Characterization of antibacterial polyethersulfone membranes using the respiration activity monitoring system (RAMOS)

Membranes with antibacterial properties were developed using surface modification of polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes. Three different modification strategies using polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer (LbL) technique are described. The first strategy relying on the intrinsic antibacterial properties of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) exhibits only little antibacterial effects. The other two strategies contain silver in both ionic (Ag⁺) and metallic (Ag⁰) form. Ag⁺ embedded into negatively charged poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) layers totally inhibits bacterial growth. Ag⁰ nanoparticles were introduced to the membrane surface by LbL deposition of chitosan- and poly(methacrylic acid) - sodium salt (PMA)-capped silver nanoparticles and subsequent UV or heat treatment. Antibacterial properties of the modified membranes were quantified by a new method based on the Respiration Activity Monitoring System (RAMOS), whereby the oxygen transfer rates (OTR) of E. coli K12 cultures on the membranes were monitored online. As opposed to colony forming counting method RAMOS yields more quantitative and reliable data on the antibacterial effect of membrane modification. Ag-imprinted polyelectrolyte film composed of chitosan (Ag⁰)/PMA(Ag⁰)/chitosan(Ag⁰) was found to be the most promising among the tested membranes. Further investigation revealed that the concentration and equal distribution of silver in the membrane surface plays an important role in bacterial growth inhibition.     

A predictive model for the home outdoor exposure to nitrogen dioxide

The aim of this study is to find and test a predictive model that could be suitable to estimate the outdoor NO(2) concentrations at individual level, by integrating ecological measurements recorded by local monitoring stations with individual information collected by a questionnaire. For this purpose, the data from the Italian centres of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II (ECRHS II) has been used. Outdoor NO(2) concentrations were measured using NO(2) passive sampling tubes (PS-NO(2)), exposed outdoor for 14 days, between January 2001 and January 2003. Simultaneously, average NO(2) concentrations were collected from all the monitoring stations of the three centres (MS-NO(2)). Individual measurements carried out with passive samplers were compared with the corresponding NO(2) 2-week concentrations obtained as the average of all local (background and traffic) monitoring stations (MS-NO(2)). A multiple linear regression model was fitted to the data using the 2-week PS-NO(2) concentrations as the response variable and questionnaire information and MS-NO(2) concentrations as predictors. The model minimizing the root mean square error (RMSE), obtained from a ten-fold cross validation, was selected. The model with the best predictive ability included centre, season of the survey, MS-NO(2) concentrations, type and age of building, residential area and reported intensity of heavy-duty traffic and explained the 68.9% of the variance. The non-parametric correlation between PS-NO(2) and the concentrations estimated by the model is 0.81 (95% CI: 0.77-0.85). This study shows that over short periods (2 weeks) a good prediction of home outdoor exposure to NO(2) can be achieved by simply combining routinely collected ecological data with dwelling characteristics and self-reported intensity of heavy traffic. Further studies are needed to extend this prediction to long-term exposure.     

Computed microtomography evaluation of calcium hydroxide‐based root canal dressing removal from oval root canals by different methods of irrigation

The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of conventional irrigation, passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), and Easy Clean for removing calcium hydroxide‐based root canal dressing from oval root canals. Thirty mandibular uniradicular incisors with oval canals were used, and subjected to chemical–mechanical preparation with Reciproc R40 instruments. The main canal was filled with a paste based on Ca(OH)₂ P.A., iodoform and propylene glycol in the ratio of 3:1:1. The teeth were stored in 100% humidity at a temperature of 37°C for 14 days. Afterwards, the teeth were divided into three groups (n = 10) according to the method of irrigation used (conventional irrigation, PUI, and Easy Clean). The specimens were analyzed by computed microtomography at three time intervals: before placing the root canal dressing, with the root canal dressing in place, and after application of the irrigation methods for removing it. The data were submitted to Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests for analyzing the canal as a whole, and Friedman and Dunn for analyzing the root thirds. The results showed that conventional irrigation was less efficient for removing the root canal dressing in comparison with the methods that agitated the irrigant solution (p < .05). When the root canal was analyzed as a whole, Easy Clean, and PUI were similar (p > .05). In analysis of the thirds, Easy Clean was more efficient than conventional irrigation in all the thirds, while PUI showed this behavior only in the cervical third (p < .05). The authors concluded that in oval canals, none of the irrigation methods were capable of removing all the root canal dressing, however, the methods that agitated the irrigant solution were more efficient than conventional irrigation.     

Mass spectrometry in the diagnosis of thyroid disease and in the study of thyroid hormone metabolism

The importance of thyroid hormones in the regulation of development, growth, and energy metabolism is well known. Over the last decades, mass spectrometry has been extensively used to investigate thyroid hormone metabolism and to discover and characterize new molecules involved in thyroid hormones production, such as thyrotropin-releasing hormone. In the earlier period, the quantification methods, usually based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, were complicated and time consuming. They were mainly focused on basic research, and were not suitable for clinical diagnostics on a routine basis. The development of the modern mass spectrometers, mainly coupled to liquid chromatography, enabled simpler sample preparation procedures, and the accurate quantification of thyroid hormones, of their precursors, and of their metabolites in biological fluids, tissues, and cells became feasible. Nowadays, molecules of physiological and pathological interest can be assayed also for diagnostic purposes on a routine basis, and mass spectrometry is slowly entering the clinical laboratory. This review takes stock of the advancements in the field of thyroid metabolism that were carried out with mass spectrometry, with special focus on the use of this technique for the quantification of molecules involved in thyroid diseases.     

