[Evaluation of in vitro antimicrobial activity of cefazolin alone and in combination with cefmetazole or flomoxef using agar dilution method and disk diffusion method].

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Matsuo, K; Uete, T

1992-10-01

Antimicrobial activities of cefazolin (CEZ) against 251 strains of various clinical isolates obtained during 1989 and 1990 were determined using the Mueller-Hinton agar dilution method at an inoculum level 10(6) CFU/ml. The reliability of the disk susceptility test was also studied using Mueller-Hinton agar and various disks at inoculum levels of 10(3-4) CFU/cm2 in estimating approximate values of MICs. In addition, antimicrobial activities of CEZ and cefmetazole (CMZ) or flomoxef (FMOX) in combination were investigated against methicillin-sensitive and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA and MRSA) using the checkerboard agar dilution MIC method and the disk diffusion test either with the disks contained CEZ, CMZ, and FMOX alone, or CEZ, and CMZ or FMOX in combination. In this study, the MICs of CEZ against S. aureus were distributed with the 3 peak values at 0.39 microgram/ml, 3.13 micrograms/ml and > 100 micrograms/ml. MICs against MSSA were 0.39 microgram/ml to 0.78 microgram/ml, whereas those against MRSA were greater than 0.78 microgram/ml. MICs against majority of strains of Enterococcus faecalis were 25 micrograms/ml. Over 90% of strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were inhibited at the level of 3.13 micrograms/ml. About 60% of isolates of indole negative Proteus spp. were inhibited at the levels of less than 3.13 micrograms/ml and 100% at 6.25 micrograms/ml, but MICs against indole positive Proteus spp., Serratia spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were over 100 micrograms/ml. The antimicrobial activities of CEZ against these clinical isolates were not significantly different compared to those reported about 15-20 years ago, except for S. aureus. Highly resistant strains of S. aureus to CEZ were more prevalent in this study. The inhibitory zones obtained with the disk test were compared with MICs. The results of CEZ disk susceptibility test with 30 micrograms disk (Showa) or 10 micrograms disk (prepared in this laboratory) were well

Antibiotic resistence of Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887) and Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Belém-Costa,Andréa; Cyrino,José Eurico Possebon

2006-01-01

One of the most important problems involving treatments with antibiotics against Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from fishes is that antibiotic resistance develops readily. The antimicrobial activity of chemotherapeutants in isolates from pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887) and tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) was tested by the Kirby-Bauer disk method, over Mueller-Hinton surface agar previously inoculated with 100 µL of bacterial suspensions. After regular incubation, i...

THE ACCELERATED METHOD FOR IDENTIFICATION OF PATHOGENIC CORYNEBACTERIUM

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S. A. Gabrielyan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. The detection of cystinase activity is one of most important tests in the laboratory diagnosis of diphtheria, giving the opportunity to differentiate potential toxigenic species from other coryneform bacteria. The original recipe of Pizu media for detection of cystinase activity, proposed in 1939–1940, was modified several times (1982, 1989 for different reasons. In the last modification the Pizu media was prepared by using the AGV media as a nutritional base. We suggest a modification of Pizu media using Mueller-Hinton agar as nutritional basis. The Mueller-Hinton agar has a number of advantages: higher nutritional value, standardization, transparency and availability. A positive result is defined within 2–4 hours after inoculation of enough quantity of material (pure culture or C. diphtheriaе in association with other microorganisms as a brown halo surrounding black colonies. The brown halo does not appear in the upper part of the media (0,5–1 cm. The modified media was checked with 21 strains of C. diphtheriaе (tox+, nine strains of coryneform bacteria, control strains NCTC 10648, NCTC 10356, NCTC 3984. The modified Pizu media is registered in the RA mental property agency as an invention (no. 1877 A2, 15.12.2006.

Resistencia bacteriana intrahospitalaria como problema de salud pública, en el hospital base “víctor lazarte echegaray” essalud, Trujillo-Perú. 2004 – 2006

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Mendoza Chayguaque, María Elena

2007-01-01

The aim of the present research was to determine the Intrahospital Bacterial Resistance. The research design used was transverse - descriptive. In this study was done monitoring all the bacterial cultures, requested from different areas of hospitalization. Likewise the percentages of the bacterial resistance were obtained, they were tested by Kirby-Bauer's method of diffusion by disc in agar Mueller Hinton, and for the semiautomatic method trough the tests of minimal inhibitory concentration ...

The effectiveness of processed grapefruit-seed extract as an antibacterial agent: I. An in vitro agar assay.

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Reagor, Lee; Gusman, Jean; McCoy, Lana; Carino, Edith; Heggers, John P

2002-06-01

Grapefruit-seed extract (GSE) Citricidal has, in recent reports, been reported to be successful in combating a variety of common infectious agents. In our study, drops of concentrated grapefruit-seed extract were tested for antibacterial properties against a number of gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Sixty-seven (67) distinct biotypes were tested for their susceptibilities to the GSE as well as to 5 other topical antibacterials (Silvadene, Sulfamylon, Bactroban, Nitrofurazone, and Silvadene, Nystatin). Wells were punched into Mueller-Hinton agar plates, which were then inoculated with the organism to be tested; each well was then inoculated with one of the antibacterial agents. After an overnight incubation period, the plates were checked for zones of bacterial susceptibility around the individual wells, with a measured susceptibility zone diameter of 10 mm or more considered a positive result. The GSE was consistently antibacterial against all of the biotypes tested, with susceptibility zone diameters equal to or greater than 15 mm in each case. Our preliminary data thus suggest an antibacterial characteristic to GSE that is comparable to that of proven topical antibacterials. Although the GSE appeared to have a somewhat greater inhibitory effect on gram-positive organisms than on gram-negative organisms, its comparative effectiveness against a wide range of bacterial biotypes is significant.

Antimicrobial potencial of Schinus terebenthifolius on bacterial colonies collected by pressure ulcers.

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Marcileide da Silva Santos; Giani Maria Cavalcante; Emiliana de Omena Bomfim

2012-01-01

The aim of this study is investigate the antimicrobial potential of plant species Schinus terebenthifolius, aroeira-red, on bacterial colonies of the exudate from pressure ulcers. Clinical samples were collected from pressure ulcers of 6 patients of ADEFAL, plated on blood agar and after incubation an aliquot of suspension (in the range of 0.5 Mac Farland) was sown in Mueller-Hinton. The plant extracts were ground and standardized with the aid of sieves of 150 and 75 micrometers. The re...

Comparing in vitro activity of tigecycline by using the disk diffusion test, the manual microdilution method, and the VITEK 2 automated system Comparación de la actividad in vitro de la tigeciclina mediante la prueba de difusión con disco, el método de microdilución manual y el sistema automatizado Vitek 2

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A. L. Leal Castro

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Tigecycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic having activity against multiresistant isolates. In vitro susceptibility testing is difficult to perform with the use of traditional microbiological techniques. The aim of this study was to evaluate the disk diffusion test with three different Mueller-Hinton agar brands, and the Vitek 2 automated system in comparison with the standard broth microdilution method against 200 gram-negative isolates (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens and Acinetobacter baumannii. Among Enterobacteriaceae, the Becton Dickinson agar had the lowest rate of minor (32.5% and major errors (3.8%. No very major errors were found. For A. baumanni, the rate of minor and major errors was lower. A high rate of agreement (94% was found between the broth microdilution method and the Vitek 2 system. Our results show that there are important differences between agars used for the disk diffusion test, and that Vitek 2 is a valid tool for susceptibility testing in clinical laboratories.La tigeciclina es un antibiótico de amplio espectro con actividad frente a bacterias multirresistentes. Existen dificultades en la determinación de la actividad in vitro a través de las técnicas microbiológicas convencionales. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar tres marcas diferentes de medio agar Mueller-Hinton para utilizar en el método de difusión con disco y el método automatizado Vitek 2, y compararlos con la prueba tradicional de microdilución manual (Paneles Trek frente a 200 aislamientos de microorganismos gram negativos (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens y Acinetobacter baumannii. Para el grupo de las enterobacterias, el medio con mejor desempeño fue el producido por Becton Dickinson, que tuvo 32,5% de errores menores y 3,8% de errores mayores. No se presentaron errores mayores con ningún medio. Se encontró una alta concordancia (94% entre el

Tiamulin activity against fastidious and nonfastidious veterinary and human bacterial isolates: initial development of in vitro susceptibility test methods.

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Jones, Ronald N; Pfaller, Michael A; Rhomberg, Paul R; Walter, Donald H

2002-02-01

Tiamulin is a pleuromutilin derivative used in veterinary practice for the control and specific therapy of infections in swine. This report summarizes studies to establish standardized susceptibility testing methods, interpretive criteria, and reagent details for use in veterinary methods recently developed by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) (standards M31-A and M37-A, NCCLS, Wayne, Pa., 1999). A total of 636 fastidious and nonfastidious animal and human pathogens were processed by using media and procedures described by the NCCLS. Tiamulin disk diffusion tests used a 30-microg disk concentration, and the proposed MIC breakpoints corresponding to levels achievable in animal target tissues (lung) were or =32 microg/ml for resistance. Correlate zone diameters for specific nonfastidious species were as follows: for Pasteurella multocida and staphylococci tested on Mueller-Hinton agar, susceptibility at > or =19 mm and resistance at or =16 mm and resistance at or =9 mm) was suggested for veterinary fastidious medium broth and enriched chocolate Mueller-Hinton agar. Absolute categorical agreement between NCCLS dilution and disk diffusion test results with these criteria ranged from 90.5 to 96.2%. Tiamulin susceptibility testing methods appear to be accurate in their categorical classification for indicated species, and their availability will allow immediate testing of animal isolates to guide therapy via appropriate levels of dosing and to monitor the development of resistance for agents in this unique class.

Detection of extended-spectrum β-lactamase in Enterobacter spp.--evaluation of six phenotypic tests.

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Nogueira-Miranda, Keite da Silva; Palmeiro, Jussara Kasuko; Conte, Danieli; Maia, Fernanda Valverde; Reason, Iara Taborda de Messias; Monteiro, Cristina Leise; Dalla-Costa, Libera Maria

2012-02-01

Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) are plasmid-mediated enzymes that hydrolyze cephalosporins and monobactams. The lack of a standard method to detect ESBL in Enterobacter spp. has led to underestimating its frequency. The aim of this study was to evaluate ESBL detection in Enterobacter spp. By the double-disk synergy test (DDST) and combined disk test (CDT) assay using cefepime, cefotaxime, and ceftazime as substrates for ESBL, plus AmpC inhibitors in different associations. A total of 83 Enterobacter spp. ESBL and 31 non-ESBL Enterobacter spp. were tested, and a cutoff point ≥3 mm was defined using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for combined disc methods. All tests showed 100% specificity. The sensitivity was 89.2% for DDST and CDT without AmpC inibitor, 90.4% in the combined disc test in Mueller-Hinton agar containing phenylboronic acid (CDT-PBAA), and 94% in the combined disc test in Mueller-Hinton agar containing cloxacillin (CDT-CLXA). Cefepime was the best substrate, mainly when AmpC inhibitors were not used. However, superior results were achieved when all cephalosporins were evaluated together. In conclusion, to improve ESBL detection in Enterobacter spp., some modifications in phenotypic tests are needed, such as to reduce the distance between the discs to 20 mm in DDST, to use a cutoff point for ≥3 mm on the CDT, and to include a cefepime disk or an inhibitor of AmpC in all tests.

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method on 4% Salt Muellar Hinton II agar for the Methicillin and non salted Muellar Hinton II agar for the other antibiotics. (NCCLS M100S9). Results: The prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus in .... for the isolate before spreading on Salted Muellar. Hinton II agar. We ensured uniform depth of the. Muellar Hinton II agar in all ...

The antimicrobial activity of the Cnicus benedictus L. extracts

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Annamaria PALLAG

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Our goal was to test the antimicrobial effect of the aqueous solutions obtained from the soft extract of Cnicus benedictus L. (Asteraceae family flowers. The test was performed on Mueller - Hinton and blood-agar culture medium, on 8 standardized bacterial strains and microbiological strains obtained from infected secretions, using the diffusimetric method.The antimicrobial action of the plant extracts was confirmed by all bacterial tested strains, which presented inhibition zones, of approximately same values, at solutions with different concentrations. The values we obtained reveal significant differences of the intensity of the antimicrobial activity of the mature and immature flowers extract.

Comparing in vitro activity of tigecycline by using the disk diffusion test, the manual microdilution method, and the VITEK 2 automated system.

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Leal Castro, A L; Buitrago Gutierrez, G; Ovalle, V; Cortes, J A; Alvarez, C A

2010-01-01

Tigecycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic having activity against multiresistant isolates. In vitro susceptibility testing is difficult to perform with the use of traditional microbiological techniques. The aim of this study was to evaluate the disk diffusion test with three different Mueller-Hinton agar brands, and the Vitek 2 automated system in comparison with the standard broth microdilution method against 200 gram-negative isolates (Escherichia coil, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens and Acinetobacter baumannii). Among Enterobacteriaceae, the Becton Dickinson agar had the lowest rate of minor (32.5%) and major errors (3.8%). No very major errors were found. For A. baumanni, the rate of minor and major errors was lower. A high rate of agreement (94%) was found between the broth microdilution method and the Vitek 2 system. Our results show that there are important differences between agars used for the disk diffusion test, and that Vitek 2 is a valid tool for susceptibility testing in clinical laboratories.

Farmacocinética y biodisponibilidad de ceftiofur sódico en caprinos

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Errecalde, Carlos A; Prieto, Guillermo F; Lüders, Carlos F; García Ovando, Hugo

2006-01-01

Se determinaron parámetros farmacocinéticos de ceftiofur sódico con dosis única de 2.2 mg/kg por vía intravenosa e intramuscular, en un diseño cruzado de tratamiento en hembras caprinas adultas no gestantes (n= 6). Las concentraciones plasmáticas en función del tiempo se determinaron por el método microbiológico de difusión en agar utilizando medio Mueller-Hinton y Providencia alcalifaciens, cuyo límite de cuantificación se estableció en 0.039 μg/ml. Los datos de concentración plasmática de c...

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles in montmorillonite and their antibacterial behavior

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Shameli K

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Kamyar Shameli1, Mansor Bin Ahmad1, Mohsen Zargar2, Wan Md Zin Wan Yunus1, Abdolhossein Rustaiyan3, Nor Azowa Ibrahim11Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Qom Branch, Qom, Iran; 3Department of Chemistry, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IranAbstract: Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs were synthesized by the chemical reducing method in the external and interlamellar space of montmorillonite (MMT as a solid support at room temperature. AgNO3 and NaBH4 were used as a silver precursor and reducing agent, respectively. The most favorable experimental conditions for synthesizing Ag NPs in the MMT are described in terms of the initial concentration of AgNO3. The interlamellar space limits changed little (d-spacing = 1.24–1.47 nm; therefore, Ag NPs formed on the MMT suspension with d-average = 4.19–8.53 nm diameter. The Ag/MMT nanocomposites (NCs, formed from AgNO3/MMT suspension, were characterizations with different instruments, for example UV-visible, PXRD, TEM, SEM, EDXRF, FT-IR, and ICP-OES analyzer. The antibacterial activity of different sizes of Ag NPs in MMT were investigated against Gram-positive, ie, Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA and Gram-negative bacteria, ie, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, by the disk diffusion method using Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA. The smaller Ag NPs were found to have significantly higher antibacterial activity. These results showed that Ag NPs can be used as effective growth inhibitors in different biological systems, making them applicable to medical applications.Keywords: silver nanoparticles, nanoparticles, montmorillonite, antibacterial activity, Mueller-Hinton agar 

Identification of bacteria causing acute otitis media using Raman microspectroscopy

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Ayala, Oscar D.; Wakeman, Catherine A.; Skaar, Eric P.; Mahadevan-Jansen, Anita

2016-03-01

Otitis media (OM) is the leading cause of acute physician visits and prescription of antibiotics for children. Current standard techniques to diagnose acute otitis media (AOM) are limited by their ability to probe only changes in symptoms of the bacterial infection that cause AOM. Furthermore, they are not able to detect the presence of or identify bacteria causing AOM, which is important for diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment. Our goal is to detect the presence of and identify the pathogens involved in causing AOM based on their biochemical profile using Raman spectroscopy (RS). An inVia confocal Raman microscope (Renishaw) at 785 nm was used to detect bacteria causing AOM in vitro. The three main bacteria that cause AOM, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae were cultured in chocolate agar and Mueller-Hinton agar to determine which agar type would minimize Raman signal from the growth agar. Preliminary results identified specific Raman spectral features characteristic of S. pneumoniae. RS has the potential to accurately diagnose AOM, which will help in identifying the antibiotic that will be most beneficial for the patient and ultimately decrease the course of infection.

Frequency and Antibiogram of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus in a Tertiary Care Hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babar, N.; Usman, J.; Munir, T.; Gill, M. M.; Anjum, R.; Gilani, M.; Latif, M.

2014-01-01

Objective: To determine the frequency of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) in a tertiary care hospital of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Study Design: Observational, cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, from May 2011 to May 2012. Methodology: Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus isolated from the clinical specimens including blood, pus, double lumen tip, ascitic fluid, tracheal aspirate, non-directed bronchial lavage (NBL), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), high vaginal swab (HVS) and catheter tips were cultured on blood agar and MacConkey agar, while the urine samples were grown on cystine lactose electrolyte deficient agar. Later the antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolates was carried out using the modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller Hinton agar. Results: A total of 190 enterococci were isolated. Of these, 22 (11.57%) were found to be resistant to vancomycin. The antimicrobial sensitivity pattern revealed maximum resistance against ampicillin (86.36%) followed by erythromycin (81.81%) and gentamicin (68.18%) while all the isolates were 100% susceptible to chloramphenicol and linezolid. Conclusion: The frequency of VRE was 11.57% with the highest susceptibility to linezolid and chloramphenicol. (author)

Refractive index inversion based on Mueller matrix method

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Fan, Huaxi; Wu, Wenyuan; Huang, Yanhua; Li, Zhaozhao

2016-03-01

Based on Stokes vector and Jones vector, the correlation between Mueller matrix elements and refractive index was studied with the result simplified, and through Mueller matrix way, the expression of refractive index inversion was deduced. The Mueller matrix elements, under different incident angle, are simulated through the expression of specular reflection so as to analyze the influence of the angle of incidence and refractive index on it, which is verified through the measure of the Mueller matrix elements of polished metal surface. Research shows that, under the condition of specular reflection, the result of Mueller matrix inversion is consistent with the experiment and can be used as an index of refraction of inversion method, and it provides a new way for target detection and recognition technology.

Influence of Culture Media on Microbial Fingerprints Using Raman Spectroscopy.

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Mlynáriková, Katarína; Samek, Ota; Bernatová, Silvie; Růžička, Filip; Ježek, Jan; Hároniková, Andrea; Šiler, Martin; Zemánek, Pavel; Holá, Veronika

2015-11-24

Raman spectroscopy has a broad range of applications across numerous scientific fields, including microbiology. Our work here monitors the influence of culture media on the Raman spectra of clinically important microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Candida albicans). Choosing an adequate medium may enhance the reproducibility of the method as well as simplifying the data processing and the evaluation. We tested four different media per organism depending on the nutritional requirements and clinical usage directly on a Petri dish. Some of the media have a significant influence on the microbial fingerprint (Roosvelt-Park Institute Medium, CHROMagar) and should not be used for the acquisition of Raman spectra. It was found that the most suitable medium for microbiological experiments regarding these organisms was Mueller-Hinton agar.

Different culture media containing methyldopa for melanin production by Cryptococcus species

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Ralciane de Paula Menezes

2011-10-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Melanin production by species of Cryptococcus is widely used to characterize C. neoformans complex in mycology laboratories. This study aims to test the efficacy of methyldopa from pharmaceutical tablet as a substrate for melanin production, to compare the production of melanin using different agar base added with methyldopa, and to compare the melanin produced in those media with that produced in Niger seed agar and sunflower seed agar by C. neoformans, C. laurentii, and C. albidus. Two isolates of each species, C. neoformans, C. laurentii, and C. albidus, and one of Candida albicans were used to experimentally detect conditions for melanin production. METHODS: The following media were tested: Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA, brain and heart infusion agar (BHIA, blood agar base (BAB, and minimal medium agar (MMA, all added with methyldopa, and the media Niger seed agar (NSA and sunflower seed agar (SSA. RESULTS: All isolates grew in most of the culture media after 24h. Strains planted on media BAB and BHIA showed growth only after 48h. All isolates produced melanin in MMA, MHA, SSA, and NSA media. CONCLUSIONS: Methyldopa in the form pharmaceutical tablet can be used as a substrate for melanin production by Cryptococcus species; minimal medium plus methyldopa was more efficient than the BAB, MHA, and BHIA in the melanin production; and NSA and SSA, followed by MMA added with methyldopa, were more efficient than other media studied for melanin production by all strains studied.

Structured decomposition design of partial Mueller matrix polarimeters.

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Alenin, Andrey S; Scott Tyo, J

2015-07-01

Partial Mueller matrix polarimeters (pMMPs) are active sensing instruments that probe a scattering process with a set of polarization states and analyze the scattered light with a second set of polarization states. Unlike conventional Mueller matrix polarimeters, pMMPs do not attempt to reconstruct the entire Mueller matrix. With proper choice of generator and analyzer states, a subset of the Mueller matrix space can be reconstructed with fewer measurements than that of the full Mueller matrix polarimeter. In this paper we consider the structure of the Mueller matrix and our ability to probe it using a reduced number of measurements. We develop analysis tools that allow us to relate the particular choice of generator and analyzer polarization states to the portion of Mueller matrix space that the instrument measures, as well as develop an optimization method that is based on balancing the signal-to-noise ratio of the resulting instrument with the ability of that instrument to accurately measure a particular set of desired polarization components with as few measurements as possible. In the process, we identify 10 classes of pMMP systems, for which the space coverage is immediately known. We demonstrate the theory with a numerical example that designs partial polarimeters for the task of monitoring the damage state of a material as presented earlier by Hoover and Tyo [Appl. Opt.46, 8364 (2007)10.1364/AO.46.008364APOPAI1559-128X]. We show that we can reduce the polarimeter to making eight measurements while still covering the Mueller matrix subspace spanned by the objects.

Synthesis and characterization of silver/montmorillonite/chitosan bionanocomposites by chemical reduction method and their antibacterial activity

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Kamyar Shameli

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Kamyar Shameli1, Mansor Bin Ahmad1, Mohsen Zargar3, Wan Md Zin Wan Yunus1, Nor Azowa Ibrahim1, Parvaneh Shabanzadeh2, Mansour Ghaffari Moghaddam41Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, 2Institute for Mathematical Research, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia; 3Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University, Qum, Iran; 4Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zabol, Zabol, IranAbstract: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs of a small size were successfully synthesized using the wet chemical reduction method into the lamellar space layer of montmorillonite/chitosan (MMT/Cts as an organomodified mineral solid support in the absence of any heat treatment. AgNO3, MMT, Cts, and NaBH4 were used as the silver precursor, the solid support, the natural polymeric stabilizer, and the chemical reduction agent, respectively. MMT was suspended in aqueous AgNO3/Cts solution. The interlamellar space limits were changed (d-spacing = 1.24–1.54 nm; therefore, AgNPs formed on the interlayer and external surface of MMT/Cts with d-average = 6.28–9.84 nm diameter. Characterizations were done using different methods, ie, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Silver/montmorillonite/chitosan bionanocomposite (Ag/MMT/Cts BNC systems were examined. The antibacterial activity of AgNPs in MMT/Cts was investigated against Gram-positive bacteria, ie, Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus and Gram-negative bacteria, ie, Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the disc diffusion method using Mueller Hinton agar at different sizes of AgNPs. All of the synthesized Ag/MMT/Cts BNCs were found to have high antibacterial activity. These results show that Ag/MMT/Cts BNCs can be useful in different biological research and biomedical

In vitro activity of the siderophore monosulfactam BAL30072 against contemporary Gram-negative pathogens from New York City, including multidrug-resistant isolates.

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Landman, David; Singh, Manisha; El-Imad, Badiaa; Miller, Ezra; Win, Thida; Quale, John

2014-06-01

The in vitro activity of BAL30072 was assessed against clinical isolates from NYC hospitals, including isolates from a citywide surveillance study and a collection of isolates with well-characterised resistance mechanisms. BAL30072 was the most active β-lactam against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC50/90, 0.25/1 μg/mL), Acinetobacter baumannii (MIC50/90, 4/>64 μg/mL) and KPC-possessing Klebsiella pneumoniae (MIC50/90, 4/>64 μg/mL). Combining BAL30072 with meropenem resulted in a ≥ 4-fold decrease in the BAL30072 MIC90 both for A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae. For isolates with a BAL30072 MIC>4 μg/mL, addition of a sub-MIC concentration of colistin resulted in a four-fold decrease in the BAL30072 MIC in 44% of P. aeruginosa, 82% of A. baumannii and 23% of K. pneumoniae. Using sub-MIC concentrations, BAL30072 plus colistin was bactericidal against 4 of 11 isolates in time-kill studies. BAL30072 MICs were frequently lower for P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae when tested using Mueller-Hinton agar versus Iso-Sensitest agar or Mueller-Hinton broth. Against the well-characterised isolates, reduced susceptibility to BAL30072 correlated with mexA and mexX expression (P. aeruginosa), adeB expression (A. baumannii) and presence of SHV-type ESBLs (A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae). BAL30072 shows promising activity against contemporary Gram-negatives, including MDR P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae. Enhanced activity was often present when BAL30072 was combined with meropenem or colistin. BAL30072 MICs were influenced by the testing method, particularly for P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae. Further in vivo studies are warranted to determine the potential clinical utility of BAL30072 alone and combined with other agents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Antibacterial Activity of Different Plant Extracts and Phenolic Phytochemicals Tested on Paenibacillus Larvae Bacteria

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Liviu Mărghitaş

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Paenibacillus larvae, a Gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium is responsible for American foulbrood disease inbees. The antimicrobial activity of different plant extracts and phenolic phytochemical was evaluated onPaenibacillus larvae bacteria. In addition possible correlation with antioxidant activity of the same plant extracts wasstudied. Extracts of the following plants were utilized: Achillea millefolium (yarrow, Ocimum basilicum (basil,Thymus vulgaris (thyme and Urtica dioica (nettle. The extracts that showed antimicrobial activity were later testedto determine the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC. Although nettle present the lowest polyphenolic contentcompared with the other plant extracts, exhibit the highest antimicrobial activity, measured as the inhibition zoneusing Mueller-Hinton agar plates. Basil presented both polyphenolic content and antimicrobial activity at higherlevels, while thyme had the lowest antimicrobial activity, even it present high amount of polyphenols.

Parallel decompositions of Mueller matrices and polarimetric subtraction

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Gil J.J.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available From a general formulation of the physically realizable parallel decompositions of the Mueller matrix M of a given depolarizing system, a procedure for determining the set of pure Mueller matrices susceptible to be subtracted from M is presented. This procedure provides a way to check if a given pure Mueller matrix N can be subtracted from M or not. If this check is positive, the value of the relative cross section of the subtracted component is also determined.

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and pharmacological evaluation of oxazolone derivatives

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Fareed Ghulam

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A series of 4-aryl methylidene-2-phenyl/methyl-5-(4H-oxazolone derivatives (2-7 have been synthesized using the reported method by condensation of aldehydes with N-benzoyl / N-acetyl glycine in the presence of zinc oxide as a catalyst and acetic anhydride at room temperature in ethanol. The compounds (2-6 are new derivatives. The structures of compounds were evaluated on the basis of 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, EIMS, FT-IR and elemental analysis. All the compounds were screened for their antibacterial and urease inhibition activity. Antibacterial activity was tested by agar well diffusion method using Mueller Hinton Agar medium. Compound (2 showed excellent activity against S. aureus which has 16 mm (80% inhibition and above 24 mm (70% against S. typhi. The most active compound against E. coli was compound (6 having 20 mm (80% inhibition followed by compound (5 having above 18 mm (70% inhibition. Urease inhibition activity of all the compounds was determined by indophenol method. Compounds (3, 6 and (7 showed significant inhibition against Jacks bean urease.

Ferdinand von Mueller's interactions with Charles Darwin and his response to Darwinism.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, A M

2010-01-01

Although Ferdinand Mueller (later von Mueller), Government Botanist of Victoria, opposed Darwin's theories when "On the origin of species" was published, there has been little detailed study of the nature of Mueller's opposition from 1860, when he received a presentation copy of "Origin," to his death in 1896. Analysis of Mueller's correspondence and publications shows that he remained a theist and misunderstood key aspects of Darwin's theory. However, Mueller did come to accept that natural selection could operate within a species, although never accepting it could produce speciation. Despite these differences he retained a cordial relationship with Darwin.

Study of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Danish pigs at slaughter and in imported retail meat reveals a novel MRSA type in slaughter pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agersø, Yvonne; Hasman, Henrik; Cavaco, Lina M.

2012-01-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), especially CC398, have emerged in livestock worldwide. We investigated the occurrence of MRSA in pigs at slaughter and in retail meat. During 2009, nasal swabs (n=789) were taken from pigs at slaughter. Moreover, 866 meat samples [Danish: pork...... (153), broiler meat (121), beef (142) and; imported: pork (173), broiler meat (193), and beef (84)] were randomly collected in retail stores and outlets. MRSA was isolated from nasal swabs or from meat samples after preenrichment (Mueller Hinton broth with 6.5% NaCl), selective enrichment (tryptone...... soya broth with 4mg/L cefoxitine and 75mg/L aztreonam) and selective plating on Brilliance Chromogenic MRSA agar. The presence of mecA was confirmed by PCR and the MRSA isolates were spa typed. Novel MRSA spa types were characterized by MLST, PFGE and SCCmec typing. Thirteen percent (101...

spa typing and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from healthy humans, pigs and dogs in Tanzania

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Katakweba, Abdul S.; Muhairwa, Amandus P.; Espinosa-Gongora, Carmen

2016-01-01

. aureus carrier frequencies in dogs and humans were within the expected range and low in pigs. The S. aureus spa types circulating in the community were generally not shared by different hosts and majority of types belonged to known clones. Besides ampicillin resistance, moderate levels of antimicrobial......Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen causing infections in humans and animals. Here we report for the first time the prevalence of nasal carriage, spa typing and antimicrobial resistance of S. aureus in a Tanzanian livestock community. Methodology: Nasal swabs were taken...... from 100 humans, 100 pigs and 100 dogs in Morogoro Municipal. Each swab was enriched in Mueller Hinton broth with 6.5% NaCl and subcultured on chromogenic agar for S. aureus detection. Presumptive S. aureus colonies were confirmed to the species level by nuc PCR and analysed by spa typing...

Evaluation of culture media for Paenibacillus larvae applied to studies of antimicrobial activity Evaluación de medios de cultivo para el crecimiento de Paenibacillus larvae aplicables en estudios de actividad antimicrobiana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. B. Gende

2008-09-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted to compare different liquid culture media for Paenibacillus larvae growth in order to find the best one to be used in studies on activity of antimicrobial substances, such as essential oils. P. larvae presented poor growth in usual broths such as Mueller-Hinton, commonly employed in antimicrobial activity assays. Growth in liquid media was evaluated using Paenibacillus larvae strains isolated from hives located in different geographical zones. The MYT medium (Mueller-Hinton broth, yeast extract and thiamine was selected out of the eight liquid media analyzed, as it proved to be the most adequate due to its higher absorbance at 620 nm. The following mean values were obtained from the four P. larvae strains: 0.227 ± 0.016 for the Cobo strain, 0.279 ± 0.015 for La Plata strain, 0.758 ± 0.020 for Mechongué strain and 0.244 ± 0.0079 for Sierra de los Padres strain, respectively.Este trabajo está orientado a comparar diferentes medios de cultivo líquidos para el crecimiento de Paenibacillus larvae. El objetivo fue encontrar el más apropiado para utilizar en estudios de actividad antimicrobiana de diferentes sustancias, tales como aceites esenciales. P. larvae presenta un crecimiento débil en medios de cultivo como el Mueller-Hinton, comúnmente usado en ensayos de actividad antimicrobiana. Se evaluó el crecimiento en caldos de cultivo de cepas aisladas de colmenas ubicadas en diferentes zonas geográficas. De los ocho medios analizados, el MYT (Mueller-Hinton, extracto de levadura y tiamina mostró ser el más apropiado, en éste se observó el mayor valor de absorbancia a 620 nm. Los valores obtenidos en promedio para los cuatro aislamientos de P. larvae evaluados fueron 0,227 ± 0,016 (cepa de Cobo; 0,279 ± 0,015 (cepa de La Plata; 0,758 ± 0,020 (cepa de Mechongué y 0,244 ± 0,0079 (cepa de Sierra de los Padres.

Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial effect of herbal root canal irrigants (Morinda citrifolia, Azadirachta indica, Aloe vera) with sodium hypochlorite: An in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Babaji, Prashant; Jagtap, Kiran; Lau, Himani; Bansal, Nandita; Thajuraj, S; Sondhi, Priti

2016-01-01

Successful root canal treatment involves the complete elimination of microorganism from the root canal and the three-dimensional obturation of the canal space. Enterococcus faecalis is the most commonly found bacteria in failed root canal. Chemical irrigation of canals along with biomechanical preparation helps in the elimination of microorganisms. The present study was aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of herbal root canal irrigants (Morinda citrifolia, Azadirachta indica extract, Aloe vera) with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). The bacterial E. faecalis (ATCC) culture was grown overnight in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth and inoculated in Mueller-Hinton agar plates. Antibacterial inhibition was assessed using agar well diffusion method. All five study irrigants were added to respective wells in agar plates and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Bacterial inhibition zone around each well was recorded. Results were tabulated and statistically analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software for Windows, version 19.0. (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY. Highest inhibitory zone against E. faecalis was seen in NaOCl fallowed by M. citrifolia and A. indica extract, and the least by A. vera extract. Tested herbal medicine (A. indica extract, M. citrifolia, A. vera) showed inhibitory zone against E. faecalis. Hence, these irrigants can be used as root canal irrigating solutions.

Quality control ranges for testing broth microdilution susceptibility of Flavobacterium columnare and F. psychrophilum to nine antimicrobials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gieseker, Charles M.; Mayer, Tamara D.; Crosby, Tina C.

2012-01-01

salmonicida subsp. salmonicida ATCC 33658 against 10 antimicrobials (ampicillin, enrofloxacin, erythromycin, florfenicol, flumequine, gentamicin, ormetoprim/sulfadimethoxine, oxolinic acid, oxytetracycline, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) in diluted (4 g l−1) cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth incubated...

Mueller Navelet jets at LHC - complete NLL BFKL calculation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Colferai, Dimitri [Firenze Univ. (Italy). Dipt. di Fisica; INFN, Florence (Italy); Schwennsen, Florian [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Szymanowski, Lech [Soltan Inst. for Nuclear Studies, Warsaw (Poland); Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Palaiseau (France). CPHT; Wallon, Samuel [Paris-Sud Univ., CNRS, Orsay (France). LPT; UPMC Univ. Paris 06 (France). Faculte de Physique

2010-03-15

We calculate cross section and azimuthal decorrelation of Mueller Navelet jets at the LHC in the complete next-lo-leading order BFKL framework, i.e. including next-to-leading corrections to the Green's function as well as next-to-leading corrections to the Mueller Navelet vertices. The obtained results for standard observables proposed for studies of Mueller Navelet jets show that both sources of corrections are of equal, big importance for final magnitude and final behavior of observables. The astonishing conclusion of our analysis is that the observables obtained within the complete next-lo-leading order BFKL framework of the present paper are quite similar to the same observables obtained within next-to-leading logarithm DGLAP type treatment. This fact sheds doubts on general belief that the studies of Mueller Navelet jets at the LHC will lead to clear discrimination between the BFKL and the DGLAP dynamics. (orig.)

Mueller Navelet jets at LHC - complete NLL BFKL calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colferai, Dimitri; Schwennsen, Florian; Szymanowski, Lech; Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Palaiseau; Wallon, Samuel; UPMC Univ. Paris 06

2010-03-01

We calculate cross section and azimuthal decorrelation of Mueller Navelet jets at the LHC in the complete next-lo-leading order BFKL framework, i.e. including next-to-leading corrections to the Green's function as well as next-to-leading corrections to the Mueller Navelet vertices. The obtained results for standard observables proposed for studies of Mueller Navelet jets show that both sources of corrections are of equal, big importance for final magnitude and final behavior of observables. The astonishing conclusion of our analysis is that the observables obtained within the complete next-lo-leading order BFKL framework of the present paper are quite similar to the same observables obtained within next-to-leading logarithm DGLAP type treatment. This fact sheds doubts on general belief that the studies of Mueller Navelet jets at the LHC will lead to clear discrimination between the BFKL and the DGLAP dynamics. (orig.)

Depolarization artifacts in dual rotating-compensator Mueller matrix ellipsometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Weiqi; Zhang, Chuanwei; Jiang, Hao; Chen, Xiuguo; Liu, Shiyuan

2016-01-01

Noticeable depolarization effects are observed in the measurement of the air using an in-house developed dual rotating-compensator Mueller matrix ellipsometer. We demonstrate that these depolarization effects are essentially artifacts and mainly induced when the compensator with wavelength-dependent optical properties is integrated with the finite bandwidth detector. We define a general formula to represent the actual Mueller matrix of the compensator by taking into account the depolarization artifacts. After incorporating this formula into the system model, a correction method is further proposed, and consequently, improved accuracy can be achieved in the Mueller matrix measurement. (paper)

Sonic hedgehog promotes stem-cell potential of Mueller glia in the mammalian retina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan Jin; Zheng Hua; Xiao Honglei; She Zhenjue; Zhou Guomin

2007-01-01

Mueller glia have been demonstrated to display stem-cell properties after retinal damage. Here, we report this potential can be regulated by Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. Shh can stimulate proliferation of Mueller glia through its receptor and target gene expressed on them, furthermore, Shh-treated Mueller glia are induced to dedifferentiate by expressing progenitor-specific markers, and then adopt cell fate of rod photoreceptor. Inhibition of signaling by cyclopamine inhibits proliferation and dedifferentiation. Intraocular injection of Shh promotes Mueller glia activation in the photoreceptor-damaged retina, Shh also enhances neurogenic potential by producing more rhodopsin-positive photoreceptors from Mueller glia-derived cells. Together, these results provide evidences that Mueller glia act as potential stem cells in mammalian retina, Shh may have therapeutic effects on these cells for promoting the regeneration of retinal neurons

Sonic hedgehog promotes stem-cell potential of Mueller glia in the mammalian retina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Wan; Hua, Zheng; Honglei, Xiao; Zhenjue, She [Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai (China); Zhou Guomin [Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai (China)], E-mail: gmzhou185@yahoo.com.cn

2007-11-16

Mueller glia have been demonstrated to display stem-cell properties after retinal damage. Here, we report this potential can be regulated by Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. Shh can stimulate proliferation of Mueller glia through its receptor and target gene expressed on them, furthermore, Shh-treated Mueller glia are induced to dedifferentiate by expressing progenitor-specific markers, and then adopt cell fate of rod photoreceptor. Inhibition of signaling by cyclopamine inhibits proliferation and dedifferentiation. Intraocular injection of Shh promotes Mueller glia activation in the photoreceptor-damaged retina, Shh also enhances neurogenic potential by producing more rhodopsin-positive photoreceptors from Mueller glia-derived cells. Together, these results provide evidences that Mueller glia act as potential stem cells in mammalian retina, Shh may have therapeutic effects on these cells for promoting the regeneration of retinal neurons.

Studies on the in vitro time kill assessment of crude acetone and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-10-20

Oct 20, 2008 ... infection even after treating such wounds with H. pedunculatum leaf. Perhaps .... acetone extract was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure at 40oC ... ml of Mueller Hinton broth and recovery medium containing 3%.

Differentiating characteristic microstructural features of cancerous tissues using Mueller matrix microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ye; He, Honghui; Chang, Jintao; Zeng, Nan; Liu, Shaoxiong; Li, Migao; Ma, Hui

2015-12-01

Polarized light imaging can provide rich microstructural information of samples, and has been applied to the detections of various abnormal tissues. In this paper, we report a polarized light microscope based on Mueller matrix imaging by adding the polarization state generator and analyzer (PSG and PSA) to a commercial transmission optical microscope. The maximum errors for the absolute values of Mueller matrix elements are reduced to 0.01 after calibration. This Mueller matrix microscope has been used to examine human cervical and liver cancerous tissues with fibrosis. Images of the transformed Mueller matrix parameters provide quantitative assessment on the characteristic features of the pathological tissues. Contrast mechanism of the experimental results are backed up by Monte Carlo simulations based on the sphere-cylinder birefringence model, which reveal the relationship between the pathological features in the cancerous tissues at the cellular level and the polarization parameters. Both the experimental and simulated data indicate that the microscopic transformed Mueller matrix parameters can distinguish the breaking down of birefringent normal tissues for cervical cancer, or the formation of birefringent surrounding structures accompanying the inflammatory reaction for liver cancer. With its simple structure, fast measurement and high precision, polarized light microscope based on Mueller matrix shows a good diagnosis application prospect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Punica Granatum Peel Extracts Against Oral Pathogens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sh. Abdollahzadeh

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: Punica granatum has been used for many years in folk medicine due to several purposes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of methanolic extract of Punica granatum peel (MEPGP against Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus,Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguinis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Actynomyces viscosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Candida albicans.Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, the mentioned oral organisms were cultured in blood agar and mueller-hinton media and then paper disks containing MEPGP at concentrations of 4 mg/ml, 8 mg/ml and 12 mg/ml were inserted on medias. The antimicrobialactivity was evaluated by agar disk diffusion method. The effects of three different concentrations of MEPGP against microorganisms were compared using one-way ANOVA and Tukey tests.Results: All concentrations of MEPGP had antibacterial activity against S. aureus and S.epidermidis. Only at concentration of 8 mg/ml and 12 mg/ml MEPGP was effective against L. acidophilus, S. mutans and S. salivarius. Furthermore; no concentrations ofMEPGP inhibited A. viscosus and C. albicans.Conclusion: This study suggests that MEPGP might be used as an antibacterial agent in controlling oral infections.

Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Punica Granatum Peel Extracts Against Oral Pathogens

Science.gov (United States)

Abdollahzadeh, Sh.; Mashouf, RY.; Mortazavi, H.; Moghaddam, MH.; Roozbahani, N.; Vahedi, M.

2011-01-01

Objective: Punica granatum has been used for many years in folk medicine due to several purposes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of methanolic extract of Punica granatum peel (MEPGP) against Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguinis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Actynomyces viscosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Candida albicans. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, the mentioned oral organisms were cultured in blood agar and mueller-hinton media and then paper disks containing MEPGP at concentrations of 4 mg/ml, 8 mg/ml and 12 mg/ml were inserted on medias. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by agar disk diffusion method. The effects of three different concentrations of MEPGP against microorganisms were compared using one-way ANOVA and Tukey tests. Results: All concentrations of MEPGP had antibacterial activity against S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Only at concentration of 8 mg/ml and 12 mg/ml MEPGP was effective against L. acidophilus, S. mutans and S. salivarius. Furthermore; no concentrations of MEPGP inhibited A. viscosus and C. albicans. Conclusion: This study suggests that MEPGP might be used as an antibacterial agent in controlling oral infections. PMID:21998800

Comparison of culture media for the laboratory diagnosis of chancroid.

Science.gov (United States)

Pillay, A; Hoosen, A A; Loykissoonlal, D; Glock, C; Odhav, B; Sturm, A W

1998-11-01

Seven different agar-based media were compared to determine the optimal set of culture media for primary isolation of Haemophilus ducreyi. Also, a new method for sampling genital ulcers -- with a disposable sterile plastic loop -- and processing specimens that provides a standardised inoculum for culture of H. ducreyi on various media is described. A total of 202 patients with genital ulcer disease was enrolled in this study. A sterile swab or plastic loop was used to sample the base of the ulcers and ulcer material was suspended in sterile phosphate-buffered saline. A 100-microl sample of this suspension was mixed with an equal volume of tryptic soy broth containing IsoVitaleX and centrifuged for 1 min. This suspension was used to inoculate the different media. Plates were incubated at 33 degrees C in micro-aerophilic conditions and examined for growth of H. ducreyi after 48 h. Of the 202 specimens, 77 (38.1%) were culture positive for H. ducreyi. None of the agar bases supported the growth of all H. ducreyi strains. Based on this observation, we recommend the universal use of Mueller-Hinton agar base supplemented with chocolate horse blood and IsovitaleX (MH-HBC) and Columbia agar base supplemented with bovine haemoglobin, activated charcoal, fetal calf serum and IsovitaleX (C-HgCh) to enable comparison of prevalence figures for chancroid. In addition, the novel sampling technique described in this study eliminates sampling bias normally associated with genital ulcer specimens.

Experimental evidence for partial spatial coherence in imaging Mueller polarimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ossikovski, Razvigor; Arteaga, Oriol; Yoo, Sang Hyuk; Garcia-Caurel, Enric; Hingerl, Kurt

2017-11-15

We demonstrate experimentally the validity of the partial spatial coherence formalism in Mueller polarimetry and show that, in a finite spatial resolution experiment, the measured response is obtained through convolving the theoretical one with the instrument function. The reported results are of primary importance for Mueller imaging systems.

Sudakov resummations in Mueller-Navelet dijet production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, A.H.; Szymanowski, Lech; Wallon, Samuel; Xiao, Bo-Wen; Yuan, Feng

2016-01-01

In high energy hadron-hadron collisions, dijet production with large rapidity separation proposed by Mueller and Navelet, is one of the most interesting processes which can help us to directly access the well-known Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov evolution dynamics. The objective of this work is to study the Sudakov resummation of Mueller-Navelet jets. Through the one-loop calculation, Sudakov type logarithms are obtained for this process when the produced dijets are almost back-to-back. These results could play an important role in the phenomenological study of dijet correlations with large rapidity separation at the LHC.

Sudakov resummations in Mueller-Navelet dijet production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, A.H. [Department of Physics, Columbia University,New York, NY 10027 (United States); Szymanowski, Lech [National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ),Warsaw (Poland); Wallon, Samuel [Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, UMR 8627, CNRS, University Paris Sud,Université Paris-Saclay,91405 Orsay (France); UPMC University Paris 06, Faculté de Physique,4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05 (France); Xiao, Bo-Wen [Key Laboratory of Quark and Lepton Physics (MOE) and Institute of Particle Physics,Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079 (China); Yuan, Feng [Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2016-03-15

In high energy hadron-hadron collisions, dijet production with large rapidity separation proposed by Mueller and Navelet, is one of the most interesting processes which can help us to directly access the well-known Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov evolution dynamics. The objective of this work is to study the Sudakov resummation of Mueller-Navelet jets. Through the one-loop calculation, Sudakov type logarithms are obtained for this process when the produced dijets are almost back-to-back. These results could play an important role in the phenomenological study of dijet correlations with large rapidity separation at the LHC.

Modulus design multiwavelength polarization microscope for transmission Mueller matrix imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jialing; He, Honghui; Chen, Zhenhua; Wang, Ye; Ma, Hui

2018-01-01

We have developed a polarization microscope based on a commercial transmission microscope. We replace the halogen light source by a collimated LED light source module of six different colors. We use achromatic polarized optical elements that can cover the six different wavelength ranges in the polarization state generator (PSG) and polarization state analyzer (PSA) modules. The dual-rotating wave plate method is used to measure the Mueller matrix of samples, which requires the simultaneous rotation of the two quarter-wave plates in both PSG and PSA at certain angular steps. A scientific CCD detector is used as the image receiving module. A LabView-based software is developed to control the rotation angels of the wave plates and the exposure time of the detector to allow the system to run fully automatically in preprogrammed schedules. Standard samples, such as air, polarizers, and quarter-wave plates, are used to calibrate the intrinsic Mueller matrix of optical components, such as the objectives, using the eigenvalue calibration method. Errors due to the images walk-off in the PSA are studied. Errors in the Mueller matrices are below 0.01 using air and polarizer as standard samples. Data analysis based on Mueller matrix transformation and Mueller matrix polarization decomposition is used to demonstrate the potential application of this microscope in pathological diagnosis. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Resistência antimicrobiana de Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolados de pescado e de cortes e de miúdos de frango Antimicrobial resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from fish and poultry products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana de Araújo Maia

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolados de peixes de água doce e de frangos foram submetidos ao teste de suscetibilidade aos antimicrobianos utilizando quatorze drogas, com o objetivo de determinar e confrontar os padrões de suscetibilidade deste microrganismo. As cepas oriundas de peixes pertenciam à coleção do Laboratório de Bacterioses/IV/UFRRJ. Para o isolamento das cepas, foram selecionados miúdos (fígado e cortes (coxa e sobrecoxa de frangos adquiridos em estabelecimentos comerciais no município do Rio de Janeiro. A metodologia de isolamento incluiu o enriquecimento em água peptonada, seguido de semeadura em Agar EMB e Agar GSP. Para as cepas oriundas de peixes, procedeu-se à reativação em água peptonada, seguida de reisolamento em Agar EMB. Colônias sugestivas foram transferidas para Agar TSI e LIA para avaliação das características metabólicas. A capacidade de produção de pigmento verde-azulado foi avaliada em Agar Mueller-Hinton e a da enzima citocromo-oxidase, em Agar Nutriente. O teste de suscetibilidade a antimicrobianos realizado nas 63 cepas revelou maiores percentuais de resistência para NAL e NIT (96,8%, TCY (93,6%, AMC (92,1%, CHL (90,5% e SXT (85,7%, destacando-se a multirresistência dos isolados. A totalidade das cepas oriundas de frangos apresentou sensibilidade a CAZ e IPM e nos isolados de peixes a ATM, CAZ, IPM e AMK.Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from fish and chicken products were analyzed using the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test with 14 drugs to evaluate the susceptibility patterns of this microorganism. Strains isolated from two different sources were evaluated. The fish strains belonged to the collection of Bacterioses Laboratory/IV/UFRRJ, and those from chicken specimens were isolated from the liver and chicken carcasses traded in commercial establishments in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The isolation methodology included enrichment in Peptone Water and then spread on EMB Agar and GSP Agar

First complete NLL BFKL calculation of Mueller Navelet jets at LHC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallon, Samuel [Laboratoire de Physique Theorique d' Orsay - LPT, Bat. 210, Univ. Paris-Sud 11, 91405 Orsay Cedex (France); UPMC Univ. Paris 06 (France); Colferai, Dimitri [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Firenze, Via G. Sansone 1, IT-50019 Firenze (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - INFN, Sezione di Firenze, Via G.Sansone 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze (Italy); Schwennsen, Florian [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron - DESY, Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany); Szymanowski, Lech [Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies, Hoza 69, 00691, Warsaw (Poland)

2010-07-01

We calculate cross section and azimuthal de-correlation of Mueller Navelet jets at the LHC in the complete next-lo-leading order BFKL framework, i.e. including next-to-leading corrections to the Green's function as well as next-to-leading corrections to the Mueller Navelet vertices. The obtained results for standard observables proposed for studies of Mueller Navelet jets show that both sources of corrections are of equal, big importance for final magnitude and final behavior of observables. The astonishing conclusion of our analysis is that the observables obtained within the complete next-lo-leading order BFKL framework of the present work are quite similar to the same observables obtained within next-to-leading logarithm DGLAP type treatment. This fact sheds doubts on general belief that the studies of Mueller Navelet jets at the LHC will lead to clear discrimination between the BFKL and the DGLAP dynamics. (author)

The Booles and the Hintons two dynasties that helped shape the modern world

CERN Document Server

Kennedy, Gerry

2016-01-01

In 1983 Gerry Kennedy set off on a tour through Russia, China, Japan and the USA to visit others involved in the global anti-war movement. Only dimly aware of his Victorian ancestors: George Boole, forefather of the digital revolution and James Hinton, eccentric philosopher and advocate of polygamy, he had directly followed in the footsteps of two dynasties of radical thinkers and doers.

Monitoring temporal microstructural variations of skeletal muscle tissues by multispectral Mueller matrix polarimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yang; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Ma, Hui

2017-02-01

Mueller matrix polarimetry is a powerful tool for detecting microscopic structures, therefore can be used to monitor physiological changes of tissue samples. Meanwhile, spectral features of scattered light can also provide abundant microstructural information of tissues. In this paper, we take the 2D multispectral backscattering Mueller matrix images of bovine skeletal muscle tissues, and analyze their temporal variation behavior using multispectral Mueller matrix parameters. The 2D images of the Mueller matrix elements are reduced to the multispectral frequency distribution histograms (mFDHs) to reveal the dominant structural features of the muscle samples more clearly. For quantitative analysis, the multispectral Mueller matrix transformation (MMT) parameters are calculated to characterize the microstructural variations during the rigor mortis and proteolysis processes of the skeletal muscle tissue samples. The experimental results indicate that the multispectral MMT parameters can be used to judge different physiological stages for bovine skeletal muscle tissues in 24 hours, and combining with the multispectral technique, the Mueller matrix polarimetry and FDH analysis can monitor the microstructural variation features of skeletal muscle samples. The techniques may be used for quick assessment and quantitative monitoring of meat qualities in food industry.

Morphological identification of Candida species on glucose agar, rice extract agar and corn meal agar with and without Tween-80.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, K R; Solanki, A; Prakash, P

1993-01-01

A comparative study for the identification of 32 known strains of Candida species on the basis of morphology on glucose agar, rice extract agar and corn meal agar with and without Tween 80 revealed that when Tween 80 is incorporated in the media identification is possible for 96.8% of the species within 48 hours on rice extract agar and for 96.8% of the species within 48 hours on rice extract agar and for 90.6% of the species on glucose agar. The germ tubes and chlamydospores were also produced more on rice extract agar than on 0.1% glucose agar. Rice extract agar with Tween 80 can be used as single medium for morphologic identification of Candida species. The inoculated medium is first incubated at 37 degrees C for 3 hours and examined for germ tube formation and then incubated at 25 degrees C for 24 to 72 hours and examined for appearance of chlamydospores and mycelial morphology.

Agar agar-stabilized milled zerovalent iron particles for in situ groundwater remediation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Velimirovic, Milica; Schmid, Doris; Wagner, Stephan; Micić, Vesna; Kammer, Frank von der; Hofmann, Thilo, E-mail: thilo.hofmann@univie.ac.at

2016-09-01

Submicron-scale milled zerovalent iron (milled ZVI) particles produced by grinding macroscopic raw materials could provide a cost-effective alternative to nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) particles for in situ degradation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons in groundwater. However, the aggregation and settling of bare milled ZVI particles from suspension presents a significant obstacle to their in situ application for groundwater remediation. In our investigations we reduced the rapid aggregation and settling rate of bare milled ZVI particles from suspension by stabilization with a “green” agar agar polymer. The transport potential of stabilized milled ZVI particle suspensions in a diverse array of natural heterogeneous porous media was evaluated in a series of well-controlled laboratory column experiments. The impact of agar agar on trichloroethene (TCE) removal by milled ZVI particles was assessed in laboratory-scale batch reactors. The use of agar agar significantly enhanced the transport of milled ZVI particles in all of the investigated porous media. Reactivity tests showed that the agar agar-stabilized milled ZVI particles were reactive towards TCE, but that their reactivity was an order of magnitude less than that of bare, non-stabilized milled ZVI particles. Our results suggest that milled ZVI particles could be used as an alternative to nZVI particles as their potential for emplacement into contaminated zone, their reactivity, and expected longevity are beneficial for in situ groundwater remediation. - Highlights: • Rapid aggregation and sedimentation were observed in bare milled ZVI particles. • Agar agar improved the stability of milled ZVI particle suspensions. • Agar agar enhanced the transport of milled ZVI particles in heterogeneous sands. • Agar agar reduced the reactivity of milled ZVI particles towards TCE.

Agar agar-stabilized milled zerovalent iron particles for in situ groundwater remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velimirovic, Milica; Schmid, Doris; Wagner, Stephan; Micić, Vesna; Kammer, Frank von der; Hofmann, Thilo

2016-01-01

Submicron-scale milled zerovalent iron (milled ZVI) particles produced by grinding macroscopic raw materials could provide a cost-effective alternative to nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) particles for in situ degradation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons in groundwater. However, the aggregation and settling of bare milled ZVI particles from suspension presents a significant obstacle to their in situ application for groundwater remediation. In our investigations we reduced the rapid aggregation and settling rate of bare milled ZVI particles from suspension by stabilization with a “green” agar agar polymer. The transport potential of stabilized milled ZVI particle suspensions in a diverse array of natural heterogeneous porous media was evaluated in a series of well-controlled laboratory column experiments. The impact of agar agar on trichloroethene (TCE) removal by milled ZVI particles was assessed in laboratory-scale batch reactors. The use of agar agar significantly enhanced the transport of milled ZVI particles in all of the investigated porous media. Reactivity tests showed that the agar agar-stabilized milled ZVI particles were reactive towards TCE, but that their reactivity was an order of magnitude less than that of bare, non-stabilized milled ZVI particles. Our results suggest that milled ZVI particles could be used as an alternative to nZVI particles as their potential for emplacement into contaminated zone, their reactivity, and expected longevity are beneficial for in situ groundwater remediation. - Highlights: • Rapid aggregation and sedimentation were observed in bare milled ZVI particles. • Agar agar improved the stability of milled ZVI particle suspensions. • Agar agar enhanced the transport of milled ZVI particles in heterogeneous sands. • Agar agar reduced the reactivity of milled ZVI particles towards TCE.

Antimicrobial activity and phytochemical analysis of crude extracts and essential oils from medicinal plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, N C C; Barbosa, L; Seito, L N; Fernandes, A

2012-01-01

We aimed to establish a phytochemical analysis of the crude extracts and performed GC-MS of the essential oils (EOs) of Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae) and Asteraceae species Baccharis dracunculifolia DC, Matricaria chamomilla L. and Vernonia polyanthes Less, as well as determining their antimicrobial activity. Establishment of the minimal inhibitory concentrations of the crude extracts and EOs against 16 Staphylococcus aureus and 16 Escherichia coli strains from human specimens was carried out using the dilution method in Mueller-Hinton agar. Some phenolic compounds with antimicrobial properties were established, and all EOs had a higher antimicrobial activity than the extracts. Matricaria chamomilla extract and E. uniflora EO were efficient against S. aureus strains, while E. uniflora and V. polyanthes extracts and V. polyanthes EO showed the best antimicrobial activity against E. coli strains. Staphylococcus aureus strains were more susceptible to the tested plant products than E. coli, but all natural products promoted antimicrobial growth inhibition.

Epidemiological studies of potent environment pathogen streptococcus pneumoniae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brohi, N.A.; Tunio, S.A.

2016-01-01

A general survey for six months was undertaken for the prevalence of environmental bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae among the different age groups (3-65 years) including both sexes from various hospitals of Hyderabad city. Laboratory examinations revealed S. pneumoniae as most potent environmental pathogen from the sputum and throat swabs of old aged patients and children respectively. During observations, 39 specimens were growth positive; the biochemistry of isolates revealed that they were coagulase, catalase and oxidase negative, TSI, gel hydrolysis positive and were able to ferment glucose, lactose, maltose, galactose, fructose, sucrose, starch and raffinose. The results of antimicrobial activity showed that pneumococci were resistant to the cefspan, septran, cravit, pipemetic acid, azomax, bacitracin, and penicillin and a clear zone of inhibition was observed on clithromycin, optochin, cefizox, genatamycin, minocyclin, levoflaxacin, and vancomycin. There were intermediate zone of inhibition found on claforan, nalidixic acid, amoxycillin, fosfomycin, fortum, and erythromycin on Mueller Hinton's agar after 24 hours incubation. (author)

Synergism between plant extract and antimicrobial drugs used on Staphylococcus aureus diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joyce Elaine Cristina Betoni

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Searches for substances with antimicrobial activity are frequent, and medicinal plants have been considered interesting by some researchers since they are frequently used in popular medicine as remedies for many infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to verify the synergism between 13 antimicrobial drugs and 8 plant extracts - "guaco" (Mikania glomerata, guava (Psidium guajava, clove (Syzygium aromaticum, garlic (Allium sativum, lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus, ginger (Zingiber officinale, "carqueja" (Baccharis trimera, and mint (Mentha piperita - against Staphylococcus aureus strains, and for this purpose, the disk method was the antimicrobial susceptibility test performed. Petri dishes were prepared with or without dilution of plant extracts at sub-inhibitory concentrations in Mueller-Hinton Agar (MHA, and the inhibitory zones were recorded in millimeters. In vitro anti-Staphylococcus aureus activities of the extracts were confirmed, and synergism was verified for all the extracts; clove, guava, and lemongrass presented the highest synergism rate with antimicrobial drugs, while ginger and garlic showed limited synergistic capacity.

Reflections on Britain's nuclear history: a conversation with Lord Hinton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowry, D.

1984-09-01

This record of a discussion with Lord Hinton, who was in charge of the industrial side of the U.K. atomic energy project, and later Chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board, covers the following topics: history of the development and construction of reactors for the production of plutonium and, later, nuclear power; secrecy; early relations between Central Electricity Authority (and later, CEGB), the Government, and Atomic Energy Authority; Government policy on the nuclear power programme; decision making in the area of nuclear power; economics of nuclear power; the nuclear industry; safety, insurance, National Nuclear Inspectorate; support research and development in CEGB; Sizewell-B proposed PWR. (U.K.)

Reducing the orientation influence of Mueller matrix measurements for anisotropic scattering media

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Minghao; He, Honghui; Zeng, Nan; Du, E.; He, Yonghong; Ma, Hui

2014-09-01

Mueller matrix polarimetry techniques contain rich micro-structural information of samples, such as the sizes and refractive indices of scatterers. Recently, Mueller matrix imaging methods have shown great potentials as powerful tools for biomedical diagnosis. However, the orientations of anisotropic fibrous structures in tissues have prominent influence on Mueller matrix measurements, resulting in difficulties for extracting micro-structural information effectively. In this paper, we apply the backscattering Mueller matrix imaging technique to biological samples with different microstructures, such as chicken heart muscle, bovine skeletal muscle, porcine liver and fat tissues. Experimental results show that the directions of the muscle fibers have prominent influence on the Mueller matrix elements. In order to reduce the orientation influence, we adopt the rotation-independent MMT and RLPI parameters, which were proposed in our previous studies, to the tissue samples. Preliminary results in this paper show that the orientation-independent parameters and their statistic features are helpful for analyzing the tissues to obtain their micro-structural properties. Since the micro-structure variations are often related to the pathological changes, the method can be applied to microscope imaging techniques and used to detect abnormal tissues such as cancer and other lesions for diagnosis purposes.

76 FR 19467 - Mueller Steam Specialty Formerly Known As Core Industries Including Workers Whose Unemployment...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-07

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-73,851] Mueller Steam Specialty... to Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance on October 7, 2010, applicable to workers of Mueller Steam... shows that workers separated from employment at the St. Pauls, North Carolina location of Mueller Steam...

Development of a spectroscopic Mueller matrix imaging ellipsometer for nanostructure metrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Xiuguo; Du, Weichao; Yuan, Kui; Chen, Jun; Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Chuanwei; Liu, Shiyuan

2016-01-01

In this paper, we describe the development of a spectroscopic Mueller matrix imaging ellipsometer (MMIE), which combines the great power of Mueller matrix ellipsometry with the high spatial resolution of optical microscopy. A dual rotating-compensator configuration is adopted to collect the full 4 × 4 imaging Mueller matrix in a single measurement. The light wavelengths are scanned in the range of 400–700 nm by a monochromator. The instrument has measurement accuracy and precision better than 0.01 for all the Mueller matrix elements in both the whole image and the whole spectral range. The instrument was then applied for the measurement of nanostructures combined with an inverse diffraction problem solving technique. The experiment performed on a photoresist grating sample has demonstrated the great potential of MMIE for accurate grating reconstruction from spectral data collected by a single pixel of the camera and for efficient quantification of geometrical profile of the grating structure over a large area with pixel resolution. It is expected that MMIE will be a powerful tool for nanostructure metrology in future high-volume nanomanufacturing.

Development of a spectroscopic Mueller matrix imaging ellipsometer for nanostructure metrology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xiuguo; Du, Weichao; Yuan, Kui; Chen, Jun; Jiang, Hao, E-mail: hjiang@hust.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Zhang, Chuanwei; Liu, Shiyuan, E-mail: hjiang@hust.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Wuhan Eoptics Technology Co. Ltd., Wuhan 430075 (China)

2016-05-15

In this paper, we describe the development of a spectroscopic Mueller matrix imaging ellipsometer (MMIE), which combines the great power of Mueller matrix ellipsometry with the high spatial resolution of optical microscopy. A dual rotating-compensator configuration is adopted to collect the full 4 × 4 imaging Mueller matrix in a single measurement. The light wavelengths are scanned in the range of 400–700 nm by a monochromator. The instrument has measurement accuracy and precision better than 0.01 for all the Mueller matrix elements in both the whole image and the whole spectral range. The instrument was then applied for the measurement of nanostructures combined with an inverse diffraction problem solving technique. The experiment performed on a photoresist grating sample has demonstrated the great potential of MMIE for accurate grating reconstruction from spectral data collected by a single pixel of the camera and for efficient quantification of geometrical profile of the grating structure over a large area with pixel resolution. It is expected that MMIE will be a powerful tool for nanostructure metrology in future high-volume nanomanufacturing.

Stokes-vector and Mueller-matrix polarimetry [Invited].

Science.gov (United States)

Azzam, R M A

2016-07-01

This paper reviews the current status of instruments for measuring the full 4×1 Stokes vector S, which describes the state of polarization (SOP) of totally or partially polarized light, and the 4×4 Mueller matrix M, which determines how the SOP is transformed as light interacts with a material sample or an optical element or system. The principle of operation of each instrument is briefly explained by using the Stokes-Mueller calculus. The development of fast, automated, imaging, and spectroscopic instruments over the last 50 years has greatly expanded the range of applications of optical polarimetry and ellipsometry in almost every branch of science and technology. Current challenges and future directions of this important branch of optics are also discussed.

Optical biopsy of tissue with Mueller polarimetry: theory and experiments (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Novikova, Tatiana; Meglinski, Igor; Garcia-Caurel, Enric; Bykov, Alexander; Rehbinder, Jean; Deby, Stanislas; Vizet, Jérémy; Pierangelo, Angelo; Moreau, François; Validire, Pierre; Benali, Abdelali; Gayet, Brice; Teig, Benjamin; Nazac, André; Ossikovski, Razvigor

2017-02-01

The rise of optical biopsy as an alternative to classical biopsy is dictated by ongoing technological progress: any type of measurements has to be fast, precise, non-invasive and implemented in-vivo. The use of polarized light for optical biopsy has a long history. As Mueller-Stokes formalism provides the most complete description of polarized light interaction with any type of sample (even depolarizing one) we explored the capabilities of in-house multi-wavelength Mueller imaging polarimeter for the detection of pre-malignancy and malignancy. Our studies were performed with both scattering phantom tissues (in transmission configuration) and specimens of human colon and uterine cervix (in backscattering configuration). For the interpretation of measurement results we decomposed Mueller matrix of a sample into product of elementary Mueller matrices of homogeneous diattenuator, retarder, and depolarizer. This phenomenological approach does not require the exact solution of Maxwell equations and provides the "effective" values of polarimetric properties of sample. Exploring differential Mueller matrix formalism for fluctuating medium we showed that depolarization in homogeneous turbid medium varied parabolically with the pathlength of transmitted light, while the standard deviation of elementary polarization properties of medium depends linearly on the concentration of scatterers. Neither scattering phantoms nor human tissue possessed any measurable diattenuation in backscattering configuration. The polarimetric images of tissue depolarization power, scalar birefringence and orientation of optical axis were compared with the analysis of histological slides. The spectral dependence of depolarization power and scalar birefringence values ascertained the potential of imaging Mueller polarimetry to discriminate healthy and diseased tissue zones.

Phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of Cyclamen persicum Mill tuber extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Alkowni, Raed; Jodeh, Shehdeh; Hussein, Fatima; Jaradat, Nidal

2018-01-01

The emerging drug resistance bacteria increased the demand on the discovery of antibiotics from natural sources. This research was aimed to study the antibacterial reactivity; as well as the phytochemicals, of the wild type of Cyclamen persicum, using nine different extraction methods where four solvents (Methanol, Ethanol, Hexane; and Water) were involved with varied extraction periods ranged from 2 up to 10 hours. The antibacterial activity of crude methanol extract (CME) was found as the best method of extraction, with particular emphasis on the method with prolonged extraction time of (10 hrs). The antibacterial activities of produced CME were determined by using agar diffusion method against two of gram-positive bacteria and two gram-negative ones. The CME treated Mueller-Hinton-Agar plates, were exhibited antibacterial effects against the gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) by showing of inhibition zone after overnight incubation, while nothing was noticed on those of gram negative ones (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli). These results that proved the antibacterial activity of the Cyclamen persicum tubers were positively tested the Saponin glycosides from plant. In addition to that, methanol solvent could be the useful method for extractions of Cyclamen and can be used in any developing drugs against pathogenic gram positive bacteria.

Interpretive criteria of antimicrobial disk susceptibility tests with flomoxef.

Science.gov (United States)

Grimm, H

1991-01-01

320 recently isolated pathogens, 20 strains from each of 16 species, were investigated using Mueller-Hinton agar and DIN as well as NCCLS standards. The geometric mean of the agar dilution MICs of flomoxef were 0.44 mg/l for Staphylococcus aureus, 0.05 mg/l (Klebsiella oxytoca) to 12.6 mg/l (Enterobacter spp.) for enterobacteriaceae, 33.1 mg/l for Acinetobacter anitratus, 64 mg/l for Enterococcus faecalis, and more than 256 mg/l for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For disk susceptibility testing of flomoxef a 30 micrograms disk loading and the following interpretation of inhibition zones using the DIN method were recommended: resistant-up to 22 mm (corresponding to MICs of 8 mg/l or more), moderately susceptible-23 to 29 mm (corresponding to MICs from 1 to 4 mg/l), and susceptible-30 mm or more (corresponding to MICs of 0.5 mg/l or less). The respective values for the NCCLS method using the American high MIC breakpoints are: resistant--up to 14 mm (corresponding to MICs of 32 mg/l or more), moderately susceptible--15 to 17 mm (corresponding to MICs of 16 mg/l), and susceptible--18 mm or more (corresponding to MICs of 8 mg/l or less).

A Simple Assay to Screen Antimicrobial Compounds Potentiating the Activity of Current Antibiotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junaid Iqbal

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Antibiotic resistance continues to pose a significant problem in the management of bacterial infections, despite advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy and supportive care. Here, we suggest a simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-perform assay to screen antimicrobial compounds from natural products or synthetic chemical libraries for their potential to work in tandem with the available antibiotics against multiple drug-resistant bacteria. The aqueous extract of Juglans regia tree bark was tested against representative multiple drug-resistant bacteria in the aforementioned assay to determine whether it potentiates the activity of selected antibiotics. The aqueous extract of J. regia bark was added to Mueller-Hinton agar, followed by a lawn of multiple drug-resistant bacteria, Salmonella typhi or enteropathogenic E. coli. Next, filter paper discs impregnated with different classes of antibiotics were placed on the agar surface. Bacteria incubated with extract or antibiotics alone were used as controls. The results showed a significant increase (>30% in the zone of inhibition around the aztreonam, cefuroxime, and ampicillin discs compared with bacteria incubated with the antibiotics/extract alone. In conclusion, our assay is able to detect either synergistic or additive action of J. regia extract against multiple drug-resistant bacteria when tested with a range of antibiotics.

Near-infrared Mueller matrix imaging for colonic cancer detection

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianfeng; Zheng, Wei; Lin, Kan; Huang, Zhiwei

2016-03-01

Mueller matrix imaging along with polar decomposition method was employed for the colonic cancer detection by polarized light in the near-infrared spectral range (700-1100 nm). A high-speed (colonic tissues (i.e., normal and caner) were acquired. Polar decomposition was further implemented on the 16 images to derive the diattentuation, depolarization, and the retardance images. The decomposed images showed clear margin between the normal and cancerous colon tissue samples. The work shows the potential of near-infrared Mueller matrix imaging for the early diagnosis and detection of malignant lesions in the colon.

Microbial handflora of nursing services workers in a Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The samples were inoculated onto dried Blood agar, MacConkey agar, Mannitol salt agar and Muellar-Hinton agar plates and incubated aerobically at 37°C for 18-24 hours. Overall, 38% of the cultures yielded growth, while 52% of the nurses yielded growth as against 75% of the ward-maids. The bacterial isolates are ...

Antibiotic resistence of Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887 and Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758 Resistência de Aeromonas hydrophila isolada de Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887 e Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758 a antibióticos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andréa Belém-Costa

2006-06-01

Full Text Available One of the most important problems involving treatments with antibiotics against Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from fishes is that antibiotic resistance develops readily. The antimicrobial activity of chemotherapeutants in isolates from pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887 and tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758 was tested by the Kirby-Bauer disk method, over Mueller-Hinton surface agar previously inoculated with 100 µL of bacterial suspensions. After regular incubation, isolates from tilapia and pacu were uniformly resistant to amoxicillin, ampicillin, lincomycin, novobiocin, oxacillin, penicillin, and trimetoprim+sulfametoxazole. The A. hydrophila type strain presented resistance to the same antimicrobial substances and also against rifampicin; the bacterial isolate from pacu were the only strain resistant to tetracyclin. Isolates from both pacu and tilapia had intermediate reaction with erytromycin. The use of drugs in commercial fish farms in Brazil can favor the development of resistant bacterial strains in native fish species as already observed for exotic species, commercially produced for longer time.Um dos maiores problemas envolvendo o tratamento com antibióticos contra Aeromonas hydrophila isolada de peixes confinados é a rápida resistência ao antibiótico desenvolvida pela bactéria. A atividade antimicrobiana de quimioterapêuticos em isolados a partir de pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887 e tilápia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758 foi verificada pelo método de difusão de antibiótico em discos de Kirby-Bauer, sobre uma superfície de Agar Mueller-Hinton previamente inoculada com 100 µL de suspensão bacteriana. Após o período de incubação, os isolados de tilápia e pacu foram uniformemente resistentes a amoxicilina, ampicilina, lincomicina, novobiocina, oxacilina, penicilina e trimetoprim+sulfametoxazol. A cepa tipo para A. hydrophila apresentou resistência às mesmas subst

Evaluation of the rosemary essential oil (Rosmarinus officinalis L. as modulator of bacterial resistanceAvaliação do óleo essencial de alecrim (Rosmarinus officinalis L. como modulador da resistência bacteriana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eudes Silva Velozo

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Microorganisms can be transmitted by food causing diseases in humans. The antibiotics commonly used in treatment of these diseases have shown little or no effect, and in view of the resistance that many microorganisms have acquired. This study evaluated the essential oil leaves of Rosmarinus officinalis L. as a modulator of resistance bacterial drug. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus for 3 hours. We tested four strains of E.coli resistant ampicillin (AMP and tetracycline (TET and four strains of Salmonella spp. Resistant to nitrofurantoin (NIT. The strains in 0.5 MacFarland scale suspension were inoculated on Mueller Hinton agar, then soaked antibiotic disks with 10 and 20?L oil pure rosemary were placed on the plates. After 24h/37 º C were measured halos around the discs. All strains tested showed susceptibility to the combined action of essential oil with antibiotics tested. The results indicate that the use of promising rosemary essential oil in combination with antibiotics to combat pathogenic bacteria. Diversos microrganismos podem ser veiculados por alimentos causando doenças nos seres humanos. Os antibióticos comumente utilizados no tratamento dessas doenças têm apresentado baixo ou nenhum efeito, tendo em vista à resistência que muitos microrganismos têm adquirido. Diante deste quadro, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar o óleo essencial das folhas de Rosmarinus officinalis L. como modulador da resistência bacteriana a drogas. O óleo essencial foi obtido através de hidrodestilação em aparelho de Clevenger por 3h. Foram testadas 4 cepas de E.coli resistentes a Amplicilina (AMP e a Tetraciclina (TET e 4 cepas de Salmonella spp. resistentes a Nitrofurantoína (NIT. As cepas em suspensão escala MacFarland 0,5 foram inoculadas em agar Mueller Hinton, em seguida os discos dos antibióticos embebidos com 10 e 20?L do óleo de alecrim puro foram dispostos sobre as placas. Após 24h/37º

Comparison of E.test and Disk Diffusion Agar in Detection of Antibiotic Susceptibility of E.coli Isolated from Patients with Urinary Tract Infection in Tehran Shariati Hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Erfani

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: UTI is one of the most common bacterial infections and Ecoli is known as an important cause of UTIs. Since bacterial resistances of antibiotics are increasing, reliable methods of antimicrobial resistance detection are of paramount importance in treatment and management of UTIs. The objective of the present study is to compare and to evaluate the performance of disk diffusion agar (Iranian and Italian and E.test (Epsilometer test (Sweden for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Ecoli isolated from UTI.Materials & Methods: This study was done on 250 Isolates of Ecoli from patients with UTI in Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences during 2004. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion method using Iranian and Italian disk for Trimetoprim sulfamethoxazole, Gentamysin, Ceftazidim, Nitrofurantoin and Ciprofluxacin and Minimum Inhibitory concentration (MIC determination was performed by E.test for the same set of antimicrobial. All tests were performed on muller hinton agar. Results: Comparison of E.test and Iranian disk diffusion agar showed that paramount differences in antibiotic agreement (Max 37.8 % those differences in case of Ceftazidim and Gentamysin were respectively 76.8% and 62.2% whereas comparison of E.test and Italian disk diffusion agar showed less difference of antibiotics agreement (Max 11.2%.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Iranian disk diffusion agar may be used as a preliminary screen for antibiotic susceptibility testing of E.coli and is less sensitive than Italian disk diffusion and E.test. Comparison of 3 mentioned methods have showed that E.test is the most sensitive and shows the effective dose of antibiotic for treatment and prevention of antibiotic resistance.

Duch is dead. [Review of: Laban Hinton Man or Monster? The Trial of a Khmer Rouge Torturer.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouwknegt, Thijs Bastiaan

2017-01-01

In his stimulating new book, the psychological anthropologist Alexander Laban Hinton chronicles the trial against the confessant Cambodian tormenter Kaing Guek Eav (f.k.a. Comrade Duch). In exploring Kaing Guek Eav’s state of mind, the book provokes the reader to think about why we feel the need to

Use of Mueller matrix colposcopy in the characterization of cervical collagen anisotropy

Science.gov (United States)

Montejo, Karla A.; Chue-Sang, Joseph; Bai, Yuqiang; Stoff, Susan; Holness, Nola; Gonzalez, Mariacarla; Gomes, Jefferson; Gandjbakhche, Amir; Chernomordik, Viktor V.; Ramella-Roman, Jessica C.

2017-02-01

Preterm birth (PTB) presents a serious medical heath concern in both economically developed and developing nations, with incidence rate from 15%-11% respectively. Changes in cervical collagen bundle orientation and distribution may prove to be a predictor of PTB. Polarization imaging is an effective means to measure optical anisotropy in birefringent biological tissue such as those rich in collagen. Non-invasive, full-field Mueller Matrix polarimetry (MMP) imaging methodologies, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy were used to assess cervical collagen content and structure in non-pregnant cervices. In vivo studies using a Mueller Matrix colposcope are underway. Further studies of cervical collagen orientation throughout pregnancy are needed to understand if Mueller matrix polarimetry can effectively identify at-risk conditions for PTB.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Flavobacterium psychrophilum from Chilean Salmon Farms and Their Epidemiological Cut-Off Values Using Agar Dilution and Disk Diffusion Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Claudio D; Smith, Peter; Rojas, Rodrigo; Contreras-Lynch, Sergio; Vega, J M Alonso

2016-01-01

Flavobacterium psychrophilum is the most important bacterial pathogen for freshwater farmed salmonids in Chile. The aims of this study were to determine the susceptibility to antimicrobials used in fish farming of Chilean isolates and to calculate their epidemiological cut-off (CO WT ) values. A number of 125 Chilean isolates of F. psychrophilum were isolated from reared salmonids presenting clinical symptoms indicative of flavobacteriosis and their identities were confirmed by 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction. Susceptibility to antibacterials was tested on diluted Mueller-Hinton by using an agar dilution MIC method and a disk diffusion method. The CO WT values calculated by Normalized Resistance Interpretation (NRI) analysis allow isolates to be categorized either as wild-type fully susceptible (WT) or as manifesting reduced susceptibility (NWT). When MIC data was used, NRI analysis calculated a CO WT of ≤0.125, ≤2, and ≤0.5 μg mL -1 for amoxicillin, florfenicol, and oxytetracycline, respectively. For the quinolones, the CO WT were ≤1, ≤0.5, and ≤0.125 μg mL -1 for oxolinic acid, flumequine, and enrofloxacin, respectively. The disk diffusion data sets obtained in this work were extremely diverse and were spread over a wide range. For the quinolones there was a close agreement between the frequencies of NWT isolates calculated using MIC and disk data. For oxolinic acid, flumequine, and enrofloxacin the frequencies were 45, 39, and 38% using MIC data, and 42, 41, and 44%, when disk data were used. There was less agreement with the other antimicrobials, because NWT frequencies obtained using MIC and disk data, respectively, were 24 and 10% for amoxicillin, 8 and 2% for florfenicol, and 70 and 64% for oxytetracycline. Considering that the MIC data was more precise than the disk diffusion data, MIC determination would be the preferred method for susceptibility testing for this species and the NWT frequencies derived from the MIC data sets should be

Mueller matrix polarimetry for the characterization of complex ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Scattering; polarization; Mueller matrix; wave propagation in random media; ... Initial biomedical applications of this novel general method for polarimetry analysis in random media are also presented. ... Pramana – Journal of Physics | News.

Mueller Matrix: the Consummate approach to imaging in torbid media

Science.gov (United States)

Zhai, Peng-Wang; Kattawar, George W.

2004-10-01

The use of polarized light has important applications in astronomy, atmospheric science, chemistry, biology, interferometry, medical science, quantum theory, and the commercial sector. The four component Stokes vector is one of the most popular ways to describe polarized states of light and the 4×4 Mueller matrix is used to express the relations between the Stokes vectors of the incident light and the scattered light. Of the many methods to calculate the single scattering Mueller matrix, we will emphasize the Mie theory; the T-matrix method; the finite-element method (FEM); the finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD); the discrete dipole approximation (DDA). The single scattering Mueller matrices for particles can be used to solve the radiative transfer equations for multiple scattering systems, which is the sine que non for the remote sensing applications. Of the many ways to solve the radiative transfer equations we will discuss the discrete-ordinate method, the adding and doubling method, and the Monte-Carlo method, which is by far the most versatile.

Quantitatively differentiating microstructural variations of skeletal muscle tissues by multispectral Mueller matrix imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yang; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Ma, Hui

2016-10-01

Polarized light is sensitive to the microstructures of biological tissues and can be used to detect physiological changes. Meanwhile, spectral features of the scattered light can also provide abundant microstructural information of tissues. In this paper, we take the backscattering polarization Mueller matrix images of bovine skeletal muscle tissues during the 24-hour experimental time, and analyze their multispectral behavior using quantitative Mueller matrix parameters. In the processes of rigor mortis and proteolysis of muscle samples, multispectral frequency distribution histograms (FDHs) of the Mueller matrix elements can reveal rich qualitative structural information. In addition, we analyze the temporal variations of the sample using the multispectral Mueller matrix transformation (MMT) parameters. The experimental results indicate that the different stages of rigor mortis and proteolysis for bovine skeletal muscle samples can be judged by these MMT parameters. The results presented in this work show that combining with the multispectral technique, the FDHs and MMT parameters can characterize the microstructural variation features of skeletal muscle tissues. The techniques have the potential to be used as tools for quantitative assessment of meat qualities in food industry.

Quantitatively characterizing microstructural variations of skin tissues during ultraviolet radiation damaging process based on Mueller matrix polarimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Wei; He, Honghui; Dong, Yang; Ma, Hui

2018-02-01

As one of the most fundamental features of light, polarization can be used to develop imaging techniques which can provide insight into the optical and structural properties of tissues. Especially, the Mueller matrix polarimetry is suitable to detect the changes in collagen and elastic fibres, which are the main compositions of skin tissue. Here we demonstrate a novel quantitative, non-contact and in situ technique to monitor the microstructural variations of skin tissue during ultraviolet radiation (UVR) induced photoaging based on Mueller matrix polarimetry. Specifically, we measure the twodimensional (2D) backscattering Mueller matrices of nude mouse skin samples, then calculate and analyze the Mueller matrix derived parameters during the skin photoaging and self-repairing processes. To induce three-day skin photoaging, the back skin of each mouse is irradiated with UVR (0.05J/cm2) for five minutes per day. After UVR, the microstructures of the nude mouse skin are damaged. During the process of UV damage, we measure the backscattering Mueller matrices of the mouse skin samples and examine the relationship between the Mueller matrix parameters and the microstructural variations of skin tissue quantitatively. The comparisons between the UVR damaged groups with and without sunscreens show that the Mueller matrix derived parameters are potential indicators for fibrous microstructure variation in skin tissue. The pathological examinations and Monte Carlo simulations confirm the relationship between the values of Mueller matrix parameters and the changes of fibrous structures. Combined with smart phones or wearable devices, this technique may have a good application prospect in the fields of cosmetics and dermatological health.

Doing the Impossible George E Mueller and the Management of NASA’s Human Spaceflight Program

CERN Document Server

Slotkin, Arthur L

2012-01-01

This excellent account of one of the most important personalities in early American human spaceflight history describes for the first time how George E. Mueller, the system manager of the human spaceflight program of the 1960s, applied the SPO methodology and other special considerations, resulting in the success of the Apollo Program. While Wernher von Braun and others did not really readily accept Mueller's approach to system management, they later acknowledged that without it NASA would not have landed astronauts on the Moon by 1969. While Apollo remained Mueller's top priority, from his earliest days at the agency he promoted a robust post-Apollo program, which culminated in Skylab, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station. As a result of these efforts, Mueller earned the sobriquet: "the father of the Space Shuttle."

Icu Pathogens: A Continuous Challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafeez, A.; Munir, T.; Najeeb, S.; Rehman, S.; Gilani, M.

2016-01-01

Objective: To determine the frequency and antibiogram of pathogens in an intensive care unit (ICU). Study Design: Cross-sectional, observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Army Medical College, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, from January 2013 to January 2014. Methodology: Clinical samples, received from patients admitted in ICU, were inoculated on various medias like blood agar, chocolate agar, MacConkey agar and urine samples on CLED. These were then incubated at 37 degree C for 24 hours. Isolates were identified by colony morphology, Gram reaction, catalase test, oxidase test. Species identification in case of Gram Negative Rods was done by using API 20E (BioMerieux). Antibiotic susceptibility was done by using modified KirbyBauer disc diffusion technique. Bacterial isolates were prepared and inoculated on Mueller-Hinton agar plates followed by application of various antibiotic disc (Oxoid, UK) as per manufacturer's instructions. The plates were then incubated at 37 degree C aerobically for 18 - 24 hours. Zone diameters were measured and interpreted as sensitive and resistant, according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: Out of the 367 positive cultures, 116 (31.08 percent) were Acinetobacter baumanniisusceptible to minocycline and tigecycline followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=71, 16 percent) susceptible to tigecycline and meropenem. Others were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Klebsiella oxytoca, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Candida spp. Conclusion: Acinetobacter baumannii was the most frequently isolated pathogen. Most of the cultures yielding pathogens were from respiratory tract samples. Gram negative isolates were multidrug resistant but most were tigecycline and susceptible to meropenem. (author)

Sorption of U(VI) on natural sepiolite and sepiolite-agar agar composite adsorbent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esen, K.; Donat, R.; Cetisli, H.; Aytas, S.

2006-01-01

Adsorption of uranium (VI) ions onto clay minerals is one of the significant reactions affecting the transport of uranium in the environment. The use of composite adsorbents for the removal of metal ions and radionuclide from industrial wastes has attracted great interest to researchers in recent years[1]. In this study, natural sepiolite type clay and an organic compound, agar agar, were chosen as the adsorbent material. Composite adsorbent was prepared from sepiolite and agar agar. Adsorption of uranium (VI) on this composite and on natural sepiolite adsorbent was investigated. Thermodynamic investigations were carried out to get more information about the adsorption of uranium. Adsorption of U (VI) has been studied as a function of solution pH, time, temperature and initial concentration of uranium on natural sepiolite and agar agar composite. The maximum sorption yield of U (VI) on composite and on sepiolite from batch experiments is calculated approximately 89% and 76% respectively in the optimum experimental adsorption condition. The adsorption data were fitted to Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption isotherms. Using the experimental data obtained different temperatures, thermodynamic constants ΔH d egree, ΔS d egree and ΔG d egree were calculated. The results show that the adsorption process on natural sepiolite and sepiolite-agar agar composite are both egzothermic natures. [1] S. M. Hasany, M. M. Saeed, M. Ahmed, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. Vol. 252 (3), 477-484 (2002)

Implementation of biological tissue Mueller matrix for polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography based on LabVIEW

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yongping; Zhang, Xiyang; He, Youwu; Cai, Jianyong; Li, Hui

2018-02-01

The Jones matrix and the Mueller matrix are main tools to study polarization devices. The Mueller matrix can also be used for biological tissue research to get complete tissue properties, while the commercial optical coherence tomography system does not give relevant analysis function. Based on the LabVIEW, a near real time display method of Mueller matrix image of biological tissue is developed and it gives the corresponding phase retardant image simultaneously. A quarter-wave plate was placed at 45 in the sample arm. Experimental results of the two orthogonal channels show that the phase retardance based on incident light vector fixed mode and the Mueller matrix based on incident light vector dynamic mode can provide an effective analysis method of the existing system.

In vitro efficacy of doripenem against pseudomonas aeruginosa and acinetobacter baumannii by e-test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilani, M.; Munir, T.; Latif, M.; Rehman, S.

2015-01-01

To assess the in vitro efficacy of doripenem against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii using Epsilometer strips. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi and National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, from May 2014 to September 2014. Methodology: A total of 60 isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa collected from various clinical samples received from Military Hospital were included in the study. The specimens were inoculated onto blood, MacConkey and chocolate agars. The isolates were identified using Gram staining, motility, catalase test, oxidase test and API 20NE (Biomeriux, France). Organisms identified as Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were included in the study. Bacterial suspensions equivalent to 0.5 McFarland turbidity standard of the isolates were prepared and applied on Mueller Hinton agar. Epsilometer strip was placed in the center of the plate and incubated for 18-24 hours. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was taken to be the point where the epsilon intersected the E-strip. MIC of all the isolates was noted. Results: For Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, MIC50 was 12 micro g/mL and MIC90 was 32 micro g/mL. For Acinetobacter baumannii MIC 50 and MIC90 was 32 micro g/mL. Conclusion: Doripenem is no more effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii in our setting. (author)

Mueller matrix polarimetry for characterizing microstructural variation of nude mouse skin during tissue optical clearing.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Dongsheng; Zeng, Nan; Xie, Qiaolin; He, Honghui; Tuchin, Valery V; Ma, Hui

2017-08-01

We investigate the polarization features corresponding to changes in the microstructure of nude mouse skin during immersion in a glycerol solution. By comparing the Mueller matrix imaging experiments and Monte Carlo simulations, we examine in detail how the Mueller matrix elements vary with the immersion time. The results indicate that the polarization features represented by Mueller matrix elements m22&m33&m44 and the absolute values of m34&m43 are sensitive to the immersion time. To gain a deeper insight on how the microstructures of the skin vary during the tissue optical clearing (TOC), we set up a sphere-cylinder birefringence model (SCBM) of the skin and carry on simulations corresponding to different TOC mechanisms. The good agreement between the experimental and simulated results confirm that Mueller matrix imaging combined with Monte Carlo simulation is potentially a powerful tool for revealing microscopic features of biological tissues.

PDGF stimulation of Mueller cell proliferation: Contributions of c-JNK and the PI3K/Akt pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Sang Woong; Chung, Eun Jee; Jung, Sun-Ah; Lee, Joon H.

2009-01-01

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has a critical role in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) as a chemoattractant and mitogen for retinal pigment epithelial cells and retinal glial cells. Here, we investigated the potential effects of PDGF on the proliferation of Mueller cells and the intracellular signaling pathway mediating these changes. PDGF induced Mueller cell proliferation and increased phosphorylation of the PDGF receptor (PDGFR), as shown by an MTT assay and immunoprecipitation analyses. Both effects were blocked by JNJ, a PDGFR-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor. PDGF also stimulated phosphorylation of c-JNK and Akt. PDGF-induced Mueller cell proliferation was significantly reduced by pre-treatment with SP600125 and LY294002, inhibitors of c-JNK and Akt phosphorylation, respectively. Our findings collectively indicate that PDGF-stimulated Mueller cell proliferation occurs via activation of the c-JNK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. These data provide useful information in establishing the role of Mueller cells in the development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Studying the Relationship between the Ability of Biofilm Formation and Antibiotic Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical and Environmental Isolates in Tehran, 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faegheh Teymori

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Acinetobacters are aerobic gram-negative bacteria which are distributed widespread in soil and water. The bacteria are isolated from cultured skin, mucous membranes, secretions and hospital environment. Acinetobacter baumannii, is a strain that more frequently isolated. Acinetobacter strains are often resistant against antimicrobial agents. Materials and Methods: The method of this study was based on field, observation and test. On August and October 2015, samples were isolated from the soil and water of the Sadeghieh Square river in Tehran, respectively, and were transferred to the laboratory in the ice pack. 50 baumannii samples were isolated by biochemical methods (TSI, SIM, OF and gram test. November 1394, 100 clinical samples were isolated from Imam Khomeini hospital by biochemical method, and in the culture media Mueller Hinton agar plates were transferred to the laboratory. Antibiogram test for 150 baumannii samples was performed. Biofilms formation of Acinetobacter baumannii environmental and clinical samples was investigated by Congo red agar and culture plate methods. Results: In all samples (clinical and soil, most of antibiotic resistance was 92% for imipenem and the resistance of water samples to imipenem was 99.9%. Biofilm formation by Congo red agar in water, soil, and clinical samles was resprctively 44%, 40% and 1%. All isolates were negative biofilm culture plate. Conclusion: Considering Acinetobacter baumannii resistance to antibiotics and the lack of biofilm formation of in clinical and environmental isolates, it was concluded that there wasn’t any relationship between antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation.

Survey of Staphylococcus isolates among hospital personnel, environment and their antibiogram with special emphasis on methicillin resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shobha K

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to find the prevalence of Staphylococcus spp. carriage among hospital personnel and hospital environment and their antibiogram with special emphasis on methicillin resistance. A total of 205 samples from hospital personnel and environment were collected from casualty, oncology and multidisciplinary cardiac unit ward of Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Manipal. Samples were collected using sterile cotton wool swabs and inoculated into brain heart infusion broth. Subcultures were done onto blood agar and MacConkey′s agar. Isolates were identified by standard methods up to species level. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed according to standardized disc diffusion Kirby-Bauer method. Each of the isolates was screened for methicillin resistance using oxacillin disc on Mueller Hinton agar plate followed by MIC for methicillin and cefoxitin susceptibility test by disc diffusion method. Sixty five out of 205 strains (31.7% were Staphylococcus spp. and all of them were coagulase negative. Most of the strains belonged to S.epidermidis 49.23%(32/65 followed by S. saprophyticus 26.15%(17/65. Maximum isolates of S.epidermidis were from anterior nares 28.12%(9/32 strains of S.epidermidis . Highest number of methicillin resistant coagulase negative strains (3/9, 33.33% were isolated from stethoscope of multidisciplinary cardiac unit ward followed by carriers in the anterior nares (2/9, 22.22%. Methicillin resistant coagulase negative staphylococci are prevalent in anterior nares of hospital personnel and in the hospital environment thereby providing a definite source for hospital acquired infection. All isolates were sensitive to vancomycin, ciprofloxacin and amikacin.

Prevalence and characterization of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in Klebsiella pneumoniae in Algiers hospitals (Algeria).

Science.gov (United States)

Messai, Y; Iabadene, H; Benhassine, T; Alouache, S; Tazir, M; Gautier, V; Arlet, G; Bakour, R

2008-07-01

To determine the prevalence and the diversity of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in 196 Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates collected from three hospitals in Algiers. Antibiograms were done on Mueller-Hinton agar plates with the disc-diffusion method and MICs were determined by agar-dilution method. Mating experiments were performed in agar medium. Plasmid DNA was extracted by the alcalin-lysis method. Total DNA was extracted with a Qiagen mini kit and screened for bla(TEM) and bla(CTX-M) genes by PCR. Linkage of bla(CTX-M) genes with insertion sequence ISEcp1B and class 1 integrons was investigated by PCR. PCR products were sequenced by the Sanger method. The epidemiological relationships between ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae isolates were analyzed by ERIC-PCR. Thirty-nine (19.9%) isolates were found to produce ESBLs belonging to CTX-M-1 group and TEM penicillinases (CTX-M-3, CTX-M-15 and TEM-1). ERIC-PCR analysis showed that the isolates are genetically unrelated. The bla(TEM) and bla(CTX-M) genes as well as aminoglycosides and sulfonamides resistance determinants were found located in self-transferable plasmids of approximately 85 kb. The class 1 integrons and the insertion sequence ISEcp1B were present in the isolates and in their transconjugants. ISEcp1B was found genetically linked to the bla(CTX-M) genes and located 127bp upstream, with the presence of the V and W sequences. The study revealed a high rate of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae in Algerian hospitals, resulting from horizontal dissemination of mobile bla(CTX-M) genes.

Demonstration of full 4×4 Mueller polarimetry through an optical fiber for endoscopic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Manhas, Sandeep; Vizet, Jérémy; Deby, Stanislas; Vanel, Jean-Charles; Boito, Paola; Verdier, Mireille; De Martino, Antonello; Pagnoux, Dominique

2015-02-09

A novel technique to measure the full 4 × 4 Mueller matrix of a sample through an optical fiber is proposed, opening the way for endoscopic applications of Mueller polarimetry for biomedical diagnosis. The technique is based on two subsequent Mueller matrices measurements: one for characterizing the fiber only, and another for the assembly of fiber and sample. From this differential measurement, we proved theoretically that the polarimetric properties of the sample can be deduced. The proof of principle was experimentally validated by measuring various polarimetric parameters of known optical components. Images of manufactured and biological samples acquired by using this approach are also presented.

Micropipette Deflection Measurements of Agar-Glass Adhesion

Science.gov (United States)

Parg, Richard; Shelton, Erin; Dutcher, John

Micropipette deflection experiments were used to study the adhesive strength at an agar-glass interface. Agar is a hydrogel commonly used in biological research; however, many of the mechanical properties of this hydrogel are not well characterized. By measuring the peak force required to slide an agar puck supported by a Teflon ring across a clean glass slide, we are able to compare the adhesive strength of 1 % w/w and 1.5 % w/w agar. On average, the force required to break the agar-glass interface was approximately a factor of 2 larger for 1.5 % w/w agar than for 1 % w/w agar. We discuss this result within the context of a simple model of agar adhesion. Additional experiments were performed to measure the kinetic friction between agar and glass to obtain insight into its dependence on agar concentration.

Extraction of agar from Gelidium sesquipedale (Rhodopyta) and surface characterization of agar based films.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerrero, P; Etxabide, A; Leceta, I; Peñalba, M; de la Caba, K

2014-01-01

The chemical structure of the agar obtained from Gelidium sesquipedale (Rhodophyta) has been determined by (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance ((13)C NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Agar (AG) films with different amounts of soy protein isolate (SPI) were prepared using a thermo-moulding method, and transparent and hydrophobic films were obtained and characterized. FTIR analysis provided a detailed description of the binding groups present in the films, such as carboxylic, hydroxyl and sulfonate groups, while the surface composition was examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The changes observed by FTIR and XPS spectra suggested interactions between functional groups of agar and SPI. This is a novel approach to the characterization of agar-based films and provides knowledge about the compatibility of agar and soy protein for further investigation of the functional properties of biodegradable films based on these biopolymers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid wide-field Mueller matrix polarimetry imaging based on four photoelastic modulators with no moving parts.

Science.gov (United States)

Alali, Sanaz; Gribble, Adam; Vitkin, I Alex

2016-03-01

A new polarimetry method is demonstrated to image the entire Mueller matrix of a turbid sample using four photoelastic modulators (PEMs) and a charge coupled device (CCD) camera, with no moving parts. Accurate wide-field imaging is enabled with a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) optical gating technique and an evolutionary algorithm (EA) that optimizes imaging times. This technique accurately and rapidly measured the Mueller matrices of air, polarization elements, and turbid phantoms. The system should prove advantageous for Mueller matrix analysis of turbid samples (e.g., biological tissues) over large fields of view, in less than a second.

Electric field and temperature in a target induced by a plasma jet imaged using Mueller polarimetry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slikboer, E.T.; Sobota, A.; Guaitella, O.; Garcia-Caurel, E.

2018-01-01

Mueller polarimetry is used to investigate the behavior of an electro optic target (BSO crystal) under exposure of guided ionization waves produced by an atmospheric pressure plasma jet. For the first time, this optical technique is time resolved to obtain the complete Mueller matrix of the sample

Reliability of direct sensitivity determination of blood cultures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noman, F.; Ahmed, A.

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the error in interpreting antimicrobial sensitivity by direct method when compared to standard method and find out if specific antibiotic-organism combination had more discrepancies. All blood culture samples received at Microbiology Laboratory from 1st July 2006 to 31st August 2006 were ncluded in the study. All samples were inoculated in automated blood culture system BACTEC 9240 which contained enriched Soybean-Casein Digest broth with CO/sub 2/. Once positive, bottles were removed from system; gram staining of the positive broths was done. Susceptibility test was performed from positive broth, on MHA (Mueller-Hinton Agar), with antibiotics panel according to gram stain result. All positive broths were also sub-cultured on blood agar, chocolate agar and McConkey agar for only gram-negative rods. Next day, the zone sizes of all antibiotics were recorded using measuring scale and at the same time susceptibility test was repeated from isolated colonies from subcultures, with inoculums prepared of McFarland 0.5 standard 0.2 Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213); E.coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) were included as quality control strain. Zone sizes were interpreted as sensitive (S), resistant (R) and intermediate (I) according to CLSI recommendation. Two results were compared and recorded. Out of a total 1083 combinations, zone diameters by standard method were either equal or greater than direct zone diameter (never smaller). Most of the discrepancies were in b-lactam/b-lactamase combinations and aminoglycosides. While reporting these groups of antibiotics with direct sensitivity test, one should be cautious. These are the major antibiotic used for life-threatening infections. In case of being heavy/lighter standard inoculums or marginal zones, repeating with standard method should be preferred to minimize the chances of error. (author)

Inoculation Expedition of Agar wood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, C.S.; Mohd Fajri Osman; Rusli Zakaria

2015-01-01

Inoculation expedition of agar wood is a main field works for researcher in Nuclear Malaysia to prove the real inoculation of agar wood in real jungle. These expeditions was conducted fourth times in the jungles of Malaysia including Gunung Tebu in Terengganu, Murum in Belaga, Sarawak, Kampung Timbang in Kota Belud, Sabah and Nuclear Malaysia itself. This expedition starts from preparation of samples and equipment, transportation into the jungle, searching and recognition of agar wood and lastly, inoculation of the agar wood. Safety aspects precedence set out in the preparation and implementation of this expedition. (author)

Mapping local anisotropy axis for scattering media using backscattering Mueller matrix imaging

Science.gov (United States)

He, Honghui; Sun, Minghao; Zeng, Nan; Du, E.; Guo, Yihong; He, Yonghong; Ma, Hui

2014-03-01

Mueller matrix imaging techniques can be used to detect the micro-structure variations of superficial biological tissues, including the sizes and shapes of cells, the structures in cells, and the densities of the organelles. Many tissues contain anisotropic fibrous micro-structures, such as collagen fibers, elastin fibers, and muscle fibers. Changes of these fibrous structures are potentially good indicators for some pathological variations. In this paper, we propose a quantitative analysis technique based on Mueller matrix for mapping local anisotropy axis of scattering media. By conducting both experiments on silk sample and Monte Carlo simulation based on the sphere-cylinder scattering model (SCSM), we extract anisotropy axis parameters from different backscattering Mueller matrix elements. Moreover, we testify the possible applications of these parameters for biological tissues. The preliminary experimental results of human cancerous samples show that, these parameters are capable to map the local axis of fibers. Since many pathological changes including early stage cancers affect the well aligned structures for tissues, the experimental results indicate that these parameters can be used as potential tools in clinical applications for biomedical diagnosis purposes.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Flavobacterium psychrophilum from Chilean Salmon Farms and their Epidemiological Cut-off Values using Agar Dilution and Disk Diffusion Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio D Miranda

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Flavobacterium psychrophilum is the most important bacterial pathogen for freshwater farmed salmonids in Chile. The aims of this study were to determine the susceptibility to antimicrobials used in fish farming of Chilean isolates and to calculate their epidemiological cut-off (COWT values. A number of 125 Chilean isolates of F. psychrophilum were isolated from reared salmonids presenting clinical symptoms indicative of flavobacteriosis and their identities were confirmed by 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction. Susceptibility to antibacterials was tested on diluted Mueller-Hinton by using an agar dilution MIC method and a disk diffusion method. The COWT values calculated by Normalised Resistance Interpretation (NRI analysis allow isolates to be categorized either as wild-type fully susceptible (WT or as manifesting reduced susceptibility (NWT. When MIC data was used, NRI analysis calculated a COWT of ≤ 0.125 μg mL-1, ≤ 2 μg mL-1 and ≤ 0.5 μg mL-1 for amoxicillin, florfenicol and oxytetracycline, respectively. For the quinolones, the COWT were ≤1 μg mL-1, ≤ 0.5 μg mL-1 and ≤ 0.125 μg mL-1 for oxolinic acid, flumequine and enrofloxacin respectively. The disc diffusion data sets obtained in this work were extremely diverse and were spread over a wide range. For the quinolones there was a close agreement between the frequencies of NWT isolates calculated using MIC and disc data. For oxolinic acid, flumequine and enrofloxacin the frequencies were 45, 39 and 38% using MIC data, and 42, 41 and 44%, when disc data were used. There was less agreement with the other antimicrobials, because NWT frequencies obtained using MIC and disc data respectively, were 24% and 10% for amoxicillin, 8% and 2% for florfenicol and 70% and 64% for oxytetracycline. Considering that the MIC data was more precise than the disc diffusion data, MIC determination would be the preferred method for susceptibility testing for this species and the NWT frequencies

Air quality monitoring Edson and Hinton area September 1999 to June 2000 : Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The Edson and Hinton areas of Alberta were the subject of a mobile, ambient air quality monitoring survey. The monitoring involved four surveys of a week each, over four seasons, for one year. This area had been selected for monitoring to meet three major objectives: the determination of concentrations of air pollutants representative of the monitored locations in the survey area, to establish a comparison of air pollutant levels to data from other locations in the province of Alberta, and to provide a comparison of air pollutant levels to Alberta's air quality guidelines. These surveys formed an integral part of the air quality monitoring program of Alberta Environment. Using the Mobile Air Monitoring Laboratory (MAML), personnel from Alberta Environment appear on location unannounced. Carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, ozone, particulates, hydrocarbons, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, total reduced sulphur and ammonia are the substances measured and monitored. Eighteen sites in the Edson and Hinton area were selected, as well as downwind of industrial facilities in the Edson area, and air quality was monitored using the mobile lab for twenty days. To allow comparison to the air quality guidelines, monitoring was conducted for a minimum of one hour at each location. As a result, approximately 152 hours of air quality monitoring information was obtained, providing data in the vicinity of both populated and industrial areas. The periods comprised September 13-16, 1999 (Fall), February 7-9, 2000 (Winter), April 18-19, 25-27, 2000 (Spring), and June 4-5, 13-16, 2000 (Summer). The results were provided in this report. Most results were below the Alberta Ambient Air Quality Guidelines. refs., 16 tabs., 18 figs

Development and characterization of a snapshot Mueller matrix polarimeter for the determination of cervical cancer risk in the low resource setting

Science.gov (United States)

Ramella-Roman, Jessica C.; Gonzalez, Mariacarla; Chue-Sang, Joseph; Montejo, Karla; Krup, Karl; Srinivas, Vijaya; DeHoog, Edward; Madhivanan, Purnima

2018-04-01

Mueller Matrix polarimetry can provide useful information about the function and structure of the extracellular matrix. Mueller Matrix systems are sophisticated and costly optical tools that have been used primarily in the laboratory or in hospital settings. Here we introduce a low-cost snapshot Mueller Matrix polarimeter that that does not require external power, has no moving parts, and can acquire a full Mueller Matrix in less than 50 milliseconds. We utilized this technology in the study of cervical cancer in Mysore India, yet the system could be translated in multiple diagnostic applications.

Geiger-Mueller counter for mixed neutron-gamma beam dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, J.C.; Ma, I.-C.

1978-01-01

A Geiger-Mueller (G-M) dosimeter has been constructed and employed to measure the gamma-ray component of absorbed dose in a cyclotron produced fast neutron field. This instrument is waterproof for measurements in a liquid medium, and read-out is accompanied with any standard scaler. (Auth.)

Effect of alternating and direct currents on Pseudomonas ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The test media were Muller-Hinton agar and eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar. In this research Pseudomonas aeruginosa which was isolated from patients wounds was examined with levels of alternating and direct current (AC and DC) electrical stimulation (1.5V, 3.5V, 5.5V and 10V) to see if these currents could inhibit P.

Solution of the inverse problem of polarimetry for deterministic objects on the base of incomplete Mueller matrices

CERN Document Server

Savenkov, S M

2002-01-01

Using the Mueller matrix representation in the basis of the matrices of amplitude and phase anisotropies, a generalized solution of the inverse problem of polarimetry for deterministic objects on the base of incomplete Mueller matrices, which have been measured by method of three input polarization, is obtained.

Solution of the inverse problem of polarimetry for deterministic objects on the base of incomplete Mueller matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savenkov, S.M.; Oberemok, Je.A.

2002-01-01

Using the Mueller matrix representation in the basis of the matrices of amplitude and phase anisotropies, a generalized solution of the inverse problem of polarimetry for deterministic objects on the base of incomplete Mueller matrices, which have been measured by method of three input polarization, is obtained

Mueller matrix polarimetry imaging for breast cancer analysis (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Gribble, Adam; Vitkin, Alex

2017-02-01

Polarized light has many applications in biomedical imaging. The interaction of a biological sample with polarized light reveals information about its biological composition, both structural and functional. The most comprehensive type of polarimetry analysis is to measure the Mueller matrix, a polarization transfer function that completely describes how a sample interacts with polarized light. However, determination of the Mueller matrix requires tissue analysis under many different states of polarized light; a time consuming and measurement intensive process. Here we address this limitation with a new rapid polarimetry system, and use this polarimetry platform to investigate a variety of tissue changes associated with breast cancer. We have recently developed a rapid polarimetry imaging platform based on four photoelastic modulators (PEMs). The PEMs generate fast polarization modulations that allow the complete sample Mueller matrix to be imaged over a large field of view, with no moving parts. This polarimetry system is then demonstrated to be sensitive to a variety of tissue changes that are relevant to breast cancer. Specifically, we show that changes in depolarization can reveal tumor margins, and can differentiate between viable and necrotic breast cancer metastasized to the lymph nodes. Furthermore, the polarimetric property of linear retardance (related to birefringence) is dependent on collagen organization in the extracellular matrix. These findings indicate that our polarimetry platform may have future applications in fields such as breast cancer diagnosis, improving the speed and efficacy of intraoperative pathology, and providing prognostic information that may be beneficial for guiding treatment.

CHRONIC OSTEOMYELITIS: A BACTERIOLOGICAL STUDY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjoy Chakravarty

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Advances in the identification of infections and early diagnosis of Osteomyelitis have led to the improved management of Osteomyelitis. This study was undertaken to determine the bacteriological profile of Osteomyelitis and the antibiotic resistance pattern of various isolates obtained as it is an important cause of morbidity. A total of 50 patients of Osteomyelitis either attending the outpatient department or admitted in the wards of a teaching and tertiary care hospita l in Sikkim from October 2013 to October, 2014 were included in the study. All those patients who were clinically and/ or radiologically suspected of having Osteomyelitis were enrolled as cases. Pus/ pus swabs or sequestrum samples taken aseptically were c ultured aerobically at 37 0 C for 18 - 24 hours in Blood and Mac Conkey agar plates. Culture isolates were identified by a series of standard biochemical reactions. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested on Mueller Hinton agar by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion met hod. Betalactamase production of S. aureus strains were verified by iodometric filter paper and acidometric agar plate methods. S. aureus strains were screened for methicillin resistance by using conventional microbiological methods. S. aureus turned out t o be the most common organism isolated. Other organism isolated were P. Aeruginosa, Proteus spp., Klebsiella spp., E. coli, Enterobacter spp., S. epidermitis, Streptococcus pyogens and Enterococcus spp. Beta - lactamase production and methicillin resistance was seen in S. aureus strains respectively. Multidrug resistance was observed in other strains. Infection caused by Methicillin resistant S. aureus and multidrug resistant organisms are posing a major challenge in the treatment of Osteomyelitis. So, appropriate drug selected by antibiotic sensitivity testing should be used to treat Osteomyelitis

Evaluation of Inhibitory and Lethal Effects of Aqueous, Ethanolic and Hydroalcoholic Extracts of Aerial Parts of Salvia chorassanica against Some Gram-negative and Gram-positive Bacteria in Vitro

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Azam Mehraban

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background and Objectives: Development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics has led to an increased tendency to development of new more effective and non-toxic antimicrobial compounds. In this study, the inhibitory and lethal effects of aqueous, ethanolic, and hydroalcoholic extracts of aerial parts of Salvia chorassanica were evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli O:157. Methods: In this study, Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method was used to evaluate antimicrobial activity. In this method, bacteria were cultivated as grass culture in Mueller Hinton Agar (MHA media. To determine the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration, micro-dilution method with ELISA and addition of phenyl tetrazolium chloride reagent, were used. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Duncan’s test at the significance level of p<0.05. Results: The highest diameter of inhibition in agar diffusion method was related to hydroalcoholic extract of aerial parts of Salvia chorassanica against Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus cereus. The amount of calculated MIC of hydro-alcoholic extract for Gram-positive bacteria was 30mg/ml. This amount was the lowest among other measured MIC. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, Gram-negative bacteria showed more resistance to different extracts of aerial parts of Salvia chorassanica as compared to Gram-positive bacteria, so that Salmonella typhi was found to be the most resistant bacterium among the tested bacteria.

STABILITAS ANTOSIANIN JANTUNG PISANG KEPOK (Musa paradisiaca L TERHADAP CAHAYA SEBAGAI PEWARNA AGAR-AGAR

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Lydia Ninan Lestario

2015-02-01

jantung pisang kepok yang disinari dengan intensitas 780-2.214 lux selama 10 jam masih disukai panelis, sedangkan yang disinari dengan intensitas 10.340 sudah tidak disukai panelis. Kata kunci: Antosianin, jantung pisang, agar-agar, intensitas cahaya, laju degradasi warna

A general procedure for small-scale purification of fimbriae expressed by porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains

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Ana Cristina Campal Espinosa

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Fimbriae expression by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains is a complex process which is controlled by global and local transcriptional regulators and post-transcriptional control. It is influenced by factors such as bacterial growth rate, culture medium composition, pH and temperature. Fimbrial expression could thus frequently become lost. Bacterial culture procedures favouring fimbrial expression are thus needed. The fimbriated bacterial population was therefore enriched by static culture in Mueller–Hinton broth. Fimbrial expression was then maintained by making it grow consecutively in agar CFA and Minca or minimal broth according to the fimbrial serotype. Maximum fimbrial expression was reached after 4h or 5h in culture. The fimbriae were extracted by heat -shock treatment and precipitated with 40% ammonium sulphate. Further purification was carried out by molecular exclusion and sodium deoxycholate treatment. This methodology integrates known procedures in a simple and reproducible process for obtaining F4, F5, F6 and F41 fimbriae in sufficient quantities for their subsequent use in producing antibodies, immunoassays and other studies (at laboratory level requiring high-purity preparations (80% to maintain their native structure. Key words: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; fimbriae; Minca; minimal medium; CFA.

Efficacy of zinc as an antibacterial agent against enteric bacterial pathogens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faiz, U.; Butt, T.; Hussain, W.; Hanif, F.

2011-01-01

Background: Diarrhoea is a serious threat all over the world with great economic implications especially evident in the developing world. This study was aimed at determining in vitro efficacy of Zinc (Zn) against common enteric bacterial pathogens. Method: A total of 100 bacterial enteric pathogens: Salmonellae (n=16), enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) (n=26), Shigellae (n=28) and Vibrio cholerae (n=30) were isolated from diarrhoeal stool specimens at Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Rawalpindi during April 2009 to Jan 2010. These isolates were tested against various concentrations of Zn supplemented in Mueller Hinton (MH) agar using a multipoint inoculator. A minimum inhibitory concentration of active Zn in ZnSO/sub 4/.7H/sub 2/O ranging from 0.03 mg/ml to 1 mg/ml was used. Results: Zn completely inhibited the growth of all the tested pathogens and most of them were inhibited at a concentration of 0.06 mg/ml to 0.5 mg/ml of Zn. Conclusions: Zinc has an excellent antibacterial activity against enteric bacterial pathogens common in our setup which may provide basis for treatment of diarrhoea. Clinical study based on these findings is recommended. (author)

Mueller-Navelet jets at LHC: BFKL versus high-energy DGLAP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Celiberto, F.G.; Murdaca, B.; Papa, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita della Calabria, Cosenza (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Gruppo Collegato, Cosenza (Italy); Ivanov, D.Yu. [Sobolev Institute of Mathematics, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

2015-06-15

The production of forward jets separated by a large rapidity gap at LHC, the so-called Mueller-Navelet jets, is a fundamental testfield for perturbative QCD in the high-energy limit. Several analyses have already provided us with evidence about the compatibility of theoretical predictions, based on collinear factorization and BFKL resummation of energy logarithms in the next-to-leading approximation, with the CMS experimental data at 7 TeV of center-of-mass energy. However, the question if the same data can be described also by fixed-order perturbative approaches has not yet been fully answered. In this paper we provide numerical evidence that the mere use of partially asymmetric cuts in the transverse momenta of the detected jets allows for a clear separation between BFKL-resummed and fixed-order predictions in some observables related with the Mueller-Navelet jet production process. (orig.)

Wavelet analysis of biological tissue's Mueller-matrix images

Science.gov (United States)

Tomka, Yu. Ya.

2008-05-01

The interrelations between statistics of the 1st-4th orders of the ensemble of Mueller-matrix images and geometric structure of birefringent architectonic nets of different morphological structure have been analyzed. The sensitivity of asymmetry and excess of statistic distributions of matrix elements Cik to changing of orientation structure of optically anisotropic protein fibrils of physiologically normal and pathologically changed biological tissues architectonics has been shown.

Quantitatively characterizing the microstructural features of breast ductal carcinoma tissues in different progression stages by Mueller matrix microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yang; Qi, Ji; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Liu, Shaoxiong; Wu, Jian; Elson, Daniel S; Ma, Hui

2017-08-01

Polarization imaging has been recognized as a potentially powerful technique for probing the microstructural information and optical properties of complex biological specimens. Recently, we have reported a Mueller matrix microscope by adding the polarization state generator and analyzer (PSG and PSA) to a commercial transmission-light microscope, and applied it to differentiate human liver and cervical cancerous tissues with fibrosis. In this paper, we apply the Mueller matrix microscope for quantitative detection of human breast ductal carcinoma samples at different stages. The Mueller matrix polar decomposition and transformation parameters of the breast ductal tissues in different regions and at different stages are calculated and analyzed. For more quantitative comparisons, several widely-used image texture feature parameters are also calculated to characterize the difference in the polarimetric images. The experimental results indicate that the Mueller matrix microscope and the polarization parameters can facilitate the quantitative detection of breast ductal carcinoma tissues at different stages.

Mueller-Navelet jets at the LHC

CERN Document Server

Ducloué, B.; Wallon, S.

2015-01-01

We report on our NLL BFKL studies of Mueller-Navelet jets. We first perform a complete NLL BFKL analysis supplemented by a BLM renormalization scale fixing procedure, which is successfully compared with recent CMS data. Second, we argue for the need of a measurement of an asymmetric jet configuration in order to perform a valuable comparison with fixed order approaches. Third, we predict that the energy-momentum violation is rather tiny in the NLL BFKL approach, for an asymmetric jet configuration. Finally, we argue that the double parton scattering contribution is negligible in the kinematics of actual CMS measurements.

As the crack in the Geiger counter came. Historical scientific analysis and didactic aspects of the Geiger-Mueller counting tube; Wie das Knacken in den Geigerzaehler kam. Wissenschaftshistorische Analyse und fachdidaktische Aspekte des Geiger-Mueller Zaehlrohrs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korff, Sebastian

2014-11-10

This thesis studies the creation and establishment history of this instrument called first electron counting tube in the years 1928 and 1929. It deals thereby with the last two years of the common work of Hans Geiger and Walter Mueller, from which the measuring instrument later renamed to Geiger-Mueller counting tube. The results of this scientific case study are didactically worked out and made usable for the teaching of physics in the school.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF MUELLER MATRIX PATTERNS FOR POLARIZATION SCATTERING MODEL OF BIOLOGICAL TISSUES

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E DU

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We developed a model to describe polarized photon scattering in biological tissues. In this model, tissues are simplified to a mixture of scatterers and surrounding medium. There are two types of scatterers in the model: solid spheres and infinitely long solid cylinders. Variables related to the scatterers include: the densities and sizes of the spheres and cylinders, the orientation and angular distribution of cylinders. Variables related to the surrounding medium include: the refractive index, absorption coefficient and birefringence. In this paper, as a development we introduce an optical activity effect to the model. By comparing experiments and Monte Carlo simulations, we analyze the backscattering Mueller matrix patterns of several tissue-like media, and summarize the different effects coming from anisotropic scattering and optical properties. In addition, we propose a possible method to extract the optical activity values for tissues. Both the experimental and simulated results show that, by analyzing the Mueller matrix patterns, the microstructure and optical properties of the medium can be obtained. The characteristic features of Mueller matrix patterns are potentially powerful tools for studying the contrast mechanisms of polarization imaging for medical diagnosis.

Comparison of standardised versus non-standardised methods for testing the in vitro potency of oxytetracycline against mannheimia haemolytica and pasteurella multocida

OpenAIRE

Lees, P; Illambas, J; Pelligand, L; Toutain, P L

2016-01-01

The in vitro pharmacodynamics of oxytetracycline was established for six isolates of each of the calf pneumonia pathogens Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and bacterial time-kill curves were determined in two matrices, Mueller Hinton broth (MHB) and calf serum. Geometric mean MIC ratios, serum:MHB, were 25.2:1 (M. haemolytica) and 27.4:1 (P. multocida). The degree of binding of oxytetracycline to...

Full four-dimensional and reciprocal Mueller matrix bidirectional reflectance distribution function of sintered polytetrafluoroethylene.

Science.gov (United States)

Germer, Thomas A

2017-11-20

We measured the Mueller matrix bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of a sintered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sample over the scattering hemisphere for six incident angles (0°-75° in 15° steps) and for four wavelengths (351 nm, 532 nm, 633 nm, and 1064 nm). The data for each wavelength were fit to a phenomenological description for the Mueller matrix BRDF, which is an extension of the bidirectional surface scattering modes developed by Koenderink and van Doorn [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A.15, 2903 (1998)JOAOD60740-323210.1364/JOSAA.15.002903] for unpolarized BRDF. This description is designed to be complete, to obey the appropriate reciprocity conditions, and to provide a full description of the Mueller matrix BRDF as a function of incident and scattering directions for each wavelength. The description was further extended by linearizing the surface scattering mode coefficients with wavelength. This data set and its parameterization provides a comprehensive on-demand description of the reflectance properties for this commonly used diffuse reflectance reference material over a wide range of wavelengths.

Mueller matrix microscopy on a Morpho butterfly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arteaga, Oriol; Kuntman, Ertan; Antó, Joan; Pascual, Esther; Canillas, Adolf; Bertran, Enric

2015-01-01

The brilliant iridescent colouring in male Morpho butterflies is due to the microstrutures and nanostructures present in the wing scales, rather than pigments. In this work Mueller matrix microscopy is used to investigate the polarization properties of butterfly wing scales in reflection and transmission. It is found that the top layer of more transparent scales (cover scales) have very different polarimetric properties from the ground iridescent scales. Images with high spatial resolution showing the retarding and diattenuating optical properties for both types of scales are provided. (paper)

General formalism for partial spatial coherence in reflection Mueller matrix polarimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ossikovski, Razvigor; Hingerl, Kurt

2016-09-01

Starting from the first principles, we derive the expressions governing partially coherent Mueller matrix reflection polarimetry on spatially inhomogeneous samples. These are reported both in their general form and in the practically important specific form for two juxtaposed media.

Characterizing the Effects of Washing by Different Detergents on the Wavelength-Scale Microstructures of Silk Samples Using Mueller Matrix Polarimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yang; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Zhou, Jialing; Zeng, Nan; Ma, Hui

2016-08-10

Silk fibers suffer from microstructural changes due to various external environmental conditions including daily washings. In this paper, we take the backscattering Mueller matrix images of silk samples for non-destructive and real-time quantitative characterization of the wavelength-scale microstructure and examination of the effects of washing by different detergents. The 2D images of the 16 Mueller matrix elements are reduced to the frequency distribution histograms (FDHs) whose central moments reveal the dominant structural features of the silk fibers. A group of new parameters are also proposed to characterize the wavelength-scale microstructural changes of the silk samples during the washing processes. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are carried out to better understand how the Mueller matrix parameters are related to the wavelength-scale microstructure of silk fibers. The good agreement between experiments and simulations indicates that the Mueller matrix polarimetry and FDH based parameters can be used to quantitatively detect the wavelength-scale microstructural features of silk fibers. Mueller matrix polarimetry may be used as a powerful tool for non-destructive and in situ characterization of the wavelength-scale microstructures of silk based materials.

Characterizing the Effects of Washing by Different Detergents on the Wavelength-Scale Microstructures of Silk Samples Using Mueller Matrix Polarimetry

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Yang Dong

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Silk fibers suffer from microstructural changes due to various external environmental conditions including daily washings. In this paper, we take the backscattering Mueller matrix images of silk samples for non-destructive and real-time quantitative characterization of the wavelength-scale microstructure and examination of the effects of washing by different detergents. The 2D images of the 16 Mueller matrix elements are reduced to the frequency distribution histograms (FDHs whose central moments reveal the dominant structural features of the silk fibers. A group of new parameters are also proposed to characterize the wavelength-scale microstructural changes of the silk samples during the washing processes. Monte Carlo (MC simulations are carried out to better understand how the Mueller matrix parameters are related to the wavelength-scale microstructure of silk fibers. The good agreement between experiments and simulations indicates that the Mueller matrix polarimetry and FDH based parameters can be used to quantitatively detect the wavelength-scale microstructural features of silk fibers. Mueller matrix polarimetry may be used as a powerful tool for non-destructive and in situ characterization of the wavelength-scale microstructures of silk based materials.

Mueller matrix of a dicot leaf

Science.gov (United States)

Vanderbilt, Vern C.; Daughtry, Craig S. T.

2012-06-01

A better understanding of the information contained in the spectral, polarized bidirectional reflectance and transmittance of leaves may lead to improved techniques for identifying plant species in remotely sensed imagery as well as better estimates of plant moisture and nutritional status. Here we report an investigation of the optical polarizing properties of several leaves of one species, Cannabis sativa, represented by a 3x3 Mueller matrix measured over the wavelength region 400-2,400 nm. Our results support the hypothesis that the leaf surface alters the polarization of incident light - polarizing off nadir, unpolarized incident light, for example - while the leaf volume tends to depolarized incident polarized light.

ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PROFILE OF MICROBIAL PATHOGENS ISOLATED FROM CALVES WITH RESPIRATORY DISEASES

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George Cosmin Nadas

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Respiratory disease in calves is an actual problem, a major cause of economic losses due to mortality, growth delay and improper development. These conditions are frequent in calves due to the weaning stress, transport and environmental changes. Aims: The aim of this study was the isolation of bacteria from 30 calves with respiratory disorders and their antibiotic susceptibility testing. Materials and methods: Samples were collected from calves with respiratory disorders (nasal discharge aged 6 to 9 weeks in 2 series, using sterile swabs. Samples were initially inoculated on blood agar and MacConkey agar following the characteristics of the colonies and microscopic examination that enabled the identification of bacterial species. Isolated strains were used to flood Mueller-Hinton agar to carry out sensitivity testing. The antibiotics tested were represented by: Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, Gentamicin, Florfenicol, Enrofloxacin, Marbofloxacin, Penicillin G, Cefquinone, Tulathromycin, Ceftiofur, Tylosin and Cephalotin. Results: Genus Streptococcus have been identified in 23 samples, followed by Staphylococcus identified in 14 samples, and Bacillus spp., in 10 nasal swabs; The most common bacteria associations were represented by Streptococcus-Staphylococcus, Streptococcus-Staphylococcus-Bacillus, and Streptococcus-E.coli. The most efficient antibiotic was Cefquinome (Cobactan, followed by Penicillin G and Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (Amoxiclav; the least effective antibiotics were Florfenicol and Tulathromycin. Conclusions: The study carried out on nasal discharge samples collected from calves with respiratory disorders and their antimicrobial profile testing led to the following conclusions: 1 Low susceptibility to Florfenicol is caused by previous treatments when this molecule was excessively used and without prior sensitivity testing. 2 Cefquinome may represent an emergency therapeutic antibiotic for respiratory

Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Nose of Personnel of Operating Rooms of Nekouei Hospitalin Qom City,(Iran 2014

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Shahabaldin Zand

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the five causes of nosocomial infections. Presence of this bacterium in operating rooms is one of the most important causes of nosocomial infections. This study was performed to investigate the contamination rate of S. aureus in the nose of personnel of operating rooms and its related antibiotic resistance. Methods: In this study, samples were taken from the nasal entrance of the personnel using a sterile swab on Mueller-Hinton agar medium. Then, the obtained samples were transferred to mannitol salt agar, and catalase- and coagulase-positive Staphylococci, were separated. Finally, agar disk diffusion method was used to determine antibiotic susceptibility. Data analysis was performed using Chi square and t-test. Results: In this research, 47 males (60.25 and 31 females (39.75 were studied. Twenty-two subjects (28.20% {9 (40.90% females and 13 (59.09% males}, were nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus. Five experimental bacteria carrier groups included 3 (13.63% surgeons, 7 (83.31% scrubs, 4 (18.18% circulars, 4 (18.18% anesthesias, 4 (18/18% services working in operating room. Most antibiotic resistance in the nose was against penicillin and piperacillin with resistance of 20 samples (90% and the lowest resistance was against vancomycin with resistance of 4 samples (18.18% and cefotaxime with 5 samples (22.72%. Of five occupational categories, scrub staff were the highest and surgeons were the lowest nasal carriers. 31.83% and 13.63%, respectively. There was a significant relationship between occupational category and nasal staphylococcus. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, limited number of operating room staff were resistant to cefotaxime and vancomycin antibiotics. Therefore, more attention can be paid to adoption of therapeutic and some preventive methods by these two antibiotics and also recommended of excessive prescription of antibiotics is prevention.

Morphological development of Morchella conica mycelium on different agar media.

Science.gov (United States)

Guler, P; Ozkaya, E G

2009-07-01

The present study presents the development of mycelium of Morchella conica where different concentration of sucrose added at different agar media. For this sucrose have been added as 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25% concentration to wheat agar potato dextrose agar malt extract agar and complete medium yeast agar The radial growth speed, morphologic specifications, radial growth radius and pigmentation of mycelium were taken as criteria, the development period of mycelium in wheat agar was completed in 4 days and mycelium were very thin. The colonization period of the mycelium was determined; 7 days in potato dextrose agar 5 days in malt extract agar and 5 days at complete medium yeast agar. The development of the mycelium; at potato dextrose agar was dense and circular; at malt extract agar and at completed medium yeast agar was rhizomorphic. Mycelium has developed very well at sucrose medium and formed creamy and light yellow pigmentation.

Menu Proposal to Use Powdered Agar

OpenAIRE

土屋, ひろ子; 嶋村, 桃子; 小松, 沙霧

2015-01-01

The author was involved in the development of the menu items that might be sold at “Taisho Village”, a theme park. Requirements in the menu development were that cooking should be simple as it starts cooking after receiving orders and it should have attractive appearances. Powdered agar has advantages over rod-shaped or string-shaped agar, with easiness of handling such as its ready solubility in water and no need to wash, rehydrate or strain. Because powdered agar is easy to use in cooking,...

Visualizing phase transition behavior of dilute stimuli responsive polymer solutions via Mueller matrix polarimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, Amal; Chandel, Shubham; Ghosh, Nirmalya; De, Priyadarsi

2015-09-15

Probing volume phase transition behavior of superdiluted polymer solutions both micro- and macroscopically still persists as an outstanding challenge. In this regard, we have explored 4 × 4 spectral Mueller matrix measurement and its inverse analysis for excavating the microarchitectural facts about stimuli responsiveness of "smart" polymers. Phase separation behavior of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and pH responsive poly(N,N-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) and their copolymers were analyzed in terms of Mueller matrix derived polarization parameters, namely, depolarization (Δ), diattenuation (d), and linear retardance (δ). The Δ, d, and δ parameters provided useful information on both macro- and microstructural alterations during the phase separation. Additionally, the two step action ((i) breakage of polymer-water hydrogen bonding and (ii) polymer-polymer aggregation) at the molecular microenvironment during the cloud point generation was successfully probed via these parameters. It is demonstrated that, in comparison to the present techniques available for assessing the hydrophobic-hydrophilic switch over of simple stimuli-responsive polymers, Mueller matrix polarimetry offers an important advantage requiring a few hundred times dilute polymer solution (0.01 mg/mL, 1.1-1.4 μM) at a low-volume format.

Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial action of MTA, calcium hydroxide and Portland cement Avaliação comparativa da ação antimicrobiana do MTA, hidróxido de cálcio e cimento Portland

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Caroline Sousa Ribeiro

2006-10-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the antimicrobial effect of MTA Dentsply, MTA Angelus, Calcium Hydroxide and Portland cement. Four reference bacterial strains were used: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacteroides fragilis, and Enterococcus faecalis. Plates containing Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 5% sheep blood, hemin, and menadione were inoculated with the bacterial suspensions. Subsequently, wells were prepared and immediately filled with materials and incubated at 37ºC for 48 hours under anaerobic conditions, except P. aeruginosa. The diameters of inhibition zones were measured, and data analyzed using ANOVA and the Tukey test with 1% level of significance. MTA Dentsply, MTA Angelus and Portland cement inhibited the growth of P. aeruginosa. Calcium Hydroxide was effective against P. aeruginosa and B. fragillis. Under anaerobic conditions, which may hamper the formation of reactive oxygen species, the materials failed to inhibit E. faecalis, and E. coli.O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar e comparar o efeito antimicrobiano do MTA Dentsply, MTA Angelus, hidróxido de cálcio e cimento Portland sobre quatro cepas bacterianas: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacteroides fragilis, e Enterococcus faecalis. Placas contendo agar Muller-Hinton suplementadas com 5% de sangue de carneiro, hemina e menadiona foram inoculadas com as suspensões bacterianas. Poços foram confeccionados com auxílio de perfuradores e imediatamente preenchidos com os materiais, e incubados a 37ºC por 48 horas em atmosfera de anaerobiose, exceto P. aeruginosa. O diâmetro dos halos de inibição foi medido e os dados analisados usando o teste estatístico ANOVA e o de Tukey com nível de significância de 1%. O MTA Dentsply, MTA Angelus e Cimento Portland inibiram o crescimento da P.aeruginosa. O hidróxido de cálcio foi efetivo contra P. aeruginosa e B. fragillis. Sob atmosfera de anaerobiose, condição que pode

Optical fiber-based full Mueller polarimeter for endoscopic imaging using a two-wavelength simultaneous measurement method.

