Antibiotic susceptibility testing of Bifidobacterium thermophilum and Bifidobacterium pseudolongum strains: broth microdilution vs. agar disc diffusion assay

There is urgent need for having available suitable methods and data regarding the susceptibility levels of antibiotic resistant and sensitive strains of bifidobacteria. Based on a defined standard operation procedure, agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution were compared in order to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of 82 B. pseudolongum and 80 B. thermophilum strains mainly originating from the meat production chain. The methods that were assessed showed interpretable agreement within this study. The disc diffusion zone diameters are highly reproducible making the method a useful alternative to broth microdilution for antimicrobial susceptibility screening of bifidobacteria.     

Simulation of vacuum distillation to produce alcohol-free beer

Several processes have been developed for producing alcohol-free beer while maintaining desirable sensory characteristics. One of the most popular thermal processes used is distillation, where not only ethanol but volatile aromatic components are partly or completely removed from the beer. Based on data from the literature and using the Aspen Plus simulator, this study evaluates and compares the aroma profiles of alcohol-free beers obtained by continuous vacuum distillation with different pressures and processes. Three processes were simulated at pressures of 60, 102, and 200 mbar. The first (Process A) was a standard continuous vacuum distillation, where the bottom product was an alcohol-free beer. In the second (Process B), the bottom product was blended with a standard beer that had not undergone any thermal process. In the third (Process C), part of the top stream was mixed with the bottom product. This study considered eight major compounds in beer: ethanol, propanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, ethyl acetate, diacetyl and isoamyl acetate. The three simulated pressure ranges showed similar results, indicating that reducing the pressure below 200 mbar did not improve separation. Further, vacuum distillation did not remove diacetyl from the beer. Processes B and C resulted in beer that was richer in flavour compounds. Furthermore, when these processes were compared to Process A, the concentration of esters was markedly higher. © 2019 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Study on the pilot-scale extraction of onion oleoresin using supercritical CO2

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) was used to produce oleoresin from dried onion by pilot-scale extraction. The results showed that the extraction pressure and temperature affected the yield and sulphur concentration of onion oleoresin. Increase of the temperature from 45 to 65°C at 300 bar resulted in an increase of the yield and the sulphur concentration of oleoresin. At the same temperature (45°C) the yield was also higher at 300 bar than 100 bar while sulphur concentration of oleoresin got smaller at 300 bar than at 100 bar. The volatile composition of oleoresin displayed practically no differences as a function of extraction parameters. Comparison of different extraction methods showed that the yield after SC-CO₂ extraction was 22 times higher than that after steam distillation, but it was 14 or 39 times less than that after alcohol extraction, shaking at 25°C or in Soxhlet apparatus, respectively. The concentration of sulphur was the highest in steam distilled onion oil while it was the lowest in the extract of hexane and alcohol (at 25°C). The results of sensory evaluation showed that oleoresin extracted by SC-CO₂ was the first in ranking (at level of significance 0·05), before steam distilled oil and alcoholic extract. There was no significant difference between steam distilled oil and alcoholic extract in ranking, but the alcoholic extract was the least desirable, since the intensity of its off odour attribute was the highest. © 1998 SCI.     

Physical, electrical, and optical properties of SF-PECVD-grown hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon with growth surface electrical bias

Characterization results on hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) thin films grown in a Saddle Field (SF) PECVD system are presented. The microcrystalline content of the films is controlled by the application of a positive electrical bias to the film growth surface. The results of photoluminescence, atomic force microscopy, infrared-absorption, and electrical conductivity studies are presented. The results correlate to the changing microcrystalline content of the films in the same way as when microcrystalline content is influenced through growth parameters such as hydrogen dilution in other CVD techniques.

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Quantum junction solar cells

Colloidal quantum dot solids combine convenient solution-processing with quantum size effect tuning, offering avenues to high-efficiency multijunction cells based on a single materials synthesis and processing platform. The highest-performing colloidal quantum dot rectifying devices reported to date have relied on a junction between a quantum-tuned absorber and a bulk material (e.g., TiO(2)); however, quantum tuning of the absorber then requires complete redesign of the bulk acceptor, compromising the benefits of facile quantum tuning. Here we report rectifying junctions constructed entirely using inherently band-aligned quantum-tuned materials. Realizing these quantum junction diodes relied upon the creation of an n-type quantum dot solid having a clean bandgap. We combine stable, chemically compatible, high-performance n-type and p-type materials to create the first quantum junction solar cells. We present a family of photovoltaic devices having widely tuned bandgaps of 0.6-1.6 eV that excel where conventional quantum-to-bulk devices fail to perform. Devices having optimal single-junction bandgaps exhibit certified AM1.5 solar power conversion efficiencies of 5.4%. Control over doping in quantum solids, and the successful integration of these materials to form stable quantum junctions, offers a powerful new degree of freedom to colloidal quantum dot optoelectronics.     

Hybrid passivated colloidal quantum dot solids

Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) films allow large-area solution processing and bandgap tuning through the quantum size effect. However, the high ratio of surface area to volume makes CQD films prone to high trap state densities if surfaces are imperfectly passivated, promoting recombination of charge carriers that is detrimental to device performance. Recent advances have replaced the long insulating ligands that enable colloidal stability following synthesis with shorter organic linkers or halide anions, leading to improved passivation and higher packing densities. Although this substitution has been performed using solid-state ligand exchange, a solution-based approach is preferable because it enables increased control over the balance of charges on the surface of the quantum dot, which is essential for eliminating midgap trap states. Furthermore, the solution-based approach leverages recent progress in metal:chalcogen chemistry in the liquid phase. Here, we quantify the density of midgap trap states in CQD solids and show that the performance of CQD-based photovoltaics is now limited by electron-hole recombination due to these states. Next, using density functional theory and optoelectronic device modelling, we show that to improve this performance it is essential to bind a suitable ligand to each potential trap site on the surface of the quantum dot. We then develop a robust hybrid passivation scheme that involves introducing halide anions during the end stages of the synthesis process, which can passivate trap sites that are inaccessible to much larger organic ligands. An organic crosslinking strategy is then used to form the film. Finally, we use our hybrid passivated CQD solid to fabricate a solar cell with a certified efficiency of 7.0%, which is a record for a CQD photovoltaic device.     

Semantic networks for odors and colors in Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: Impairment in odor-naming ability and in verbal and visual semantic networks raised the hypothesis of a breakdown in the semantic network for odors in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The current study addressed this hypothesis. Method: Twenty-four individuals, half patients with probable AD and half control participants, performed triadic-similarity judgments for odors and colors, separately, which, utilizing the multidimensional scaling (MDS) technique of individual difference scaling analysis (INDSCAL), generated two-dimensional configurations of similarity. The abilities to match odors and colors with written name labels were assessed to investigate disease-related differences in ability to identify and conceptualize the stimuli. In addition, responses on attribute-sorting tasks, requiring the odor and color perceptions to be categorized as one polarity of a certain dimension, were obtained to allow for objective interpretation of the MDS spatial maps. Results: Whereas comparison subjects generated spatial maps based predominantly on relatively abstract characteristics, patients with AD classified odors on perceptual characteristics. The maps for patients with AD also showed disorganized groupings and loose associations between odors. Their normal configurations for colors imply that the patients were able to comprehend the task per se. The data for label matching and for attribute sorting provide further evidence for a disturbance in semantic odor memory in AD. The patients performed poorer than controls on both these odor tasks, implying that the ability to identify and/or conceptualize odors is impaired in AD. Conclusion: The results provide clear evidence for deterioration of the structure of semantic knowledge for odors in AD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)