The effect of radiopacifiers agents on pH,calcium release,radiopacity, and antimicrobial properties of different calcium hydroxide dressings

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity, pH level, calcium ion release, and radiopacity of calcium hydroxide pastes associated with three radiopacifying agents (iodoform, zinc oxide, and barium sulfate). For the pH and calcium release tests, 45 acrylic teeth were utilized and immersed in ultrapure water. After 24 h, 72 h, and 7 days the solution was analyzed by using a pH meter and an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Polyethylene tubes filled with the pastes were used to perform the radiopacity test. For the antimicrobial test, 25 dentin specimens were infected intraorally in order to induce the biofilm colonization and treated with the pastes for 7 days. The Live/Dead technique and a confocal microscope were used to obtain the ratio of live cells. Parametric and nonparametric statistical tests were performed to show differences among the groups (P < 0.05). The pH analysis at 7 days showed significant differences (P < 0.05) among the groups. No differences among the pastes were found in the calcium release test on the 7th day (P > 0.05). The calcium hydroxide/iodoform samples had the highest radiopacity and antimicrobial activity against the biofilm‐infected dentin in comparison to the other pastes (P < 0.05). Calcium hydroxide mixed with 17% iodoform and 35% propylene glycol into a paste had the highest pH, calcium ion release, radiopacity, and the greatest antimicrobial action versus similar samples mixed with BaSO4 or ZnO. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:620–625, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Microstructural and tribological study of Nd:YAG laser treated titanium plates

In this work, the fretting behaviour of pure Ti plates laser treated with a Nd:YAG pulsed laser was compared to that of untreated Ti plates. Fretting tests were done at room temperature without lubrication. The contact geometry was a cylinder (bearing steel) on a plane. The evolution of both the ratio, μ=Q/P, between the normal and the tangential forces, and the Fouvry's energy criterion (A) were recorded as a function of the number of fretting cycles, N. Energy dispersive spectrometry and micro-Raman spectroscopy were used to analyse the fretting scars. The oxidized layer formed by the laser treatment displayed a mixed slip regime as a function of N, and a smaller fretting coefficient μ than the titanium reference.     

Novel intelligent real-time position tracking system using FPGA and fuzzy logic

The main aim of this paper is to test if FPGAs are able to achieve better position tracking performance than software-based soft real-time platforms. For comparison purposes, the same controller design was implemented in these architectures. A Multi-state Fuzzy Logic controller (FLC) was implemented both in a Xilinx^®${\mathrm{Xilinx}}^{\circledR }$ Virtex-II FPGA (XC2v1000) and in a soft real-time platform NI CompactRIO^®-9002${\mathrm{CompactRIO}}^{\circledR }\mathrm{-}9002$. The same sampling time was used. The comparative tests were conducted using a servo-pneumatic actuation system. Steady-state errors lower than 4 μm were reached for an arbitrary vertical positioning of a 6.2 kg mass when the controller was embedded into the FPGA platform. Performance gains up to 16 times in the steady-state error, up to 27 times in the overshoot and up to 19.5 times in the settling time were achieved by using the FPGA-based controller over the software-based FLC controller.     

Model-based optimization of injection strategies for SI engine gas injectors

A mathematical model for the prediction of the mass injected by a gaseous fuel solenoid injector for spark ignition (SI) engines has been realized and validated through experimental data by the authors in a recent work [1]. The gas injector has been studied with particular reference to the complex needle motion during the opening and closing phases. Such motion may significantly affect the amount of injected fuel. When the injector nozzle is fully open, the mass flow depends only on the upstream fluid pressure and temperature. This phenomenon creates a linear relationship between the injected fuel mass and the injection time (i.e. the duration of the injection pulse), thus enabling efficient control of the injected fuel mass by simply acting on the injection time. However, a part of the injector flow chart characterized by strong nonlinearities has been experimentally observed by the authors [1]. Such nonlinearities may seriously compromise the air-fuel mixture quality control and thus increase both fuel consumption and pollutant emissions (SI engine catalytic conversion systems have very low efficiency for non-stoichiometric mixtures). These nonlinearities arise by the injector outflow area variation caused by needle impacts and bounces during the transient phenomena, which occur in the opening and closing phases of the injector. In this work, the mathematical model previously developed by the authors has been employed to study and optimize two appropriate injection strategies to linearize the injector flow chart to the greatest extent. The first strategy relies on injection pulse interruption and has been originally developed by the authors, whereas the second strategy is known in the automotive engine industry as the peak and hold injection. Both injection strategies have been optimized through minimum injection energy considerations and have been compared in terms of linearization effectiveness. Efficient linearization of the injector flow chart has been achieved with both injection strategies, and a similar increase in injector operating range has been observed. The main advantage of the pulse interruption strategy lies on its ease of implementation on existing injection systems because it only requires a simple engine electronic control unit software update. Meanwhile, the peak and hold strategy reveals a substantial lack of robustness and requires expressly designed injectors and electronic components to perform the necessary voltage commutation.