Tuberculosis (TB) represents a never-ending challenge toward which research efforts are needed. Drug resistance is the key problem that scientists in the field need to fight. The development of new drugs endowed with novel modes of action against different biological targets is of extreme importance; these new agents should also exhibit lower toxicity compared with the anti-TB drugs currently available. Furthermore, new drugs should be inexpensive since most of the TB-infected population lives in developing nations. In the last few years, numerous researchers have focused their attention on TB, leading to the discovery of some interesting compounds. Among these, the pyrrole-derived compounds we developed can be considered very promising antimycobacterial agents. Aided by molecular modeling studies, we synthesized numerous compounds characterized by the same 1,5-diarylpyrrole scaffold and elucidated very interesting antitubercular/antimycobacterial properties. Some compounds identified are extremely promising and represent a step towards the design of novel lead structures in the fight against TB. Our efforts to this end are reviewed here.     

Semi-dynamic breadth-first search in digraphs

In this paper we propose dynamic algorithms for maintaining a breadth-first search tree from a given source vertex of a directed graph G in either an incremental or a decremental setting. During a sequence of q edge insertions or a sequence of q edge deletions the total time required is O(m·min{q,n}), where n is the number of vertices of G, and m is the final number of edges of G in the case of insertions or the initial number of edges of G in the case of deletions. This gives O(n) amortized time for each operation if the sequence has length Ω(m). Our algorithms require O(n+m) space. These are the first results in the literature concerning the dynamic maintenance of a breadth-first search tree for directed graphs. As a straightforward application of such algorithms we can maintain a shortest path tree for a directed graph in the case of unit edge weights within the same time bounds. In this case distance queries can be answered in constant time, while shortest path queries can be answered in time linear in the length of the retrieved path.     

Novel Data on the Polyphenol Composition of Italian Ancient Apple Cultivars

The pulp polyphenol composition of some Italian ancient apple cultivars, Dominici, Giachetta, Grigia di Torriana, Pom d'Aram, Ronzè, and Ros Borsetta, was studied in comparison with a Golden Delicious commercial variety, over a three-year period. Polyphenols were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with diode array and mass spectrometer detectors. The results showed that ancient varieties, such as Grigia di Torriana, Ros Borsetta, and Giachetta, constitute good sources of polyphenols, even without the peel. It was demonstrated that some representative apple phenolics, such as chlorogenic acid and phloridzin, were clearly affected by the harvesting year, whereas others, such as catechins and procyanidins, did not.     

Efficiency evaluation of a C Magnetic Resonance birdcage coil: Theory and comparison of four methods

Radiofrequency coils in Magnetic Resonance systems are used to produce a homogeneous B₁ field for exciting the nuclei and to pick up the signals emitted by the nuclei with high signal-to-noise ratio. Accordingly, coil performance affects strongly the quality of the obtained data and images.     

Effect of thermal annealing time on optical and structural properties of TeO2 thin films

TeO₂ thin films were deposited on quartz substrates by rf reactive sputtering technique from a Te metal target. The obtained samples were annealed in an argon atmosphere at 450 °C for different annealing times up to 90 min. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the as-grown samples were amorphous and there was no appreciable change in structure for a short annealing time. Thin films became polycrystalline with the tetragonal (α-phase) structure of tellurium dioxide crystal with the increase of the thermal annealing time. The refractive index and optical energy gap of the films were calculated by modelling transmittance spectra. The optical energy gap decreased continuously from 3.83 eV to 3.71 eV with increasing thermal annealing time.     

A new representation of power spectral density and correlation function by means of fractional spectral moments

In this paper, a new perspective for the representation of both the power spectral density and the correlation function by a unique class of function is introduced. We define the moments of order γ$\gamma$ (γ∈C$\gamma \in \mathbb{C}$) of the one sided power spectral density and we call them Fractional Spectral Moments (FSM). These complex quantities remain finite also in the case in which the ordinary spectral moments diverge, and are able to represent the whole Power Spectral Density and the corresponding correlation function.     

Water sorption in polymer network films synthesised from PEO oligomers containing acrylic and vinyl ether functionalities

Summary Poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers, with end groups that have either acrylic or vinyl ether functionalities, were photopolymerised by UV radiation to create polymer networks in the form of thin films. Moisture sorption of the polymers, determined by microgravimetric analysis, was correlated to the oligomer structure, i.e. to the PEO chain length and to the type of unsaturation. The data can be described with a Fickian diffusion model using diffusion coefficients of water in the polymer networks on the order of 1 × 10⁻¹² m²/s. The total amount of water sorption at equilibrium saturation increases with an increasing number of EO units in the oligomer used to synthesise the network. The number of absorbed water molecules associated with each EO unit increases with the number of these units in the oligomer until it reaches two water molecules per EO unit, for acrylated-PEO oligomers (PEGDA) having at least 30 EO units. The type of interactions between the polymer network and water were evaluated by means of thermal analysis performed on the hydrated films. It was found that all water is present as bound rather than mobile water. Received: 13 July 1999/Revised version: 10 February 2000/Accepted: 10 February 2000     

Noncoherent iterative decoding of spectrally efficient coded modulations

In this paper, we consider possible solutions for noncoherent decoding of concatenated codes with spectrally efficient modulations. Two main classes of schemes are considered. A first class is obtained by concatenating parallel coding schemes with differential encoding. A second class considers serially concatenated coding structures and possible schemes derived from turbo trellis coded modulation (t-tcm), which do not employ differential encoding. In the first case, at the receiver side we consider separate detection and decoding, while in the second case we consider joint detection and decoding. The major problem connected with such an iterative decoding procedure is that taking into account an augmented channel memory leads to an intolerable trellis size, and hence to an impractical decoding complexity. Reduced-complexity techniques suited to iterative decoding become fundamental, and we consider a recently proposed state-reduction technique. This way, the performance of a coherent receiver is approached, by keeping the number of receiver states fixed.     

Sensory analysis integrated by palynological and physicochemical determinations plays a key role in differentiating unifloral honeys of similar botanical origins (Myrtaceae honeys from southern Spain)

Myrtaceae honeys produced in Sierra Morena (southern Spain, Andalusia) are obtained from both Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Myrtus communis, and honeys can be easily confused when classified as they come from the same botanical family. The characterisation was intended on the basis of their physicochemical, sensory and palynological properties. Cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) allowed us to make a distinction between two honey profiles. The first one corresponds to the European sensory profile described for Eucalyptus unifloral honeys. The second profile, which sensory characteristics are absolutely different, has not been previously described. Classification of samples is proposed to be based on their pollen type and content and sensory attributes. Therefore, pollen type and content in E. camaldulensis and M. communis are required to distinguish Eucalyptus honey type from other honeys coming from Myrtaceae family. Sensory analysis identifies honey botanical source as well as palynological analysis: Eucalyptus sensory profile requires over 50% of E. camaldulensis and under 30% of M. communis pollen. Previously undefined sensory profile of myrtle honey is showed under 50% of E. camaldulensis and over 30% of M. communis pollen.