Medicine by Alexandros G.Sfakianakis: 08/22/16

Δευτέρα 22 Αυγούστου 2016

Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 1336: Fault Diagnosis Strategies for SOFC-Based Power Generation Plants

The success of distributed power generation by plants based on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is hindered by reliability problems that can be mitigated through an effective fault detection and isolation (FDI) system. However, the numerous operating conditions under which such plants can operate and the random size of the possible faults make identifying damaged plant components starting from the physical variables measured in the plant very difficult. In this context, we assess two classical FDI strategies (model-based with fault signature matrix and data-driven with statistical classification) and the combination of them. For this assessment, a quantitative model of the SOFC-based plant, which is able to simulate regular and faulty conditions, is used. Moreover, a hybrid approach based on the random forest (RF) classification method is introduced to address the discrimination of regular and faulty situations due to its practical advantages. Working with a common dataset, the FDI performances obtained using the aforementioned strategies, with different sets of monitored variables, are observed and compared. We conclude that the hybrid FDI strategy, realized by combining a model-based scheme with a statistical classifier, outperforms the other strategies. In addition, the inclusion of two physical variables that should be measured inside the SOFCs can significantly improve the FDI performance, despite the actual difficulty in performing such measurements.

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Crystals, Vol. 6, Pages 100: Graphene-Like ZnO: A Mini Review

The isolation of a single layer of graphite, known today as graphene, not only demonstrated amazing new properties but also paved the way for a new class of materials often referred to as two-dimensional (2D) materials. Beyond graphene, other 2D materials include h-BN, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), silicene, and germanene, to name a few. All tend to have exciting physical and chemical properties which appear due to dimensionality effects and modulation of their band structure. A more recent member of the 2D family is graphene-like zinc oxide (g-ZnO) which also holds great promise as a future functional material. This review examines current progress in the synthesis and characterization of g-ZnO. In addition, an overview of works dealing with the properties of g-ZnO both in its pristine form and modified forms (e.g., nano-ribbon, doped material, etc.) is presented. Finally, discussions/studies on the potential applications of g-ZnO are reviewed and discussed.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1299: Analysis of Different Ploidy and Parent–Offspring Genomic DNA Methylation in the Loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

In this study, we selected natural polyploidy loach (diploid, triploid and tetraploid) and hybrid F1 generation obverse cross (4 × 2) and inverse cross (2 × 4) by diploids and tetraploids as the research model. The MSAP (methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism) reaction system was established by our laboratory to explore methylation levels and pattern diversification features at the whole genome level of the polyploidy loach. The results showed that the total methylation and full methylation rates decreased on increased ploidy individuals; moreover, the hemimethylation rate showed no consistent pattern. Compared with diploid loach, the methylation patterns of tetraploid sites changed 68.17%, and the methylation patterns of triploid sites changed 73.05%. The proportion of hypermethylation genes is significantly higher than the proportion of demethylation genes. The methylation level of reciprocal cross F1 generation is lower than the male diploid and higher than the female tetraploid. The hemimethylation and total methylation rate of the cross hybrid F1 generation is significantly higher than the orthogonal F1 generation (p < 0.01). After readjusting, the methylation pattern of genome DNA of reciprocal hybrids changed 69.59% and 72.83%, respectively.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1300: The Effects of Female Sexual Hormones on the Expression of Aquaporin 5 in the Late-Pregnant Rat Uterus

Thirteen mammalian aquaporin (AQP) water channels are known, and few of them play a role in the mammalian reproductive system. In our earlier study, the predominance of AQP5 in the late-pregnant rat uterus was proven. Our current aim was to investigate the effect of estrogen- and gestagen-related compounds on the expression of the AQP5 channel in the late-pregnant rat uterus. Furthermore, we examined the effect of hormonally-induced preterm delivery on the expression of AQP5 in the uterus. We treated pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats subcutaneously with 17β-estradiol, clomiphene citrate, tamoxifen citrate, progesterone, levonorgestrel, and medroxyprogesterone acetate. Preterm delivery was induced by subcutaneous mifepristone and intravaginal prostaglandin E2. Reverse-transcriptase PCR and Western blot techniques were used for the detection of the changes in AQP5 mRNA and protein expressions. The amount of AQP5 significantly increased after progesterone and progesterone analogs treatment on 18 and 22 days of pregnancy. The 17β-estradiol and estrogen receptor agonists did not influence the AQP5 mRNA level; however, estradiol induced a significant increase in the AQP5 protein level on the investigated days of gestation. Tamoxifen increased the AQP5 protein expression on day 18, while clomiphene citrate was ineffective. The hormonally-induced preterm birth significantly decreased the AQP5 level similarly to the day of delivery. We proved that AQP5 expression is influenced by both estrogen and progesterone in the late-pregnant rat uterus. The influence of progesterone on AQP5 expression is more predominant as compared with estrogen.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1366: Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Oxyalkylated Derivatives of 2′,4′-Dihydroxychalcone as Anti-Oomycete Agents against Bronopol Resistant Strains of Saprolegnia sp.

A series of novel oxyalkylchalcones substituted with alkyl groups were designed and synthesized, and the antioomycete activity of the series was evaluated in vitro against Saprolegnia strains. All tested O-alkylchalcones were synthesized by means of nucleophilic substitution from the natural compound 2′,4′-dihydroxychalcone (1) and the respective alkyl bromide. The natural chalcone (1) and 10 synthetic oxyalkylchalcones (2–11) were tested against Saprolegnia parasitica and Saprolegnia australis. Among synthetic analogs, 2-hydroxy,4-farnesyloxychalcone (11) showed the most potent activity against Saprolegnia sp., with MIC and MOC values of 125 µg/mL (similar to bronopol at 150 µg/mL) and 175 µg/mL, respectively; however, 2′,4′-dihydroxychalcone (1) was the strongest and most active molecule, with MIC and MOC values of 6.25 µg/mL and 12.5 µg/mL.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1375: Development of a Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) of Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis in a Zebrafish Model

