A new concept in rotary shaft seal lubrication : viscoelastohydrodynamic (VEHD) lubrication

In practice rotary shaft seals will experience a small-amplitude dynamic excitation. It is shown that under periodic excitation circumferentially nonuniform clearances develop due to viscous seal material behaviour. The nearby fluid will fill these gaps, so entrainment and squeeze effects can develop fluid pressures, which are sufficiently high to overcome the radial preload. Viscous seal properties are essential in this type of EHD lubrication. Hence it is designated viscoelastohydrodynamic (VEHD) lubrication. At present, this lubrication concept is the only macrohydrodynamic theory that explains the existence of a consistent circumferentially nonuniform film geometry of appreciable dimensions. Moreover, calculated values of film thickness and friction are in agreement with experimental data

Multiplex STR amplification sensitivity in a silicon microchip

The demand for solutions to perform forensic DNA profiling outside of centralized laboratories is increasing. We here demonstrate highly sensitive STR amplification using a silicon micro-PCR (mu PCR) chip. Exploiting industry-standard semiconductor manufacturing processes, a device was fabricated that features a small form factor thanks to an integrated heating element covering three parallel micro-reactors with a reaction volume of 0.5 mu l each. Diluted reference DNA samples (1 ng-31 pg) were amplified on the mu PCR chip using the forensically validated AmpFISTR Identifier Plus kit, followed by conventional capillary electrophoresis. Complete STR profiles were generated with input DNA quantities down to 62 pg. Occasional allelic dropouts were observed from 31 pg downward. On-chip STR profiles were compared with those of identical samples amplified using a conventional thermal cycler for direct comparison of amplification sensitivity in a forensic setting. The observed sensitivity was in line with kit specifications for both mu PCR and conventional PCR. Finally, a rapid amplification protocol was developed. Complete STR profiles could be generated in less than 17 minutes from as little as 125 pg template DNA. Together, our results are an important step towards the development of commercial, mass-produced, relatively cheap, handheld devices for on-site testing in forensic DNA analysis

Protection of rabbits against enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) using an intimin null mutant

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea and mortality resulting from infections with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) are of major economic importance in the rabbit meat industry. There is a growing need for an effective vaccine to cope with these problems and to reduce the use of antibiotics. EPEC are characterized by an attaching and effacing virulence mechanism. This is partly mediated by the intimate binding between an adhesin, called intimin, and a translocated receptor (Tir) of prokaryote origin. We constructed an intimin deletion mutant of the rabbit EPEC (REPEC) wild-type strain 97/241.6 (bio-/serogroup 3-/O15) and examined its protective capacity. RESULTS: After verifying its complete loss of virulence, we used the attenuated strain in vaccination-challenge experiments in which complete protection against a homologous, but virulent, strain was observed. The attenuated strain was able to persist in the intestinal lumen, where it elicited an immune response against EPEC-related virulence proteins, as was shown using an EspB-specific ELISA. Despite the priming of an immune response and the generation of specific antibodies, the intimin mutant was not able to fully protect rabbits against challenges with REPEC strains of other bio-/serogroups. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that protection against REPEC infections is at least partly bio-/serogroup dependent and a multivalent vaccine may be needed for protection against the full range of REPEC types. Such a combination vaccine may be developed using intimin null mutants, as the latter were clearly shown to be safe and effective against homologous infections

Gevoeligheid van belgische Mycoplasma Hyopneumoniae isolaten voor antimicrobiële middelen

To control Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections, the use of antibiotics in feed or water is a common practice. Unfortunately, information concerning the susceptibility of M. hyopneumoniae to different antimicrobials is very scarce. The in vitro susceptibility of 21 M hyopneumoniae field isolates was determined in this study using a broth microdilution technique. Acquired resistance to spectinomycin, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, gentamicin, florfenicol and tiamulin was not observed. One isolate showed acquired resistance to lincomycin, tilmicosin and tylosin, but was susceptible to all other antibiotics tested. For 5 isolates, the MIC-values of flumequine were > 16 mu g/ml, while the MIC50-value was 2 mu g/ml. The MIC-values of enrofloxacin for these 5 isolates were >= 0.5 mu g/ml, the MIC50 being 0.06 mu g/ml. This is the first report showing acquired resistance against macrolides, lincosamides and fluoroquinolones in M hyopneumoniae field isolates

Photocatalytic lithography with atomic layer deposited TiO2 films to tailor biointerface properties

In this article, the use of thin, photocatalytically active TiO2 films deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and a conventional lithography mask are explored for the fabrication of a patterned biointerface. Hereto, a pattern of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with different functional groups is created using ALD TiO2 films, anatase-rich as-deposited, with a thickness of 20 nm and a short UV exposure time of 5 min. More specifically, azido-containing SAMs are locally removed upon UV exposure ( = 308 nm) and the created gaps are filled with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) SAM, hereby creating a surface with areas for the selective coupling of biomolecules via the azide groups and antifouling areas due to the presence of the PEG. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, fluorescent-labeled antibodies are immobilized on the well-defined patterns with a resolution in the mu m range