Science.gov (United States)

Vizet, Jérémy; Manhas, Sandeep; Tran, Jacqueline; Validire, Pierre; Benali, Abdelali; Garcia-Caurel, Enric; Pierangelo, Angelo; De Martino, Antonello; Pagnoux, Dominique

2016-07-01

This paper reports a technique based on spectrally differential measurement for determining the full Mueller matrix of a biological sample through an optical fiber. In this technique, two close wavelengths were used simultaneously, one for characterizing the fiber and the other for characterizing the assembly of fiber and sample. The characteristics of the fiber measured at one wavelength were used to decouple its contribution from the measurement on the assembly of fiber and sample and then to extract sample Mueller matrix at the second wavelength. The proof of concept was experimentally validated by measuring polarimetric parameters of various calibrated optical components through the optical fiber. Then, polarimetric images of histological cuts of human colon tissues were measured, and retardance, diattenuation, and orientation of the main axes of fibrillar regions were displayed. Finally, these images were successfully compared with images obtained by a free space Mueller microscope. As the reported method does not use any moving component, it offers attractive integration possibilities with an endoscopic probe.

Agar from some Hawaiian red algae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, G.A.; Doty, M.S.

1983-08-01

From describing the agars of Gelidiella acerosa Forskk., Gelidium pluma Loomis, G. pusillum (Stackh.) Lejolis, Gracilaria abbotiana Hoyle, G. bursapastoris (Gmelin) Silva, G. canaliculata (Kutzing) Sonder, G. coronopifolia J.Ag., G. epihippisora Hoyle, Pterocladia caerulescens (Kutzing) Santelices and P. capillacea (Gmelin) Born. and Thur. as found in Hawaiian samples of these species, it is concluded that the species of Gelidium and especially Pterocladia and Gelidiella may merit more consideration for usage due to their agar gel strengths. The nature of the gel from Gracilaria abbottiana suggests the generic status might well be reexamined. The agars from the Gelidiella and the other Gracilaria species should be studied further for their prospective values to the food industry other than gel strength. Mixtures of the agars from G. bursapastoris and G. coronopifolia would merit attention for the taste texture of their mixtures. (Refs. 18).

Can serums be replaced by Mueller‑Hinton agar in germ tube test ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The germ tube test (GTT) is inexpensive, easy, and well‑defined test that differentiates Candida albicans (excluding Candida dubliniensis and Candida africana) from other species. The aim of this study was to evaluate various serums (i.e., human, rabbit, horse, and fetal bovine serum) used in the GTT and ...

Optimal broadband Mueller matrix ellipsometer using multi-waveplates with flexibly oriented axes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Honggang; Chen, Xiuguo; Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Chuanwei; Liu, Shiyuan

2016-01-01

Accurate measurement of the Mueller matrix over a broad band is highly desirable for the characterization of nanostructures and nanomaterials. In this paper, we propose a general composite waveplate (GCW) that consists of multiple waveplates with flexibly oriented axes as a polarization modulating component in the Mueller matrix ellipsometer (MME). Although it is a common practice to make achromatic retarders by combining multiple waveplates, the novelty of the GCW is that both the retardances and azimuths of fast axes of the single-waveplates in the GCW are flexible parameters to be optimized, which is different from the conventional design where single-waveplates are usually arranged in symmetrical layout or with their fast axes parallel or perpendicular to each other. Consequently, the GCW can provide many more flexibilities to adapt to the optimization of the MME over a broad band. A quartz triplate, as a concrete example of the GCW, is designed and used in a house-made MME. The experimental results on the air demonstrate that the house-made MME using the optimally designed quartz triplates has an accuracy better than 0.2% and a precision better than 0.1% in the Mueller matrix measurement over a broad spectral range of 200∼1000 nm. The house-made MME exhibits high measurement repeatability better than 0.004 nm in testing a series of standard SiO 2 /Si samples with nominal oxide layer thicknesses ranging from 2 nm to 1000 nm. (paper)

Determination of the maximum inhibitory dilution of cetylpyridinium chloride-based mouthwashes against staphylococcus aureus: an in vitro study

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Evandro Watanabe

2008-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the maximum inhibitory dilution (MID of four cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC-based mouthwashes: CPC+Propolis, CPC+Malva, CPC+Eucaliptol+Juá+Romã+Propolis (Natural Honey® and CPC (Cepacol®, against 28 Staphylococcus aureus field strains, using the agar dilution method. Decimal dilutions ranging from 1/10 to 1/655,360 were prepared and added to Mueller Hinton Agar. Strains were inoculated using Steers multipoint inoculator. The inocula were seeded onto the surface of the culture medium in Petri dishes containing different dilutions of the mouthwashes. The dishes were incubated at 37ºC for 24 h. For readings, the MID was considered as the maximum dilution of mouthwash still capable of inhibiting microbial growth. The obtained data showed that CPC+Propolis had antimicrobial activity against 27 strains at 1/320 dilution and against all 28 strains at 1/160 dilution, CPC+Malva inhibited the growth of all 28 strains at 1/320 dilution, CPC+Eucaliptol+Juá+Romã+Propolis inhibited the growth of 2 strains at 1/640 dilution and all 28 strains at 1/320 dilution, and Cepacol® showed antimicrobial activity against 3 strains at 1/320 dilution and against all 28 strains at 1/160 dilution. Data were submitted to Kruskal-Wallis test, showing that the MID of Cepacol® was lower than that determined for the other products (p<0.05. In conclusion, CPC-mouthwashes showed antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and the addition of other substances to CPC improved its antimicrobial effect.

Comparative assessment of antimicrobial efficacy of different hand sanitizers: An in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Vardhaman Mulchand; Karibasappa, Gundabaktha Nagappa; Dodamani, Arun Suresh; Prashanth, Vishwakarma K; Mali, Gaurao Vasant

2016-09-01

To evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of four different hand sanitizers against Staphylococcus aureus , Staphylococcus epidermidis , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Escherichia coli , and Enterococcus faecalis as well as to assess and compare the antimicrobial effectiveness among four different hand sanitizers. The present study is an in vitro study to evaluate antimicrobial efficacy of Dettol, Lifebuoy, PureHands, and Sterillium hand sanitizers against clinical isolates of the aforementioned test organisms. The well variant of agar disk diffusion test using Mueller-Hinton agar was used for evaluating the antimicrobial efficacy of hand sanitizers. McFarland 0.5 turbidity standard was taken as reference to adjust the turbidity of bacterial suspensions. Fifty microliters of the hand sanitizer was introduced into each of the 4 wells while the 5 th well incorporated with sterile water served as a control. This was done for all the test organisms and plates were incubated in an incubator for 24 h at 37΀C. After incubation, antimicrobial effectiveness was determined using digital caliper (mm) by measuring the zone of inhibition. The mean diameters of zones of inhibition (in mm) observed in Group A (Sterillium), Group B (PureHands), Group C (Lifebuoy), and Group D (Dettol) were 22 ± 6, 7.5 ± 0.5, 9.5 ± 1.5, and 8 ± 1, respectively. Maximum inhibition was found with Group A against all the tested organisms. Data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance, followed by post hoc test for group-wise comparisons. The difference in the values of different sanitizers was statistically significant at P hand sanitizer to maintain the hand hygiene.

Antibacterial Effect of Silver Diamine Fluoride on Cariogenic Organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Yali; Darvell, Brain W; Botelho, Michael G

2018-05-01

To screen the possible antimicrobial activity of a range of clinically used, silver-based compounds on cariogenic organisms: silver diamine fluoride (SDF), silver fluoride, and silver nitrate. Preliminary screening disk-diffusion susceptibility tests were conducted on Mueller-Hinton agar plates inoculated with Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Actinomyces naeslundii, organisms known to be cariogenic. In order to identify which component of the silver compounds was responsible for any antibacterial (AB) effect, and to provide controls, the following were also investigated at high and low concentrations: sodium fluoride, ammonium fluoride, ammonium chloride, sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, and sodium nitrate, as well as deionized water as control. A volume of 10 pL of a test solution was dispensed onto a paper disk resting on the inoculated agar surface, and the plate incubated anaerobically at 37°C for 48 hours. The zones of inhibition were then measured. Silver diamine fluoride, silver fluoride, silver nitrate, and ammonium fluoride had significant AB effect (p effect at low concentration; the remaining other compounds had no effect. Silver ions appear to be the principal AB agent at both high and low concentration; fluoride ions only have an AB effect at high concentration, while ammonium, nitrate, chloride and sodium ions have none. The anticaries effect of topical silver solutions appears restricted to that of the silver ions. Silver compounds, such as SDF, silver fluoride, and silver nitrate have AB effect against cariogenic organisms and these may have clinical impact in arresting or preventing dental decay. Sodium fluoride did not have AB effect under the conditions tested.

Comparative Efficacy of Ceftaroline with Linezolid against Staphylococcus Aureus and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafeez, A.; Munir, T.; Rehman, S.; Najeeb, S.; Gilani, M.; Latif, M.; Ansari, M.; Saad, N.

2015-01-01

Objective:To compare the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of ceftaroline with linezolid against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Microbiology Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, from January to December 2013. Methodology: Clinical samples from respiratory tract, blood, pus and various catheter tips routinely received in the Department of Microbiology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi were innoculated on blood and MacConkey agar. Staphylococcus aureus was identified by colony morphology, Gram reaction, catalase test and coagulase test. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus detection was done by modified Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method using cefoxitin disc (30g) and the isolates were considered methicillin resistant if the zone of inhibition around cefoxitin disc was /sup 2/ 21 mm. Bacterial suspensions of 56 Staphylococcus aureus isolates and 50 MRSA isolates were prepared, which were standardized equal to 0.5 McFarland's turbidity standard and inoculated on Mueller-Hinton agar plates followed by application of ceftaroline and linezolid disc (Oxoid, UK), according to manufacturer's instructions. The plates were then incubated at 37 Degree C aerobically for 18 - 24 hours. Diameters of inhibition zone were measured and interpretated as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: Out of 106 isolates all of the 56 Staphylococcus aureus (100%) were sensitive to ceftaroline and linezolid. However, out of 50 methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 48 (96%) were sensitive to ceftaroline whereas, 49 (98%) were sensitive to linezolid. Conclusion: Ceftaroline is equally effective as linezolid against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. (author)

A comparison of EF-18 agar and modified brilliant green agar with lutensit for isolation of Salmonella from poultry samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Line Hedegård

1997-01-01

-Vassiliadis broth, and 3) Plating onto EF-18 agar and BGA/L simultaneously. From a total of 1101 samples, Salmonella was isolated from 158, 157 of which were faecal samples. Thirtyone of these isolates were recovered on one medium only, 18 could not be found on BGA/L and 13 could not be found on EF-18 agar....... The relative specificity and sensitivity of each plating agar was determined by enumeration of false-positive and false-negative reactions. EF-18 agar compared favourably with BGA/L, displaying a sensitivity of 0.92 as opposed to 0.89 for BGA/L, calculated for the ''fecal samples'' group only. The calculated...... specificities for each group of samples were likewise considerably higher for EF-18 agar (0.75-0.91) than for BGA/L (0.35-0.55). Though EF-18 agar is slightly more expensive than BGA/L, the routine use of the former may result in a considerable reduction in overall laboratory costs due to its superior...

Geiger-mueller radiation detector with means for detecting and indicating the existence of radiation overload

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovacs, T.; Mills, A.P.; Pfeiffer, L.N.

1981-01-01

When subjected to radiation overload existing geiger-mueller counters may give an erroneously low reading, resulting in possible hazard to personnel. The instant invention discloses simple and inexpensive apparatus to remedy this dangerous shortcoming. Depending on the geometry of the detector tube, two possible failure modes have been identified, and circuitry is disclosed to detect the existence of these respective failure modes. The disclosed apparatus indicates the absence of an overload condition, in addition to signaling, by both visible and audible means, the existence of excessive radiation that might result in erroneously low reading of the geiger-mueller counter

Mueller-matrix of laser-induced autofluorescence of polycrystalline films of dried peritoneal fluid in diagnostics of endometriosis

Science.gov (United States)

Ushenko, Yuriy A.; Koval, Galina D.; Ushenko, Alexander G.; Dubolazov, Olexander V.; Ushenko, Vladimir A.; Novakovskaia, Olga Yu.

2016-07-01

This research presents investigation results of the diagnostic efficiency of an azimuthally stable Mueller-matrix method of analysis of laser autofluorescence of polycrystalline films of dried uterine cavity peritoneal fluid. A model of the generalized optical anisotropy of films of dried peritoneal fluid is proposed in order to define the processes of laser autofluorescence. The influence of complex mechanisms of both phase (linear and circular birefringence) and amplitude (linear and circular dichroism) anisotropies is taken into consideration. The interconnections between the azimuthally stable Mueller-matrix elements characterizing laser autofluorescence and different mechanisms of optical anisotropy are determined. The statistical analysis of coordinate distributions of such Mueller-matrix rotation invariants is proposed. Thereupon the quantitative criteria (statistic moments of the first to the fourth order) of differentiation of polycrystalline films of dried peritoneal fluid, group 1 (healthy donors) and group 2 (uterus endometriosis patients), are determined.

21 CFR 866.4600 - Ouchterlony agar plate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Immunology Laboratory Equipment and Reagents § 866.4600 Ouchterlony agar plate. (a) Identification. An ouchterlony agar plate for clinical use is a device...

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of rapidly growing mycobacteria by microdilution - Experience of a tertiary care centre

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Set R

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The objective of the study was to perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing of rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM isolated from various clinically suspected cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, from January 2007 to April 2008, at a tertiary care centre in Mumbai. Materials and Methods: The specimens were processed for microscopy and culture using the standard procedures. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC were determined by broth microdilution, using Sensititre CA MHBT. Susceptibility testing was also carried out on Mueller Hinton agar by the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: Of the 1062 specimens received for mycobacterial cultures, 104 (9.79% grew mycobacteria. Of the mycobacterial isolates, six (5.76% were rapid growers. M. abscessus and M. chelonae appeared to be resistant organisms, with M. chelonae showing intermediate resistance to amikacin and minocycline. However, all the six isolates showed sensitivity to vancomycin and gentamicin by the disc diffusion test. Also all three isolates of M. abscessus were sensitive to piperacillin and erythromycin. Further studies are required to test their sensitivity to these four antimicrobials by using the microbroth dilution test, before they can be prescribed to patients. Conclusions: We wish to emphasize that reporting of rapidly growing mycobacteria from clinical settings, along with their sensitivity patterns, is an absolute need of the hour.

The sensitivity to antibiotics of strains of group B streptococcus isolates from pregnant women in Belgrade

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Jovanović Luka

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Group B streptococcus (GBS is a significant human pathogen. GBS colonizes the vagina and it is one of the most important causes of early neonatal sepsis and meningitis. In many countries, screening of pregnant women and intrapartal use of antibiotics are common practice. Macrolide and lincosamide resistant strains of GBS are a significant problem, because these antibiotics are the second line therapy in case of penicillin allergy. Aim: Our aim was to investigate the frequency of antibiotic resistant strains of GBS and to detect macrolide resistance phenotypes in GBS strains obtained from pregnant women in Belgrade. Material and Methods: 105 GBS isolates were obtained from vaginal swabs of pregnant women attending two Gynecology and Obstetrics Centers in Belgrade. The isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and D test were performed on Mueller Hinton agar. Results: Macrolide and lincosamide resistance was found in 30.4 %, and 23.8 % of isolates, respectively. There was a high frequency of tetracycline resistant strains (88.6 %. Most frequent macrolide resistant phenotype was iMLSb (macrolide and inducibile lincosamide resistance (62.4%. Conclusion: The results of our study indicate that there is a high level of macrolide resistance among GBS isolates in Serbia and the active surveillance is needed.

[Influence of staphylococcin T on Enterococcus sp. growth].

Science.gov (United States)

Białucha, Agata; Kozuszko, Sylwia; Gospodarek, Eugenia; Bugalski, Roman Marian; Gierlotka, Krzysztof

2007-01-01

Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesised, extracellular bacterial products. Generally, spectrum of inhibition is limited to the same or closely related species to bacteriocin producer. Staphylococcin T is produced by Staphylococcus cohnii strain. The present study concerns influence of StT to 267 Enterococcus sp. strains growth isolated between 2003 and 2006 in Department of Microbiology University Hospital of dr. A. Jurasz in Bydgoszcz. S. cohnii T antagonistic ability evaluated towards bacteries on Mueller-Hinton Agar (bio Mérieux) in aerobic conditions. After 24 and 48 hours tested enterococci suspensions were plated perpendiculary. Susceptibility to antibiotics was assessed by disc diffusion method according to the guideless of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and National Reference Centre for Antimicrobial Susceptibility. Among Enterococcus sp. strains tested 7.1% were sensitive to StT. The highest percentage of sensitive enterococci isolated from wound swabs, urine, blood and pus. Enterococcus faecium strains dominated (63.2%) among enterococci sensitive to StT. Moderate inhibition degree on S. cohnii T bacteriocin action was observed in majority sensitive enterococci strains. Enterococcus sp. sensitive to StT strains were frequently multidrug resistant (68.4%). According to the study results and increasing resistance to antibiotics, StT could be an alternative agent used to treat infections caused by Enterococcus sp.

Inhibition of E. coli Growth by Nanodiamond and Graphene Oxide Enhanced by Luria-Bertani Medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Jira, Jaroslav; Rezek, Bohuslav; Kriha, Vitezslav; Artemenko, Anna; Matolínová, Iva; Skakalova, Viera; Stenclova, Pavla; Kromka, Alexander

2018-03-01

Nanodiamonds (NDs) and graphene oxide (GO) are modern carbon-based nanomaterials with promising features for the inhibition of microorganism growth ability. Here we compare the effects of nanodiamond and graphene oxide in both annealed (oxidized) and reduced (hydrogenated) forms in two types of cultivation media-Luria-Bertani (LB) and Mueller-Hinton (MH) broths. The comparison shows that the number of colony forming unit (CFU) of Escherichia coli is significantly lowered (45%) by all the nanomaterials in LB medium for at least 24 h against control. On the contrary, a significant long-term inhibition of E. coli growth (by 45%) in the MH medium is provided only by hydrogenated NDs terminated with C-H X groups. The use of salty agars did not enhance the inhibition effects of nanomaterials used, i.e. disruption of bacterial membrane or differences in ionic concentrations do not play any role in bactericidal effects of nanomaterials used. The specific role of the ND and GO on the enhancement of the oxidative stress of bacteria or possible wrapping bacteria by GO nanosheets, therefore isolating them from both the environment and nutrition was suggested. Analyses by infrared spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering corroborate these conclusions.

Inhibition of E. coli Growth by Nanodiamond and Graphene Oxide Enhanced by Luria-Bertani Medium

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Jaroslav Jira

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Nanodiamonds (NDs and graphene oxide (GO are modern carbon-based nanomaterials with promising features for the inhibition of microorganism growth ability. Here we compare the effects of nanodiamond and graphene oxide in both annealed (oxidized and reduced (hydrogenated forms in two types of cultivation media—Luria-Bertani (LB and Mueller-Hinton (MH broths. The comparison shows that the number of colony forming unit (CFU of Escherichia coli is significantly lowered (45% by all the nanomaterials in LB medium for at least 24 h against control. On the contrary, a significant long-term inhibition of E. coli growth (by 45% in the MH medium is provided only by hydrogenated NDs terminated with C-HX groups. The use of salty agars did not enhance the inhibition effects of nanomaterials used, i.e. disruption of bacterial membrane or differences in ionic concentrations do not play any role in bactericidal effects of nanomaterials used. The specific role of the ND and GO on the enhancement of the oxidative stress of bacteria or possible wrapping bacteria by GO nanosheets, therefore isolating them from both the environment and nutrition was suggested. Analyses by infrared spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering corroborate these conclusions.

Antibacterial Activity of Protocatechuic Acid Ethyl Ester on Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Strains Alone and in Combination with Antistaphylococcal Drugs

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Maria Miklasińska

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of the presented study was to examine in vitro the antibacterial activity of protocatechuic acid ethyl ester (ethyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, EDHB against Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates alone and in the combination with four selected antibiotics. The EDHB antimicrobial activity was tested against twenty S. aureus strains isolated from the clinical samples, and three reference strains. The phenotypes and genotypes of resistance to methicillin for the tested strains were defined as well as the phenotypic resistance to macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramin B (MLSB. EDHB displayed diverse activity against examined S. aureus strains with the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC within the range from 64 to 1024 µg/mL. Addition of ¼ MIC of EDHB into the Mueller-Hinton Agar (MHA resulted in augmented antibacterial effect in the presence of clindamycin. In the case of cefoxitin no synergistic effect with EDHB was noted. For erythromycin and vancomycin the decrease of mean MICs in the presence of EDHB was observed but did not reach statistical significance. The results of the present study showed that in vitro EDHB possesses antibacterial activity against S. aureus clinical strains and triggers a synergistic antimicrobial effect with clindamycin and to the lesser extent with erythromycin and vancomycin.

Identification of Cryptococcus neoformans isolates using Staib agar without creatinine

OpenAIRE

Nardelli, Vanessa; Pérez, Celina; Mata-Essayag, Sofía; Colella, María Teresa; Roselló, Arantza; Hartung de Capriles, Claudia; Landaeta, María Eugenia; Olaizola, Carolina; Magaldi, Sylvia

2005-01-01

In mycology, culture is the best way to demonstrate and identify pathogenic fungi. Many kinds of media have been developed and modified, using fungal biochemical properties to recognize them. The most common media are Sabouraud, Malt Agar, Cornmeal agar, Potato-dextrose agar, and Staib agar. Staib agar has been widely used for identification of yeasts from the genus Cryptococcus and other fungi. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the usefulness of Staib agar, and of a modified Staib med...

Effect of Aqueous Extract of Acacia nilotica on Microbial and Castor ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof. Ogunji

antimicrobial activity (MIC): Mueller Hilton Agar was prepared according to manufacturer's direction. One mill (1ml) of the standardized test organisms was inoculated into the molten agar poured into sterile Petri-dishes which was allowed to get at room temperature. Eight. Millimetres (8mm) diameter sterile cork borer.

Agar alternatives for micropropagation of African violet ( Saintpaulia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Agar is one of the most popular solidifying agents in plant tissue culture. High price of pure grade agar and fear of over exploitation of its resources caused searching for low cost alternatives. In this study, liquid medium with cotton substratum and different combinations of starch, semolina, potato powder and agar in two ...

A quantitative and non-contact technique to characterise microstructural variations of skin tissues during photo-damaging process based on Mueller matrix polarimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yang; He, Honghui; Sheng, Wei; Wu, Jian; Ma, Hui

2017-10-31

Skin tissue consists of collagen and elastic fibres, which are highly susceptible to damage when exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), leading to skin aging and cancer. However, a lack of non-invasive detection methods makes determining the degree of UVR damage to skin in real time difficult. As one of the fundamental features of light, polarization can be used to develop imaging techniques capable of providing structural information about tissues. In particular, Mueller matrix polarimetry is suitable for detecting changes in collagen and elastic fibres. Here, we demonstrate a novel, quantitative, non-contact and in situ technique based on Mueller matrix polarimetry for monitoring the microstructural changes of skin tissues during UVR-induced photo-damaging. We measured the Mueller matrices of nude mouse skin samples, then analysed the transformed parameters to characterise microstructural changes during the skin photo-damaging and self-repairing processes. Comparisons between samples with and without the application of a sunscreen showed that the Mueller matrix-derived parameters are potential indicators for fibrous microstructure in skin tissues. Histological examination and Monte Carlo simulations confirmed the relationship between the Mueller matrix parameters and changes to fibrous structures. This technique paves the way for non-contact evaluation of skin structure in cosmetics and dermatological health.

Imaging linear and circular polarization features in leaves with complete Mueller matrix polarimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Patty, C H Lucas; Luo, David A; Snik, Frans; Ariese, Freek; Buma, Wybren Jan; Ten Kate, Inge Loes; van Spanning, Rob J M; Sparks, William B; Germer, Thomas A; Garab, Győző; Kudenov, Michael W

2018-06-01

Spectropolarimetry of intact plant leaves allows to probe the molecular architecture of vegetation photosynthesis in a non-invasive and non-destructive way and, as such, can offer a wealth of physiological information. In addition to the molecular signals due to the photosynthetic machinery, the cell structure and its arrangement within a leaf can create and modify polarization signals. Using Mueller matrix polarimetry with rotating retarder modulation, we have visualized spatial variations in polarization in transmission around the chlorophyll a absorbance band from 650 nm to 710 nm. We show linear and circular polarization measurements of maple leaves and cultivated maize leaves and discuss the corresponding Mueller matrices and the Mueller matrix decompositions, which show distinct features in diattenuation, polarizance, retardance and depolarization. Importantly, while normal leaf tissue shows a typical split signal with both a negative and a positive peak in the induced fractional circular polarization and circular dichroism, the signals close to the veins only display a negative band. The results are similar to the negative band as reported earlier for single macrodomains. We discuss the possible role of the chloroplast orientation around the veins as a cause of this phenomenon. Systematic artefacts are ruled out as three independent measurements by different instruments gave similar results. These results provide better insight into circular polarization measurements on whole leaves and options for vegetation remote sensing using circular polarization. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure and properties of Regge-Mueller diagrams for the case of Froissart saturation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobylinsky, N.A.; Kosenko, A.I.; Martynov, E.S.

1976-01-01

A model leading to the Froissart saturation in various diffractive and nondiffractive production processes is elaborated. The restrictions on a structure of Regge-Mueller diagrams are obtained in the model. A comparison is made of the pomeron, dipole and froissaron models

Snapshot Mueller matrix polarimetry by wavelength polarization coding and application to the study of switching dynamics in a ferroelectric liquid crystal cell.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Le Jeune B.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a snapshot Mueller matrix polarimeter by wavelength polarization coding. This device is aimed at encoding polarization states in the spectral domain through use of a broadband source and high-order retarders. This allows one to measure a full Mueller matrix from a single spectrum whose acquisition time only depends on the detection system aperture. The theoretical fundamentals of this technique are developed prior to validation by experiments. The setup calibration is described as well as optimization and stabilization procedures. Then, it is used to study, by time-resolved Mueller matrix polarimetry, the switching dynamics in a ferroelectric liquid crystal cell.

Preparation of Agar-Agar from the Red Seaweed Pterocladia capillacea off the Coast of Alexandria, Egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, A V; Bekheet, I A

1976-10-01

The effect of different treatments on the quality of agar produced from Pterocladia has been studied, and the conditions for the production of material of good quality have been standardized. In the modified process, sun-bleached seaweed was washed well in water, soaked for 24 h, and then ground to a pulp and rinsed again in water. The pulp was then extracted with water (weed-to-water ratio, 1:30) under pressure for 2 h after adjusting the pH to 6 by the addition of acetic acid. The agar gel, after freeze thawing, was bleached with NaClO before drying in a current of hot air. Pretreatment of the seaweed with alkali at 80 degrees C for 2 h prior to extraction was found to improve the quality of agar to a very great extent.

Comparative study of bio-ethanol production from mahula (Madhuca latifolia L.) flowers by Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells immobilized in agar agar and Ca-alginate matrices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behera, Shuvashish; Mohanty, Rama Chandra [Department of Botany, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar 751004, Orissa (India); Kar, Shaktimay; Ray, Ramesh Chandra [Microbiology Laboratory, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (Regional Centre), Bhubaneswar 751019, Orissa (India)

2010-01-15

Batch fermentation of mahula (Madhuca latifolia L., a tree commonly found in tropical rain forest) flowers was carried out using immobilized cells (in agar agar and calcium alginate) and free cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ethanol yields were 151.2, 154.5 and 149.1 g kg{sup -1} flowers using immobilized (in agar agar and calcium alginate) and free cells, respectively. Cell entrapment in calcium alginate was found to be marginally superior to those in agar agar (2.2% more) as well as over free cell (3.5% more) as regard to ethanol yield from mahula flowers is concerned. Further, the immobilized cells were physiologically active at least for three cycles [150.6, 148.5 and 146.5 g kg{sup -1} (agar agar) and 152.8, 151.5 and 149.5 g kg{sup -1} flowers (calcium alginate) for first, second and third cycle, respectively] of ethanol fermentation without apparently lowering the productivity. Mahula flowers, a renewable, non-food-grade cheap carbohydrate substrate from non-agricultural environment such as forest can serve as an alternative to food grade sugar/starchy crops such as maize, sugarcane for bio-ethanol production. (author)

Borelli's lactritmel agar induces conidiation in rare-macroconidia producing dermatophytic fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Ilkit, Macit; Gümral, Ramazan; Döğen, Aylin

2012-10-01

Macroconidia are among the most important indicators used to identify dermatophytic fungi, but several do not usually sporulate and/or produce macroconidia on Sabouraud glucose agar. Specifically, Microsporum audouinii, M. ferrugineum, Trichophyton concentricum, T. schoenleinii, T. verrucosum, and T. violaceum (including T. soudanense and T. yaoundei) rarely form macroconidia and, therefore, cannot be easily identified. In this study, we investigated the production of macroconidia on nine common laboratory media, including Borelli's lactritmel agar (BLA), modified Borelli's lactritmel agar (MBLA), brain heart infusion agar (BHIA), Christensen's urease agar in Petri dishes (UPA), cornmeal dextrose agar (CMDA), Lowenstein-Jensen agar (LJA), malt extract agar (MEA), oatmeal agar (OA), and potato dextrose agar (PDA). The performance of these media was evaluated using 18 rare-macroconidia producing isolates, including representative of the six species mentioned above. All cultures in this study were incubated at 26°C on the bench, and conidia formation on each was investigated at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 days of incubation. BLA apparently improved macroconidia production after 15 days and was the most useful nutrient agar medium to induce these phenotypic characters in daily practice, closely followed by OA, PDA, and MBLA.

Mueller-Hillis maneuver and angle of progression: Are they correlated?

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Sofia Mendes

Full Text Available Summary Objective: Mueller-Hillis maneuver (MHM and angle of progression (AOP measured by transperineal ultrasound have been used to assess fetal head descent during the second stage of labor. We aimed to assess whether AOP correlates with MHM in the second stage of labor. Method: A prospective observational study including women with singleton pregnancy in the second stage of labor was performed. The AOP was measured immediately after the Mueller-Hillis maneuver. A receiver-operating characteristics (ROC curve analysis was performed to determine the best discriminatory AOP cut-off for the identification of a positive MHM. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: One hundred and sixty-six (166 women were enrolled in the study and 81.3% (n=135 had a positive MHM. The median AOP was 143º (106º to 210º. The area under the curve for the prediction of a positive maneuver was 0.619 (p=0.040. Derived from the ROC curve, an AOP of 138.5º had the best diagnostic performance for the identification of a positive MHM (specificity of 65% and a sensitivity of 67%. Conclusion: An AOP of 138º seems to be associated with a positive MHM in the second stage of labor.

Estudo in vitro da ação antimicrobiana de extratos de plantas contra Enterococcus faecalis In vitro antimicrobial activity of plant extracts against Enterococcus faecalis

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Edja Maria Melo de Brito Costa

2010-06-01

Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: Muitos estudos têm sido realizados para avaliar o potencial terapêutico das plantas. OBJETIVO: Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a ação antimicrobiana dos extratos etanólicos da aroeira-da-praia (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, da aroeira-do-sertão (Astronium urundeuva [Fr. All.] Engl., da ameixa-do-mato (Ximenia americana L., da quixabeira (Syderoxylum obtusifolium [Roem et Schult.] e do hipoclorito de sódio (NaOCl a 2,5%, contra o Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212. METODOLOGIA: Foi realizado teste de difusão em ágar, pelo método do poço, utilizando-se como controle positivo a clorexidina a 0,12%. Os microrganismos foram semeados em caldo BHI e incubados a 37ºC por 24 horas. Posteriormente, as suspensões microbianas foram semeadas em placas Petri, com ágar Mueller Hinton, sendo confeccionados seis poços equidistantes. As placas foram mantidas à temperatura ambiente por 2 horas, para ocorrer a pré-difusão das substâncias, e incubadas a 37ºC por 48 horas. Foram feitas as análises e medições dos halos de inibição em triplicata e os resultados foram analisados estatisticamente (teste de análise de variância [ANOVA]. RESULTADOS: A quixabeira apresentou os menores halos de inibição (teste t, p INTRODUCTION: Several studies have evaluated the therapeutic benefits of plants. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of ethanol extracts of pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, aroeira (Astronium urundeuva [Fr. All.] Engl., Olacaceae (Ximenia americana L., quixaba (Syderoxylum obtusifolium [Roem et Schult.], and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl 2.5% against Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212. METHODS: The agar diffusion test was performed and 0.12% chlorhexidine was applied as positive control. The microorganisms were allowed to grow in a brain-heart infusion broth (BHI and incubated at 37ºC for 24 hours. Subsequently, the microbial suspensions were seeded on Petri dishes

Detection of extended spectrum β-lactamase in Pseudomonas spp. isolated from two tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Begum Shahanara

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Extended spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBLs represent a major group of lactamases responsible for resistance, mostly produced by gram-negative bacteria, to newer generations of ß-lactam drugs currently being identified in large numbers worldwide. The present study was undertaken to see the frequency of ESBL producing Pseudomonas spp. isolated from six hundred clinical specimens (wound, pus, aural, urine, sputum, throat and other swabs collected over a period of three years from two tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh. Findings Aerobic bacterial culture was performed on aseptically collected swabs and only growth of Pseudomonas was considered for further species identification and ESBL production along with serotyping of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the Kirby-Bauer agar diffusion method and ESBL production was detected on Mueller Hinton agar by double-disk synergy technique using Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid with Ceftazidime, Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone and Aztreonam. Culture yielded 120 Pseudomonas spp. and 82 of them were biochemically characterized for species. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be the predominant (90.2% species. Of 82 isolates tested for ESBL, 31 (37.8% were ESBL positive with 29 (93.5% as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the remaining 2 (6.5% were Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Ralstonia pickettii. Antibiogram revealed Imipenem as the most effective drug (93.3% among all antimicrobials used against Pseudomonas spp. followed by Aminoglycosides (63.7%. Conclusion ESBL producing Pseudomonas spp. was found to be a frequent isolate from two tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh, showing limited susceptibility to antimicrobials and decreased susceptibility to Imipenem in particular, which is a matter of great concern.

Antimicrobial activity and probable mechanisms of action of medicinal plants of Kenya: Withania somnifera, Warbugia ugandensis, Prunus africana and Plectrunthus barbatus.

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Peter G Mwitari

Full Text Available Withania somnifera, Warbugia ugandensis, Prunus africana and Plectrunthus barbatus are used traditionally in Kenya for treatment of microbial infections and cancer. Information on their use is available, but scientific data on their bioactivity, safety and mechanisms of action is still scanty. A study was conducted on the effect of organic extracts of these plants on both bacterial and fungal strains, and their mechanisms of action. Extracts were evaluated through the disc diffusion assay. Bacteria and yeast test strains were cultured on Mueller-Hinton agar and on Sabouraud dextrose agar for the filamentous fungi. A 0.5 McFarland standard suspension was prepared. Sterile paper discs 6 mm in diameter impregnated with 10 µl of the test extract (100 mg/ml were aseptically placed onto the surface of the inoculated media. Chloramphenicol (30 µg and fluconazole (25 µg were used as standards. Discs impregnated with dissolution medium were used as controls. Activity of the extracts was expressed according to zone of inhibition diameter. MIC was determined at 0.78-100 mg/ml. Safety studies were carried using Cell Counting Kit 8 cell proliferation assay protocol. To evaluate extracts mechanisms of action, IEC-6 cells and RT-PCR technique was employed in vitro to evaluate Interleukin 7 cytokine. Investigated plants extracts have both bactericidal and fungicidal activity. W. ugandensis is cytotoxic at IC50200 µg/ml. Fractions from W. ugandensis and W. somnifera too demonstrated antimicrobial activity. Mechanisms of action can largely be attributed to cytotoxicity, Gene silencing and immunopotentiation. Use of medicinal plants in traditional medicine has been justified and possible mechanisms of action demonstrated. Studies to isolate and characterize the bioactive constituents continue.

Molecular identification and amphotericin B susceptibility testing of clinical isolates of Aspergillus from 11 hospitals in Korea.

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Heo, Min Seok; Shin, Jong Hee; Choi, Min Ji; Park, Yeon Joon; Lee, Hye Soo; Koo, Sun Hoe; Lee, Won Gil; Kim, Soo Hyun; Shin, Myung Geun; Suh, Soon Pal; Ryang, Dong Wook

2015-11-01

We investigated the species distribution and amphotericin B (AMB) susceptibility of Korean clinical Aspergillus isolates by using two Etests and the CLSI broth microdilution method. A total of 136 Aspergillus isolates obtained from 11 university hospitals were identified by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and β-tubulin genomic regions. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of AMB were determined in Etests using Mueller-Hinton agar (Etest-MH) and RPMI agar (Etest-RPG), and categorical agreement with the CLSI method was assessed by using epidemiological cutoff values. ITS sequencing identified the following six Aspergillus species complexes: Aspergillus fumigatus (42.6% of the isolates), A. niger (23.5%), A. flavus (17.6%), A. terreus (11.0%), A. versicolor (4.4%), and A. ustus (0.7%). Cryptic species identifiable by β-tubulin sequencing accounted for 25.7% (35/136) of the isolates. Of all 136 isolates, 36 (26.5%) had AMB MICs of ≥2 μg/mL by the CLSI method. The categorical agreement of Etest-RPG with the CLSI method was 98% for the A. fumigatus, A. niger, and A. versicolor complexes, 87% for the A. terreus complex, and 37.5% for the A. flavus complex. That of Etest-MH was ≤75% for the A. niger, A. flavus, A. terreus, and A. versicolor complexes but was higher for the A. fumigatus complex (98.3%). Aspergillus species other than A. fumigatus constitute about 60% of clinical Aspergillus isolates, and reduced AMB susceptibility is common among clinical isolates of Aspergillus in Korea. Molecular identification and AMB susceptibility testing by Etest-RPG may be useful for characterizing Aspergillus isolates of clinical relevance.

Antibiotic susceptibility of periodontal Streptococcus constellatus and Streptococcus intermedius clinical isolates.

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Rams, Thomas E; Feik, Diane; Mortensen, Joel E; Degener, John E; van Winkelhoff, Arie J

2014-12-01

Streptococcus constellatus and Streptococcus intermedius in subgingival dental plaque biofilms may contribute to forms of periodontitis that resist treatment with conventional mechanical root debridement/surgical procedures and may additionally participate in some extraoral infections. Because systemic antibiotics are often used in these clinical situations, and little is known of the antibiotic susceptibility of subgingival isolates of these two bacterial species, this study determined the in vitro susceptibility to six antibiotics of fresh S. constellatus and S. intermedius clinical isolates from human periodontitis lesions. A total of 33 S. constellatus and 17 S. intermedius subgingival strains, each recovered from separate patients with severe chronic periodontitis (n = 50) before treatment, were subjected to antibiotic gradient strip susceptibility testing with amoxicillin, azithromycin, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, and doxycycline on blood-supplemented Mueller-Hinton agar and to the inhibitory effects of metronidazole at 16 mg/L in an enriched Brucella blood agar dilution assay. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing interpretative standards were used to assess the results. Clindamycin was the most active antibiotic against S. constellatus (minimum inhibitory concentration at 90% [MIC90] 0.25 mg/L), and amoxicillin was most active against S. intermedius (MIC90 0.125 mg/L). A total of 30% of the S. constellatus and S. intermedius clinical isolates were resistant in vitro to doxycycline, 98% were only intermediate in susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, and 90% were resistant to metronidazole at 16 mg/L. Subgingival S. constellatus and S. intermedius exhibited variable antibiotic susceptibility profiles, potentially complicating empirical selection of periodontitis antibiotic therapy in patients who are species positive.

As the crack in the Geiger counter came. Historical scientific analysis and didactic aspects of the Geiger-Mueller counting tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korff, Sebastian

2014-01-01

This thesis studies the creation and establishment history of this instrument called first electron counting tube in the years 1928 and 1929. It deals thereby with the last two years of the common work of Hans Geiger and Walter Mueller, from which the measuring instrument later renamed to Geiger-Mueller counting tube. The results of this scientific case study are didactically worked out and made usable for the teaching of physics in the school.

Differentiating Agar wood Oil Quality Using Artificial Neural Network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nurlaila Ismail; Nor Azah Mohd Ali; Mailina Jamil; Saiful Nizam Tajuddin; Mohd Nasir Taib

2013-01-01

Agar wood oil is well known as expensive oil extracted from the resinous of fragrant heartwood. The oil is getting high demand in the market especially from the Middle East countries, China and Japan because of its unique odor. As part of an on-going research in grading the agar wood oil quality, the application of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is proposed in this study to analyze agar wood oil quality using its chemical profiles. The work involves of selected agar wood oil from low and high quality, the extraction of chemical compounds using GC-MS and Z-score to identify of the significant compounds as input to the network. The ANN programming algorithm was developed and computed automatically via Matlab software version R2010a. Back-propagation training algorithm and sigmoid transfer function were used to optimize the parameters in the training network. The result obtained showed the capability of ANN in analyzing the agar wood oil quality hence beneficial for the further application such as grading and classification for agar wood oil. (author)

Mueller-matrix mapping of biological tissues in differential diagnosis of optical anisotropy mechanisms of protein networks

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Ushenko, V A; Sidor, M I [Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, Chernivtsi (Ukraine); Marchuk, Yu F; Pashkovskaya, N V; Andreichuk, D R [Bukovinian State Medical University, Chernivtsi (Ukraine)

2015-03-31

We report a model of Mueller-matrix description of optical anisotropy of protein networks in biological tissues with allowance for the linear birefringence and dichroism. The model is used to construct the reconstruction algorithms of coordinate distributions of phase shifts and the linear dichroism coefficient. In the statistical analysis of such distributions, we have found the objective criteria of differentiation between benign and malignant tissues of the female reproductive system. From the standpoint of evidence-based medicine, we have determined the operating characteristics (sensitivity, specificity and accuracy) of the Mueller-matrix reconstruction method of optical anisotropy parameters and demonstrated its effectiveness in the differentiation of benign and malignant tumours. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

Gari agar as culture media for mycological studies | Okorondu ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Gari agar was prepared by weighing 28 g of Gari, 14 g of agar powder and 8 g of Hibiscus rabdariffa powder to 1 L of sterile water. A conventional media, Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) was prepared as control according to manufacturer's procedure. Aliquot of appropriate dilutions of 1 g of agricultural soil was inoculated ...

Thermal characterization of magnetically aligned carbonyl iron/agar composites.

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Diaz-Bleis, D; Vales-Pinzón, C; Freile-Pelegrín, Y; Alvarado-Gil, J J

2014-01-01

Composites of magnetic particles into polymeric matrices have received increasing research interest due to their capacity to respond to external magnetic or electromagnetic fields. In this study, agar from Gelidium robustum has been chosen as natural biocompatible polymer to build the matrix of the magnetic carbonyl iron particles (CIP) for their uses in biomedical fields. Heat transfer behavior of the CIP-agar composites containing different concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% w/w) of magnetically aligned and non-aligned CIP in the agar matrix was studied using photothermal radiometry (PTR) in the back-propagation emission configuration. The morphology of the CIP-agar composites with aligned and non-aligned CIP under magnetic field was also evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed a dominant effect of CIP concentration over the alignment patterns induced by the magnetic field, which agrees with the behavior of the thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity. Agar served as a perfect matrix to be used with CIP, and CIP-agar composites magnetically aligned at 20% CIP concentration can be considered as promising 'smart' material for hyperthermia treatments in the biomedical field. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of extracellular proteases from microorganisms on agar plates

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Alane Beatriz Vermelho

1996-12-01

Full Text Available We present herein an improved assay for detecting the presence of extracellular proteases from microorganisms on agar plates. Using different substrates (gelatin, BSA, hemoglobin incorporated into the agar and varying the culture medium composition, we were able to detect proteolytic activities from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus luteus and Serratia marcescens as well as the influence that these components displayed in the expression of these enzymes. For all microorganisms tested we found that in agar-BHI or yeast extract medium containing gelatin the sensitivity of proteinase detection was considerably greater than in BSA-agar or hemoglobin-agar. However, when BSA or hemoglobin were added to the culture medium, there was an increase in growth along with a marked reduction in the amount of proteinase production. In the case of M. luteus the incorporation of glycerol in BHI or yeast extract gelatin-agar induced protease liberation. Our results indicate that the technique described here is of value for detecting extracellular proteases directly in the culture medium, by means of a qualitative assay, simple, inexpensive, straight forward method to assess the presence of the proteolytic activity of a given microorganism colony with great freedom in substrate selection.

Improved isolation of Vibro vulnificus from seawater and sediment with cellobiose-colistin agar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høi, L.; Dalsgaard, Inger; Dalsgaard, A.

1998-01-01

An improved selective medium, cellobiose-colistin (CC) agar, gave a significantly higher (P agar, In a total of 446 alkaline peptone water preenrichments amended...... with polymyxin B, V. vulnificus was isolated from 154 preenrichments (35%) with mCPC agar and from 179 preenrichments (40%) with CC agar. CC agar gave a higher plating efficiency of V. vulnificus cells than did cellobiose-polymyxin B-colistin (CPC) agar, mCPC agar, or thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose (TCBS......) agar; the only significant difference was observed with TCBS agar, which gave much lower plating efficiencies than the other selective media. Determination of MICs demonstrated that the concentrations of colistin and polymyxin B in CPC agar inhibit growth of a proportion of V. vulnificus strains....

Traceable Mueller polarimetry and scatterometry for shape reconstruction of grating structures

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Hansen, Poul-Erik; Madsen, Morten H.; Lehtolahti, Joonas; Nielsen, Lars

2017-11-01

Dimensional measurements of multi-patterned transmission gratings with a mixture of long and small periods are great challenges for optical metrology today. It is a further challenge when the aspect ratio of the structures is high, that is, when the height of structures is larger than the pitch. Here we consider a double patterned transmission grating with pitches of 500 nm and 20 000 nm. For measuring the geometrical properties of double patterned transmission grating we use a combined spectroscopic Mueller polarimetry and scatterometry setup. For modelling the experimentally obtained data we rigorously compute the scattering signal by solving Maxwell's equations using the RCWA method on a supercell structure. We also present a new method for analyzing the Mueller polarimetry parameters that performs the analysis in the measured variables. This new inversion method for finding the best fit between measured and calculated values are tested on silicon gratings with periods from 300 to 600 nm. The method is shown to give results within the expanded uncertainty of reference AFM measurements. The application of the new inversion method and the supercell structure to the double patterned transmission grating gives best estimates of dimensional quantities that are in fair agreement with those derived from local AFM measurements

Inhibición de Paenibacillus larvae empleando una mezcla de aceites esenciales y timol Inhibition of Paenibacillus larvae employing a mixture of essential oils and thymol

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S. R. Fuselli

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Se evaluó la actividad antimicrobiana in vitro de una mezcla de dos aceites esenciales y timol frente a Paenibacillus larvae, agente causal de la enfermedad Loque americana, que afecta a las abejas. Los aceites esenciales utilizados fueron canela (Cinnamomum zeylanicum y tomillo (Thymus vulgaris, con el agregado de timol, componente mayoritario del tomillo presente en un 39,9%. Los parámetros medidos fueron la concentración inhibitoria mínima (CIM en caldo Muller-Hinton, mediante dilución seriada, y la concentración bactericida mínima (CBM en agar MYPGP. El aceite esencial de tomillo registró valores de CIM entre 150 y 250 μg/ml, y de CBM entre 200 y 300 μg/ml, mientras que para el aceite esencial de canela los valores de CIM y de CBM obtenidos fueron 50 a 100 μg/ml y 100 a 125 μg/ml, respectivamente. El timol presentó valores de CIM y de CBM similares, de 100 a 150 μg/ml. No se detectaron diferencias significativas entre las cepas bacterianas estudiadas, pero sí entre la actividad de los aceites esenciales y la del timol (PIn vitro antimicrobial activity of a mixture of two essential oils and thymol against Paenibacillus larvae, causal agent of American Foulbrood (AFB, was evaluated. The essential oils were extracted from cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum and thyme (Thymus vulgaris. The third component used, thymol, is the major component of the essential oil of thyme which contains 39.9 % of thymol. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC in Mueller-Hinton broth by the tube dilution method and minimal bactericide concentration (MBC on MYPGP agar were evaluated. Thyme registered MIC values of 150-250 μg/ml and MBC values of 200-300 μg/ml, while the MIC and MBC values obtained for cinnamon were of 50-100 μg/ml and 100-125 μg/ml. Thymol showed similar MIC and MBC values of 100-150 μg/ml. No significant differences between the bacterial strains were detected, but significant differences between essential oils and thymol activity

Mueller matrix polarimetry on plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings for porosity measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, David A; Barraza, Enrique T; Kudenov, Michael W

2017-12-10

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is the most widely used material for thermal plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) used to protect gas turbine engine parts in demanding operation environments. The superior material properties of YSZ coatings are related to their internal porosity level. By quantifying the porosity level, tighter control on the spraying process can be achieved to produce reliable coatings. Currently, destructive measurement methods are widely used to measure the porosity level. In this paper, we describe a novel nondestructive approach that is applicable to classify the porosity level of plasma sprayed YSZ TBCs via Mueller matrix polarimetry. A rotating retarder Mueller matrix polarimeter was used to measure the polarization properties of the plasma sprayed YSZ coatings with different porosity levels. From these measurements, it was determined that a sample's measured depolarization ratio is dependent on the sample's surface roughness and porosity level. To this end, we correlate the depolarization ratio with the samples' surface roughness, as measured by a contact profilometer, as well as the total porosity level, in percentage measured using a micrograph and stereological analysis. With the use of this technique, a full-field and rapid measurement of porosity level can be achieved.

Algebraic invariants for reflection Mueller polarimetry via uncompensated double pass illumination-collection optics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ossikovski, Razvigor; Vizet, Jérémy

2016-07-01

We report on the identification of the two algebraic invariants inherent to Mueller matrix polarimetry measurements performed through double pass illumination-collection optics (e.g., an optical fiber or an objective) of unknown polarimetric response. The practical use of the invariants, potentially applicable to the characterization of nonreciprocal media, is illustrated on experimental examples.

Effects of bovine milk lactoperoxidase system on some bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Cankaya, M; Sişecioğlu, M; Bariş, O; Güllüce, M; Ozdemir, H

2010-01-01

Bovine lactoperoxidase (LPO) was purified from skimmed milk using amberlite CG-50-H+ resin, CM sephadex C-50 ion-exchange chromatography, and sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography. Lactoperoxidase was purified 20.45-fold with a yield of 28.8%. Purity of enzyme checked by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis method and a single band was observed. Km was 0.25 mM at 20 degrees C, Vmax value was 7.95 micromol/ml min at 20 degrees C (pH 6.0). Antibacterial study was done by disk diffusion method of Kir-by-Bauer using Mueller-Hinton agar medium with slight modification. Bovine LPO showed high antibacterial activity in 100 mM thiocyanate-100 mM H2O2 medium for some bacteria (Brevibacillus centrosaurus, B. choshinensis, B. lyticum, Cedecea davisae, Chryseobacterium indoltheticum, Clavibacter michiganense pv. insidiosum, Kocuria erythromyxa, K. kristinae, K. rosea, K. varians, Paenibacillus validus, Pseudomonas syringae pv. populans, Ralstonia pickettii, Rhodococcus wratislaviensis, Serratia fonticola, Streptomyces violaceusniger, Vibrio cholerae-nonO1) respectively, and compared with well known antibacterial substances (levofloxacin, netilmicin). LPO system has inhibition effects on all type bacteria and concentration is really important such as LPO-100 mM thiocyanate-100 mM H2O2 system was proposed as an effective agent against many factors causing several diseases.

Antimicrobial potencial of Schinus terebenthifolius on bacterial colonies collected by pressure ulcers.

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Marcileide da Silva Santos

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is investigate the antimicrobial potential of plant species Schinus terebenthifolius, aroeira-red, on bacterial colonies of the exudate from pressure ulcers. Clinical samples were collectedfrom pressure ulcers of 6 patients of ADEFAL, plated on blood agar and after incubation an aliquot of suspension (in the range of 0.5 Mac Farland was sown in Mueller-Hinton. The plant extracts were ground and standardized with the aid of sieves of 150 and 75 micrometers. The resulting powder was mixed with distilled water (10% m.v-1. To evaluate the antimicrobial activity, the disks were sterile filter paper with 10g of each extract. saturatresults referring to antibacterial activity of Schinus terebenthifolius (leaf indicate an average inhibition zone of bacterial growth of 10.8 mm. Regarding Schinus terebenthifolius (stem this study reveals the inefficiency of 10% of the extract as antimicrobial agent. This fact legitimizes the literature findings which show antimicrobial activity of plant extract Schinus terebenthifolius (stem, only when tested at a concentration above 10. The efficiency of the leaves of Schinus terebenthifolius supports the use of this product to minimize bacterial colonization and future infections. However, the results that showed antibacterial inactivity of Schinus terebenthifolius (stem makes impracticable use this part of plant to treat pressure ulcers use of the extract of this plant a concentration of 10%.

ANTIMICROBIAL POTENCIAL OF SCHINUS TEREBENTHIFOLIUS ON BACTERIAL COLONIES COLLECTED BY PRESSURE ULCERS

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Emiliana de Omena Bomfim

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is investigate the antimicrobial potential of plant species Schinus terebenthifolius, aroeira-red, on bacterial colonies of the exudate from pressure ulcers. Clinical samples were collected from pressure ulcers of 6 patients of ADEFAL, plated on blood agar and after incubation an aliquot of suspension (in the range of 0.5 Mac Farland was sown in Mueller-Hinton. The plant extracts were ground and standardized with the aid of sieves of 150 and 75 micrometers. The resulting powder was mixed with distilled water (10% m.v-1. To evaluate the antimicrobial activity, the disks were sterile filter paper saturat results referring to antibacterial activity of Schinus terebenthifolius (leaf indicate an average inhibition zone of bacterial growth of 10.8 mm. Regarding Schinus terebenthifolius (stem this study reveals Potencial antimicrobiano de extrato vegetal the inefficiency of 10% of the extract as antimicrobial agent. This fact legitimizes the literature findings which show antimicrobial activity of plant extract Schinus terebenthifolius (stem, only when tested at a concentration above 10. The efficiency of the leaves of Schinus terebenthifolius supports the use of this product to minimize bacterial colonization and future infections. However, the results that showed antibacterial inactivity of Schinus terebenthifolius (stem makes impracticable use this part of plant to treat pressure ulcers use of the extract of this plant a concentration of 10%.

Agar/collagen membrane as skin dressing for wounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bao Lei; Yang Wei; Mao Xuan; Mou Shansong; Tang Shunqing [Biomedical Engineering Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou (China)], E-mail: tshunqt@jnu.edu.cn, E-mail: tmuss@jnu.edu.cn

2008-12-15

Agar, a highly hydrophilic polymer, has a special gel property and favorable biocompatibility, but moderate intension strength in an aqueous condition and a low degradation rate. In order to tailor both properties of mechanical intension and degradation, type I collagen was composited with agar in a certain ratio by drying at 50 {sup 0}C or by a freeze-dry process. Glutaraldehyde was chosen as a crosslinking agent, and the most favorable condition for crosslinking was that the weight ratio of agar to glutaraldehyde was 66.7 and the pH value about 5. Dynamic mechanical analysis results showed that the single agar membrane had a modulus value between 640 MPa and 1064 MPa, but it was between 340 MPa and 819 MPa after being composited with type I collagen. It was discovered under an optical microscope that the pores were interconnected in the composite scaffolds instead of the honeycomb-like pores in a single type I collagen scaffold or the laminated gaps in a single agar scaffold. The results of an acute toxicity test disclosed that the composites were not toxic to mice although the composites were crosslinked with a certain concentration of glutaraldehyde. The results of gross examinations showed that when the composite membranes or scaffolds were applied to a repair rabbit skin lesion, the composites had a good repair effect without infection, liquid exudation or visible scar in the lesion covered with them. But in the control group, the autologous skin showed necrosis and there were a lot of scar tissues in the lesion site. H and E staining results showed that the repair tissue was similar to the normal one and very few scaffolds or membranes were left without degradation after 2 or 3 weeks. In conclusion, it is proved that type I collagen increases the toughness of the agar membrane, and the agar/type I collagen composites are promising biomaterials as wound dressings for healing burns or ulcers.

Agar/collagen membrane as skin dressing for wounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bao Lei; Yang Wei; Mao Xuan; Mou Shansong; Tang Shunqing

2008-01-01

Agar, a highly hydrophilic polymer, has a special gel property and favorable biocompatibility, but moderate intension strength in an aqueous condition and a low degradation rate. In order to tailor both properties of mechanical intension and degradation, type I collagen was composited with agar in a certain ratio by drying at 50 0 C or by a freeze-dry process. Glutaraldehyde was chosen as a crosslinking agent, and the most favorable condition for crosslinking was that the weight ratio of agar to glutaraldehyde was 66.7 and the pH value about 5. Dynamic mechanical analysis results showed that the single agar membrane had a modulus value between 640 MPa and 1064 MPa, but it was between 340 MPa and 819 MPa after being composited with type I collagen. It was discovered under an optical microscope that the pores were interconnected in the composite scaffolds instead of the honeycomb-like pores in a single type I collagen scaffold or the laminated gaps in a single agar scaffold. The results of an acute toxicity test disclosed that the composites were not toxic to mice although the composites were crosslinked with a certain concentration of glutaraldehyde. The results of gross examinations showed that when the composite membranes or scaffolds were applied to a repair rabbit skin lesion, the composites had a good repair effect without infection, liquid exudation or visible scar in the lesion covered with them. But in the control group, the autologous skin showed necrosis and there were a lot of scar tissues in the lesion site. H and E staining results showed that the repair tissue was similar to the normal one and very few scaffolds or membranes were left without degradation after 2 or 3 weeks. In conclusion, it is proved that type I collagen increases the toughness of the agar membrane, and the agar/type I collagen composites are promising biomaterials as wound dressings for healing burns or ulcers.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Enteric Gram Negative Facultative Anaerobe Bacilli in Aerobic versus Anaerobic Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Amachawadi, Raghavendra G.; Renter, David G.; Volkova, Victoriya V.

2016-01-01

Antimicrobial treatments result in the host’s enteric bacteria being exposed to the antimicrobials. Pharmacodynamic models can describe how this exposure affects the enteric bacteria and their antimicrobial resistance. The models utilize measurements of bacterial antimicrobial susceptibility traditionally obtained in vitro in aerobic conditions. However, in vivo enteric bacteria are exposed to antimicrobials in anaerobic conditions of the lower intestine. Some of enteric bacteria of food animals are potential foodborne pathogens, e.g., Gram-negative bacilli Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. These are facultative anaerobes; their physiology and growth rates change in anaerobic conditions. We hypothesized that their antimicrobial susceptibility also changes, and evaluated differences in the susceptibility in aerobic vs. anaerobic conditions of generic E. coli and Salmonella enterica of diverse serovars isolated from cattle feces. Susceptibility of an isolate was evaluated as its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) measured by E-Test® following 24 hours of adaptation to the conditions on Mueller-Hinton agar, and on a more complex tryptic soy agar with 5% sheep blood (BAP) media. We considered all major antimicrobial drug classes used in the U.S. to treat cattle: β-lactams (specifically, ampicillin and ceftriaxone E-Test®), aminoglycosides (gentamicin and kanamycin), fluoroquinolones (enrofloxacin), classical macrolides (erythromycin), azalides (azithromycin), sulfanomides (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim), and tetracyclines (tetracycline). Statistical analyses were conducted for the isolates (n≥30) interpreted as susceptible to the antimicrobials based on the clinical breakpoint interpretation for human infection. Bacterial susceptibility to every antimicrobial tested was statistically significantly different in anaerobic vs. aerobic conditions on both media, except for no difference in susceptibility to ceftriaxone on BAP agar. A satellite experiment

Prevalence of AmpC type extended spectrum beta lactamases genes in clinical Samples of E.coli Isolated from Poultry and Humans

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Elham Farrokhnazar

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Emergence of antibiotic resistance among pathogens, particularly in health centers and hospitals, has become a major public health problem. This study identified AmpC-type beta-lactamase against the antibiotic ceftazidime, cefotaxime and cefpodoxime in E.coli isolated from human and poultry and types of producing genes were studied by PCR. In this study, 500 clinical human samples of urine from hospitals of Tehran during 5 months as well as 300 poultry samples were collected and transferred to the microbiology laboratory. Biochemical tests such as TSI, Urea and IMViC were performed on suspected colonies with E.coli. To identify ESBL producing strains, beta-lactamase samples were cultured on Mueller-Hinton agar through antimicrobial susceptibility test by disk agar diffusion based on the standard CLSI for initial screening. PCR reactions were done using specific primers CITM, EBCM, DHAM and MOXM to identify the beta-lactamase AmpC. A number of 200 human and 55 poultry E.coli samples were screened. In human samples, 105 (52.5% were resistant and potential producers of ESBL and AmpC; out of those, 102 (51% produced ESBL and 3 (1.5% potentially produced AmpC. In the study on 55 E.coli isolates from poultry samples based on the results of disk agar diffusion test, 4 (7.2% samples were resistant and potential producers of ESBL. None of the samples were AmpC producers. Through PCR, 2 human samples (1% were CITM positive and one sample (0.5% was DHAM positive. Through the PCR carried out on poultry samples, there were no bands with 4 primers. There was AmpC in human samples; while further studies are required for poultry samples, because poultry significantly contribute in production of food for humans and can be an important source for dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Given the significance of Ampc in providing high levels of beta-lactam antibiotic resistance, particularly third generation cephalosporins which are very common treatments, more

Light transfer in agar immobilized microalgae cell cultures

Science.gov (United States)

Kandilian, Razmig; Jesus, Bruno; Legrand, Jack; Pilon, Laurent; Pruvost, Jérémy

2017-09-01

This paper experimentally and theoretically investigates light transfer in agar-immobilized cell cultures. Certain biotechnological applications such as production of metabolites secreted by photosynthetic microorganisms require cells to be immobilized in biopolymers to minimize contamination and to facilitate metabolite recovery. In such applications, light absorption by cells is one of the most important parameters affecting cell growth or metabolite productivity. Modeling light transfer therein can aid design and optimize immobilized-cell reactors. In this study, Parachlorella kessleri cells with areal biomass concentrations ranging from 0.36 to 16.9 g/m2 were immobilized in 2.6 mm thick agar gels. The average absorption and scattering cross-sections as well as the scattering phase function of P. kessleri cells were measured. Then, the absorption and transport scattering coefficients of the agar gel were determined using an inverse method based on the modified two-flux approximation. The forward model was used to predict the normal-hemispherical transmittance and reflectance of the immobilized-cell films accounting for absorption and scattering by both microalgae and the agar gel. Good agreement was found between the measured and predicted normal-hemispherical transmittance and reflectance provided absorption and scattering by agar were taken into account. Moreover, good agreement was found between experimentally measured and predicted mean rate of photon absorption. Finally, optimal areal biomass concentration was determined to achieve complete absorption of the incident radiation.

Mueller matrix polarimetry on a Young's double-slit experiment analog.

Science.gov (United States)

Arteaga, Oriol; Ossikovski, Razvigor; Kuntman, Ertan; Kuntman, Mehmet A; Canillas, Adolf; Garcia-Caurel, Enric

2017-10-01

In this Letter we describe an experiment in which coherent light is sent through a calcite crystal that separates the photons by their polarization. The two beams are then let to superpose, and this recombined beam is used to measure the Mueller matrix of the system. Results are interpreted according to our recent formalism of coherent superposition in material media. This is the first experimental implementation of a Young's experiment with complete polarimetry, and it is demonstrated that our method can be used for the experimental synthesis of optical devices with on-demand optical properties.

The quark induced Mueller-Tang jet impact factor at next-to-leading order

CERN Document Server

Hentschinski, M.; Murdaca, B.; Vera, A. Sabio

2014-01-01

We present the NLO corrections for the quark induced forward production of a jet with an associated rapidity gap. We make use of Lipatov's QCD high energy effective action to calculate the real emission contributions to the so-called Mueller-Tang impact factor. We combine them with the previously calculated virtual corrections and verify ultraviolet and collinear finiteness of the final result.

Characterization of Gluten-free Bread Prepared From Maize, Rice and Tapioca Flours using the Hydrocolloid Seaweed Agar-Agar

OpenAIRE

Alvarenga, Nuno Bartolomeu; Cebola Lidon, Fernando; Belga, Elisa; Motrena, Patrícia; Guerreiro, Suse; Carvalho, Maria João; Canada, João

2011-01-01

Disponível em livre acesso no sítio do DOAJ em http://recent-science.com/index This work aims to check the rheological, physicochemical and sensory characteristics of gluten-free bread produced with corn, rice and tapioca flours, using the hydrocolloid seaweed agar-agar. Relatively to wheat bread, it was found that the pH was slightly lower in gluten-free bread. In the crust only the brightness remained significantly different between both bread types, but in the kernel, the parameters a*,...

Lactococcus garvieae Suşlarının Antimikrobiyal Duyarlılıklarının Belirlenmesi

OpenAIRE

KUBILAY, Ayşegül; ALTUN, Soner; ULUKÖY, Gülşen; DILER, Öznur

2005-01-01

Bu çalışmada, 9 farklı Lactococcus garveiae suşlanmn Mueller-Hinton agarda disk diffüzyon tekniği ile ATB VET (Biomerieux 14 289) strip sistemi kullanılarak antimikrobiyal duyarlılıklarının yanısıra E testi (AB BIODISK) ile de Eritromycin antibiyotiğinin MIK(Minimal inhibitör konsantrasyonu) değerleri incelenmiştir. L.garvieae suşlarının; disk diffüzyon testi ve ATB VET sistemine göre Amoxicillin+clavulanic acid, Ampicillin, Enrofloxacin, Vancomycin, Tetracycline, Doxycycline, Chloramphenicol...

Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of polymyxin b, tigecycline and fosfomycin against carbapenamase producing enterobacteriaceae (cpe)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abid, M.; Bhatti, A.; Malik, S.; Hussain, A.; Khan, I.U.

