Antimicrobial PLA/TPS/gelatin sheets with enzymatically crosslinked surface containing silver nanoparticles

In the present work, poly (lactic acid)/thermoplastic starch/gelatin sheets were produced by calendering–extrusion process and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs, synthesized by chemical reduction with d ‐glucose), were incorporated at sheet surfaces to promote antimicrobial activity. A gelatin solution containing AgNPs was enzymatically crosslinked as a layer at sheets surface using transglutaminase. AgNPs presented 63 nm (z average size) and spherical shape (scanning electron microscopy, SEM) while morphology analysis showed that sheets presented internal porosity. Mechanical properties (Young modulus, elongation at break, and tensile strength) and water vapor permeability presented significant difference in function of gelatin amount added to sheets formulation due to increased internal porosity. Antimicrobial activity was demonstrated against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the AGNPs solution as well as for the surface treated films. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43039.     

RONALD A. HOWARD “Dynamic Programming and Markov Processes,”

The use of kernel density estimates in discriminant analysis is quite well known among scientists and engineers interested in statistical pattern recognition. Using a kernel density estimate involves properly selecting the scale of smoothing, namely the bandwidth parameter. The bandwidth that is optimum for the mean integrated square error of a class density estimator may not always be good for discriminant analysis, where the main emphasis is on the minimization of misclassification rates. On the other hand, cross-validation–based methods for bandwidth selection, which try to minimize estimated misclassification rates, may require huge computation when there are several competing populations. Besides, such methods usually allow only one bandwidth for each population density estimate, whereas in a classification problem, the optimum bandwidth for a class density estimate may vary significantly, depending on its competing class densities and their prior probabilities. Therefore, in a multiclass problem, it would be more meaningful to have different bandwidths for a class density when it is compared with different competing class densities. Moreover, good choice of bandwidths should also depend on the specific observation to be classified. Consequently, instead of concentrating on a single optimum bandwidth for each population density estimate, it is more useful in practice to look at the results for different scales of smoothing for the kernel density estimates. This article presents such a multiscale approach along with a graphical device leading to a more informative discriminant analysis than the usual approach based on a single optimum scale of smoothing for each class density estimate. When there are more than two competing classes, this method splits the problem into a number of two-class problems, which allows the flexibility of using different bandwidths for different pairs of competing classes and at the same time reduces the computational burden that one faces for usual cross-validation–based bandwidth selection in the presence of several competing populations. We present some benchmark examples to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed methodology.     

Coatings based on phosphate binders

Hydroxyapatite coatings based on phosphate binders are described. Their adhesion characteristics, the TCLE, and the effect of the temperature on the strength of the material of the coatings are presented. Coatings based on phosphate binders can present interest for specialists in electrochemistry and medicine. Translated from Steklo i Keramika, No. 6, pp. 28 – 29, June, 2000.     

Depth as Randomness Deficiency

Depth of an object concerns a tradeoff between computation time and excess of program length over the shortest program length required to obtain the object. It gives an unconditional lower bound on the computation time from a given program in absence of auxiliary information. Variants known as logical depth and computational depth are expressed in Kolmogorov complexity theory. We derive quantitative relation between logical depth and computational depth and unify the different depth notions by relating them to A. Kolmogorov and L. Levin’s fruitful notion of randomness deficiency. Subsequently, we revisit the computational depth of infinite strings, study the notion of super deep sequences and relate it with other approaches.     

Inflammatory mediators at acidic pH activate capsaicin receptors in cultured sensory neurons from newborn rats

Whole cell membrane currents induced by the inflammatory mediators, bradykinin, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and prostaglandin E2, were investigated in capsaicin-sensitive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from newborn rats grown on a monolayer of hippocampal glia without nerve growth factor (NGF). When firmly attached to an underlying cell, the neurons survived >14 days without growing extensive processes. A majority of the small diameter neurons ( approximately 80%) exhibited sensitivity to capsaicin (3-6 muM) and this was enhanced in solution of low pH. In acidic extracellular solution (pH 6.1), the combination of bradykinin (10 microM), 5-HT (10 microM) and prostaglandin E2 (1 microM) induced an inward membrane current in all capsaicin-sensitive DRG neurons (n = 43). The current exceeded the sustained, low pH-induced membrane current by 205 +/- 53 (SE) pA. The combination of acidic inflammatory mediators was ineffective in cells that were insensitive to capsaicin. In capsaicin-sensitive neurons, the inflammatory mediators when applied singly or in any combination of two, induced no membrane currents or small current at pH 7.3 and 6.1. Capsazepine (10 microM), the capsaicin antagonist, completely inhibited the facilitatory action of inflammatory mediator combination but not the sustained inward current induced by acidic extracellular solution (pH 6.1 or 5.5). It is suggested that the inflammatory mediators, bradykinin,5-HT, and prostaglandin E2 together act as endogenous mediators at capsaicin receptors to generate an inward current when the ion channel is protonized.     

Efficacy of mononitrate retard therapy in patients with advanced congestive heart failure

To determine the efficacy of mononitrate retard therapy in congestive heart failure 54 pts (42 males and 12 females, aged 67.2 +/- 8.7 yrs.) with NYHA functional class 1-3 and left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40% were investigated. Clinical examination, exercise treadmill test (ETT), ecg holter monitoring and echocardiography (echo-2D) were performed before and after 4 weeks of therapy with Olicard 40 mg Retard. 4 weeks treatment with mononitrate improved clinical parameters. The shift to lower functional NYHA class was observed in 12 cases (p < 0.01). Number of anginal pains per week was reduced from average 3.15 to 1.55 (p < 0.01). Mononitrate therapy improved exercise tolerance during ETT. Exercise time increased from 424 +/- 168 to 568 +/- 143 sec. (p < 0.001) as well as total workload in METS (3.6 +/- 1.4 vs. 4.9 +/- 1.9, p < 0.001). The time to 0.1 mV ischemic ST segment depression was extended from 215 +/- 149 to 357 +/- 173 sec. (p < 0.01). Holter monitoring revealed moderate increase in heart rate and significant reduction of ventricular arrhythmia (p < 0.05). No changes in systolic and diastolic echo-2D parameters were observed.     

Pulse-modulated interferometer for measuring intensity-inducedphase shifts

Single-polarization interferometric measurements of intensity-induced refractive index changes using an intensity-modulated mode-locked laser are reported. The technique is used to determine the electronic and thermal intensity-dependent index changes in a polydiacetylene waveguide. Monte Carlo analysis shows that a sensitivity of at least 0.02 rad is expected from the configuration     

Randomized two-process wait-free test-and-set

Summary. We present the first explicit, and currently simplest, randomized algorithm for two-process wait-free test-and-set. It is implemented with two 4-valued single writer single reader atomic variables. A test-and-set takes at most 11 expected elementary steps, while a reset takes exactly 1 elementary step. Based on a finite-state analysis, the proofs of correctness and expected length are compressed into one table. Received: June 1991 / Accepted: March 2002