Evaluation of Pseudomonas spp. through O2 and CO2 headspace analysis

This article proposes an approach to determine the level of Pseudomonas spp. in milk, based on the evaluation of the content of oxygen and carbon dioxide produced in the headspace of sealed vials; the research was divided into two phases: model building and preliminary validation. Three different strains of Pseudomonas spp., Ps. putida (wild strain) and Ps. fluorescens (wild and collection isolates), were used as targets. Data of CO₂ and O₂ were modelled through a modified positive (CO₂) or a negative Gompertz equation (O₂) to estimate the Minimum Detection Time (MDT), defined as the time to attain 3% of CO₂ (MDT₁) or a decrease in the content of O₂ by 3% (MDT₂). Then, MDT₁ and MDT₂ were submitted to a linear regression procedure, using cell concentration as independent variable; the correlations ‘MDT₁/cell concentration’ and ‘MDT₂/cell concentration’ showed high determination coefficients (>0.983). Moreover, the regression procedure pointed out that both MDT₁ and MDT₂ decreased by ca. 3 h for an increase in cell count of 1 log cfu mL^?1. Preliminary validation in milk pointed out that the error associated with the regression line ‘MDT₂/cell concentration’ was below 5%.     

New Anacardic Acid‐Inspired Benzamides: Histone Lysine Acetyltransferase Activators

A series of N‐(4‐cyano‐3‐trifluoromethyl‐phenyl)‐2‐ethoxy‐6‐alkyl (and alkenyl) benzamides related to the anacardic acid derivative CTPB have been prepared from 2,6‐dihydroxybenzoic acid with a Suzuki coupling and addition of the anion of 4‐cyano‐3‐trifluoromethylphenylamine to a benzodioxinone as the key steps. In U937 cells, these analogues, in particular 7 c , 7 d , 7 f and 7 j , induced cell‐cycle arrest in the G1 phase, caused apoptosis in about 20 % of the cells, and increased the acetylation levels of H3. These activities correlate with the enzymatic activation of histone lysine acetyltransferases (KATs): CBP and PCAF.     

Microstructure and residual stress improvement in wire and arc additively manufactured parts through high-pressure rolling

Parts manufactured by Wire and Arc Additive Manufacture (WAAM) can have significant residual stress and distortion, as well as large grain sizes. To overcome these problems, each layer on a linearly deposited steel WAAM part was rolled with either a ‘profiled’ roller, which had a similar shape to the deposited layer, or a ‘slotted’ roller, in which a groove prevented lateral deformation. Both rollers reduced the distortion and surface roughness, but the slotted roller proved more effective – eliminating the distortion. The residual stresses in the rolled WAAM parts were measured and were lower than those in the unrolled control specimen – particularly adjacent to the baseplate. Rolling also induced additional grain refinement when the rolled material was reheated during the subsequent deposition pass. The application of rolling may be a key technology for enabling implementation of WAAM on large-scale structures.     

Optimization of a Phenylacetaldehyde-Based Attractant for Common Green Lacewings (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysoperla carnea s.l.</Emphasis>)

In field trapping tests, the catch of Chrysoperla carnea sensu lato (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) increased when acetic acid was added to lures with phenylacetaldehyde. The addition of methyl salicylate to the binary mixture of phenylacetaldehyde plus acetic acid increased catches even further. The ternary blend proved to be more attractive than β-caryophyllene, 2-phenylethanol, or 3-methyl eugenol (compounds previously described as attractants for chrysopids) on their own, and no influence on catches was recorded when these compounds were added as fourth components to the ternary blend. There were minimal changes in activity when (E)-cinnamaldehyde or methyl anthranylate (both evoking large responses from female or male antennae of C. carnea in this study) were added, although both compounds showed significant attraction on their own when compared to unbaited traps. In subtractive field bioassays with the ternary mixture, it appeared that the presence of either phenylacetaldehyde or methyl salicylate was important, whereas acetic acid was less so in the ternary mixture. The ternary blend attracted both female and male lacewings at sites in southern, central, and northern Europe. Possible applications of a synthetic attractant for lacewings are discussed.     

