The quorum-sensing effect of aerobic granules on bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation, and sludge granulation

Quorum sensing (QS) through signal chemical molecules is known to be essential to bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. In this study, the QS ability of aerobic granules-a special form of biofilms used for biological wastewater treatment-was investigated and compared with that of conventional activated sludge flocs. A novel sectional membrane bioreactor was used together with a flow-cell to evaluate the possible influence of signal chemicals produced by the source sludge on the growth mode of bacterial cells. The results demonstrate the apparent production of QS chemicals from granules and its impact on initial cell attachment and granule formation. When granules were used as the signal-producing biomass, the attached-growth mode was dominant for the free cells, and the biofilm formation rate in the flow-cell was about ten times faster than in cases which used activated sludge as the signal source biomass. In addition, the intracellular extract from mature granules significantly accelerated the sludge granulation process. It is argued that the production and expression of QS signal chemicals from granules and granule precursors might have induced the gene expression of bacteria in suspension for attached growth rather than suspended growth, leading to granule formation and its stable structure. © Springer-Verlag 2010.postprin

Study on antioxidant activity of Echinacea purpurea L. extracts and its impact on cell viability

This study investigates the antioxidant activity of Echinacea Purpurea L. (EP) extracts and its impact on cell viability. The polysaccharides content of EP was 159.8 ± 12.4 mg/g dry weight (DW), with extracts obtained by applying 55% ethanol at 55°C containing 11.0 ±1.0 mg gallic acid equivalent/g DW of total phenolic compound. Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, 0.1 mg/mL of EP extracts exhibited only 30% when compared to the ascorbic acid at the same concentration. Reducing power of extractsincreased linearly with its concentration and the concentration at 2.0 mg/mL reached about 65% of ascorbic acid at 0.3 mg/mL. The chelating capacity of ferrous iron (Fe2+) was 70% as good as that of thesynthetic metal chelater EDTA when added to 5.0 mg/mL of EP extracts. The DPPH scavenging capacity showed 85.1% at 0.5 mg/mL of extracts and with half-effective doses (ED50) was measured at 0.23mg/mL. The superoxide anions scavenging capacity of EP extracts was nearly equivalent to ascorbic acid (91.1% vs 93.0%) at the same concentration of 1.6 mg/mL and ED50 was 0.32 and 0.13 mg/mL, respectively. Microculture tetrazolium assays showed extracts had 92% cell viability at 1.6 mg/mL forchicken’s peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and 84% for RAW 264.7 macrophages, neither reaching the IC50 level. In summary, the EP extracts had antioxidant activity similar to that of ascorbic acid, but have no serious effect on inhibiting chicken’s PBMCs viability

An unusual cause of acute abdomen-Gas-forming liver abscess due to Salmonella enteritidis

Gas-forming pyogenic liver abscess (GFPLA) is considered to be a very severe form of PLA and carries a high mortality. Klebsiella pneumoniae is the most common pathogen responsible for the disease, whereas cases where Salmonella is cited as the cause are very uncommon. We report the first case of a 53-year-old lady suffering from GFPLA due to Salmonella, who was successfully treated with surgical drainage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of GFPLA caused by Salmonella enteritidis to be reported in the English literature. © 2013

Morphology Analysis and Characteristics Evaluation of Typical Super Abrasive Grits in Micron Scale

Distribution characterization of geometry shape and size of abrasive grits with high quality in tight size band and exact pattern is crucial for modern tool manufacturer to make fine powder abrasive tool and other powder tools, but complex to be classified and evaluated accurately due to the lack of scientific method. In contrast to industrial methods with sieving mesh size or simplified projection criteria with circumscribed (inscribed or escribed) circle or rectangle, a set of new systemic criteria is developed and validated by measuring three representative grits samples in micron scale under 2D/3D microscopy platform. The features of micron abrasive grits under morphology classification include total four groups, six subgroups and eighteen sub-types in consideration of spatial geometry and statistical size distribution. For grinding performance analysis and simulation, it would be better to use a set of dominant volumetric geometries rather than use single simple geometry. Furthermore, the significance of abrasive grits geometries in grinding performance is discussed

MicroRNA-143 is a potential tumor suppressor targeting DNA methyltransferases 3a in colorectal cancer

Gastroenterology, 2009, v. 136 n. 5, suppl.1, p. A165, abstract no. 10692009 DDW (Digestive Disease Week) Abstract Supplement , AGA (American Gastroenterological Association) Institute Topic Forum, Oral sessions: Scientific sessions: Microrna and digestive cancers, Oral presentation no. 1069postprin

Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of N-Sulfonylphenyl glyoxamide-Based Antimicrobial Peptide Mimics as Novel Antimicrobial Agents

© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim Antibiotic resistance is a major global health concern. There is an urgent need for the development of novel antimicrobials. Recently, phenylglyoxamide-based small molecular antimicrobial peptide mimics have been identified as potential new leads to treat bacterial infections. Here, we describe the synthesis of novel phenylglyoxamide derivatives via the ring-opening reaction of N-sulfonylisatins with primary amines, followed by conversion into hydrochloride, quaternary ammonium iodide or gunidinium salts. The antibacterial activity of the compounds against Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated by in vitro assays. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that 5-bromo-substituent at the phenyl ring, octyl group appended to the ortho sulfonamide group or guanidine hydrochloride salt as the terminal group significantly contributed to potency. The most potent compound, the gunidinium salt 35 d, exhibited a minimum inhibitory concentration value of 12 μM and a therapeutic index of 15. It also demonstrated its potential to act as antimicrobial pore-forming agent. Overall, the results identified 35 d as a new lead antimicrobial compound

Use of liver stiffness measurement for liver resection surgery: correlation with indocyanine green clearance testing and post-operative outcome

Background:Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using transient elastography has recently become available for the assessment of liver fibrosis. Whether LSM can predict the functional liver reserve in patients undergoing liver resection is not certain.Aim:To correlate liver stiffness measurement (LSM) with indocyanine green (ICG) clearance test and liver biochemistry, and to determine its usefulness in predicting postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing liver resection.Patients and Methods:Transient elastography and ICG clearance test were performed pre-operatively in 44 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The LSM and ICG retention rate at 15 minutes (R15) were correlated with pre-operative factors and post-operative outcomes.Results:There was significant correlation between ICG R15 and LSM. In patients with LSM ≥11 kPa vs <11 kPa, there was significantly higher ICG R15 (17.1% vs 10.0% respectively, p = 0.025). For patients with ICG R15≥10% compared to those <10%, there was significantly higher LSM (12.0 vs 7.6 kPa respectively, p = 0.015). Twenty-eight patients proceeded to resection. There was a significant correlation between LSM and the peak INR after liver resection (r = 0.426, p = 0.024). There was a significant correlation between ICG R15 and the post-operative peak AST level (r = -0.414, p = 0.029) and peak ALT level (r = -0.568, p = 0.002). The operative time was a significant independent factor associated with post-operative complications and peak INR.Conclusion:LSM correlated well with ICG R15 in patients undergoing liver resection, and predicted early post-operative complications. Addition of LSM to ICG R15 testing may provide better prognostic information for patients undergoing resection. © 2013 Fung et al.published_or_final_versio

High-intensity focused ultrasound for hepatocellular carcinoma: A single-center experience

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the outcome of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in a single tertiary referral center. Background: HIFU is the latest developed local ablation technique for unresectable HCC. The initial experience on its efficacy is promising, but the survival benefit of patients undergoing HIFU for HCC is poorly defined. Methods: From October 2006 to December 2008, 49 patients received HIFU for unresectable HCC. Each patient underwent a single session of HIFU with a curative intent. Treatment efficacy and survival outcome were evaluated. Clinicopathologic factors affecting the primary technique effectiveness and overall survival rates were investigated by univariate analysis. Results: The median size of the treated tumors was 2.2 cm, ranging from 0.9 to 8 cm. The majority of patients had single tumors (n = 41, 83.6%). Thirty-one patients (63.2%) had artificial right pleural effusion during HIFU treatment to reduce damage to the lung and diaphragm. The hospital mortality rate was 2% (n = 1) and the complication rate was 8.1% (n = 4). The primary technique effectiveness rate was 79.5% (39 of 49 patients). It increased from 66.6% in the initial series to 89.2% in the last 28 patients. Tumor size (3.0 cm) was the significant risk factor affecting the complete ablation rate. The 1- and 3-year overall survival rates were 87.7% and 62.4%, respectively. Child-Pugh liver function grading was the significant prognostic factor influencing the overall survival rate. Conclusions: HIFU is an effective treatment modality for unresectable HCC with a high technique effectiveness rate and favorable survival outcome. © 2011 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.postprin

Coherent quantum phase slip

A hundred years after discovery of superconductivity, one fundamental prediction of the theory, the coherent quantum phase slip (CQPS), has not been observed. CQPS is a phenomenon exactly dual to the Josephson effect: whilst the latter is a coherent transfer of charges between superconducting contacts, the former is a coherent transfer of vortices or fluxes across a superconducting wire. In contrast to previously reported observations of incoherent phase slip, the CQPS has been only a subject of theoretical study. Its experimental demonstration is made difficult by quasiparticle dissipation due to gapless excitations in nanowires or in vortex cores. This difficulty might be overcome by using certain strongly disordered superconductors in the vicinity of the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT). Here we report the first direct observation of the CQPS in a strongly disordered indium-oxide (InOx) superconducting wire inserted in a loop, which is manifested by the superposition of the quantum states with different number of fluxes. Similarly to the Josephson effect, our observation is expected to lead to novel applications in superconducting electronics and quantum metrology.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure

Anti-Stokes Excitation of Solid-State Quantum Emitters for Nanoscale Thermometry

© 2019 The Author(s) 2019 OSA. We report the first demonstration of Anti-Stokes excitation on a single solid-state quantum emitter-namely the germanium-vacancy center in diamond and its application as a high-sensitive nanoscale thermal sensor