Synergistic antimicrobial effect of lactocin AL705 and nisin combined with organic acid salts against Listeria innocua 7 in broth and a hard cheese

The effectiveness of antimicrobial mixtures against Listeria innocua 7, used as a L. monocytogenes surrogate, was investigated in broth and a food system. Synergistic effects were found for nisin (Nis), potassium sorbate (PS), calcium propionate (CP) and sodium lactate (SL), Nis + PS being the most effective binary mixture that exhibited listericidal activity in broth. To assess the effect of adding lactocin AL705 (AL705) to Nis + organic acid salt combinations, tridimensional isobolograms were generated. Sub-MIC combinations of the antimicrobials exerted bactericidal activity against L. innocua 7 after AL705 addition to the binary mixtures. However, when applied on Sardo cheese contaminated with L. innocua 7 (initial inoculum 4.45 ± 0.06 CFU g⁻¹), only Nis + PS + AL705 produced count reductions respect to the control, reaching 3.04 ± 0.35 CFU g⁻¹ counts after 15 days at 15 °C. Ternary combinations containing AL705 showed potential to reduce antimicrobial usages for L. innocua 7 inhibition.     

Doped silicon and NIS junctions for bolometer applications

We discuss the performance, of a normal metal hot electron bolometer (NHEB) that we have measured at 0.3 K. We found that the noise equivalent power was limited by the amplifier noise. To improve the NHEB power response and to make it more robust and reliable we propose to substitute the normal metal with heavily doped silicon. The heavily doped silicon behaves like a metal with lower carrier concentration and has a smaller electron–phonon thermal coupling. We have fabricated superconductor-doped silicon-superconductor contacts (S-Sm-S) and we have used them as thermometers and coolers.     

Graft copolymerization of different mixtures of acrylic monomers on amylopectin. Swelling behavior

Hydroxylic and nonhydroxylic acrylates—methyl acrylate (MA), ethyl acrylate (EA), butylacrylate (BA), hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA), ethylenglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and mixtures of HPMA–MA, HPMA–EA, HPMA–BA in a 50/50 feed composition—were grafted onto amylopectin with different amounts of crosslinking agent, EGDMA. Percent of total conversion, percent crude grafting, and influence of pH in water content were studied. In this sense it was only at pH 10 when a real variation in the water content could be seen. It was also proved that the highest values were obtained when one of the comonomers was EGDMA with a 34 mol% of the initial feed composition. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Relations between cardiac and vascular structure in patients with primary and secondary hypertension

BACKGROUND: Data on cardiac and vascular structure in secondary hypertension are generally scarce, and no data on the interrelations between cardiac mass and structural characteristics of the vessel wall, both in large and in small resistance arteries, are presently available. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between structural changes in subcutaneous small arteries, left ventricular mass and wall thickness of the common carotid artery in patients with primary and secondary hypertension. METHODS: Seventy-four subjects were included in the study: 11 patients with pheochromocytoma, 14 with primary aldosteronism (PA), 19 with renovascular hypertension (RVH), 18 with essential hypertension (EH) and 12 normotensive (NT) control subjects. All subjects were submitted to a biopsy of subcutaneous fat. Morphologic characteristics of subcutaneous small resistance arteries (relaxed diameter <300 microm) were directly evaluated using a micromyographic technique. All subjects were submitted to calculation of left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCIMT), using ultrasound technique. RESULTS: The correlation coefficients between the media to lumen ratio in subcutaneous small arteries (M/L) and LVMI or between M/L and CCIMT were closer in RVH than in pheochromocytoma, EH or NT; in PA the correlation coefficients were slightly less close than those in RVH. An excess prevalence of carotid plaques in RVH was observed. CONCLUSIONS: A close relation between small resistance artery morphology and cardiac or carotid artery structure may be observed in those hypertensive patients in whom the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is activated. In constrast, in NT, EH and pheochromocytoma no significant correlation between M/L and LVMI or CCIMT was observed.     

