In-Situ Investigation on Nanoscopic Biomechanics of Streptococcus mutans at Low pH Citric Acid Environments Using an AFM Fluid Cell

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is widely regarded as the main cause of human dental caries via three main virulence factors: adhesion, acidogenicity, and aciduricity. Citric acid is one of the antibiotic agents that can inhibit the virulence capabilities of S. mutans. A full understanding of the acidic resistance mechanisms (ARMs) causing bacteria to thrive in citrate transport is still elusive. We propose atomic force microscopy (AFM) equipped with a fluid cell to study the S. mutans ARMs via surface nanomechanical properties at citric acid pH 3.3, 2.3, and 1.8. Among these treatments, at pH 1.8, the effect of the citric acid shock in cells is demonstrated through a significantly low number of high adhesion zones, and a noticeable reduction in adhesion forces. Consequently, this study paves the way to understand that S. mutans ARMs are associated with the variation of the number of adhesion zones on the cell surface, which is influenced by citrate and proton transport. The results are expected to be useful in developing antibiotics or drugs involving citric acid for dental plaque treatment.     

Influence of bunch maturation and chemical precursors on acrylamide formation in starchy banana chips

The present study investigated the effect of ripening stages and chemical precursors on acrylamide formation in deep-fried chips of five plantains and one cooking banana. The highest level of acrylamide was found in the cooking banana, followed by False Horn plantain and French plantain, respectively. French plantain hybrids exhibited a significantly lower (P < 0.05) level of acrylamide when compared to French plantain. The ripening stage demonstrated a positive Pearson correlation (P < 0.05, r = 0.57) with acrylamide formation. As ripening progressed, the levels of glucose and fructose significantly increased (P < 0.05) and showed a positive correlation with acrylamide formation (r = 0.85 and 0.96, respectively). The level of the amino acid asparagine during ripening was not correlated with acrylamide formation. In contrast, the level of histidine, arginine, iso-leucine and cystine during ripening was positively correlated (P < 0.05, r > 0.60) with acrylamide formation in fried chips. The higher level of TP was significantly related (P < 0.05) to the lower level of acrylamide (r = −0.62). The reduced levels of carotenoid isomers, except lutein, during fruit ripening were positively correlated (P < 0.05) with acrylamide formation, especially trans-BC (r = 0.72) and 9-cis-BC(r = 0.64).     

Principles of Reliability

Computer models enable scientists to investigate real-world phenomena in a virtual laboratory using computer experiments. Statistical calibration enables scientists to incorporate field data in this analysis. However, the practical application is hardly straightforward for data structures such as spatial-temporal fields, which are usually large or not well represented by a stationary process model. We present a computationally efficient approach to estimating the calibration parameters using a criterion that measures discrepancy between the computer model output and field data. One can then construct empirical distributions for the calibration parameters and propose new computer model trials using sequential design. The approach is relatively simple to implement using existing algorithms and is able to estimate calibration parameters for large and nonstationary data. Supplementary R code is available online.     

Effect of silicon content in steel and oxidation temperature on scale growth and morphology

The effect of high silicon content in steel, 1.6 wt.%Si and 3.2 wt.%Si, and high oxidation temperatures (850–1200 °C) on scale growth rate and morphology were investigated. The steels were oxidized in a 15% humid air with short isothermal oxidation times (15 min). The scale growth rate of the non-alloyed steel follows a parabolic law with time; it is an iron diffusion controlled oxidation. The presence of silicon delays scale growth by forming a silica SiO₂ barrier layer at the scale/metal interface, this effect is more important for the steel containing 3.2 wt.%Si and induces a discontinuous scale. Silicon oxides are concentrated at the scale/metal interface; their morphology depends on the oxidation temperature. For temperatures lower than 950 °C, silica is formed. Between 950 °C and 1150 °C, fayalite (Fe₂SiO₄) grains appear in the wüstite matrix close to the scale/metal interface. For temperatures higher than 1177 °C, a fayalite–wüstite eutectic is formed; this molten phase favours iron diffusion leading to high scale growth. After cooling, a continuous fayalite layer with small wüstite grains is obtained at the scale/steel interface.     

Modeling and solving a one-supplier multi-vehicle production-inventory-distribution problem with clustered retailers

This paper considers a supply chain management problem which integrates production, inventory, and distribution decisions. The supply chain is composed of one supplier production facility and several retailers located in a given geographic region. The supplier is responsible for the production and the replenishment of the inventory of retailers, in a vendor managed inventory (VMI) context. The distance between retailers is negligible compared to the distance between the supplier and the retailers’ region. Thus, for each vehicle, there is a major fixed cost for traveling to the cluster of retailers and a minor fixed cost for visiting each individual retailer. The problem consists of determining quantities to be produced, quantities to be delivered to retailers, vehicles to be used, and retailers to be serviced by each vehicle. This problem is an extension of the one warehouse multi-retailer problem with the consideration of production planning and storage and vehicle capacity limitations in addition to fixed vehicle utilization costs and retailer servicing costs. The objective is to minimize a total cost composed of production, transportation, and inventory holding costs at the supplier and at the retailers. Two mixed integer linear programming formulations are proposed and six families of valid inequalities are added to strengthen these formulations. Two of these families are new and the others are adapted from the literature. The numerical results show that the valid inequalities considerably improve the quality of the formulations. Moreover, the parameters that influence the most computational times are analyzed.     

Enhancing laccase stability and activity for dyes decolorization using ZIF-8@MWCNT nanocomposite

The continuous use of chemical dyes in various industries, and their discharge into industrial effluents, results in severe problems to human life and water pollution. Laccases have the ability to decolorize dyes and toxic chemicals in industrial effluents as green biocatalysts. Their possible industrial applications have been limited by poor reusability, low stability, and loss of free laccase action. In this research, laccase was immobilized on zeolitic imidazolate framework coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Laccase@ZIF-8@MWCNTs) via metal affinity adsorption to develop an easy separable and stable enzyme. The optimum reaction conditions for immobilized laccase are at a pH of 3.0 and a temperature of 60?℃. The immobilized laccase was enhanced in storage and thermal stability. The results indicated that Laccase@ZIF-8@MWCNTs still maintained 68% of its original activity after 10 times of repeated use. Most importantly, the biocatalytic system was applied for decolorization of different dyes (20?mg·L^?1) without a mediator, and up to 97.4% for Eriochrome black T and 95.6% Acid red 88 was achieved in 25 min. Biocatalysts with these properties may be used in a variety of environmental and industrial applications.