Stability and growth characteristics of GFPuv-labeled Cronobacter sakazakii isolated from foods

Stability of ultraviolet green fluorescent protein (GFPuv)-labeled Cronobacter sakazakii and C. muytjensii isolated from foods and the effects of the plasmid GFPuv (pGFPuv) on growth were analyzed. PCR analysis and microscopic observation showed that C. sakazakii and C. muytjensii isolates took up the plasmid into cells and expressed the GFPuv gene. All Cronobacter transformants maintained this plasmid after frozen storage and 2 consecutive subcultures. The C. sakazakii FWHd16 transformant was the most stable, while the C. muytjensii FWHd11 transformant was the least stable. All transformants showed nearly identical growth curves during lag, log and stationary phases, compared to wild type parental isolates. The maximum bacterial growth rates (μ_max) of the transformants and parents were similar, indicating that the presence of pGFPuv in transformants did not affect cell growth. Stable GFPuv-labeled Cronobacter has potential for use in tracking bacterial behavior during food handling and drying.     

Can Dentin Surfaces Be Bonded Safely With Ozone and Boric Acid?

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of different cavity disinfectants on shear bond strength. In this study, 60 caries-free human molar teeth were used. Smooth dentin surfaces were revealed by cutting occlusal enamel and a standard smear layer was obtained by using 600-grid sandpaper. Specimens were randomly assigned to four groups according to the disinfectant used: Group 1: Control (no disinfectant); Group 2: Ozone; Group 3: Chlorhexidine, Group 4: Boric acid. Specimens were bonded using S3 Plus Bond and the composite buildups were created by using composite resin according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After specimens were kept for 24 h, at 37 °C in distilled water, the shear bond strength test was measured with a universal test machine. The highest bond strength values were observed in the control group. The bond strength was significantly lower in the chlorhexidine, and boric acid-treated groups than it was in the control group (respectively, p = 0.046 and p = 0.028); however, no significant difference in the bond strength was observed between the ozone group and the control group (p = 0.444). The ozone group was detected as having the best shear bond strength values in groups which were applied to cavity disinfectants.     

Synthesis and characterization of neodymium doped ceria nanocrystalline ceramic structures

In this study, a new method to synthesize neodymium doped ceria ceramic nanopowders by the electrospinning of the hybrid polymers solution of their composite precursor was put forward. Calcined and sintered nanopowders were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, BET, SEM, and AFM techniques. According to the XRD analysis, the obtained powders are single phase and independent of the dopant concentration in the range investigated. The crystallite sizes were calculated using Scherrer equation. Moreover, lattice parameters, dislocation densities and microstrain values were calculated. BET results show that the increase of the neodymium doped content decrease the surface area of the composite powders, confirming the highly ordered micro and mesostructure. SEM and AFM results show that the samples have spherical grains. According to the surface roughness measurements, the increase in the amount of neodymium and the decrease in the amount of cerium decreased the surface roughness.     

Recycling studies of marble processing waste: Composites based on commercial epoxy resin

Marble waste was obtained from marble processing plant wastewater with precipitation using different coagulants, such as sepiolite, zeolite, and pumice in dosages of 0.5–8 g/500 mL and mixed in 20 wt % with commercial epoxy resin. The effects of marble, coagulant type and dosage on the physicomechanical and thermal properties were investigated. The incorporation of marble processing waste particles increases the 10% decomposition temperature of pure epoxy by 5–50°C. Surface hardness, tensile strength, percentage elongation, and stress at maximum load of the composites were higher than those of pure resin, too. The composites reinforced with marble processing waste-pumice showed about 10% increase in elastic modulus, whereas the composite reinforced with marble processing waste-sepiolite or zeolite showed about 76.67–143.33% increase in elastic modulus over the pure epoxy matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for characterization of surface and cross sections of the composites to verify the results. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Monitoring and control of biogas desulphurization using oxidation reduction potential under denitrifiying conditions

BACKGROUND: Hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) present in biogas can be oxidized to elemental sulphur (S₀) or sulphate (SO₄^2?) using nitrate and nitrite. Both nitrate and nitrite are normally available in most wastewater treatment plants and could be used to oxidize H₂S depending on the molar loading ratio of wastewater and biogas. A control approach is required in order to minimize the fluctuations in inlet and outlet H₂S concentrations in biogas, and the oxidation potential of the wastewater used. RESULTS: A control scheme has been developed for biogas desulphurization using oxidation reduction potential under industrial conditions. The redox potential was maintained at about + 50 to + 100 mV in the activated sludge plant to monitor the performance of the nitrification process. The redox potential in the bioscrubber was related to sulphide removal from biogas. More than 90% of the hydrogen sulphide was removed from the biogas. CONCLUSION: The oxidation reduction potential can be used as a key parameter for monitoring and controlling biogas cleaning. Fluctuations of the inlet H₂S concentration in biogas can be compensated by manipulating the flowrates of wastewater used in order to achieve consistent and desired H₂S concentrations in treated biogas. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Properties of high modulus PEEK yarns for aerospace applications

