Calibration of piezoresistive shape-memory alloy strain sensors

Continuous strain measurement on fibre-reinforced structures demands mechanical sensors with superior fatigue resistance. Shape-memory alloy wires are predestined for strain sensors utilising their strong piezo-resistance. Calibration of these sensors is necessary in order to extract mechanical data. Therefore, four-point bending of glass-fibre reinforced plastic specimens with applied strain sensors and an optical reference measuring system is used to calibrate and compare shape-memory alloy sensors and standard strain gauges. The gauge factor and its standard deviation is successfully measured by this calibration method. Shape-memory alloy sensors show strain-dependent gauge factor whilst standard strain gauges show a constant strain sensitivity, both with a narrow stochastic distribution. Shape-memory alloy mechanical sensors are reliable to determine strain of fibre-reinforced structures. This offers the possibility to use them in structural health monitoring applications of such structures. Consequently, the four-point bending calibration using glass-fibre reinforced specimens represents a suitable possibility for calibration of strain sensors exposed to higher strain amplitudes.

In Vitro Synergism of Penicillin and Ceftriaxone against Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis is commonly treated with intravenous ampicillin/ceftriaxone combination therapy. Ampicillin, however, is unsuitable for outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) regimens due to its instability in 24 h continuous infusors, and has been successfully replaced by benzylpenicillin used together with ceftriaxone in a few small case series. Since in vitro synergy data of penicillin/ceftriaxone against E. faecalis are still lacking, checkerboard assays were performed for 28 clinical E. faecalis isolates and one laboratory standard strain. Synergistic effects (both lowest and median FICI) were observed for penicillin/ceftriaxone in 15/29 isolates, while ampicillin/ceftriaxone exhibited synergism in 22/29 isolates. For isolates with ceftriaxone MICs ≤ 256 mg/L, the addition of free ceftriaxone trough concentrations to penicillin or ampicillin resulted in comparable synergistic effects for both combinations. In contrast, for isolates with ceftriaxone MICs ≥ 512 mg/L free ceftriaxone trough concentrations were only sufficient to exhibit synergistic effects in combination with ampicillin, but not penicillin. This study suggests that benzylpenicillin/ceftriaxone would be expected to be suitable for the OPAT treatment of enterococcal endocarditis for E. faecalis isolates with ceftriaxone MICs ≤ 256 mg/L. However, combination therapy would be expected to provide no advantage over benzylpenicillin monotherapy for isolates with ceftriaxone MICs ≥ 512 mg/L. Further investigation is required to analyse the relationship between ceftriaxone susceptibility and penicillin/ceftriaxone synergy, especially for isolates with ceftriaxone MICs of 64 to 512 mg/L.

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Bacillus subitilis and its antibacterial activity

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have recently been extensively investigated because of their superior physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, and their superiority is primarily due to the size, shape, composition, crystallinity, and structure of AgNPs compared to their bulk forms. Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized intracellular by using standard strain Bacillus subitilis ATCC 6633 against reference strains Escherichia coli ATCC 2592 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29737. Results: The synthesized AgNPs showed potent antibacterial activities against the two tested bacterial strains with inhibition zones ranged from 42 -52mm and MIC 27.2 µg / ml. The silver nanoparticles were characterized with particle size ≃ 100 nm and zeta potential -19. There was deformation in both tested strains upon treatment with AgNPs which was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Conclusion: The results indicated that AgNPs could be used as an effective antibacterial agent.

Development and clinical validation of a pangenotypic PCR-based assay for the detection and quantification of hepatitis E virus (Orthopevirus A genus)

The objective of this study was to design a pangenotypic PCR-based assay for the detection and quantification of hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA from across the entire spectrum of described genotypes belonging to the Orthohepevirus A genus. The optimal conditions and the performance of the assay were determined by testing the WHO standard strain (6219/10) and the WHO HEV panel (8578/13). Similarly, performance comparisons were made with two commercial assays (Real Star HEV RT-PCR 2.0 and ampliCube HEV 2.0 Quant) to detect HEV RNA at concentrations below 1,000 IU/mL with viral strains from the WHO and to test samples from 54 patients with acute hepatitis. The assay presented in this study was able to detect the entire spectrum of described genotypes belonging to the Orthohepevirus A genus, demonstrating a better performance than both commercial kits. This procedure may represent a significant improvement in the molecular diagnosis of HEV infection.