2017-01-01

To determine, the susceptibility pattern of carbapenamase producing enterobacteriaceae (CPE) against polymyxinB, tigecycline and fosfomycin. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology PNS Shifa Karachi, from 26 Sep 2013 to 25 Mar 2014. Material and Methods: All specimens were inoculated on blood and macConkey agar, incubated aerobically at 35 degree C - 37 degree C for 18 to 24 hours. After identification of gram negative rods by colony morphology, Gram's staining and biochemical reactions, these were screened for Carbapenems resistance with imipenem and meropenem 10 mu g discs along with routine first and second line antibiotics by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique according to Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guide lines. All isolated CPE were saved and then inoculated on Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA). Antimicrobial susceptibility against polymyxin B, Tigecycline and Fosfomycin was done by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method using disc polymyxin B 300 units, Tigecycline 15mu g and Fosfomycin 200 mu g. Zone diameters greater than 24 mm were taken as sensitive for Tigecycline 15 mu g, 16mm for Fosfomycin 200 mu g and 12 mm for polymyxin B 300 units. Results: Clinical specimens of 171 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in our study. Mean +- SD of age was 42.02 +- 22.367 with C.I (38.65 - 45.40). Out of 171 patients 110 (64%) were male and 61 (36%) were female. In vitro susceptibility results revealed that all the 171 (100%) CPE isolates susceptible to PolymyxinB, while susceptibility against Fosfomycin and Tigecycline was 132 (77%) and 49 (29%) respectively. Conclusion: CPE were found to be 100% susceptible to polymyxinB, while for Fosfomycin and Tigecycline susceptibility was 77% and 29% respectively. (author)

THE ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECT OF ROSELLE (HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA EXTRACT AGAINST STAPHYLOCOCCUS EPIDERMIDIS IN VITRO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Terrence Timothy Evan Lusida

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Infection of Staphylococcus epidermidis is still a common problem in many hospitals. Factor determining biofilm formation makes it harder for atibiotics to cure the infection. Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa, a well known traditional medicine plant, is a potential candidate as a drug againts infectious disease. The purpose of this research is to investigate the antibacterial effect of ethanol extract from Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx againts the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis. Assessment for antibacterial effect is performed using broth diffusion method. The extract is made by maceration of the calyx of Roselle in 96% ethanol. Extracts with concentration of 125, 62.5, 31.25, 15.63, 7.81, 3.90, 1.95, 0.97, 0.48, 0.24 mg/mL are added into separated Mueller-Hinton broths (MHB, which have already been inoculated by Staphylococcus epidermidis. As for bacterial growth control, we used MHB with bacterial inoculation, while sterility control we used mixture of extract and MHB. Then from each broth, the solutions are added into separated nutrition agar plates. Replications are done three times. Clarity and bacterial growth are observed after 24 hours of incubation. However, clarity cannot be observed in 36 broth, but bacterial growth is observed on the plate for concentration 0.97, 0.48, and 0.24 mg/mL. Therefore Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC cannot be determined because the extract’s color interfere the observation. While minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC, the last concentration before the concentration where the bacteria are still viable, is 1.95 mg/mL. Based on the result of the research, the Roselle calyx ethanol extract (Hibiscus sabdariffa through dilution method with a concentration of 1.95 mg / mL can kill Staphylococcus epidermidis and in order to find MIC in collored and turbid solution (before being incubated in incubator, we can consider using agar dilution methode or microdilution methode.

Potential of Zimbabwean commercial probiotic products and strains of Lactobacillus plantarum as prophylaxis and therapy against diarrhoea caused by Escherichia coli in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Chingwaru, Walter; Vidmar, Jerneja

2017-01-01

To evaluate the potential of commercial fermented products sold in the country, and strains of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) as prophylaxis and therapy against diarrhoea in children. The antimicrobial potential of cultures of lactobacilli enriched from 4 Zimbabwean commercial food/beverage products: Dairibord Lacto sour milk (DLSM), Probrand sour milk (PSM), Kefalos Vuka cheese (KVC) and Chibuku opaque beer (COB); and four strains of L. plantarum obtained from Balkan traditional cheeses against clinical strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was assayed using the well diffusion method. Three commercial paediatric antidiarrhoeal drug products: Biogaia (BG), Prolife (PL) and Probio Junior (PJ) and a mutant strain of E. coli [strain 11105 (ATCC) - a vitamin B-12 auxotroph and penicillin G acylase-producing strain] were used as controls. An agar diffusion assay and a competitive exclusion assay were carried out on Mueller Hinton agar. Crude cultures of putative lactobacillus strains obtained from Zimbabwean dairy products (Probrand sour milk, Kefalos Vuka vuka cheese and Chibuku opaque beer) had significantly higher antimicrobial activities against clinical strains of E. coli than strains of L. plantarum isolated from Balkan cheeses (CLP1, CLP2 or CLP3) and crude microbial cultures from commercial paediatric probiotic products (BG, PJ and PL) of a culture of Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG (P sour milk, Kefalos Vuka vuka cheese and Chibuku opaque beer), and three strains of L. plantarum from Balkan cheeses (CLP1, CLP2 or CLP3) exhibited high antibacterial activities that can be harnessed to control paediatric diarrhoea that is caused by pathogenic strains of E. coli. Studies to characterise the probiotic potential of the live cultures in the products and the new strains of L. plantarum are underway. Copyright © 2017 Hainan Medical University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methods for identifying lipoxygenase producing microorganisms on agar plates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nyyssola, A.; Heshof, R.; Haarmann, T.; Eidner, J.; Westerholm-Parvinen, A.; Langfelder, K.; Kruus, K.; Graaff, de L.H.; Buchert, J.

2012-01-01

Plate assays for lipoxygenase producing microorganisms on agar plates have been developed. Both potassium iodide-starch and indamine dye formation methods were effective for detecting soybean lipoxygenase activity on agar plates. A positive result was also achieved using the beta-carotene bleaching

Development of novel agar media for isolating guaiacol producing Alicyclobacillus spp.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, S S; Park, S H; Kang, D H

2013-06-03

The purpose of this study is to develop a selective and differential medium (SK2 agar) for isolating guaiacol producing Alicyclobacillus. Forty-one selected dyes and vanillic acid were incorporated in SK agar for screening selective and differential agents. Two guaiacol producing (1016, 1101) and two non-guaiacol producing (19220, C-GD 1-1) Alicyclobacillus isolates were streaked onto media and color differentiation of the isolates was assessed. Among 41 tested dyes, Chrome Azurol S (CAS) allowed color differentiation of the two types of Alicyclobacillus. Colonies of guaiacol producing Alicyclobacillus isolates appeared as dark purple to royal blue color with yellow background, whereas non-guaiacol producing Alicyclobacillus isolates produced cream colored colonies with yellow background. Vanillic acid not only served as a precursor for guaiacol formation but also inhibited non-guaiacol producing Alicyclobacillus. Non-guaiacol producing isolates did not grow on SK agar containing more than 70 ppm vanillic acid, whereas the recovery of guaiacol producing isolates was unaffected. When compared with other Alicyclobacillus isolation media, not only was SK2 agar capable of selectively recovering guaiacol-producing Alicyclobacillus, the degree of growth was also approximately equal if not better than orange serum agar, potato dextrose agar, and K agar. The development of SK2 agar provides the fruit juice industry with an inexpensive, simple to use alternative for the detection of guaiacol producing Alicyclobacillus. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Screening agars for MRSA: evaluation of a stepwise diagnostic approach with two different selective agars for the screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Science.gov (United States)

Micheel, Volker; Hogan, Benedikt; Köller, Thomas; Warnke, Philipp; Crusius, Sabine; Hinz, Rebecca; Hagen, Ralf Matthias; Schwarz, Norbert Georg; Frickmann, Hagen

2015-01-01

Colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a hygiene risk that does not spare field hospitals or military medical field camps during military deployments. Diagnostic options for unambiguously identifying MRSA isolates are usually scarce in military environments. In this study, we assessed the stepwise application of two different selective agars for the specific identification of MRSA in screening analyses. Nasal swabs from 1541 volunteers were subjected to thioglycollate broth enrichment and subsequently screened on CHROMagar MRSA selective agar for the identification of MRSA. The MRSA identity of suspicious-looking colonies was confirmed afterwards or excluded by another selective agar, chromID MRSA. All isolates from the selective agars with MRSA-specific colony morphology were identified by biochemical methods and mass spectrometry. The initial CHROMagar MRSA screening identified suspicious colonies in 36 out of 1541 samples. A total of 25 of these 36 isolates showed MRSA-like growth on chromID agar. Out of these 25 isolates, 24 were confirmed as MRSA, while one isolate was identified as Staphylococcus kloosii. From the 11 strains that did not show suspicious growth on chromID agar, 3 were methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, with one instance of co-colonization with Corynebacterium spp.), 2 were confirmed as MRSA (with 1 instance of co-colonization with MSSA), 2 were lost during passaging and could not be re-cultured, one could not be identified by the applied approaches, and the remaining 3 strains were identified as Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus hominis (co-colonized with Macrococcus caseolyticus) and Staphylococcus cohnii, respectively. The application of the selective agar CHROMagar MRSA alone proved to be too non-specific to allow for a reliable diagnosis of the presence of MRSA. The combined use of two selective agars in a stepwise approach reduced this non-specificity with an acceptably low

Element distribution of the barley plant grown in an agar slice suspended culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makino-Nakanishi, Tomoko; Matsumoto, Satoshi

1991-01-01

An agar slice suspended culture was devised for the further study of the barley root. The roots were placed into an agar covered with a nylon cloth and suspended in a water culture vessel. Barley roots grown in the agar developed hardly any root hair. The element contents of the root grown in the agar culture and that in the water culture were measured by neutron activation analysis. The concentrations of K, Mg and Cl in the root grown in the agar were about half of these grown in the water. Na and Mn concentrations were the same and Ca concentration was slightly higher when grown in the agar. The agar system is expected to provide more information to study the root hair. (author)

Assessment of Native Agar Gels Extracted from Gracilaria debilis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Native agar gels extracted from Gracilaria debilis and G. salicornia harvested during the rainy and dry seasons, were assessed for culturing the microorganisms Micrococcus luteus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pleurotus flabellatus. Agars extracted from plants harvested during the rainy season were suitable for culturing ...

Stroke Volume during Mueller Maneuver Measured by Impedance Cardiography in Patients with Mitral Regurgitation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Viščor, Ivo; Jurák, Pavel; Vondra, Vlastimil; Halámek, Josef; Leinveber, Pavel

2009-01-01

Roč. 36, - (2009), s. 749-751 ISSN 0276-6574 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA200650801; GA ČR GP102/07/P425 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20650511 Keywords : Mueller maneuver * impedance cardiography * congestive heart failure Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering http://cinc.mit.edu/archives/2009/pdf/0749.pdf

Tasked-based quantification of measurement utility for ex vivo multi-spectral Mueller polarimetry of the uterine cervix

Science.gov (United States)

Kupinski, Meredith; Rehbinder, Jean; Haddad, Huda; Deby, Stanislas; Vizet, Jérémy; Teig, Benjamin; Nazac, André; Pierangelo, Angelo; Moreau, François; Novikova, Tatiana

2017-07-01

Significant contrast in visible wavelength Mueller matrix images for healthy and pre-cancerous regions of excised cervical tissue is shown. A novel classification algorithm is used to compute a test statistic from a small patient population.

MR imaging of 22 Charnley-Mueller total hip prostheses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemmens, J.A.M.; Ruijs, J.H.J.

1986-01-01

To find out whether MR imaging is contraindicated in patients with metallic implants or can be a routine diagnostic procedure, MR investigations in 18 patients with 22 Charnley-Mueller total hip prostheses were performed on a 0.5 T Gyroscan S 5, Philips. No adverse reactions during or post MR investigation were encountered. The imaging of the soft tissue was superior to CT and showed less distortion. The diagnosis of loosening, by detection of demarcation lines at the interfaces was at its best in the distal part of the femoral stem prosthesis and was poor in the acetabular component and in the upper part of the stem prosthesis due to artifacts. (orig.) [de

Comparison of different fungal agar for the environmental monitoring of pharmaceutical-grade cleanrooms.

Science.gov (United States)

Gebala, Barbara; Sandle, Tim

2013-01-01

In relation to a growth in reported incidents of fungal contamination of pharmaceutical products, there has been a developing interest by U.S. and U.K. regulators concerning the risk of fungi. This paper describes a study undertaken to examine the suitability of different commercially available mycological agars for the environmental monitoring of pharmaceutical-grade cleanrooms. Five agars were evaluated in relation to the detection of both numbers and different species of fungi (yeasts and moulds). The objective was to determine if one mycological medium is more suitable than another. Data was collected using different sampling techniques (settle plates, active air samples, and contact plates) from different locations within representative cleanrooms. Samples were taken over a 3 month time period. The study results indicated that fungi are not distributed evenly across cleanrooms and that that the prevalence of fungi partly relates to the room design and operation. In relation to the different agar types, the study indicated that Sabouraud dextrose agar was the most effective at detecting the widest number of different types of isolates, and that Sabouraud dextrose agar and malt extract agar were the most efficient in terms of the numbers of recovered isolates. Other media, notably potato dextrose agar, was relatively less effective. There has been an increased regulatory concern about the presence of fungi in cleanrooms. Some environmental monitoring regimes are not especially orientated towards the examination of fungi, and it may be that special agars are required. Given the choice of different agars available, this paper outlines a case study where different fungal agars were evaluated. The study showed that Sabouraud dextrose agar was the optimal agar.

Development of a selective agar plate for the detection of Campylobacter spp. in fresh produce.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Jin-Hee; Choi, Na-Young; Bae, Young-Min; Lee, Jung-Su; Lee, Sun-Young

2014-10-17

This study was conducted to develop a selective medium for the detection of Campylobacter spp. in fresh produce. Campylobacter spp. (n=4), non-Campylobacter (showing positive results on Campylobacter selective agar) strains (n=49) isolated from fresh produce, indicator bacteria (n=13), and spoilage bacteria isolated from fresh produce (n=15) were plated on four Campylobacter selective media. Bolton agar and modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar (mCCDA) exhibited higher sensitivity for Campylobacter spp. than did Preston agar and Hunt agar, although certain non-Campylobacter strains isolated from fresh produce by using a selective agar isolation method, were still able to grow on Bolton agar and mCCDA. To inhibit the growth of non-Campylobacter strains, Bolton agar and mCCDA were supplemented with 5 antibiotics (rifampicin, polymyxin B, sodium metabisulfite, sodium pyruvate, ferrous sulfate) and the growth of Campylobacter spp. (n=7) and non-Campylobacter strains (n=44) was evaluated. Although Bolton agar supplemented with rifampicin (BR agar) exhibited a higher selectivity for Campylobacter spp. than did mCCDA supplemented with antibiotics, certain non-Campylobacter strains were still able to grow on BR agar (18.8%). When BR agar with various concentrations of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim were tested with Campylobacter spp. (n=8) and non-Campylobacter (n=7), sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim was inhibitory against 3 of 7 non-Campylobacter strains. Finally, we validated the use of BR agar containing 50mg/L sulfamethoxazole (BRS agar) or 0.5mg/L ciprofloxacin (BRCS agar) and other selective agars for the detection of Campylobacter spp. in chicken and fresh produce. All chicken samples were positive for Campylobacter spp. when tested on mCCDA, BR agar, and BRS agar. In fresh produce samples, BRS agar exhibited the highest selectivity for Campylobacter spp., demonstrating its suitability for the detection of Campylobacter spp. in fresh produce. Copyright �

A radiobiological comparison of human tumor soft-agar clonogenic assays.

Science.gov (United States)

West, C M; Sutherland, R M

1986-06-15

Radiation survival curves have been generated for 3 human tumor cell lines as a means of comparing and evaluating the validity of human tumor soft-agar clonogenic assays. The assays investigated were the Hamburger-Salmon, Courtenay-Mills, Courtenay-Mills plus additions, soft agar (no additions), and soft agar plus additions. The additions were formulated to supplement the media used in soft agar assays of primary ovarian and cervical carcinoma specimens. Supplementing the media with additions led to a 2- to 3-fold increase in PE of CaSki cells but had no effect on the PEs of ME180 and OWI cells. Radiation survival curves were similar in all assays for CaSki and OWI but differed for ME180 cells. For ME180 cells, the Courtenay-Mills and soft agar assays plus additions produced the most radioresistant curves (Do = 2.2 Gy); the cells were more responsive when assayed by the Hamburger-Salmon method (Do = 1.5 Gy), and the soft agar and Courtenay-Mills assays gave the most radiosensitive curves (Do = 1.2 Gy). These results demonstrate that the PE of human tumor cell lines may be increased with no effect on radiation survival; radiation survival may be altered without changes in PE and neither may be altered by applying modifications and supplements to existing clonogenic assays.

Assay for adhesion and agar invasion in S. cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Guldal, Cemile G; Broach, James

2006-11-08

Yeasts are found in natural biofilms, where many microorganisms colonize surfaces. In artificial environments, such as surfaces of man-made objects, biofilms can reduce industrial productivity, destroy structures, and threaten human life. 1-3 On the other hand, harnessing the power of biofilms can help clean the environment and generate sustainable energy. 4-8 The ability of S. cerevisiae to colonize surfaces and participate in complex biofilms was mostly ignored until the rediscovery of the differentiation programs triggered by various signaling pathways and environmental cues in this organism. 9, 10 The continuing interest in using S. cerevisiae as a model organism to understand the interaction and convergence of signaling pathways, such as the Ras-PKA, Kss1 MAPK, and Hog1 osmolarity pathways, quickly placed S. cerevisiae in the junction of biofilm biology and signal transduction research. 11-20 To this end, differentiation of yeast cells into long, adhesive, pseudohyphal filaments became a convenient readout for the activation of signal transduction pathways upon various environmental changes. However, filamentation is a complex collection of phenotypes, which makes assaying for it as if it were a simple phenotype misleading. In the past decade, several assays were successfully adopted from bacterial biofilm studies to yeast research, such as MAT formation assays to measure colony spread on soft agar and crystal violet staining to quantitatively measure cell-surface adherence. 12, 21 However, there has been some confusion in assays developed to qualitatively assess the adhesive and invasive phenotypes of yeast in agar. Here, we present a simple and reliable method for assessing the adhesive and invasive quality of yeast strains with easy-to-understand steps to isolate the adhesion assessment from invasion assessment. Our method, adopted from previous studies, 10, 16 involves growing cells in liquid media and plating on differential nutrient conditions for growth

Construction techniques and working principles of external cathode Geiger-Mueller counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sevegnani, Francisco Xavier

1996-01-01

In this paper, the construction technique and working principles of the external cathode Geiger-Mueller counter are described in detail. During the analysis of the behavior of these counters a new phenomena was observed, related to an increase int he background rate with the applied voltage. The experiments have also shown that the pulse amplitude of those counters decreases exponentially with the counting rate. The counters built with the techniques described in this paper has shown plateaus of about 1400 V with slope of 0,8%/100 V. (author)

EVALUACIÓN POR MÉTODO ECOMÉTRICO DE AGAR OBTENIDO DE ALGAS ROJAS COLOMBIANAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Villalobos

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the productivity on agar-agar of two species of red algae of thegenera Gracilaria belonging from the Colombiam Caribean coast (G. cylindrica and G. mammillarisobtained in laboratory. Productivity of culture media elaborated with base agar - agar was determinedusing the ecometric method with 20 different bacterial species. Results obtained from ICA and ICRshowed that agar extracted from Gracilaria cylindrica and Gracillaria mammillaris are equally productive,this shows that both species can be used for agar production. For better results, it is still necessary tooptimize extraction processes and purification of agar in both species of algae.

The Gluon-Induced Mueller-Tang Jet Impact Factor at Next-to-Leading Order

CERN Document Server

Hentschinski, Martin; Murdaca, Beatrice; Vera, Agustín Sabio

2014-01-01

We complete the computation of the Mueller-Tang jet impact factor at next-to-leading order (NLO) initiated in arXiv:1406.5625 and presented in arXiv:1404.2937 by computing the real corrections associated to gluons in the initial state making use of Lipatov's effective action. NLO corrections for this effective vertex are an important ingredient for a reliable description of large rapidity gap phenomenology within the BFKL approach.

Hichrom candida agar for identification of Candida species.

Science.gov (United States)

Baradkar, V P; Mathur, M; Kumar, S

2010-01-01

Chromogenic media are frequently used in direct and rapid identification of yeasts because different Candida species produce unique colors on these media. We used 60 isolates of Candida species including 30 C. albicans, 10 C. parapsilosis, 11 C. glabrata, five C. tropicalis, and four C. dubliniensis, isolated from various clinical specimens, to evaluate the performance of HiChrome Candida agar. These strains had been identified by germ tube test, morphology on cornmeal agar, chlamydospore formation on tobacco agar and sugar assimilation tests. The sensitivity and specificity results were: C. albicans (96.55 and 96.42%); C. parapsilosis (80 and 98.03%), C. glabrata (90.90 and 88.23%), C. tropicalis (100 and 100%) and C. dubliniensis (60 and 96.55%) respectively. HiChrom Candida agaris medium has been useful and capable of presumptive, rapid identification of Candida species within 48 hours.

Hichrom candida agar for identification of candida species

OpenAIRE

Baradkar V; Mathur M; Kumar S

2010-01-01

Chromogenic media are frequently used in direct and rapid identification of yeasts because different Candida species produce unique colors on these media. We used 60 isolates of Candida species including 30 C. albicans, 10 C. parapsilosis, 11 C. glabrata, five C. tropicalis, and four C. dubliniensis, isolated from various clinical specimens, to evaluate the performance of HiChrome Candida agar. These strains had been identified by germ tube test, morphology on cornmeal agar, chlamydospore for...

Rheological properties of agar and carrageenan from Ghanaian red seaweeds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rhein-Knudsen, Nanna; Ale, Marcel Tutor; Ajalloueian, Fatemeh

2017-01-01

spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis on the hydrocolloids extracted from H. musciformis (and K. alvarezii) indicated κ-carrageenan, C. crenulata hydrocolloids were mainly ι-carrageenan, and the H. dentata hydrocolloids were agar. Gelling temperatures ranged from 32 to 36 °C for the κ-carrageenan hydrocolloid samples...... comparable with κ-carrageenan from K. alvarezii, whereas the H. dentata agar properties were different from those of a commercial agar sample. This work shows that certain red seaweed species in Ghana contain hydrocolloids with desirable properties for high value applications....... and Cryptonemia crenulata, expected to hold carrageenan, contained 21–26% by weight of galactose. A commercial Kappaphycus alvarezii carrageenan sample had 30% galactose residues by weight. Hydropuntia dentata, expected to contain agar, contained 15% by weight of galactose-monomers. Fourier transform infrared...

Stokes-Mueller matrix polarimetry technique for circular dichroism/birefringence sensing with scattering effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Phan, Quoc-Hung; Lo, Yu-Lung

2017-04-01

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-enhanced method is proposed for measuring the circular dichroism (CD), circular birefringence (CB), and degree of polarization (DOP) of turbid media using a Stokes–Mueller matrix polarimetry technique. The validity of the analytical model is confirmed by means of numerical simulations. The simulation results show that the proposed detection method enables the CD and CB properties to be measured with a resolution of 10 ? 4 refractive index unit (RIU) and 10 ? 5 ?? RIU , respectively, for refractive indices in the range of 1.3 to 1.4. The practical feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated by detecting the CB/CD/DOP properties of glucose–chlorophyllin compound samples containing polystyrene microspheres. It is shown that the extracted CB value decreases linearly with the glucose concentration, while the extracted CD value increases linearly with the chlorophyllin concentration. However, the DOP is insensitive to both the glucose concentration and the chlorophyllin concentration. Consequently, the potential of the proposed SPR-enhanced Stokes–Mueller matrix polarimetry method for high-resolution CB/CD/DOP detection is confirmed. Notably, in contrast to conventional SPR techniques designed to detect relative refractive index changes, the SPR technique proposed in the present study allows absolute measurements of the optical properties (CB/CD/DOP) to be obtained.

Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry study of chiral nanocrystalline cellulose films

Science.gov (United States)

Mendoza-Galván, Arturo; Muñoz-Pineda, Eloy; Ribeiro, Sidney J. L.; Santos, Moliria V.; Järrendahl, Kenneth; Arwin, Hans

2018-02-01

Chiral nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) free-standing films were prepared through slow evaporation of aqueous suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals in a nematic chiral liquid crystal phase. Mueller matrix (MM) spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to study the polarization and depolarization properties of the chiral films. In the reflection mode, the MM is similar to the matrices reported for the cuticle of some beetles reflecting near circular left-handed polarized light in the visible range. The polarization properties of light transmitted at normal incidence for different polarization states of incident light are discussed. By using a differential decomposition of the MM, the structural circular birefringence and dichroism of a NCC chiral film are evaluated.

Hichrom candida agar for identification of candida species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baradkar V

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Chromogenic media are frequently used in direct and rapid identification of yeasts because different Candida species produce unique colors on these media. We used 60 isolates of Candida species including 30 C. albicans, 10 C. parapsilosis, 11 C. glabrata, five C. tropicalis, and four C. dubliniensis, isolated from various clinical specimens, to evaluate the performance of HiChrome Candida agar. These strains had been identified by germ tube test, morphology on cornmeal agar, chlamydospore formation on tobacco agar and sugar assimilation tests. The sensitivity and specificity results were: C. albicans (96.55 and 96.42%; C. parapsilosis (80 and 98.03%, C. glabrata (90.90 and 88.23%, C. tropicalis (100 and 100% and C. dubliniensis (60 and 96.55% respectively. HiChrom Candida agaris medium has been useful and capable of presumptive, rapid identification of Candida species within 48 hours.

Pembuatan Bakto Agar dari Rumput Laut Gelidium rigidum untuk Media Tumbuh bagi Mikroorganisme

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Murdinah murdinah

2008-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRAK Telah dilakukan penelitian tentang pembuatan bakto agar dari rumput laut Gelidium rigidum untuk media tumbuh bagi mikroorganisme. Pembuatan bakto agar dilakukan dengan variasi waktu ekstraksi yaitu 1, 2, dan 3 jam pada suhu 121°C dan tekanan 1,1 atm. Bakto agar dianalisis rendemen dan mutunya yang meliputi kadar air, kadar abu, kadar abu tak larut asam, kadar sulfat, kekuatan gel, pH, titik leleh, dan titik jendal. Uji mikrobiologi yang diamati meliputi angka lempeng total bakteri (ALT dan diameter koloni. Dari hasil pengamatan diketahui bahwa bakto agar hasil ekstraksi dari rumput laut jenis Gelidium rigidum selama 2 jam mutunya menyamai bakto agar komersial, khususnya dari nilai kadar air, pH, kadar abu, kadar abu tak larut asam, kekuatan gel, serta kemampuannya menumbuhkan bakteri yang terdapat pada ikan segar dan kultur murni yaitu E. coli dan L. lactis. Tetapi dalam hal kadar sulfat, titik leleh, dan titik jendal masih di bawah mutu bakto agar komersial. Hasil penelitian juga menunjukkan bahwa waktu ekstraksi selama 2 jam menghasilkan bakto agar yang memenuhi standar bakto agar komersial dengan karakteristik kadar air 10,41%, kadar abu 2,1%, kadar abu tak larut asam 0,18%, kekuatan gel 670,72 g/cm2, dan pH 7,1.

Antibacterial effects of Arctium lappa and Artemesia absinthium extracts in laboratory conditions

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Habibipour Reza

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Arctium lappa (Great burduck and Artemesia absinthium are medicinal plants that some of their antibacterial and antivirus properties have been suggested in nutritional industries. The objective of this research was to study the effects of A. lappa and A. absinthium on some microorganisms including Pseudomonads aeraginosa, Haemophilus influenza, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus. Methods: Extracts were prepared by maceration method and tested on Mueller Hinton agar medium based on disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC were determined by micro-dilution method. Antibiotic disks used for controlling and standardizing the examination. Results: The extracts of A. lappa and A. absinthium had significant effect on S. aureus. The MIC and MBC concentrations of the extract of A. lappa on B. subtilis were respectively 600 and 750 mg/ml. Also, these values were 230 and 540 mg/ml for H. influenza. Extract of A. absinthium showed more inhibitory effect on B. subtilis. All extracts showed inhibitory effect on B. cereus. The extracts of A. lappa and A. absinthium had inhibitory effects on H. influenza and P. aeraginosa. Among antibiotics, only Ofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin had effects on H. influenza. Extract of A. lappa showed flimsy effect on K. pneumonia, while extract of A. absinthium had no effect on this bacterium. Conclusion: Due to the effects of A. lappa and A. absinthium on some bacteria, they might be good substitutes for synthetic substances.

Virulence Factors of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in an Iranian Referral Children's Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabouni, Farah; Mahmoudi, Shima; Bahador, Abbas; Pourakbari, Babak; Sadeghi, Reihaneh Hosseinpour; Ashtiani, Mohammad Taghi Haghi; Nikmanesh, Bahram; Mamishi, Setareh

2014-04-01

The clinical importance of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is attributed to notable virulence factors, surface proteins, toxins, and enzymes as well as the rapid development of drug resistance. The aim of this study was to compare the occurrence of virulence factors produced by S. aureus strains isolated from children in an Iranian referral children's hospital. The presence of genes encoding for the enterotoxins A (sea), B (seb), C (sec), D (sed), TSST-1 (tsst), exfoliative toxin A (eta), and exfoliative toxin B (etb) were detected by Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers. In addition, the standardized Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion method was performed on Mueller-Hinton agar. In total, 133 S. aureus isolates were obtained from different patients. Of these S. aureus isolates, 64 (48%) were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and all of these tested positive for the mecA gene. Regarding the classical enterotoxin genes, sea gene (40.6%) was the most prevalent followed by seb (19.6%), tsst (12.8%), eta (11.3%), etb (9%), sed (4.5%), and sec (3%). Among methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates, seb and tsst were the more prevalent toxins in comparison with MRSA isolates (p  0.05). In our study enterotoxin A was produced by 40.6% of the isolates (48% from MRSA and 33% from MSSA isolates) which was higher than in previous reports. According to our results, strict hygiene and preventative measures during food processing are highly recommended.

In vitro susceptibility of chloramphenicol against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayyaz, M.; Mirza, I.A.; Hussain, A.; Abbasi, S.A.; Ali, S.; Ahmed, Z.

2013-01-01

To determine the in vitro susceptibility of chloramphenicol against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, from January to June 2012. Methodology: One hundred and seventy four isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were included in this study using cefoxitin (30 A g) disc for detection. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of chloramphenicol against MRSA was determined by using E-strip (AB BIO DISK). The susceptibility was determined by swabbing the Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA) plates with the resultant saline suspension of MRSA and applying E-strip of chloramphenicol from AB Biodisk Sweden and determining the MIC of chloramphenicol (in A g/ml). Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations of A=8 A g/ml being sensitive, 16 A g/ml as intermediate and A 32 A g/ml as resistant were followed in interpreting the results. Results: Out of the 174 MRSA isolates, 132 (75.86%) isolates were susceptible to chloramphenicol with MICs of A=8 A g/ml, 38 (21.84%) were resistant A=32 A g/ml while 4 (2.30%) were in intermediate range with MIC of 16 A g/ml. Conclusion: Chloramphenicol has shown good in vitro activity against MRSA and is likely to have a key role in the treatment of MRSA infections providing us a good alternative to newer expensive antimicrobials in resource limited countries. (author)

Construction of proton exchange membranes under ultrasonic irradiation based on novel fluorine functionalizing sulfonated polybenzimidazole/cellulose/silica bionanocomposite.

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Esmaielzadeh, Sheida; Ahmadizadegan, Hashem

2018-03-01

Novel sulfonated polybenzimidazole (s-PBI)/cellulose/silica bionanocomposite membranes were prepared from fluorine-containing s-PBI copolymer with a cellulose/silica precursor and a bonding agent. The introduction of the bonding agent results in the reinforcing interfacial interaction between s-PBI chains and the cellulose/silica nanoparticles. Commercially available silica nanoparticles were modified with biodegradable nanocellolose through ultrasonic irradiation technique. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses showed that the cellulose/silica composites were well dispersed in the s-PBI matrix on a nanometer scale. The mechanical properties and the methanol barrier ability of the s-PBI films were improved by the addition of cellulose/silica. The modulus of the s-PBI/10 wt% cellulose/silica nanocomposite membranes had a 45% increase compared to the pure s-PBI films, and the methanol permeability decreased by 62% with respect to the pure s-PBI membranes. The conductivities of the s-PBI/cellulose/silica nanocomposites were slightly lower than the pure s-PBI. The antibacterial activity of (s-PBI)/cellulose/silica was investigated against Gram-positive bacteria, ie, Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus and Gram-negative bacteria, ie, Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the disc diffusion method using Mueller Hinton agar at different sizes of cellulose/silica. All of the synthesized (s-PBI)/cellulose/silica were found to have high antibacterial activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Speciation of Candida using chromogenic and cornmeal agar with determination of fluconazole sensitivity

OpenAIRE

Saroj Golia; K. Mallika Reddy; K. Sujatha Karjigi; Vivek Hittinahalli

2013-01-01

Objective and background: Candidiasis is an important cause of fungal infections. This study was carried out to determine the species incidence using chrom agar & cornmeal agar, susceptibility pattern to fluconazole by microbroth dilution methods of yeasts isolated from the clinical samples. Method: Positive samples for candidiasis where collected from 112 patients at Dr B R AMC from April 2010 to April 2011, processed by routine methods, chrom agar media and corn meal agar was used to spec...

Radiation level measured by a portable Geiger-Mueller counter at the altitude of commercial air routes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araki, Takashi

1995-01-01

The background intensities of naturally occurring radiation were measured aboard scheduled commercial airplanes using a newly developed Geiger-Mueller counter with a pocket computer. The preliminary results show that the radiation at the cruising altitude of a commercial airplane on a transcontinental flight is 40 times higher than the ground-level. (author)

Mueller matrix mapping of biological polycrystalline layers using reference wave

Science.gov (United States)

Dubolazov, A.; Ushenko, O. G.; Ushenko, Yu. O.; Pidkamin, L. Y.; Sidor, M. I.; Grytsyuk, M.; Prysyazhnyuk, P. V.

2018-01-01

The paper consists of two parts. The first part is devoted to the short theoretical basics of the method of differential Mueller-matrix description of properties of partially depolarizing layers. It was provided the experimentally measured maps of differential matrix of the 1st order of polycrystalline structure of the histological section of brain tissue. It was defined the statistical moments of the 1st-4th orders, which characterize the distribution of matrix elements. In the second part of the paper it was provided the data of statistic analysis of birefringence and dichroism of the histological sections of mice liver tissue (normal and with diabetes). It were defined the objective criteria of differential diagnostics of diabetes.

Quantitative assessment of submicron scale anisotropy in tissue multifractality by scattering Mueller matrix in the framework of Born approximation

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Das, Nandan Kumar; Dey, Rajib; Chakraborty, Semanti; Panigrahi, Prasanta K.; Meglinski, Igor; Ghosh, Nirmalya

2018-04-01

A number of tissue-like disordered media exhibit local anisotropy of scattering in the scaling behavior. Scaling behavior contains wealth of fractal or multifractal properties. We demonstrate that the spatial dielectric fluctuations in a sample of biological tissue exhibit multifractal anisotropy. Multifractal anisotropy encoded in the wavelength variation of the light scattering Mueller matrix and manifesting as an intriguing spectral diattenuation effect. We developed an inverse method for the quantitative assessment of the multifractal anisotropy. The method is based on the processing of relevant Mueller matrix elements in Fourier domain by using Born approximation, followed by the multifractal analysis. The approach promises for probing subtle micro-structural changes in biological tissues associated with the cancer and precancer, as well as for non-destructive characterization of a wide range of scattering materials.

A simple, rapid and inexpensive screening method for the identification of Pythium insidiosum.

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Tondolo, Juliana Simoni Moraes; Loreto, Erico Silva; Denardi, Laura Bedin; Mario, Débora Alves Nunes; Alves, Sydney Hartz; Santurio, Janio Morais

2013-04-01

Growth of Pythium insidiosum mycelia around minocycline disks (30μg) did not occur within 7days of incubation at 35°C when the isolates were grown on Sabouraud, corn meal, Muller-Hinton or RPMI agar. This technique offers a simple and rapid method for the differentiation of P. insidiosum from true filamentous fungi. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of selective agars recommended by method ISO 11290-1 and chromogenic agars for the isolation of Listeria sp. in refrigerated sausages

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Thalyta Marina Benetti

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Listeria sp. in refrigerated sausages, and to compare the performance of the selective plating media employed in the ISO 11290-1 method (PALCAM and Oxford agars with chromogenic agars (Chromogenic Listeria agars CM 1080 (OCLA and CM 1084. The prevalence of Listeria sp. detected was 52.9%, comprising 13.7% L. monocytogenes strains. The efficacy of the four agars for the isolation of L. monocytogenes proved to be satisfactory. Despite differences in composition of the chromogenic media assessed, these disparities did not affect concordance among results. However, PALCAM agar was shown to suppress other microorganisms more effectively, being more applicable for detecting Listeria strains present in lower quantities. Based on these results, the use of PALCAM agar, in combination with a chromogenic media, is recommended for enhanced isolation of atypical Listeria sp. strains in meat products.Este estudo teve como objetivo a análise da prevalência de Listeria sp. em linguiças resfriadas e a comparação dos meios seletivos utilizados no plaqueamento do método ISO 11290-1 (Ágar PALCAM e Ágar Oxford, e ágares cromogênicos (Ágares Listeria Cromogênico CM 1080 (OCLA e CM 1084 (ISO. A frequência de Listeria sp. foi de 52,9%, sendo que destas, 13,7% corresponderam à L. monocytogenes. A eficácia dos quatro ágares para o isolamento de L. monocytogenes demonstrou-se satisfatória. Apesar de haver algumas diferenças nas composições dos meios cromogênicos analisados, estas não pareceram influenciar nas concordâncias entre os resultados expressos. Contudo, o ágar PALCAM mostrou-se mais eficaz na supressão de outros micro-organismos, aumentando, assim, a possibilidade de detecção de espécies de Listeria presentes em número reduzido. Através deste trabalho sugere-se a utilização do ágar PALCAM associado a um meio cromogênico para aumentar a chance de isolamento de cepas at

Seasonal variations of agar extracted from different life stages of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Seasonality in yield, physical and chemical properties of the native agar from different life stages of Gracilaria cliftonii was investigated over a period of six seasons (autumn 2008–winter 2009). Agar yield and its properties varied as a function of seasons and life stages but there was no significant correlation between ...

[A wanderer between cultures--Reinhold F.G. Mueller (1882-1966) as Indologist and historian of medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Mildenberger, Florian

2007-01-01

Reinhold Mueller has been the one and only historian of medicine in Germany who worked in the field of the Indian history of medicine from the 1920s to the 1960s. He influenced German, American and Indian researchers, but he was nearly forgotten soon after his death. This is the first paper about his life and work to be published. Mueller studied a wide range of topics, the history of Indian gynaecology, of psychiatry, of immunology and of general practice and his subsequent articles were published in the principal contemporary magazines. However, he did not have a perfect understanding of Sanskrit language and writing. Moreover, as he subordinated his research to the premises of National Socialism and of communism, some of his articles have to be seen as part of an Aryan-Germanic race discourse. Yet, these inadequacies and mistakes did not prevent other researchers from maintaining contact with him after 1945. Even when Anglo-American historians of medicine began to study Indian medicine in the 1980s, his publications were re-examined and analysed.

Azimuthally invariant Mueller-matrix mapping of optically anisotropic layers of biological networks of blood plasma in the diagnosis of liver disease

Science.gov (United States)

Ushenko, A. G.; Dubolazov, A. V.; Ushenko, V. A.; Ushenko, Yu. A.; Sakhnovskiy, M. Y.; Pavlyukovich, O.; Pavlyukovich, N.; Novakovskaya, O.; Gorsky, M. P.

2016-09-01

The model of Mueller-matrix description of mechanisms of optical anisotropy that typical for polycrystalline layers of the histological sections of biological tissues and fluids - optical activity, birefringence, as well as linear and circular dichroism - is suggested. Within the statistical analysis distributions quantities of linear and circular birefringence and dichroism the objective criteria of differentiation of myocardium histological sections (determining the cause of death); films of blood plasma (liver pathology); peritoneal fluid (endometriosis of tissues of women reproductive sphere); urine (kidney disease) were determined. From the point of view of probative medicine the operational characteristics (sensitivity, specificity and accuracy) of the method of Mueller-matrix reconstruction of optical anisotropy parameters were found.

Very forward jet, Mueller Navelet jets and jet gap jet measurements in CMS

CERN Document Server

Cerci, Salim

2018-01-01

The measurements of very forward jet, Mueller-Navelet jets and jet-gap-jet events are presented for different collision energies. The analyses are based on data collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. Jets are defined through the anti-$k_\\mathrm{t}$ clustering algorithm for different cone sizes. Jet production studies provide stringent tests of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and contribute to tune Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and phenomenological models. The measurements are compared to predictions from various Monte Carlo event generators.

Mueller-matrix ellipsometry studies of optically active structures in scarab beetles

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Arwin H.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The complexity of multilayers, photonic crystals, metamaterials and other artificial materials has promoted the use of spectroscopic, variable angle, generalized and Mueller-matrix ellipsometry. Naturally occurring structures may show even higher complexity than artificial structures but with a more narrow range of constituent materials. Fascinating reflection properties result from intricate photonic structures in, for instance, the wing scales and cuticles of insects. Currently there is a large interest to explore such functional supramolecular architectures for exploitation in nanotechnology. In this study, Mueller-matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry is applied in the spectral range of 250 to 1000 nm to investigate optical response and structures of the cuticle of Scarab beetles of the Cetoniinae subfamily. The cuticle of Cetonia aurata (the rose chafer, la cétoine dorée is green with a metallic appearance and reflects left-handed circular/elliptically polarized light. It has been suggested that the polarization of this metallic gloss is caused by a helical structure in the chitinous cuticle. We find that the polarization effect is limited to the narrow spectral range 470-550 nm whereas for shorter or longer wavelengths the reflection properties are similar to those from a near-dielectric material. Model calculations and parameterization of the nanostructure employing a heliocoidal structure are discussed. As a comparison the polarization effects from light reflected from two other beetles will be presented. Coptomia laevis has a similar appearance as Cetonia aurata but has very different polarization properties. The golden Plusiotis argentiola has very interesting properties showing both left and right-handed polarization depending on incidence angle and wavelength.

Current knowledge on agarolytic enzymes and the industrial potential of agar-derived sugars.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Eun Ju; Yu, Sora; Kim, Kyoung Heon

2017-07-01

Agar is a major cell wall carbohydrate of red macroalgae (Rhodophyta). Sugars derived from agar, such as agarooligosaccharides (AOSs), neoagarooligosaccharides (NAOSs), neoagarobiose (NAB), and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose (L-AHG), possess various physiological activities. These agar-derived sugars can be produced by hydrolysis using chemicals or agarolytic enzymes. Despite the industrial potential of agar-derived sugars, their application has been hampered mainly due to the absence of efficient processes for the liquefaction and saccharification of agar. In this review, we have focused on strategies for producing high value-added sugars from agarose via chemical or enzymatic liquefaction and enzymatic saccharification. The liquefaction of agarose is a key step for preventing gelling and increasing the solubility of agarose in water by prehydrolyzing agarose into AOSs or NAOSs. For the industrial use of agar-derived sugars, AOS, NAOS, NAB, and L-AHG can be used as functional biomaterials owing to their physiological activities such as antiinflammation, skin whitening, and moisturizing. Recently, it was reported that AHG could be considered as a new anticariogenic sugar to replace xylitol. This review provides a comprehensive overview of processes for the hydrolysis of agar or agarose to produce high value-added sugars and the industrial application of these sugars.

Actividad "in vitro" de diferentes antibacterianos sobre bacilos gram-negativos no fermentadores, excluidos Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Acinetobacter spp ‘In vitro' activity of different antimicrobial agents on gram-negative nonfermentative bacilli, excluding Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp

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C.A. Vay

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Los bacilos gram-negativos no fermentadores se encuentran ampliamente distribuidos en el medio ambiente. Además de causar dificultades en la identificación, a menudo presentan una marcada multirresistencia a los antimicrobianos incluyendo aquellos activos frente a Pseudomonas aeruginosa. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la actividad "in vitro" de diferentes antimicrobianos sobre 177 aislamientos de bacilos gram-negativos no fermentadores (excluidos Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Acinetobacter spp. provenientes de especimenes clínicos. Las concentraciones inhibitorias mínimas (CIM se determinaron por el método de dilución en agar Mueller Hinton frente a los siguientes antibacterianos: ampicilina, piperacilina, piperacilina-tazobactama, sulbactama, cefoperazona, cefoperazona-sulbactama, ceftazidima, cefepima, aztreonam, imipenem, meropenem, colistina, gentamicina, amicacina, trimetoprima-sulfametoxazol (TMS, cloranfenicol, eritromicina, rifampicina, norfloxacina, ciprofloxacina y minociclina. Sobre siete aislamientos: Sphingobacterium multivorum (2, Sphingobacterium spiritivorum (1, Empedobacter brevis (1, Weeksella virosa (1, Bergeyella zoohelcum (1 y Oligella urethralis (1 se ensayó la sensibilidad a amoxicilina-ácido clavulánico y ampicilina-sulbactama y no se determinó la actividad de cefoperazona ni de sulbactama. La multirresistencia fue comúnmente observada en los aislamientos de Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Burkholderia cepacia, Chryseobacterium spp., Myroides spp., Achromobacter xylosoxidans y Ochrobactrum anthropi. En cambio, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Shewanella putrefaciens-algae, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, Bergeyella zoohelcum, Weeksella virosa y Oligella urethralis, fueron ampliamente sensibles a los antibacterianos ensayados. Debido a la gran variabilidad observada en la sensibilidad a los antimicrobianos en las distintas especies, se hace imprescindible realizar la prueba de sensibilidad a los

Detection of Oxacillin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from the Neonatal and Pediatric Units of a Brazilian Teaching Hospital

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Valéria Cataneli Pereira

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To determine, by phenotypic and genotypic methods, oxacillin susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit patients seen at the University Hospital of the Botucatu School of Medicine.Methods: A total of 100 S. aureus strains isolated from the following materials were studied: 25 blood cultures, 21 secretions, 12 catheters, 3 cannulae and one chest drain from 62 patients in the neonatal unit, and 36 blood cultures, one pleural fluid sample and one peritoneal fluid sample from 38 patients in the pediatric unit. Resistance of the S. aureus isolates to oxacillin was evaluated by the disk diffusion method with oxacillin (1 μg and cefoxitin (30 μg, agar screening test using Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 6 μg/ml oxacillin and 4% NaCl, and detection of the mecA gene by PCR. In addition, the isolates were tested for β-lactamase production using disks impregnated with Nitrocefin and hyperproduction of β-lactamase using amoxicillin (20 μg and clavulanic acid (10 μg disks.Results: Among the 100 S. aureus strains included in the study, 18.0% were resistant to oxacillin, with 16.1% MRSA being detected in the neonatal unit and 21.0% in the pediatric unit. The oxacillin (1 μg and cefoxitin (30 μg disk diffusion methods presented 94.4% and 100% sensitivity, respectively, and 98.8% specificity. The screening test showed 100% sensitivity and 98.8% specificity. All isolates produced β-lactamase and one of these strains was considered to be a hyperproducer.Conclusions: The 30 μg cefoxitin disk diffusion method presented the best result when compared to the 1 μg oxacillin disk. The sensitivity of the agar screening test was similar to that of the cefoxitin disk diffusion method and higher than that of the oxacillin disk diffusion method. We observed variations in the percentage of oxacillin-resistant isolates during the study period, with a decline over the last years which

Detection of Oxacillin Resistance in Isolated from the Neonatal and Pediatric Units of a Brazilian Teaching Hospital

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Valéria Cataneli Pereira

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Objective To determine, by phenotypic and genotypic methods, oxacillin susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit patients seen at the University Hospital of the Botucatu School of Medicine. Methods A total of 100 S. aureus strains isolated from the following materials were studied: 25 blood cultures, 21 secretions, 12 catheters, 3 cannulae and one chest drain from 62 patients in the neonatal unit, and 36 blood cultures, one pleural fluid sample and one peritoneal fluid sample from 38 patients in the pediatric unit. Resistance of the S. aureus isolates to oxacillin was evaluated by the disk diffusion method with oxacillin (1 μg and cefoxitin (30 μg, agar screening test using Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 6 μg/ml oxacillin and 4% NaCl, and detection of the mecA gene by PCR. In addition, the isolates were tested for β-lactamase production using disks impregnated with Nitrocefin and hyperproduction of β-lactamase using amoxicillin (20 μg and clavulanic acid (10 μg disks. Results Among the 100 S. aureus strains included in the study, 18.0% were resistant to oxacillin, with 16.1% MRSA being detected in the neonatal unit and 21.0% in the pediatric unit. The oxacillin (1 μg and cefoxitin (30 μg disk diffusion methods presented 94.4% and 100% sensitivity, respectively, and 98.8% specificity. The screening test showed 100% sensitivity and 98.8% specificity. All isolates produced β-lactamase and one of these strains was considered to be a hyperproducer. Conclusions The 30 μg cefoxitin disk diffusion method presented the best result when compared to the 1 μg oxacillin disk. The sensitivity of the agar screening test was similar to that of the cefoxitin disk diffusion method and higher than that of the oxacillin disk diffusion method. We observed variations in the percentage of oxacillin-resistant isolates during the study period, with a decline over the last years which might

Time domain NMR study of Agar-gelatin blends; Estudo por RMN no dominio do tempo de blendas de Agar- gelatina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mattos, Ritamara; Pericini, H.A.; Tambelli, Caio E., E-mail: tambelli@usp.br [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos; Raphael, Ellen [Universidade Federal de Sao Joao del Rei (UFSJ), MG (Brazil). Departamento de Ciencias Naturais; Magon, Claudio J.; Donoso, P. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil). Instituto de Fisica

2015-07-01

This communication presents results of {sup 1}H time domain nuclear magnetic resonance of Agar-Gelatin blends plasticised with glycerol, cross-linked with formaldehyde and containing acetic acid. The spin-spin relaxation decay curves of samples obtained from CPMG experiments were inverted into corresponding distributions of relaxation times using NNLS (Non Negative Least Square) algorithm. The continuous distributions reveals up to four components of spin-spin relaxation times (T{sub 2}). The two components at short T{sub 2} were associated with protons in different environments of Agar and gelatin polymer chain. The two components at longer T{sub 2} can be associated with the glycerol that is the responsible to promote the proton conduction in the blend. (author)

Photothermal characterization of the gelation process in Gelidium robustum Agar

Science.gov (United States)

Freile-Pelegrín, Y.; Bante, J.; Alvarado-Gil, J. J.; Yánez-Limón, J. M.

2005-06-01

Agar is a hydrophilic colloid formed by polysaccharides, whose ability to form reversible gels simply by cooling hot aqueous solutions is the most important property and can be regarded as the prototype and model for all gelling systems. In this paper the evolution of the gelation process of agar obtained from algae of the species Gelidium robustum, using the photopyroelectric technique is reported. It is shown that thermal effusivity increase when the agar is cooled, reaching a maximum value around 37°C. The increase in thermal effusivity can be related to the increasing of the bondings in the gel as temperature decreases, reaching the maximum at the gelation point. The decrease of the thermal effusivity at lower temperature could be due to the syneresis process involving a gradual release of water after gelation.

AGAR FROM MALAYSIAN RED SEAWEED AS POTENTIAL MATERIAL FOR SYNTHESIS OF BIOPLASTIC FILM

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SIEW-LING HII

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this study was to identify the potential use of agar extracted from red seaweed, Gracilaria salicornia, collected from the coastal area of Malaysia as the raw material for synthesis of bioplastic film. Agar was extracted via two extraction methods: (1 alkali extraction method and (2 photo bleaching extraction method. The yields of agar by both of the methods were 9 to 11 %. The alkali extracted agar (AEA and photo bleached agar (PBA were incorporated as the raw materials for the formation of bioplastic films while sago starch and glycerol were added to increase workability. Physicochemical properties of the two bioplastic films were characterised. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of agar in both plastic films with the presence of 3,6- anhydrogalactose residues and further indicated that the interactions of agar and sago starch were strong in both PBA and AEA films. The results showed that tensile strength and percent elongation of PBA film (3.067 MPa, 3.270 % was higher than AEA film (2.431 MPa, 2.476 %. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA; % residual weight revealed that AEA film has higher thermal stability (14.80 % than PBA film (10.27 % while rheological results proved that both films exhibited non-Newtonian behaviors. The AEA film was completely decomposed after 30 days in the soil burial test. Results of current study show a wide range of future possibilities and commercial applications of AEA and PBA bioplastic films.

Performance of CHROMAGAR candida and BIGGY agar for identification of yeast species

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Marol Serhat

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The importance of identifying the pathogenic fungi rapidly has encouraged the development of differential media for the presumptive identification of yeasts. In this study two differential media, CHROMagar Candida and bismuth sulphite glucose glycine yeast agar, were evaluated for the presumptive identification of yeast species. Methods A total number of 270 yeast strains including 169 Candida albicans, 33 C. tropicalis, 24 C. glabrata, 18 C. parapsilosis, 12 C. krusei, 5 Trichosporon spp., 4 C. kefyr, 2 C. lusitaniae, 1 Saccharomyces cerevisiae and 1 Geotrichum candidum were included. The strains were first identified by germ tube test, morphological characteristics on cornmeal tween 80 agar and Vitek 32 and API 20 C AUX systems. In parallel, they were also streaked onto CHROMagar Candida and bismuth sulphite glucose glycine yeast agar plates. The results were read according to the color, morphology of the colonies and the existance of halo around them after 48 hours of incubation at 37°C. Results The sensitivity and specificity values for C. albicans strains were found to be 99.4, 100% for CHROMagar Candida and 87.0, 75.2% for BiGGY agar, respectively. The sensitivity of CHROMagar Candida to identify C. tropicalis, C. glabrata and C. krusei ranged between 90.9 and 100% while the specificity was 100%. The sensitivity rates for BiGGY agar were 66.6 and 100% while the specificity values were found to be 95.4 and 100% for C. tropicalis and C. krusei, respectively. Conclusions It can be concluded that the use of CHROMagar Candida is an easy and reliable method for the presumptive identification of most commonly isolated Candida species especially C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. krusei. The lower sensitivity and specificity of BiGGY agar to identify commonly isolated Candida species potentially limits the clinical usefulness of this agar.

Performance of CHROMAGAR candida and BIGGY agar for identification of yeast species.

Science.gov (United States)

Yücesoy, Mine; Marol, Serhat

2003-10-29

The importance of identifying the pathogenic fungi rapidly has encouraged the development of differential media for the presumptive identification of yeasts. In this study two differential media, CHROMagar Candida and bismuth sulphite glucose glycine yeast agar, were evaluated for the presumptive identification of yeast species. A total number of 270 yeast strains including 169 Candida albicans, 33 C. tropicalis, 24 C. glabrata, 18 C. parapsilosis, 12 C. krusei, 5 Trichosporon spp., 4 C. kefyr, 2 C. lusitaniae, 1 Saccharomyces cerevisiae and 1 Geotrichum candidum were included. The strains were first identified by germ tube test, morphological characteristics on cornmeal tween 80 agar and Vitek 32 and API 20 C AUX systems. In parallel, they were also streaked onto CHROMagar Candida and bismuth sulphite glucose glycine yeast agar plates. The results were read according to the color, morphology of the colonies and the existance of halo around them after 48 hours of incubation at 37 degrees C. The sensitivity and specificity values for C. albicans strains were found to be 99.4, 100% for CHROMagar Candida and 87.0, 75.2% for BiGGY agar, respectively. The sensitivity of CHROMagar Candida to identify C. tropicalis, C. glabrata and C. krusei ranged between 90.9 and 100% while the specificity was 100%. The sensitivity rates for BiGGY agar were 66.6 and 100% while the specificity values were found to be 95.4 and 100% for C. tropicalis and C. krusei, respectively. It can be concluded that the use of CHROMagar Candida is an easy and reliable method for the presumptive identification of most commonly isolated Candida species especially C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. krusei. The lower sensitivity and specificity of BiGGY agar to identify commonly isolated Candida species potentially limits the clinical usefulness of this agar.

Formulation of Hydrocolloid-Agar, Sucrose, and Acidulant on Jam Leather Product Development

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Wahyu Ramadhan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Tallying agar powder as a texturizer in guava single sheet jam instigate the product more convenience to consumed. The aims of this research were to determine the best concentration of sucrose, citric acid and agar powder to form a good quality guava jam slice. The research method are optimization and formulationof sucrose, citric acid and agar-agar on making guava jam single sheets product. Physochemical and sensory tests were performed to reveal the best formulation of guava jam slice and the Bayes method used to determine the optimization of the selected formula. Based on the results of formulation and analysis, itwas obtained that  the guava jam slice with Acidulant concentration (0.02%, 0.04%, 0.06%, sucrose (70%, 80%, 90%, 100% and agar powder (0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1.0%, 1.1%, 1.2% had pH 3.63-3.90, sugar content 34.68 g/100 g – 35.76 g/100 g, color intensity L*, a*, b* with ΔE* value was 37,88-53,97, fiber content 1.01%-1.59%, and water activity 0.852-0.893. Rheology properties for texture profile (hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, adhesive force, and gumminess also showed significant value with agar powder formulation. Based on the Bayes test and hedonic test, it was found that the best formula was for guava jam slices with the addition of 90% sucrose, citric acid 0.04% and agar powder 0.9%. From the best formula, it was found the shelf life prediction model of Arrhenius formula was ln k = 20.222-6660.6(1/T and the nutrition facts contribute total energy 45 kcal, fat 0%, carbohydrate 9%, protein 2% and dietary fiber 3%.

Agar composition affects in vitro screening of biocontrol activity of antagonistic microorganisms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosmans, Lien; De Bruijn, I.; de Mot, Rene; Readers, Hans; Lievens, Bart

2016-01-01

Agar-based screening assays are the method of choice when evaluating antagonistic potential of bacterial biocontrol-candidates against pathogens.Weshowed thatwhen using the samemedium, but different agar compositions, the activity of a bacterial antagonist against Agrobacteriumwas strongly affected.

Optimal configuration of partial Mueller matrix polarimeter for measuring the ellipsometric parameters in the presence of Poisson shot noise and Gaussian noise

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Quan, Naicheng; Zhang, Chunmin; Mu, Tingkui

2018-05-01

We address the optimal configuration of a partial Mueller matrix polarimeter used to determine the ellipsometric parameters in the presence of additive Gaussian noise and signal-dependent shot noise. The numerical results show that, for the PSG/PSA consisting of a variable retarder and a fixed polarizer, the detection process immune to these two types of noise can be optimally composed by 121.2° retardation with a pair of azimuths ±71.34° and a 144.48° retardation with a pair of azimuths ±31.56° for four Mueller matrix elements measurement. Compared with the existing configurations, the configuration presented in this paper can effectively decrease the measurement variance and thus statistically improve the measurement precision of the ellipsometric parameters.

Effect of lignin on water vapor barrier, mechanical, and structural properties of agar/lignin composite films.

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Shankar, Shiv; Reddy, Jeevan Prasad; Rhim, Jong-Whan

2015-11-01

Biodegradable composite films were prepared using two renewable resources based biopolymers, agar and lignin alkali. The lignin was used as a reinforcing material and agar as a biopolymer matrix. The effect of lignin concentration (1, 3, 5, and 10wt%) on the performance of the composite films was studied. In addition, the mechanical, water vapor barrier, UV light barrier properties, FE-SEM, and TGA of the films were analyzed. The agar/lignin films exhibited higher mechanical and UV barrier properties along with lower water vapor permeability compared to the neat agar film. The FTIR and SEM results showed the compatibility of lignin with agar polymer. The swelling ratio and moisture content of agar/lignin composite films were decreased with increase in lignin content. The thermostability and char content of agar/lignin composite films increased with increased lignin content. The results suggested that agar/lignin films have a potential to be used as a UV barrier food packaging material for maintaining food safety and extending the shelf-life of the packaged food. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mueller-Navelet jets in next-to-leading order BFKL. Theory versus experiment

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Caporale, F.; Murdaca, B.; Papa, A. [Universita della Calabria, Dipartimento di Fisica, Cosenza (Italy); Gruppo collegato di Cosenza, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Cosenza (Italy); Ivanov, D.Yu. [Sobolev Institute of Mathematics and Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

2014-10-15

We study, within QCD collinear factorization and including BFKL resummation at the next-to-leading order, the production of Mueller-Navelet jets at LHC with center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The adopted jet vertices are calculated in the approximation of a small aperture of the jet cone in the pseudorapidity-azimuthal angle plane. We consider several representations of the dijet cross section, differing only beyond the next-to-leading order, to calculate a few observables related with this process. We use various methods of optimization to fix the energy scales entering the perturbative calculation and compare our results with the experimental data from the CMS collaboration. (orig.)

Azimuthally invariant Mueller-matrix mapping of biological optically anisotropic network

Science.gov (United States)

Ushenko, Yu. O.; Vanchuliak, O.; Bodnar, G. B.; Ushenko, V. O.; Grytsyuk, M.; Pavlyukovich, N.; Pavlyukovich, O. V.; Antonyuk, O.

2017-09-01

A new technique of Mueller-matrix mapping of polycrystalline structure of histological sections of biological tissues is suggested. The algorithms of reconstruction of distribution of parameters of linear and circular dichroism of histological sections liver tissue of mice with different degrees of severity of diabetes are found. The interconnections between such distributions and parameters of linear and circular dichroism of liver of mice tissue histological sections are defined. The comparative investigations of coordinate distributions of parameters of amplitude anisotropy formed by Liver tissue with varying severity of diabetes (10 days and 24 days) are performed. The values and ranges of change of the statistical (moments of the 1st - 4th order) parameters of coordinate distributions of the value of linear and circular dichroism are defined. The objective criteria of cause of the degree of severity of the diabetes differentiation are determined.

Potassium analysis by beta counting using a Geiger-Mueller system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espana, E.; Beneitez, P.; Calderon, T.

1993-01-01

A technique for quantitative analysis of different soils, ceramics, feldspars and natural halide samples is presented, based on the measurement of β-activities using a Geiger-Mueller system. The system was calibrated with KCl, KC 8 H 5 O 4 , KNO 3 and K 2 SO 4 standards and a potassium content of 1% yields a net β-count rate (background subtracted) of about 55 cph. Precision values of less than ±0.4% K can be achieved in counting times of about 4 hours. The results agree with those obtained by means of other more common analytical methods such as flame photometry, atomic absorption and γ-spectrometry. In comparison with these methods, this approach is direct, precise and non-destructive, because the samples do not require prior treatment. (author) 16 refs.; 2 figs.; 6 tabs

[Mutant prevention concentrations of antibacterial agents to ocular pathogenic bacteria].

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Qing-Feng; Wang, Zhi-Qun; Li, Ran; Luo, Shi-Yun; Deng, Shi-Jing; Sun, Xu-Guang

2009-01-01

To establish a method to measure mutant prevention concentration (MPC) in vitro, and to measure MPC of antibacterial agents for ocular bacteria caused keratitis. It was an experimental study. Forty strains of ocular bacteria were separated from cornea in Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, which included 8 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae respectively. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the levofloxacin (LVF), ofloxacin (OFL), ciprofloxacin (CIP), norfloxacin (NFL), tobramycin (TOB) and chloromycetin (CHL) were determined by agar dilution method from National Committee of Clinical Laboratory Standard (NCCLS). The MPC were measured by accumulate-bacterial methods with bacterial population inoculated more than 1.2 x 10(10) colony forming units per milliliter with Mueller-Hinton broth and tryptic soy agar plate. With the software of SPSS 11.0, the datum such as the range of MIC, MPC, MIC90 and MPC90 were calculated, and the selection index (MPC90/ MI90) and mutant selection window (MSW) were obtained. The MI90 of LVF and TOB (4 mg/L) to Staphylococcus aureus strains were the lowest. CIP showed the lowest MIC90 (0.25 mg/L) to Pseudomonas aeruginosa among six kinds of antibacterial agents. The MIC90 of LVF to Staphylococcus epidermidis (256 mg/L), Streptococcus pneumoniae (1 mg/L) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (0.25 mg/L) were lower than other antibacterial agents. The MPC90, MSW and the MPC90/MIC90 of levofloxacin showed lower values compared with other antibacterial medicines. From all the datum, the MIC90 of CHL was the highest and the activity was the weakest. Although the activity of LVF was higher to every kind of bacteria, CIP had the highest activity antibacterial to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The capacity of CHL and TOB was weaker than Quinolones for restricting resistant mutants on ocular bacteria. LVF had the strongest capacity for restricting resistant

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from Trinidad & Tobago

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Monteil Michele

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA has become increasingly prevalent worldwide since it was first reported in a British hospital. The prevalence however, varies markedly in hospitals in the same country, and from one country to another. We therefore sought to document comprehensively the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of MRSA isolates in Trinidad and Tobago. Methods All Staphylococcus aureus isolates encountered in routine clinical specimens received at major hospitals in the country between 2000 and 2001 were identified morphologically and biochemically by standard laboratory procedures including latex agglutination test (Staphaurex Plus; Murex Diagnostics Ltd; Dartford, England; tube coagulase test with rabbit plasma (Becton, Dickinson & Co; Sparks, MD, USA, and DNase test using DNase agar (Oxoid Ltd; Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. MRSA screening was performed using Mueller-Hinton agar containing 6 μg oxacillin and 4% NaCl, latex agglutination test (Denka Seiken Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan and E-test system (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden. Susceptibility to antimicrobial agents was determined by the modified Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method while methicillin MICs were determined with E-test system. Results Of 1,912 S. aureus isolates received, 12.8% were methicillin (oxacillin resistant. Majority of the isolates were recovered from wound swabs (86.9% and the least in urine (0.4% specimens. Highest number of isolates was encountered in the surgical (62.3% and the least from obstetrics and gynaecology (1.6% facilities respectively. Large proportions of methicillin sensitive isolates are >85% sensitive to commonly used and available antimicrobials in the country. All MRSA isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone, erythromycin, gentamicin and penicillin but were 100% sensitive to vancomycin, rifampin and chloramphenicol. Conclusion There is a progressive increase in MRSA prevalence in the country but

Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Pathogen Isolated from Bovine Mastitis Milk in Transylvania, Romania

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Cosmina Bouari

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Mastitis in cows, one of the most common and economically important infectious diseases of dairy cattle, all over the world, with significant impact due to economic losses, occurs when the udder becomes inflamed because the leukocytes are released into the mammary gland usually in response to bacteria invasion of the teat canal. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria isolated from milk in order to design specific control programs for bovine mastitis in this area. A total of 204 milk samples aseptically collected both from farms and private owners were processed during May 2014 and March 2016 within the Microbiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The microbiological examination was carried out by inoculation on blood agar and MacConkey medium. After the overnight incubation in aerobic conditions, the identification of the isolates was performed using microscopic, cultural and biochemical methods. Biochemical identification was based on API 20 Biomerieux system. Susceptibility to antibiotics was evaluated using Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar; the antibiotics were represented by Amoxicillin and Clavulanic Acid, Ceftiofur, Florfenicol, Mastidiscs, Enrofloxacin, Penicillin and Tetracycline. Staphylococcus spp. was the most common isolated pathogen, in 54.9% of the specimens, followed by Streptococcus spp. in 20.1%, Escherichia coli in 10.78%, Klebsiella spp. in 8.34%, Bacillus spp. in 5.88%. The most frequent associations were represented by staphylococci-streptococci in 62.7% of the samples, followed by streptococci-bacillus in 19.8% of the samples. The most important etiological agents identified were Staphylococcus aureus, S uberis, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial susceptibility test for the total isolates revealed good sensitivity to Enrofloxacin, Mastidiscs and Amoxicillin and Clavulanic Acid

Elastinolytic and proteolytic enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kessler, Efrat; Safrin, Mary

2014-01-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes into its environment at least seven extracellular proteases: pseudolysin (LasB protease; elastase), aeruginolysin (alkaline proteinase), staphylolysin (staphylolytic endopeptidase; LasA protease), lysyl endopeptidase (protease IV; PrpL), PASP (P. aeruginosa small protease), LepA (Large ExoProtease A), and an aminopeptidase. Their action on host proteins, both individually and synergistically, plays important roles in pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa infections. Methods to measure/detect their activities are fundamental for understanding their physiological functions, roles in pathogenesis, mechanisms of action, regulation, and secretion. Most assays for determination/detection of proteolytic activity employ modified/non-modified casein or gelatin as substrates. In the quantitative assay, fragments generated from azocasein are separated from undigested substrate by trichloroacetic acid precipitation and their absorbance is measured. In non-quantitative assays, proteolytic activity is detected as clearing zones around bacterial growth or samples of culture supernatants on casein containing solid media formed due to local casein degradation. In zymography, individual proteases are detected as clear bands in gelatin/casein containing gels after SDS-PAGE separation, renaturation and protein staining. The elastinolytic capacity of P. aeruginosa is reflected by clearing zones on nutrient agar plates containing insoluble elastin instead of casein. Mueller-Hinton agar plates on which S. aureus cells are grown as a lawn are used to assess the susceptibility of S. aureus isolates to staphylolysin. A clear zone around a staphylolysin-containing sample indicates inhibition of S. aureus growth. Methods for measuring the activity of individual proteases are based on their cleavage specificity. These include assays of elastinolytic activity of pseudolysin and/or staphylolysin using elastin-Congo red as a substrate, a method for determination of

Klebsiella pneumonia, a Microorganism that Approves the Non-linear Responses to Antibiotics and Window Theory after Exposure to Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz Electromagnetic Radiofrequency Radiation

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Taheri M.

