Low-temperature ageing of zirconia-toughened alumina ceramics and its implication in biomedical Implants

Abstract Changes in crystalline phases resulting from low-temperature ageing of different yttria doped and non-doped zirconia-toughened alumina composites and nanocomposites were investigated under controlled humidity and temperature conditions in autoclave. A classical powder mixing processing route and a new modified colloidal processing route were used to process the composites. Different compositions ranging from 2.5 wt.% zirconia in a matrix of alumina to pure zirconia (3Y-TZP) were studied. It was observed that Al 2 O 3 +yttria stabilised ZrO 2 composites exhibited significant ageing. However, ageing was much slower than traditionally observed for Y-TZP ceramics, due to the presence of the alumina matrix. Ageing was clearly limited for zirconia content beyond 25 wt.%. On the other side of the spectrum, Al 2 O 3 +2.5 wt.% ZrO 2 initially presented a monoclinic fraction but did not show any ageing degradation. These composites seem to represent the best choice between slow crack growth and ageing resistance.

Análisis de las acciones a balón parado en la élite europea

Las acciones a balón parado son todas aquellas situaciones propiciadas en un partido a partir de una interrupción del juego. En este trabajo se pretende demostrar si las acciones a balón parado, que se han producido desde octavos de final de la Eurocopa 2016 disputada en Francia, son determinantes para el resultado final del encuentro. Dentro de las acciones a balón parado he centrado el estudio en los tiros libres, los saques de esquina y en los penaltis, entre estas tres categorías de reanudaciones del juego se han analizado un total de 316 acciones a balón parado en los 15 encuentros de dicha competición, intentando demostrar su determinación en el resultado, así como los comportamientos generales realizados antes y durante el lanzamiento, los resultados del análisis de todas las acciones a balón parado nos ha permitido determinar que tuvieron una importancia significativa en el transcurrir del encuentro

Mullite/Mo interfaces formed by Intrusion bonding

The microstructure and strength of Mo/mullite interfaces formed by diffusion bonding at 1650oC has been analyzed. Interfacial metal-ceramic interlocking contributes to flexural strength of approx. 140 MPa as measured by 3 point bending. Saturation of mullite with MoO2 does not affect the interfacial strength

Activity of a New Cephalosporin, CXA-101 (FR264205), against β-Lactam-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Mutants Selected In Vitro and after Antipseudomonal Treatment of Intensive Care Unit Patients▿

CXA-101, previously designated FR264205, is a new antipseudomonal cephalosporin. We evaluated the activity of CXA-101 against a highly challenging collection of β-lactam-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants selected in vitro and after antipseudomonal treatment of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The in vitro mutants investigated included strains with multiple combinations of mutations leading to several degrees of AmpC overexpression (ampD, ampDh2, ampDh3, and dacB [PBP4]) and porin loss (oprD). CXA-101 remained active against even the AmpD-PBP4 double mutant (MIC = 2 μg/ml), which shows extremely high levels of AmpC expression. Indeed, this mutant showed high-level resistance to all tested β-lactams, except carbapenems, including piperacillin-tazobactam (PTZ), aztreonam (ATM), ceftazidime (CAZ), and cefepime (FEP), a cephalosporin considered to be relatively stable against hydrolysis by AmpC. Moreover, CXA-101 was the only β-lactam tested (including the carbapenems imipenem [IMP] and meropenem [MER]) that remained fully active against the OprD-AmpD and OprD-PBP4 double mutants (MIC = 0.5 μg/ml). Additionally, we tested a collection of 50 sequential isolates that were susceptible or resistant to penicillicins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, or fluoroquinolones that emerged during treatment of ICU patients. All of the mutants resistant to CAZ, FEP, PTZ, IMP, MER, or ciprofloxacin showed relatively low CXA-101 MICs (range, 0.12 to 4 μg/ml; mean, 1 to 2 μg/ml). CXA-101 MICs of pan-β-lactam-resistant strains ranged from 1 to 4 μg/ml (mean, 2.5 μg/ml). As described for the in vitro mutants, CXA-101 retained activity against the natural AmpD-PBP4 double mutants, even when these exhibited additional overexpression of the MexAB-OprM efflux pump. Therefore, clinical trials are needed to evaluate the usefulness of CXA-101 for the treatment of P. aeruginosa nosocomial infections, particularly those caused by multidrug-resistant isolates that emerge during antipseudomonal treatments

Development of advanced zirconia‐toughened alumina nanocomposites for orthopaedic applications

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Regulation of AmpC-Driven beta-Lactam Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa : Different Pathways, Different Signaling

The hyperproduction of the chromosomal AmpC β-lactamase is the main mechanism driving β-lactam resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the leading opportunistic pathogens causing nosocomial acute and chronic infections in patients with underlying respiratory diseases. In the current scenario of the shortage of effective antipseudomonal drugs, understanding the molecular mechanisms mediating AmpC hyperproduction in order to develop new therapeutics against this fearsome pathogen is of great importance. It has been accepted for decades that certain cell wall-derived soluble fragments (muropeptides) modulate AmpC production by complexing with the transcriptional regulator AmpR and acquiring different conformations that activate/repress ampC expression. However, these peptidoglycan-derived signals have never been characterized in the highly prevalent P. aeruginosa stable AmpC hyperproducer mutants. Here, we demonstrate that the previously described fragments enabling the transient ampC hyperexpression during cefoxitin induction (1,6-anhydro-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptides) also underlie the dacB (penicillin binding protein 4 [PBP4]) mutation-driven stable hyperproduction but differ from the 1,6-anhydro-N-acetylmuramyl-tripeptides notably overaccumulated in the ampD knockout mutant. In addition, a simultaneous greater accumulation of both activators appears linked to higher levels of AmpC hyperproduction, although our results suggest a much stronger AmpC-activating potency for the 1,6-anhydro-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide. Collectively, our results propose a model of AmpC control where the activator fragments, with qualitative and quantitative particularities depending on the pathways and levels of β-lactamase production, dominate over the repressor (UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide). This study represents a major step in understanding the foundations of AmpC-dependent β-lactam resistance in P. aeruginosa, potentially useful to open new therapeutic conceptions intended to interfere with the abovementioned cell wall-derived signaling. IMPORTANCE: The extensive use of β-lactam antibiotics and the bacterial adaptive capacity have led to the apparently unstoppable increase of antimicrobial resistance, one of the current major global health challenges. In the leading nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the mutation-driven AmpC β-lactamase hyperproduction stands out as the main resistance mechanism, but the molecular cues enabling this system have remained elusive until now. Here, we provide for the first time direct and quantitative information about the soluble cell wall-derived fragments accounting for the different levels and pathways of AmpC hyperproduction. Based on these results, we propose a hierarchical model of signals which ultimately govern ampC hyperexpression and resistance