A study of KAINH KTIEIE and its ethical implications in Pauline theology

The conception of xaivη, (2Cor 5.17; Gal 6,15) has often been regarded as one of the most significant ideas within Pauline theology. Yet, it is not of Pauline origin. Paul derived the term from early Jewish eschatology (rooted in Deutero- Isaiah) and introduced it into early Christian theology in order to defend and to clarify his own position against Jewish Christian opponents. Thereby xaivη received its specific Pauline anthropological (individual and ecclesiological) and present eschatological meaning which is without analogy in early Judaism: God's new creation, the great exodus from the slavery of sin and death, must no longer be expected from the future, but in the atoning Christ event at the cross it has already become a present reality. In Christ's death as inclusive representative for all a new order of soteriological equality of all mankind has been established. What counts is neither to belong to the Jewish nation nor to the Gentiles but to participate - by faith and baptism and through the Spirit - in the new humanity of the xaivη in Christ. This new reality will be made visible in the eschatological future in which also the whole non-human cosmos will be transformed. The xaivη is a creation of Christ's love for all humanity (2Cor 5.14f). This love continues to be the driving and directing force of the participants in the xaivη evoking their love for Christ and for one another. So, love is the in evitable ethical implication for those who live in the xaivη. The new reality necessarily calls forth a new life, a new conduct according to the xaivη in which the old classifications of superiority and inferiority, Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female have lost their validity

Freezing point osmometry of milk to determine the additional water content – an issue in general quality control and German food regulation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The determination of the osmolality of aqueous samples using a freezing point osmometer is a well-established, routine laboratory method. In addition to their use in clinical and pharmaceutical laboratories, freezing point osmometers are also employed in food testing laboratories. One application is the determination of the osmolality of milk. Although cow's milk is a natural product whose water content is approximately 87%, the osmolality of milk is a significant value when the milk is collected from a larger population of animals. This value is used in milk processing to control the water content, based on the German Food Control Regulations for Milk.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Measurement of the freezing point and osmolality of milk samples was performed with a Knauer Semi-Micro Freezing Point Osmometer. Osmolality was measured for the untreated milk samples and following their dilution (by volume) with 10% and 50% water. The measurements were made after 1, 4 and 7 days to evaluate changes over time. All measurement values for the undiluted milk were spread over a small interval with an average of 271 mOsmol/kg. After mixing the milk samples with 10% water, the average decreased to 242 mOsmol/kg, while mixing with 50% water resulted in an average osmolality of 129 mOsmol/kg. There was no significant change for the osmolality within the 7 days (measurements from days 1, 4 and 7).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results observed demonstrate clearly that the additional water content of milk can be determined easily using a freezing point osmometer. Milk samples that contain additional water have a significantly decreased osmolality, corresponding to an increased freezing point. The effect on osmolality of ageing the milk samples could not be determined in this study's time-dependent measurements.</p

Alkali and acid polysaccharides blend nanofibrous membranes prepared by electrospinning

Poster apresentado no "Smart and functional coatings conference", Torino, Italy, 2013Electrospinning allows the production of polymer fibres with diameters in the sub-micron size range, through the application of an external electric field, keeping intact the bulk properties of the polymers. Electrospun membranes possess some unique structural features, such as a high surface to volume ratio and very good mechanical performance, properties that are determinant to their use in several applications such as air and liquid filtration, tissue engineering, optical and chemical sensors [1]. In this work, alkali and acid biopolysaccharides blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were electrospinned into a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) basal microfiltration membrane, with the goal of developing a mid-layer nanofibrous porous support for exploitable thin-film composite (TFC) membranes for water filtration. The alkali and acid biopolysaccharides chosen were, respectively, chitosan (CS), a cationic polyelectrolyte (in this case with deacetylation degree around 85), and cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), an acidic polysaccharide isolated from Cyanothece sp.CCY 0110 [2]. The electrospun blended nanofibrous membranes were fully characterized in order to investigate their morphology, diameter, structure, mechanical and thermal properties. The results showed that these membranes have great potential for filtration purposes [3].This work was funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Competitiveness Programme – COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under the projects FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-022718 (PEst-C/SAU/LA0002/2011), FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-009389 (PTDC/CTM/100627/2008) and FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-009697 (PTDC/EBB-EBI/099662/2008), and the grants SFRH/BPD/37045/2007 and SFRH/BPD/72400/2010. The authors also thank to the project INVISIBLE NETWORK nº. 13857 * SI I&DT Mobilizador