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Drug resistance is widely believed to be an increasingly serious threat to global public health. We have previously reported that short term exposure of microorganisms to diagnostic ultrasound waves could significantly alter their sensitivity to antibiotics. In our previous studies, Klebsiella pneumoniae showed major differences in the sensitivity to antibiotics in exposed and non-exposed samples. This study was aimed at investigating the alteration of antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella pneumonia, after exposure to Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, three replicate agar plates were used for each test. The antibiotic susceptibility test was carried out using disc diffusion method on Mueller Hinton agar plates and the inhibition zones in both control and exposed groups were measured. A common Wi-Fi router was used in this study as the radiofrequency exposure source. Irradiated samples were exposed to Wi-Fi radiofrequency radiation for 3, 4.5 and 8 hours. Results: Statistically significant variations of sensitivity to antibiotics were found for all studied antibiotics after 4.5 hours of RF exposure, compared to non-exposed bacteria. Interestingly, the mean diameters of the inhibition zones after 3 hours of exposure were less than those exposed for 4.5 hours. Following this rise in the sensitivity to antibiotics, a fall was observed in the bacteria exposed for 8 hours for all studied antibiotics. Conclusion: The findings of this study show a statistically significant rise in the sensitivity of Klebsiella pneumoniae to different antibiotics after 4.5 hours of exposure to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi radiation, followed by a fall after 8 hours of exposure. These observations can be interpreted by the concept of non-linearity in the responses of Klebsiella pneumoniae to different antibiotics after exposure to electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation. As in this study a minimum level of

spa typing and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from healthy humans, pigs and dogs in Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Katakweba, Abdul Sekemani; Muhairwa, Amandus Pachificus; Espinosa-Gongora, Carmen; Guardabassi, Luca; Mtambo, Madundo M A; Olsen, John Elmerdahl

2016-02-28

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen causing infections in humans and animals. Here we report for the first time the prevalence of nasal carriage, spa typing and antimicrobial resistance of S. aureus in a Tanzanian livestock community. Nasal swabs were taken from 100 humans, 100 pigs and 100 dogs in Morogoro Municipal. Each swab was enriched in Mueller Hinton broth with 6.5% NaCl and subcultured on chromogenic agar for S. aureus detection. Presumptive S. aureus colonies were confirmed to the species level by nuc PCR and analysed by spa typing. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were determined by disc diffusion method. S. aureus was isolated from 22% of humans, 4% of pigs and 11% of dogs. A total of 21 spa types were identified: 13, 7 and 1 in human, dogs, and pigs, respectively. Three spa types (t314, t223 and t084) were shared between humans and dogs. A novel spa type (t10779) was identified in an isolate recovered from a colonized human. Antimicrobials tested revealed resistance to ampicillin in all isolates, moderate resistances to other antimicrobials with tetracycline resistance being the most frequent. S. aureus carrier frequencies in dogs and humans were within the expected range and low in pigs. The S. aureus spa types circulating in the community were generally not shared by different hosts and majority of types belonged to known clones. Besides ampicillin resistance, moderate levels of antimicrobial resistance were observed irrespective of the host species from which the strains were isolated.

Antibacterial properties of 2% lidocaine and reduced rate of endophthalmitis after intravitreal injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Tustin, Aaron; Kim, Stephen J; Chomsky, Amy; Hubbard, G Baker; Sheng, Jinsong

2014-05-01

To determine whether the application of subconjunctival 2% lidocaine/0.1% methylparaben for anesthesia may reduce rates of endophthalmitis after intravitreal (IVT) injection. We performed in vitro experiments to determine the antibacterial properties of 2% lidocaine/0.1% methylparaben (lidocaine) against causative organisms of endophthalmitis. Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus viridans from patients with endophthalmitis were incubated with or without lidocaine. Aliquots (100 µL) were plated on Mueller-Hinton (S. aureus and S. epidermidis) or blood agar plates (S. viridans) at 0, 10, 30, 120, and 240 minutes, and colonies were counted after 24 hours. A retrospective review of 15,042 IVT injections was performed from January 2004 to February 2011 to determine the rate of endophthalmitis with or without application of subconjunctival lidocaine for anesthesia. Lidocaine demonstrated rapid bactericidal effects against all 3 organisms. After 10 minutes of exposure, there was approximately a 90% (P < 0.01), 95% (P < 0.001), and 92% (P < 0.001) reduction in colony forming units when compared with time 0 for S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and S. viridans, respectively. Complete elimination of colony forming units occurred at subsequent time points for each organism in contrast to logarithmic increase for control plates. There were a total of 0 cases of endophthalmitis of 6,853 IVT injections performed with subconjunctival lidocaine and 8 cases of endophthalmitis of 8,189 (0.1%) IVT injections performed with other methods of anesthesia (P = 0.03). Application of subconjunctival 2% lidocaine/0.1% methylparaben for anesthesia may reduce the incidence of endophthalmitis after IVT injection.

Evaluation of an Automated System for Reading and Interpreting Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Fastidious Bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Idelevich, Evgeny A; Becker, Karsten; Schmitz, Janne; Knaack, Dennis; Peters, Georg; Köck, Robin

2016-01-01

Results of disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility testing depend on individual visual reading of inhibition zone diameters. Therefore, automated reading using camera systems might represent a useful tool for standardization. In this study, the ADAGIO automated system (Bio-Rad) was evaluated for reading disk diffusion tests of fastidious bacteria. 144 clinical isolates (68 β-haemolytic streptococci, 28 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 18 viridans group streptococci, 13 Haemophilus influenzae, 7 Moraxella catarrhalis, and 10 Campylobacter jejuni) were tested on Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 5% defibrinated horse blood and 20 mg/L β-NAD (MH-F, Oxoid) according to EUCAST. Plates were read manually with a ruler and automatically using the ADAGIO system. Inhibition zone diameters, indicated by the automated system, were visually controlled and adjusted, if necessary. Among 1548 isolate-antibiotic combinations, comparison of automated vs. manual reading yielded categorical agreement (CA) without visual adjustment of the automatically determined zone diameters in 81.4%. In 20% (309 of 1548) of tests it was deemed necessary to adjust the automatically determined zone diameter after visual control. After adjustment, CA was 94.8%; very major errors (false susceptible interpretation), major errors (false resistant interpretation) and minor errors (false categorization involving intermediate result), calculated according to the ISO 20776-2 guideline, accounted to 13.7% (13 of 95 resistant results), 3.3% (47 of 1424 susceptible results) and 1.4% (21 of 1548 total results), respectively, compared to manual reading. The ADAGIO system allowed for automated reading of disk diffusion testing in fastidious bacteria and, after visual validation of the automated results, yielded good categorical agreement with manual reading.

Modeling of the Bacillus subtilis Bacterial Biofilm Growing on an Agar Substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaoling; Wang, Guoqing; Hao, Mudong

2015-01-01

Bacterial biofilms are organized communities composed of millions of microorganisms that accumulate on almost any kinds of surfaces. In this paper, a biofilm growth model on an agar substrate is developed based on mass conservation principles, Fick's first law, and Monod's kinetic reaction, by considering nutrient diffusion between biofilm and agar substrate. Our results show biofilm growth evolution characteristics such as biofilm thickness, active biomass, and nutrient concentration in the agar substrate. We quantitatively obtain biofilm growth dependence on different parameters. We provide an alternative mathematical method to describe other kinds of biofilm growth such as multiple bacterial species biofilm and also biofilm growth on various complex substrates.

The bactericidal effect of carbon nanotube/agar composites irradiated with near-infrared light on Streptococcus mutans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akasaka, Tsukasa, E-mail: akasaka@den.hokudai.ac.jp [Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita13 Nishi7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8586 (Japan); Matsuoka, Makoto [Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita13 Nishi7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8586 (Japan); Hashimoto, Takeshi [Meijo Nano Carbon Co. Ltd., Otsubashi bldg. 4F, 3-4-10 Marunouchi, Naka-ku, Nagoya 460-0002 (Japan); Abe, Shigeaki; Uo, Motohiro; Watari, Fumio [Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita13 Nishi7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8586 (Japan)

2010-10-15

Dental caries are mainly associated with oral pathogens, and Streptococcus mutans is a primary cariogenic organism. Many methods have been established to eliminate S. mutans from the oral cavity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of carbon nanotube (CNT)/agar composites irradiated with near-infrared (NIR) light on S. mutans, as a potential photothermal antimicrobial nanotherapy. A colony-forming unit assay clearly showed that CNT/agar composites attain bactericidal activity after NIR light irradiation; this bactericidal activity is higher than that of graphite (GP)/agar and activated carbon (AC)/agar composites. Furthermore, it was observed that longer irradiation times immobilized S. mutans in the CNT/agar composite.

The bactericidal effect of carbon nanotube/agar composites irradiated with near-infrared light on Streptococcus mutans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akasaka, Tsukasa; Matsuoka, Makoto; Hashimoto, Takeshi; Abe, Shigeaki; Uo, Motohiro; Watari, Fumio

2010-01-01

Dental caries are mainly associated with oral pathogens, and Streptococcus mutans is a primary cariogenic organism. Many methods have been established to eliminate S. mutans from the oral cavity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of carbon nanotube (CNT)/agar composites irradiated with near-infrared (NIR) light on S. mutans, as a potential photothermal antimicrobial nanotherapy. A colony-forming unit assay clearly showed that CNT/agar composites attain bactericidal activity after NIR light irradiation; this bactericidal activity is higher than that of graphite (GP)/agar and activated carbon (AC)/agar composites. Furthermore, it was observed that longer irradiation times immobilized S. mutans in the CNT/agar composite.

Green fabrication of agar-conjugated Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} magnetic nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsieh, S; Huang, B Y; Lin, P Y; Chang, C W [Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan (China); Hsieh, S L [Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung Marine University, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan (China); Wu, C C [Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan 71101, Taiwan (China); Wu, C H [Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 80811, Taiwan (China); Huang, Y S, E-mail: shsieh@facmail.NSYSU.edu.tw [Department of Food Science and Technology, Tajen University, Pingtung 90741, Taiwan (China)

2010-11-05

Magnetic nanoparticles are of great interest both for fundamental research and emerging applications. In the biomedical field, magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) has shown promise as a hyperthermia-based tumor therapeutic. However, preparing suitable solubilized magnetite nanoparticles is challenging, primarily due to aggregation and poor biocompatibility. Thus methods for coating Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} NPs with biocompatible stabilizers are required. We report a new method for preparing Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles by co-precipitation within the pores of agar gel samples. Permeated agar gels were then dried and ground into a powder, yielding agar-conjugated Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles. Samples were characterized using XRD, FTIR, TGA, TEM and SQUID. This method for preparing agar-coated Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles is environmentally friendly, inexpensive and scalable.

Evaluation of modified dichloran 18% glycerol (DG18) agar for enumerating fungi in wheat flour: a collaborative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Beuchat, L R; Hwang, C A

1996-04-01

Dichloran 18% glycerol agar base supplemented with 100 micrograms of chloramphenicol ml-1 (DG18 agar) was compared to DG18 agar supplemented with 100 micrograms of Triton X-301 ml-1 (DG18T) and DG18 agar supplemented with 1 microgram of iprodione [3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-N-(1-methyl-ethyl)-2,4-dioxo-1-imidazolidine- carboxamide] ml-1 (DG18I agar) for enumeration of fungi in ten brands of wheat flour. As the flours contained low fungal populations, all were inoculated with two to four strains of xerophilic fungi (Aspergillus candidus, A. penicillioides, Eurotium amstelodami, E. intermedium, E. repens, E. rubrum, E. tonophilum, E. umbrosum and Wallemia sebi), after which counts ranged from 3.87 to 6.37 log10 CFU g-1. Significantly higher populations (p repens or E. tonophilum had also been inoculated into at least one of the three flours showing significantly higher numbers of CFU on DG18T agar. Analysis of collapsed data from all samples showed that DG18T agar was significantly better than DG18 or DG18I agars at p < 0.10 but not at p < 0.05. Coefficients of variation for reproducibility (among-laboratory variation) were 8.4%, 7.5% and 8.6%, respectively, for DG18, DG18T and DG18I agars. DG18I agar restricted colony development most, especially for Eurotium species. Naturally occurring Penicillium species grew equally well on DG18 and DG18T agars, whereas W. sebi grew well on all three media. DG18T agar was judged to be superior to DG18 and DG18I agars for enumerating fungi in wheat flours.

Modeling of the Bacillus subtilis Bacterial Biofilm Growing on an Agar Substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoling Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Bacterial biofilms are organized communities composed of millions of microorganisms that accumulate on almost any kinds of surfaces. In this paper, a biofilm growth model on an agar substrate is developed based on mass conservation principles, Fick’s first law, and Monod’s kinetic reaction, by considering nutrient diffusion between biofilm and agar substrate. Our results show biofilm growth evolution characteristics such as biofilm thickness, active biomass, and nutrient concentration in the agar substrate. We quantitatively obtain biofilm growth dependence on different parameters. We provide an alternative mathematical method to describe other kinds of biofilm growth such as multiple bacterial species biofilm and also biofilm growth on various complex substrates.

Silicate emission feature in the spectrum of comet Mueller 1993a

Science.gov (United States)

Hanner, Martha S.; Hackwell, John A.; Russell, Ray W.; Lynch, David K.

1994-01-01

An 8- to 13-micron spectrum of comet Mueller 1993a, a dynamically new comet, was acquired when the comet was at R = 2 AU. Strong, structured silicate emission is present, closely resembling that seen in Comet P/Halley at smaller R. For the first time in a new comet, the 11.2-micron peak of crystalline olivine was detected, demonstrating that crystalline olivine particles were widespread in the solar nebula. Crystalline olivine particles could have formed in the inner protosolar nebula at temperatures greater than 1200 K; extensive radial mixing would have been required to transport these grains to the region of comet formation. Either there was more radial mixing in the solar nebula than some current theories predict or the olivine grains have a presolar origin.

Recovery of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus on Nine Commonly Used Agar Media1

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Nancy J.; Hamann, A. C.; Reinbold, G. W.

1974-01-01

Of the nine media tested, Eugon, Elliker's lactic agar, pH 6.8, and modified tryptic soy broth agars showed superior recovery of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus strains. PMID:16350006

Effect of Red Seaweed Polysaccharides Agar (Gracilaria changii) on Thermal Properties and Microstructure of Wheat Starch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faizal, P.K.

2009-01-01

This study has been carried out on the mixture of Gracilaria changii agar (0.1 %, 0.2 %, 0.4 % and 0.8 %) with wheat starch. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed for morphology observation, and starch thermal analysis were carried out to determine the properties of gelatinization and retrogradation. Proximate analysis has been determined for isolated wheat starch and agar. Through SEM, interaction was first observed at 64 degree Celsius for 0.4 % agar but at 0.8 % of agar, a more extensive bridging was formed which enveloped the starch granules. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) result shows that as the addition of agar decreased the onset temperature (T o ) of gelatinization significantly (p< 0.05) but increased the gelatinized enthalpy (ΔH gel ), gelatinized temperature range (R g ) and Peak Height Index (PHI) significantly (p < 0.05). Agar lowered the retrogradation enthalpy (ΔH ret ), retrogradation range (R ret ) and retrogradation percentage (% R) of wheat starch significantly (p < 0.05). (author)

Development of an polarization sensitive Fourier domain optical coherence tomography and it utilization on the Mueller matrix determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raele, Marcus Paulo

2009-01-01

This study approached theoretical and experimental aspects related with the development of a polarization sensitive, Fourier domain, optical coherence tomography system (PS-FD-OCT) and its utilization on the Mueller Matrix determination. This work began with a bibliographic revision, which describes since the early studies to the actual state of the art of the technique. The mathematical formalism of Fourier domain low coherence interferometry and light polarization was performed as well. Studies based on numerical simulations, of three different algorithm types, responsible to recover the scattering profile, were done. The implemented algorithms were: Direct Fourier Transform, Interpolation and zero-filling. By the end of the simulation study, was possible to conclude that the algorithm zero-filling 2N presented better characteristics when compared with the others. In the experimental part, firstly different OCT setups were assembled and measurements were done in order to verify aspects related with the theory. Then, using a polymeric sample, birefringence images were performed, which allowed determining the sample birefringence quantitatively. Finally, images taken of different polarization states were collected, and through then images related with the Mueller Matrix elements were calculated, which were analyzed individually. (author)

Low density, microcellular, dopable, agar/gelatin foams for pulsed power experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McNamara, W.F. [Orion International Technologies, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Aubert, J.H. [Sandia National Lab., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1997-04-01

Low-density, microcellular foams prepared from the natural polymers agar and gelatin have been developed for pulsed-power physics experiments. Numerous experiments were supported with foams having densities at or below 10 mg/cm{sup 3}. For some of the experiments, the agar/gelatin foam was uniformly doped with metallic elements using soluble salts. Depending on the method of preparation, cell sizes were typically below 10 microns and for one process were below 1.0 micron.

Discolored Red Seaweed Pyropia yezoensis with Low Commercial Value Is a Novel Resource for Production of Agar Polysaccharides.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasuga, Keiji; Yamanashi, Tomoya; Nakayama, Shigeru; Ono, Syuetsu; Mikami, Koji

2018-04-26

The red seaweed Pyropia yezoensis has been demonstrated to be a novel resource for the production of high-quality agar. P. yezoensis is grown for the food industry in large-scale Japanese mariculture operations. However, discolored P. yezoensis is mostly discarded as an industrial waste, although it has some kind of utility values. Here, we evaluated the utility of discolored P. yezoensis as a resource for agar production. The quality of agar from the discolored seaweed was comparable to that from normal seaweed. In addition, as a distinguishing characteristic, agar yield was higher from discolored seaweeds than from normal types. Moreover, we successfully used agar from discolored P. yezoensis for bacterial plate media and DNA electrophoresis gels without agarose purification. Thus, our results demonstrate that discolored P. yezoensis is suitable for agar production and use in life science research. Diverting discolored P. yezoensis from disposal to agar production provides a solution to the current industrial waste problem in mariculture, as well as a secure source of agar for research purposes.

Mueller-Navelet jets at 13 TeV LHC: dependence on dynamic constraints in the central rapidity region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Celiberto, F.G.; Papa, A. [Universita della Calabria, Dipartimento di Fisica, Cosenza (Italy); Gruppo collegato di Cosenza, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Cosenza (Italy); Ivanov, D.Yu. [Sobolev Institute of Mathematics, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Murdaca, B. [Gruppo collegato di Cosenza, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Cosenza (Italy)

2016-04-15

We study the production of Mueller-Navelet jets at 13 TeV LHC, within collinear factorization and including the BFKL resummation of energy logarithms in the next-to-leading approximation. We calculate several azimuthal correlations for different values of the rapidity separation Y between the two jets and evaluate the effect of excluding those events where, for a given Y, one of the two jets is produced in the central region. (orig.)

Modeling Transmission and Reflection Mueller Matrices of Dielectric Half-Wave Plates

Science.gov (United States)

Salatino, Maria; de Bernardis, Paolo; Masi, Silvia

2017-02-01

We present a simple analytical model describing multiple reflections in dielectric and optically active waveplates, for both normal and slant incidence, including absorption. We compute from first principles the transmission and reflection Mueller matrices of the waveplate. The model is used to simulate the performance of a Stokes polarimeter for mm-waves, in the framework of current attempts to precisely measure the linear polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). We study the spectral response of these optical devices, taking into account band and angle averaging effects and confirm the presence of a much richer spectral dependence than in an ideal phase retarder. We also present the matrix elements for the reflection matrix, which is useful to estimate systematic effects in some polarimeter configurations. The formulas we have derived can be used to quickly simulate the performance of future CMB polarimeters.

Mueller matrix ellipsometric detection of profile asymmetry in nanoimprinted grating structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xiuguo; Ma, Zhichao; Xu, Zhimou [Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Zhang, Chuanwei; Jiang, Hao [State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Liu, Shiyuan, E-mail: shyliu@mail.hust.edu.cn [Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China)

2014-11-21

Mueller matrix ellipsometry (MME) is applied to detect foot-like asymmetry encountered in nanoimprint lithography (NIL) processes. We present both theoretical and experimental results which show that MME has good sensitivity to both the magnitude and direction of asymmetric profiles. The physics behind the use of MME for asymmetry detection is the breaking of electromagnetic reciprocity theorem for the zeroth-order diffraction of asymmetric gratings. We demonstrate that accurate characterization of asymmetric nanoimprinted gratings can be achieved by performing MME measurements in a conical mounting with the plane of incidence parallel to grating lines and meanwhile incorporating depolarization effects into the optical model. The comparison of MME-extracted asymmetric profile with the measurement by cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy also reveals the strong potential of this technique for in-line monitoring NIL processes, where symmetric structures are desired.

Liquid crystal-based Mueller matrix spectral imaging polarimetry for parameterizing mineral structural organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Gladish, James C; Duncan, Donald D

2017-01-20

Herein, we discuss the remote assessment of the subwavelength organizational structure of a medium. Specifically, we use spectral imaging polarimetry, as the vector nature of polarized light enables it to interact with optical anisotropies within a medium, while the spectral aspect of polarization is sensitive to small-scale structure. The ability to image these effects allows for inference of spatial structural organization parameters. This work describes a methodology for revealing structural organization by exploiting the Stokes/Mueller formalism and by utilizing measurements from a spectral imaging polarimeter constructed from liquid crystal variable retarders and a liquid crystal tunable filter. We provide results to validate the system and then show results from measurements on a mineral sample.

Use of electron beam on aflatoxins degradation in coconut agar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogovschi, Vladimir D.; Nunes, Thaise C.F.; Villavicencio, Anna L.C.H.; Aquino, Simone; Goncalez, Edlayne; Correa, Benedito

2009-01-01

The fungi Aspergillus flavus are capable of producing toxic metabolites, such as aflatoxin, that is one of the most important human carcinogens, according to the 'International Agency for Research on Cancer'. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of electron beam irradiation on degradation of aflatoxin B1 present in laboratorial residues with a dose of 0 kGy and 5.0 kGy. The fungi were cultivated in potato dextrose agar (PDA) for 7 days and transferred to a coconut agar medium, incubated at a temperature of 25 deg C for 14 days to produce the laboratorial wastes (coconut agar) containing aflatoxins. The samples were conditioned in petri dish for radiation treatment of contaminated material and processed in the Electron Accelerator with 0 kGy and 5.0 kGy. Aflatoxin B 1 was extracted with chloroform and separated on a thin layer chromatography plate (TLC) with chloroform: acetone (9:1). All the control and irradiated samples were analyzed in a Shimadzu Densitometer. The detection limit of this methodology is 0.1μg kg -1 . The results indicate that the irradiated samples had a reduction of 75.49 % in the analyzed dose. (author)

The effect of magnetic nanoparticles on the acoustic properties of tissue-mimicking agar-gel phantoms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Józefczak, A., E-mail: aras@amu.edu.pl [Institute of Acoustics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań (Poland); Kaczmarek, K. [Institute of Acoustics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań (Poland); Kubovčíková, M. [Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice (Slovakia); Rozynek, Z.; Hornowski, T. [Institute of Acoustics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań (Poland)

2017-06-01

In ultrasonic hyperthermia, ultrasound-induced heating is achieved by the absorption of wave energy and its conversion into heat. The effectiveness of ultrasounds can be improved by using sonosensitisers that greatly attenuate ultrasonic waves and then dissipate the acquired energy in the form of heat. One possible candidate for such a sonosensitiser are superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Here, we used magnetic nanoparticles embedded in a tissue-mimicking agar-gel matrix. Such tissue-mimicking phantoms possess acoustic properties similar to those of real tissues, and are used as a tool for performance testing and optimisation of medical ultrasound systems. In this work, we studied the effect of magnetic nanoparticles on the acoustic properties of agar-gel phantoms, including the attenuation of ultrasonic waves. - Highlights: • Ultrasonic insertion technique is used to study acoustic properties of agar-gel phantoms with and without magnetic particles. • The addition of magnetic nanoparticles improves effectiveness of ultrasound heating in agar phantoms. • Acoustics properties of a pure agar-gel phantom are altered by adding nanoparticles.

Use of Dehydrated Agar to Estimate Microbial Water Quality for Horticulture Irrigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Meador, Dustin P; Fisher, Paul R; Guy, Charles L; Harmon, Philip F; Peres, Natalia A; Teplitski, Max

2016-07-01

Petrifilms are dehydrated agar culture plates that have been used to quantify colony forming units (CFU) mL of either aerobic bacteria (Petrifilm-AC) or fungus (Petrifilm-YM), depending on substrate composition. Microbes in irrigation systems can indicate biofilm risk and potential clogging of irrigation emitters. The research objective was to compare counts on Petrifilms versus traditional, hydrated-agar plates using samples collected from recirculated irrigation waters and cultures of isolated known species. The estimated count (in CFU mL) from a recirculated irrigation sample after 7 d of incubation on Petrifilm-YM was only 5.5% of the count quantified using sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) with chloramphenicol after 14 d. In a separate experiment with a known species, Petrifilm-YM did not successfully culture zoospores of . Isolates of viable zoospores were cultured successfully on potato-dextrose agar (PDA), with comparable counts with a vegetable juice medium supplemented with the antibiotics pimaricin, ampicillin, rifamycin, pentochloronitrobenzene and hymexazol (PARP-H). The quantification of pv. Begoniaceae on Petrifilm-AC was not significantly different ( < 0.05) than on PDA, but was lower than on Reasoner and Goldrich agar (R2A) or with a hemocytometer. The current formulation of Petrifilm-YM is unlikely to be a useful monitoring method for plant pathogens in irrigation water because of the inability to successfully culture oomycetes. However, Petrifilm-AC was an effective method to quantify bacteria and can provide an easy-to-use on-farm tool to monitor biofilm risk and microbial density. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Genome sequence of the agar-degrading marine bacterium Alteromonadaceae sp. strain G7.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Min-Jung; Song, Ju Yeon; Kim, Byung Kwon; Chi, Won-Jae; Kwon, Soon-Kyeong; Choi, Soobeom; Chang, Yong-Keun; Hong, Soon-Kwang; Kim, Jihyun F

2012-12-01

Here, we present the high-quality draft genome sequence of the agar-degrading marine gammaproteobacterium Alteromonadaceae sp. strain G7, which was isolated from coastal seawater to be utilized as a bioresource for production of agar-derived biofuels. The 3.91-Mb genome contains a number of genes encoding algal polysaccharide-degrading enzymes such as agarases and sulfatases.

Genome Sequence of the Agar-Degrading Marine Bacterium Alteromonadaceae sp. Strain G7

OpenAIRE

Kwak, Min-Jung; Song, Ju Yeon; Kim, Byung Kwon; Chi, Won-Jae; Kwon, Soon-Kyeong; Choi, Soobeom; Chang, Yong-Keun; Hong, Soon-Kwang; Kim, Jihyun F.

2012-01-01

Here, we present the high-quality draft genome sequence of the agar-degrading marine gammaproteobacterium Alteromonadaceae sp. strain G7, which was isolated from coastal seawater to be utilized as a bioresource for production of agar-derived biofuels. The 3.91-Mb genome contains a number of genes encoding algal polysaccharide-degrading enzymes such as agarases and sulfatases.

AgarTrap: a simplified Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method for sporelings of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuboyama, Shoko; Kodama, Yutaka

2014-01-01

The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L. is being developed as an emerging model plant, and several transformation techniques were recently reported. Examples are biolistic- and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation methods. Here, we report a simplified method for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of sporelings, and it is termed Agar-utilized Transformation with Pouring Solutions (AgarTrap). The procedure of the AgarTrap was carried out by simply exchanging appropriate solutions in a Petri dish, and completed within a week, successfully yielding sufficient numbers of independent transformants for molecular analysis (e.g. characterization of gene/protein function) in a single experiment. The AgarTrap method will promote future molecular biological study in M. polymorpha.

Isolation, identification, and serotyping of Avibacterium paragallinarum from quails in Indonesia with typical infectious coryza disease symptoms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnesia Endang Tri Hastuti Wahyuni

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Infectious coryza (IC or snot is an infectious upper respiratory disease affecting chickens and birds, including quails, and it is caused by Avibacterium paragallinarum. The symptoms of IC are facial swelling, malodorous nasal discharge, and lacrimation. This study aimed to isolate, identify, and serotype the A. paragallinarum of snot in quails and to determine the sensitivity and resistance to several antibiotics. Materials and Methods: Nine quails from Yogyakarta, Indonesia with typical snot disease symptoms were used in this study. The nasal swab was obtained and directly streaked onto a chocolate agar plate and blood agar plate (BAP, then incubated in 5% CO2 at 37°C for 24-48 h. Staphylococcus spp. was cross-streaked onto the BAP to show the satellite growth. The observation of the morphology of the suspected colony, Gram staining, and biochemical tests (catalase test, oxidase test, urease test, peptone test, and carbohydrate fermentation such as maltose, mannitol, lactose, and sorbitol are done to identify the species of bacteria. This research also detects the serovar of A. paragallinarum using hemagglutination inhibition test. The antibiotic sensitivity tests were also performed using several antibiotics against five A. paragallinarum isolates that were cultured on Mueller-Hinton Agar and added with antibiotic discs, then incubated in 5% CO2 at 37°C for 24-48 h. Results: Five isolates out of nine suspected isolates (55.5% were A. paragallinarum. The growth of isolates from quails did not depend on the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD (NAD-independent. Sensitivity test was done using the five identified A. paragallinarum isolates, results showed that they were 100% sensitive to amoxicillin (AMC and ampicillin (AMP; 100% resistant toward amikacin (AK, erythromycin (E, gentamycin (CN, and tetracycline (TE; 80% resistant toward kanamycin (K and trimethoprim (W; 60% resistant toward chloramphenicol (C; and 20

Antimicrobial sensitivity profile of Staphylococcus spp. Isolated from clinical mastitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thamires Martins

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Inflammation of the mammary gland, which is also known as mastitis, occupies a prominent place among the diseases that affect dairy cattle, having a great economic importance in the dairy sector. Mastitis may have different origins, however, infectious mastitis is the most frequent and represents a risk to public health due to the propagation of microorganisms through milk. Staphylococcus spp. are considered the microorganisms that cause the greatest losses in milk production, being that Staphylococcus aureus is the pathogen of major importance because they present high resistence to antimicrobials. Empirical treatment, without prior identification of the pathogens and their resistance profile, may contribute to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains and risk the efficiency of the antimicrobial. In that scenery, the study aimed to evaluate the resistance profile of Staphylococcus spp. against some antimicrobials used in the treatment of cows with clinical mastitis. The study was conducted on a property in the state of São Paulo from January 2011 to June 2012. We evaluated 29 lactating cows that present clinical mastitis in, at least, one mammary quarter. The diagnosis of clinical mastitis was performed by evaluating the clinical signs and also by Tamis test. Samples of milk from mammary quarters were collected aseptically in sterile tubes for microbiological evaluation. Microorganisms were isolated on sheep blood agar 5% and Sabouraud agar with chloramphenicol. The sensitivity profile of Staphylococcus spp. to the antibiotics ampicillin, cephalexin, ceftiofur, cefaclor, gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, penicillin G and oxacillin, was tested by disk diffusion test on Mueller-Hinton agar. From a total of 106 samples of milk analyzed, 64 (60.38% presented microbiological growth, being observed isolation of Streptococcus spp. 29 (34.52%, Staphylococcus spp. 28 (33.33%, Corynebacterium spp. 17 (20.24%, filamentous fungi 4 (4.76%, yeast 4 (4

Agar/gelatin bilayer gel matrix fabricated by simple thermo-responsive sol-gel transition method.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yifeng; Dong, Meng; Guo, Mengmeng; Wang, Xia; Zhou, Jing; Lei, Jian; Guo, Chuanhang; Qin, Chaoran

2017-08-01

We present a simple and environmentally-friendly method to generate an agar/gelatin bilayer gel matrix for further biomedical applications. In this method, the thermally responsive sol-gel transitions of agar and gelatin combined with the different transition temperatures are exquisitely employed to fabricate the agar/gelatin bilayer gel matrix and achieve separate loading for various materials (e.g., drugs, fluorescent materials, and nanoparticles). Importantly, the resulting bilayer gel matrix provides two different biopolymer environments (a polysaccharide environment vs a protein environment) with a well-defined border, which allows the loaded materials in different layers to retain their original properties (e.g., magnetism and fluorescence) and reduce mutual interference. In addition, the loaded materials in the bilayer gel matrix exhibit an interesting release behavior under the control of thermal stimuli. Consequently, the resulting agar/gelatin bilayer gel matrix is a promising candidate for biomedical applications in drug delivery, controlled release, fluorescence labeling, and bio-imaging. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strategies to improve the mechanical strength and water resistance of agar films for food packaging applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Ana M M; Gonçalves, Maria P

2015-11-05

Agar films possess several properties adequate for food packaging applications. However, their high cost-production and quality variations caused by physiological and environmental factors affecting wild seaweeds make them less attractive for industries. In this work, native (NA) and alkali-modified (AA) agars obtained from sustainably grown seaweeds (integrated multi-trophic aquaculture) were mixed with locust bean gum (LBG) to make 'knife-coated' films with fixed final concentration (1 wt%) and variable agar/LBG ratios. Agar films were easier to process upon LBG addition (viscosity increase and gelling character decrease of the film-forming solutions observed by dynamic oscillatory and steady shear measurements). The mechanical properties and water resistance were optimal for films with 50 and/or 75% LBG contents and best in the case of NA (cheaper to extract). These findings can help reduce the cost-production of agar packaging films. Moreover, the controlled cultivation of seaweeds can provide continuous and reliable feedstock for transformation industries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative SIMS Imaging of Agar-Based Microbial Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunham, Sage J B; Ellis, Joseph F; Baig, Nameera F; Morales-Soto, Nydia; Cao, Tianyuan; Shrout, Joshua D; Bohn, Paul W; Sweedler, Jonathan V

2018-05-01

After several decades of widespread use for mapping elemental ions and small molecular fragments in surface science, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has emerged as a powerful analytical tool for molecular imaging in biology. Biomolecular SIMS imaging has primarily been used as a qualitative technique; although the distribution of a single analyte can be accurately determined, it is difficult to map the absolute quantity of a compound or even to compare the relative abundance of one molecular species to that of another. We describe a method for quantitative SIMS imaging of small molecules in agar-based microbial communities. The microbes are cultivated on a thin film of agar, dried under nitrogen, and imaged directly with SIMS. By use of optical microscopy, we show that the area of the agar is reduced by 26 ± 2% (standard deviation) during dehydration, but the overall biofilm morphology and analyte distribution are largely retained. We detail a quantitative imaging methodology, in which the ion intensity of each analyte is (1) normalized to an external quadratic regression curve, (2) corrected for isomeric interference, and (3) filtered for sample-specific noise and lower and upper limits of quantitation. The end result is a two-dimensional surface density image for each analyte. The sample preparation and quantitation methods are validated by quantitatively imaging four alkyl-quinolone and alkyl-quinoline N-oxide signaling molecules (including Pseudomonas quinolone signal) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa colony biofilms. We show that the relative surface densities of the target biomolecules are substantially different from values inferred through direct intensity comparison and that the developed methodologies can be used to quantitatively compare as many ions as there are available standards.

Effects of shape and size of agar gels on heating uniformity during pulsed microwave treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Soto-Reyes, Nohemí; Temis-Pérez, Ana L; López-Malo, Aurelio; Rojas-Laguna, Roberto; Sosa-Morales, María Elena

2015-05-01

Model gel systems with different shape (sphere, cylinder, and slab) and size (180 and 290 g) were prepared with agar (5%) and sucrose (5%). Dielectric constant (ε'), loss factor (ε"), thermophysical properties, and temperature distribution of the model system were measured. Each agar model system was immersed and suspended in water, and then, heated in a microwave oven with intermittent heating until the core temperature reached 50 °C. The ε' and ε" of agar gels decreased when frequency increased. The density and thermal conductivity values of the agar gels were 1033 kg/m(3) and 0.55 W/m °C, respectively. The temperature distribution of sphere, cylinder, and slab was different when similar power doses were applied. The slab reached 50 °C in less time (10 min) and showed a more uniform heating than spheres and cylinders in both sizes. Agar model systems of 180 g heated faster than those of 290 g. The coldest point was the center of the model systems in all studied cases. Shape and size are critical food factors that affect the heating uniformity during microwave heating processes. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

How selective are agar cultures for malignant transformation?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klein, J.C.

1981-01-01

In vitro assays that permit cloning of tumour cells in soft agar have been improved during the last 5 years. Two of them are claimed to be useful as test systems for the screening of new anticancer drugs and even for drug sensitivity testing of individual human tumours in devising individualized

Mechanical, Thermal and Surface Investigations of Chitosan/Agar/PVA Ternary Blended Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esam A. El-Hefian

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The mechanical and thermal properties of chitosan/agar/poly vinyl alcohol (CS/AG/PVA ternary blended films having various proportions considering chitosan as the main component were investigated. The various variables static water contact angle such as contact angle, drop base area, drop volume and drop height was also studied in correlation with the variation of time. Results obtained from mechanical measurements showed a noticeable increase in the tensile strength (TS coincided with a sharp decrease in elongation percent at break (E% of blended films with increasing agar and PVA contents. The DSC results prevailed the development of an interaction between chitosan individual components: agar and PVA. Moreover, an enhancement of the wettability of the blends was obtained with increasing agar and PVA contents. It was also found that the pure CS film and the blended films with 90/05/05 and 80/10/10 compositions were more affected by time than blended films with other compositions when the contact angle, the drop height and the drop length were studied as a function of time. In addition, when the drop is initially placed on the substrate, the drop area and the drop volume of all films remained almost constant up to a certain time after which they showed a slight difference with the elapse of time.

First Survey of Metallo-β-Lactamase Producers in Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa From a Referral Burn Center in Kurdistan Province.

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Kalantar, Enayatollah; Torabi, Vahideh; Salimizand, Heiman; Soheili, Fariborz; Beiranvand, Soheila; Soltan Dallal, Mohammad Mehdi

2012-01-01

Treatment of infectious diseases is becoming more challenging with each passing year. This is especially true for infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen with the ability to rapidly develop resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing strains among multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa strains isolated from burn patients. The isolates were identified, tested for susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents, and screened for the presence of MβLs by using the double-disk synergy test. The minimal inhibitory concentration of imipenem was determined by microplate broth dilution method on Mueller-Hinton agar. To detect VIM, SIM, and GIM MBLs, the isolates were subjected to polymerase chain reaction. In this study, we identified 100 P. aeruginosa isolates from 176 clinical specimens obtained from burn patients. The isolates showed maximum resistance to ampicillin (100%), ceftazidime (94%), and ceftriaxone (89%). The CLSI-MBL phenotypic test showed that of the 100 P. aeruginosa isolates, 22 (22%) were positive for MBL production in the double-disk synergy test. Of the 22 MBL-positive P. aeruginosa isolates, 8 were resistant to imipenem. PCR analysis showed that 8 isolates were positive for blaVIM1. The other genes blaSIM1 and blaGIM1 were not detected. The study results demonstrate the serious therapeutic threat of the spread of MBL producers among P. aeruginosa populations. Metallo-β-lactamases were detected in 22% of imipenem-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates. Early detection and infection-control practices are the best antimicrobial strategies for this organism; therefore, systematic surveillance to detect MBL producers is necessary.

Physico-chemical characterization and antibacterial activity of different types of honey tested on strains isolated from hospitalized patients

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Junie Lia M.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The first aim of the study was to compare the antibacterial activity of several types of honey of different origins, against some bacterial resistant strains. The strains had been isolated from patients. The second aim was to discover the correlations between the antibacterial character of honey and the physico-chemical properties of the honey. Ten honey samples (polyfloral, linden, acacia, manna, and sunflower from the centre of Romania were tested to determine their antibacterial properties against the following bacterial species: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, and Listeria monocytogenes. Bacterial cultures in nutrient broth and the culture medium Mueller-Hinton agar were used. The susceptibility to antibiotics was performed using the disk diffusion method. All honey samples showed antibacterial activity on the isolated bacterial strains, in particular polyfloral (inhibition zone 13-21 mm in diameter - because it is the source of several plants, and manna (inhibition zone 13-19.5 mm in diameter, and sunflower (inhibition zone 14-18.5 mm in diameter. Pure honey has a significant antibacterial activity against some bacteria which are resistant to antibiotics. Bacterial strains differed in their sensitivity to honeys. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were the most sensitive. The present study revealed that honey antibacterial activity depends on the origin of the honey. We also found that there was a significant correlation between antibacterial activity of honeys and the colour of the honey but not between acidity and pH. The statistical analysis showed that the honey type influences the antibacterial activity (diameter of the bacterial strains inhibition zones.

Combined use of the modified Hodge test and carbapenemase inhibition test for detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and metallo-β-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas spp.

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Song, Wonkeun; Hong, Seong Geun; Yong, Dongeun; Jeong, Seok Hoon; Kim, Hyun Soo; Kim, Han-Sung; Kim, Jae-Seok; Bae, Il Kwon

2015-03-01

We evaluated the combined use of the modified Hodge test (MHT) and carbapenemase inhibition test (CIT) using phenylboronic acid (PBA) and EDTA to detect carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) and metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing Pseudomonas spp. A total of 49 isolates of CPE (15 Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase [KPC], 5 Guiana extended-spectrum β-lactamase [GES]-5, 9 New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase [NDM]-1, 5 Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase [VIM]-2, 3 imipenem-hydrolyzing β-lactamase [IMP], and 12 oxacillinase [OXA]-48-like), 25 isolates of MBL-producing Pseudomonas spp. (14 VIM-2 and 11 IMP), and 35 carbapenemase-negative controls were included. The MHT was performed for all isolates as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Enhanced growth of the indicator strain was measured in mm with a ruler. The CIT was performed by directly dripping PBA and EDTA solutions onto carbapenem disks that were placed on Mueller-Hinton agar plates seeded with the test strain. Considering the results of the MHT with the ertapenem disk in Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp., the CIT with the meropenem disk in Enterobacteriaceae, and the imipenem disk in Pseudomonas spp., three combined disk tests, namely MHT-positive plus PBA-positive, EDTA-positive, and MHT-positive plus PBA-negative plus EDTA-negative, had excellent sensitivity and specificity for the detection of KPC- (100% sensitivity and 100% specificity), MBL- (94% sensitivity and 100% specificity), and OXA-48-like-producing isolates (100% sensitivity and 100% specificity), respectively. Combined use of the MHT and CIT with PBA and EDTA, for the detection of CPE and MBL-producing Pseudomonas spp., is effective in detecting and characterizing carbapenemases in routine laboratories.

Formation of Ramified Colony of Fungus Aspergillus Oryzae on Agar Media

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Matsuura, Shu; Miyazima, Sasuke

Ramified colonies of fungus Aspergillus oryzae have been found to grow at a low growth rate on "liquid-like" agar media with low concentrations of agar and glucose. Box-counting fractal dimensions of the individual colony branches have been found to decrease with the time of incubation. Addition of glucose solution in the interior of branched colonies has brought about the production of the hyphal filaments almost only at the apical region of the colony branches. Active growth of the ramified colonies is localized in the peripheral zone, and this growth manner implies that the fungus is exhibiting a positive exploitation.

Influence of agar concentration on in vitro multiplication of Cymbopogon citratus (D. C. Stapf

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Ricardo J. Licea Moreno

2001-04-01

Full Text Available Here are presented the results on in vitro multiplication of lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus (D. C. Stapf.; it is a very important medicinal plant because its analgesic, antinflamatory and hipotensor properties, among others, useful to elaborate several medicaments with a high popular acceptation. The main aim of this research was to set up the influence of agar concentration in culture medium during in vitro establishment on multiplication of lemon grass. Were used three treatments: (1 liquid medium with filter paper bridges, (2 3 g.l-1 of agar (BIOCEN and (3 6 g.l-1 of agar (BIOCEN. The explants were inoculated on a culture media containing Murashige and Skoog salts (1962, Heinz and Mee vitamins (1969, myoinositol 100 mg.l-1, 6-BAP 0.2 mg.l-1 and sucrose 20 g.l-1. Meristematic tips were inoculated on the treatments described above under sun light conditions, once desinfected. The explants Influence of agar concentration on in vitro multiplication of Cymbopogon citratus (D. C. Stapf. were maintained 21 days in this culture media and later it is were subcultured 5 times each 21 days, on the same multiplication culture media containing Murashige and Skoog salts (1962, tiamine 1 mg.l-1, myoinositol 100 mg.l-1, 6-BAP 0.3 mg.l-1 and sucrose 30 g.l-1. The pH was 5.7 for all culture media. The results showed the relevance of agar concentration during in vitro establishment on multiplication of lemon grass. Differences among treatments until the 2nd subculture was observed. 3.43 new axillary shoots from each explant cultured on a culture media supplemented with 3 g.l-1 of agar was reached. Key words: lemon grass, medicinal plants, micropropagation, tissue culture

NMR spectroscopy study of agar-based polymers electrolytes

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Mattos, R.I.; Tambelli, C.E. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, SP (Brazil). Fac. de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos; Raphael, E. [Universidade Federal de Sao Joao del-Rey (UFSJ), MG (Brazil). Dept. de Ciencias Naturais; Silva, I.D.A.; Magon, C.J.; Donoso, J.P. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (IFSC/USP), Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica

2012-07-01

Full text: This communication presents the results of preparation and characterization of transparent films obtained from agar and acetic acid. The films were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The film formed by agar (Sigma Aldrich) was dispersed in water and kept under stirring and heating at 100 deg C. Next, glycerol, formaldehyde and different quantities of acetic acid (25 and 50 wt%) were added to this solution. The obtained solution was placed on a glass plate and left to dry for 48 hours in oven at 50 deg C to obtain the films, which were kept under vacuum before characterization. The ionic conductivity of the films display an Arrhenius behavior with activation energy E{sub a} = 78 (25 wt% of acetic acid) and E{sub a} = 87 kJ/mol (50 wt% of acetic acid). The conductivity values were 3:0 X 10{sup -6} and 1:2 X 10{sup -4} S/cm at room temperature and 4:4 X 10{sup -4} and 1:5 X 10{sup -3}S/cm at 70 deg C, for the 25 and 50 wt% of acetic acid respectively. To investigate the mechanism of protonic conduction in the polymer proton conductor proton NMR measurements were performed in the temperature range 200-370 K. The {sup 1}H-NMR results exhibit the qualitative feature associated with the proton mobility, namely the presence of well defined {sup 1}H spin-lattice relaxation maxima at 300 K. Activation energy of the order of 40 kJ/mol was obtained from the {sup 1}H-NMR line narrowing data. The ionic conductivity of the film combined with their transparency, flexibility, homogeneity and good adhesion to the glasses or metals indicate that agar-based SPEs are promising materials for used on optoelectronic applications. (author)

Antimicrobial and physical-mechanical properties of agar-based films incorporated with grapefruit seed extract.

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Kanmani, Paulraj; Rhim, Jong-Whan

2014-02-15

The use of synthetic petroleum based packaging films caused serious environmental problems due to their difficulty in recycling and poor biodegradability. Therefore, present study was aimed to develop natural biopolymer-based antimicrobial packaging films as an alternative for the synthetic packaging films. As a natural antimicrobial agent, grapefruit seed extract (GSE) has been incorporated into agar to prepare antimicrobial packaging film. The films with different concentrations of GSE were prepared by a solvent casting method and the resulting composite films were examined physically and mechanically. In addition, the films were characterized by FE-SEM, XRD, FT-IR and TGA. The incorporation of GSE caused increase in color, UV barrier, moisture content, water solubility and water vapor permeability, while decrease in surface hydrophobicity, tensile strength and elastic modulus of the films. As the concentration of GSE increased from 0.6 to 13.3 μg/mL, the physical and mechanical properties of the films were affected significantly. The addition of GSE changed film microstructure of the film, but did not influence the crystallinity of agar and thermal stability of the agar-based films. The agar/GSE films exhibited distinctive antimicrobial activity against three test food pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. These results suggest that agar/GSE films have potential to be used in an active food packaging systems for maintaining food safety and extending the shelf-life of the packaged food. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thallium toxicosis in a dog consequent to ingestion of Mycoplasma agar plates.

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Puschner, Birgit; Basso, Marguerite M; Graham, Thomas W

2012-01-01

A 1-year-old dog ingested a mixture of blood agar and Mycoplasma agar plates. The Mycoplasma agar plates contained thallium acetate, which resulted in an estimated minimum dose of 5 mg thallium acetate/kg bodyweight. Clinical signs over the course of 2-3 weeks included vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, alopecia, dysphonia, ataxia, paresthesia, intension tremors, megaesophagus with subsequent aspiration pneumonia, and several seizure episodes. The dog was treated with intravenous fluids and placement of a gastric feeding tube. Thallium concentrations in hair were 8.2 µg/g in samples taken on day 19, 16.4 µg/g in samples taken 3 months after exposure, 13.4 µg/g in samples taken 5 months after exposure, and nondetectable in samples taken 7 months after exposure. The blood thallium concentration was 190 µg/l on day 19 and nondetec table 3 months after exposure. Megaesophagus and dysphonia continued for 10 months after exposure. This case of thallium poisoning following ingestion of mycoplasma agar plates demonstrates that unusual sources of thallium still exist and suggests that thallium toxicosis should be included in the list of differential diagnoses in dogs presented with megaesophagus, especially if alopecia and other unexplained peripheral neuropathies are present. Hair and blood samples are useful specimens to reach an accurate diagnosis even if taken several weeks post exposure. The postexposure blood and hair thallium concentrations reported in this case are useful data for diagnosticians investigating dogs with potential thallium poisoning.

Differential Mueller matrix polarimetry technique for non-invasive measurement of glucose concentration on human fingertip.

Science.gov (United States)

Phan, Quoc-Hung; Lo, Yu-Lung

2017-06-26

A differential Mueller matrix polarimetry technique is proposed for obtaining non-invasive (NI) measurements of the glucose concentration on the human fingertip. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated by detecting the optical rotation angle and depolarization index of tissue phantom samples containing de-ionized water (DI), glucose solutions with concentrations ranging from 0~500 mg/dL and 2% lipofundin. The results show that the extracted optical rotation angle increases linearly with an increasing glucose concentration, while the depolarization index decreases. The practical applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated by measuring the optical rotation angle and depolarization index properties of the human fingertips of healthy volunteers.

Modeling dielectric half-wave plates for cosmic microwave background polarimetry using a Mueller matrix formalism.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryan, Sean A; Montroy, Thomas E; Ruhl, John E

2010-11-10

We derive an analytic formula using the Mueller matrix formalism that parameterizes the nonidealities of a half-wave plate (HWP) made from dielectric antireflection-coated birefringent slabs. This model accounts for frequency-dependent effects at normal incidence, including effects driven by the reflections at dielectric boundaries. The model also may be used to guide the characterization of an instrument that uses a HWP. We discuss the coupling of a HWP to different source spectra, and the potential impact of that effect on foreground removal for the SPIDER cosmic microwave background experiment. We also describe a way to use this model in a mapmaking algorithm that fully corrects for HWP nonidealities.

Daya Antibakteri dan Waktu Kontak Infusa Teh Hijau (Camellia sinensis Terhadap Salmonella typhi Secara In Vitro

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Dione Margareth Setiawan

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Green tea (Camellia sinensis contains cathecin which has been reported to have various pharmacologic properties, such as an antibacterial agent. Salmonella typhi, as agent of typhoid fever, remains a public health problem in tropical countries; about 20 million cases and 600.000 deaths annually all over the world. Objectives of this research were to observe the antibacterial activities and contact time of green tea infusion againsts Salmonella typhi by in vitro experiment. The experiment took place in Microbiology Laboratory, School of Medicine, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, March-April 2009. Methods: In vitro laboratory analytic study has been conducted on green tea infusion of Indonesian and Japanese commercial package againsts Salmonella typhi. The study used agar well diffusion method and analyzed by ANAVA and t-independent test. Results: Only at concentration of 40% (w/v, Indonesian green tea infusion gave an average inhibition area of 3.376±0.334 mm diameter, and 3.571±0.217 mm on Japanese package, while below 40% were 0.707±0.000 mm with no differences between both packages (p>0.551. There has been observed any turbidity in all Muller Hinton liquid media on both packages compared with control medium, also any growth of Salmonella typhi collony in all Muller Hinton agar at concentrations below 40%. Green tea infussion on both packages has been observed to have antibacterial activities at 40% but neither been observed at concentration below 40%.

Sterilization of MacConkey agar and CLED medium by gamma-radiation

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Bogokowsky, B; Eisenberg, E; Altmann, G

1983-10-01

MacConkey agar and Cystine-Lactose-Electrolyte-Deficient (CLED) agar, media widely used in the bacteriological laboratory and recommended for the detection of urinary tract infections, were sterilized by gamma-radiation at a dose of 1.5 Mrad. Both were modified and adapted to radiation sterilization by adding sodium thioglycollate as a radioprotectant, and by increasing their indicator content. The media performed well when tested with different Enterobacteria and other micro-organisms. Growth and change of indicator reaction were equal in irradiated and autoclaved culture media. Culture media were also evaluated after storage for one month at room temperature and at 4 degrees C and compared well with freshly autoclaved media.

Propagation velocity of an avalanche along the anode wire in a Geiger-Mueller counter filled with Q-gas at 1 ATM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Kazunori; Sanada, Junpei

1990-01-01

Simple methods were applied to investigate the characteristics of a Geiger-Mueller counter with Q-gas flowing at 1 atm. The propagation velocity of the photon-aided avalanche along the anode wire depends linearly on the strength of the electric field in the counter. Its fluctuation (FWHM) as a function of distance between the source position and the end point is discussed. (orig.)

The Efficiency of UVC Radiation in the Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on Beef-Agar Food Models

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Christian James

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to evaluate the eff ect of meat content and surface smoothness on the deactivation of Listeria monocytogenes in beef-agar food models achieved by shortwave ultraviolet (UVC light. Food models with various meat contents were made using chopped beef slices and agar solution. Prepared models together with a Listeria selective agar (LSA plate and a slice of cooked beef were inoculated with L. monocytogenes and then exposed to UVC light. Population of Listeria reduced to below the level of detection on the LSA plates. As the content of beef in the beef-agar models increased, more L. monocytogenes cells survived. Survival was greatest on the treated cooked slice of beef. To bett er understand the effect of surface irregularities, a white light interferometer was used to analyse the surface smoothness of beef-agar media and LSA plates. No correlation was observed between the surface roughness of seven out of nine types of produced beef-agar media and the degree of inactivation resulting from UVC radiation at the given dose, whereas, less bacterial cells were killed as beef content of the food models increased. The findings of the current study show that the chemical composition of the treated sample also plays an important role in pathogen resistance and survival, meaning that two samples with similar surface irregularities but diff erent chemical composition might produce very diff erent inactivation results when exposed to UVC light.

Ergosterol purification from basidiomes of Clouded Agaric (Clitocybe nebularis (Fr. Kumm.

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V. O. Antonyuk

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Ergosterol (ergosta-5 ,7,22-trien-3β-ol is a compound found only in fungi. Ergosterol has medical interest, as it is easily converted into Vitamin D2. In the previous work we have studied 22 species of true fungi. The highest quantity of ergosterol was found in basidiomes of Clouded Agaric (Clitocybe nebularis (Fr. Kumm. Meanwhile, there is no data on the purification of ergosterol from this fungus in the literature. The aim of research. The aim of research is to elaborate a rational method of obtaining ergosterol from basidiomes of Clouded Agaric and assess the perspectives of the raw material for its purification. Materials and methods. In order to choose the best method of ergosterol purification, it was obtained in two ways: 1 by alkaline hydrolisis that was used in the preparation of ergosterol from baker yeast and 2 by the extraction of raw matherial by methanol with following chromatography on silica gel. A substance with high ergosterol level was purified from marc basidiomes of Clouded Agaric by methanol extraction with following of freezing the methanol extract and the following chromatography on silica gel. This substance was dissolved in hexane and purified by chromatography on silica gel by washing the column sequentially with hexane, hexane - ethyl acetate (6:1 , hexane -ethyl acetate -methanol 4:2:1. The obtained fractions were dried and weighed. The analysis of the obtained compounds was carried out by gas-liquid сhromatography - mass spectrometry , Lieberman-Burchard reaction and TLC on silica gel. Chromatograms were spraied with saturated sodium antimony in chloroform. Results and discussion Pure ergosterol was obtained from dried baker's yeast and basidiomes marc of Clouded Agaric by alkaline hydrolysis followed by methylene chloride extraction of raw material and crystallization from ethanol and mixtures of benzene with ethanol (yield 0.71% and 0.52% . Methanol extraction of dried basidiomes marc of Clouded Agaric

The routine use of modified Borelli's lactritmel agar (MBLA).

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Kaminski, G W

1985-07-01

The original formula of Borelli's lactritmel agar (BLA)(3) which contains wheat flour, milk and honey, has been modified by replacing the wheat flour with dehydrated Bacto Corn Meal Agar (Difco) and by slightly altering the concentrations of the milk and honey. The modified medium (MBLA) is less turbid, less particulate, and easier to prepare than BLA. Although Trichophyton rubrum usually produces a wine-red pigment with BLA, most strains initially produce a yellow pigment, with the red pigment developing later. The corn meal in MBLA reduces this tendency and stimulates the early formation of deep wine red pigment, MBLA enhances sporulation of dermatophytes and various fungi which fail to sporulate on other media, and maintains characteristic growth without developing pleomorphic degeneration. It has been used routinely since 1972 as a reliable aid to the differentiation of T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. Since 1975 selective MBLA has been used as a routine primary isolation medium for dermatophytes, and has proved to be most useful.

Calibration of Ge(Li) semiconductor detector by method using agar volume source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanase, Nobuyuki; Kasai, Atsushi

1979-12-01

The Ge(Li) semiconductor detector was calibrated for measurements of environmental samples. The radioisotopes used for standard sources are 22 Na, 51 Cr, 56 Co, 57 Co, 133 Ba, 137 Cs, 144 Ce and 241 Am. These are mixed with hot agar aqueous solution and fixed uniformly in a cylindrical plastic case in cooling. The agar volume source is advantageous in handling over the fluid aqueous source. The prepared cylindrical standard sources are in diameters 6 and 8 cm and thicknesses 1, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mm (only for 8 cm diameter). The radioactivities of prepared standard sources are between 0.03 μCi and 0.2 μCi. It takes only a week to make the calibration except data processing. The obtained full energy peak efficiency curves include 5 - 10% error due to preparation of agar source, reference radioactivity data of purchased standard solutions, reference data of branching ratio of gamma-ray and sum effect. The efficiency curves, however, are sufficient for quantitative analysis of environmental samples. (author)

Analysis of High Quality Agar wood Oil Chemical Compounds By Means Of SPME/ GC-MS and Z-Score Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nurlaila Ismail; Mohd Ali Nor Azah; Mailina Jamil; Saiful Nizam Tajuddin; Mohd Nasir Taib

2013-01-01

Currently, the grading of the agar wood oil to the high and low quality is done using manually such as human trained grader. It was performed based on the agar wood oil physical properties such as human experience and perception and the oil colour, odor and long lasting aroma. Several researchers found that chemical profiles of the oil should be utilized to overcome the problem facing by manual techniques for example human nose cannot tolerate with the many oils at the same time, so that accurate result can be obtained in grading the agar wood oil. The analysis involved of SPME/ GC-MS and Z-score techniques have been proposed in this study to analyze the chemical compounds especially from the high quality samples of agar wood oil (Aquilariamalaccensis) from Malaysia. Two SPME fibers were used such as divinylbenzene-carbogen-polydimethylsiloxane (DVB-CAR-PDMS) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in extracting the oils compound under three different sampling temperature conditions such as 40, 60 and 80 degree Celsius. The chemical compounds extracted by SPME/ GC-MS were analyzed. The chemical compounds as identified by Z-score as significant compounds were discussed before the conclusion is made. It was found that 10-epi-γ-eudesmol, aromadendrene, β-agar ofuran, α-agar ofuran and γ-eudesmol were highlighted as significant for high quality agar wood oil and can be used as a marker compounds in classifying the agar wood oil. (author)

Sterilization of MacConkey agar and CLED medium by. gamma. -radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bogokowsky, B; Altmann, G [Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer (Israel); Tel Aviv Univ. (Israel). Medical School); Eisenberg, E [Israel Atomic Energy Commission, Yavne. Soreq Nuclear Research Center

1983-10-01

MacConkey agar and Cystine-Lactose-Electrolyte-Deficient (CLED) agar, media widely used in the bacteriological laboratory and recommended for the detection of urinary tract infections, were sterilized by ..gamma..-radiation at a dose of 1.5 Mrad. Both were modified and adapted to radiation sterilization by adding sodium thioglycollate as a radioprotectant, and by increasing their indicator content. The media performed well when tested with different Enterobacteria and other micro-organisms. Growth and change of indicator reaction were equal in irradiated and autoclaved culture media. Culture media were also evaluated after storage for one month at room temperature and at 4/sup 0/C and compared well with freshly autoclaved media.

Enhanced chlorine resistance of tap water-adapted Legionella pneumophila as compared with agar medium-passaged strains.

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Kuchta, J M; States, S J; McGlaughlin, J E; Overmeyer, J H; Wadowsky, R M; McNamara, A M; Wolford, R S; Yee, R B

1985-07-01

Previous studies have shown that bacteria maintained in a low-nutrient "natural" environment such as swimming pool water are much more resistant to disinfection by various chemical agents than strains maintained on rich media. In the present study a comparison was made of the chlorine (Cl2) susceptibility of hot-water tank isolates of Legionella pneumophila maintained in tap water and strains passaged on either nonselective buffered charcoal-yeast extract or selective differential glycine-vancomycin-polymyxin agar medium. Our earlier work has shown that environmental and clinical isolates of L. pneumophila maintained on agar medium are much more resistant to Cl2 than coliforms are. Under the present experimental conditions (21 degrees C, pH 7.6 to 8.0, and 0.25 mg of free residual Cl2 per liter, we found the tap water-maintained L. pneumophila strains to be even more resistant than the agar-passaged isolates. Under these conditions, 99% kill of tap water-maintained strains of L. pneumophila was usually achieved within 60 to 90 min compared with 10 min for agar-passaged strains. Samples from plumbing fixtures in a hospital yielded legionellae which were "super"-chlorine resistant when assayed under natural conditions. After one agar passage their resistance dropped to levels of comparable strains which had not been previously exposed to additional chlorination. These studies more closely approximate natural conditions than our previous work and show that tap water-maintained L. pneumophila is even more resistant to Cl2 than its already resistant agar medium-passaged counterpart.

Enzymatic desulfation of the red seaweeds agar by Marinomonas arylsulfatase.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xueyan; Duan, Delin; Fu, Xiaoting

2016-12-01

Agar and sulfated galactans were isolated from the red seaweeds Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis and Gelidium amansii. A previously purified arylsulfatase from Marinomonas sp. FW-1 was used to remove sulfate groups in agar and sulfated galactans. After enzymatic desulfation, the sulfate content decreased to about 0.16% and gel strength increased about two folds. Moreover, there was no difference between the DNA electrophoresis spectrum on the gel of the arylsulfatase-treated agar and that of the commercial agarose. In order to reveal the desulfation ratio and site, chemical and structural identification of sulfated galactan were carried out. G. amansii sulfated galactan with 7.4% sulfated content was composed of galactose and 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose. Meanwhile, G. lemaneiformis sulfated galactan with 8.5% sulfated content was composed of galactose, 3,6-anhydro-l-galactose, 2-O-methyl-3,6-anhydro-l-galactose and xylose. Data from 13 C NMR, FT-IR, GC-MS provided evidence of sulfate groups at C-4 and C-6 of d-galactose and C-6 of l-galactose both in GRAP and GEAP. Data from GC-MS revealed that desulfation was carried out by the arylsulfatase at the sulfate bonds at C-4 and C-6 of d-galactose and C-6 of l-galactose, with a desulfation ratio of 83.4% and 86.0% against GEAP and GRAP, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Antimicrobial activity of fosfomycin under various conditions against standard strains, beta-lactam resistant strains, and multidrug efflux system mutants].

Science.gov (United States)

Mikuniya, Takeshi; Hiraishi, Toru; Maebashi, Kazunori; Ida, Takashi; Takata, Toshihiko; Hikida, Muneo; Yamada, Sakuo; Gotoh, Naomasa; Nishino, Takeshi

2005-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible benefit of fosfomycin (FOM) as prophylactic antibiotic in terms of antimicrobial activity and the potential of inducibility of beta-lactamase, compared with cefazolin, cefotiam, cefmetazole, and piperacillin that are commonly used as perioperative agents. The in vitro activity of FOM against aerobic Gram-negative bacteria using Mueller-Hinton agar or nutrient agar supplemented with glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) as tested medium increased within a range from 2 to 256 times the activity in the medium without G6P. However, the susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria to FOM remained largely unchanged with or without G6P. There was no aerobic- or anaerobic-bacteria which changed susceptibility against beta-lactam antibiotics under various tested medium conditions. FOM demonstrated strong bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a dose dependent manner, and decreased viable cell counts of Staphylococcus aureus. In the case of P. aeruginosa, transmission electron micrographs study revealed that numerous lysed cells were present 2 hours after treatment with FOM at four times the MIC. First and second generation cephalosporins induced AmpC-type beta-lactamase in a dose dependent manner among beta-lactamase inducible strains of P. aeruginosa and Enterobacter cloacae. On the other hand, inducible activity of FOM on beta-lactamase production was less than 1/25 to 1/65 compared with those of cephalosporins. In addition, FOM maintained strong antimicrobial activity for over then 20 years after marketing, because of the excellent stability against various types of beta-lactamase produced by plasmid-carrying bacteria and clinical isolates. FOM was not extruded by four types of efflux systems, such as MexAB-OprM, MexCD-OprJ, MexXY/ OprM and MexEF-OprN, however beta-lactam antibiotics were substrates of MexAB-OprM and MexCD-OprJ. In conclusion, FOM provides adequate coverage for both aerobic Gram

Improvements to the power supply and control systems of Geiger-Mueller counter tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavin, Gerard; Amberny, Philippe.