Bone metastasis is a complex process that needs to be better understood in order to help clinicians prevent and treat it. Xenografts using patient-derived material (PDX) rather than cancer cell lines are a novel approach that guarantees more clinically realistic results. A primary culture of bone metastasis derived from a 67-year-old patient with breast cancer was cultured and then injected into zebrafish (ZF) embryos to study its metastatic potential. In vivo behavior and results of gene expression analyses of the primary culture were compared with those of cancer cell lines with different metastatic potential (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231). The MCF7 cell line, which has the same hormonal receptor status as the bone metastasis primary culture, did not survive in the in vivo model. Conversely, MDA-MB-231 disseminated and colonized different parts of the ZF, including caudal hematopoietic tissues (CHT), revealing a migratory phenotype. Primary culture cells disseminated and in later stages extravasated from the vessels, engrafting into ZF tissues and reaching the CHT. Primary cell behavior reflected the clinical course of the patient's medical history. Our results underline the potential for using PDX models in bone metastasis research and outline new methods for the clinical application of this in vivo model.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1367: Plasma LncRNA-ATB, a Potential Biomarker for Diagnosis of Patients with Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis: A Case-Control Study

LncRNA-ATB (lncRNA was activated by transforming growth factor-β) has been reported to be involved in specific physiological and pathological processes in human diseases, and could serve as biomarkers for cancers. However, the role of lncRNA-ATB in coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between lncRNA-ATB and CWP. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect plasma lncRNA-ATB expression in 137 CWP patients, 72 healthy coal miners and 168 healthy controls. LncRNA-ATB was significantly upregulated in CWP (p < 0.05). Compared with the healthy controls and healthy coal miners, the odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval (CI)) for CWP were 2.57 (1.52–4.33) and 2.17 (1.04–4.53), respectively. LncRNA-ATB was positively associated with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) (r = 0.30, p = 0.003) and negative correlated with vital capacity (VC) (r = −0.18, p = 0.033) and forced vital capacity (FVC) (r = −0.18, p = 0.046) in CWP patients. Compared with healthy controls, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.84, resulting in a 71.17% sensitivity and 88.14% specificity. When compared with healthy coal miners, the AUC was 0.83, the sensitivity and specificity were 70.07% and 86.36%, respectively. LncRNA-ATB expression is commonly increased in CWP and significantly correlates with the TGF-β1 in CWP patients. Furthermore, elevated lncRNA-ATB was associated with CWP risk and may serve as a potential biomarker for CWP.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1346: Novel Redox-Dependent Esterase Activity (EC 3.1.1.2) for DJ-1: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease

Mutations the in human DJ-1 (hDJ-1) gene are associated with early-onset autosomal recessive forms of Parkinson's disease (PD). hDJ-1/parkinsonism associated deglycase (PARK7) is a cytoprotective multi-functional protein that contains a conserved cysteine-protease domain. Given that cysteine-proteases can act on both amide and ester substrates, we surmised that hDJ-1 possessed cysteine-mediated esterase activity. To test this hypothesis, hDJ-1 was overexpressed, purified and tested for activity towards 4-nitrophenyl acetate (pNPA) as µmol of pNPA hydrolyzed/min/mg·protein (U/mg protein). hDJ-1 showed maximum reaction velocity esterase activity (Vmax = 235.10 ± 12.00 U/mg protein), with a sigmoidal fit (S0.5 = 0.55 ± 0.040 mM) and apparent positive cooperativity (Hill coefficient of 2.05 ± 0.28). A PD-associated mutant of DJ-1 (M26I) lacked activity. Unlike its protease activity which is inactivated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), esterase activity of hDJ-1 is enhanced upon exposure to low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (<10 µM) and plateaus at elevated concentrations (>100 µM) suggesting that its activity is resistant to oxidative stress. Esterase activity of DJ-1 requires oxidation of catalytic cysteines, as chemically protecting cysteines blocked its activity whereas an oxido-mimetic mutant of DJ-1 (C106D) exhibited robust esterase activity. Molecular docking studies suggest that C106 and L126 within its catalytic site interact with esterase substrates. Overall, our data show that hDJ-1 contains intrinsic redox-sensitive esterase activity that is abolished in a PD-associated mutant form of the hDJ-1 protein.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1280: The Study of Dynamic Potentials of Highly Excited Vibrational States of DCP: From Case Analysis to Comparative Study with HCP

The dynamic potentials of highly excited vibrational states of deuterated phosphaethyne (DCP) in the D–C and C–P stretching coordinates with anharmonicity and Fermi coupling are studied in this article and the results show that the D-C-P bending vibration mode has weak effects on D–C and C–P stretching modes under different Polyad numbers (P number). Furthermore, the dynamic potentials and the corresponding phase space trajectories of DCP are given, as an example, in the case of P = 30. In the end, a comparative study between deuterated phosphaethyne (DCP) and phosphaethyne (HCP) with dynamic potential is done, and it is elucidated that the uncoupled mode makes the original horizontal reversed symmetry breaking between the dynamic potential of HCP ( q 3 ) and DCP ( q 1 ), but has little effect on the vertical reversed symmetry, between the dynamic potential of HCP ( q 2 ) and DCP ( q 3 ).

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Candidate SNP Markers of Chronopathologies Are Predicted by a Significant Change in the Affinity of TATA-Binding Protein for Human Gene Promoters

Variations in human genome (e.g., single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs) may be associated with hereditary diseases, their complications, comorbidities, and drug responses. Using Web service SNP_TATA_Comparator presented in our previous paper, here we analyzed immediate surroundings of known SNP markers of diseases and identified several candidate SNP markers that can significantly change the affinity of TATA-binding protein for human gene promoters, with circadian consequences. For example, rs572527200 may be related to asthma, where symptoms are circadian (worse at night), and rs367732974 may be associated with heart attacks that are characterized by a circadian preference (early morning). By the same method, we analyzed the 90 bp proximal promoter region of each protein-coding transcript of each human gene of the circadian clock core. This analysis yielded 53 candidate SNP markers, such as rs181985043 (susceptibility to acute Q fever in male patients), rs192518038 (higher risk of a heart attack in patients with diabetes), and rs374778785 (emphysema and lung cancer in smokers). If they are properly validated according to clinical standards, these candidate SNP markers may turn out to be useful for physicians (to select optimal treatment for each patient) and for the general population (to choose a lifestyle preventing possible circadian complications of diseases).