Thin-layer nanofiltration membranes using engineered biopolymers for seawater desalination pre-treatment processes

Nowadays water demand already exceeds supply and water scarcity is a global problem. So it is necessary to develop novel technologies to be able to use poorer quality source waters for drinking water production. Once considered as an expensive, ultimate solution for water supply, desalination is becoming affordable. The two most commonly used seawater desalination methods are Multi-stage Flash Distillation (MSF) and Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO). SWRO is less energy demanding compared to MSF, which makes it economically attractive. However there is no backpulsing of the expensive and delicate reverse osmosis (RO) membranes with air or water, so they are susceptible to fouling, causing the loss of their performance. Therefore cleaning the feed water to the highest level possible by nanofiltration, before it reaches the RO membranes would highly increase the efficiency of the process. Nanofiltration (NF) as a feed pre-treatment step is a pressure driven membrane separation process that takes place on a selective layer formed by a semipermeable membrane with properties between RO and ultrafiltration. The objective of this project is the developement of highly efficient thin-film composite (TFC) membranes for SWRO pre-treatment processes based on low-fouling cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). TFC membranes combine high flux and mechanical strenght, and they are expected to be the key components of any water purification technology in the future. Cyanobacterial EPS are complex heteropolysaccharides with putative antimicrobial and antiviral properties and a particular affinity to bind metal ions [1,2].Within this work, the unicellular N2-fixing marine cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. CCY 0110 was chosen for RPS production, since it is among the most efficient released polysaccharide (RPS) producers and the polymer has been previously extensively characterised [3]. RPS was produced by growing Cyanothece CCY 0110 in 10L bioreactors, in conditions previously defined and the polymer was isolated following the standard methodology [3]. A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) / cyanobacterial EPS blend nanofibrous membranes were fabricated by electrospinning using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a basal membrane, in order to obtain thin-layer composite nanofiltration membranes. The production of the nanofibers using EPS and PVA as plasticizer in different ratios was produced in a NF-103 MECC Nanon electrospinning equipment with an applied electric field between 15 and 25 kV and a flow of 0,2 mL/h. Morphological, mechanical, chemical and thermal characterization of the electrospun fibers deposited on the basal membranes, were evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), dynamical and mechanical analysis (DMA), thermogravimetry (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The AFM and SEM results show the presence of fibers with dimensions between 54 and 121 nm with low bead formation. In the EDS analysis presence of sulfur elements was observed confirming the inclusion of EPS in the nanofibers. The morphology and diameter of the nanofibers were mainly affected by the concentration of the blend solution and the weight ratio of the blend, respectively. The best PVA/EPS nanofibers were achieved in a ratio of 12 % PVA and 0.4 % EPS. The solution conductivity was ranging 1500 to 3500 μS/cm with a viscosity of about 100 to 500 cP. The DMA results confirmed the miscibility of PVA/EPS blends. The elastic modulus of the nanocomposite mats increased significantly as a consequence of the reinforcing effect of EPS. Thermal and mechanical analysis demonstrated that there were strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the molecules EPS-PVA in the blends. The heat-treated electrospun blended membranes showed better tensile mechanical properties when compared with PVA alone, and resisted more against disintegration. A lab-scale nanofiltration was performed in a bench stainless steel Sterlitech tangential flow stirred cell (200 mL) connected to an air pressure system that allow pressure driven filtration up to 10 BAR. Bactericidal activity and biofilm formation were tested using Escherichia coli and Sthaphylococcus aureus as pathogenic microorganisms

Does an intracanal composite anchorage replace posts?