1977-01-01

This invention aims to provide a power supply and control system for Geiger-Mueller counter tubes requiring only one high voltage output, corresponding to the 'active' phase voltage. With this in view, the invention proposes, inter alia, a system comprising a high voltage source connected to the anode of the GM tube whose cathode is connected to a determination and counting circuit, featuring a cathode connected to the source via an electronic switch and to earth by a component for holding the potential difference at a given level and by another electronic switch, placed in series. The switches are controlled in turn so as alternately to bring the cathode to a first voltage, enabling the tube to function, and to a second voltage, causing the blocking of the tube, this second voltage being set by the component creating the voltage difference [fr

Improvements to the power supply and control systems of Geiger-Mueller counter tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gavin, G; Amberny, P

1977-10-19

This invention aims to provide a power supply and control system for Geiger-Mueller counter tubes requiring only one high voltage output, corresponding to the 'active' phase voltage. With this in view, the invention proposes, inter alia, a system comprising a high voltage source connected to the anode of the GM tube whose cathode is connected to a determination and counting circuit, featuring a cathode connected to the source via an electronic switch and to earth by a component for holding the potential difference at a given level and by another electronic switch, placed in series. The switches are controlled in turn so as alternately to bring the cathode to a first voltage, enabling the tube to function, and to a second voltage, causing the blocking of the tube, this second voltage being set by the component creating the voltage difference.

Suitability of various plant derived gelling agents as agar substitute ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

2012-06-05

Jun 5, 2012 ... of three test fungi (Trichoderma harzianum, Alternaria alternata and Alternaria solani) as good as agar. ... used for cell culture, derived from plants or animals and .... and used to jell various foods, drugs and cosmetics) and rice.

Estudo da Atividade Antimicrobiana das Folhas de Jatrophacurcas L. frente ao Staphylococcus aureus e Escherichia coli/ Study of Antimicrobial Activity of Leave of Jatropha curcas L. against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Venturini Arantes

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Objetivos: O presente estudo investigou a atividade antimicrobiana do extrato obtido das folhas de Jatropha curcas L., frente às bactérias Staphylococcus aureus e Escherichia coli isoladas de pacientes de um Hospital Escola do sul de Minas Gerais. Metodologia: Foi realizado o teste da Microdiluição em placas de 96 poços. Colocou-se 50µl de Ágar Mueller Hinton em todos os poços, seguidos de 50µl do extrato da planta em diferentes concentrações (25 a 200 mg/mL nas colunas apropriadas e em seguida, 10µl de cada cepa bacteriana na concentração de 0,5 de McFarland em solução salina estéril. Seguiu-se a incubação em estufa de 35ºC por 24h. Posteriormente, realizou-se a revelação pela adição de 20 µL de Cloreto de Trifenil Tetrezólico e análise dos resultados pela coloração. Em cada placa foi realizado um controle positivo e negativo. Resultados: Houve efeito inibitório do crescimento microbiano de S. aureus e E. coli perante extratos de Jatropha Curcas L. nas concentrações de 50mg a 200mg. Apenas na concentração de 25mg não houve efeito inibitório diante de E. coli e S. aureus. Conclusão: O extrato bruto de Jatropha curcas L. apresentou atividade inibitória do crescimento de colônias de Staphylococcus aureus e Escherichia coli isoladas de pacientes de um hospital escola do sul de Minas Gerais, nas concentrações 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 e 200mg/ml. Objectives: This study investigated the antimicrobial activity of the extract obtained from the leaves of Jatropha curcas L., on the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli isolated from patients at a university hospital in southern Minas Gerais. Methodology: The microdilution test was made in plates of 96 wells. An amount of 50mL of Mueller Hinton agar was placed into each well, followed by 50mL of plant extract in different concentrations (25-200 mg / ml in the appropriate columns, and then 10ml of each bacterial strain at a concentration of 0.5 Mc

Radiation effects on agar, alginates and carrageenan to be used as food additives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aliste, A.J.; Vieira, F.F.; Mastro, N.L. del

2000-01-01

Agar, alginates and carrageenan are hydrocolloids that induce stabilization of physical properties of the food product during shelf life and prevention of undesirable changes such as moisture migration, gas cell coalescence or textural profile changes. In this work, agar, alginates and carrageenan was irradiated as powder with different doses (0-10 kGy) of Co-60 and the rheological functional performance of water solutions of these irradiated additives was studied. The results are analyzed taking in account the future applications of those additives in irradiated foods. (author)

Radiation effects on agar, alginates and carrageenan to be used as food additives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aliste, A.J. E-mail: nlmastro@net.ipen.br; Vieira, F.F.; Mastro, N.L. del

2000-03-01

Agar, alginates and carrageenan are hydrocolloids that induce stabilization of physical properties of the food product during shelf life and prevention of undesirable changes such as moisture migration, gas cell coalescence or textural profile changes. In this work, agar, alginates and carrageenan was irradiated as powder with different doses (0-10 kGy) of Co-60 and the rheological functional performance of water solutions of these irradiated additives was studied. The results are analyzed taking in account the future applications of those additives in irradiated foods. (author)

Effects of immersion disinfection of agar-alginate combined impressions on the surface properties of stone casts.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwasaki, Yukiko; Hiraguchi, Hisako; Iwasaki, Eriko; Yoneyama, Takayuki

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effects of disinfection of agar-alginate combined impressions on the surface properties of the resulting stone casts. Two brands of cartridge-form agar impression material and one alginate impression material were used. Agar-alginate combined impressions of smooth glass plates were prepared. The impressions were immersed in 0.55% ortho-phthalaldehyde solution or 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution for 1, 3, 5 and 10 min. A stone cast made with an impression that had not been immersed was prepared as a control. The surface roughness (Ra) of the stone casts was measured, and the cast surfaces were observed by SEM. Immersion of agar-alginate combined impressions in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution for up to 10 min had no serious adverse effects on the surface properties of the stone casts. In contrast, even 1 min of immersion in 0.55% ortho-phthalaldehyde solution caused deterioration of the cast surface properties.

Immediate differentiation of salmonella-resembling colonies on brilliant green agar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Annette Nygaard; Hoorfar, Jeffrey

2000-01-01

A rapid biochemical system (OBIS) based on immediate enzymatic differentiation of Citrobacter, Proteus, Providencia, Hafnia and Morganella spp. from Salmonella on brilliant green agar was evaluated A total of 96 field isolates from various Salmonella serotypes, 18 Citrobacter freundii and 25...

Application of a background-compensated Geiger-Mueller counter to a survey meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, C.; Kumanomido, H.; Watanabe, T.

1984-01-01

A background-compensated Geiger-Mueller counter was used as a probe for a GM survey meter to obtain a net count rate of β-rays from a radioactive source in a quick survey. Although a background counting ratio between the two parts in the counter, front and rear, varied somewhat depending on the incident direction of background γ-rays, it was possible to compensate the background counts by subtracting a part of the rear counts, which were background counts, from the front counts, which contained β-ray counts and background counts. Undesirable small pulses generated during the recovering time after a full Geiger discharge were eliminated by an anticoincidence gating method. The survey meter with this counter and a differential ratemeter is useful for obtaining a net count rate of β-rays emitted from a surface radioactive-contamination or from a source being put near the window of the counter with nearly the same accuracy in half the measuring time as compared with conventional GM counters. (orig.)

Growth of strontium oxalate crystals in agar–agar gel

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Growth of strontium oxalate crystals in agar–agar gel. P V DALAL. ∗ and K B SARAF. Postgraduate Department of Physics, Pratap College, Amalner 425 401, India. MS received 16 March 2008; revised 5 April 2010. Abstract. Single crystals of strontium oxalate have been grown by using strontium chloride and oxalic acid in.

Comparison of manual mycobacteria growth indicator tube and epsilometer test with agar proportion method for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N Karabulut

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Antimycobacterial susceptibility tests take weeks, and delayed therapy can lead to spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Therefore, rapid, accurate and cost-effective methods are required for proper therapy selection. In this study, the Mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT and epsilometer test (Etest methods were compared to the agar proportion method for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Materials and Methods: The susceptibility tests against isoniazid (INH, rifampin (RIF, streptomycin (STM and ethambutol (ETM of 51 M. tuberculosis complex isolates were analyzed by the MGIT, Etest and agar proportion methods. Results: The concordance between MGIT/Etest and agar proportion methods was 98% for INH and 100% for RIF, STM, ETM. There were not statistically significant differences in results of the susceptibility tests between MGIT/Etest and the reference agar proportion method. Conclusion: The results have shown that MGIT and Etest methods can be used instead of the agar proportion method, because these two methods are more rapid and easier than the agar proportion method.

Hyperspectral image reconstruction using RGB color for foodborne pathogen detection on agar plates

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Seung-Chul; Shin, Tae-Sung; Park, Bosoon; Lawrence, Kurt C.; Heitschmidt, Gerald W.

2014-03-01

This paper reports the latest development of a color vision technique for detecting colonies of foodborne pathogens grown on agar plates with a hyperspectral image classification model that was developed using full hyperspectral data. The hyperspectral classification model depended on reflectance spectra measured in the visible and near-infrared spectral range from 400 and 1,000 nm (473 narrow spectral bands). Multivariate regression methods were used to estimate and predict hyperspectral data from RGB color values. The six representative non-O157 Shiga-toxin producing Eschetichia coli (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) were grown on Rainbow agar plates. A line-scan pushbroom hyperspectral image sensor was used to scan 36 agar plates grown with pure STEC colonies at each plate. The 36 hyperspectral images of the agar plates were divided in half to create training and test sets. The mean Rsquared value for hyperspectral image estimation was about 0.98 in the spectral range between 400 and 700 nm for linear, quadratic and cubic polynomial regression models and the detection accuracy of the hyperspectral image classification model with the principal component analysis and k-nearest neighbors for the test set was up to 92% (99% with the original hyperspectral images). Thus, the results of the study suggested that color-based detection may be viable as a multispectral imaging solution without much loss of prediction accuracy compared to hyperspectral imaging.

Zinc-air cell with KOH-treated agar layer between electrode and electrolyte containing hydroponics gel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otham, R. [International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Yahaya, A. H. [University of Malaya, Dept. of Chemistry, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Arof, A. K. [University of Malaya, Dept. of Physics, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2002-07-01

Zinc-air electrochemical power sources possess the highest density compared to other zinc anode batteries, due their free and unlimited supply from the ambient air. In this experiment zinc-air cells have been fabricated employing hydroponics gel as an alternative alkaline electrolyte gelling agent. Thin KOH-treated agar layer was applied between the electrode-electrolyte interfaces which produced significant enhancement of the cells' capacities, indicating that the application of thin agar layer will improve the electrode-gelled electrolyte interfaces. Promising results have been achieved with porous zinc anode prepared from dried zinc-graphite-gelatinized agar paste; e g. a zinc-air cell employing a porous zinc anode has demonstrated a capacity of 1470 mAh rated at 0.1 A continuous discharge. 32 refs., 9 figs.

Observation of interactions between hydrophilic ionic liquid and water on wet agar gels by FE-SEM and its mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Chisato; Shirai, Takashi; Fuji, Masayoshi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The mechanism of SEM observation of agar gel using ionic liquid was investigated. ► Weak hydrogen bond between ionic liquid and water exist even under vacuum condition. ► Ionic liquid binding ability with water is useful for observing wet material using FE-SEM. ► We could optimize the water concentrations of sample of IL and wet material mixtures. ► SEM observation of fine morphology of agar gel in optimum water content. - Abstract: In the present study, an attempt is made to understand the mechanism of field emission electron microscopy (FE-SEM) observation of wet agar gel using a typical hydrophilic ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate; [BMIM][BF 4 ]. The IL interaction with water molecules within agar gel during sample preparation condition for FE-SEM observation was investigated using Raman spectroscopy. Results showed that water molecules within agar gel form weak hydrogen bond such as BF 4 − ⋯HOH⋯BF 4 − by interaction with BF 4 − of IL, and, it remained stable even under vacuum condition at 60 °C, 24 h. This interaction was found to be helpful for IL displacement of the water molecules within agar gel. From this study, it was found that the exact morphology of gel materials in FE-SEM condition can be observed by optimization of water concentrations of IL and gel mixtures. Thus, using IL, agar gel or any other material under wet condition can be observed without drying in FE-SEM chamber, and, present result gives an insight to the mechanism of FE-SEM observation of agar gel using IL without any conducting coating.

Comparison of Sabouraud dextrose and Pagano-Levin agar media for detection and isolation of yeasts from oral samples.

OpenAIRE

Samaranayake, L P; MacFarlane, T W; Williamson, M I

1987-01-01

The sensitivities of Sabouraud dextrose agar and modified Pagano-Levin agar for the primary isolation of yeasts and the recovery of multiple yeast species from single clinical samples were compared by using oral-rinse samples. Although there was a highly significant positive correlation between the numbers of yeasts recovered from both media, modified Pagano-Levin agar was far superior in detecting multiple yeast species in a single sample. Of 150 oral samples containing yeasts, 23 (15.3%) co...

An application of high vacuum technique: fabrication of Geiger - Mueller counters and measurements of fallout radioactivity in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between 1950 and 1960

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross, B.

1986-01-01

The initial development of vacuum technology, in Brazil, is described. Special attention is given to the fabrication of Geiger-Mueller counters in the period between 1950-1960, abd the results obtained by its use in measurements of radioactivity produced by hydrogen weapons explosions in the atmosphere. (M.C.K.) [pt

Comparison of the Cellient(™) automated cell block system and agar cell block method.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruger, A M; Stevens, M W; Kerley, K J; Carter, C D

2014-12-01

To compare the Cellient(TM) automated cell block system with the agar cell block method in terms of quantity and quality of diagnostic material and morphological, histochemical and immunocytochemical features. Cell blocks were prepared from 100 effusion samples using the agar method and Cellient system, and routinely sectioned and stained for haematoxylin and eosin and periodic acid-Schiff with diastase (PASD). A preliminary immunocytochemical study was performed on selected cases (27/100 cases). Sections were evaluated using a three-point grading system to compare a set of morphological parameters. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test. Parameters assessing cellularity, presence of single cells and definition of nuclear membrane, nucleoli, chromatin and cytoplasm showed a statistically significant improvement on Cellient cell blocks compared with agar cell blocks (P cell groups, PASD staining or the intensity or clarity of immunocytochemical staining. A discrepant immunocytochemistry (ICC) result was seen in 21% (13/63) of immunostains. The Cellient technique is comparable with the agar method, with statistically significant results achieved for important morphological features. It demonstrates potential as an alternative cell block preparation method which is relevant for the rapid processing of fine needle aspiration samples, malignant effusions and low-cellularity specimens, where optimal cell morphology and architecture are essential. Further investigation is required to optimize immunocytochemical staining using the Cellient method. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Optical characterization of porcine articular cartilage using a polarimetry technique with differential Mueller matrix formulism.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Ching-Min; Lo, Yu-Lung; Tran, Nghia-Khanh; Chang, Yu-Jen

2018-03-20

A method is proposed for characterizing the optical properties of articular cartilage sliced from a pig's thighbone using a Stokes-Mueller polarimetry technique. The principal axis angle, phase retardance, optical rotation angle, circular diattenuation, diattenuation axis angle, linear diattenuation, and depolarization index properties of the cartilage sample are all decoupled in the proposed analytical model. Consequently, the accuracy and robustness of the extracted results are improved. The glucose concentration, collagen distribution, and scattering properties of samples from various depths of the articular cartilage are systematically explored via an inspection of the related parameters. The results show that the glucose concentration and scattering effect are both enhanced in the superficial region of the cartilage. By contrast, the collagen density increases with an increasing sample depth.

Molecular mechanisms of membrane impermeability in clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae exposed to imipenem selective pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavez, Monica; Vieira, Camila; de Araujo, Maria Rita; Cerda, Alvaro; de Almeida, Lara Mendes; Lincopan, Nilton; Mamizuka, Elsa Masae

2016-07-01

Intrinsic mechanisms leading to carbapenem-induced membrane impermeability and multidrug resistance are poorly understood in clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae. In this study, molecular behaviours during the establishment of membrane impermeability in members of the Enterobacteriaceae family under imipenem selective pressure were investigated. Clinical isolates (n = 22) exhibiting susceptibility to multiple antibiotics or characterised as extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- or AmpC-producers were submitted to progressive passages on Mueller-Hinton agar plates containing subclinical concentrations of imipenem [0.5 × the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)]. Changes in outer membrane permeability were evaluated by determination of antimicrobial MICs, sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and gene expression analysis related to membrane permeability (i.e. omp35-like, omp36-like and acrA) and regulatory mechanisms (i.e. marA and ompR) by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Following imipenem induction, 73% of isolates showed increased carbapenem MICs by ≥2 doubling dilutions. At an early stage of treatment, imipenem modulated the expression of porins and efflux pump genes, represented by a reduction of 78% in omp36-like and a two-fold increase in acrA expression. Transcriptional factors marA and ompR were also affected by imipenem induction, increasing mRNA expression by 14- and 4-fold, respectively. High marA expression levels were associated with higher values of acrA expression. These results suggest that imipenem is an important factor in the development of an adaptive response to carbapenems by regulating key genes involved in the control of efflux pumps and porins, which could lead to a multidrug-resistant profile in clinical isolates, contributing to possible treatment failure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in meat.

Science.gov (United States)

de Boer, E; Zwartkruis-Nahuis, J T M; Wit, B; Huijsdens, X W; de Neeling, A J; Bosch, T; van Oosterom, R A A; Vila, A; Heuvelink, A E

2009-08-31

Recently the isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains from several food-producing animals has been reported. During slaughtering of MRSA-positive animals, contamination of carcasses with MRSA may occur and consequently the meat of these animals may get contaminated. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of MRSA in raw meat samples from the retail trade. Samples of raw beef, pork, veal, lamb/mutton, chicken, turkey, fowl and game were collected from the retail trade. A detection method including a two-step enrichment in Mueller-Hinton broth+6.5% NaCl and phenol red mannitol broth containing ceftizoxime and aztreonam, followed by isolation on MRSA ID agar (bioMérieux) was evaluated and subsequently applied for the detection of MRSA in samples of raw meats. MRSA strains were isolated from 264 (11.9%) of 2217 samples analyzed. Isolation percentages for the meat species were: beef (10.6%), veal (15.2%), lamb and mutton (6.2%), pork (10.7%), chicken (16.0%), turkey (35.3%), fowl (3.4%) and game (2.2%). The majority (85%) of the isolated strains belonged to spa-types of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) non-typeable (NT)-MRSA, corresponding to the multilocus sequence type ST398, a type also recently isolated in the Netherlands from pigs. However, a smaller part of these strains were found to be of other ST's, possibly of human origin. Further studies are needed to elucidate transmission routes of MRSA in relation to meat and other foods and to provide the tools for preventing the spread of MRSA. At present the high prevalence of MRSA in meat has not been shown to contribute significantly to the dissemination of MRSA to humans and the possible health hazard for consumers of the presence of MRSA in foods should be further elucidated.

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria Staphylococcus spp. isolated from samples of raw sheep's milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Vasiľ

2016-12-01

Full Text Available From samples of raw sheep's milk were determined results of bacteriological examination from two herds in region of Eastern Slovakia in three years lasting study. The occurrence of Staphylococcus spp. 41.6% (124 was determined from 298 samples. The seven species of staphylococci were on a regular basis isolated: S. epidermidis (34, S. chromogenes (26, S. aureus (16. Alternately have been recorded S. warneri (16, S. schleiferi (15, S. haemolyticus (9 and S. xylosus (8. All isolated pathogens were tested by in vitro test on Mueller-Hinton agar by disc methods on resistance to 10 types of antibiotics.  Highest value of resistance was determined to Penicilin 21.0%, Neomycin 10.5% and Novobiocin 9.7%. Lower resistance was in to Oxacilin 7.2% and Amoxicilin 6.5%. Minimal resistance was founded to Cefoxitin 0.8%, Linkomycin 2.4%, Erytromycin, and Streptomycin 3.2%. Was founded total resistance (21.0% to all antibiotics in S. epidermidis (34 during the three years, S. chromogenes (26 showed resistance to 8 types of antibiotics (12.9%, S. aureus (16 to 6 antibiotics (10.5% and S. warneri (16 to 4 antibiotics (5.6%. It was confirmed that sheep's milk remains a major source of staphylococci. Bacteria in comparison with isolates from cows' raw milk, showed lower values of resistance, but were resistant to more than two antibiotics. Recorded occurrence of resistance in staphylococci may be connected with a minimum use of antibiotics in the treatment of mastitis and other diseases in sheep herds. Reported resistance to the tested antibiotics became the basis for the recommendation to use preparations to treat mastitis in sheep principally by the detection of resistance to antibiotics contained.

Extended-Spectrum beta (β)-Lactamases and Antibiogram in Enterobacteriaceae from Clinical and Drinking Water Sources from Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Abera, Bayeh; Kibret, Mulugeta; Mulu, Wondemagegn

2016-01-01

The spread of Extended-Spectrum beta (β)-Lactamases (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae has become a serious global problem. ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae vary based on differences in antibiotic use, nature of patients and hospital settings. This study was aimed at determining ESBL and antibiogram in Enterobacteriaceae isolates from clinical and drinking water sources in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia. Enterobacteriaceae species were isolated from clinical materials and tap water using standard culturing procedures from September 2013 to March 2015. ESBL-producing-Enterobacteriaceae were detected using double-disk method by E-test Cefotaxim/cefotaxim+ clavulanic acid and Ceftazidime/ceftazidime+ clavulanic acid (BioMerieux SA, France) on Mueller Hinton agar (Oxoid, UK). Overall, 274 Enterobacteriaceae were isolated. Of these, 210 (44%) were from patients and 64 (17.1%) were from drinking water. The median age of the patients was 28 years. Urinary tract infection and blood stream infection accounted for 60% and 21.9% of Enterobacteriaceae isolates, respectively. Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from 9 (75%) of neonatal sepsis. The overall prevalence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in clinical and drinking water samples were 57.6% and 9.4%, respectively. The predominant ESBL-producers were K. pneumoniae 34 (69.4%) and Escherichia coli 71 (58.2%). Statistically significant associations were noted between ESBL-producing and non- producing Enterobacteriaceae with regard to age of patients, infected body sites and patient settings (P = 0.001). ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae showed higher levels of resistance against chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin and cotrimoxazole than non-ESBL producers (P = 0.001). ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae coupled with high levels of other antimicrobials become a major concern for treatment of patients with invasive infections such as blood stream infections, neonatal sepsis and urinary tract infections. ESBL

OXA-23 and ISAba1-OXA-66 class D β-lactamases in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from companion animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ewers, Christa; Klotz, Peter; Leidner, Ursula; Stamm, Ivonne; Prenger-Berninghoff, Ellen; Göttig, Stephan; Semmler, Torsten; Scheufen, Sandra

2017-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is recognised as a major pathogen of nosocomial infections that frequently show resistance to last-resort antimicrobials. To investigate whether A. baumannii from companion animals harbour carbapenem resistance mechanisms, 223 clinical isolates obtained from veterinary clinics between 2000 and 2013 in Germany were screened for carbapenem-non-susceptibility employing meropenem-containing Mueller-Hinton agar plates. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) data were obtained using the VITEK ® 2 system. Assignment to international clones (ICs) was done by multiplex PCR or repetitive sequence-based PCR employing the DiversiLab system. Clonality was studied using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Genes encoding carbapenemases and aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes were detected by PCR. In three samples from dogs, carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii carrying the bla OXA-23 gene on plasmids and located on transposon Tn2008 were identified. The isolates belonged to sequence type ST1 P (clonal complex CC1/IC1/pulsotype II) and ST10 P (CC10/IC8/pulsotype IV) according to the Pasteur MLST scheme, and to ST231 Ox (CC109) and ST585 Ox (CC447) following the Oxford scheme. Insertion sequence ISAba1 was identified upstream of bla OXA-66 in 58 A. baumannii isolates. MLST referred them to ST2 P (CC2/IC2/pulsotypes I and III), ST208 Ox , ST350 Ox and ST556 Ox (all CC118), respectively. PFGE suggested nosocomial spread of these highly related strains, which frequently demonstrated a multidrug-resistant phenotype, in one veterinary clinic. These data show that A. baumannii from companion animals reveal resistance determinants and clonal lineages of strains globally emerging in humans. This suggests an interspecies transmission and warrants molecular surveillance of A. baumannii in veterinary clinics to mitigate its further spread. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights

Virulence factors, serogroups and antimicrobial resistance properties of Escherichia coli strains in fermented dairy products.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehkordi, Farhad Safarpoor; Yazdani, Farshad; Mozafari, Jalal; Valizadeh, Yousef

2014-04-07

From a clinical perspective, it is essential to know the microbial safety of fermented dairy products. Doogh and kashk are fermented dairies. These products are used by millions of people but their microbial qualities are unknown. Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is one of the most commonly detected pathogens in the cases of food poisoning and food-borne illnesses. The present investigation was carried out in order to study the molecular characterization and antimicrobial resistance properties of STEC strains isolated from fermented dairy products. Six hundred fermented dairy samples were collected and immediately transferred to the laboratory. All samples were cultured immediately and those that were E. coli-positive were analyzed for the presence of O157 , O26, O103, O111, O145, O45, O91, O113, O121 and O128 STEC serogroups, tetA, tetB, blaSHV, CITM, cmlA, cat1, aadA1, dfrA1, qnr, aac (3)-IV, sul1 and ereA antibiotic resistance genes and stx1, stx2, eaeA, ehly, cnf1, cnf2, iutA, cdtB, papA, traT, sfaS and fyuA virulence factors using PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed also using disk diffusion methodology with Mueller-Hinton agar. Fifty out of 600 (8.33%) dairy samples harbored E. coli. In addition, yoghurt was the most commonly contaminated dairy. O157 (26%) and O26 (12%) were the most commonly detected serogroups. A significant difference was found between the frequency of Attaching and Effacing E. coli and Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (P Fermented dairy products can easily become contaminated by antibiotic resistant STEC strains. Our findings should raise awareness about antibiotic resistance in Iran. Clinicians should exercise caution when prescribing antibiotics, especially in veterinary treatments.

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF PINEAPPLE (ANANAS COMOSUS L. MERR EXTRACT AGAINST MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA: AN IN VITRO STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahmat Sayyid Zharfan

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the main cause of nosocomial infection which is responsible for 10% of hospital-acquired infection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa tends to mutate and displays potential for development of antibiotic resistance. Approximately, 10% of global bacterial isolates are found as Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pseudomonas aeruginosa have a quite tremendous severity index, especially on pneumonia and urinary tract infections, even sepsis, which 50% mortality rate. Pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr has antimicrobial properties. The active antimicrobial compounds in Ananas comosus L. Merr include saponin and bromelain. This research aims to find the potency of antimicrobial effect of pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr extract towards Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa specimen is obtained from patient’s pus in orthopaedic department, Dr Soetomo Public Hospital, Surabaya. Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa specimen is resistant to all antibiotic agents except cefoperazone-sulbactam. This research is conducted by measuring the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC through dilution test with Mueller-Hinton broth medium. Pineapple extract (Ananas comosus L. Merr. is dissolved in aquadest, then poured into test tube at varying concentrations (6 g/ml; 3 g/ml; 1.5 g/ml; 0.75 g/ml, 0.375 g/ml; and 0.1875 g/ml. After 24 hours’ incubation, samples are plated onto nutrient agar plate, to determine the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC. The extract of pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr has antimicrobial activities against Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC could not be determined, because turbidity changes were not seen. The Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC of pineapple extract (Ananas comosus L. Merr to Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is 0.75 g/ml. Further study of in vivo is needed.

Biofilm Removal and Antimicrobial Activities of Agar Hydrogel Containing Colloid Nano-Silver against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium

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Leyla Sadat Bouryabaf

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background:    Antibacterial and biofilm removal effects of agar hydrogel incorporating silver nanoparticles (SNP at various concentrations were studied against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium in vitro.Methods:      The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC of SNP was determined by agar dilution method. Then, hydrogels were prepared by mixing of 0.5% w/v agar and SNP (1/2 MIC, MIC, and 2 MIC and their inhibitory efficacies against planktonic and biofilm forms of bacteria were measured using agar spot and microtiter test, respectively.Results:    The MIC value was 125 µg/ mL for both bacteria. All SNP hydrogels represented antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and S. typhimurium on agar culture, which was significant compared to control group (silver sulfadiazine cream. The developed biofilm of S. aureus and S. typhimurium were strongly (85% reduction and modernly affected (60% reduction by SNP hydrogels during 15 min contact time, respectively. A dose-dependent biofilm reduction was not demonstrated when different SNP concentrations were tested. Moreover, the results from this study confirmed the moderate sanitizing ability of SNP loaded hydrogel against planktonic forms of both bacteria, which SNP (2MIC hydrogel decreased only 2.3 log10 CFU/ mL in a primary population of S. typhimurium during 15 min exposure time.Conclusion:     We recommended SNP incorporated agar hydrogel as an effective biofilm removal sanitizer.

Antibacterial properties of Kurdistan Gundelia tournefortii ethanolic extract against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

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B. Ayoubi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Due to the ever-increasing of antibiotic-resistance microorganisms and the tendency towards the application of natural preservatives, in the present study the ethanolic extract of stalk portion of  Kurdistan Gundelia tournefertti L. was extracted in rotary evaporator. The antibacterial effect (MIC and MBC of the extract was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. using agar dilution assay on Muller-Hinton agar. The experiment was conducted with 3 replicates and probity analysis of the data was analyzed using SAS 9.2 software.Result showed that both MIC and MBC for S. aureus was62.5 µg/ml. Moreover, the MBC and MIC values for E. coli were estimated at 31.25 µg/ml and 15.62 µg/ml, respectively.Since ethanolic extract of G. tournefertti was highly effectiveon indicator bacteria,it can be used in combination with the other preservatives to protect foods from foodborne organisms.

Inhibitory Effects of Pterodon emarginatus Bean Oil and Extract on Staphylococcus aureus.

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Mendes, V S; Sant'Anna, J B; Oliveira, S C C; Maldonade, Iriani Rodrigues; Machado, Eleuza Rodrigues

2017-01-01

Pterodon emarginatus is a tree of the Brazilian Savannah. The beans of this tree are used in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory preparations, especially for infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus . These bacteria can cause simple infections or serious illnesses such as pneumonia, meningitis, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, septicemia, and others. This study had the goal of verifying the effect of the essential oil (OE) from P. emarginatus on the inhibition of S. aureus in culture medium, i.e., " in vitro " tests. The vegetable material was cut and crushed with a press. The OE was obtained by extraction using hexane, alcohol, and water. The P. emarginatus extracts obtained were used to evaluate the antimicrobial effect on S. aureus (ATCC 25923) by tests of well diffusion, disc diffusion, and microdilution. The strain used in the assays was maintained in brain heart infusion broth and nutrient agar until testing. Afterward, the bacteria were spread on agar plates with Mueller-Hinton agar medium. In the wells and on the paper discs, the OE suspensions were placed in the following volumes: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, and 80 μL and subsequently they were incubated at 35°C ± 2°C. After 24 h, the number of colony-forming unit was determined. Pure OE and hydroalcoholic extract inhibited the growth of S. aureus , while aqueous extract had no effect on bacterial growth in all microbial methods used. Thus, the present study showed the potential of sucupira-based extracts against S. aureus growth, opening new perspectives for the evaluation of these bioactive compounds as phytopharmaceutical products. Plant extract act as antimicrobials to prevent and reduce bacterial contaminationBeans of Pterodon emarginatus has antibacterial propertiesExtraction with different solvents might implicate on the rate of bacterial deathThe effect of different microbiological methods (well diffusion, disc diffusion and microdilution) was evaluated on reducing CFUThe results showed by MBC

Differentiating non-0157:H7 STEC serogroups from ground beef plated on agar media by hyperspetral imaging

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Introduction: The development of an assay to detect and confirm a positive non-O157:H7 isolate is challenging when mixed morphologically results are obtained from the serogroups growing on Rainbow agar. Rainbow agar is only claimed by the manufacturer to be very specific for E.coli O157:H7 strain...

Corn and potato starch as an agar alternative for Solanum ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2010-01-04

Jan 4, 2010 ... Media with 50, 60 g/l of PS or 60 g/l of CS and 50 g/l of CS + agar at 1 g/l significantly enhanced the ... Skoog (1962) medium supplemented 30 g/l of sucrose and 1 mg/l .... Arregui LM, Veramendi J, Mingo-Castel AM (2003).

High-energy resummation effects in the production of Mueller-Navelet di-jets at the LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudoue, B.; Szymanowski, L.; Wallon, S.

2016-01-01

We study the production of two forward jets with a large interval of rapidity at hadron colliders, which was proposed by Mueller and Navelet as a possible test of the high energy dynamics of QCD, within a complete next-to-leading logarithm framework. We show that using the Brodsky-Lepage-Mackenzie procedure to fix the renormalization scale leads to a very good description of the recent CMS data at the LHC for the azimuthal correlations of the jets. We show that the inclusion of next-to-leading order corrections to the jet vertex significantly reduces the importance of energy-momentum non-conservation which is inherent to the BFKL approach, for an asymmetric jet configuration. Finally, we argue that the double parton scattering contribution is negligible in the kinematics of actual CMS measurements. (authors)

Effects of disinfection of combined agar/alginate impressions on the dimensional accuracy of stone casts.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiraguchi, Hisako; Nakagawa, Hisami; Kaketani, Masahiro; Hirose, Hideharu; Nishiyama, Minoru

2007-05-01

This study investigated the effects of disinfection of combined agar/alginate impressions on the dimensional accuracy of resultant stone casts. Impressions of a master cast designed to simulate an abutment tooth were prepared by combining each of two brands of cartridge-form agar impression materials with an alginate impression material. The impressions were immersed in 1% sodium hypochlorite for 10 minutes or 2% glutaraldehyde for 30 minutes. The remaining impressions were sprayed with these two disinfectants and then stored in sealed bags for 10, 30, 60, and 120 minutes. Stone casts obtained from the non-disinfected impressions were also prepared as control. Changes in diameter of the stone casts were then measured. Results indicated that storage for 10 minutes after spraying with 1% sodium hypochlorite was an appropriate disinfection method for combined agar/alginate impressions, as well as immersion in 1% sodium hypochlorite for 10 minutes.

Agar Sediment Test for Assessing the Suitability of Organic Waste Streams for Recovering Nutrients by the Aquatic Worm Lumbriculus variegatus.

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Bob Laarhoven

Full Text Available An agar sediment test was developed to evaluate the suitability of organic waste streams from the food industry for recovering nutrients by the aquatic worm Lumbriculus variegatus (Lv. The effects of agar gel, sand, and food quantities in the sediment test on worm growth, reproduction, and water quality were studied. Agar gel addition ameliorated growth conditions by reducing food hydrolysis and altering sediment structure. Best results for combined reproduction and growth were obtained with 0.6% agar-gel (20 ml, 10 g. fine sand, 40 g. coarse sand, and 105 mg fish food (Tetramin. With agar gel, ingestion and growth is more the result of addition of food in its original quality. Final tests with secondary potato starch sludge and wheat bran demonstrated that this test is appropriate for the comparison of solid feedstuffs and suspended organic waste streams. This test method is expected to be suitable for organic waste studies using other sediment dwelling invertebrates.

Preparation of amine-impregnated silica foams using agar as the gelling agent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jardim, Iara M., E-mail: iaramj01@yahoo.com.br [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais – UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP: 31270-901, Escola de Engenharia, bloco 2, sala, 2230 (Brazil); Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais – UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP: 31270-901, Escola de Engenharia, bloco 2, 5° andar (Brazil); Souza, Douglas F.; Vasconcelos, Daniela C.L.; Nunes, Eduardo H.M. [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais – UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP: 31270-901, Escola de Engenharia, bloco 2, sala, 2230 (Brazil); Vasconcelos, Wander L., E-mail: wlv@demet.ufmg.br [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais – UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP: 31270-901, Escola de Engenharia, bloco 2, sala, 2230 (Brazil)

2016-10-15

In this work we successfully prepared amine-impregnated gel-cast silica foams using agar and atmospheric air as the gelling agent and heat treatment atmosphere, respectively. The concentration of 3,6-anhydrogalactose in agar was evaluated by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis). The obtained foams were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) coupled to mass spectrometry (TG-MS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray microtomography (micro-CT), and Archimedes method. The cold crushing strength of the materials prepared in this work was assessed using a mechanical testing stage available in the micro-CT system. The obtained foams exhibited a highly interconnected pore network, with an expressive presence of open pores. Samples heat-treated at 1300 °C for 2 h showed both an expressive porosity (≈ 77%) and a significant cold crushing strength (≈ 1.4 MPa). It was observed that the calcination of the prepared materials at 1200 °C for times as long as 16 h may lead to the rupture of pore walls. FTIR and TG-MS revealed that amine groups were properly incorporated into the foams structure. - Highlights: •Successful preparation of amine-impregnated gel-cast silica foams •Agar used as the gelling agent •Samples with expressive porosity and cold crushing strength •Sintering times as long as 16 h led to the rupture of the pore network.

Preparation of amine-impregnated silica foams using agar as the gelling agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jardim, Iara M.; Souza, Douglas F.; Vasconcelos, Daniela C.L.; Nunes, Eduardo H.M.; Vasconcelos, Wander L.

2016-01-01

In this work we successfully prepared amine-impregnated gel-cast silica foams using agar and atmospheric air as the gelling agent and heat treatment atmosphere, respectively. The concentration of 3,6-anhydrogalactose in agar was evaluated by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis). The obtained foams were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) coupled to mass spectrometry (TG-MS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray microtomography (micro-CT), and Archimedes method. The cold crushing strength of the materials prepared in this work was assessed using a mechanical testing stage available in the micro-CT system. The obtained foams exhibited a highly interconnected pore network, with an expressive presence of open pores. Samples heat-treated at 1300 °C for 2 h showed both an expressive porosity (≈ 77%) and a significant cold crushing strength (≈ 1.4 MPa). It was observed that the calcination of the prepared materials at 1200 °C for times as long as 16 h may lead to the rupture of pore walls. FTIR and TG-MS revealed that amine groups were properly incorporated into the foams structure. - Highlights: •Successful preparation of amine-impregnated gel-cast silica foams •Agar used as the gelling agent •Samples with expressive porosity and cold crushing strength •Sintering times as long as 16 h led to the rupture of the pore network.

Spore-to-spore agar culture of the myxomycete Physarum globuliferum.

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Liu, Pu; Wang, Qi; Li, Yu

2010-02-01

The ontogeny of the myxomycete Physarum globuliferum was observed on corn meal agar and hanging drop cultures without adding sterile oat flakes, bacteria or other microorganisms. Its complete life cycle including spore germination, myxamoebae, swarm cells, plasmodial development, and maturity of fructifications was demonstrated. Details of spore-to-spore development are described and illustrated.

Moellerella wisconsensis: identification, natural antibiotic susceptibility and its dependency on the medium applied.

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Stock, Ingo; Falsen, Enevold; Wiedemann, Bernd

2003-01-01

The present study establishes a data compilation on biochemical features and natural antibiotic susceptibilities of Moellerella wisconsensis strains. 17 moellerellae isolated from humans (n = 11), food (n = 5) and water (n = 1) were tested. Identification was carried out using two commercially available systems and conventional tests. MIC determinations of 74 antibiotics were performed applying a microdilution procedure in Cation-adjusted Mueller Hinton broth and IsoSensitest broth. M. wisconsensis was naturally sensitive to doxycycline, minocycline, all tested aminoglycosides, numerous beta-lactams, all fluoroquinolones, folate-pathway inhibitors, chloramphenicol and nitrofurantoin. Natural resistance was found with oxacillin, penicillin G, all tested macrolides, lincomycin, streptogramins, ketolides, glycopeptides, fusidic acid, linezolid and rifampicin. Medium-dependent differences in susceptibility affecting clinical assessment criteria were seen with tetracycline, clindamycin and fosfomycin. From the data of the present study it is possible that some moellerellae are misidentified as Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae.

Methods and means of 3D diffuse Mueller-matrix tomography of depolarizing optically anisotropic biological layers

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Dubolazov, O. V.; Ushenko, V. O.; Trifoniuk, L.; Ushenko, Yu. O.; Zhytaryuk, V. G.; Prydiy, O. G.; Grytsyuk, M.; Kushnerik, L.; Meglinskiy, I.

2017-09-01

A new technique of Mueller-matrix mapping of polycrystalline structure of histological sections of biological tissues is suggested. The algorithms of reconstruction of distribution of parameters of linear and circular birefringence of prostate histological sections are found. The interconnections between such distributions and parameters of linear and circular birefringence of prostate tissue histological sections are defined. The comparative investigations of coordinate distributions of phase anisotropy parameters formed by fibrillar networks of prostate tissues of different pathological states (adenoma and carcinoma) are performed. The values and ranges of change of the statistical (moments of the 1st - 4th order) parameters of coordinate distributions of the value of linear and circular birefringence are defined. The objective criteria of cause of Benign and malignant conditions differentiation are determined.

Three-dimensional characterization of bacterial microcolonies on solid agar-based culture media.

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Drazek, Laurent; Tournoud, Maud; Derepas, Frédéric; Guicherd, Maryse; Mahé, Pierre; Pinston, Frédéric; Veyrieras, Jean-Baptiste; Chatellier, Sonia

2015-02-01

For the last century, in vitro diagnostic process in microbiology has mainly relied on the growth of bacteria on the surface of a solid agar medium. Nevertheless, few studies focused in the past on the dynamics of microcolonies growth on agar surface before 8 to 10h of incubation. In this article, chromatic confocal microscopy has been applied to characterize the early development of a bacterial colony. This technology relies on a differential focusing depth of the white light. It allows one to fully measure the tridimensional shape of microcolonies more quickly than classical confocal microscopy but with the same spatial resolution. Placing the device in an incubator, the method was able to individually track colonies growing on an agar plate, and to follow the evolution of their surface or volume. Using an appropriate statistical modeling framework, for a given microorganism, the doubling time has been estimated for each individual colony, as well as its variability between colonies, both within and between agar plates. A proof of concept led on four bacterial strains of four distinct species demonstrated the feasibility and the interest of the approach. It showed in particular that doubling times derived from early tri-dimensional measurements on microcolonies differed from classical measurements in micro-dilutions based on optical diffusion. Such a precise characterization of the tri-dimensional shape of microcolonies in their late-lag to early-exponential phase could be beneficial in terms of in vitro diagnostics. Indeed, real-time monitoring of the biomass available in a colony could allow to run well established microbial identification workflows like, for instance, MALDI-TOF mass-spectrometry, as soon as a sufficient quantity of material is available, thereby reducing the time needed to provide a diagnostic. Moreover, as done for pre-identification of macro-colonies, morphological indicators such as three-dimensional growth profiles derived from

Colony formation in agar: in vitro assay for haemopoietic stem cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dicke, K.A.; Platenburg, M.G.C.; Bekkum, D.W. van

1971-01-01

Using a method in which embryo fibroblasts were used as feeder layers, the colony forming capacity in agar of a variety of mouse haemopoietic suspensions was compared with their CFUs content. A striking parallelism between the results of the two assays was found. In addition, under certain

Swelling-induced optical anisotropy of thermoresponsive hydrogels based on poly(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate): deswelling kinetics probed by quantitative Mueller matrix polarimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Nagaraj; Soni, Jalpa; Ghosh, Nirmalya; De, Priyadarsi

2012-11-29

Thermodynamically favored polymer-water interactions below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) caused swelling-induced optical anisotropy (linear retardance) of thermoresponsive hydrogels based on poly(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate). This was exploited to study the macroscopic deswelling kinetics quantitatively by a generalized polarimetry analysis method, based on measurement of the Mueller matrix and its subsequent inverse analysis via the polar decomposition approach. The derived medium polarization parameters, namely, linear retardance (δ), diattenuation (d), and depolarization coefficient (Δ), of the hydrogels showed interesting differences between the gels prepared by conventional free radical polymerization (FRP) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) and also between dry and swollen state. The effect of temperature, cross-linking density, and polymerization technique employed to synthesize hydrogel on deswelling kinetics was systematically studied via conventional gravimetry and corroborated further with the corresponding Mueller matrix derived quantitative polarimetry characteristics (δ, d, and Δ). The RAFT gels exhibited higher swelling ratio and swelling-induced optical anisotropy compared to FRP gels and also deswelled faster at 30 °C. On the contrary, at 45 °C, deswelling was significantly retarded for the RAFT gels due to formation of a skin layer, which was confirmed and quantified via the enhanced diattenuation and depolarization parameters.

Antibacterial Effect of Diclofenac Sodium on Enterococcus faecalis

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Amin Salemmilani

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs have shown antibacterial activity in some recent studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effect of diclofenac against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis as a resistant endodontic bacterium in comparison with ibuprofen, calcium hydroxide and amoxicillin.Materials and Methods: The antibacterial activity of materials was evaluated using agar diffusion test and tube dilution method. Mixtures of 400 mg/ml of materials were prepared. The bacteria were seeded on 10 Muller-Hinton agar culture plates. Thirty microliter of each test material was placed in each well punched in agar plates. After incubation, the zone of bacterial inhibition was measured. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of the test materials was determined by agar dilution method. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA followed by Sidak post hoc test was used to compare the mean zone of microbial growth in the groups.Results: There were significant differences between the two groups (p< 0.05. Results of the agar diffusion test showed that antibiotics (amoxicillin, gentamycin had the greatest antibacterial activity followed by NSAIDs (ibuprofen, diclofenac. Ca(OH2 failed to show antibacterial activity. Diclofenac and ibuprofen showed distinct antibacterial activity against E. faecalis in 50 µg/ml and above concentrations.Conclusion: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, it is concluded that diclofenac and ibuprofen have significantly more pronounced antibacterial activity against E. faecalis in comparison with Ca(OH2.

Investigation of dental alginate and agar impression materials as a brain simulant for ballistic testing.

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Falland-Cheung, Lisa; Piccione, Neil; Zhao, Tianqi; Lazarjan, Milad Soltanipour; Hanlin, Suzanne; Jermy, Mark; Waddell, J Neil

2016-06-01

Routine forensic research into in vitro skin/skull/brain ballistic blood backspatter behavior has traditionally used gelatin at a 1:10 Water:Powder (W:P) ratio by volume as a brain simulant. A limitation of gelatin is its high elasticity compared to brain tissue. Therefore this study investigated the use of dental alginate and agar impression materials as a brain simulant for ballistic testing. Fresh deer brain, alginate (W:P ratio 91.5:8.5) and agar (W:P ratio 81:19) specimens (n=10) (11×22×33mm) were placed in transparent Perspex boxes of the same internal dimensions prior to shooting with a 0.22inch caliber high velocity air gun. Quantitative analysis to establish kinetic energy loss, vertical displacement elastic behavior and qualitative analysis to establish elasticity behavior was done via high-speed camera footage (SA5, Photron, Japan) using Photron Fastcam Viewer software (Version 3.5.1, Photron, Japan) and visual observation. Damage mechanisms and behavior were qualitatively established by observation of the materials during and after shooting. The qualitative analysis found that of the two simulant materials tested, agar behaved more like brain in terms of damage and showed similar mechanical response to brain during the passage of the projectile, in terms of energy absorption and vertical velocity displacement. In conclusion agar showed a mechanical and subsequent damage response that was similar to brain compared to alginate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the quantitative Amido Black B staining of protein spots in agar gel at low local protein concentrations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, M.T.

1962-01-01

Protein spots in agar gel of identical protein content but different in surface area are found to bind different amounts of dye upon staining with Amido Black B. The lower the protein concentration within the agar gel, the more the Amido Black B content of the spot falls short of the value expected

Growth and study of barium oxalate single crystals in agar gel

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Barium oxalate was grown in agar gel at ambient temperature. The effect of various parameters like gel concentration, gel setting time and concentration of the reactants on the growth of these crystals was studied. Prismatic platy shaped spherulites and dendrites were obtained. The grown crystals were characterized by ...

Comparing the disk-diffusion and agar dilution tests for Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility testing

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Hsi Liu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We assessed the validity of testing for antimicrobial susceptibility of clinical and mutant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC isolates by disk diffusion in comparison to agar dilution, and Etest® (bioMerieux, France, respectively, for three third generation extended spectrum cephalosporins (ESC: ceftriaxone (CRO, cefixime (CFX, and cefpodoxime (CPD. Methods One hundred and five clinical isolates and ten laboratory-mutants were tested following Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI and manufacturer’s standards for each of the three methods. The measured diameters by the disk diffusion method were tested for correlation with the MIC values by agar dilution. In addition, comparisons with the Etest® were made. Categorical results for concordance, based on standard CLSI cutoffs, between the disk diffusion and the other two methods, respectively, were tested using the Chi-square statistics. Reproducibility was tested for CFX across a 6-month interval by repeated disk tests. Results Across all 115 specimens, the disk diffusion tests produced good categorical agreements, exhibiting concordance of 93.1%, 92.1%, and 90.4% with agar dilution and 93.0%, 92.1%, and 90.4% with Etest®, for CRO, CFX, and CPD, respectively. Pearson correlations between disk-diffusion diameters and agar dilution MIC’s were -0.59, -0.67, and -0.81 for CRO, CFX, and CPD, respectively. The correlations between disk diffusion and Etest® were -0.58, -0.73, and -0.49. Pearson correlation between the CFX disk readings over a 6-month interval was 91%. Conclusions Disk diffusion tests remain to be a useful, reliable and fast screening method for qualitative antimicrobial susceptibility testing for ceftriaxone, cefixime, and cefpodoxime.

N-acetylgalatosamine-mediated regulation of the aga operon by AgaR in Streptococcus pneumoniae

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Muhammad Afzal

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Here, we analyze the transcriptomic response of Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 to N-acetylgalactosamine (NAGa. Transcriptome comparison of S. pneumoniae D39 grown NAGaM17 (0.5% NAGa + M17 to that grown in GM17 (0.5% Glucose + M17 revealed the elevated expression of various carbon metabolic genes/operons, including a PTS operon (denoted here as the aga operon, which is putatively involved in NAGa transport and utilization, in the presence of NAGa. We further studied the role of a GntR-family transcriptional regulator (denoted here as AgaR in the regulation of aga operon. Our transcriptome and RT-PCR data suggest the role of AgaR as a transcriptional repressor of the aga operon. We predicted a 20-bp operator site of AagR (5’- ATAATTAATATAACAACAAA -3’ in the promoter region of the aga operon (PbgaC, which was further verified by mutating the AgaR operator site in the respective promoter. The role of CcpA in the additional regulation of the aga operon was elucidated by further transcriptome analyses and confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR.

Concentração mínima inibitória de dez antimicrobianos para amostras de Staphylococcus aureus isoladas de infecção intramamária bovina Minimum inhibitory concentrations for ten antimicrobial agents against Staphylococcus aureus from bovine intramammary infection

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M.A.V.P. Brito

2001-10-01

cases of mastitis, 66 from subclinical infections and 22 from chronic infections. The chronic infection strains were isolated from the same mammary quarters of nine cows of one herd over a period of 13 months. The MIC was performed on Mueller Hinton agar and concentrations, ranging from 0.015 to 128µgml-1, were evaluated for each antimicrobial agent. The American Type Culture Collection (ATCC recommended quality control strains, S. aureus ATCC 29213, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, were included on each batch of test. All strains were susceptible to cephalothin, erythromycin, gentamicin, norfloxacin and oxacillin, 91% were susceptible to tetracycline (MIC50: 0.5µgml-1 and tylosin (MIC50: 2.0µgml-1, 65% to ampicillin (MIC50: 0.125µgml-1 and penicillin G (MIC50: 0.06µgml-1. All strains but one in the intermediate pattern, were susceptible to neomycin (MIC50: 0.5µgml-1. The resistance levels to ampicillin and penicillin were higher in strains isolated from clinical and subclinical (positive scores on CMT cases (P or = 0.125µgml-1 to penicillin were positive for ß-lactamase production.

Two-dimensional network formation of cardiac myocytes in agar microculture chip with 1480 nm infrared laser photo-thermal etching.

Science.gov (United States)

Kojima, Kensuke; Moriguchi, Hiroyuki; Hattori, Akihiro; Kaneko, Tomoyuki; Yasuda, Kenji

2003-11-01

We have developed a new method that enables agar microstructures to be used to cultivate cells and that allows cell network patterns to be controlled. The method makes use of non-contact three-dimensional photo-thermal etching with a 1480 nm infrared focused laser beam, which is strongly absorbed by water and agar gel, to form the shapes of agar microstructures. It allows microstructures to be easily formed in an agar layer within a few minutes, with cell-culture holes formed by the spot heating of a 100 mW laser and tunnels by the tracing of a 100 microm s(-1), 40 mW laser. We cultivated rat cardiac myocytes in adjacent microstructures and observed synchronized beating in them 90 min after they had made physical contact. Our results indicate that the system can make and use microstructures for cell-network cultivation in a minimal amount of time without any expensive microfabrication facilities or complicated procedures.

Ex vivo characterization of normal and adenocarcinoma colon samples by Mueller matrix polarimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Iftikhar; Ahmad, Manzoor; Khan, Karim; Ashraf, Sumara; Ahmad, Shakil; Ikram, Masroor

2015-05-01

Mueller matrix polarimetry along with polar decomposition algorithm was employed for the characterization of ex vivo normal and adenocarcinoma human colon tissues by polarized light in the visible spectral range (425-725 nm). Six derived polarization metrics [total diattenuation (DT ), retardance (RT ), depolarization(ΔT ), linear diattenuation (DL), retardance (δ), and depolarization (ΔL)] were compared for normal and adenocarcinoma colon tissue samples. The results show that all six polarimetric properties for adenocarcinoma samples were significantly higher as compared to the normal samples for all wavelengths. The Wilcoxon rank sum test illustrated that total retardance is a good candidate for the discrimination of normal and adenocarcinoma colon samples. Support vector machine classification for normal and adenocarcinoma based on the four polarization properties spectra (ΔT , ΔL, RT ,and δ) yielded 100% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, while both DTa nd DL showed 66.6%, 33.3%, and 83.3% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, respectively. The combination of polarization analysis and given classification methods provides a framework to distinguish the normal and cancerous tissues.

Polar decomposition of the Mueller matrix: a polarimetric rule of thumb for square-profile surface structure recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanz, J M; Saiz, J M; González, F; Moreno, F

2011-07-20

In this research, the polar decomposition (PD) method is applied to experimental Mueller matrices (MMs) measured on two-dimensional microstructured surfaces. Polarization information is expressed through a set of parameters of easier physical interpretation. It is shown that evaluating the first derivative of the retardation parameter, δ, a clear indication of the presence of defects either built on or dug in the scattering flat surface (a silicon wafer in our case) can be obtained. Although the rule of thumb thus obtained is established through PD, it can be easily implemented on conventional surface polarimetry. These results constitute an example of the capabilities of the PD approach to MM analysis, and show a direct application in surface characterization. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial activity of three cements: new endodontic cement (NEC), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Portland.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan Zarrabi, Mohammad; Javidi, Maryam; Naderinasab, Mahboube; Gharechahi, Maryam

2009-09-01

Using the agar diffusion method, we conducted an in vitro study to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), new endodontic cement (NEC) and Portland cement at different concentrations against five different microorganisms. A base layer was made using Muller-Hinton agar for Escherichia coli (ATCC 10538) and Candida (ATCC 10231). For Actinomyces viscosus (ATCC 15987), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 10541) and Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) blood agar medium was used. Wells were formed by removing the agar, and the materials were placed in the well immediately after manipulation. The plates were kept at room temperature for 2 h for prediffusion, and then incubated at 37 degrees C for 72 h. The inhibition zones were then measured. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and the Tukey test to compare the differences among the three cements at different concentrations. The positive controls showed bacterial growth, while the negative controls showed no bacterial growth. All materials showed antimicrobial activity against the tested strains except for Enterococcus faecalis. NEC created larger inhibition zones than MTA and Portland cement. This difference was significant for Portland cement (P 0.05). Among the examined microorganisms, the largest inhibition zone was observed for Actinomyces group (P < 0.05). The antimicrobial activity of the materials increased with time and concentration (P < 0.05). It was concluded that NEC is a potent inhibitor of microorganism growth.

[Thin layer agar represents a cost-effective alternative for the rapid diagnosis of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Sarmiento, José M; Martínez-Negrete, Milton A; Castrillón-Velilla, Diana M; Mejía-Espinosa, Sergio A; Mejía-Mesa, Gloria I; Zapata-Fernández, Elsa M; Rojas-Jiménez, Sara; Marín-Castro, Andrés E; Robledo-Restrepo, Jaime A

2014-01-01

Using cost-benefit analysis for comparing the thin-layer agar culture method to the standard multiple proportion method used in diagnosing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). A cost-benefit evaluation of two diagnostic tests was made at the Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) in Medellín, Colombia. 100 patients were evaluated; 10.8% rifampicin resistance and 14.3% isoniazid resistance were found. A computer-based decision tree model was used for cost-effectiveness analysis (Treeage Pro); the thin-layer agar culture method was most cost-effective, having 100% sensitivity, specificity and predictive values for detecting rifampicin and isoniazid resistance. The multiple proportion method value was calculated as being US$ 71 having an average 49 day report time compared to US$ 18 and 14 days for the thin-layer agar culture method. New technologies have been developed for diagnosing tuberculosis which are apparently faster and more effective; their operating characteristics must be evaluated as must their effectiveness in terms of cost-benefit. The present study established that using thin-layer agar culture was cheaper, equally effective and could provide results more quickly than the traditional method. This implies that a patient could receive MDR TB treatment more quickly.

Nondestructive analysis of lithographic patterns with natural line edge roughness from Mueller matrix ellipsometric data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xiuguo; Shi, Yating; Jiang, Hao [State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 (China); Zhang, Chuanwei [State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 (China); Wuhan Eoptics Technology Co. Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei 430075 (China); Liu, Shiyuan, E-mail: shyliu@hust.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 (China); Wuhan Eoptics Technology Co. Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei 430075 (China)

2016-12-01

Highlights: • MME is applied to characterize lithographic patterns with natural LER. • A computationally efficient approach based on EMA is proposed to model LER. • Both theoretical and experimental results verify the effective modeling approach. • The comparison between MME and SEM results reveals the potential of this technique. - Abstract: Mueller matrix ellipsometry (MME) is applied to characterize lithographic patterns with natural line edge roughness (LER). A computationally efficient approach based on effective medium approximation is proposed to model the effects of LER in MME measurements. We present both the theoretical and experimental results on lithographic patterns with realistic LER which demonstrate that MME in combination with the proposed effective modeling method is capable of quantifying LER amplitudes. Quantitative comparisons between the MME and scanning electron microscopy measured results also reveal the strong potential of this technique for in-line nondestructive line roughness monitoring.

Differentiation between Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis using hypertonic Sabouraud broth and tobacco agar.

Science.gov (United States)

Silveira-Gomes, Fabíola; Sarmento, Dayse Nogueira; Espírito-Santo, Elaine Patrícia Tavares do; Souza, Nádia de Oliveira; Pinto, Thifany Mendes; Marques-da-Silva, Silvia Helena

2011-01-01

Opportunistic fungal infections in immunocompromised hosts are caused by Candida species, and the majority of such infections are due to Candida albicans. However, the emerging pathogen Candida dubliniensis demonstrates several phenotypic characteristics in common with C. albicans, such as production of germ tubes and chlamydospores, calling attention to the development of stable resistance to fluconazole in vitro. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of biochemistry identification in the differentiating between C. albicans and C. dubliniensis, by phenotyping of yeast identified as C. albicans. Seventy-nine isolates identified as C. albicans by the API system ID 32C were grown on Sabouraud dextrose agar at 30°C for 24-48h and then inoculated on hypertonic Sabouraud broth and tobacco agar. Our results showed that 17 (21.5%) isolates were growth-inhibited on hypertonic Sabouraud broth, a phenotypic trait inconsistent with C. albicans in this medium. However, the results observed on tobacco agar showed that only 9 (11.4%) of the growth-inhibited isolates produced characteristic colonies of C. dubliniensis (rough colonies, yellowish-brown with abundant fragments of hyphae and chlamydospores). The results suggest that this method is a simple tool for screening C. albicans and non-albicans yeast and for verification of automated identification.

Optimization of the agar-gel method for isolation of migrating Ascaris suum larvae from the liver and lungs of pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saeed, I.; Roepstorff, A.; Rasmussen, T.

2001-01-01

Experiments on use of an agar-gel method for recovery of migrating Ascaris suum larvae from the liver and lungs of pigs were conducted to obtain fast standardized methods. Subsamples of blended tissues of pig liver and lungs were mixed with agar to a final concentration of 1% agar and the larvae...... clean suspension which reduced the sample counting time. Blending the liver for 60 sec in a commercial blender showed significantly higher larvae recovery than blending for 30 sec. Addition of gentamycin to reduce bacterial growth during incubation, glucose to increase larval motility during migration...

Comparison of the Etest and the routine multi-disc agar diffusion ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results: On the Etest strips, Staph aureus was 83.5% sensitive to ciprofloxacin, 52.6% to gentamicin, 48.5% to ampicillin and 8.2% to chloramphenicol while on the multi-disc agar diffusion plates 80.4% of Staph aureus were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, 49.5% to gentamicin, 39.2% to ampicillin and 12.4% to chloramphenicol.

The effect of pH and storage on copper speciation and bacterial growth in complex growth media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasman, Henrik; Bjerrum, Morten J.; Christiansen, Lasse Engbo

2009-01-01

correlation between the free copper concentration and bacterial growth, than for the total copper concentration and growth. Furthermore, it is shown that the initial pH influences the amount of free copper ions in the media and that this has a direct effect on the ability of bacterial cultures to grow......In this paper we examine how the bacterial growth is influenced by the availability of copper ions in complex Mueller Hinton growth media. The data shows that the free copper concentration is seven to eight orders of magnitude lower the total copper concentration and that there seems to be a better....... However, there still remains an effect of pH on bacterial growth which cannot be attributed to the influence of the Cu2+ concentration alone. The study also shows that the sterilization treatment can have some effect on the availability of copper ions in the media over time. Freshly autoclaved and sterile...

An Efficient One-Pot Protocol for the Synthesis of Substituted 3,4-Dihydropyrimidin-2(1H-ones Using Metallophthalocyanines (MPcs as Potent Heterogeneous Catalysts: Synthesis, Characterization, Aggregation and Antimicrobial Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naceur Hamdi

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, novel phthalonitrile 3 and their corresponding metal-free 4 and metallophthalocyanine derivatives 5–7 bearing 2-isopropenyl-4-methoxy-1-methylbenzene groups were synthesized and characterized. 3,4-Dihydropyrimidinones have been synthesized by a modified Biginelli-type reaction with various metallophthalocyanines 5–7 as catalysts. Compared to the classical Biginielli reaction, the new method has the advantages of good yield and short reaction time. Among the various metallophthalocyanines studied, cobalt (II-phthalocyanine was found to be most active for this transformation. The newly prepared compounds were characterized using elemental analyses, MS, IR, 1H/13C-NMR and UV-Vis spectroscopy. In addition; the 3,4-dihydropyrimidinones (DHPMs 8–12 were investigated for antimicrobial activities and revealed good activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC was determined by the microdilution technique in Mueller-Hinton broth. The MICs were recorded after 24 hours of incubation at 37 °C. These results are promising, showing these compounds are biologically active.

Use of Mueller matrix polarimetry and optical coherence tomography in the characterization of cervical collagen anisotropy

Science.gov (United States)

Chue-Sang, Joseph; Bai, Yuqiang; Stoff, Susan; Gonzalez, Mariacarla; Holness, Nola; Gomes, Jefferson; Jung, Ranu; Gandjbakhche, Amir; Chernomordik, Viktor V.; Ramella-Roman, Jessica C.

2017-08-01

Preterm birth (PTB) presents a serious medical health concern throughout the world. There is a high incidence of PTB in both developed and developing countries ranging from 11% to 15%, respectively. Recent research has shown that cervical collagen orientation and distribution changes during pregnancy may be useful in predicting PTB. Polarization imaging is an effective means to measure optical anisotropy in birefringent materials, such as the cervix's extracellular matrix. Noninvasive, full-field Mueller matrix polarimetry (MMP) imaging methodologies, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging were used to assess cervical collagen content and structure in nonpregnant porcine cervices. We demonstrate that the highly ordered structure of the nonpregnant porcine cervix can be observed with MMP. Furthermore, when utilized ex vivo, OCT and MMP yield very similar results with a mean error of 3.46% between the two modalities.

Radiation sterilization of triple sugar iron agar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altmann, G.; Eisenberg, E.; Bogokowsky, B.

1979-01-01

Triple sugar iron agar (TSI), a medium used for the identification of enteric bacteria, was sterilized by gamma radiation using radiation doses of 750-2000 krad. The radio-sterilized medium, slightly modified by increasing its Phenol Red content, performed well when tested with different enterobacteriaceae and other gram negative bacteria. Growth, change of indicator reaction in slant and butt and formation of gas and H 2 S were equal in irradiated and autoclaved TSI. Slants of irradiated TSI in stoppered plastic tubes kept their diagnostic properties during storage for at least 4 months. Gamma irradiation appears to be an attractive and economical method of sterilising nutrient media in sealed tubes or other containers, avoiding the risk of contamination during processing. (author)

Agar Sediment Test for Assessing the Suitability of Organic Waste Streams for Recovering Nutrients by the Aquatic Worm Lumbriculus variegatus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laarhoven, Bob; Elissen, H.J.H.; Temmink, H.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2016-01-01

An agar sediment test was developed to evaluate the suitability of organic waste streams from the food industry for recovering nutrients by the aquatic worm Lumbriculus variegatus (Lv). The effects of agar gel, sand, and food quantities in the sediment test on worm growth, reproduction, and water

Reflexive contraction of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle to involuntarily sustain the effective eyelid retraction through the transverse trigeminal proprioceptive nerve on the proximal Mueller's muscle: verification with evoked electromyography.

Science.gov (United States)

Ban, Ryokuya; Matsuo, Kiyoshi; Osada, Yoshiro; Ban, Midori; Yuzuriha, Shunsuke

2010-01-01

We have proposed a hypothetical mechanism to involuntarily sustain the effective eyelid retraction, which consists of not only voluntary but also reflexive contractions of the levator palpebrae superior muscle (LPSM). Voluntary contraction of fast-twitch fibres of the LPSM stretches the mechanoreceptors in Mueller's muscle to evoke trigeminal proprioception, which induces continuous reflexive contraction of slow-twitch fibres of the LPSM through the trigeminal proprioceptive nerve fibres innervating the mechanoreceptors in Mueller's muscle via the oculomotor neurons, as a tonic trigemino-oculomotor reflex. In the common skeletal mixed muscles, electrical stimulation of the proprioceptive nerve, which apparently connects the mechanoreceptors in muscle spindles to the motoneurons, induces the electromyographic response as the Hoffmann reflex. To verify the presence of the trigemino-oculomotor reflex, we confirmed whether intra-operative electrical simulation of the transverse trigeminal proprioceptive nerve on the proximal Mueller's muscle evokes an electromyographic response in the LPSM under general anaesthesia in 12 patients. An ipsilateral, phasic, short-latency response (latency: 2.8+/-0.3 ms) was induced in the ipsilateral LPSM in 10 of 12 subjects. As successful induction of the short-latency response in the ipsilateral LPSM corresponds to the Hoffmann reflex in the common skeletal mixed muscles, the present study is the first electromyographic verification of the presence of the monosynaptic trigemino-oculomotor reflex to induce reflexive contraction of the LPSM. The presence of the trigemino-oculomotor reflex may elucidate the unexplainable blepharoptosis due to surgery, trauma and tumour, all of which may damage the trigeminal proprioceptive nerve fibres to impair the trigemino-oculomotor reflex. Copyright (c) 2008. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Rapid Isolation and Susceptibility Testing of Leptospira spp. Using a New Solid Medium, LVW Agar

Science.gov (United States)

Wuthiekanun, Vanaporn; Amornchai, Premjit; Paris, Daniel H.; Langla, Sayan; Thaipadunpanit, Janjira; Chierakul, Wirongrong; Smythe, Lee D.; White, Nicholas J.; Day, Nicholas P. J.; Peacock, Sharon J.

