60 research outputs found
Simulated-Physiological Loading Conditions Preserve Biological and Mechanical Properties of Caprine Lumbar Intervertebral Discs in Ex Vivo Culture
Low-back pain (LBP) is a common medical complaint and associated with high societal costs. Degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD) is assumed to be an important causal factor of LBP. IVDs are continuously mechanically loaded and both positive and negative effects have been attributed to different loading conditions
A 28-day oral dose toxicity study enhanced to detect endocrine effects of hexabromocyclododecane in wistar rats
A 28-day repeated dose study in rats (OECD407) enhanced for endocrine and immune parameters was performed with hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). Rats were exposed by daily gavage to HBCD dissolved in corn oil in 8 dose groups with doses ranging between 0 and 200 mg/kg bw per day (mkd). Evaluation consisted of dose-response analysis with calculation of a benchmark dose at the lower 95% one-sided confidence bound (BMDL) at predefined critical effect sizes (CESs) of 10-20%. The most remarkable findings were dose-related effects on the thyroid hormone axis, that is, decreased total thyroxin (TT4, BMDL 55.5 mkd at CES--10%), increased pituitary weight (29 mkd at 10%) and increased immunostaining of TSH in the pituitary, increased thyroid weight (1.6 mkd at 10%), and thyroid follicle cell activation. These effects were restricted to females. Female rats also showed increased absolute liver weights (22.9 mkd at 20%) and induction of T4-glucuronyl transferase (4.1 mkd at 10%), suggesting that aberrant metabolization of T4 triggers feedback activation of the thyroid hormone system. These effects were accompanied by possibly secondary effects, including increased cholesterol (7.4 mkd at 10%), increased tibial bone mineral density (> 49 mkd at 10%), both in females, and decreased splenocyte counts (0.3-6.3 mkd at 20%; only evaluated in males). Overall, female rats appeared to be more sensitive to HBCD than male rats, and an overall BMDL is proposed at 1.6 mkd, based on a 10% increase of the thyroid weight, which was the most sensitive parameter in the sequence of events
Formation of biofilms under phage predation: considerations concerning a biofilm increase
Bacteriophages are emerging as strong candidates for combating bacterial biofilms. However, reports indicating that host populations can, in some cases, respond to phage predation by an increase in biofilm formation are of concern. This study investigates whether phage predation can enhance the formation of biofilm and if so, if this phenomenon is governed by the emergence of phage-resistance or by non-evolutionary mechanisms (eg spatial refuge). Single-species biofilms of three bacterial pathogens (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus) were pretreated and post-treated with species-specific phages. Some of the phage treatments resulted in an increase in the levels of biofilm of their host. It is proposed that the phenotypic change brought about by acquiring phage resistance is the main reason for the increase in the level of biofilm of P. aeruginosa. For biofilms of S. aureus and S. enterica Typhimurium, although resistance was detected, increased formation of biofilm appeared to be a result of non-evolutionary mechanisms
Colloidal Starch and Cellulose Nanocrystals Unite To Improve the Mechanical Properties of Paper: From Enhanced Coatings to Reinforced Nanocomposites
Emerging
paper-based technologies encompassing lab-on-a-chip platforms,
microfluidics, sensors, actuators, flexible electronics, and energy-storage
devices, such as batteries, demand mechanically robust substrates.
Current gold standards for paper and paper board reinforcement rely
on petroleum-based binders and coatings, such as latex beads cured
with melamine formaldehyde and urea formaldehyde resins, which have
raised the red flag because of their environmental footprints. Here,
we introduce an all-green reinforcing nanocomposite based on the ammonium
zirconium carbonate (AZC)-mediated synergistic crosslinking of starch
nanoparticles (biolatex) and a newly emerged type of nanocelluloses
named anionic hairy cellulose nanocrystals. AZC, an environmentally
friendly and cost-effective crosslinker, reacts with the hydroxyl
groups of starch and cellulose nanocrystals, while the carboxylic
acid groups of hairy nanocelluloses maintain the solution viscosity
low, favoring industrial transportation, which may not be possible
using conventional (nonhairy) nanocelluloses. Synergistic action of
these green nanomaterials improved the mechanical properties of a
glass paper by 1 order of magnitude within a broad range of temperature
(<i>T</i> ∼ 25–75 °C) and relative humidity
(RH ∼ 0–80%) at noticeably low nanoparticle concentrations
(≤1.5 wt %) in the reinforcing dispersions. This technology
may set the stage for the next generation high-performance green,
renewable, and biodegradable reinforcing coatings and nanocomposites
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