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1375: Development of a Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) of Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis in a Zebrafish Model

Nutrients, Vol. 8, Pages 519: Mucosal MicroRNAs Expression Profiles before and after Exclusive Enteral Nutrition Therapy in Adult Patients with Crohn’s Disease

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be important for the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD). Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is an effective therapy for inducing remission in CD. We aimed to investigate the alteration of miRNAs expression profile in the terminal ileal mucosa of CD patients before and after EEN. Twenty-five patients and ten healthy individuals were included. MiRNAs expression profile was firstly assessed using microarray technology and then validation was performed by qRT-PCR. The correlations between miRNAs and CD activity index (CDAI) score and serum C–reactive protein (CRP) level were also evaluated. Microarray analysis showed that mucosal miRNAs expression profile after EEN therapy was significantly changed compared with inflamed mucosa before treatment, and was most similar to the healthy one among all CD groups. Altered expressions of hsa-miR-192-5p, hsa-miR-423-3p, hsa-miR-99a-5p, hsa-miR-124-3p, hsa-miR-301a-5p, hsa-miR-495-5p, and hsa-let-7b-5p were confirmed by qRT-PCR. hsa-let-7b-5p was significantly correlated with serum CRP levels before and after EEN treatment (r = −0.518, p = 0.008, and r = −0.569, p = 0.003). Our study showed EEN induction therapy was associated with a trend for normalizing of the mucosal miRNAs expression profile, and expression of mucosal hsa-let-7b-5p was correlated with serum CRP level in patients with CD.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1346: Novel Redox-Dependent Esterase Activity (EC 3.1.1.2) for DJ-1: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease

Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 1341: Recognition of Daily Gestures with Wearable Inertial Rings and Bracelets

Recognition of activities of daily living plays an important role in monitoring elderly people and helping caregivers in controlling and detecting changes in daily behaviors. Thanks to the miniaturization and low cost of Microelectromechanical systems (MEMs), in particular of Inertial Measurement Units, in recent years body-worn activity recognition has gained popularity. In this context, the proposed work aims to recognize nine different gestures involved in daily activities using hand and wrist wearable sensors. Additionally, the analysis was carried out also considering different combinations of wearable sensors, in order to find the best combination in terms of unobtrusiveness and recognition accuracy. In order to achieve the proposed goals, an extensive experimentation was performed in a realistic environment. Twenty users were asked to perform the selected gestures and then the data were off-line analyzed to extract significant features. In order to corroborate the analysis, the classification problem was treated using two different and commonly used supervised machine learning techniques, namely Decision Tree and Support Vector Machine, analyzing both personal model and Leave-One-Subject-Out cross validation. The results obtained from this analysis show that the proposed system is able to recognize the proposed gestures with an accuracy of 89.01% in the Leave-One-Subject-Out cross validation and are therefore promising for further investigation in real life scenarios.

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Nutrients, Vol. 8, Pages 518: Comparison of Watermelon and Carbohydrate Beverage on Exercise-Induced Alterations in Systemic Inflammation, Immune Dysfunction, and Plasma Antioxidant Capacity

Consuming carbohydrate- and antioxidant-rich fruits during exercise as a means of supporting and enhancing both performance and health is of interest to endurance athletes. Watermelon (WM) contains carbohydrate, lycopene, l-citrulline, and l-arginine. WM may support exercise performance, augment antioxidant capacity, and act as a countermeasure to exercise-induced inflammation and innate immune changes. Trained cyclists (n = 20, 48 ± 2 years) participated in a randomized, placebo controlled, crossover study. Subjects completed two 75 km cycling time trials after either 2 weeks ingestion of 980 mL/day WM puree or no treatment. Subjects drank either WM puree containing 0.2 gm/kg carbohydrate or a 6% carbohydrate beverage every 15 min during the time trials. Blood samples were taken pre-study and pre-, post-, 1 h post-exercise. WM ingestion versus no treatment for 2-weeks increased plasma l-citrulline and l-arginine concentrations (p < 0.0125). Exercise performance did not differ between WM puree or carbohydrate beverage trials (p > 0.05), however, the rating of perceived exertion was greater during the WM trial (p > 0.05). WM puree versus carbohydrate beverage resulted in a similar pattern of increase in blood glucose, and greater increases in post-exercise plasma antioxidant capacity, l-citrulline, l-arginine, and total nitrate (all p < 0.05), but without differences in systemic markers of inflammation or innate immune function. Daily WM puree consumption fully supported the energy demands of exercise, and increased post-exercise blood levels of WM nutritional components (l-citrulline and l-arginine), antioxidant capacity, and total nitrate, but without an influence on post-exercise inflammation and changes in innate immune function.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 1101: A Novel Insecticidal Peptide SLP1 Produced by Streptomyces laindensis H008 against Lipaphis erysimi

Aphids are major insect pests for crops, causing damage by direct feeding and transmission of plant diseases. This paper was completed to discover and characterize a novel insecticidal metabolite against aphids from soil actinobacteria. An insecticidal activity assay was used to screen 180 bacterial strains from soil samples against mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi. The bacterial strain H008 showed the strongest activity, and it was identified by the phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and physiological traits as a novel species of genus Streptomyces (named S. laindensis H008). With the bioassay-guided method, the insecticidal extract from S. laindensis H008 was subjected to chromatographic separations. Finally, a novel insecticidal peptide was purified from Streptomyces laindensis H008 against L. erysimi, and it was determined to be S-E-P-A-Q-I-V-I-V-D-G-V-D-Y-W by TOF-MS and amino acid analysis.

