Preparation of scratch resistant superhydrophobic hybrid coatings by sol–gel process

Organic–inorganic hybrid coatings on glass substrates with superhydrophobic properties and with improved scratch resistance were obtained by means of applying a multilayer approach including multiple sol–gel processes. The coatings exhibited a water contact angle (WCA) higher than 150°. Ultraviolet (UV)-curable vinyl ester resins and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTEOS) as coupling agent were employed to increase the adhesion between substrate and the inorganic layers. The surfaces were characterized by means of dynamic contact angle and roughness measurements. Indeed, the occurrence of superhydrophobic behavior was observed. The scratch resistance of the hybrid coatings was tested to evaluate the adhesion of the coatings to the glass substrate. The proposed preparation method for scratch resistant, mechanically stable, superhydrophobic coatings is simple and can be applied on large areas of different kinds of substrates.     

The G-Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor (GPER/GPR30) in Ovarian Granulosa Cell Tumors

Ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCTs) are thought to arise from cells of the ovarian follicle and comprise a rare entity of ovarian masses. We recently identified the G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER/GPR30) to be present in granulosa cells, to be regulated by gonadotropins in epithelial ovarian cancer and to be differentially expressed throughout folliculogenesis. Thus, supposing a possible role of GPER in GCTs, this study aimed to analyze GPER in GCTs. GPER immunoreactivity in GCTs (n = 26; n (primary diagnosis) = 15, n (recurrence) = 11) was studied and correlated with the main clinicopathological variables. Positive GPER staining was identified in 53.8% (14/26) of GCTs and there was no significant relation of GPER with tumor size or lymph node status. Those cases presenting with strong GPER intensity at primary diagnosis showed a significant reduced overall survival (p = 0.002). Due to the fact that GPER is regulated by estrogens, as well as gonadotropins, GPER may also be affected by endocrine therapies applied to GCT patients. Moreover, with our data supposing GPER to be associated with GCT prognosis, GPER might be considered as a possible confounder when assessing the efficacy of hormone-based therapeutic approaches in GCTs.     

The effects of night ventilation technique on indoor thermal environment for residential buildings in hot-humid climate of Malaysia

This study investigates the effectiveness of night ventilation technique for residential buildings in hot-humid climate of Malaysia. This paper firstly presents the results of a survey on usage patterns of windows and air-conditioners in typical Malaysian residential areas. Secondly, the effects of different natural ventilation strategies on indoor thermal environment for Malaysian terraced houses are evaluated based on the results of a full-scale field experiment. The results show that the majority of occupants tend to apply not night ventilation but daytime ventilation in Malaysian residential areas. It can be seen from the field experiment that night ventilation would provide better thermal comfort for occupants in Malaysian terraced houses compared with the other ventilation strategies in terms of operative temperature. However, when the evaporative heat loss of occupants is taken into account by using SET*, the night ventilation would not be the superior technique to the others in providing daytime thermal comfort mainly due to the high humidity conditions. Therefore, the indoor humidity control during the daytime such as by dehumidification would be needed when the night ventilation technique is applied to Malaysian terraced houses. Otherwise, full-day ventilation would be a better option compared with night ventilation.     

ESBL-producing E. coli in Austrian sewage sludge

The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of contamination of sewage sludge with ESBL-producing Escherichia coli strains and the effectiveness of different sewage sludge treatment methods.Monthly sewage sludge samples were collected between January and September 2009 in 5 different sewage treatment plants and tested for the presence of ESBL E. coli. In addition, the number of colony forming units (CFU) of E. coli and coliform bacteria before and after the different sludge treatment methods (aerobic/anaerobic digestion, lime stabilization, and thermal treatment) was investigated.Of the 72 sewage sludge samples investigated, ESBL-positive E. coli were found in 44 (61.1%) sewage sludge samples. The classification of β-lactamase groups was carried out in 15 strains resulting in the detection of 2 different groups (CTX-M and TEM) of bla genes. All 15 of them had a CTX-M gene and 4 of these strains furthermore carried a TEM gene.With regard to the CFU of E. coli and coliform bacteria, thermal treatment and lime stabilization following dehydration sufficiently reduced pathogen concentrations. The plants using merely stabilization and dehydration showed an increase of E. coli and coliform bacteria and thus also an increase in ESBL-producing E. coli.