Photoactive thin silver films by atmospheric pressure CVD

We report the visible and UV activity of thin silver films. The films are grown using a CVD process employing aqueous-based silver precursors, flame-assisted chemical vapour deposition. This approach overcomes many of the previously encountered limitations to silver deposition by employing an atmospheric pressure process, low-cost and low-toxicity precursors. The resultant films are assessed for activity using stearic acid destruction as a model compound. We also report on the addition of titania to these silver films to increase the potential functionality. This activity is also demonstrated, where the films appear largely transparent to the eye, further widening the potential application of this work. It is speculated that the nanoparticulate nature, of the CVD silver, is crucial in determining photoactivity

Identifying statistical dependence in genomic sequences via mutual information estimates

Questions of understanding and quantifying the representation and amount of information in organisms have become a central part of biological research, as they potentially hold the key to fundamental advances. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of information-theoretic tools for the task of identifying segments of biomolecules (DNA or RNA) that are statistically correlated. We develop a precise and reliable methodology, based on the notion of mutual information, for finding and extracting statistical as well as structural dependencies. A simple threshold function is defined, and its use in quantifying the level of significance of dependencies between biological segments is explored. These tools are used in two specific applications. First, for the identification of correlations between different parts of the maize zmSRp32 gene. There, we find significant dependencies between the 5' untranslated region in zmSRp32 and its alternatively spliced exons. This observation may indicate the presence of as-yet unknown alternative splicing mechanisms or structural scaffolds. Second, using data from the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), we demonstrate that our approach is particularly well suited for the problem of discovering short tandem repeats, an application of importance in genetic profiling.Comment: Preliminary version. Final version in EURASIP Journal on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology. See http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bsb

Biocidal silver and silver/titania composite films grown by chemical vapour deposition

This paper describes the growth and testing of highly active biocidal films based on photocatalytically active films of TiO2, grownby thermal CVD, functionally and structurallymodified by deposition of nanostructured silver via a novel flame assisted combination CVD process. The resulting composite films are shown to be highly durable, highly photocatalytically active and are also shown to possess strong antibacterial behaviour. The deposition control, arising from the described approach, offers the potential to control the film nanostructure, which is proposed to be crucial in determining the photo and bioactivity of the combined film structure, and the transparency of the composite films. Furthermore, we show that the resultant films are active to a range of organisms, including Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, and viruses. The very high-biocidal activity is above that expected from the concentrations of silver present, and this is discussed in terms of nanostructure of the titania/silver surface. These properties are especially significant when combined with the well-known durability of CVD deposited thin films, offering new opportunities for enhanced application in areas where biocidal surface functionality is sought

Highly bioactive silver and silver/titania composite films grown by chemical vapour deposition

This paper describes how photocatalytically active films of TiO2, grown by thermal CVD, may be functionally and structurally modified by deposition of nano-structured silver via a novel flame assisted CVD process. The resulting composite films are shown to be highly durable, highly photocatalytically active and are also shown to possess strong antibacterial behaviour. The deposition control, arising from the described approach, offers the potential to control the film nanostructure, which is proposed to be crucial in determining the photo and bio-activity of the combined film structure, and the transparency of the composite films. Furthermore, we show that the resultant films also exhibit “self-regeneration” capability, in that they both kill bacteria present on the film surface and then photo-degrade the residues. Such a dual action significantly reducing the problems of surface deactivation due to build up of contamination. These properties are especially significant when combined with the well-known durability of CVD deposited thin films, offering new opportunities for enhanced application in areas where bioactive surface functionality is sought

Computer vision-based method for concrete crack detection

© 2016 IEEE. This paper presents a computer vision-based method to automatically detect concrete cracks. We focus on images containing the concrete: background and crack, where the background is the major mode of the gray-scale histogram. Therefore, we address the detection problem of potential concrete cracks by dealing with histogram thresholding to extract regions of interests from the background. We first employ line emphasis and moving average filters to remove noise from concrete surface images obtained from an inspection robot. The developed algorithm is then applied for automatic detection of significant peaks from the gray-scale histogram of the smoothed image. The biggest peak and its corresponding valley(s) are consequently identified to calculate the threshold value for image binarization. The effectiveness of our proposed method was successfully evaluated on various test images, where cracks could be identified without the requirement of some heuristic reasoning

Optimizing direct air capture under varying weather conditions

CO2 from adsorption with supported-amine sorbents using steam-assisted temperature-vacuum swing adsorption is a technology to capture CO2 from the atmosphere (direct air capture). This process has many operational parameters and, on top of that, is heavily influenced by the ambient temperature and relative humidity. Identifying the minimum cost of direct air capture becomes a multi-dimensional problem in which climate conditions has to be incorporated as well. This study aims to evaluate the cost of direct air capture for year-round operation and to relate this to climate conditions. An optimization framework was developed with the ambient conditions as input parameters. This framework is able to find the minimum cost of direct air capture for a given fixed bed DAC facility and provides the corresponding operational parameters. These results were coupled to year-round weather data to find the total costs for continuous operation. We showed that the cost of CO2 capture from air correlates well with the average annual temperature, with a high average temperature being more beneficial. Furthermore, climates with strong variation in weather conditions over the seasons require dynamic process control in order to operate at minimum cost of DAC. Overall, the presented optimization framework is an excellent tool to identify suitable locations for direct air capture and provide the operational parameters to minimize its cost

Does market exclusivity hinder the development of Follow-on Orphan Medicinal Products in Europe?