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Entropy, Vol. 18, Pages 307: Weighted-Permutation Entropy Analysis of Resting State EEG from Diabetics with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Diabetes is a significant public health issue as it increases the risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we aim to investigate whether weighted-permutation entropy (WPE) and permutation entropy (PE) of resting-state EEG (rsEEG) could be applied as potential objective biomarkers to distinguish type 2 diabetes patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) from those with normal cognitive function. rsEEG series were acquired from 28 patients with type 2 diabetes (16 aMCI patients and 12 controls), and neuropsychological assessments were performed. The rsEEG signals were analysed using WPE and PE methods. The correlations between the PE or WPE of the rsEEG and the neuropsychological assessments were analysed as well. The WPE in the right temporal (RT) region of the aMCI diabetics was lower than the controls, and the WPE was significantly positively correlated to the scores of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) (AVLT-Immediate recall, AVLT-Delayed recall, AVLT-Delayed recognition) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Digit Span Test (WAIS-DST). These findings were not obtained with PE. We concluded that the WPE of rsEEG recordings could distinguish aMCI diabetics from normal cognitive function diabetic controls among the current sample of diabetic patients. Thus, the WPE could be a potential index for assisting diagnosis of aMCI in type 2 diabetes.

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Nutrients, Vol. 8, Pages 517: Reply to B. Meunier’s Letter to the Editor Re: Brewer G. J.; Nutrients 2015, 7, 10053–10064

In a letter to the editor, Meunier [1] apparently attempts to discredit the copper-2 hypothesis for causation of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) epidemic in developed countries proposed by myself in a review in this journal [2].[...]

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1300: The Effects of Female Sexual Hormones on the Expression of Aquaporin 5 in the Late-Pregnant Rat Uterus

Viruses, Vol. 8, Pages 232: Monitoring of Anti-Hepatitis E Virus Antibody Seroconversion in Asymptomatically Infected Blood Donors: Systematic Comparison of Nine Commercial Anti-HEV IgM and IgG Assays

Diagnosis of hepatitis E virus (HEV) is usually determined serologically by detection of the presence of immunoglobulin (Ig)M antibodies or rising anti-HEV IgG titers. However, serological assays have demonstrated a significant variation in their sensitivities and specificities. In this study, we present the systematic comparison of different immunological anti-HEV assays using complete seroconversion panels of 10 virologically confirmed HEV genotype 3 infected individuals. Assay sensitivities were further evaluated by testing serially diluted World Health Organization (WHO) reference reagent for hepatitis E virus antibody and one patient sample infected with HEV genotype 3. Anti-HEV IgM and IgG antibody presence was determined using the immunological assays Wantai HEV IgM/IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Sanbio, Uden, The Netherlands), recomWell HEV IgM/IgG (Mikrogen, Neuried, Germany), HEV IgM ELISA 3.0, HEV ELISA, HEV ELISA 4.0, Assure HEV IgM Rapid Test (all MP Biomedicals Europe, Illkirch Cedex, France) and Anti-HEV ELISA (IgM/IgG, Euroimmun, Lübeck, Germany). The assays showed differences regarding their analytical and diagnostic sensitivities, with anti-HEV IgM assays (n = 5) being more divergent compared to anti-HEV IgG (n = 4) assays in this study. Considerable variations were observed particularly for the detection period of IgM antibodies. This is the first study systematically characterizing serologic assays on the basis of seroconversion panels, providing sample conformity for a conclusive comparison. Future studies should include the assay comparison covering the four different genotypes.

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Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 1339: A Dielectric-Filled Waveguide Antenna Element for 3D Imaging Radar in High Temperature and Excessive Dust Conditions

Three-dimensional information of the burden surface in high temperature and excessive dust industrial conditions has been previously hard to obtain. This paper presents a novel microstrip-fed dielectric-filled waveguide antenna element which is resistant to dust and high temperatures. A novel microstrip-to-dielectric-loaded waveguide transition was developed. A cylinder and cuboid composite structure was employed at the terminal of the antenna element, which improved the return loss performance and reduced the size. The proposed antenna element was easily integrated into a T-shape multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) imaging radar system and tested in both the laboratory environment and real blast furnace environment. The measurement results show that the proposed antenna element works very well in industrial 3D imaging radar.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1367: Plasma LncRNA-ATB, a Potential Biomarker for Diagnosis of Patients with Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis: A Case-Control Study

Polymers, Vol. 8, Pages 315: Hedgehog Buckyball: A High-Symmetry Complete Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS)

In this study, we report UV-MALDI-TOF MS evidence of a fullerene-like silsesquioxane, a high-symmetry polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS or SSO) formulated as R60-Si60O90 or T60 (T = RSiO1.5). The T60 preparation can be performed using a normal hydrolytic condensation of [(3-methacryloxy)propyl]trimethoxysilane (MPMS) as an example. Theoretically, four 3sp3 hybrid orbitals (each containing an unpaired electron) of a Si atom are generated before the bond formation. Then it bonds to another four atom electrons using the four generated hybrid orbitals which produced a stable configuration. This fullerene-like silsesquioxane should exhibit much more functionality, activity and selectivity and is easier to assemble than the double bonds in a fullerene.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1280: The Study of Dynamic Potentials of Highly Excited Vibrational States of DCP: From Case Analysis to Comparative Study with HCP

Polymers, Vol. 8, Pages 313: Silica Treatments: A Fire Retardant Strategy for Hemp Fabric/Epoxy Composites

In this paper, for the first time, inexpensive waterglass solutions are exploited as a new, simple and ecofriendly chemical approach for promoting the formation of a silica-based coating on hemp fabrics, able to act as a thermal shield and to protect the latter from heat sources. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis confirm the formation of –C–O–Si– covalent bonds between the coating and the cellulosic substrate. The proposed waterglass treatment, which is resistant to washing, seems to be very effective for improving the fire behavior of hemp fabric/epoxy composites, also in combination with ammonium polyphosphate. In particular, the exploitation of hemp surface treatment and Ammonium Polyphosphate (APP) addition to epoxy favors a remarkable decrease of the Heat Release Rate (HRR), Total Heat Release (THR), Total Smoke Release (TSR) and Specific Extinction Area (SEA) (respectively by 83%, 35%, 45% and 44%) as compared to untreated hemp/epoxy composites, favoring the formation of a very stable char, as also assessed by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Because of the low interfacial adhesion between the fabrics and the epoxy matrix, the obtained composites show low strength and stiffness; however, the energy absorbed by the material is higher when using treated hemp. The presence of APP in the epoxy matrix does not affect the mechanical behavior of the composites.