Synthesis, characterization and crystal structure of a novel thiocyanate–ruthenium(II) complex

The cis-[Ru(dppb)(Me-bipy)(NCS)₂], dppb = 1,4-bis (diphenylphosphino)butane, Me-bipy = 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine, and NCS = thiocyanate, was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques and its structure was determined by crystal X-ray analysis. The crystal structure reveals that the coordination geometry around the Ru(II) center is distorted octahedron where two molecules of thiocyanate are bonded to the ruthenium through nitrogen atom in cis orientation. The half-wave formal potential value E_1/2 = 0.8 V (versus Ag/AgCl) observed is considerable higher than that for the cis-[RuCl₂(dppb)(Me-bipy)] complex, E_1/2 = 0.6 V (versus Ag/AgCl), well illustrating the strong π-acceptor effect the NCS ligand toward the backbonding interaction with the Ru(II) metal center. The MLCT absorption bands of the thiocyanate complex present a higher molar absorptivity (about 12%) compared with the cis-[RuCl₂(dppb)(Me-bipy)] complex, in the same experimental conditions. These properties make the complex potentially promising for the photosensitization process.     

Conformational transitions in poly(butyl methacrylate)

Summary Temperature dependence of viscosity data was investigated on poly(butyl methacrylate) fractions in dilute solution. A discontinuity in intrinsic viscosity was observed in the 25°C–35°C temperature range. Sharp changes of unperturbed dimensions were visualized from this behaviour. The phenomenon can be accounted for by assuming conformational changes of the chain in different solvents.     

Valorization of Al slag in the production of green ceramic tiles: Effect of experimental conditions on microstructure and crystalline phase composition

This work reports the results of an investigation aimed at the development of sintered glass-ceramic tiles by the sinter-crystallization of mixtures composed of aluminum slag and reclaimed packaging glass. The thermal behaviors of mixtures incorporating 50 and 60 wt% Al slag were established by differential thermal analysis (DTA). Green compacts were sintered in a temperature range of 800°C-1050°C and then soaked for 10-60 minutes. The mineralogical characterizations of the sintered materials were obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The achieved results indicated that the sintering of aluminum slag and packaging glass reclaimed led to a glass-ceramic material composed mainly of needle-like crystals of wollastonite (CaSiO₃). The bloating of samples during firing was evaluated according to a Cougny predictive diagram. After initial observations and according to bending strength characterizations, sintered tiles prepared from aluminum slag and glassy sand are appropriate for floor pavement and wall covering.     

Effect of lubricant composition on the fatigue properties of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene for total knee replacement

Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fatigue is a critical factor affecting the longevity of total knee replacement (TKR) bearings. With the increased need for laboratory studies to mimic near in vivo conditions for accurate characterization of material performance, the present study investigated the role of hyaluronic acid (HA) in testing lubricant on the crack growth response of UHMWPE. It was hypothesized that the change in lubricant viscosity as a result of HA would affect the fatigue life of the polymer. A fracture mechanics approach as per ASTM E 647 was adopted for this study. Surface micrograph and surface chemistry analyses were employed to study the micromechanisms of fatigue failure and protein adsorption of the specimen surfaces. Rheological analysis indicated that the addition of HA to diluted bovine serum increased testing lubricant viscosity. HA concentrations of 2.22, 0.55, and 1.5 g/l closely matched the viscosity ranges reported for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritic diseased joint fluid, and periprosthetic fluids respectively. Results showed that the addition of HA to standard diluted bovine serum lubricants, in concentrations similar to that of periprosthetic fluid, delayed crack initiation and crack growth during fatigue testing.     

Fluoro-modified elastomeric polyurethanes: effects of synthesis procedure on properties and morphology

Fluorinated polyurethanes characterized by a segmented structure, containing hard segments based on 4,4′-methylenebis (phenylisocyanate) (MDI), chain-extender 1,4 n-butandiol (BDO), and soft blocks like perfluoropolyether (PFPE), and poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) were synthesized keeping constant the equivalent ratio among reagents, but varying the experimental conditions. Copolymers show a complex micro- and macrostrucrture with different morphology and calorimetry, similar tensile properties and undistinguishable, but strongly upgraded surface properties. The morphology should be governed by the different fluorine content of the polymeric chains along with the hard segment structure; tensile properties are little influenced by the morphology. All these characteristics are interpreted in terms of polymerization procedure which results to be a key parameter for ruling the composition of the different polymeric chains, due to a very limited mutual solubility of the reagents. Surprisingly, a beneficial effect of the catalyst dibutyltindilaurate for the increase of the reaction kinetics among segregated phases in the reaction mass was observed.