Antimicrobial Gallium‐Doped Phosphate‐Based Glasses

Novel quaternary gallium‐doped phosphate‐based glasses (1, 3, and 5 mol % Ga₂O₃) were synthesized using a conventional melt quenching technique. The bactericidal activities of the glasses were tested against both Gram‐negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram‐positive (Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Clostridium difficile) bacteria. Results of the solubility and ion release studies showed that these glass systems are unique for controlled delivery of Ga³⁺. ⁷¹Ga NMR measurements showed that the gallium is mostly octahedrally coordinated by oxygen atoms, whilst FTIR spectroscopy provided evidence for the presence of a small proportion of tetrahedral gallium in the samples with the highest gallium content. FTIR and Raman spectra also afford an insight into the correlation between the structure and the observed dissolution behavior via an understanding of the atomic‐scale network bonding characteristics. The results confirmed that the net bactericidal effect was due to Ga³⁺, and a concentration as low as 1 mol % Ga₂O₃ was sufficient to mount a potent antibacterial effect. The dearth of new antibiotics in development makes Ga³⁺ a potentially promising new therapeutic agent for pathogenic bacteria including MRSA and C. difficile.     

Preliminary assessment of the stability of thin- and polymer thick-film resistors embedded into printed wiring boards

Embedding passive components into multilayer printed wiring boards (PWBs) meet electronic device requirements concerning the necessity of saving the surface board area for active elements, reducing board’s size, improving device functionality and safety as well as overall product cost reduction. Since embedded components cannot be replaced after the board is completed, a long term stability and reliability are the important concerns for manufactures.This paper presents the results of examinations of embedded thin-film NiP resistors and polymer thick-film resistors during their continuous operation and the influence of temperature on the resistance values after the simulation of a lead-free soldering process and after the temperature cycling test (?40 ?C/+85 ?C).     

Biodegradability evaluation of wastewaters from malt and beer production

This study reports results of respirometric measurements of activated sludge biodegrading the substrate in wastewater originating from the following brewery plant production departments: malt house, brewhouse, fermentation house and racking house. The process was conducted at two temperatures: 10 and 20°C with activated sludge adapted to brewery wastewaters. The loading of activated sludge reached 0.25 g chemical oxygen demand per gram dry matter per day, which assured complete degradation of organic matter. The physicochemical characteristics of the wastewaters are provided. The study demonstrates a correlation between the site of wastewater generation, the specific character of a unitary technological process and the quality of the wastewater discharged to the sewage system, including biodegradability. Despite significant differences in the quality of the wastewaters, they were characterized by high biodegradability at a temperature of 10 and 20°C and by the C:N:P ratio being beneficial for biological treatment, irrespective of their source of origin. Copyright © 2013 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

The decrease of lasalocid residue in the edible tissues by silymarin supplementation of chicken diet

Widespread use of coccidiostats, in spite of beneficial control of protozoan infections in poultry, implies a risk of residues in edible tissues, and there is increasing interest in the development of strategies for prevention of veterinary drugs residue in food-producing animals. The aim of this study is assigned to clarify the impact of silymarin addendum in the diet on lasalocid concentration in the liver and breast muscles from the broiler. Four groups of chickens received a feed with lasalocid at levels between 75 and 200 mg kg^?1. Other four groups received a feed with lasalocid (75–200 mg kg^?1) plus silymarin. Significant differences of lasalocid concentrations between the liver and breast muscles were observed. Moreover, the chickens from the groups supplemented with silymarin shown significant decreases of lasalocid concentrations in the analysed tissues. The herbal substance did not counteract the ionophore in the treatment of coccidiosis and did not change biochemical parameters of blood. These findings suggest that silymarin might be used in chicken feeding in order to reduce the risk from lasalocid contamination of the broiler edible tissues.     

Determination of the ash yield and the mineral matter content of brown coals by density measurements

A method of measuring the density of bed-moist brown coals based on their plastic properties is described and the feasibility of using the method for determination of the ash yield of the coal is evaluated.     

Detection of early bruises in apples using hyperspectral data and thermal imaging

The early detection of bruises in apples was studied using a system that included hyperspectral cameras equipped with sensors working in the visible and near-infrared (400–1000 nm), short wavelength infrared (1000–2500 nm) and thermal imaging camera in mid-wavelength infrared (3500–5000 nm) ranges. The principal components analysis (PCA) and minimum noise fraction (MNF) analyses of the images that were captured in particular ranges made it possible to distinguish between areas with defects in the tissue and the sound ones. The fast Fourier analysis of the image sequences after pulse heating of the fruit surface provided additional information not only about the position of the area of damaged tissue but also about its depth. The comparison of the results obtained with supervised classification methods, including soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and support vector machines (SVM) confirmed that broad spectrum range (400–5000 nm) of fruit surface imaging can improve the detection of early bruises with varying depths.