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Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 1343: Monitoring of Grouting Compactness in a Post-Tensioning Tendon Duct Using Piezoceramic Transducers

A post-tensioning tendon duct filled with grout can effectively prevent corrosion of the reinforcement, maintain bonding behavior between the reinforcement and concrete, and enhance the load bearing capacity of concrete structures. In practice, grouting of the post-tensioning tendon ducts always causes quality problems, which may reduce structural integrity and service life, and even cause accidents. However, monitoring of the grouting compactness is still a challenge due to the invisibility of the grout in the duct during the grouting process. This paper presents a stress wave-based active sensing approach using piezoceramic transducers to monitor the grouting compactness in real time. A segment of a commercial tendon duct was used as research object in this study. One lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoceramic transducer with marble protection, called a smart aggregate (SA), was bonded on the tendon and installed in the tendon duct. Two PZT patch sensors were mounted on the top outside surface of the duct, and one PZT patch sensor was bonded on the bottom outside surface of the tendon duct. In the active sensing approach, the SA was used as an actuator to generate a stress wave and the PZT sensors were utilized to detect the wave response. Cement or grout in the duct functions as a wave conduit, which can propagate the stress wave. If the cement or grout is not fully filled in the tendon duct, the top PZT sensors cannot receive much stress wave energy. The experimental procedures simulated four stages during the grout pouring process, which includes empty status, half grouting, 90% grouting, and full grouting of the duct. Experimental results show that the bottom PZT sensor can detect the signal when the grout level increases towards 50%, when a conduit between the SA and PZT sensor is formed. The top PZT sensors cannot receive any signal until the grout process is completely finished. The wavelet packet-based energy analysis was adopted in this research to compute the total signal energy received by PZT sensors. Experimental results show that the energy levels of the PZT sensors can reflect the degree of grouting compactness in the duct. The proposed method has the potential to be implemented to monitor the tendon duct grouting compactness of the reinforced concrete structures with post tensioning.

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Nutrients, Vol. 8, Pages 515: Natural Polyphenols for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer

There is much epidemiological evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables could lower the risk of certain cancers. The effect has been attributed, in part, to natural polyphenols. Besides, numerous studies have demonstrated that natural polyphenols could be used for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Potential mechanisms included antioxidant, anti-inflammation as well as the modulation of multiple molecular events involved in carcinogenesis. The current review summarized the anticancer efficacy of major polyphenol classes (flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans and stilbenes) and discussed the potential mechanisms of action, which were based on epidemiological, in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies within the past five years.

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Micromachines, Vol. 7, Pages 145: Thermoelectric Responsive Shape Memory Graphene/Hydro-Epoxy Composites for Actuators

A series of thermoelectric responsive shape memory hydro-epoxy (H-EP) composites filled with different contents of graphene were developed and characterized. Compared with traditional actuation materials, these novel shape memory composites exhibit attractive properties, such as light weight, large deformation, good processability and high response speed, making them good candidates for actuator materials. The effect of graphene content on the shape memory composites was studied in terms of mechanical, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), electrical properties, and thermoelectric responsive shape memory test. The results show that when graphene content was 2 wt %, the bend strength of the composite improved by about 47% with a storage modulus larger than other composites. The shape recovery ratio of the composites was about 100%, and the shape recovery speed increased with the increment of graphene content, applied voltage, and temperature. Due to the excellent actuation performance, the graphene/hydro-epoxy composite has potential applications in the actuator in the future.

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Micromachines, Vol. 7, Pages 146: Microfluidic Neurons, a New Way in Neuromorphic Engineering?

This article describes a new way to explore neuromorphic engineering, the biomimetic artificial neuron using microfluidic techniques. This new device could replace silicon neurons and solve the issues of biocompatibility and power consumption. The biological neuron transmits electrical signals based on ion flow through their plasma membrane. Action potentials are propagated along axons and represent the fundamental electrical signals by which information are transmitted from one place to another in the nervous system. Based on this physiological behavior, we propose a microfluidic structure composed of chambers representing the intra and extracellular environments, connected by channels actuated by Quake valves. These channels are equipped with selective ion permeable membranes to mimic the exchange of chemical species found in the biological neuron. A thick polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane is used to create the Quake valve membrane. Integrated electrodes are used to measure the potential difference between the intracellular and extracellular environments: the membrane potential.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1366: Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Oxyalkylated Derivatives of 2′,4′-Dihydroxychalcone as Anti-Oomycete Agents against Bronopol Resistant Strains of Saprolegnia sp.

IJGI, Vol. 5, Pages 147: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Geomatics

Geomatics as a geospatial science, including technologies and processes, has experienced a boost in recent years with the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with sensing instruments [1].[...]

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Endobronchial Ultrasound Bronchoscopy to the Heart of the Matter

Endobronchial ultrasound has been one of the success stories of the last decade, and the utility of the procedure continues to expand. Originally, it was developed for the staging and diagnosis of lung cancer, but its use rapidly expanded to other malignancies and even benign disease. We present the case of a patient originally referred with suspected endocarditis who was found to have a mass involving the right ventricle and the pulmonary outflow tract. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided biopsy was used to obtain a tissue diagnosis from the cardiac mass.
Respiration

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Oxygen Desaturation Index Estimation through Unconstrained Cardiac Sympathetic Activity Assessment Using Three Ballistocardiographic Systems