2013-01-01

Pathogenic Leptospira spp., the causative agents of leptospirosis, are slow-growing Gram-negative spirochetes. Isolation of Leptospira from clinical samples and testing of antimicrobial susceptibility are difficult and time-consuming. Here, we describe the development of a new solid medium that facilitates more-rapid growth of Leptospira spp. and the use of this medium to evaluate the Etest's performance in determining antimicrobial MICs to drugs in common use for leptospirosis. The medium was developed by evaluating the effects of numerous factors on the growth rate of Leptospira interrogans strain NR-20157. These included the type of base agar, the concentration of rabbit serum (RS), and the concentration and duration of CO2 incubation during the initial period of culture. The highest growth rate of NR-20157 was achieved using a Noble agar base supplemented with 10% RS (named LVW agar), with an initial incubation at 30°C in 5% CO2 for 2 days prior to continuous culture in air at 30°C. These conditions were used to develop the Etest for three species, L. interrogans (NR-20161), L. kirschnerii (NR-20327), and L. borgpetersenii (NR-20151). The MICs were read on day 7 for all samples. The Etest was then performed on 109 isolates of pathogenic Leptospira spp. The MIC90 values for penicillin G, doxycycline, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and chloramphenicol were 0.64 units/ml and 0.19, 0.047, 0.5, and 2 μg/ml, respectively. The use of LVW agar, which enables rapid growth, isolation of single colonies, and simple antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Leptospira spp., provides an opportunity for new areas of fundamental and applied research. PMID:23114772

An Agar-Based Method for Plating Marine Protozoan Parasites of the Genus Perkinsus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma R Cold

Full Text Available The genus Perkinsus includes protozoan parasites of mollusks responsible for losses in the aquaculture industry and hampering the recovery of natural shellfish beds worldwide, and they are a key taxon for understanding intracellular parasitism adaptations. The ability to propagate the parasite in liquid media, in the absence of the host, has been crucial for improving understanding of its biology; however, alternative techniques to grow the parasite are needed to explore other basic aspects of the Perkinsus spp. biology. We optimized a DME: Ham's F12-5% FBS- containing solid agar medium for plating Perkinsus marinus. This solid medium supported trophozoite propagation both by binary fission and schizogony. Colonies were visible to the naked eye 17 days after plating. We tested the suitability of this method for several applications, including the following: 1 Subcloning P. marinus isolates: single discrete P. marinus colonies were obtained from DME: Ham's F12-5% FBS- 0.75% agar plates, which could be further propagated in liquid medium; 2 Subcloning engineered Perkinsus mediterraneus MOE[MOE]: GFP by streaking cultures on plates; 3 Chemical susceptibility: Infusing the DME: Ham's F12-5% FBS- 0.75% agar plates with triclosan resulted in inhibition of the parasite propagation in a dose-dependent manner. Altogether, our plating method has the potential for becoming a key tool for investigating diverse aspects of Perkinsus spp. biology, developing new molecular tools, and for biotechnological applications.

Control of the pattern of perithecium development in Sordaria fimicola on agar medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollock, R T

1975-06-01

In a Sordaria fimicola (Rob.) Ces. and de Not. colony grown on agar medium in a petri plate, perithecia developed in a narrow band around the plate edge after the colony margin reached the edge. Physical wounding of the colony carried out shortly before or during the time perithecia were developing around the plate edge stimulated perithecium development in the wound area. Diffusion barriers were created by cutting small trenches in the agar parallel to the plate edge. The trenches were made at several different positions between the plate center and edge using cultures of several different ages, and the resultant distribution of perithecia along the trench edges suggested that the colony center and periphery produce diffusible inhibitors of perithecium development. These inhibitors may be responsible, in part, for the observed pattern of perithecium development in the colony.

Growth of non-Campylobacter, oxidase-positive bacteria on selective Campylobacter agar.

OpenAIRE

Moskowitz, L B; Chester, B

1982-01-01

A total of 67 oxidase-positive, gram-negative bacteria were tested for growth on selective Campylobacter agar (Blaser formulation, BBL Microbiology Systems, Cockeysville, Md.) at 42 degrees C under microaerophilic conditions. Although the growth of most of these bacteria was prevented, all strains of Achromobacter xylosoxidans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas putrefaciens, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, and Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes grew as well as Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni.

Ex vivo photometric and polarimetric multilayer characterization of human healthy colon by multispectral Mueller imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierangelo, Angelo; Manhas, Sandeep; Benali, Abdelali; Fallet, Clément; Antonelli, Maria-Rosaria; Novikova, Tatiana; Gayet, Brice; Validire, Pierre; De Martino, Antonello

2012-06-01

Healthy human colon samples were analyzed ex vivo with a multispectral imaging Mueller polarimeter operating from 500 to 700 nm in a backscattering configuration with diffuse light illumination impinging on the innermost tissue layer, the mucosa. The intensity and polarimetric responses were taken on whole tissues first and after progressive exfoliation of the outer layers afterwards. Moreover, these measurements were carried out with two different substrates (one bright and the other dark) successively placed beneath each sample, allowing a reasonably accurate evaluation of the contributions to the overall backscattered light by the various layers. For the shorter investigated wavelengths (500 to 550 nm) the major contribution comes from mucosa and submucosa, while for the longer wavelengths (650 to 700 nm) muscular tissue and fat also contribute significantly. The depolarization has also been studied and is found to be stronger in the red part of the spectrum, mainly due to the highly depolarizing power of the muscular and fat layers.

Study of chemical interaction induced by ionizing radiation poly(dimethylsiloxane-g-ethylene oxide) in the poly(n-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) and agar membrane; Estudo da interacao quimica do poli(dimetilsiloxano-g-oxido de etileno) na membrana de poli(n-vinil-2-pirrolidona) e agar induzida com radiacao ionizante

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazzi, Aurea de Souza

1999-07-01

Membrane composed by poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) and agar was formulated with and without poly(dimethylsiloxane-g-ethylene oxide) (SEO) irradiated with electron beam with doses between 10-50 kGy. The radiolytic behaviour of each component, PVP, agar and SEO, was studied when irradiated by gamma ray, in the absence and presence of air and water, by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) at 77 K. The chemical interaction of SEO with PVP/agar membrane was investigated by: infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence, dynamic-mechanical analysis, scanning electron microscopy, gel and swelling analysis. The cytotoxicity of the PVP/agar/SEO membrane was evaluated by cellular suppression. The membrane radicals from PVP ({phi}NC.) and from water (H., OH. and H{sub 2}O) was observed by EPR at 77K. The agar radicals formed by hydrogen abstraction of C{sub 1} and C{sub 3} of {beta}-D-galactose and/or C{sub 1} and C{sub 4} of {alpha}-L-galactose, reacted primarily with water radicals in despite of they also took part in the membrane by chemical bond. The radicals from SEO (.CH{sub 2}{approx}, .Si{approx}, .O{approx}) participated in the inter and intramolecular crosslinking as co-crosslinker by polymeric bridge. The co-crosslinked action depended on its concentration associated to PVP concentration. The presence op acrylates increases the tensile break of the PVP/agar/SEO membrane significantly. (author)

Differentiation between Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis using hypertonic Sabouraud broth and tobacco agar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabíola Silveira-Gomes

2011-08-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Opportunistic fungal infections in immunocompromised hosts are caused by Candida species, and the majority of such infections are due to Candida albicans. However, the emerging pathogen Candida dubliniensis demonstrates several phenotypic characteristics in common with C. albicans, such as production of germ tubes and chlamydospores, calling attention to the development of stable resistance to fluconazole in vitro. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of biochemistry identification in the differentiating between C. albicans and C. dubliniensis, by phenotyping of yeast identified as C. albicans. METHODS: Seventy-nine isolates identified as C. albicans by the API system ID 32C were grown on Sabouraud dextrose agar at 30°C for 24-48h and then inoculated on hypertonic Sabouraud broth and tobacco agar. RESULTS: Our results showed that 17 (21.5% isolates were growth-inhibited on hypertonic Sabouraud broth, a phenotypic trait inconsistent with C. albicans in this medium. However, the results observed on tobacco agar showed that only 9 (11.4% of the growth-inhibited isolates produced characteristic colonies of C. dubliniensis (rough colonies, yellowish-brown with abundant fragments of hyphae and chlamydospores. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that this method is a simple tool for screening C. albicans and non-albicans yeast and for verification of automated identification.

Identificação e resistência a antimicrobianos de espécies de Aeromonas móveis isoladas de peixes e ambientes aquáticos Identification and antimicrobial resistance of motile Aeromonas isolated from fish and aquatic environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Hirsch

2006-12-01

potencialmente patogênicas a seres humanos quanto pelo perfil de multirresistência dos isolados.This experiment was done with the objective to verify the diversity of motile Aeromonas species and their antibiotic susceptibility profiles. A total of eight commercial producers of tilapia located in the Alto Rio Grande region of Minas Gerais state were selected for this experiment. The collected samples were three fish, one sample of pond water and one sample of water used in filling the pond. Suitable dilutions of the washed surface of the fish and water samples were scattered in TSA supplemented with ampicilin (10mg/l. Kidney samples were streaked in Horse Blood Agar. Isolated colonies oxidase positive, were submitted of tests for identification of the species of Aeromonas (presumptive and biochemical tests. The antibiogram profile of the isolated samples was obtained through a diffusion test of antibiotic disks in Mueller Hinton Agar. Were obtained 75 different isolates in nine species of Aeromonas: A. jandaei, A. hydrophila, A. trota, A. caviae, A. sobria, A. eucrenophila, A. veronii bv veronii, A. schubertii, A. media, and samples classified like atypical Aeromonas. Of the total isolations, eight samples were taken from the corporal surface of the fish, 14 from the water source and 53 from the pond water. There was no isolation of the renal tissue. In relation to the resistance profile, 93% of the isolated samples were resistant to erythromycin, 36% to tetracycline, 13% to nalidixic acid, 9% to gentamicin, 8% to nitrofurantoin, 8% to kanamycin, 5% to norfloxacin, 4% to chloramphenicol and 3% to sulfonamides. Among the isolated samples analyzed, 42,66% presented a MAR index (Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Index equal to or superior to 22,2%. It was concluded that the isolation of potentially pathogenic bacterial species, with multiresistant antibiotic traits may be a risk to human food chain.

Gamma radiation effect on agar viscosity for use in food industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aliste, Antonio J.; Del Mastro, Nelida L.

1999-01-01

The application of food radiation processing is increasing worldwide mainly because of its efficiency in the industrial decontamination of packaged food products. Indeed, the process neither introduces any undesirable elements nor increases the temperature, thus allowing the preparation of ready-to-use products which remain stable for long periods at room temperature. The aim of this work was to study the effect of Co-60 gamma radiation on the viscosity of agar. This hydrocolloid derived from seaweed is a galactose polymer with a high hysteresis capacity (great difference among melting and gelification temperature) which is extremely important when used as additive for the food industry. Commercial agar was irradiated with doses of 0, 1, 5 and 10 kGy. Proper dilutions were prepared and the viscosity was measured in a Brookfield model LVDVIII viscosimeters. The relationships viscosity/dose for the temperatures of 45 deg C and 60 deg C were established. The decrease of the viscosity was 71.4% and 49.6% respectively when the applied dose was 10 kGy. The implications of the use of this additive in food irradiation are discussed. (author)

Effects of season on the yield and quality of agar from Gelidium ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this work was to study the seasonal variations in the yield and physicochemical properties of agar of Gelidium sesquipedale. The algae were col lected from January 2011 to December 2011, from the coast of Mostaganem, western Algeria. The overall results show that the dry biomass of Gelidium sesquipedale ...

Use of Mueller matrix polarimetry and optical coherence tomography in the characterization of cervical collagen anisotropy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chue-Sang, Joseph; Bai, Yuqiang; Stoff, Susan; Gonzalez, Mariacarla; Holness, Nola; Gomes, Jefferson; Jung, Ranu; Gandjbakhche, Amir; Chernomordik, Viktor V; Ramella-Roman, Jessica C

2017-08-01

Preterm birth (PTB) presents a serious medical health concern throughout the world. There is a high incidence of PTB in both developed and developing countries ranging from 11% to 15%, respectively. Recent research has shown that cervical collagen orientation and distribution changes during pregnancy may be useful in predicting PTB. Polarization imaging is an effective means to measure optical anisotropy in birefringent materials, such as the cervix's extracellular matrix. Noninvasive, full-field Mueller matrix polarimetry (MMP) imaging methodologies, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging were used to assess cervical collagen content and structure in nonpregnant porcine cervices. We demonstrate that the highly ordered structure of the nonpregnant porcine cervix can be observed with MMP. Furthermore, when utilized ex vivo, OCT and MMP yield very similar results with a mean error of 3.46% between the two modalities. (2017) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Estudio de la actividad antifúngica de un extracto de propóleo de la abeja Apis mellifera proveniente del estado de México

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amparo Londoño Orozco

2013-05-01

Full Text Available El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la acción inhibitoria de un extracto etanólico al 15% de propóleo de la abeja Apis mellifera, procedente del apiario de la Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, UNAM, sobre el crecimiento de Candida albicans (ATCC 14055, Cryptococcus neoformans, y Aspergillus fumigatus, mediante dos pruebas de susceptibilidad: difusión en agar y microdilución. Se impregnaron los discos con el extracto de propóleo. Las pruebas de difusión fueron efectuadas sobre agar dextrosa Sabouraud (SDA, Müeller-Hinton con 2% de glucosa y 0,5 μg/mL de azul de metileno (MHAM: documento NCCLS M-44ª y RPMI 1640 con agar noble. Para obtener la concentración inhibitoria mínima (CIM, se realizaron pruebas de microdilución según los métodos M27-A2 (levaduras y M38-A (filamentosos del NCCLS (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standard: ahora Institute for Clinical Laboratory Standard. Se observó actividad inhibitoria sobre el desarrollo de todos los hongos estudiados. Estos resultados sugieren el posible potencial del propóleo como un tratamiento alternativo contra las infecciones por hongos, tanto levaduriformes como filamentosos.

Mechanical touch responses of Arabidopsis TCH1-3 mutant roots on inclined hard-agar surface

Science.gov (United States)

Zha, Guodong; Wang, Bochu; Liu, Junyu; Yan, Jie; Zhu, Liqing; Yang, Xingyan

2016-01-01

The gravity-induced mechanical touch stimulus can affect plant root architecture. Mechanical touch responses of plant roots are an important aspect of plant root growth and development. Previous studies have reported that Arabidopsis TCH1-3 genes are involved in mechano-related events, how-ever, the physiological functions of TCH1-3 genes in Arabidopsis root mechanoresponses remain unclear. In the present study, we applied an inclined hard agar plate method to produce mechanical touch stimulus, and provided evidence that altered mechanical environment could influence root growth. Furthermore, tch1-3 Arabidopsis mutants were investigated on inclined agar surfaces to explore the functions of TCH1-3 genes on Arabidopsis root mechanoresponses. The results showed that two tch2 mutants, cml24-2 and cml24-4, exhibited significantly reduced root length, biased skewing, and decreased density of lateral root. In addition, primary root length and density of lateral root of tch3 (cml12-2) was significantly decreased on inclined agar surfaces. This study indicates that the tch2 and tch3 mutants are hypersensitive to mechanical touch stimulus, and TCH2 (CML24-2 and CML24-4) and TCH3 (CML12-2) genes may participate in the mechanical touch response of Arabidopsis roots.

Colwellia agarivorans sp. nov., an agar-digesting marine bacterium isolated from coastal seawater

Science.gov (United States)

A novel Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic, yellowish and agar-digesting marine bacterium, designated strain QM50**T, was isolated from coastal seawater in an aquaculture site near Qingdao, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences revealed that the novel isolate represented...

Equivalency testing of TTC Tergitol 7 agar (ISO 9308-1:2000) with five culture media for the detection of E. coli in water samples in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Mavridou, A; Smeti, E; Mandilara, G; Mandilara, G; Boufa, P; Vagiona-Arvanitidou, M; Vantarakis, A; Vassilandonopoulou, G; Pappa, O; Roussia, V; Tzouanopoulos, A; Livadara, M; Aisopou, I; Maraka, V; Nikolaou, E; Mandilara, G

2010-01-01

In this study ten laboratories in Greece compared the performance of reference method TTC Tergitol 7 Agar (with the additional test of beta-glucuronidase production) with five alternative methods, to detect E. coli in water, in line with European Water Directive recommendations. The samples were prepared by spiking drinking water with sewage effluent following a standard protocol. Chlorinated and non-chlorinated samples were used. The statistical analysis was based on the mean relative difference of confirmed counts and was performed in line with ISO 17994. The results showed that in total, three of the alternative methods (Chromocult Coliform agar, Membrane Lauryl Sulfate agar and Trypton Bilex-glucuronidase medium) were not different from TTC Tergitol 7 agar (TTC Tergitol 7 agar vs Chromocult Coliform agar, 294 samples, mean RD% 5.55; vs MLSA, 302 samples, mean RD% 1; vs TBX, 297 samples, mean RD% -2.78). The other two alternative methods (Membrane Faecal coliform medium and Colilert 18/ Quantitray) gave significantly higher counts than TTC Tergitol 7 agar (TTC Tergitol 7 agar vs MFc, 303 samples, mean RD% 8.81; vs Colilert-18/Quantitray, 76 samples, mean RD% 18.91). In other words, the alternative methods generated performance that was as reliable as, or even better than, the reference method. This study will help laboratories in Greece overcome culture and counting problems deriving from the EU reference method for E. coli counts in water samples.

Irradiation of silver and agar/silver nanoparticles with argon, oxygen glow discharge plasma, and mercury lamp.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Mahmoud M; Abdel-Wahab, Essam A; El-Maaref, A A; Rawway, Mohammed; Shaaban, Essam R

2014-01-01

The irradiation effect of argon, oxygen glow discharge plasma, and mercury lamp on silver and agar/silver nanoparticle samples is studied. The irradiation time dependence of the synthesized silver and agar/silver nanoparticle absorption spectra and their antibacterial effect are studied and compared. In the agar/silver nanoparticle sample, as the irradiation time of argon glow discharge plasma or mercury lamp increases, the peak intensity and the full width at half maximum, FWHM, of the surface plasmon resonance absorption band is increased, however a decrease of the peak intensity with oxygen glow plasma has been observed. In the silver nanoparticle sample, as the irradiation time of argon, oxygen glow discharge plasma or mercury lamp increases, the peak intensity of the surface plasmon resonance absorption band is increased, however, there is no significant change in the FWHM of the surface plasmon resonance absorption band. The SEM results for both samples showed nanoparticle formation with mean size about 50 nm and 40 nm respectively. Throughout the irradiation time with the argon, oxygen glow discharge plasma or mercury lamp, the antibacterial activity of several kinds of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria has been examined.

Research on Candida dubliniensis in a Brazilian yeast collection obtained from cardiac transplant, tuberculosis, and HIV-positive patients, and evaluation of phenotypic tests using agar screening methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Patrícia Monteiro; Querido, Silvia Maria Rodrigues; Back-Brito, Graziela Nueremberg; Mota, Adolfo José; Koga-Ito, Cristiane Yumi; Jorge, Antonio Olavo Cardoso

2011-09-01

The aim of this study was to research Candida dubliniensis among isolates present in a Brazilian yeast collection and to evaluate the main phenotypic methods for discrimination between C. albicans and C. dubliniensis from oral cavity. A total of 200 isolates, presumptively identified as C. albicans or C. dubliniensis obtained from heart transplant patients under immunosuppressive therapy, tuberculosis patients under antibiotic therapy, HIV-positive patients under antiretroviral therapy, and healthy subjects, were analyzed using the following phenotypic tests: formation and structural arrangement of chlamydospores on corn meal agar, casein agar, tobacco agar, and sunflower seed agar; growth at 45 °C; and germ tube formation. All strains were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In a preliminary screen for C. dubliniensis, 48 of the 200 isolates on corn meal agar, 30 of the 200 on casein agar, 16 of the 200 on tobacco agar, and 15 of the 200 on sunflower seed agar produced chlamydoconidia; 27 of the 200 isolates showed no or poor growth at 45 °C. All isolates were positive for germ tube formation. These isolates were considered suggestive of C. dubliniensis. All of them were subjected to PCR analysis using C. dubliniensis-specific primers. C. dubliniensis isolates were not found. C. dubliniensis isolates were not recovered in this study done with immunocompromised patients. Sunflower seed agar was the medium with the smallest number of isolates of C. albicans suggestive of C. dubliniensis. None of the phenotypic methods was 100% effective for discrimination between C. albicans and C. dubliniensis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inactivation of pathogenic bacteria inoculated onto a Bacto™ agar model surface using TiO2-UVC photocatalysis, UVC and chlorine treatments.

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Yoo, S; Ghafoor, K; Kim, S; Sun, Y W; Kim, J U; Yang, K; Lee, D-U; Shahbaz, H M; Park, J

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to study inactivation of different pathogenic bacteria on agar model surface using TiO2-UV photocatalysis (TUVP). A unified food surface model was simulated using Bacto(™) agar, a routinely used microbial medium. The foodborne pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli K12 (as a surrogate for E. coli O157:H7), Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes were inoculated onto the agar surface, followed by investigation of TUVP-assisted inactivation and morphological changes in bacterial cells. The TUVP process showed higher bacterial inactivation, particularly for Gram-negative bacteria, than UVC alone and a control (dark reaction). A TUVP treatment of 17·2 mW cm(-2) (30% lower than the UVC light intensity) reduced the microbial load on the agar surface by 4·5-6·0 log CFU cm(-2). UVC treatment of 23·7 mW cm(-2) caused 3·0-5·3 log CFU cm(-2) reduction. The use of agar model surface is effective for investigation of bacterial disinfection and TUVP is a promising nonthermal technique. The results showing effects of photocatalysis and other treatments for inactivation of bacterial pathogens on model surface can be useful for applying such processes for disinfection of fruit, vegetables and other similar surfaces. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

[Variations in hyperbilirrubinemia in low birth weight newborns under phototherapy and continous or discontinous agar oral administration (author's transl)].

Science.gov (United States)

Colomer, J; Moya, M; Marco, V; De Paredes, C; Escrivá, F; Vila, R

1975-06-01

Therapeutic attitude in hyperbilirrubinemia is always worth because other infrequent complications but not for this, less important. Phototherapy innocuousness, largely demonstrated, fosters its profilactic use at beginning and not only for those babies with serum bilirrubin over 10 mg % in the first day of life. Previously we have reported positive results with agar oral administration without collateral effects. On this grounds we have planned the following experience in a homogenous group of L.B.W.: one group was fed with agar previously to each formula administration; other group received the same amount of agar but divided in only three administrations in 24 hours; the last group received continuous phototherapy for 96 hours with a white cold fluorescent light from a source of 8-Vita-lite lamp of 40 watts with a intensity of 500 foot candle and 30 lumens. All of these babies weighed less than 2.500 g. and were between 10 and 90 percentil of Lubschenko diagram. They were fed with the same formula and same time table with no infusions, rejecting all that presented any type of pathology. Obstetric conditions were basically identical. This population was randomly divided in four groups. 1) Control group with no profilaxis, but with identical bilirrubin andhematocrit determinations. 2) Group with continuous agar oral administration, 125 mg. before each of the seven formula feeding. 3) Group with discontinuous agar administration, 250 mg. before three of the seven formula feeding. 4) Group with continuous phototherapy for 96 hours. These is initial identification of the groups with statistic signification, and after that a quantitative and sequential evolution of bilirrubin is analized in each group.

Phenotypic differentiation of species from Aspergillus section Flavi on neutral red desiccated coconut agar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Atanda, O. O.; Adetunji, M. C.; Ezekiel, C. N.

2014-01-01

In order to facilitate easy and rapid identification of aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus species, the phenotypic traits of Aspergillus section Flavi isolates were examined on neutral red desiccated coconut agar (NRDCA). Phenotype variations in colony morphology and the relationship between colour...

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of isolates of Staphylococcus spp. obtained from sheep milk Chapecó-SCCaracterização fenotípica e molecular de isolados de Staphylococcus spp. obtidos de leite de ovelhas do Município de Chapecó-SC

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José Francisco Manta Bragança

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profile and to assess the presence of mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in Staphylococcus spp. (n=36 isolated from mastitis in sheep’s Chapecó-SC. The potential for biofilm production was determined by phenotypic tests of Congo Red Agar, DAPI and Gentian Violet and by PCR for the detection of icaD gene. To evaluate the antimicrobial resistance testing was performed disk diffusion and detection of resistance genes blaZ, mecA, ermA, ermB and ermC and msrA also performed by PCR.The pump test was conducted by efuxo crop growth Muller Hinton agar containing ethidium bromide. The results showed that 1 (2,78%, 36 (100% and 10 (27,78% isolates were considered to produce a biofilm on Congo Red Agar test, Gentian Violet and DAPI, respectively, while the gene icaD was observed in only 2 (5.55% isolates. The lowest percentage of sensitivity was observed for ampicillin (58.33% and penicillin (58.33%. All strains tested were negative for the mecA, ermA, ermB and ermC genes. However, the isolates were positive for other resistance genes, being the blaZ and the msrA, with percentages of positivity of 58.33% and 11.11% respectively. Only one sample was positive for efflux pump test.O presente trabalho teve como objetivos determinar o perfil de sensibilidade aos antimicrobianos e avaliar a presença de mecanismos de resistência antimicrobiana em Staphylococcus spp. (n=36 isolados de mastite em ovelhas do município de Chapecó-SC. O potencial para produção de biofilme foi determinado pelos testes fenotípicos de Agar Vermelho Congo, DAPI e Violeta de Genciana e por teste molecular pela técnica de PCR para a detecção do gene icaD. Para determinar o perfil de resistência aos antimicrobianos, foi realizado o teste de difusão em disco e detecção dos genes de resistência blaZ, mecA, erm (A, B e C e msrA. O teste da bomba de efuxo foi realizado através do crescimento das culturas em Agar

Identification of non-streptococcal organisms from human dental plaque grown on the Streptococcus-selective medium mitis-salivarius agar.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yeon-Hee; Lee, Si Young

2015-02-01

Mitis-salivarius (MS) agar has been used widely in microbial epidemiological studies because oral viridans streptococci can be selectively grown on this medium. Even though the previous findings reported the limited selecting power of MS agar for streptococcus strains, the identities of non-streptococcal strains from human oral samples which can grow on this medium are not clear yet. In this study, we identified non-streptococcal organisms grown on MS agar plates by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Eighty bacterial colonies on MS plates were isolated from plaque samples, and bacterial identification was achieved with the rapid ID 32 Strep system and mini API reader. The bacterial colonies identified as non-streptococci by the API system were selected for further identification. The 16S rRNA gene was amplified by PCR and verified using DNA sequencing analysis for identification. Sequences were compared with those of reference organisms in the genome database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). Among the 11 isolated non-streptococcal strains on MS plates, 3 strains were identified as Actinomyces naeslundii, 7 strains were identified as Actinomyces oris and 1 strain were identified as Actinomyces sp. using Blastn. In this study, we showed that some oral Actinomyces species can grow on Streptococcus-selective MS agar plates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extracción, identificación y prueba microbiológica del agar extraído de Gracilaria fortissima dawson (rhodophyta, gigartinales, gracilariaceae (ING

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M.V. Sánchez

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The red seaweed Gracilaria fortissima colected in the caribean coast of Costa Rica, was studied for the extraction, identification and microbiological performance of the agar contend of this plant, as well as the mineral contend. The research was done focused on the agar quality included pH, % extraction, geling point, fusion point and gel strength, as well as infrared analysis and the performance as a microbiological culture of bacteria and fungus and compared with commercial agar from BDH chemicals.

Variation in the excitability of developed D. discoideum cells as a function of agar concentration in the substrate

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Oikawa, Noriko; Bae, Albert; Amselem, Gabriel; Bodenschatz, Eberhard

2010-03-01

In the absence of nutrients, Dictyostelium discoideum cells enter a developmental cycle--they signal each other, aggregate, and ultimately form fruiting bodies. During the signaling stage, the cells relay waves of cyclic adenosine 3',5' monophosphate (cAMP). We observed a transition from spiral to circular patterns in the signaling wave, depending on the agar concentration of the substrate. In this talk we will present the changes in the times for the onset of signaling and synchronization versus agar concentration, as measured by spectral entropy. We also will discuss the origin of these effects.

Environmental methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a veterinary teaching hospital during a nonoutbreak period.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoet, Armando E; Johnson, Amanda; Nava-Hoet, Rocio C; Bateman, Shane; Hillier, Andrew; Dyce, John; Gebreyes, Wondwossen A; Wittum, Thomas E

2011-06-01

Concurrent to reports of zoonotic and nosocomial transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in veterinary settings, recent evidence indicates that the environment in veterinary hospitals may be a potential source of MRSA. The present report is a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of MRSA on specific human and animal contact surfaces at a large veterinary hospital during a nonoutbreak period. A total of 156 samples were collected using Swiffers(®) or premoistened swabs from the small animal, equine, and food animal sections. MRSA was isolated and identified by pre-enrichment culture and standard microbiology procedures, including growth on Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with NaCl and oxacillin, and by detection of the mecA gene. Staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec (SCCmec) typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profile were also determined. MRSA was detected in 12% (19/157) of the hospital environments sampled. The prevalence of MRSA in the small animal, equine, and food animal areas were 16%, 4%, and 0%, respectively. Sixteen of the MRSA isolates from the small animal section were classified as USA100, SCCmec type II, two of which had pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern that does not conform to any known type. The one isolate obtained from the equine section was classified as USA500, SCCmec type IV. The molecular epidemiological analysis revealed a very diverse population of MRSA isolates circulating in the hospital; however, in some instances, multiple locations/surfaces, not directly associated, had the same MRSA clone. No significant difference was observed between animal and human contact surfaces in regard to prevalence and type of isolates. Surfaces touched by multiple people (doors) and patients (carts) were frequently contaminated with MRSA. The results from this study indicate that MRSA is present in the environment even during nonoutbreak periods. This study also identified specific surfaces in a

Antibacterial activity of amino- and amido- terminated poly (amidoamine)-G6 dendrimer on isolated bacteria from clinical specimens and standard strains

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Rastegar, Ayoob; Nazari, Shahram; Allahabadi, Ahmad; Falanji, Farahnaz; Akbari Dourbash, Fakhreddin Akbari Dourbash; Rezai, Zahra; Alizadeh Matboo, Soudabeh; Hekmat-Shoar, Reza; Mohseni, Seyed Mohsen; Majidi, Gharib

2017-01-01

Background: Nanoscale poly (amidoamine) dendrimers have been investigated for their biological demands, but their antibacterial activity has not been widely discovered. Thus, the sixth generation of poly (amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM-G6) was synthesized and its antibacterial activities were evaluated on Gram-negative bacteria; P. aeruginosa, E. coli, A. baumannii, S. typhimurium, S. dysenteriae, K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, and Gram-positive bacteria, and S.aureus and B. subtilis, which were isolated from different clinical specimens and standard strains of these bacteria. Methods: In this study, 980 specimens including urine (47%), blood (27%), sputum (13%), wounds (8%), and burns (5%) were collected from clinical specimens of 16 hospitals and clinics in city of Sabzevar, Iran. Then, the target bacteria were isolated and identified using standard methods. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentrations against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were determined according to guidelines described by clinical and laboratory standards institute (CLSI). Standard discs were prepared using 0.025, 0.25, 2.5, and 25 μg/mL concentrations of PAMAM-G6 on Mueller-Hinton agar plates to determinate the zone of inhibition. The cytotoxicity of PAMAM-G6 dendrimer was evaluated in HCT116 cells by MTT assay. Results: The most important isolated bacteria were E. coli (23.65%), S. aureus (24.7%), P. aeruginosa (10.49%), B. subtilis (7.7%), S. typhimurium (8.87%), A. baumannii (7.02%), K. pneumoniae (7.1%), P. mirabilis (6.46%), and S. dysenteriae (3.6%). Moreover, it was found that poly (amidoamine)–G6 exhibited more antibacterial efficacy on standard strains than isolated bacteria from clinical samples (p<0.05). The cytotoxicity of PAMAM-G6 to the cells showed that cytotoxicity depended on the concentration level and exposure time. Conclusion: The PAMAM-G6 dendrimer showed a positive impact on the removal of dominant bacterial isolated from clinical

Standardization of Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup B Colorimetric Serum Bactericida Assay

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, Tamara; Lastre, Miriam; Cedré, Barbara; Campo, Judith del; Bracho, Gustavo; Zayas, Caridad; Taboada, Carlos; Díaz, Miriam; Sierra, Gustavo; Pérez, Oliver

2002-01-01

The correlate of protection for serogroup B meningococci is not currently known, but for serogroup C it is believed to be the serum bactericidal assay (SBA). The current SBAs are labor intensive and the variations in protocols among different laboratories make interpretation of results difficult. A colorimetric SBA (cSBA), based on the ability of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B to consume glucose, leading to acid production, was standardized by using group B strain Cu385-83 as the target. The cSBA results were compared to those obtained for a traditional colony-counting microassay (mSBA). Glucose and bromocresol purple pH indicator were added to the medium in order to estimate growth of cSBA target cell survivors through color change. Different variants of the assay parameters were optimized: growth of target cells (Mueller Hinton agar plates), target cell number (100 CFU/per well), and human complement source used at a final concentration of 25%. After the optimization, three other group B strains (H44/76, 490/91, and 511/91) were used as targets for the cSBA. The selection of the assay parameters and the standardization of cSBA were done with 13 sera from vaccinated volunteers. The titers were determined as the higher serum dilution that totally inhibited the bacterial growth marked by the color invariability of the pH indicator. This was detected visually as well as spectrophotometrically and was closely related to a significant difference in the growth of target cell survivors determined using Student’s t test. Intralaboratory reproducibility was ±1 dilution. The correlation between bactericidal median titers and specific immunoglobulin G serum concentration by enzyme immunoassay was high (r = 0.910, P < 0.01). The bactericidal titers generated by the cSBA and the mSBA were nearly identical, and there was a high correlation between the two assays (r = 0.974, P < 0.01). The standardized cSBA allows easy, fast, and efficient evaluation of samples. PMID

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from chicken meat in Iran: serogroups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Momtaz, Hassan; Jamshidi, Alireza

2013-05-01

The aim of the current study was to determine the virulence factors, serogroups, and antibiotic resistance properties of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from chicken meat samples. A total of 422 chicken meat samples were collected from 5 townships of Iran. Specimens were immediately transferred to the laboratory in a cooler with an ice pack. Samples were cultured, and the positive culture samples were analyzed by PCR assays. Finally, the antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using the disk diffusion method in Mueller-Hinton agar. According to the results, out of 422 samples, 146 (34.59%) were confirmed to be E. coli positive and among E. coli-positive samples, 51 (34.93%) and 31 (21.23%) were from attaching and effacing E. coli (AEEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) subgroups, respectively. All of the EHEC-positive samples had all stx1, eaeA, and ehly virulence genes, whereas only 5 (9.80%) of AEEC subgroup had all stx1, stx2, and eaeA genes. As the data revealed, O157 was the most prevalent and O111 was the least prevalent strains in the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) population. Among STEC strains, sulI and blaSHV had the highest and lowest incidence rate, respectively. There was a high resistance to tetracycline (76.82%), followed by chloramphenicol (73.17%) and nitrofurantoin (63.41%), but there was low resistance to cephalotine (7.31%) antibiotics in isolated strains. Results shows that the PCR technique has a high performance for detection of serogroups, virulence genes, and antibiotic resistance genes in STEC strains. This study is the first prevalence report of detection of virulence genes, serogroups, and antibiotic resistance properties of STEC strains isolated from chicken meat samples in Iran. Based on the results, chicken meat is one of the main sources of STEC strains and its virulence factors in Iran, so an accurate meat inspection would reduce disease outbreaks.

Colonyzer: automated quantification of micro-organism growth characteristics on solid agar

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Young Alexander

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background High-throughput screens comparing growth rates of arrays of distinct micro-organism cultures on solid agar are useful, rapid methods of quantifying genetic interactions. Growth rate is an informative phenotype which can be estimated by measuring cell densities at one or more times after inoculation. Precise estimates can be made by inoculating cultures onto agar and capturing cell density frequently by plate-scanning or photography, especially throughout the exponential growth phase, and summarising growth with a simple dynamic model (e.g. the logistic growth model. In order to parametrize such a model, a robust image analysis tool capable of capturing a wide range of cell densities from plate photographs is required. Results Colonyzer is a collection of image analysis algorithms for automatic quantification of the size, granularity, colour and location of micro-organism cultures grown on solid agar. Colonyzer is uniquely sensitive to extremely low cell densities photographed after dilute liquid culture inoculation (spotting due to image segmentation using a mixed Gaussian model for plate-wide thresholding based on pixel intensity. Colonyzer is robust to slight experimental imperfections and corrects for lighting gradients which would otherwise introduce spatial bias to cell density estimates without the need for imaging dummy plates. Colonyzer is general enough to quantify cultures growing in any rectangular array format, either growing after pinning with a dense inoculum or growing with the irregular morphology characteristic of spotted cultures. Colonyzer was developed using the open source packages: Python, RPy and the Python Imaging Library and its source code and documentation are available on SourceForge under GNU General Public License. Colonyzer is adaptable to suit specific requirements: e.g. automatic detection of cultures at irregular locations on streaked plates for robotic picking, or decreasing analysis time by

Cell cytotoxicity and mycotoxin and secondary metabolite production by common penicillia on cheese agar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gareis, M.; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2002-01-01

Known or potential new fungal starter culture species such as Penicillium camemberti, P. roqueforti, P. nalgiovense, P. caseifulvum, and P. solitum have been cultivated on a cheese agar medium together with the common cheese contaminants P. commune, P. crustosum, P. discolor, P. atramentosum, and P...

Agar Plates Made from Common Supermarket Substances and Bacillus subtilis Natto as an Inexpensive Approach to Microbiology Education

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Franz-Josef Scharfenberg

2015-08-01

Full Text Available To address the possible limitations that financial restrictions may have on students’ independent experimentation at school, we developed and implemented an inexpensive approach for basic microbiology education. We describe four nutrient agars consisting only of everyday substances available from the supermarket or online that we developed to replace standard agars and specific agars. Additionally, we selected Bacillus subtilis natto as an example of a pure-culture species. Our tip first reports the four supermarket-substance agar variants; second, it suggests utilizing them to introduce basic microbiological techniques; and third, it introduces B. subtilis natto in the context of the antibacterial effects of antibiotics as well as of supermarket products which students can bring to class from home. We implemented our approach in microbiology education at school as well as in pre-service teacher education and in in-service teacher professional development courses at our university. Finally, our paper provides worksheets for all the experiments. Editor's Note:The ASM advocates that students must successfully demonstrate the ability to explain and practice safe laboratory techniques. For more information, read the laboratory safety section of the ASM Curriculum Recommendations: Introductory Course in Microbiology and the Guidelines for Biosafety in Teaching Laboratories, available at www.asm.org. The Editors of JMBE recommend that adopters of the protocols included in this article follow a minimum of Biosafety Level 1 practices. If the soil plates described in the activity are opened, a minimum of Biosafety Level 2 is required.

Monitoring of opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms in surgical departments of Dniprodzerzhynsk

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N. N. Donets

2013-03-01

microorganisms to antibiotics. To do that, we use the disc diffusion method. The antibiogram tests of isolated bacterial strains used Mueller-Hinton agar. According to the data obtained we assign of microorganisms to certain category of sensitivity: sensitive, moderately resistant or resistant. Monitoring of prevalent microorganisms showed that 61% (893 of 1464 isolates were gram-positive bacteria, 696 strains of them are staphylococci. 477 of these are identified as S. aureus, representing 68.5% of all Staphylococcus. We found coagulase negative staphylococci in 192 patients, and the strains of S. haemolyticus are dominated. Strains of the family Streptococcaceae isolated from 197 patients. Among them the E. faecalis accounted for 66% of the total number of Streptococcus. Gram negative bacteria were presented by the families Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonaceae. Enterobacteriaceae accounted for 90.7% (518 of 571. E. coli plays the leading role and accounted for 42% of all Enterobacteriaceae. The strains of P. aeruginosa were identified in 53 patients. S. haemolyticus has played an important role as a pathogen as well as S. aureus. Its resistance to antibiotics is much higher than that of S. aureus. Although S. haemolyticus is opportunistic coagulase negative, it can be isolated from patients not only with chronic, but with acute infection. Thus nowadays the strains of S. haemolyticus gained high pathogenic and virulent properties.

Scintigraphic evidence of the retarded insulin liberation from agar embeddings in suppositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Losse, G.; Mueller, F.; Fischer, S.

1989-01-01

It is reported on the retardation and protective effect of insulin-agar-embeddings in triglyceride suppositories by in vitro and in vivo tests on rabbits. The discovered effects were visually followed by gamma scanning of adequate rectally applied 131 I-insulin specimens in the rectum and thyroid gland and, in relation with the glucose lowering course, the liberation, distribution and biovailability of the immobilized hormone was illustrated. (author)

Scintigraphic evidence of the retarded insulin liberation from agar embeddings in suppositories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Losse, G; Mueller, F; Fischer, S; Wunderlich, G; Hacker, E

1989-05-01

It is reported on the retardation and protective effect of insulin-agar-embeddings in triglyceride suppositories by in vitro and in vivo tests on rabbits. The discovered effects were visually followed by gamma scanning of adequate rectally applied /sup 131/I-insulin specimens in the rectum and thyroid gland and, in relation with the glucose lowering course, the liberation, distribution and biovailability of the immobilized hormone was illustrated. (author).

Synthesis and characterization of high-surface-area millimeter-sized silica beads with hierarchical multi-modal pore structure by the addition of agar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Yosep; Choi, Junhyun [Department of Mineral Resources and Energy Engineering, Chonbuk National University, 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do 561–756 (Korea, Republic of); Tong, Meiping, E-mail: tongmeiping@iee.pku.edu.cn [The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Kim, Hyunjung, E-mail: kshjkim@jbnu.ac.kr [Department of Mineral Resources and Energy Engineering, Chonbuk National University, 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do 561–756 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-04-01

Millimeter-sized spherical silica foams (SSFs) with hierarchical multi-modal pore structure featuring high specific surface area and ordered mesoporous frameworks were successfully prepared using aqueous agar addition, foaming and drop-in-oil processes. The pore-related properties of the prepared spherical silica (SSs) and SSFs were systematically characterized by field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD), Hg intrusion porosimetry, and N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption isotherm measurements. Improvements in the BET surface area and total pore volume were observed at 504 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} and 5.45 cm{sup 3} g{sup −1}, respectively, after an agar addition and foaming process. Despite the increase in the BET surface area, the mesopore wall thickness and the pore size of the mesopores generated from the block copolymer with agar addition were unchanged based on the SAXRD, TEM, and BJH methods. The SSFs prepared in the present study were confirmed to have improved BET surface area and micropore volume through the agar loading, and to exhibit interconnected 3-dimensional network macropore structure leading to the enhancement of total porosity and BET surface area via the foaming process. - Highlights: • Millimeter-sized spherical silica foams (SSFs) are successfully prepared. • SSFs exhibit high BET surface area and ordered hierarchical pore structure. • Agar addition improves BET surface area and micropore volume of SSFs. • Foaming process generates interconnected 3-D network macropore structure of SSFs.

Corrigendum to “Rheological properties of agar and carrageenan from Ghanaian red seaweeds” [Food Hydrocolloids 63 (2017) 50–58

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rhein-Knudsen, Nanna; Ale, Marcel Tutor; Ajalloueian, Fatemeh

2018-01-01

. G., Penninkhof, B., Rudolph, B., & De Ruiter, G. A. (1999). A novel high-performance anion-exchange chromatographic method for the analysis of carrageenans and agars containing 3,6-anhydrogalactose. Analytical Biochemistry, 268, 213-222. Table 3 Overview of seaweed type (hydrocolloid source......), hydrocolloid extraction method (direct water-extraction or after alkali treatment), hydrocolloid and monomer1 yields, and sulfate levels [data given as means ± SD]. Different roman superscript letters indicate significant differences (P agar yields, monosaccharides...

Development of a measurement device, using a Geiger-Mueller type detector, for the determination of the activity in a 99mTc generator prototype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urquizo, Rafael; Gago, Javier; Mendoza, Pablo; Cruz-Saco, Cesar; Rojas, Jorge

2014-01-01

This article presents the implementation of a measurement system using a Geiger-Mueller detector (GM) in order to adapt it into a 99m Tc generator prototype. The response signal of the measurement system designed in terms of count rate is linearly proportional to the variation of the activity measured between 280 and 170 mCi of 99m Tc with a relative error of ± 2,8 %. However, further tests are needed to evaluate the correlation for an activity level lower than 20 mCi in order to obtain an adequate range of use. (authors).

Development of a D-amino acids electrochemical sensor based on immobilization of thermostable D-Proline dehydrogenase within agar gel membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tani, Yuji; Tanaka, Katsuhito; Yabutani, Tomoki; Mishima, Yuji; Sakuraba, Haruhiko; Ohshima, Toshihisa; Motonaka, Junko

2008-01-01

A novel biosensor for determination of D-amino acids (DAAs) in biological samples by using an electrode based on immobilization of a thermostable D-Proline dehydrogenase (D-Pro DH) within an agar gel membrane was developed. The electrode was simply prepared by spin-coating the agar solution with the D-Pro DH on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode. An electrocatalytic oxidation current of 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCIP) was observed at -100 mV vs. Ag/AgCl with the addition of 5 and 20 mmol L -1 D-proline. The current response and its relative standard deviation were 0.15 μA and 7.6% (n = 3), respectively, when it was measured in a pH 8.0 phosphate buffer solution containing 10 mmol L -1 D-proline and 0.5 mmol L -1 DCIP at 50 deg. C. The current response of D-proline increased with increase of the temperature of the sample solution up to 70 deg. C. The electrocatalytic response at the D-Pro DH/agar immobilized electrode subsequently maintained for 80 days. Finally, the D-Pro DH/agar immobilized electrode was applied to determination of DAAs in a human urine sample. The determined value of DAAs in the human urine and its R.S.D. were 1.39 ± 0.12 mmol L -1 and 8.9% (n = 3), respectively

Evaluation of a Chromogenic Agar under Development To Screen for VRE Colonization ▿

OpenAIRE

Kallstrom, George; Doern, Christopher D.; Dunne, W. Michael

2010-01-01

BBL CHROMagar VanRE (CVRE) was compared with bile esculin azide agar plus vancomycin to screen for vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization. CVRE distinguishes Enterococcus faecalis (green colonies) from Enterococcus faecium (mauve colonies) on the basis of chromogenic substrate use. CVRE sensitivity and specificity were 98.6% and 99.1%. Positive and negative predictive values were 95.9% and 99.7%.

Streptococcus mutans attachment on a cast titanium surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sicknan Soares da Rocha

2009-03-01

Full Text Available This study examined by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM, the attachment of Streptococcus mutans and the corrosion of cast commercially pure titanium, used in dental dentures. The sample discs were cast in commercially pure titanium using the vacuum-pressure machine (Rematitan System. The surfaces of each metal were ground and polished with sandpaper (#300-4000 and alumina paste (0.3 µm. The roughness of the surface (Ra was measured using the Surfcorder rugosimeter SE 1700. Four coupons were inserted separately into Falcon tubes contained Mueller Hinton broth inoculated with S. mutans ATCC 25175 (10(9 cuf and incubated at 37 °C. The culture medium was changed every three days during a 365-day period, after which the falcons were prepared for observations by SEM. The mean Ra value of CP Ti was 0.1527 µm. After S. mutans biofilm removal, pits of corrosion were observed. Despite the low roughness, S. mutans attachment and biofilm formation was observed, which induced a surface corrosion of the cast pure titanium.

Microbial Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles in Different Culture Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Ke; Jung, Samuel; Park, Kyu-Hwan; Kim, Young-Rok

2018-01-31

Microbial biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles has been extensively studied for the applications in biomedical sciences and engineering. However, the mechanism for their synthesis through microorganism is not completely understood. In this study, several culture media were investigated for their roles in the microbial biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The size and morphology of the synthesized AgNPs were analyzed by UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform-infrared (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The results demonstrated that nutrient broth (NB) and Mueller-Hinton broth (MHB) among tested media effectively reduced silver ions to form AgNPs with different particle size and shape. Although the involved microorganism enhanced the reduction of silver ions, the size and shape of the particles were shown to mainly depend on the culture media. Our findings suggest that the growth media of bacterial culture play an important role in the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles with regard to their size and shape. We believe our findings would provide useful information for further exploration of microbial biosynthesis of AgNPs and their biomedical applications.

Adjustment of pH of enrichment media might improve selective isolation of MRSA from pig samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cavaco, Lina; Agersø, Yvonne; Mordhorst, Hanne

2011-01-01

pig swabs. Initially a total of seven strains, including: two MRSA, two enterococci, two CNS one Aerococcus viridans and one Proteus spp. strains, were tested for growth in Mueller Hinton II broth with pH ranging from 4 to 5.5 and salt addition of 4% to 7%. In the next step, these strains were tested...... concentrations ≥4% did allow growth of S. aureus but was inhibiting the growth of enterococci. Subsequent growth experiments with isolates from background flora showed an inhibitory effect of pH below 5 for Aerococcus spp and enterococci, whereas less effect was observed on CNS and Proteus spp. In the assays...... strains was completely inhibited by pH ≤5.5 at any salt concentrations tested (5- 6,5%), whereas the growth of Proteus spp. was only inhibited totally at pH of 4.5, but the growth rate could be reduced combining pH at 5 or 5.5 with high salt concentrations. In conclusion, pH adjustment of enrichment media...

Comparison of real-time PCR with disk diffusion, agar screen and E-test methods for detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Shariati, Laleh; Validi, Majid; Tabatabaiefar, Mohammad Amin; Karimi, Ali; Nafisi, Mohammad Reza

2010-12-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a nosocomial pathogen. Our main objective was to compare oxacillin disk test, oxacillin E-test, and oxacillin agar screen for detection of methicillin resistance in S. aureus, using real-time PCR for mecA as the "gold standard" comparison assay. 196 S. aureus isolates were identified out of 284 Staphylococcus isolates. These isolates were screened for MRSA with several methods: disk diffusion, agar screen (6.0 μg/ml), oxacillin E-test, and real-time PCR for detection of mecA gene. Of the 196 S. aureus isolates tested, 96 isolates (49%) were mecA-positive and 100 isolates (51%) mecA-negative. All methods tested had a statistically significant agreement with real-time PCR. E-test was 100% sensitive and specific for mecA presence. The sensitivity and specificity of oxacillin agar screen method were 98 and 99%, respectively and sensitivity and specificity of oxacillin disk diffusion method were 95 and 93%, respectively. In the present study, oxacillin E-test is proposed as the best phenotypic method. For economic reasons, the oxacillin agar screen method (6.0 μg/ml), which is suitable for the detection of MRSA, is recommended due to its accuracy and low cost.

Development of edible films from tapioca starch and agar, enriched with red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) as a sausage deterioration bio-indicator

Science.gov (United States)

Aditya Wardana, Ata; Dewanti Widyaningsih, Tri

2017-12-01

Sausage spoilage has been identified as a cause of some food poisoning cases. Development of a bioindicator film is one of the alternative methods to detect sausage deterioration. The objectives of this paper were to develop a bioindicator edible films (BEF) from tapioca starch (TS), agar, and red cabbage juice (RC), and to evaluate its performance on sausage deterioration detection. The experiment had a 3x3 randomized factorial experimental design (agar: 3, 5, 7% by weight of TS; RC: 10, 15, 20% v/v based on 100% of suspension). Glycerol was used as the plasticizer. The results showed that the addition of agar into the film solution increased the thickness, elongation, and tensile strength, and decreased water vapour transmission rate (WVTR). While the addition of RC increased the thickness, but decreased elongation, tensile strength, and WVTR. BEF consisting of 2% tapioca starch, 7% (w/w) agar and 10 % (v/v) RC was chosen to apply on sausage. It could detect an increase in the microbial population and in the pH variations as result of sausage deterioration at 24, 48, and 72 h shown through color changes of BEF from bright purple at 0 h to light purple, dark purple-blue, and purple-green color respectively.

Performance of CHROMAGAR candida and BIGGY agar for identification of yeast species

OpenAIRE

Marol Serhat; Yücesoy Mine

2003-01-01

Abstract Background The importance of identifying the pathogenic fungi rapidly has encouraged the development of differential media for the presumptive identification of yeasts. In this study two differential media, CHROMagar Candida and bismuth sulphite glucose glycine yeast agar, were evaluated for the presumptive identification of yeast species. Methods A total number of 270 yeast strains including 169 Candida albicans, 33 C. tropicalis, 24 C. glabrata, 18 C. parapsilosis, 12 C. krusei, 5 ...

Field-controllable Spin-Hall Effect of Light in Optical Crystals: A Conoscopic Mueller Matrix Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Samlan, C T; Viswanathan, Nirmal K

2018-01-31

Electric-field applied perpendicular to the direction of propagation of paraxial beam through an optical crystal dynamically modifies the spin-orbit interaction (SOI), leading to the demonstration of controllable spin-Hall effect of light (SHEL). The electro- and piezo-optic effects of the crystal modifies the radially symmetric spatial variation in the fast-axis orientation of the crystal, resulting in a complex pattern with different topologies due to the symmetry-breaking effect of the applied field. This introduces spatially-varying Pancharatnam-Berry type geometric phase on to the paraxial beam of light, leading to the observation of SHEL in addition to the spin-to-vortex conversion. A wave-vector resolved conoscopic Mueller matrix measurement and analysis provides a first glimpse of the SHEL in the biaxial crystal, identified via the appearance of weak circular birefringence. The emergence of field-controllable fast-axis orientation of the crystal and the resulting SHEL provides a new degree of freedom for affecting and controlling the spin and orbital angular momentum of photons to unravel the rich underlying physics of optical crystals and aid in the development of active photonic spin-Hall devices.

Orthogonality-breaking sensing model based on the instantaneous Stokes vector and the Mueller calculus

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega-Quijano, Noé; Fade, Julien; Roche, Muriel; Parnet, François; Alouini, Mehdi

2016-04-01

Polarimetric sensing by orthogonality breaking has been recently proposed as an alternative technique for performing direct and fast polarimetric measurements using a specific dual-frequency dual-polarization (DFDP) source. Based on the instantaneous Stokes-Mueller formalism to describe the high-frequency evolution of the DFDP beam intensity, we thoroughly analyze the interaction of such a beam with birefringent, dichroic and depolarizing samples. This allows us to confirm that orthogonality breaking is produced by the sample diattenuation, whereas this technique is immune to both birefringence and diagonal depolarization. We further analyze the robustness of this technique when polarimetric sensing is performed through a birefringent waveguide, and the optimal DFDP source configuration for fiber-based endoscopic measurements is subsequently identified. Finally, we consider a stochastic depolarization model based on an ensemble of random linear diattenuators, which makes it possible to understand the progressive vanishing of the detected orthogonality breaking signal as the spatial heterogeneity of the sample increases, thus confirming the insensitivity of this method to diagonal depolarization. The fact that the orthogonality breaking signal is exclusively due to the sample dichroism is an advantageous feature for the precise decoupled characterization of such an anisotropic parameter in samples showing several simultaneous effects.

Application of wavelet based MFDFA on Mueller matrix images for cervical pre-cancer detection

Science.gov (United States)

Zaffar, Mohammad; Pradhan, Asima

2018-02-01

A systematic study has been conducted on application of wavelet based multifractal de-trended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) on Mueller matrix (MM) images of cervical tissue sections for early cancer detection. Changes in multiple scattering and orientation of fibers are observed by utilizing a discrete wavelet transform (Daubechies) which identifies fluctuations over polynomial trends. Fluctuation profiles, after 9th level decomposition, for all elements of MM qualitatively establish a demarcation of different grades of cancer from normal tissue. Moreover, applying MFDFA on MM images, Hurst exponent profiles for images of MM qualitatively are seen to display differences. In addition, the values of Hurst exponent increase for the diagonal elements of MM with increasing grades of the cervical cancer, while the value for the elements which correspond to linear polarizance decrease. However, for circular polarizance the value increases with increasing grades. These fluctuation profiles reveal the trend of local variation of refractive -indices and along with Hurst exponent profile, may serve as a useful biological metric in the early detection of cervical cancer. The quantitative measurements of Hurst exponent for diagonal and first column (polarizance governing elements) elements which reflect changes in multiple scattering and structural anisotropy in stroma, may be sensitive indicators of pre-cancer.

Potato carrot agar with manganese as an isolation medium for Alternaria, Epicoccum and Phoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jens Laurids; Mogensen, Jesper Mølgaard; Thrane, Ulf

2009-01-01

A semi-selective medium for isolation of Alternaria spp., Epicoccum sp. and Phoma spp. from soil and plant samples was developed. The basal medium was a modified potato carrot agar (PCA), containing 10 g/L of potato and carrot. It is known that the target genera sporulate well on standard PCA when...

Characterization of internal structure of hydrated agar and gelatin matrices by cryo-SEM

KAUST Repository

Rahbani, Janane; Behzad, Ali Reza; Khashab, Niveen M.; Al-Ghoul, Mazen

2012-01-01

There has been a considerable interest in recent years in developing polymer gel matrices for many important applications such as 2DE for quantization and separation of a variety of proteins and drug delivery system to control the release of active agents. However, a well-defined knowledge of the ultrastructures of the gels has been elusive. In this study, we report the characterization of two different polymers used in 2DE: Gelatin, a naturally occurring polymer derived from collagen (protein) and agar, a polymer of polysaccharide (sugar) origin. Low-temperature SEM is used to examine the internal structure of these gels in their frozen natural hydrated states. Results of this study show that both polymers have an array of hollow cells that resembles honeycomb structures. While agar pores are almost circular, the corresponding Gaussian curve is very broad exhibiting a range of radii from nearly 370 to 700 nm. Gelatin pores are smaller and more homogeneous reflecting a narrower distribution from nearly 320 to 650 nm. Overall, these ultrastructural findings could be used to correlate with functions of the polymers. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Characterization of internal structure of hydrated agar and gelatin matrices by cryo-SEM

KAUST Repository

Rahbani, Janane

2012-12-26

There has been a considerable interest in recent years in developing polymer gel matrices for many important applications such as 2DE for quantization and separation of a variety of proteins and drug delivery system to control the release of active agents. However, a well-defined knowledge of the ultrastructures of the gels has been elusive. In this study, we report the characterization of two different polymers used in 2DE: Gelatin, a naturally occurring polymer derived from collagen (protein) and agar, a polymer of polysaccharide (sugar) origin. Low-temperature SEM is used to examine the internal structure of these gels in their frozen natural hydrated states. Results of this study show that both polymers have an array of hollow cells that resembles honeycomb structures. While agar pores are almost circular, the corresponding Gaussian curve is very broad exhibiting a range of radii from nearly 370 to 700 nm. Gelatin pores are smaller and more homogeneous reflecting a narrower distribution from nearly 320 to 650 nm. Overall, these ultrastructural findings could be used to correlate with functions of the polymers. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Characterization of internal structure of hydrated agar and gelatin matrices by cryo-SEM.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahbani, Janane; Behzad, Ali R; Khashab, Niveen M; Al-Ghoul, Mazen

2013-02-01

There has been a considerable interest in recent years in developing polymer gel matrices for many important applications such as 2DE for quantization and separation of a variety of proteins and drug delivery system to control the release of active agents. However, a well-defined knowledge of the ultrastructures of the gels has been elusive. In this study, we report the characterization of two different polymers used in 2DE: Gelatin, a naturally occurring polymer derived from collagen (protein) and agar, a polymer of polysaccharide (sugar) origin. Low-temperature SEM is used to examine the internal structure of these gels in their frozen natural hydrated states. Results of this study show that both polymers have an array of hollow cells that resembles honeycomb structures. While agar pores are almost circular, the corresponding Gaussian curve is very broad exhibiting a range of radii from nearly 370 to 700 nm. Gelatin pores are smaller and more homogeneous reflecting a narrower distribution from nearly 320 to 650 nm. Overall, these ultrastructural findings could be used to correlate with functions of the polymers. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Characteristics and fabrication of Geiger-Mueller counters with thin walls made of treated magnesium - Note about the use of araldite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charbonnel, A.

1949-03-01

This report describes, first, the advantage of magnesium for the manufacturing of Geiger-Mueller counters: suitable for machining and polishing, but strong reactivity with the counter atmosphere in the case of magnesium-rich alloys. Thus, the inside wall of the counter (cylinder of 20 mm diameter and 6 cm length) requires a non-reactive protective coating with excellent sealing properties. The synthetic resin 'araldite' fulfills all these conditions. The second part of the report describes the different steps of the fabrication of magnesium wall counters: lathe work, machining down and chemical polishing of hulls, assembly, tight sealing, pumping, filling-up and control tests. The average service life of these counters is of about 4 months. A note about the use and properties (hardening, mechanical properties, resistance..) of araldite is given in appendix. (J.S.)

A screening method for β-glucan hydrolase employing Trypan Blue-coupled β-glucan agar plate and β-glucan zymography.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Chang-Su; Yang, Hee-Jong; Kim, Dong-Ho; Kang, Dae-Ook; Kim, Min-Soo; Choi, Nack-Shick

2012-06-01

A new screening method for β-(1,3-1,6) glucan hydrolase was developed using a pure β-glucan from Aureobaisidum pullulans by zymography and an LB-agar plate. Paenibacillus sp. was screened as a producer a β-glucan hydrolase on the Trypan Blue-coupled β-glucan LB-agar plate and the activity of the enzyme was analyzed by SDS-β-glucan zymography. The β-glucan was not hydrolyzed by Bacillus spp. strains, which exhibit cellulolytic activity on CMC zymography. The gene, obtaining by shotgun cloning and encoding the β-glucan hydrolase of Paenibacillus sp. was sequenced.

Production of trichothecenes and other secondary metabolites by Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium equiseti on common laboratory media and a soil organic matter agar: An ecological interpretation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hestbjerg, H.; Nielsen, Kristian Fog; Thrane, Ulf

2002-01-01

trichothecene production was detected for 94 of 102 F culmorum isolates, only 8 of 57 F equiseti isolates were positive. Profiles of secondary metabolites were compared by following growth on yeast extract sucrose agar (YES), potato sucrose agar (PSA), and an agar medium, prepared from soil organic matter (SOM......), which was included to simulate growth, conditions in soil. SOM supported the production of chrysogine by F culmorum. The two species utilized the media differently. F culmorum produced zearalenone (ZEA) on YES, whereas some F. equiseti isolates produced ZEA on PSA. Other F. equiseti isolates produced...

Characterization of a novel alkaline arylsulfatase from Marinomonas sp. FW-1 and its application in the desulfation of red seaweed agar.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xueyan; Duan, Delin; Xu, Jiachao; Gao, Xin; Fu, Xiaoting

2015-10-01

A bacterial strain capable of hydrolyzing sulfate ester bonds of p-nitrophenyl sulfate (pNPS) and agar was isolated from the coast area of Qingdao, China. It was identified as Marinomonas based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence and named as Marinomonas sp. FW-1. An arylsulfatase with a recovery of 13 % and a fold of 12 was purified to a homogeneity using ion exchange and gel filtration chromatographies. The enzyme was composed of a single polypeptide chain with the molecular mass of 33 kDa estimated using SDS-PAGE. The optimal pH and temperature of arylsulfatase were pH 9.0 and 45, respectively. Arylsulfatase was stable over pH 8-11 and at temperature below 55 °C. The K m and V max of this enzyme for the hydrolysis of pNPS were determined to be 13.73 and 270.27 μM/min, respectively. The desulfation ratio against agar from red seaweed Gelidium amansii and Gracilaria lemaneiformis were 86.11 and 89.61 %, respectively. There was no difference between the DNA electrophoresis spectrum on the gel of the arylsulfatase-treated G. amansii agar and that of the commercial agarose. Therefore, this novel alkaline arylsulfatase might have a great potential for application in enzymatic conversion of agar to agarose.

Isolation of nontuberculous mycobacteria from soil using Middlebrook 7H10 agar with increased malachite green concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yuli; Yu, Xinglong; Zhao, Dun; Li, Runcheng; Liu, Yang; Ge, Meng; Hu, Huican

2017-12-01

Environmental exposure is considered to be responsible for nontuberculous mycobacterial infections in humans. To facilitate the isolation of mycobacteria from soil, Middlebrook 7H10 agar was optimized as an enhanced selective medium by increasing the concentration of malachite green. A series of modified Middlebrook 7H10 agar media with malachite green concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 2500 mg/L was evaluated using 20 soil samples decontaminated with 3% sodium dodecyl sulfate plus 2% NaOH for 30 min. Among these modified Middlebrook 7H10 media, the medium with malachite green at a concentration of 250 mg/L, i.e., at the same concentration as in Löwenstein-Jensen medium, was the most effective in terms of the number of plates with mycobacterial growth. This medium was further evaluated with 116 soil samples. The results showed that 87.1% (101/116) of the samples produced mycobacterial growth, and 15 samples (12.9%) produced no mycobacterial growth. Of the plates inoculated with the soil samples, each in duplicate, 5.2% (12/232) showed late contamination. In total, 19 mycobacterial species were isolated, including seven (36.8%) rapidly growing mycobacteria and 12 (63.2%) slowly growing mycobacteria. Our results demonstrate that the modified Middlebrook 7H10 agar with 250 mg/L malachite green is useful for the primary isolation of nontuberculous mycobacteria from soil.

Performance of Chromogenic Candida agar and CHROMagar Candida in recovery and presumptive identification of monofungal and polyfungal vaginal isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozcan, Kadri; Ilkit, Macit; Ates, Aylin; Turac-Bicer, Aygul; Demirhindi, Hakan

2010-02-01

Chromogenic Candida agar (OCCA) is a novel medium facilitating isolation and identification of Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. krusei, as well as indicating polyfungal population in clinical samples. We compare the performance of OCCA, to CHROMagar Candida (CAC) and Sabouraud chloramphenicol agar (SCA). Vaginal swab samples from 392 women were simultaneously inoculated onto three study media. A total of 161 (41.1%) were found to be positive for fungi of which 140 (87%) were monofungal, and 21 (13%) polyfungal. One-hundred and fifty-seven samples (97.5%) were positive on CAC, 156 (96.9%) on OCCA, 148 (91.9%) on SCA and 144 (89.4%) samples were positive on all three media. The yeasts were identified by conventional methods including germ tube test, microscopic morphology on cornmeal-Tween 80 agar, and the commercial API 20C AUX. The 182 isolates were C. albicans (n = 104), C. glabrata (n = 51), C. krusei (n = 7), C. tropicalis (n = 5), C. famata (n = 3), C. kefyr (n = 3), C. zeylanoides (n = 3), C. colliculosa (n = 2), and other species of Candida (n = 4). Among the 21 polyfungal populations, 20 (95.2%) were detected in OCCA, 14 (66.7%) in CAC, and 13 (61.9%) in CAC and OCCA (P or=92.9% at 72 h. OCCA is more efficient and reliable for rapidly identifying C. albicans and polyfungal populations than CAC. However, CAC is more efficient for identifying C. krusei and C. tropicalis. A chromogenic agar with a higher isolation rate of yeasts and better detection of polyfungal populations than SCA, is suggested as a medium of first choice when available.

Medium dependant production of corymbiferone a novel product from Penicillium hordei cultured on plant tissue agar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Overy, David Patrick; Zidorn, C.; Petersen, B.O.

2005-01-01

Medium dependant production and the structure elucidation of corymbiferone (1) from the fungus Penicillitan hordei grown on oatmeal and macerated tulip, yellow onion and red onion agars are reported. Compound 1 possesses an unusual oxygenated aromatic structure with a lactone bridge preventing full...

Antimicrobial activity of different disinfectants against cariogenic microorganisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esra UZER CELIK

Full Text Available Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro antimicrobial effects of chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX, polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHBM, and octenidine dihydrochloride (OCT on cariogenic microorganisms by using their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC. CHX, PHBM, and OCT were diluted in distilled water to the final test concentrations. Using the in-tube dilution method, Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Actinomyces viscosus were cultivated on blood agar and Mueller–Hinton broth (MHB at 37°C for 48 h. They were read using a spectrophotometer to detect MIC. To determine MBC, samples in the range of the turbidity threshold after 24 h were transferred onto blood agar and evaluated for growth after 24 h. Different MICs and MBCs were observed in all disinfectants against each microorganism. The lowest MIC and MBC against S. mutans (60 mg/L were obtained from PHBM. The lowest values against L. rhamnosus (15 mg/L, 30 mg/L, A. viscosus (30 mg/L, and L. acidophilus (15 mg/L, 30 mg/L were determined by OCT. PHBM and OCT have the potential to be replaced with CHX because they were effective against cariogenic microorganisms.

Increase in colony-forming efficiency in soft agar of thymus cells from radiation-induced thymomas of NIH Swiss mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mori, Nobuko; Takamori, Yasuhiko; Hori, Yasuharu [Radiation Center of Osaka Prefecture, Sakai (Japan)

1982-03-01

Colony-forming efficiency in soft agar of radiation-induced thymoma in NIH Swiss mice was determined in the presence of cultured medium of reticulo-epitherial cells from normal thymus of NIH Swiss mouse as conditioned medium. A similar experiment was done with thymomas spontaneously developed in AKR mice. Most of colonies developed in soft agar were not composed of thymic lymphoma cells, but of macrophage-like cells. The ratio of the number of colonies to that of the seeded cells significantly increased in thymomas comparing with that in normal thymus. This result corresponded with the increased number of macrophages in thymoma, as determined by counting phagocytic cells of adherent cells.

Evaluation of a modified Cefsulodin-Irgasan-Novobiocin agar for isolation of Yersinia spp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lai Kuan Tan

Full Text Available Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis are important food borne pathogens. However, the presence of competitive microbiota makes the isolation of Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis from naturally contaminated foods difficult. We attempted to evaluate the performance of a modified Cefsulodin-Irgasan-Novobiocin (CIN agar in the differentiation of Y. enterocolitica from non-Yersinia species, particularly the natural intestinal microbiota. The modified CIN enabled the growth of Y. enterocolitica colonies with the same efficiency as CIN and Luria-Bertani agar. The detection limits of the modified CIN for Y. enterocolitica in culture medium (10 cfu/ml and in artificially contaminated pork (10(4 cfu/ml were also comparable to those of CIN. However, the modified CIN provided a better discrimination of Yersinia colonies from other bacteria exhibiting Yersinia-like colonies on CIN (H2S-producing Citrobacter freundii, C. braakii, Enterobacter cloacae, Aeromonas hydrophila, Providencia rettgeri, and Morganella morganii. The modified CIN exhibited a higher recovery rate of Y. enterocolitica from artificially prepared bacterial cultures and naturally contaminated samples compared with CIN. Our results thus demonstrated that the use of modified CIN may be a valuable means to increase the recovery rate of food borne Yersinia from natural samples, which are usually contaminated by multiple types of bacteria.

Evaluation of a Modified Cefsulodin-Irgasan-Novobiocin Agar for Isolation of Yersinia spp

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Tan, Lai Kuan; Ooi, Peck Toung; Carniel, Elisabeth; Thong, Kwai Lin

2014-01-01

Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis are important food borne pathogens. However, the presence of competitive microbiota makes the isolation of Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis from naturally contaminated foods difficult. We attempted to evaluate the performance of a modified Cefsulodin-Irgasan-Novobiocin (CIN) agar in the differentiation of Y. enterocolitica from non-Yersinia species, particularly the natural intestinal microbiota. The modified CIN enabled the growth of Y. enterocolitica colonies with the same efficiency as CIN and Luria-Bertani agar. The detection limits of the modified CIN for Y. enterocolitica in culture medium (10 cfu/ml) and in artificially contaminated pork (104 cfu/ml) were also comparable to those of CIN. However, the modified CIN provided a better discrimination of Yersinia colonies from other bacteria exhibiting Yersinia-like colonies on CIN (H2S-producing Citrobacter freundii, C. braakii, Enterobacter cloacae, Aeromonas hydrophila, Providencia rettgeri, and Morganella morganii). The modified CIN exhibited a higher recovery rate of Y. enterocolitica from artificially prepared bacterial cultures and naturally contaminated samples compared with CIN. Our results thus demonstrated that the use of modified CIN may be a valuable means to increase the recovery rate of food borne Yersinia from natural samples, which are usually contaminated by multiple types of bacteria. PMID:25170941

Substances used as gelling agent alternative to the agar in culture media for in vitro propagation

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Darío Alonso Martin Gordo

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The cultivation of plant fibers is achieved through the implementation of a group of techniques widely used for the propagation of plants in vitro. However, one disadvantage of these techniques is the high cost of components used for the crop’s medium, among these, the agar (primary gelling agent, has seen a price increase due to high demand. This article consults several studies regarding substances that have been utilized as alternative gelling agents, among which highlight starches (native or modified and several plant gums and bacterial excretions that have been used in processes of organogenesis, embryogenesis and vegetative proliferation. The starches and gums studied showed favorable results in the in vitro cultivation of some plant species. The study demonstrates that both gums and starches may be potential substitutes (either partial or total for agar, achieve a decrease in costs associated with starches, and have an ability to be chemically modified to improve gelling capacity.

Broth and agar hop-gradient plates used to evaluate the beer-spoilage potential of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus isolates.

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Haakensen, M; Schubert, A; Ziola, B

2009-03-15

Identification of the beer-spoilage Lactobacillus and Pediococcus bacteria has largely taken two approaches; identification of spoilage-associated genes or identification of specific species of bacteria regardless of ability to grow in beer. The problem with these two approaches is that they are either overly inclusive (i.e., detect all bacteria of a given species regardless of spoilage potential) or overly selective (i.e., rely upon individual, putative spoilage-associated genes). Our goal was to design a method to assess the ability of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus to spoil beer that is independent of speciation or genetic background. In searching for a method by which to differentiate between beer-spoilage bacteria and bacteria that cannot grow in beer, we explored the ability of lactobacilli and pediococci isolates to grow in the presence of varying concentrations of hop-compounds and ethanol in broth medium versus on agar medium. The best method for differentiating between bacteria that can grow in beer and bacteria that do not pose a threat as beer-spoilage organisms was found to be a hop-gradient agar plate containing ethanol. This hop-gradient agar plate technique provides a rapid and simple solution to the dilemma of assessing the ability of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus isolates to grow in beer, and provides new insights into the different strategies used by these bacteria to survive under the stringent conditions of beer.

Cytotoxicity of ferrite particles by MTT and agar diffusion methods for hyperthermic application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong-Hyun; Lee, Se-Ho; Kim, Kyoung-Nam; Kim, Kwang-Mahn; Shim, In-Bo; Lee, Yong-Keun

2005-01-01

We investigated the cytotoxicity of the prepared various ferrites (Fe-, Li-, Ni/Zn/Cu-, Ba-, Sr-, Co-, Co/Ni-ferrites) using MTT assay as well as agar diffusion method. Their cytotoxicity was compared with that of alginate-encapsulated ferrites. In the MTT assay, Fe 3 O 4 and SrFe 12 O 19 ferrite showed the highest cell viability of 90%. Alginate-encapsulated Ba-ferrite was ranked mildly cytotoxic, whereas their ferrite particles were ranked cytotoxic

Evaluatie van de membraanfiltratiemethode op mCP-agar voor bepaling van sporen van Clostridium perfringens in water

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schets FM; Medema GJ; LWL

1995-01-01

Current Dutch and European drinking water standards include criteria for spores of sulphite reducing clostridia. This has some inherent disadvantages. The reproducibility of the enumeration method for spores of sulphite reducing clostridia (SSRC) in Sulphite Cycloserine Agar (SCA) is poor. Some

The Hinton train disaster.

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Smiley, A M

1990-10-01

In February of 1986 a head-on collision occurred between a freight train and a passenger train in western Canada killing 23 people and causing over $30 million of damage. A Commission of Inquiry appointed by the Canadian government concluded that human error was the major reason for the collision. This report discusses the factors contributing to the human error: mainly poor work-rest schedules, the monotonous nature of the train driving task, insufficient information about train movements, and the inadequate backup systems in case of human error.

Calibration of the BASS acoustic current meter with carrageenan agar

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Morrison, A.T.; Williams, A.J.; Martini, M.

1993-01-01

The BASS current meter can measure currents down to the millimeter per second range. Due to the dependence of zero offset on pressure, determining a sensor referenced velocity requires accurate in situ zeroing of the meter. Previously, flow was restricted during calibration by placing plastic bags around the acoustic volume. In this paper, bacterial grade and carrageenan agars are used in the laboratory to create a zero flow condition during calibration and are shown to be acoustically transparent. Additionally, the results of open ocean and dockside carrageenan and plastic bag comparisons are presented. Carrageenan is shown to reliably provide a low noise, zero mean flow environment that is largely independent of ambient conditions. The improved zeros make millimeter per second accuracy possible under field conditions.

Effect of EDTA on Pb(II) Uptake and Translocation by Tumbleweed (Salsola Kali): Agar and Hydroponics Studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

de la Rosa, Guadalupe; Gardea-Torresdey, Jorge L.; Peralta-Videa, Jose R.; Aldrich, Mary

2004-03-31

Environmental accumulation of Pb represents a worldwide health hazard. While conventional cleanup techniques are generally expensive and soil disturbing, phytoremediation represents an inexpensive friendly option for the removal of contaminants from soil and water. In this research, tumbleweed (Salsola kali) plants exposed for 15 days to Pb(NO3)2 at 80 and 125 ppm in hydroponics and agar media, demonstrated a high capacity to uptake lead. The results showed that the plants cultivated in agar accumulated 25563, 5534 and 2185 mg Pb kg-1 DW in roots, stems and leaves, respectively. Moreover, Pb concentrations found in hydroponically grown tumbleweed plants tissues were 30744, 1511 and 1421 mg kg-1 DW in roots, stems and leaves, respectively. It was observed that EDTA enhanced Pb translocation. No Pb phytotoxic effects were observed during the experimental time period. Cellular structural features were also observed using TEM.

Cytotoxicity of ferrite particles by MTT and agar diffusion methods for hyperthermic application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dong-Hyun [Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of); Department and Research Institute of Dental Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Se-Ho [Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of); Department and Research Institute of Dental Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyoung-Nam [Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of); Department and Research Institute of Dental Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kwang-Mahn [Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of); Department and Research Institute of Dental Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of); Shim, In-Bo [Department of Electronic Physics, Kookmin University, Seoul 136-702 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Yong-Keun [Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of) and Department and Research Institute of Dental Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of)]. E-mail: leeyk@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr

2005-05-15

We investigated the cytotoxicity of the prepared various ferrites (Fe-, Li-, Ni/Zn/Cu-, Ba-, Sr-, Co-, Co/Ni-ferrites) using MTT assay as well as agar diffusion method. Their cytotoxicity was compared with that of alginate-encapsulated ferrites. In the MTT assay, Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and SrFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} ferrite showed the highest cell viability of 90%. Alginate-encapsulated Ba-ferrite was ranked mildly cytotoxic, whereas their ferrite particles were ranked cytotoxic.

Mechanical response of agar gel irradiated with Nd:YAG nanosecond laser pulses

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Pérez-Gutiérrez, Francisco G.; Evans, Rodger; Camacho-López, Santiago; Aguilar, Guillermo

2010-02-01

Nanosecond long laser pulses are used in medical applications where precise tissue ablation with minimal thermal and mechanical collateral damage is required. When a laser pulse is incident on a material, optical energy will be absorbed by a combination of linear and nonlinear absorption according to both: laser light intensity and material properties. In the case of water or gels, the first results in heat generation and thermoelastic expansion; while the second results in an expanding plasma formation that launches a shock wave and a cavitation/boiling bubble. Plasma formation due to nonlinear absorption of nanosecond laser pulses is originated by a combination of multiphoton ionization and thermionic emission of free electrons, which is enhanced when the material has high linear absorption coefficient. In this work, we present measurements of pressure transients originated when 6 ns laser pulses are incident on agar gels with varying linear absorption coefficient, mechanical properties and irradiation geometry using laser radiant exposures above threshold for bubble formation. The underlying hypothesis is that pressure transients are composed of the superposition of both: shock wave originated by hot expanding plasma resulting from nonlinear absorption of optical energy and, thermoelastic expansion originated by heat generation due to linear absorption of optical energy. The objective of this work is to evaluate the relative contribution of each absorption mechanism to mechanical effects in agar gel. Real time pressure transients are recorded with PVDF piezoelectric sensors and time-resilved imaging from 50 μm to 10 mm away from focal point.

Infrared differential-absorption Mueller matrix spectroscopy and neural network-based data fusion for biological aerosol standoff detection.

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Carrieri, Arthur H; Copper, Jack; Owens, David J; Roese, Erik S; Bottiger, Jerold R; Everly, Robert D; Hung, Kevin C

2010-01-20

An active spectrophotopolarimeter sensor and support system were developed for a military/civilian defense feasibility study concerning the identification and standoff detection of biological aerosols. Plumes of warfare agent surrogates gamma-irradiated Bacillus subtilis and chicken egg white albumen (analytes), Arizona road dust (terrestrial interferent), water mist (atmospheric interferent), and talcum powders (experiment controls) were dispersed inside windowless chambers and interrogated by multiple CO(2) laser beams spanning 9.1-12.0 microm wavelengths (lambda). Molecular vibration and vibration-rotation activities by the subject analyte are fundamentally strong within this "fingerprint" middle infrared spectral region. Distinct polarization-modulations of incident irradiance and backscatter radiance of tuned beams generate the Mueller matrix (M) of subject aerosol. Strings of all 15 normalized elements {M(ij)(lambda)/M(11)(lambda)}, which completely describe physical and geometric attributes of the aerosol particles, are input fields for training hybrid Kohonen self-organizing map feed-forward artificial neural networks (ANNs). The properly trained and validated ANN model performs pattern recognition and type-classification tasks via internal mappings. A typical ANN that mathematically clusters analyte, interferent, and control aerosols with nil overlap of species is illustrated, including sensitivity analysis of performance.

Mechanical and water barrier properties of agar/κ-carrageenan/konjac glucomannan ternary blend biohydrogel films.

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Rhim, Jong-Whan; Wang, Long-Feng

2013-07-01

Multicomponent hydrogel films composed of agar, κ-carrageenan, konjac glucomannan powder, and nanoclay (Cloisite(®) 30B) were prepared and their mechanical and water barrier properties such as water vapor permeability (WVP), water contact angle (CA), water solubility (WS), water uptake ratio (WUR), water vapor uptake ratio (WVUR) were determined. Mechanical, water vapor barrier, and water resistance properties of the ternary blend film exhibited middle range of individual component films, however, they increased significantly after formation of nanocomposite with the clay. Especially, the water holding capacity of the ternary blend biopolymer films increased tremendously, from 800% to 1681% of WUR for agar and κ-carrageenan films up to 5118% and 5488% of WUR for the ternary blend and ternary blend nanocomposite films, respectively. Water vapor adsorption behavior of films was also tested by water vapor adsorption kinetics and water vapor adsorption isotherms test. Preliminary test result for fresh spinach packaging revealed that the ternary blend biohydrogel films had a high potential for the use as an antifogging film for packaging highly respiring agricultural produce. In addition, the ternary blend nanocomposite film showed an antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An electrochemical approach to monitor pH change in agar media during plant tissue culture.

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Wang, Min; Ha, Yang

2007-05-15

In this work, metal oxide microelectrodes were developed to monitor pH change in agar media during plant tissue culture. An antimony wire was produced by a new approach "capillary melt method". The surface of the obtained antimony wire was oxidized in a potassium nitrate melt to fabricate an antimony oxide film for pH sensing. Characterization results show that the oxide layer grown on the wire surface consists of Sb(2)O(3) crystal phase. The sensing response, open-circuit potential, of the electrode has a good linear relationship (R(2)=1.00) with pH value of the test solution. Adding organic compounds into the test media would not affect the linear relationship, although the slope of the lines varied with different ingredients added. The antimony oxide electrodes were employed to continuously monitor pH change of agar culture media during a 2-week plant tissue culture of Dendrobium candidum. The antimony oxide electrode fabricated this way has the advantages of low cost, easy fabrication, fast response, and almost no contamination introduced into the system. It would be suitable for in situ and continuous pH measurement in many bio applications.

Atividade antibacteriana de óleos essenciais em cepas isoladas de infecção urinária Antibacterial activity of essential oils on microorganisms isolated from urinary tract infection

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Rogério Santos Pereira

2004-04-01

Full Text Available A análise da atividade antibacteriana de óleos essenciais de ervas medicinais (Ocimum gratissimum, L., Cybopogum citratus (DC Stapf. e Salvia officinalis, L. foi verificada frente a 100 cepas de bactérias isoladas de indivíduos da comunidade com diagnóstico de infecção urinária. Os microrganismos foram semeados em ágar Muller Hinton e os extratos aplicados com replicador de Steers e incubados a 37°C por 24 horas. Verificou-se que Salvia officinalis, L. apresentou ação inibitória superior às outras ervas, tendo eficácia de 100% quando testadas em espécies de Klebsiella e Enterobacter, 96% em Escherichia coli, 83% contra Proteus mirabilis e 75% contra Morganella morganii.The antibacterial activity of essential oils extracted from medicinal plants (Ocimum gratissimum, L., Cybopogum citratus (DC Stapf., and Salvia officinalis, L. was assessed on bacterial strains derived from 100 urine samples. Samples were taken from subjects diagnosed with urinary tract infection living in the community. Microorganisms were plated on Müller Hinton agar. Plant extracts were applied using a Steers replicator and petri dishes were incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. Salvia officinalis, L. showed enhanced inhibitory activity compared to the other two herbs, with 100% efficiency against Klebsiella and Enterobacter species, 96% against Escherichia coli, 83% against Proteus mirabilis, and 75% against Morganella morganii.

Diffusion of manganese ions in agar gel containing alkali metal chlorides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borhade, A.V.

2000-01-01

The obstruction effect for tracer-diffusion of Mn 2+ ions in the presence of different supporting electrolytes (LiCl, NaCl, KCl, CsCl) at various concentrations has been studied at 25 deg C using the zone diffusion technique. It has been observed that the obstruction effect determined in terms of α increases with concentration of the electrolyte. Further, for a given concentration it is found to decrease with increasing charge density of the cation. We also report here on the effect of temperature on obstruction and found that is constant over the temperature range studied (25-45 deg C). These observations are explained on the basis of competitive hydration between ions and agar macromolecules. (author)

The importance of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry for correct identification of Clostridium difficile isolated from chromID C. difficile chromogenic agar

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Jonathan H.K. Chen

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The clinical workflow of using chromogenic agar and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-fight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS for Clostridium difficile identification was evaluated. The addition of MALDI-TOF MS identification after the chromID C. difficile chromogenic agar culture could significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy of C. difficile.

Growth Rates of Bacillus Species Probiotics using Various Enrichment Media

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Maryam Poormontaseri

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Probiotics are well-known as valuable functional foods to promote specific health benefits to consumers. Some Bacillus bacteria have been recently considered as probiotic and food additives. We aimed to investigate the growing rate of probiotic B. subtilis and B. coagulans using several enrichment media incubated at 37 °C for 24 hours. Methods: Various enrichment media including nutrient broth (NB, tryptic soy broth (TSB, double strength TSB, Mueller Hinton broth (MH, brain-heart infusion broth (BHIB, de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS, and nutrient yeast extract salt medium (NYSM were used to enrich the probiotics and they were subsequently incubated for 18 h at 37 °C. The bacteria were then enumerated on TSA medium. Results: The results showed that B. subtilis ATCC 6633, B. subtilis PY79, and B. coagulans developed in TSB, double strength TBS, TSB yeast extract, BHIB and NYSM, respectively. Moreover, the formulas were achieved based on the optical density curve and the number of bacteria. Conclusion: Considering that the probiotics are significantly employed as food supplements, it is essential to identify appropriate enrichment media to proliferate these beneficial bacteria.

Heavy metal accumulation by carrageenan and agar producing algae

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Burdin, K.S. [Moscow State Univ. (Russian Federation). Faculty of Biology; Bird, K.T. [North Carolina Univ., Wilmington, NC (United States). Center for Marine Science Research

1994-09-01

The accumulation of six heavy metals Cu, Cd, Ni, Zn, Mn and Pb was measured in living and lzophilized algal thalli. The agar producing algae were Gracilaria tikvahiae and Gelidium pusillum. The carrageenan producing macroalgae were Agardhiella subulata and the gametophyte and tetrasporophyte phases of Chondrus crispus. These produce primarily iota, kappa and lambda carrageenans, respectively. At heavy metal concentrations of 0.5 mg L{sup -1}, living thalli of Gracilaria tikvahiae generally showed the greatest amount of accumulation of the 6 heavy metals tested. The accumulation of Pb was greater in the living thalli of all four species than in the lyophilized thalli. Except for Agardhiella subulata, lyophilized thalli showed greater accumulation of Ni, Cu and Zn. There was no difference in heavy metal accumulation between living and lyophilized thalli in the accumulation of Cd. Manganese showed no accumulation at the tested concentration. There did not appear to be a relationship between algal hydrocolloid characteristics and the amounts of heavy metals accumulated. (orig.)

Development of controlled release silicone adhesive-based mupirocin patch demonstrates antibacterial activity on live rat skin against Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

David, Sheba R; Malek, Nurafiqah; Mahadi, Abdul Hanif; Chakravarthi, Srikumar; Rajabalaya, Rajan

2018-01-01

Peritonitis is the most serious complication of peritoneal dialysis. Staphylococcus aureus infections could lead to peritonitis which causes reversal of peritoneal dialysis treatment back to hemodialysis. The aim of this study was to develop a controlled release silicone adhesive-based mupirocin patch for prophylactic effect and analyze its antibacterial effectiveness against S. aureus . The matrix patches were prepared by using different polymers, with and without silicone adhesive, dibutyl sebacate and mupirocin. The patches were characterized for mechanical properties, drug content, moisture content, water absorption capacity and Fourier transform infrared spectrum. In vitro release studies were performed by using Franz diffusion cell. In vitro disk diffusion assay was performed on the Mueller-Hinton Agar plate to measure the zone of inhibition of the patches. The in vivo study was performed on four groups of rats with bacterial counts at three different time intervals, along with skin irritancy and histopathologic studies. The patches showed appropriate average thickness (0.63-1.12 mm), tensile strength (5.08-10.08 MPa) and modulus of elasticity (21.53-42.19 MPa). The drug content ranged from 94.5% to 97.4%, while the moisture content and water absorption capacities at two relative humidities (75% and 93%) were in the range of 1.082-3.139 and 1.287-4.148 wt%, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectra showed that there were no significant interactions between the polymer and the drug. The highest percentage of drug release at 8 hours was 47.94%. The highest zone of inhibition obtained was 28.3 mm against S. aureus . The in vivo studies showed that the bacterial colonies were fewer at 1 cm (7×10 1 CFU/mL) than at 2 cm (1.3×10 2 CFU/mL) over a 24-hour period. The patches were nonirritant to the skin, and histopathologic results also showed no toxic or damaging effects to the skin. The in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that controlled release patches

Nano polyamidoamine-G7 dendrimer synthesis and assessment the antibacterial effect in vitro

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Mitra Gholami

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Nano scale dendrimers are macromolecules synthetic which frequently used in medical and health field. Because traditional antibiotics inevitably induce bacterial resistance, which is responsible for many treatment failures, there is an urgent need to develop novel antibiotic drugs. This study was aimed to examine Synthesis and the antibacterial effect of NanoPolyamidoamine-G7 (NPAMAM-G7 dendrimer on Escherichia Coli, Proteus Mirabilis, Salmonella Typhi, Bacillus Subtilis and Staphylococcus Aureus. Methods: In this experimental study that has been conducted in June 2015 in the Laboratory of Microbiology, Iran University of Medical Science, NPAMAM-G7 dendrimers was synthesized by Tomalia’s divergent growth approach. The antibacterial effects of NPAMAM-G7 dendrimer were studied by disc diffusion and micro-dilution method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were determined according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI guideline. Standard discs were prepared using different concentrations of dendrimer on Mueller-Hinton agar plates. Results: Zone of inhibition in concentration 25 μg/ml of NPAMAM-G7 dendrimers for Escherichia Coli, Proteus Mirabilis, Salmonella Typhi, Bacillus Subtilis and Staphylococcus Aureus were 26, 38, 36, 22 and 25 mm, respectively. Regarding the zone of inhibition in gram negative bacteria with gram positive ones was P= 0.16 and was not significant difference. The MIC for Salmonella Typhi was 0.025, for Proteus Mirabilis, Bacillus Subtilis, Staphylococcus Aureus and Escherichia Coli was 0.25 μg/ml. The MBC for Salmonella Typhi was 25μg/ml, for Proteus Mirabilis and Bacillus Subtilis was 50 μg/ml and for Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus was 100 μg/ml. The least of sensitivity against NPAMAM-G7 related to Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus and the most of sensitivity related to

In vitro antibacterial activity of poly (amidoamine)-G7 dendrimer.

Science.gov (United States)

Gholami, Mitra; Mohammadi, Rashin; Arzanlou, Mohsen; Akbari Dourbash, Fakhraddin; Kouhsari, Ebrahim; Majidi, Gharib; Mohseni, Seyed Mohsen; Nazari, Shahram

2017-06-05

Nano-scale dendrimers are synthetic macromolecules that frequently used in medical and health field. Traditional anibiotics are induce bacterial resistence so there is an urgent need for novel antibacterial drug invention. In the present study seventh generation poly (amidoamine) (PAMAM-G7) dendrimer was synthesized and its antibacterial activities were evaluated against representative Gram- negative and Gram-positive bacteria. PAMAM-G7 was synthesized with divergent growth method. The structural and surface of PAMAM-G7 were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscope and fourier transform infrared. Pseudomonas. aeruginosa (n = 15), E. coli (n = 15), Acinetobacter baumanni (n = 15), Shigella dysenteriae (n = 15), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 10), Proteus mirabilis (n = 15), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 15) and Bacillus subtilis (n = 10) have been used for antibacterial activity assay. Additionally, representative standard strains for each bacterium were included. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined using microdilution method. Subsequently, Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) was determined by sub-culturing each of the no growth wells onto Mueller Hinton agar medium. The cytotoxicity of PAMAM-G7 dendrimer were evaluated in HCT116 and NIH 3 T3 cells by MTT assay. The average size of each particle was approximately 20 nm. PAMAM-G7 was potentially to inhibit both Gram positive and gram negative growth. The MIC50 and MIC90 values were determined to be 2-4 μg/ml and 4-8 μg/ml, respectively. The MBC50 and MBC90 values were found to be 64-256 μg/ml and 128-256 μg/ml, respectively. The cytotoxity effect of dendrimer on HCT116 and NIH 3 T3 cells is dependent upon exposure time to and concentration of dendrimers. The most reduction (44.63 and 43%) in cell viability for HCT116 and NIH 3 T3 cells was observed at the highest concentration, 0.85 μM after 72 h treatmentm, respectively. This study

Caracterización fenotípica de cepas invasivas de Neisseria meningitidis aisladas en Cuba durante 20 años

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Isabel Martínez

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Se investigaron los marcadores epidemiológicos (serogrupos, serotipos, subtipos, inmunotipos de 429 cepas invasivas, aisladas en Cuba durante 20 años (1982-2002. Basándonos en el comportamiento de la incidencia de la Enfermedad Meningocócica (EM en el período investigado, las cepas se distribuyeron en dos etapas: epidémica y postepidémica. La epidémica, comprendió 279 cepas aisladas entre 1982-1992 y la ostepidémica, incluyó 150 aislamientos pertenecientes al período comprendido entre 1993-2002. Todas se cultivaron en Agar Mueller Hinton con suero fetal bovino (5% y se incubaron 24-48 horas, 37 0C, en atmósfera húmeda con 5% de C02. La identificación de género, especie y serogrupo, se realizó mediante métodos convencionales; para la caracterización de los sero/subtipos e inmunotipos, se utilizó el ensayo inmunoenzimático (ELISA de células enteras con anticuerpos monoclonales. En ambas etapas predominó el serogrupo B (97,90%: epidémica (96,77% y postepidémica (100%. Sin embargo, el serogrupo C (1,43% y cepas no agrupables (1,8%, sólo se observaron en aislamientos de la etapa epidémica. Los otros marcadores prevalentes fueron: serotipo 4 (86,48%, subtipo P1.19,15 (78,32%, inmunotipo L3,7,9 (90,2% , todos mostraron cifras similares en ambos períodos.Predominó el fenotipo B:4:P1.19,15:L3,7,9 (69,69%, aunque, en la etapa postepidémica (77,34%, el porcentaje fue superior al de la etapa epidémica (65,66% (p<0,05; además, en las cepas de este período, se observó una mayor diversidad de asociaciones fenotípicas. Los resultados obtenidos de esta caracterización fenotípica de las cepas de Neisseria meningitidis aisladas de enfermos aporta datos valiosos al estudio, prevención y control exitoso de la EM en Cuba.

Antibacterial effects of Apis mellifera and stingless bees honeys on susceptible and resistant strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ewnetu, Yalemwork; Lemma, Wossenseged; Birhane, Nega

2013-10-19

Honey is a natural substance produced by honeybees and has nutritional and therapeutic uses. In Ethiopia, honeys are used traditionally to treat wounds, respiratory infections and diarrhoea. Recent increase of drug resistant bacteria against the existing antibiotics forced investigators to search for alternative natural remedies and evaluate their potential use on scientific bases. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effects of different types of honeys in Ethiopia which are used traditionally to treat different types of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Mueller Hinton agar (70191) diffusion and nutrient broth culture medium assays were performed to determine susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and resistant clinical isolates (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA), Escherichia coli(R) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (R), using honeys of Apis mellifera and stingless bees in northern and north western Ethiopia. Honey of the stingless bees produced the highest mean inhibition (22.27 ± 3.79 mm) compared to white honey (21.0 ± 2.7 mm) and yellow honey (18.0 ± 2.3 mm) at 50% (v/v) concentration on all the standard and resistant strains. Stingless bees honey was found to have Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 6.25% (6.25 mg/ml) for 80% of the test organisms compared to 40% for white and yellow Apis mellifera honeys. All the honeys were found to have minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 12.5% (12.5 mg/ml) against all the test organisms. Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) was susceptible to amoxicillin, methicillin, kanamycine, tetracycline, and vancomycine standard antibiotic discs used for susceptibility tests. Similarly, Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) was found susceptible for kanamycine, tetracycline and vancomycine. Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) has not been tested for amoxicillin ampicillin and methicillin. The susceptibility tests performed against

Prevalence and clonal relationship of ESBL-producing Salmonella strains from humans and poultry in northeastern Algeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Djeffal, Samia; Bakour, Sofiane; Mamache, Bakir; Elgroud, Rachid; Agabou, Amir; Chabou, Selma; Hireche, Sana; Bouaziz, Omar; Rahal, Kheira; Rolain, Jean-Marc

2017-05-15

The aims of this study were to investigate Salmonella contamination in broiler chicken farms and slaughterhouses, to assess the antibiotic resistance profile in avian and human Salmonella isolates, and to evaluate the relationship between avian and human Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing isolates. Salmonella was screened in different sample matrices collected at thirty-two chicken farms and five slaughterhouses. The human isolates were recovered from clinical specimens at the University Teaching Hospital of Constantine (UTH). All suspected colonies were confirmed by MALDI-TOF (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time OF light) and serotyped. Susceptibility testing against 13 antibiotics including, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ticarcillin, cefoxitin, cefotaxime, aztreonam, imipenem, ertapenem, gentamicin, amikacin, ciprofloxacin, colistin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and fosfomycin, was performed using the disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar. ESBL-production was screened by the double-disk synergy test and confirmed by molecular characterization using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification and sequencing of ESBL encoding genes. Clonality of the avian and human strains was performed using the Multi Locus Sequencing Typing method (MLST). Forty-five isolated avian Salmonella strains and 37 human collected ones were studied. Five S. enterica serotypes were found in avian isolates (mainly Kentucky) and 9 from human ones (essentially Infantis). 51.11% and 26.6% of the avian isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime, respectively, whereas human isolates were less resistant to these antibiotics (13.5% to ciprofloxacin and 16.2% to cefotaxime). Eighteen (12 avian and 6 human) strains were found to produce ESBLs, which were identified as bla CTX-M-1 (n = 12), bla CTX-M-15 (n = 5) and bla TEM group (n = 8). Interestingly, seven of the ESBL-producing strains (5 avian and 2 human) were of the same ST (ST15) and

Historical sources about diseases, death and embalming regarding the family of Jean Antoine Michel Agar, Minister of Finance of Gioacchino Murat.

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Marinozzi, S; Gazzaniga, V; Giuffra, V; Fornaciari, G

2011-06-01

Among the mummies preserved in the Basilica of San Domenico Maggiore in Naples, there are the bodies of the wife and three children of Jean Antoine Michel Agar, Minister of Finance of Naple's Kingdom during the Monarchy of Joachim Murat (1808-1815). Between 1983 and 1987 paleopathological analyses were performed; in particular, X-ray examination allowed investigation of the health status of the Agar family members and reconstruction of the embalming processes used to preserve the bodies. In addition, an analysis of the historical and archival documents was carried out, to formulate hypotheses about the causes of death, demonstrating how these sources could become important instruments to obtain diagnoses and pathological histories.

A Novel Qualitative and Quantitative Biofilm Assay Based on 3D Soft Tissue

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Bodil Hakonen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The lack of predictable in vitro methods to analyze antimicrobial activity could play a role in the development of resistance to antibiotics. Current used methods analyze planktonic cells but for the method to be clinically relevant, biofilm in in vivo like conditions ought to be studied. Hence, our group has developed a qualitative and quantitative method with in vivo like 3D tissue for prediction of antimicrobial activity in reality. Devices (wound dressings were applied on top of Pseudomonas aeruginosa inoculated Muller-Hinton (MH agar or 3D synthetic soft tissues (SST and incubated for 24 hours. The antibacterial activity was then analyzed visually and by viable counts. On MH agar two out of three silver containing devices showed zone of inhibitions (ZOI and on SST, ZOI were detected for all three. Corroborating results were found upon evaluating the bacterial load in SST and shown to be silver concentration dependent. In conclusion, a novel method was developed combining visual rapid screening and quantitative evaluation of the antimicrobial activity in both tissue and devices. It uses tissue allowing biofilm formation thus mimicking reality closely. These conditions are essential in order to predict antimicrobial activity of medical devices in the task to prevent device related infections.

Clostridium difficile in retail baskets, trolleys, conveyor belts, and plastic bags in Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Alqumber, Mohammed A

2014-10-01

To determine Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) prevalence on retail surfaces and shoppers plastic bags. From 20 June to 10 August 2011, in a cross-sectional epidemiological study, 17 supermarkets from 2 cities, Albaha and Altaif, Saudi Arabia were sampled. A total of 800 samples, which comprised 200 samples per surveyed surface, were studied. These included baskets, trolleys, conveyer belts, and outgoing shoppers' plastic bags. Clostridium difficile strains were isolated. The isolates were characterized using ribotyping and  polymerase chain reaction for the detection of toxin A (tcdA), toxin B (tcdB), binary toxin (cdtB), and toxin C (tcdC) genes. Susceptibility to antibiotics was determined on a Muller-Hinton agar with 5% sheep blood agar using E-tests. Overall, the C. difficile prevalence on sampled surfaces was 0.75%. The highest prevalence was found on retail baskets and trolleys, followed by plastic bags. A total of 5 different ribotypes were identified. Alterations in tcdC were detected in ribotype 027 and BT1. All the identified isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, but resistant to levofloxacin. In this study, C. difficile was present at a rate of 0.75% on supermarket surfaces. Spore disinfection of implicated surfaces may be necessary to control any community-acquired infections caused by this pathogen. 

Visualization of Biosurfactant Film Flow in a Bacillus subtilis Swarm Colony on an Agar Plate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyunghoon; Kim, Jung Kyung

2015-08-26

Collective bacterial dynamics plays a crucial role in colony development. Although many research groups have studied the behavior of fluidic swarm colonies, the detailed mechanics of its motion remains elusive. Here, we developed a visualization method using submicron fluorescent beads for investigating the flow field in a thin layer of fluid that covers a Bacillus subtilis swarm colony growing on an agar plate. The beads were initially embedded in the agar plate and subsequently distributed spontaneously at the upper surface of the expanding colony. We conducted long-term live cell imaging of the B. subtilis colony using the fluorescent tracers, and obtained high-resolution velocity maps of microscale vortices in the swarm colony using particle image velocimetry. A distinct periodic fluctuation in the average speed and vorticity of flow in swarm colony was observed at the inner region of the colony, and correlated with the switch between bacterial swarming and growth phases. At the advancing edge of the colony, both the magnitudes of velocity and vorticity of flow in swarm colony were inversely correlated with the spreading speed of the swarm edge. The advanced imaging tool developed in this study would facilitate further understanding of the effect of micro vortices in swarm colony on the collective dynamics of bacteria.

El medio de Kaminski adicionado con nistatina para el aislamiento de dermatofitos y otros hongos patógenos Modified Kaminski agar for the isolation of dermatophytes and some other pathogenic fungi

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Fernando Montoya

1989-01-01

Full Text Available

Se evaluaron 3 medios de cultivo de composición diferente (Mycobiotic agar, agar de Kaminski y agar de Kaminski adicionado con nistatina para el aislamiento de dermatofitos y el reaislamiento de S. schenckii y hongos negros, agentes de cromomicosis. Con el objeto de puntualizar diferencias entre dichos medios se determinaron, para cada uno, la frecuencia de aislamiento de los hongos, sus características morfológicas y su tiempo de crecimiento, así como la rapidez e Intensidad de la contaminación bacteriana y/o micótica. Se estudiaron 150 muestras de pacientes con sospecha clínica de dermatofitosis y se hicieron 30 reaislamientos de S. schenckiiy 10 de agentes de cromomicosis. Se demostró la utilidad del agar de Kaminski modificado, tanto para el aislamiento como para el reaislamiento de los agentes señalados, a pesar de su mayor índice de contaminación microbiana. Fue, además, útil para el aislamiento de levaduras del género Candida.

Three culture media with different composition (Mycobiotic agar, Kaminski agarand Kaminski agar modified with nystatin were evaluated for isolation of dermatophytes and reisolation of S. schenckiiand dematiaceous fungi. One hundred and fifty specimens of cases suspicious of dermatophytosis, as well as 30 strains of S. schenckiiand 10 of chromoblatomycosis agents were studied. The modified Kaminski agar was efficient for the isolation and reisolation of the tested agents, in spite of Its greater contamination rate; It was equally adequate for isolation of Candida species.

Optimization of decolorization process in agar production from Gracilaria lemaneiformis and evaluation of antioxidant activities of the extract rich in natural pigments.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Shengliang; Duan, Zhihong; Lu, Yingnian; Ma, Xiaoli; Wang, Sheng

2018-01-01

Gracilaria lemaneiformis is mainly used as a raw material source for agar industry, and its extract is rich in natural pigments with antioxidant activities. In this study, a solvent reflux extraction method for decolorization of G. lemaneiformis has been developed in agar production. The extraction conditions were optimized as follows: solvent-to-material ratio, 50:1; ethanol concentration, 70%; number of extractions, 3; extraction time, 0.5 h, under which the total antioxidant yield of the extract reached 2.89 ± 0.88 mg/g dried seaweeds. Their IC 50 values of DPPH radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and superoxide anion scavenging activity were 21.91 ± 1.8 mg/L, 40.59 ± 1.5 mg/L and 160.87 ± 2.8 mg/L, respectively. Further isolation and spectroscopic analysis of natural pigments suggested the strong antioxidant capacities were attributed to chlorophyll derivatives. The results indicate that the decolorization process was able to improve the agar quality, and the extract containing lots of natural pigments had antioxidant activities which may be used in functional food and cosmetics.

Comparison of Two Different Disk Diffusion Agar Tests in Determination of Antibiotic Susceptibility for E-Coli Isolated from Urinary Tract Infection in Pediatrics

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I. Sedighi

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI is one of the most common infections during childhood and E-Coli is the more predominant pathogen recovered in UTI. Disk Diffusion agar test is a method of choice because it is cost effective, simple, and now routinely used for detection of antibiotic susceptibility. A rapid increase in antibiotic resistance in our region made the authors to design a study to compare this traditional method with two different disk diffusion agar tests.Materials & Methods: Our study was conducted between 2009 and 2010 in Be’sat teaching hospital on 100 pediatric patients ranged 15 days to 13 years old with positive urine culture for E-coli. Antibiogram detection was performed by disk diffusion agar test with two different kits as Padtan-Teb (made in Iran and Mast (made in the U.K. for Co-trimoxazol, Amikacin, Ceftriaxone, Nalidixic Acid, Cefixime, and Nitrofurantoin. At last the data was analyzed by McNemar test.Results: Co-trimoxazol obtained the lowest (23% Padtan-Teb and 26% Mast and Nitrofurantoin had the highest (86% Padtan-Teb and 97% Mast sensitivity in the two methods which were used in our study. The results were statistically significant for Amikacin, Ceftriaxone, Cefixime, and Nitrofurantoin. The data was analyzed by Mc Memar test.Conclusion: According to our study the results of antibiotic susceptibility were more compatible with other non national Disk diffusion agar test and thus we recommend that our manufactures in Iran should increase the quality of their products.

Associação forética entre larvas de Rheotanytarsus (Chironomidae, Tanytarsini e adultos de Elmidae (Coleoptera, coletados em córregos no Parque Estadual de Campos do Jordão, São Paulo, Brasil Phoretic association between larvae of Rheotanytarsus and adult of Coleoptera, collected from State Park Campos do Jordão, São Paulo State, Brazil

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Melissa O. Segura

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Esta nota registra a ocorrência de foresia entre larvas de Rheotanytarsus Thienemann & Bause, 1913 (Chironomidae, Tanytarsini e adultos de Hexacylloepus Hinton, 1940 e Microcylloepus Hinton, 1935 (Coleoptera, Elmidae. Os exemplares foram obtidos em córregos no Parque Estadual de Campos de Jordão, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil.This note reports phoresy between larvae of Rheotanytarsus Thienemann & Bause, 1913 (Chironominae, Tanytarsini and adult of Hexacylloepus Hinton, 1940 and Microcylloepus Hinton, 1935 (Coleoptera, Elmidae. The specimens had been collected in streams from State Park Campos do Jordão, São Paulo State, Brazil.

A simple agar plate preparation for effective transfer of Ureaplasma colonies onto nitrocellulose membranes for colony immunoblotting.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Carl-Ulrich R; Stiedl, Thomas; Spergser, Joachim; Rosengarten, Renate

2014-09-01

A simple method for preparing agar plates is presented, which allows an efficient transfer of Ureaplasma colonies to nitrocellulose membranes for subsequent immunological detection. This simple and reproducible procedure was used to demonstrate antigenic variation in the phase-variable mba-locus of Ureaplasma parvum serovar 3. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluconazole-containing agar Sabouraud dextrose plates are not useful when screening for susceptibility in Candida albicans.

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Bordallo-Cardona, M A; Marcos-Zambrano, L J; Gómez G de la Pedrosa, E; Escribano, P; Bouza, E; Guinea, J; Cantón, R

2017-04-01

Fluconazole is an alternative for candidemic patients who are not critically ill. Fluconazole is mainly fungistatic and does not completely inhibit visual Candida albicans growth. We studied the usefulness of fluconazole-containing Sabouraud dextrose agar plates for detecting susceptibility to fluconazole in C. albicans. Adjusted inocula of 19 isolates were transferred directly onto fluconazole-containing Sabouraud dextrose plates (concentrations ranging from 0.125 mg/L to 128 mg/L). The fluconazole MIC in fresh isolates and after growth on the fluconazole-containing plate at 128 mg/L was recorded following the EUCAST EDef 7.2 guidelines. Then isolates were classified according to their degree of trailing production, based on microdilution procedure. All isolates were able to grow on all fluconazole-containing plates, even those isolates susceptible to fluconazole. In fact, we selected isolates with different degrees of trailing based on microdilution procedures. 50% of isolates classified as heavy trailers, 35.71% as moderate trailers, and 14.28% as slight trailers. The use of fluconazole-containing Sabouraud dextrose agar plates was not a reliable method to detect fluconazole susceptibility in C. albicans isolates; growth of the isolates was a trailing effect rather than true resistance.

Effects of the Mueller maneuver on functional mitral regurgitation and implications for obstructive sleep apnea.

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Pressman, Gregg S; Orban, Marek; Leinveber, Pavel; Parekh, Kunal; Singh, Manmeet; Kara, Tomas; Somers, Virend K

2015-06-01

Obstructive sleep apnea is prevalent and adversely affects cardiovascular health. However, little is known of the acute effects of an obstructive apnea on cardiovascular physiology. We hypothesized that pre-existing functional mitral regurgitation (MR) would worsen during performance of a Mueller maneuver (MM) used to simulate an obstructive apnea; 15 subjects with an ejection fraction ≤35% and pre-existing functional MR were studied with Doppler echocardiography. The radius of the proximal flow convergence was used as a measure of mitral regurgitant flow. Measurements were made at baseline, during the MM, and post-MM. Areas of all 4 chambers were also measured at these time points, both in systole and diastole. Mean flow convergence radius for the group decreased significantly during the transition from the late-MM to post-MM (0.65 → 0.57 mm, p = 0.001), implying increased MR during the MM. In addition, in 3 subjects, duration of MR increased during the MM. Right atrial (RA) areas, both systolic and diastolic, increased during the maneuver, whereas RA fractional area change decreased, indicating reduced RA emptying. Left ventricular emptying decreased early in the maneuver, probably because of the increased afterload burden, and then recovered. In conclusion, high negative intrathoracic pressure produces changes that, repeated hundreds of times per night in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, have the potential to worsen heart failure and predispose affected subjects to atrial fibrillation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Neisseria gonorrhoeae MICs Obtained by Etest and Agar Dilution for Ceftriaxone, Cefpodoxime, Cefixime and Azithromycin.

Science.gov (United States)

Gose, Severin; Kong, Carol J; Lee, Yer; Samuel, Michael C; Bauer, Heidi M; Dixon, Paula; Soge, Olusegun O; Lei, John; Pandori, Mark

2013-10-24

We evaluated Neisseria gonorrhoeae Etest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) relative to agar dilution MICs for 664 urethral isolates for ceftriaxone (CRO) and azithromycin (AZM), 351 isolates for cefpodoxime (CPD) and 315 isolates for cefixime (CFM). Etest accurately determined CPD, CFM and AZM MICs, but resulted in higher CRO MICs. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical and microbiological evaluation of the internal surfaces of aluminum tubes both unlined and lined with epoxi resin by means of the stereoscope and scanning electron microscope Avaliação química e microbiológica da superfície interna dos tubos de alumínio não revestido e revestido com resina epóxi por meio de microscópio estereoscópio e eletrônico de varredura

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Elisabeth Loshchagin Pizzolitto

2001-12-01

Full Text Available The internal surfaces of aluminum tubes, both unlined and lined with epoxy resin, which are used for packaged medicines such as creams, ointments, gels, etc., were evaluated chemically, and microbiologically with regard to microorganism adherence. Proof of porosity of the unlined aluminum surface and lined with epoxy resin, and the resistance to removal of the resin were observed using a scanning electron microscope and a stereoscope, with a digitalized image system. To evaluate the microorganisms adherence to the aluminum surface, unlined and lined with epoxy resin, sterilized disks (10mm in diameter were immersed in Mueller Hinton Broth and placed in tubes of polypropylene with screw caps. The liquid culture medium was then inoculated with suspensions (10(9CFU/ml of the following microorganisms: Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter lwoffii and Candida albicans and incubated at 37°C under constant agitation (100rpm for 12 days. The culture broth was changed every 3 days, after which the disks were removed, and observed under the scanning electron microscope. Microscopic observations revealed adherence of the microorganisms and biofilm on the aluminum surfaces both unlined and lined with epoxy resin.A superfície interna das bisnagas fabricadas com alumínio não revestido e revestido com resina epóxi, utilizadas para acondicionar cremes, pomadas, géis, etc., foram avaliadas quimicamente e por métodos microbiológicos correlacionados com a aderência de microrganismos. A prova da porosidade e da resistência à remoção da resina foi observada por meio do microscópio eletrônico de varredura (Topcon FM300 e estereoscópio Leica (MZ12 acoplado a Sistema de Digitalização de Imagens. Para avaliar a ação dos microrganismos foram utilizados corpos-de-prova esterilizados (discos de 10mm de diâmetro, imersos em caldo Mueller Hinton (Difco e colocados em tubos de polipropileno com tampa de rosca (Corning. Foram

The effect of reuterin on the lag time of single cells of Listeria innocua grown on a solid agar surface at different pH and NaCl concentrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasch, Maria; Metris, A.; Baranyi, J.

2007-01-01

The lag time of single cells of Listeria innocua grown on the surface of Brain Heart Infusion Agar was studied by microscopy and image analysis. An experimental set-up that enabled relocation of the cells on the agar surface was developed and used to collect data from 50 to 100 individual cells...... the predictions of microbial growth on solid food matrices....

Perfect state of Cryptococcus neoformans, Filobasidiella neoformans, on pigeon manure filtrate agar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staib, F.

1981-02-01

To enable studies of the dependence of Cryptococcus neoformans and its perfect and imperfect states upon bird manure as a habitat of this pathogen, a nutrient medium closely resembling natural conditions was prepared. As sole nutrient, the water soluble ingredients of manure from pigeons (Columbia livia) were used. There was no heat sterilization of the manure filtrate. Using a standard pair of C. neoformans strains for mating, it could be demonstrated that the perfect state of the fungus developed on this so called pigeon manure filtrate agar within 48 h at 26 degrees C. This medium is supposed to help in the elucidation of the epidemiological significance of the perfect and imperfect states of this pathogen.

Ophthalmic ester removal in the agar state giant molecule; Kantenjo kobunshi de futarusan esuteru jokyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-10-01

Matsubara professors of Tokyo College of Pharmacy developed the technique which simply removed phthalic ester from the solution. The property in which the giant molecule called the poly N isopropyl acrylamide cohered like the agar, when 32 degrees C is exceeded, was utilized, and the phthalic ester of poor solubility is taken in the flocculation stage. It is expected with that it can be utilized for wastewater treatment and solicitation quantity thing analysis in the environment. (translated by NEDO)

Effect of growth parameters on spatial pattern formation of cadmium hydroxide in agar gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palaniandavar, N.; Gnanam, F.D.; Ramasamy, P.

1986-01-01

The interrelated effects of growth parameters on spatial pattern formation of cadmium hydroxide in agar gel medium have been investigated. The main parameters are concentration of electrolytes, pH of the medium, density of the gel, the concentration of parasitic electrolyte and the concentration of additives. The pattern formation is explained on the basis of electrical double layer theory coupled with diffusion. Using Shinohara's revised coagulation concept, the flocculation value is calculated. With suitable combinations of parameter values, dendritic growth and spherulitic growth of cadmium hydroxide crystals have been observed. (author)

Choline chloride based ionic liquid analogues as tool for the fabrication of agar films with improved mechanical properties

Science.gov (United States)

In the present paper, we test the suitability of Choline-Cl/urea (DES-U) and Choline-Cl/glycerol (DES-G) eutectic mixtures at 1:2 molar ratios for the production of agar biodegradable films. A three-step process is proposed: pre-solubilization of polymer in DES followed by compression-molding and s...

Daya antibakteri penambahan Propolis pada zinc oxide eugenol dan zinc oxide terhadap kuman campur gigi molar sulung non vital (The antibacterial effect of propolis additional to zinc oxide eugenol and zinc oxide on polybacteria of necrotic primary molar

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Yemy Ameliana

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Materials commonly used for root canal filling of primary teeth is zinc oxide eugenol. Eugenol has some disadvantages that can irritate the periapical tissues, has the risk of disturbing the growth and development of permanent tooth buds, and has a narrow antibacterial spectrum. Studies showed that propolis at concentration of 20 % has antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the antimicrobial activity of root canal pastes with the additional of propolis additional to zinc oxide eugenol (ZOEP and to zinc oxide (ZOP. Methods: Polybacteria cultures collected from root canals of necrotic primary molar from 5 children patients who received root canal treatment. The bacteria were grown in BHI Broth, and inoculated into Muller Hinton Agar media. The agar plates was divided into 3 areas, and one well was made at each area. The first well filled with ZOE as a control, second well filled with ZOEP and the third well filled with ZOP, then incubated for 24 hour at 370 C. Antimicrobial activity was determined by measuring the diameters of inhibition zones of polybacteria growth. The data were statistically analyzed by independent T-test. Results: The pasta mixture of zinc oxide propolis had the strongest antibacterial activity against polybacteria of necrotic primary molar, followed by zinc oxide eugenol propolis paste, and zinc oxide eugenol paste. There were significant differences of inhibition zones between ZOE, ZOEP and ZOP (p<0,05. Conclusion: The study suggested that the additional of propolis to zinc oxide paste could increase the antimicrobial effect against root canal polybacteria of necrotic primary molar.Latar belakang: Bahan yang sering digunakan untuk pengisian saluran akar gigi sulung adalah zinc oxide eugenol. Eugenol memiliki beberapa kekurangan yaitu dapat mengiritasi jaringan periapikal, beresiko mengganggu pertumbuhan dan perkembangan benih gigi permanen pengganti

An agar gel membrane-PDMS hybrid microfluidic device for long term single cell dynamic study.

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Wong, Ieong; Atsumi, Shota; Huang, Wei-Chih; Wu, Tung-Yun; Hanai, Taizo; Lam, Miu-Ling; Tang, Ping; Yang, Jian; Liao, James C; Ho, Chih-Ming

2010-10-21

Significance of single cell measurements stems from the substantial temporal fluctuations and cell-cell variability possessed by individual cells. A major difficulty in monitoring surface non-adherent cells such as bacteria and yeast is that these cells tend to aggregate into clumps during growth, obstructing the tracking or identification of single-cells over long time periods. Here, we developed a microfluidic platform for long term single-cell tracking and cultivation with continuous media refreshing and dynamic chemical perturbation capability. The design highlights a simple device-assembly process between PDMS microchannel and agar membrane through conformal contact, and can be easily adapted by microbiologists for their routine laboratory use. The device confines cell growth in monolayer between an agar membrane and a glass surface. Efficient nutrient diffusion through the membrane and reliable temperature maintenance provide optimal growth condition for the cells, which exhibited fast exponential growth and constant distribution of cell sizes. More than 24 h of single-cell tracking was demonstrated on a transcription-metabolism integrated synthetic biological model, the gene-metabolic oscillator. Single cell morphology study under alcohol toxicity allowed us to discover and characterize cell filamentation exhibited by different E. coli isobutanol tolerant strains. We believe this novel device will bring new capabilities to quantitative microbiology, providing a versatile platform for single cell dynamic studies.

Phosphate-Catalyzed Hydrogen Peroxide Formation from Agar, Gellan, and κ-Carrageenan and Recovery of Microbial Cultivability via Catalase and Pyruvate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawasaki, Kosei; Kamagata, Yoichi

2017-11-01

Previously, we reported that when agar is autoclaved with phosphate buffer, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is formed in the resulting medium (PT medium), and the colony count on the medium inoculated with environmental samples becomes much lower than that on a medium in which agar and phosphate are autoclaved separately (PS medium) (T. Tanaka et al., Appl Environ Microbiol 80:7659-7666, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02741-14). However, the physicochemical mechanisms underlying this observation remain largely unknown. Here, we determined the factors affecting H 2 O 2 formation in agar. The H 2 O 2 formation was pH dependent: H 2 O 2 was formed at high concentrations in an alkaline or neutral phosphate buffer but not in an acidic buffer. Ammonium ions enhanced H 2 O 2 formation, implying the involvement of the Maillard reaction catalyzed by phosphate. We found that other gelling agents (e.g., gellan and κ-carrageenan) also produced H 2 O 2 after being autoclaved with phosphate. We then examined the cultivability of microorganisms from a fresh-water sample to test whether catalase and pyruvate, known as H 2 O 2 scavengers, are effective in yielding high colony counts. The colony count on PT medium was only 5.7% of that on PS medium. Catalase treatment effectively restored the colony count of PT medium (to 106% of that on PS medium). In contrast, pyruvate was not as effective as catalase: the colony count on sodium pyruvate-supplemented PT medium was 58% of that on PS medium. Given that both catalase and pyruvate can remove H 2 O 2 from PT medium, these observations indicate that although H 2 O 2 is the main cause of reduced colony count on PT medium, other unknown growth-inhibiting substances that cannot be removed by pyruvate (but can be by catalase) may also be involved. IMPORTANCE The majority of bacteria in natural environments are recalcitrant to laboratory culture techniques. Previously, we demonstrated that one reason for this is the formation of high H 2 O

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF TWO COMMON TERRESTERIAL MEDICINAL PLANTS RUTA CHALEPENSIS AND RUMEX NERVOSUS

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M Babu-Kasimala

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Ruta chalapensis and Rumex nervosus are used as an extensive household remedy for various diseases in Eritrea. The components of these plants are of great interest in medicinal chemistry. Leaves and young stems of Ruta and Rumex have been reported to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, amino acids, furanocoumarins and saponins. Various solvents like ethanol, acetone and aqueous extracts of the two plants were screened for the presence of bioactive compounds. Methods: The antibacterial activities of these extracts were investigated against Staphylococcus aureus, a gram positive bacteria and Escherichia coli, gram negative bacteria. The antibacterial activity was tested using Muller Hinton Agar medium by disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration assays. Results: After incubation, zone of inhibition was measured in mm, a good inhibition (>5mm was observed indicating the effective antibacterial activity of the bioactive compounds in both the plant extracts.

Detection of group B streptococci in Lim broth by use of group B streptococcus peptide nucleic acid fluorescent in situ hybridization and selective and nonselective agars.

Science.gov (United States)

Montague, Naomi S; Cleary, Timothy J; Martinez, Octavio V; Procop, Gary W

2008-10-01

The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the detection of group B streptococci from Lim enrichment broth with sheep blood agar (SBA), with selective Streptococcus agar (SSA), and by a peptide nucleic acid fluorescent in situ hybridization (PNA FISH) assay were as follows: for culture on SBA, 68.4%, 100%, 100%, and 87.9%, respectively; for culture on SSA, 85.5%, 100%, 100%, and 94.1%, respectively; and for the PNA FISH assay, 97.4%, 98.3%, 96.1%, and 98.9%, respectively.

Optimization of a dual-rotating-retarder polarimeter as applied to a tunable infrared Mueller-matrix scatterometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vap, J C; Nauyoks, S E; Marciniak, M A

2013-01-01

The value of Mueller-matrix (Mm) scatterometers lies in their ability to simultaneously characterize the polarimetric and directional scatter properties of a sample. To extend their utility to characterizing modern optical materials in the infrared (IR), which often have very narrow resonances yet interesting polarization and directional properties, the addition of tunable IR lasers and an achromatic dual-rotating-retarder (DRR) polarimeter is necessary. An optimization method has been developed for use with the tunable IR Mm scatterometer. This method is rooted in the application of random error analysis to three different DRR retardances, λ/5, λ/4 and λ/3, for three different analyzer (A)-to-generator (G) retarder rotation ratios, θ A :θ G = 34:26, 25:5 and 37.5:7.5, and a variable number of intensity measurements. The product of the error analysis is in terms of the level of error that could be expected from a free-space Mm extraction for the various retardances, retarder rotation ratios and number of intensity measurements of the DRR. The optimal DRR specifications identified are a λ/3 retardance and a Fourier rotation ratio, with the number of required collected measurements dependent on the level of error acceptable to the user. Experimental results corroborate this error analysis using an achromatic 110-degree retardance-configured DRR polarimeter at 5 µm wavelength, which resulted in consistent 1% error in its free-space Mm extractions. (paper)

Agar dilution method for susceptibility testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

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Marta C de Castillo

1996-12-01

Full Text Available The antibiotic susceptibilities of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates obtained from patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases in Tucumán, Argentina, were determined by the agar dilution method (MIC. 3.5% of the isolates produced ²-lactamase. A total of 96.5% of ²-lactamase negative isolates tested were susceptible to penicillin (MIC < 2 µgml-1; 14.03% of the tested isolates were resistant to tetracycline (MIC < 2 µgml-1, and 98% of the tested isolates were susceptible to spectinomycin (MIC < 64 µgml-1. The MICs for 95% of the isolates, tested for other drugs were: < 2 µgml-1 for cefoxitin, < 0.06 µgml-1 for cefotaxime, < 0.25 µgml-1 for norfloxacin, < 10 µgml-1 for cephaloridine, < 10 µgml-1 for cephalexin, and < 50 µgml-1 for kanamycin. Antibiotic resistance among N. gonorrhoeae isolates from Tucumán, Argentina, appeared to be primarily limited to penicillin and tetracycline, which has been a general use against gonorrhoeae in Tucumán since 1960. Periodic monitoring of the underlying susceptibility profiles of the N. gonorrhoeae strains prevalent in areas of frequent transmission may provide clues regarding treatment options and emerging of drug resistance.

Comparison of M.I.C.E. and Etest with CLSI agar dilution for antimicrobial susceptibility testing against oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eloiza H Campana

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to comparatively evaluate the performance of M.I.C.E. and Etest methodologies to that of agar dilution for determining the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. METHODS: A total of 100 oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. isolates were collected from hospitalized patients at a teaching hospital. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid was performed using the reference CLSI agar dilution method (2009, Etest and M.I.C.E. methodologies. The MIC values were interpreted according to CLSI susceptibility breakpoints and compared by regression analysis. RESULTS: In general, the essential agreement (±1-log2 between M.I.C.E. and CLSI agar dilution was 93.0%, 84.0% and 77.0% for linezolid, teicoplanin and vancomycin, respectively. Essential agreement rates between M.I.C.E. and Etest were excellent (>90.0% for all antibiotics tested. Both strips (M.I.C.E. and Etest yielded two very major errors for linezolid. Unacceptable minor rates were observed for teicoplanin against CoNS and for vancomycin against S. aureus. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, linezolid and teicoplanin MICs against all staphylococci and S. aureus, respectively, were more accurately predicted by M.I.C.E. strips. However, the Etest showed better performance than M.I.C.E. for predicting vancomycin MICs against all staphylococci. Thus, microbiologists must be aware of the different performance of commercially available gradient strips against staphylococci.

A modified MacConkey agar for selective enumeration of necrotoxigenic E. coli O55 and probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šplíchalová, Alla; Šplíchal, Igor; Sonnenborn, U.; Rada, V.

2014-01-01

Roč. 103, SEP 2014 (2014), s. 82-86 ISSN 0167-7012 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA524/09/0365 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : MacConkey agar * E. coil O55 * NTEC Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 2.026, year: 2014

Multicentre validation of 4-well azole agar plates as a screening method for detection of clinically relevant azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arendrup, Maiken Cavling; Verweij, Paul E; Mouton, Johan W

2017-01-01

Objectives: Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus is emerging worldwide. Reference susceptibility testing methods are technically demanding and no validated commercial susceptibility tests for moulds currently exist. In this multicentre study a 4-well azole-containing screening agar method...... following E.Def 9.3. In-house and commercial 4-well plates containing agars supplemented with 4 mg/L itraconazole, 1 mg/L voriconazole, 0.5 mg/L posaconazole and no antifungal, respectively, were evaluated. Growth was scored (0-3) by two independent observers in three laboratories. Inter-plate, inter...... agreement (no growth versus growth) was excellent (median 95%-100%, range 87%-100%, overall). The overall sensitivity and specificity for the 4-well plate (no growth versus growth) was 99% (range 97%-100%) and 99% (95%-100%), respectively. The sensitivity for simulated WT/mutant specimens was 94% (range 83...

Determination of minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations of tiamulin against field isolates of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.

Science.gov (United States)

Pridmore, Andrew; Burch, David; Lees, Peter

2011-08-05

Tiamulin activity was measured against 19 UK field isolates of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae collected between 2003 and 2009 and the type strain ATCC 27090 as a control, with the intention of comparing broth with serum as growth media. Broth microdilution MIC/MBC tests were performed in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline M31-A3, in 'Veterinary Fastidious Medium' (VFM) (supplemented Mueller-Hinton broth at pH 7.3) and in 100% swine serum. For improved precision, a modified, overlapping doubling-dilution series was used (tiamulin concentration range 0.3-72 μg/ml). The MBC was reported as the lowest concentration producing a 99.9% reduction in bacterial density in the sub-cultured well contents, relative to the starting inoculum. The mean MBC/MIC ratio for tiamulin against A. pleuropneumoniae in VFM was low (1.74:1), even though tiamulin is classed as a bacteriostatic drug. Only three of the 19 isolates and the reference strain grew in 100% serum and their MICs were higher than those determined in VFM. It is postulated that this difference was due to differences in pH of the matrices or binding of tiamulin to serum proteins or a combination of both factors. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drug Susceptibility Testing of 31 Antimicrobial Agents on Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria Isolates from China.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Hui; Li, Guilian; Zhao, Xiuqin; Liu, Haican; Wan, Kanglin; Yu, Ping

2015-01-01

Several species of rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) are now recognized as human pathogens. However, limited data on effective drug treatments against these organisms exists. Here, we describe the species distribution and drug susceptibility profiles of RGM clinical isolates collected from four southern Chinese provinces from January 2005 to December 2012. Clinical isolates (73) were subjected to in vitro testing with 31 antimicrobial agents using the cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth microdilution method. The isolates included 55 M. abscessus, 11 M. fortuitum, 3 M. chelonae, 2 M. neoaurum, and 2 M. septicum isolates. M. abscessus (75.34%) and M. fortuitum (15.07%), the most common species, exhibited greater antibiotic resistance than the other three species. The isolates had low resistance to amikacin, linezolid, and tigecycline, and high resistance to first-line antituberculous agents, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, rifapentine, dapsone, thioacetazone, and pasiniazid. M. abscessus and M. fortuitum were highly resistant to ofloxacin and rifabutin, respectively. The isolates showed moderate resistance to the other antimicrobial agents. Our results suggest that tigecycline, linezolid, clofazimine, and cefmetazole are appropriate choices for M. abscessus infections. Capreomycin, sulfamethoxazole, tigecycline, clofazimine, and cefmetazole are potentially good choices for M. fortuitum infections. Our drug susceptibility data should be useful to clinicians.

Drug Susceptibility Testing of 31 Antimicrobial Agents on Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria Isolates from China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Pang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. Several species of rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM are now recognized as human pathogens. However, limited data on effective drug treatments against these organisms exists. Here, we describe the species distribution and drug susceptibility profiles of RGM clinical isolates collected from four southern Chinese provinces from January 2005 to December 2012. Methods. Clinical isolates (73 were subjected to in vitro testing with 31 antimicrobial agents using the cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth microdilution method. The isolates included 55 M. abscessus, 11 M. fortuitum, 3 M. chelonae, 2 M. neoaurum, and 2 M. septicum isolates. Results. M. abscessus (75.34% and M. fortuitum (15.07%, the most common species, exhibited greater antibiotic resistance than the other three species. The isolates had low resistance to amikacin, linezolid, and tigecycline, and high resistance to first-line antituberculous agents, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, rifapentine, dapsone, thioacetazone, and pasiniazid. M. abscessus and M. fortuitum were highly resistant to ofloxacin and rifabutin, respectively. The isolates showed moderate resistance to the other antimicrobial agents. Conclusions. Our results suggest that tigecycline, linezolid, clofazimine, and cefmetazole are appropriate choices for M. abscessus infections. Capreomycin, sulfamethoxazole, tigecycline, clofazimine, and cefmetazole are potentially good choices for M. fortuitum infections. Our drug susceptibility data should be useful to clinicians.