A study has been carried out on the influence of extrusion and drawing related process parameters with an object of obtaining high modulus poly ether ether ketone yarns that can be tailor made to meet critical requirements of aerospace applications. The influence of the interaction between rheological properties, spinning process variables, and drawing conditions has been given special attention to engineer a yarn that exhibit excellent structure property relationships. The wide angle X‐ray diffraction results suggest that drawing carried out above glass transition temperature (T_g) influences the structure that include unit cell parameters, density, and mechanical properties. The degree of orientation characterized in terms of sonic velocity measured as high as 3 km/s with sonic modulus of 105 gpd. With progressive increase in draw temperature, crystallinity was found to increase, and useful properties were observed at an optimum draw temperature of 200°C (may be region of maximum crystallization rate) primarily attributed to the maximum crystallization temperature and the heat setting effect. Thermal studies (TGA) indicate that these materials can be used in high temperature applications (up to 250°C) for long time exposure and 500°C for short term exposure. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Investigation on arc sound and metal transfer modes for on-line monitoring in pulsed gas metal arc welding

The arc sound was found to be strongly related to both process parameters and weld quality, like voltage and current signals, in gas metal arc welding. In this investigation, the acquired welding arc sound signal along with current and voltage signals were analyzed in time domain as well as frequency domain to correlate them with the various process parameters and metal transfer modes. The arc sound of continuous as well as pulsed gas metal arc welding at various process parameters was also compared. A major variation of auxiliary arc sound frequency peaks was observed due to change of pulse shape as evidenced by frequency domain analysis. The arc sound was also used to detect welding defects.     

Preparation and characterization of sol–gel derived mesoporous titania spheroids

The formation of mesoporous spherical titania particles via hydrolysis of pure titanium tetra-isopropoxide in n-heptane solution upon the application of a slow stirring rate is described. Calcination of the dry hydrolysis product produced pure anatase at 400–600°C, and rutile at 800°C. Nitrogen adsorption results indicate high surface area (S_BET 132 m²/g) and uniform mesopores peaking at 10 nm for the material calcined at 400°C. Upon calcination at 600°C, the pore size remained at 10 nm, whereas the S_BET value was decreased. The material calcined at 400°C was found by scanning electron microcopy to be shaped into spherical particles about 2 μm in diameter. Sizes of the spherical particles were unchanged at 400°C and up to 800°C. This was ascribed to the spherical morphology of the particles which prevented primary particles from growing beyond the boundary of the host aggregate even when the rutile phase transition occurred at 800°C.     

Experimental analysis of the effects of hydrogen addition on methane combustion

This paper presents gas emissions from turbulent chemical flow inside a model combustor, for different blending ratios of hydrogen–methane composite fuels. Gas emissions such as CO and O₂ from the combustion reaction were obtained using a gas analyzer. NOx emissions were measured with a NOx analyzer. The previously obtained flame temperature distributions were also presented. As the amount of hydrogen in the mixture increases, more hydrogen is involved in the combustion reaction, and more heat is released, and the higher temperature levels are resulted. The results have shown that the combustion efficiency increases and CO emission decreases when the hydrogen content is increased in blending fuel. It is also shown that the hydrogen–methane blending fuels are efficiently used without any important modification in the natural gas burner. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of the solvent type on the formation and physical properties of polyacrylonitrile fibers via a solvent‐free coagulation bath

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers were fabricated via a dry‐jet wet‐spinning technique, and a solvent‐free coagulation bath system was adopted. The effects of different types of dope solvent on the formation and physical properties of the PAN fibers were investigated. Dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were selected as the solvents and were added to a spinning solution consisting of 18 wt % PAN. The PAN fibers were examined with field emission scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The field emission scanning electron micrographs revealed that the PAN fibers with the DMSO solvent exhibited a more circular shape and a smoother skin. The PAN fibers with the DMSO solvent had their glass‐transition temperature (T_g) at 121°C. This study indicated that the different types of dope solvent used in the dope preparation did not affect T_g of the PAN fibers because of the solvent‐free coagulation bath system; however, they significantly affected the physical formation of the PAN fibers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011