Objectives: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of an intracanal composite anchorage to replace conventionally cemented titanium or bonded glass fibre posts. Materials and methods: Post space preparation was performed up to depths of 6mm (groups 1 and 2) and 3mm (group 3) in root filled mandibular premolars. In group 1, titanium posts were cemented with zinc phosphate cement. Glass fibre posts were adhesively cemented in group 2 using a dual-cure composite resin. In group 3, intracanal anchorage was solely performed with a dual-cure composite. All teeth were restored with standardised direct composite crowns without a ferrule. After thermo-mechanical loading, static load was applied until failure. Fracture patterns were assessed, and a microscopic analysis was performed to analyse the occurrence of additional cracks. Results: Group 2 revealed a significantly higher median fracture value (408N) than groups 1 and 3, while no difference was detected between group 1 (290N) and group 3 (234N) (p = .1417). In group 3, the more favourable fracture patterns were observed. However, the majority of teeth within this fracture category revealed additional minor cracks of the root. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, adhesive intracanal anchorage to a depth of 3mm with resin composite only has the same fracture resistance as titanium posts conventionally cemented to a depth of 6mm. Even teeth with repairable main fractures exhibited additional dentinal cracks on the root. Clinical relevance: Additional dentinal root cracks in the teeth with repairable main fractures may considerably impair their longevity

The role of the tyrosine kinase Wzc (Sll0923) and the phosphatase Wzb (Slr0328) in the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) by Synechocystis PCC 6803

Many cyanobacteria produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) mainly composed of heteropolysaccharides with unique characteristics that make them suitable for biotechnological applications. However, manipulation/optimization of EPS biosynthesis/characteristics is hindered by a poor understanding of the production pathways and the differences between bacterial species. In this work, genes putatively related to different pathways of cyanobacterial EPS polymerization, assembly, and export were targeted for deletion or truncation in the unicellular Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. No evident phenotypic changes were observed for some mutants in genes occurring in multiple copies in Synechocystis genome, namely ¿wzy (¿sll0737), ¿wzx (¿sll5049), ¿kpsM (¿slr2107), and ¿kpsM¿wzy (¿slr2107¿sll0737), strongly suggesting functional redundancy. In contrast, ¿wzc (¿sll0923) and ¿wzb (¿slr0328) influenced both the amount and composition of the EPS, establishing that Wzc participates in the production of capsular (CPS) and released (RPS) polysaccharides, and Wzb affects RPS production. The structure of Wzb was solved (2.28 Å), revealing structural differences relative to other phosphatases involved in EPS production and suggesting a different substrate recognition mechanism. In addition, Wzc showed the ATPase and autokinase activities typical of bacterial tyrosine kinases. Most importantly, Wzb was able to dephosphorylate Wzc in vitro, suggesting that tyrosine phosphorylation/dephosphorylation plays a role in cyanobacterial EPS production.Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), Grant/Award Number: NORTE‐01‐0145‐FE?ER‐000008 and NORTE‐01‐0145‐FE?ER‐000012; FCT ‐ Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/ Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Grant/Award Number: PTDC/BIA‐ MIC/28779/2017, SFRH/BD /119920/2016, SFRH/B?/84914/2012 and SFRH/BD/99715/ 2014; FEDER ‐ Fundo Europeu de Desen‐ volvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020 ‐ Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Grant/Award Number: POCI‐01‐0145‐ FE?ER‐007274 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: This work was financed by FEDER—Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020— Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI); projects NORTE‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐000012—Structured Programme on Bioengineering Therapies for Infectious ?iseases and Tissue Regeneration and NORTE‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐000008— Porto Neurosciences and Neurologic Disease Research Initiative at i3S, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement; and by Portuguese funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior in the framework of the project “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences” (POCI‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐007274 and PTDC/BIA‐ MIC/28779/2017) and grants SFRH/BD /119920/2016 (MS), SFRH/ BD /99715/2014 (CF), and SFRH/BD /129921/2017 (JPL). The au‐ thors thank F. Chauvat and the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA), Direction des Sciences du Vivant, for providing the cas‐ sette for the deletion of the Synechocystis sll0923, the staff of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (Grenoble, France) and SOLEIL (Essonne, France) synchrotrons, Filipe Pinto, Frederico Silva, Hugo Osório, and Joana Furtado for their technical assistance