Potential of antimicrobial treatment of linear low-density polyethylene with poly((tert-butyl-amino)-methyl-styrene) to reduce biofilm formation in the food industry

Antimicrobial surfaces are one approach to prevent biofilms in the food industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of poly((tert-butyl-amino)-methyl-styrene) (poly(TBAMS)) incorporated into linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) on the formation of mono- and mixed-species biofilms. The biofilm on untreated and treated LLDPE was determined after 48 and 168 h. The comparison of the results indicated that the ability of Listeria monocytogenes to form biofilms was completely suppressed by poly(TBAMS) (Δ_168 h 3.2 log₁₀ cfu cm^?2) and colonization of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was significantly delayed, but no effect on Pseudomonas fluorescens was observed. The results of dual-species biofilms showed complex interactions between the microorganisms, but comparable effects on the individual bacteria by poly(TBAMS) were identified. Antimicrobial treatment with poly(TBAMS) shows great potential to prevent biofilms on polymeric surfaces. However, a further development of the material is necessary to reduce the colonization of strong biofilm formers.     

Skin‐Inspired Low‐Grade Heat Energy Harvesting Using Directed Ionic Flow through Conical Nanochannels

Low‐grade heat energies are ubiquitous, and most of these energies are untapped as heated river water or seawater. Therefore, it is meaningful and valuable to extract the stored energies in the context of the energy crisis by using a simple device with low‐cost effectiveness. Here, a simple thermoelectric conversion system is shown using directed ionic flow through the biomimetic smart nanochannels, inspired by the human skin. The obtained power density of the nanodevice can ideally be 88.8 W m^?2 with a membrane temperature gradient (ΔT) of 40 °C. As proof of concept, it is demonstrated that the principle can be introduced into simple and portable prototypes to harvest low‐grade heat. Such a thermoelectric conversion apparatus provides a new venue for low‐grade heat harvesting. In addition, this self‐powered system may extend the electronic skin field and find applications in skin prosthetics.     

亚热带常绿树种对不同粒径颗粒物的滞留能力

可吸入颗粒物和细颗粒物是大部分城市的首要污染物,对人体健康和环境都有重要影响;而城市植物能吸附大气颗粒物,进而有效降低大气颗粒物浓度。为了深入探究不同树种叶表面特征与自身滞尘效益之间的关系,该研究以浙江省三种常见城市绿化树种(青冈、冬青、红花檵木)为对象,采用重量法提取各样本在3个粒径上(8~100,2.5~8,0.45~2.5μm)的单位叶面积滞尘量(μg·cm~(-2)),并结合叶面积指数估测全株滞尘量。结果表明:三种供试植物叶片对颗粒物平均单位叶面积滞留量在30.4~63.7μg·cm~(-2)之间,而平均单木滞尘量每株在1.36-9.36 g之间。红花檵木因其叶表粗糙、具有绒毛等特征,对颗粒物(0.45~100μm)有最大的吸附能力(63.74±12.0μg·cm~(-2));对于大颗粒物(8~100μm)和细颗粒物(0.45~2.5μm),三种植物叶片均对其分别具有最大(40.9%~57.5%)、最小(15.6%~20.6%)的吸附能力;对于单木滞尘量,青冈因其具有较大叶面积指数等特征,对颗粒物总吸附效果更佳(每株9.36g)。该研究结果表明城市绿化树种对减缓大气颗粒物污染起到重要作用。     

Waste not,want not: Microsatellites remain an economical and informative technology for conservation genetics

Comparisons of microsatellites and single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have found that SNPs outperform microsatellites in population genetic analyses, questioning the continued utility of microsatellites in population and landscape genetics. Yet, highly polymorphic markers may be of value in species that have reduced genetic variation. This study repeated previous analyses that used microsatellites with SNPs developed from ddRAD sequencing in the black‐capped vireo source‐sink system. SNPs provided greater resolution of genetic diversity, population differentiation, and migrant detection but could not reconstruct parentage relationships due to insufficient heterozygosities. The biological inferences made by both sets of markers were similar: asymmetrical gene flow from source sites to the remaining sink sites. With the landscape genetic analyses, we found different results between the two molecular markers, but associations of the top environmental features (riparian, open habitat, agriculture, and human development) with dispersal estimates were shared between marker types. Despite the higher precision of SNPs, we find that microsatellites effectively uncover population processes and patterns and are superior for parentage analyses in this species with reduced genetic diversity. This study illustrates the continued applicability and relevance of microsatellites in population genetic research.     

解淀粉芽胞杆菌PC2产抑菌物质培养基及发酵条件优化

【目的】优化解淀粉芽胞杆菌PC2产抑菌活性物质发酵培养基及发酵条件。【方法】以马铃薯葡萄糖液体培养基为基础,依据发酵液对金黄色葡萄球菌抑菌圈的单因素试验结果,采用Box-Behnken响应面法优化发酵培养基,二次通用旋转组合设计,频率分析法优化发酵条件。【结果】影响发酵液抑菌活性的培养基主要组分为马铃薯、蔗糖和L-谷氨酸钠,最优发酵培养基配方为:马铃薯188.0 g/L,蔗糖22.0 g/L,L-谷氨酸钠1.80 g/L,培养基成本为0.81元/L;最佳发酵条件为:接种量6%、发酵温度30°C、装液量40 mL/250 mL、摇床转速185 r/min、发酵时间24 h、初始pH 7.0。优化后发酵液对金黄色葡萄球菌抑菌圈直径为30.82 mm,较优化前的18.22 mm增加了12.60 mm。【结论】优化后的培养基和发酵条件提高了解淀粉芽胞杆菌PC2发酵液的抑菌活性,为该菌株的工业化生产应用提供了依据。     

Biomimetic Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Transition Metals and Their Oxides: A Review

Transition metals and their oxide materials have been widely employed to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces,not onlybecause of their surface topography with controllable microstructures leading to water-repellence,diverse adhesion even tunable wettability,but also due to a variety of special properties like optical performance,magnetism,anti-bacterial,transparency and so on.At the meantime,biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces have attracted great interest from fabricating hierarchical micro-/nano-structures inspired by nature to imitate creature's properties and many potential applications,including self-cleaning,antifogging,antireflection,low drag and great stability and durability.In this review,natural surfaces and biomimetic materials with special wettability are introduced by classification according to the similar microstructure of morphology,like array structure,sheet overlapped structure,high density hairs and seta shaped structure.Not only do we exhibit their special performances,but also try to find out the true reasons behind the phenomenon.Then,the recent progress of a series of superhydrophobic transition mental and their oxide materials,including TiO2,ZnO,Fe3O4,CuO,Ag,Au and so on,is presented with a focus on fabricating methods,microstructures,wettability,and other properties.As followed,these superhydro-phobic surfaces can be applied in many fields,such as oil/water separation,self-cleaning,photo-controlled reversible wettability,surface-enhanced Raman scattering,antibacterial,anticorrosion,and synthesis of various applications.However,few of them have been applied in practical life.Hence,we discuss the remaining challenges at present and the development tendency in future at the end of this article.This review aims to present recent development of transition metals and their oxides applied in biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces about fabrication,microstructure,water repellence,various properties,and potential applications.     

GIS在描述某城区大气二氧化硫分布中的应用初探

应用地理信息系统（GIS）技术对1996年重庆市主城区大气二氧化硫分布进行了描述和分析。采用GIS的空间分析方法泰森多边形分析和区域插值对大气环境监测数据进行分析处理,避免了以点代面的缺陷,使大气污染物分布描述更为合理。     

Mechanical Properties of the Rhizome of Arundo donax L.

Abstract: The mechanical properties of rhizome segments of Arundo donax L. were studied in three dimensions: longitudinal (X), transverse-vertical (Y), transverse-horizontal (Z). Tensile, cyclic loading and torsional tests demonstrate that the distinct anisotropy found in the hollow stems is less pronounced in the rhizome. Morphological and anatomical examinations suggest that the mechanical anisotropy of the stem is caused by the arrangement parallel to the stem of the vascular bundles and sclerenchymatous fibres, embedded in lignified parenchyma. Anatomical inhomogeneity is less pronounced in the rhizome due to the short internode lengths, and predominance of nodal regions, where sclerenchymatous fibres form a complex three-dimensional arrangement embedded in unlignified starch-storing parenchyma. Cyclic loading experiments indicate viscoelastic behaviour of the rhizomatous tissues under tensile stress. Additionally, viscoelastic behaviour under torsional stress was studied. Mechanical behaviour of the rhizome under tension up to fracture is discussed with regard to the fracture surfaces, analysed by SEM.     

The (α-1,6) glycosidic bond of isomaltose: a tricky system for theoretical conformational studies

Stable conformations of β-isomaltose (α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucose) in gas-phase and aqueous solution are investigated in this study using quantum mechanical calculations. Conformational maps are calculated at HF/6-31G(d,p) level and lower energy structures are sampled in the most stable regions. Entropic and thermal corrections are considered and the Boltzmann population is obtained for conformers that are representative of the 18 most stable regions found on the potential energy surface. B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) calculations are used in conformational samplings. Solvation effects are considered through the polarizable continuum model approach. Hydroxymethyl group orientations are investigated for the most stable conformers. The influence of electronic correlation and solvation on the glycosidic linkage preference (TG, GT, and GG) and hydroxymethyl group orientation (tg, gt, and gg) are discussed. Heteronuclear spin coupling constants (³J_C,H) along the glycosidic linkage are calculated and comparison with other theoretical results and experiments is used to validate the obtained structures.     

Combinatorial de novo design and application of a biomimetic affinity ligand for the purification of human anti‐HIV mAb 4E10 from transgenic tobacco

Monoclonal anti‐HIV antibody 4E10 (mAb 4E10) is one of the most broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV, directed against a specific epitope on envelope protein gp41. In the present study, a combinatorial de novo design approach was used for the development of a biomimetic ligand for the affinity purification of mAb 4E10 from tobacco transgenic extract in a single chromatographic step. The biomimetic ligand (4E10lig) was based on a L ‐Phe/β‐Ala bi‐substituted 1,3,5‐triazine (Trz) scaffold (β‐Ala‐Trz‐L ‐Phe, 4E10lig) which potentially mimics the more pronounced electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions of mAb 4E10‐binding sequence determined by screening of a random peptide library. This library was comprised of Escherichia coli cells harboring a plasmid (pFlitrx) engineered to express a fusion protein containing random dodecapeptides that were inserted into the active loop of thioredoxin, which itself was inserted into the dispensable region of the flagellin gene. Adsorption equilibrium studies with this biomimetic ligand and mAb 4E10 determined a dissociation constant (K_D) of 0.41 ± 0.05 µM. Molecular modeling studies of the biomimetic ligand revealed that it can potentially occupy the same binding site as the natural binding core peptide epitope. The biomimetic affinity adsorbent was exploited in the development of a facile mAb 4E10 purification protocol, affording mAb 4E10 of high purity (approximately 95%) with good overall yield (60–80%). Analysis of the antibody preparation by SDS‐PAGE, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and western blot showed that the mAb 4E10 was fully active and free of degraded variants, polyphenols, and alkaloids. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.