Antibacterial Effect of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Standard Strains and Isolates of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Staphylococcus Aureus

Background: Studies have shown that metal nanoparticles are highly active and exhibits remarkable bactericidal activity against a wide range of bacteria. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the antibacterial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles against standard strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus and their isolates in food products. Methods: This experimental study was conducted on the two pathogenic bacteria and their two standard strains. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared from zeolite and their amount was determined using the XRF analyzer. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were measured using disk diffusion method . Findings: The MIC value of zinc oxide nanoparticles was 4 mg/mL for standard strain and isolate of pseudomonas aeruginosa and 2 mg/mL for standard strain and isolate of staphylococcus aureus. The MBC values for standard strain and isolate of pseudomonas aeruginosa were 16 and 8 mg/mL, respectively, while for the standard strain and isolate of Staphylococcus aureus it was reported 8 mg/mL. Conclusion: Staphylococcus aureus is more sensitive to zinc oxide nanoparticles that pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Full-Genome Sequences of Two Newcastle Disease Virus Strains Isolated in West Java, Indonesia

ABSTRACT The full-genome sequences of strains chicken/Indonesia/Cilebut/010WJ/2015 and chicken/Indonesia/ITA/012WJ/1951, isolated in West Java, Indonesia, in 2015 and 1951, respectively, were examined. Chicken/Indonesia/Cilebut/010WJ/2015 (genotype VII) caused a 2015 disease outbreak in Indonesia, and chicken/Indonesia/ITA/012WJ/1951 (genotype VI) is used as a standard strain for challenge in Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine trials.

Antibacterial and Antivirulence Activity of Glucocorticoid PYED-1 against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, an environmental Gram-negative bacterium, is an emerging nosocomial opportunistic pathogen that causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients and chronic pulmonary infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Due to increasing resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics, S. maltophilia infections are difficult to treat successfully. This makes the search for new antimicrobial strategies mandatory. In this study, the antibacterial activity of the heterocyclic corticosteroid deflazacort and several of its synthetic precursors was tested against S. maltophilia. All compounds were not active against standard strain S. maltophilia K279a. The compound PYED-1 (pregnadiene-11-hydroxy-16α,17α-epoxy-3,20-dione-1) showed a weak effect against some S. maltophilia clinical isolates, but exhibited a synergistic effect with aminoglycosides. PYED-1 at sub-inhibitory concentrations decreased S. maltophilia biofilm formation. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis demonstrated that the expression of biofilm- and virulence- associated genes (StmPr1, StmPr3, sphB, smeZ, bfmA, fsnR) was significantly suppressed after PYED-1 treatment. Interestingly, PYED-1 also repressed the expression of the genes aph (3′)-IIc, aac (6′)-Iz, and smeZ, involved in the resistance to aminoglycosides.

Physicochemical and antimicrobial assessment of Iranian Propolis gathered in Qazvin province

Background: Propolis is one of the useful bee colony products that have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. In this study, the physicochemical characters and their antibacterial effect of Iranian Propolis collected from Qazvin province was assessed.Methods: In this study, Thin Layer Chromatography and Vacuum Liquid Chromatography to detect different compounds of the extract have been used. In the initial evaluation of Propolis extract, it was found that the extract includes variable compounds with different polarity; so, the initial classification of extract with different polarity solvents was essential. Finally, 0.1 gr hydro alcoholic Propolis was injected to the HPLC by ultrasound. The antibacterial effect of Iranian ethanol extract Propolis was measured using a microdilution method against Pseudomonas aeruginosa: P. aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus: S.aureus standard strains and the minimum bactericidal and inhibitory concentration were defined.Results: Primary analysis of the ethanol extract by analytical Thin Layer Chromatography, demonstrated the presence of flavonoid and phenol in it. Minimum inhibitory concentration and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration for Staphylococcus aureus: S.aureus standard strain was 2.5mg/ml. The same procedure was done for Pseudomonas aeruginosa: P. aeruginosa standard strain and the Minimum inhibitory concentration and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration were 50mg/ml of Propolis extracts. Conclusion: According to the results, the alcoholic extract of propolis from Qazvin province of Iran provides significant antimicrobial activity. Its powerful activity may be due to high total phenolic and flavonoid contents.Keywords: Iranian propolis, Antibacterial activity, Phenolic compounds, Flavonoid compound