Background: We determined whether the market exclusivity incentive of the European Orphan Drug Regulation results in a market monopoly or that absence of another Orphan Medicinal Product (OMP) for the same rare disorder, a so-called follow-on OMP, is a matter of time or market size. In the interest of rare disorder patients better understanding of the effect of the market exclusivity incentive on follow-on OMP development is warranted. Methods: First, the impact of various market-, product- and disease-related characteristics on follow-on OMP development in the EU was determined by comparing rare disorders with an approved OMP and at least one follow-on OMP (N=26), with rare disorders with an approved OMP and no follow-on OMP (N=18). Next, we determined whether manufacturers continued development of a follow-on OMP upon approval of the first OMP for the intended rare disorder. Since in the EU significant benefit of an OMP has to be established, we determined for each follow-on OMP for which development was continued on what grounds significant benefit was assumed by the sponsor. Data were collected from the public domain only. Results: The likelihood of a rare disorder with an approved OMP to obtain at least one follow-on OMP development was strongly associated with disease prevalence, turnover of the first OMP, disease class, diseasespecific scientific output and age of onset. Out of a total of 120 follow-on OMPs only one follow-on OMP could be identified for which development was discontinued upon approval of the first OMP for the same rare disorder. Only a substantial level of discontinuation of follow-on OMP development would have indicated the existence of a market monopoly. Moreover, sponsors that continued development of a follow-on OMP predominantly assumed that their product had an improved efficacy compared to the first approved OMP. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that absence of follow-on OMP development is a matter of time or market size, rather than that the market exclusivity incentive of the European Orphan Drug Regulation creates a market monopoly

Exploring the behavioural drivers of veterinary surgeon antibiotic prescribing: a qualitative study of companion animal veterinary surgeons in the UK

Background: Multi-drug resistant bacteria are an increasing concern in both human and veterinary medicine. Inappropriate prescribing and use of antibiotics within veterinary medicine may be a contributory factor to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The ‘One Health’ Initiative aims to work across species and environments to reduce AMR, however; little is currently known about the factors which influence antibiotic prescribing among veterinary surgeons in companion animal practice. This paper reports on qualitative data analysis of interviews with veterinary surgeons whose practice partially or wholly focuses on companion animals (N = 16). The objective of the research was to explore the drivers of companion animal veterinary surgeons’ antibiotic prescribing behaviours. The veterinary surgeons interviewed were all practising within the UK (England (n = 4), Scotland (n = 11), Northern Ireland (n = 1)). A behavioural thematic analysis of the data was undertaken, which identified barriers and facilitators to specific prescribing-related behaviours. Results: Five components of prescribing behaviours were identified: 1) confirming clinical need for antibiotics; 2) responding to clients; 3) confirming diagnosis; 4) determining dose, duration and type of antibiotic; and 5) preventing infection around surgery (with attendant appropriate and inappropriate antibiotic prescribing behaviours). Barriers to appropriate prescribing identified include: business, diagnostic, fear, habitual practice and pharmaceutical factors. Facilitators include: AMR awareness, infection prevention, professional learning and regulation and government factors. Conclusion: This paper uses a behavioural lens to examine drivers which are an influence on veterinary surgeons’ prescribing behaviours. The paper contributes new understandings about factors which influence antibiotic prescribing behaviours among companion animal veterinary surgeons. This analysis provides evidence to inform future interventions, which are focused on changing prescribing behaviours, in order to address the pressing public health concern of AMR

Application of Plant Surfactants as Cleaning Agents in Shampoo Formulations

With the increased demand for sustainable, hypoallergenic products, plant surfactants are a promising, eco-friendly option for cleaning products due to their low toxicity or even the absence of toxicity. In the present study, surfactant-rich extracts from Chenopodium quinoa, Glycine max, and Malpighia emarginata were assessed for their stability, antioxidant capacity, toxic potential, and cleaning potential in shampoo formulations. The surfactants in the extracts were isolated and characterized by NMR, UV-Vis, and FTIR spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the extracts remained stable within the temperature and pH ranges tested. The antioxidant properties were also determined. In the analysis of irritation potential, G. max and C. quinoa exhibited low toxicity and no toxicity, respectively. The cleaning potential analysis confirmed that the extracts could be used as primary surfactants. Seven shampoo formulations were developed, which showed potential to reduce surface tension to the range of 27.1-31.7 mN/m and interfacial tension to the range of 5.4-7.3 mN/m. The wettability, percentage of solids, density, pH, and dirt dispersion of the formulas were within standard ranges, and the sebum removal capacity of the seven formulations was similar to or even better than that of a commercial shampoo