Use of Global Electrochemical Techniques to Characterize Localized Corrosion Behavior on Aluminum Alloys

Precipitated intermetallic phases strengthen aluminum aircraft alloys; these inclusions also establish localized electrochemical environments, significantly influencing the bulk corrosion behavior of such alloys. To gain insight on the effects of intermetallic phases on the bulk corrosion behavior, two established forms of electrochemical characterization techniques were used, polarization scans and impedance spectroscopy. This effort was undertaken to: Provide a statistical body of electrochemical data for aluminum alloys, Provide fundamental electrochemical parameters to aide in a continuum scale modeling effort, Validate the effect of solution chemistry on bulk corrosion behavior, Determine the influence of precipitated intermetallic phases on the bulk corrosion behavior, Decouple the metal-coating interface behavior from bulk corrosion behavior in continuing tests on coated aluminum

Review of surface treatment methods for polyamide films for potential application as smart packaging materials: surface structure, antimicrobial and spectral properties

Background: Antimicrobial packaging is currently one of the emerging technologies being pursued to extend the shelf-life of food products. Polyamides (PA) are widely used in food packaging, principally in laminate constructions, where they are used alone or combined with other materials. PA can be surface-treated using UV, plasma and corona treatments to create active film surfaces for various industrial applications. Scope and Approach: The object of this article was to review different surface treatment methods for the potential manufacture of smart packaging materials including antimicrobial application in particular and to review the necessary spectral characteristics deemed necessary to achieve this. Key Findings and Conclusions: XPS and AFM methods are useful tools in the identification of film surface analysis. For UV treatment, different light sources, including lasers, can be applied to create antimicrobially-active packaging materials. UV-treated PA films possess antimicrobial properties and offer potential for industrial and medical packaging applications, however, the application of such packaging materials to foods needs some special consideration. Different plasma treatment methodologies can be used for modification of PA surfaces, followed by attachment of antimicrobial coatings which are very limited in literature. Surface studies have shown that plasma-treated PA surfaces possess spectral properties similar to those for UV-treated samples. Corona treatment, like UV and plasma treatments, induce the modification of functional groups on PA film surfaces. Corona treatment has the capacity to activate polymeric surfaces for adhesion of a variety of functional coatings and should be explored further in terms of creating special antimicrobial coatings

Extrusion of gelatin-based composite films: effects of processing temperature and pH of film forming solution on mechanical and barrier properties of manufactured films

The composite films, gelatin incorporated with corn oil were manufactured using a twin-screw co-rotating extruder. The effect of extrusion temperature (90, 105, 120 and 130°C) and film forming pH values (5.7–8.7) on the mechanical and barrier properties of gelatin-based composite films were investigated. Increasing the temperature from 90 to 130°C improved (P < 0.05) the tensile strength (TS) of films. Increasing temperature to 120°C improved (P < 0.05) water vapour permeability (WVP) values of gelatin-based composite films; however, this was accompanied by a decrease (P < 0.05) in gas barrier properties. Additionally the use of film forming solutions possessing high pH values improved the mechanical properties of films and caused a decrease (P < 0.05) in oxygen permeability. Neither temperature nor pH had any significant effect on the seal strength for any of the gelatin-based composite films manufactured. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) results showed a corresponding increase in the number of oil droplets when processing temperature increased

The effects of potato and rice starch as substitutes for phosphate in and degree of comminution on the technological, instrumental and sensory characteristics of restructured ham

peer-reviewedThe effects of sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), two sources of starch (potato starch: PS and rice starch: RS) and comminution degree (CD) on the technological, instrumental and sensory characteristics of reformed hams were studied using response surface methodology. Both starches reduced cook loss and decreased ham flavour intensity, but RS had stronger effects on instrumental measures of texture, while PS was associated with improved juiciness when low/no added STPP was included. Coarsely ground meat, processed 100% with the kidney plate was associated with slightly increased cook loss, reduced texture profile analysis parameters and a more intense ham flavour compared to the other treatment (80% ground with a kidney plate plus 20% with a 9 mm plate). STPP was the sole factor affecting overall liking. If starch is included in the formulation, the standard level of STPP (0.3%) can be reduced by half with no increase in cook losses, but some decline in sensory quality cannot be avoided.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Irelan

Win-Win for Wind and Wildlife: A Vision to Facilitate Sustainable Development

Wind energy offers the potential to reduce carbon emissions while increasing energy independence and bolstering economic development. However, wind energy has a larger land footprint per Gigawatt (GW) than most other forms of energy production, making appropriate siting and mitigation particularly important. Species that require large unfragmented habitats and those known to avoid vertical structures are particularly at risk from wind development. Developing energy on disturbed lands rather than placing new developments within large and intact habitats would reduce cumulative impacts to wildlife. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that it will take 241 GW of terrestrial based wind development on approximately 5 million hectares to reach 20% electricity production for the U.S. by 2030. We estimate there are ∼7,700 GW of potential wind energy available across the U.S., with ∼3,500 GW on disturbed lands. In addition, a disturbance-focused development strategy would avert the development of ∼2.3 million hectares of undisturbed lands while generating the same amount of energy as development based solely on maximizing wind potential. Wind subsidies targeted at favoring low-impact developments and creating avoidance and mitigation requirements that raise the costs for projects impacting sensitive lands could improve public value for both wind energy and biodiversity conservation

The efficacy of combination treatment with elotuzumab and lenalidomide is dependent on crosstalk between natural killer cells, monocytes and myeloma cells

Patients with refractory relapsed multiple myeloma respond to combination treatment with elotuzumab and lenalidomide. The mechanisms underlying this observation are not fully understood. Furthermore, biomarkers predictive of response have not been identified to date. To address these issues, we used a humanized myeloma mouse model and adoptive transfer of human natural killer (NK) cells to show that elotuzumab and lenalidomide treatment controlled myeloma growth, and this was mediated through CD16 on NK cells. In co-culture studies, we showed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a subset of patients with refractory relapsed multiple myeloma were effective killers of OPM2 myeloma cells when treated with elotuzumab and lenalidomide, and this was associated with significantly increased expression of CD54 on OPM2 cells. Furthermore, elotuzumab- and lenalidomide-induced OPM2 cell killing and increased OPM2 CD54 expression were dependent on both monocytes and NK cells, and these effects were not mediated by soluble factors alone. At the transcript level, elotuzumab and lenalidomide treatment significantly increased OPM2 myeloma cell expression of genes for trafficking and adhesion molecules, NK cell activation ligands and antigen presentation molecules. In conclusion, our findings suggest that multiple myeloma patients require elotuzumab- and lenalidomide-mediated upregulation of CD54 on autologous myeloma cells, in combination with NK cells and monocytes to mediate an effective anti-tumor response. Furthermore, our data suggest that increased myeloma cell CD54 expression levels could be a powerful predictive biomarker for response to elotuzumab and lenalidomide treatment

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead