Essential Oils Biofilm Modulation Activity,Chemical and Machine Learning Analysis. Application on Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Bacterial biofilm plays a pivotal role in chronic Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infection and its inhibition may represent an important strategy to develop novel therapeutic agents. The scientific community is continuously searching for natural and “green alternatives” to chemotherapeutic drugs, including essential oils (EOs), assuming the latter not able to select resistant strains, likely due to their multicomponent nature and, hence, multitarget action. Here it is reported the biofilm production modulation exerted by 61 EOs, also investigated for their antibacterial activity on S. aureus strains, including reference and cystic fibrosis patients’ isolated strains. The EOs biofilm modulation was assessed by Christensen method on five S. aureus strains. Chemical composition, investigated by GC/MS analysis, of the tested EOs allowed a correlation between biofilm modulation potency and putative active components by means of machine learning algorithms application. Some EOs inhibited biofilm growth at 1.00% concentration, although lower concentrations revealed different biological profile. Experimental data led to select antibiofilm EOs based on their ability to inhibit S. aureus biofilm growth, which were characterized for their ability to alter the biofilm organization by means of SEM studies.     

Fear and anxiety as separable emotions: An investigation of the revised reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality.

The Gray and McNaughton (2000) theory draws on a wide range of animal data to hypothesize that the emotions of fear and anxiety are separable. The authors tested their hypothesis in two studies. The first study examined associations between scores on questionnaire measures of fear, anxiety, and neuroticism; correlational analysis revealed that fear and anxiety are not interchangeable constructs. The second study examined associations between scores on questionnaire measures of fear/anxiety and performance in a military training setting; regression analysis revealed that fear captured significant variance in performance that was not shared with anxiety. These results imply that hypotheses derived from nonhuman animal data may hold important implications for understanding human emotion and motivation, especially in relation to fear and anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study on selective reduction of NOx by propane on Co-Beta

Selective catalytic reduction of NOx by propane was investigated on Co-Beta to clarify the loaded states of cobalt and their role in catalytic activity. At low ion exchange levels less than 100%, loaded cobalt is highly dispersed, which has a high selectivity for NOx reduction. At ion exchange levels much higher than 100%, Co₃O₄ appears as identified by Raman spectroscopy, and it contributes to propane oxidation by oxygen and lowers the selectivity especially at high temperatures. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Computer security: A current assessment

The basic question of computer vulnerability is initially explored, including disaster planning and computer fraud. Threat analysis is approached from the viewpoints of cost/benefit trade-offs as well as EDP auditing. A risk analysis approach is used in approaching a possible solution to the problems of vulnerability. Also included are such topics as managing the security function, physical and administrative controls, communications security, data integrity, interactive controls, post-processing procedures, training and qualifications of staff and software security.     

Identifying neurologically impaired children through a test of auditory perception.

Determined if an experimental test of Auditory Perception (TAP) could discriminate between 30 neurologically impaired and 30 normal children. The relationships were established between each subtest of the Test of Auditory Perception (TAP) and the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test. When the TAP was administered under normal testing procedures, 4 of the 6 subtests discriminated the experimental from the control Ss at the .01 level. All of the TAP subtests discriminated the neurologically impaired from from normal Ss at the .01 level under conditions of background noise. Correlations between the TAP subtests were positive but low in value. Negative correlations were found between each of the TAP subtests and the Bender Gestalt. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Application of a molecular beacon-real-time PCR technology to detect Salmonella species contaminating fruits and vegetables

An oligonucleotide probe that becomes fluorescent upon hybridization to the target DNA (molecular beacon; MB) was evaluated in a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to detect the presence of Salmonella species. As few as 1-4 colony-forming units (CFU) per PCR reaction could be detected. The capability of the assay to detect Salmonella species from artificially inoculated fresh-cut produce such as cantaloupe, mixed-salad, cilantro, and alfalfa sprouts was demonstrated. A comparison of two commercially available kits utilizing MB-PCR (iQ-Check, Bio-Rad Laboratories) and conventional Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC)-approved PCR (BAX, Dupont Qualicon) was performed on artificially inoculated produce. As few as 4 CFU/25 g of produce were detected after 16 h of enrichment in buffered peptone broth. These assays could be carried out entirely in sealed PCR tubes, enabling a rapid and high-throughput detection of Salmonella species in a large number of food and environmental samples. This is the first report of the application of MB probe being used for real-time detection of Salmonella species in whole and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.     

School-based prevention of depression and anxiety symptoms in early adolescence: A pilot of a parent intervention component.

Previous studies suggest that school-based cognitive-behavioral interventions can reduce and prevent depressive symptoms in youth. This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program, the Penn Resiliency Program for Children and Adolescents (the PRP-CA), when combined with a parent intervention component. Forty-four middle school students and their parents were randomly assigned to the enhanced PRP (the PRP-CA plus parent program) or control conditions. Students completed measures of depression and anxiety symptoms at baseline and 2 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after the intervention ended. The combined version of the PRP significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety during the follow-up period. Children assigned to the intervention condition were less likely than controls to report clinical levels of anxiety symptoms. Findings suggest that school-based cognitive-behavioral interventions that include parents may prevent depression and anxiety symptoms in early adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of strain and fermentation time on the production,composition, and properties of xanthan gum

The objective of this study was to monitor the influence of Xanthomonas spp. and fermentation time on the production, properties, and composition of xanthan gum, verifying how these variables affect the biopolymer synthesis and properties. Three strains were monitored for 168 h of fermentation. Every 24 h, a sample was collected to determine cell growth, gum production, and substrate consumption. Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, rheology, molecular characterization, thermogravimetric analysis, sugars, and acids analyzes were performed to characterize the gums produced and to identify possible differences in these properties and composition. The results showed the influence of strain and the fermentation time in production (Pr₆₄₅ = 0.047 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹, Pr₂₉₀ = 0.039 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹, Pr₁₁₅₅ = 0.149 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹) and gum quality, since the viscosity was highest in the first 48 h for strains 290 (148.71 MPa s⁻¹) and 645 (135.28 MPa s⁻¹), while for Strain 1155, the maximum value identified for this property was 90.48 MPa s⁻¹. These results are of practical importance, since they allow obtaining better quality xanthan, enabling reduction of production costs. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48557.