Background: Nocturnal hypoxemia, characterized by abnormally low oxygen saturation levels in arterial blood during sleep, is a significant feature of various pathological conditions. The oxygen desaturation index, commonly used to evaluate the nocturnal hypoxemia severity, is acquired using nocturnal pulse oximetry that requires the overnight wear of a pulse oximeter probe. Objectives: This study aimed to suggest a method for the unconstrained estimation of the oxygen desaturation index. Methods: We hypothesized that the severity of nocturnal hypoxemia would be positively associated with cardiac sympathetic activation during sleep. Unconstrained heart rate variability monitoring was conducted using three different ballistocardiographic systems to assess cardiac sympathetic activity. Overnight polysomnographic and ballistocardiographic recording pairs were collected from the 20 non-nocturnal hypoxemia (oxygen desaturation index Results: The regression analysis, performed using the low-frequency component of heart rate variability, exhibited a root mean square error of 3.33 events/h between the estimates and the reference values of the oxygen desaturation index. The nocturnal hypoxemia diagnostic performance produced by our method was presented with an average accuracy of 96.5% at oxygen desaturation index cutoffs of ≥5, 15, and 30 events/h. Conclusions: Our method has the potential to serve as a complementary measure against the accidental slip-out of a pulse oximeter probe during nocturnal pulse oximetry. The independent application of our method could facilitate home-based long-term oxygen desaturation index monitoring.
Respiration

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The Importance of Obligate Anaerobes and the Streptococcus anginosus Group in Pulmonary Abscess: A Clone Library Analysis Using Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid

Background: Appropriate antibiotic use reduces the mortality of patients with lung abscess; however, 40-60% of the bacterial etiologies in these patients have remained unknown with the culture methods. Obligate anaerobes and the Streptococcus anginosus group are common pathogens in lung abscess, but a precise evaluation of these bacteria by ordinary culture methods seems to be difficult due to upper respiratory tract contamination. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the microbiota of lung abscess by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) using the molecular method in comparison to culture methods. Methods: BALF samples obtained from the affected lesions and sputum samples of 59 patients with lung abscess were evaluated. The microbiota in BALF was analyzed according to the molecular method using the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Results: Fifty-six of the 59 BALF samples were positive in polymerase chain reaction analysis. Fusobacterium spp. (23.7%) were most frequently detected, followed by the S. anginosus group (15.3%), as the predominant phylotypes. Obligate anaerobes were detected in 42.4% of the BALF specimens as the predominant phylotypes, whereas the detection rate of obligate anaerobes was 13.6% by culture methods using BALF. In addition, the detection rate among those patients in whom the phylotype of obligate anaerobes was detected in >5% of the lung microbiota according to the molecular method was 86.5% in the 'mixed-bacterial' infection group. Conclusions: The findings by the molecular method suggest that obligate anaerobes play important roles in the pathogenesis of lung abscess and provide additional bacterial information regarding conventional culture methods.
Respiration

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BP Neural Network Could Help Improve Pre-miRNA Identification in Various Species

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a set of short (21–24 nt) noncoding RNAs that play significant regulatory roles in cells. In the past few years, research on miRNA-related problems has become a hot field of bioinformatics because of miRNAs' essential biological function. miRNA-related bioinformatics analysis is beneficial in several aspects, including the functions of miRNAs and other genes, the regulatory network between miRNAs and their target mRNAs, and even biological evolution. Distinguishing miRNA precursors from other hairpin-like sequences is important and is an essential procedure in detecting novel microRNAs. In this study, we employed backpropagation (BP) neural network together with 98-dimensional novel features for microRNA precursor identification. Results show that the precision and recall of our method are 95.53% and 96.67%, respectively. Results further demonstrate that the total prediction accuracy of our method is nearly 13.17% greater than the state-of-the-art microRNA precursor prediction software tools.

http://ift.tt/2bbhRxR

Annotating the Function of the Human Genome with Gene Ontology and Disease Ontology

Increasing evidences indicated that function annotation of human genome in molecular level and phenotype level is very important for systematic analysis of genes. In this study, we presented a framework named Gene2Function to annotate Gene Reference into Functions (GeneRIFs), in which each functional description of GeneRIFs could be annotated by a text mining tool Open Biomedical Annotator (OBA), and each Entrez gene could be mapped to Human Genome Organisation Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) gene symbol. After annotating all the records about human genes of GeneRIFs, 288,869 associations between 13,148 mRNAs and 7,182 terms, 9,496 associations between 948 microRNAs and 533 terms, and 901 associations between 139 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and 297 terms were obtained as a comprehensive annotation resource of human genome. High consistency of term frequency of individual gene (Pearson correlation = 0.6401, ) and gene frequency of individual term (Pearson correlation = 0.1298, ) in GeneRIFs and GOA shows our annotation resource is very reliable.

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Percutaneous internal ring suturing is a safe and effective method for the minimal invasive treatment of pediatric inguinal hernia: Experience with 250 cases

Journal of Pediatric Surgery

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Outcome of acute severe ulcerative colitis in patients previously exposed to immunosuppressive therapy

Digestive and Liver Diseases

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Efficacy and safety of elbasvir/grazoprevir and sofosbuvir/pegylated interferon/ribavirin: A phase III randomized controlled trial

Journal of Hepatology

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Intragastric balloon device: weight loss and satisfaction degree

Obesity Surgery

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Metformin, diabetes, and survival among US veterans with colorectal cancer

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

http://ift.tt/2bw6D9O

Increased EHEC survival and virulence gene expression indicate an enhanced pathogenicity upon simulated pediatric gastrointestinal conditions

Pediatric Research

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FOLFOX4 or sorafenib as the first-line treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A cost-effectiveness analysis

Digestive and Liver Diseases

http://ift.tt/2bw5Qps

Readout-segmented echo-planar imaging improves the image quality of diffusion-weighted MR imaging in rectal cancer: Comparison with single-shot echo-planar diffusion-weighted sequences

European Journal of Radiology

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Exploring the risk factors for differences in the cumulative incidence of coeliac disease in two neighboring countries: The prospective DIABIMMUNE study

Digestive and Liver Diseases

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Myocardial infarction and ischemic hepatitis complicated by postpartum hemorrhage

Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

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Type 2 diabetes mellitus and risk of colorectal adenoma: A meta-analysis of observational studies

BMC Cancer

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Comparison of transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy versus single incision laparoscopic appendectomy in children: Which is the better surgical option?