Tuning light emission of PbS nanocrystals from infrared to visible range by cation exchange

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, with intense and sharp-line emission between red and near-infrared spectral regions, are of great interest for optoelectronic and bio-imaging applications. The growth of an inorganic passivation layer on nanocrystal surfaces is a common strategy to improve their chemical and optical stability and their photoluminescence quantum yield. In particular, cation exchange is a suitable approach for shell growth at the expense of the nanocrystal core size. Here, the cation exchange process is used to promote the formation of a CdS passivation layer on the surface of very small PbS nanocrystals (2.3 nm in diameter), blue shifting their optical spectra and yielding luminescent and stable nanostructures emitting in the range of 700–850 nm. Structural, morphological and compositional investigation confirms the nanocrystal size contraction after the cation-exchange process, while the PbS rock-salt crystalline phase is retained. Absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy demonstrate the growth of a passivation layer with a decrease of the PbS core size, as inferred by the blue-shift of the excitonic peaks. The surface passivation strongly increases the photoluminescence intensity and the excited state lifetime. In addition, the nanocrystals reveal increased stability against oxidation over time. Thanks to their absorption and emission spectral range and the slow recombination dynamics, such highly luminescent nano-objects can find interesting applications in sensitized photovoltaic cells and light-emitting devices.     

Silk fibroin/cellulose blend films: Preparation,structure, and physical properties

This article deals with the preparation and characterization of silk fibroin (Bombyx mori)/cellulose blend films. Following dissolution with a metal complex solution, the average molecular weight of silk fibroin slightly decreased. While cellulose was almost unaffected. After coagulation and washing, transparent films were obtained by blending fibroin and cellulose in all proportions. The crystalline structures of regenerated fibroin and cellulose were β-form and cellulose II, respectively, as shown by the characteristic x-ray diffraction profiles. Density values increased with cellulose content, though less than expected from a pure additive behavior. Moisture regain increased following the addition of a small amount of cellulose to silk fibroin. The mechanical properties showed that both strength and elongation at break of silk fibroin films were improved by blending with cellulose. IR spectra exhibited changes in the skeletal frequences of silk fibroin, suggesting the occurrence of intermolecular interactions between fibroin and cellulose through hydrogen bond formation. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Estimate of toxic element intake in diets of pre-school children and elderly collected by duplicate portion sampling.

A study was carried out with a group of pre-school children staying at the central nursery of the University of S?o Paulo and with a group of elderly living in private institutions in S?o Paulo, Brazil, with the aim of evaluating the contents of toxic elements present in the diets of these groups. For sampling, the duplicate portion technique was used, which consisted of collecting all the foods and beverages consumed during three consecutive days. A radiochemical separation procedure was developed and applied to the determination of As, Cd, Sb, W, Th and U, by means of retention of these elements in the resin Chelex 100 and inorganic exchanger tin dioxide in an appropriate medium. The elements analysed presented levels of ingestion below the maximum levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), and thus can be considered as not presenting any health hazard to the individuals studied in the present work.     

Technological and spoiling characteristics of the yeast microflora isolated from Bella Di Cerignola table olives

This study focused to investigate the technological significance and the spoiling impact of diverse yeast strains, isolated from 'Bella di Cerignola' Italian table olives. Sixty-four isolates (belonging mainly to the species Candida famata and C. guilliermondii ) were studied to assess their growth at different temperatures (15, 25 and 37 °C), pHs (4.0, 5.0 and 9.5) and NaCl concentrations (0–10.0%) in lab medium. Their pectolytic, xylanolytic, lipolytic and catalase activities were also evaluated. Most of the yeasts showed a moderate pectolytic activity and were able to grow at pH 9.5 after 120 h of incubation. Salt and temperature were the most important environmental variables affecting yeast growth, which could exert a strong selective pressure on yeast population. Candida guilliermondii appeared more resistant to high salt concentrations, whereas C. famata was able to grow at 15 °C.     

Effects of pH, cinnamaldehyde and heat-treatment time on spore viability of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris

A three variables–five levels central composite design was used to study the effects of pH (3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 and 5.5), cinnamaldehyde (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 ppm) and heating temperature (80, 84, 88, 92 and 96 °C) on the spores of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in malt extract broth (MEB). The heat shock resulted in a slight decrease of spore number from 3.2 to 2.5 log CFU mL⁻¹ and occurred at 80–85 °C depending on the pH of the medium. Otherwise, cinnamaldehyde acted as an additional hurdle within the storage time; the critical amounts to be used were included in the range 41.35–44.42 ppm of cinnamaldehyde and were related positively to the pH, i.e. the critical amount of active compound decreased with the decreasing of the pH.