Journal of Pediatric Surgery

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Impact of diabetes on outcomes of sorafenib therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Targeted Oncology

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Reliable complex abdominal wall hernia repairs with a narrow, well-fixed retrorectus polypropylene mesh: A review of over 100 consecutive cases

Surgery

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 1071: Neuroprotective Effects of Methyl 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoate against TBHP-Induced Oxidative Damage in SH-SY5Y Cells

This study investigated the neuroprotective effects of methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (MDHB) against t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) induced oxidative damage in SH-SY5Y (human neuroblastoma cells) and the underlying mechanisms. SH-SY5Y were cultured in DMEM + 10% FBS for 24 h and pretreated with different concentrations of MDHB or N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) for 4 h prior to the addition of 40 μM TBHP for 24 h. Cell viability was analyzed using the methylthiazolyltetrazolium (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. An annexin V-FITC assay was used to detect cell apoptosis rates. The 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay was used to determine intracellular ROS levels. The activities of antioxidative enzymes (GSH-Px and SOD) were measured using commercially available kits. The oxidative DNA damage marker 8-OHdG was detected using ELISA. Western blotting was used to determine the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase 3, p-Akt and Akt proteins in treated SH-SY5Y cells. Our results showed that MDHB is an effective neuroprotective compound that can mitigate oxidative stress and inhibit apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells.

http://ift.tt/2bNMHkO

Proteomes, Vol. 4, Pages 24: Selecting Sample Preparation Workflows for Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomic and Phosphoproteomic Analysis of Patient Samples with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Global mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic and phosphoproteomic studies of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) biomarkers represent a powerful strategy to identify and confirm proteins and their phosphorylated modifications that could be applied in diagnosis and prognosis, as a support for individual treatment regimens and selection of patients for bone marrow transplant. MS-based studies require optimal and reproducible workflows that allow a satisfactory coverage of the proteome and its modifications. Preparation of samples for global MS analysis is a crucial step and it usually requires method testing, tuning and optimization. Different proteomic workflows that have been used to prepare AML patient samples for global MS analysis usually include a standard protein in-solution digestion procedure with a urea-based lysis buffer. The enrichment of phosphopeptides from AML patient samples has previously been carried out either with immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) or metal oxide affinity chromatography (MOAC). We have recently tested several methods of sample preparation for MS analysis of the AML proteome and phosphoproteome and introduced filter-aided sample preparation (FASP) as a superior methodology for the sensitive and reproducible generation of peptides from patient samples. FASP-prepared peptides can be further fractionated or IMAC-enriched for proteome or phosphoproteome analyses. Herein, we will review both in-solution and FASP-based sample preparation workflows and encourage the use of the latter for the highest protein and phosphorylation coverage and reproducibility.

http://ift.tt/2bePYqj

Water, Vol. 8, Pages 358: Heavy Metal Contamination in the Surface Layer of Bottom Sediments in a Flow-Through Lake: A Case Study of Lake Symsar in Northern Poland

River-lake systems most often behave as hydrographic units, which undergo complex interactions, especially in the contact zone. One such interaction pertains to the role of a river in the dispersal of trace elements carried into and out of a lake. In this study, we aimed to assess the impact of rivers on the accumulation of heavy metals in bottom sediments of natural lakes comprised in postglacial river-lake systems. The results showed that a river flowing through a lake is a key factor responsible for the input of the majority of available fraction of heavy metals (Zn, Mn, Cd and Ni) into the water body and for their accumulation along the flow of river water in the lake. The origin of other accumulated elements were the linear and point sources in catchments. In turn, the Pb content was associated with the location of roads in the direct catchment, while the sediment structure (especially size of fraction and density) could have affected the accumulation of Cr and Zn, which indicated correlations between these metals and fine fraction. Our results suggest that lakes act as filters and contribute to the self-purification of water that flows through them. As a result, the content of most metals in lake sediments showed a decrease by approx. 75% between the upstream (inflow) and downstream (outflow) sections. The increased content of two metals only, such as chromium and cadmium (higher by 2.0 and 2.5 times, respectively, after passing through the lake), was due to the correlation of the metals with fine sand. Both the content and distribution pattern of heavy metals in lake sediments are indicative of the natural response of aquatic ecosystems to environmental stressors, such as pollutant import with river water or climate change. The complex elements creating the water ecosystem of each lake can counteract stress by temporarily removing pollutants such as toxic metals form circulation and depositing them mostly around the delta.

http://ift.tt/2bNMspV

Preliminary study on diagnosis of lumbar disc degeneration with magnetic resonance T1p, T2 mapping and DWI quantitative detection technologies

OBJECTIVE: The value of diagnosing lumbar disc degeneration with T1p magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), T2 mapping and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) technologies.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We selected 30 patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation (group A), 30 patients with lumbar disc degeneration (group B) and 30 healthy volunteers (group C) and carried out Pfirrmann grading of intervertebral discs (L1-S1 segment) based on conventional T2WI median sagittal images. T1p, T2 mapping and DWI were then applied.

RESULTS: Group A primarily had Pfirrmann grades of III-IV, group B had Pfirrmann grades of I-IV and group C had Pfirmann grades of I-II. The differences between the groups were statistically significant (p <0.05). The average T1p, T2 mapping and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus in group A were significantly lower than in group B. The highest values were in group C, and the differences were statistically significant (p <0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: T2WI, T1p MRI, T2 Mapping and DWI technologies have different capacities to diagnose lumbar disc degeneration, and have great value in improving diagnostic accuracy.

L'articolo Preliminary study on diagnosis of lumbar disc degeneration with magnetic resonance T1p, T2 mapping and DWI quantitative detection technologies sembra essere il primo su European Review.

http://ift.tt/2btFa6N

Alterations of the vaginal microbiota in the third trimester of pregnancy and pPROM

OBJECTIVE: Preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM) is a significant issue in obstetric practice. One of the risk factors for pPROM are vaginal infections in the third trimester of pregnancy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed an observational study on 600 pregnant women, analyzing the lactobacillary grade (LBG) and the presence of any pathogenic bacteria and/or Candida at weeks 28 and 32 of pregnancy and recording any pPROM events at delivery. At week 28, in the case of vaginal infection, the patients were treated for 6 days with a topical association of metronidazole+clotrimazole.

RESULTS: At week 28 of pregnancy 54.2% of women had vaginal infection (32.6% bacterial vaginitis, 33.8% candidiasis and 32.4% mixed infection) and/or abnormal vaginal microbiota (67.4% LBG 2a/2b, 32.6% LBG 3). The total number of pPROM was 8 out of 600 (1.3%). The treatment of vaginal infection at week 28 with the topical association of metronidazole+clotrimazole, led to both the eradication of vaginal infections and the restoration of the vaginal microbiota in 72% of the cases, bringing the level of risk of pPROM similar to that of women without vaginal infection at week 28. In addition, the results showed that women with vaginal infections and/or alteration of vaginal microbiota at week 32 of pregnancy had a higher prevalence of pPROM in comparison to the women without vaginal infection at week 32 (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: This observational study showed the high prevalence of vaginal infections in the third trimester of pregnancy and its association with pPROM. Furthermore, data suggested the possible benefits of the topical treatment with metronidazole+clotrimazole in pregnancy to eradicate infections, restore the normal microbiota and reduce the risk of pPROM.

L'articolo Alterations of the vaginal microbiota in the third trimester of pregnancy and pPROM sembra essere il primo su European Review.

http://ift.tt/2btFh22

Recognising moulting behaviour in trilobites by examining morphology, development and preservation: Comment on Błażejowski et al. 2015

A 365 million year-old trilobite moult-carcass assemblage was described by Błażejowski et al. (2015) as the oldest direct evidence of moulting in the arthropod fossil record. Unfortunately, their suppositions are insufficiently supported by the data provided. Instead, the morphology, configuration and preservational context of the highly fossiliferous locality (Kowala Quarry, Poland) suggest that the specimen consists of two overlapping, queued carcasses. The wider fossil record of moulting actually extends back 520 million years, providing an unparalleled opportunity to study behaviour, ecology and development in early animals. Taking cues from modern analogues, it is possible to quantify precise details about moulting behaviour to determine broad-scale evolutionary trends, ontogenetic sequences and morphological selection pressures. In this review, we argue that this rich source of data has been underused in evolutionary studies, though has great potential for investigating the life history and evolution of arthropods in deep time.

Exoskeleton moulting occurs in arthropods during growth, and Błażejowski et al. (2015) described putative moulting in a 365 million year-old trilobite. We argue this specimen is not a moult assemblage, but show that reliable studies on trilobite moulting reveal evolutionary trends in behaviour, ecology and development in deep time.

http://ift.tt/2btD7zD

Building on the Ccr4-Not architecture

In a recent issue of Nature Communications Ukleja and co-workers reported a cryo-EM 3D reconstruction of the Ccr4-Not complex from Schizosaccharomyces pombe with an immunolocalization of the different subunits. The newly gained architectural knowledge provides cues to apprehend the functional diversity of this major eukaryotic regulator. Indeed, in the cytoplasm alone, Ccr4-Not regulates translational repression, decapping and deadenylation, and the Not module additionally plays a positive role in translation. The spatial distribution of the subunits within the structure is compatible with a model proposing that the Ccr4-Not complex interacts with the 5′ and 3′ ends of target mRNAs, allowing different functional modules of the complex to act at different stages of the translation process, possibly within a circular constellation of the mRNA. This work opens new avenues, and reveals important gaps in our understanding regarding structure and mode of function of the Ccr4-Not complex that need to be addressed in the future.

The structure of the Ccr4-Not complex reveals that mRNA decay components interact with one side of the complex. The other side is available to contribute to co-translational processes. This might ensure a direct physical link between translation and mRNA decay processes, particularly if the mRNA is in a circular constellation.

http://ift.tt/2bw3A3U

Molbank, Vol. 2016, Article M906: 5,9,11-Trihydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-10-(3′-methyl-2′-butenyl)-3-(2″-methyl-3″-butenyl)pyrano[2,3-a]xanthen-12(2H)-one from the Stem Bark of Calophyllum pseudomole

5,9,11-Trihydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-10-(3′-methyl-2′-butenyl)-3-(2″-methyl-3″-butenyl)-pyrano[2,3-a]xanthen-12(2H)-one (1) was isolated from the stem bark of Calophyllum pseudomole. The structure of 1 was established by spectroscopic analysis which included UV, IR, HRESIMS and NMR experiments.

http://ift.tt/2baTLWS

IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1364: Protection of Historical Wood against Microbial Degradation—Selection and Application of Microbiocides

The aim of this study was to select effective and safe microbiocides for the disinfection and protection of historical wooden surfaces at the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. We tested seven active compounds against bacteria and moulds, of which didecyldimethylammonium chloride and N-(3-aminopropyl)-N-dodecylpropane-1,3-diamine were effective even at 0.02%–2%. Subsequently, eight microbiocides containing the selected active ingredients were chosen and applied three times on the surface of wood samples colonized by bacteria and moulds. ABM-1 and ABM-2—6% solution; Rocima 101—8%; Preventol R 80—12%; Acticide 706 LV—15% and Boramon—30% were the most effective disinfectants. Under laboratory conditions, ABM-1, Boramon and Rocima 101 ensured antimicrobial protection of new wood samples for six months. In situ, 30% Boramon and 8% Rocima 101 applied by spraying effectively protected the historical wood from bacterial and mould growth for 12 and 3 months, respectively. Colour and luminance of the new wood were not altered after exposure to the biocides. Boramon and Rocima 101, applied by the spraying method, caused no significant change in the colour of the historical wood. Results from this study were used to develop a procedure for the protection of wood in historical buildings against biodeterioration.

http://ift.tt/2bb6GEY

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Δευτέρα 22 Αυγούστου 2016